The winners of our #DreamTraverse Video Contest set of on their week long traverse across Lesotho in Southern Africa today. Grobler Basson and his friends from Cape Town, South Africa, have had the dream of traversing the central part of the Kingdom of Lesotho already for quite some time. Winning Suunto’s #DreamTraverse Video Contest’s 5.000 euro main prize in November gave their project a boost. Today the team of 18 people started their traverse at Maliba Lodge, which is located in the northern part of Lesotho. The athletes completing the traverse while trail running, mountain biking, kayaking as well as swimming are Raoul Hamman, Hanmarie Stadler, Gustav Roberts, Charl Swart, Quintin van Heerden, Chris de Bruyn, André Joubert, Grobler Basson, Neelke Stadler and Vian Espost. In the documenting, logistics and support roles are Gideo Basson, Josh Rowe, Attie Stadler, Erika Basson, Karmien Joubert, Janine du Bruyn, Inge Basson and Joshua Oostuizen. The team’s logistics crew is driving an overland truck that carries people, mountain bikes, kayaks and all the rest of the gear, food and filming equipment. We talked to Grobler Basson just before the start. How remote are the mountains of Lesotho?“The term ‘remoteness’ in the Lesotho mountains has a slightly different meaning. Even though we may see some herd boys high up in the mountains communication is desperate at best as my knowledge of the native language Sesotho is scary! As Lesotho is a full on third world country, medical assistance would preferably be sought in South Africa which is a 5 to 7 hour drive by car when picked up on a viable road.“ Are you following an existing route or are you taking your own way across the Mountain Kingdom?“The least amount of known routes possible was our outset from the start. However, during the mountain biking legs there will be some jeep track and even a small stretch of tarmac. The remainder of the route is unknown and new, we will be navigating these stages and following some game trails as well as trails made by the local heard-boys. On the first and last trail running stages we will traverse large ridgelines where no paths exist. How long is the route?“The route is approximately 210km. According to our route schedule, trail running should make up about 70km, mountain biking 110km, kayaking 28km and a couple of kilometres for swimming. However, as we will be navigating in some unknown territory, these figures are seen as mere guidelines!” The trail running route on the first day will reach an elevation of 3200 meters. What are the biggest challenges?“As Lesotho has been experiencing some severe drought, water during the long and remote stages becomes a concern. Navigational errors may see some of the athletes prolong their stages significantly. The weather is also a concern. Even though it is summer time, last month while competing in the Salomon Skyrun about 180km from where we will start, it started snowing. Due to the high mountain climate, to under estimate the weather could pose significant danger.” What will be the highlights of the traverse?“I think this traverse will be filled with some amazing highlights, but when all is said and done and our bodies start to show the miles, to look back and say I experienced this with my closes friends is priceless. It is something that money can’t buy. We truly believe life is better in a team!” Follow the Kingdom Traverse project also at kingdomtraverse.co.za

Phil Short has been a dive industry professional for over 20 years. He has explored some of the world’s deepest dry caves and spent thousands of hours diving water filled passages. Research and archeology are also his passion, including such assignments as the Antikhytera survey project in Crete. But what is down there that draws Phil to explore these submerged realms? Cave diving is the last field where human beings are mandatory for exploration. In Victorian times, when somebody climbed a mountain, that was it. They were the first. Now technology has taken over. You can take a look at a picture of a mountain, a valley, jungle, or a gorge before you go there. It has been all mapped. “When you get to the end of the line in a cave, tie your line to that line and swim around the corner, you're the first human being there. It's true exploration, much like Shackleton, Scott and all of these early explorers did because there was no choice. In cave diving, there's still no choice, and that's why I’m so passionately driven by it. Anyone with a sensible budget can find new territory.” THE CAVE DIVING ROCK NERD Millions of years ago, the seas were filled with very different kinds of life forms than today. Over the millennia, soft seafloor turned into limestone, preserving a snapshot of these creatures from the past. Caves cut right through these ancient layers, displaying a rich collection of fossils and telling a geological story of the Earth’s past. Phil Short has dived caves all over the world, spending thousands of hours diving exploring many kinds of dry and water filled passages. He knows that seemingly small details hide countless stories. Taking a close look, a bulge in the cave ceiling can turn out to be a tooth of an extinct tiger. “Think about swimming through 100 metres of cave passage today, and memorise all of it. And then get into a time machine and go 3,000 years into the future. The cave would be different because you're diving in something that is alive. The acidic rainwater is dissolving rock, and the flow of the water is eroding it. So the cave is growing. It's forming. It's changing as you're swimming through it.” SETTING THE PERSONAL LIMITS IN CAVE DIVING Cave diving requires rigorous training and the right equipment. But there also needs to be the correct mentality and respect for the forces of nature. Constant practise and safety margins are the cave divers tools for keeping the risks at bay. Phil Short has been a dive industry professional for over 20 years. He has trained hundreds of divers and participated in demanding cave rescue operations. With the experience of thousands of dives, he knows where to draw his line. “I don't consider cave diving an adrenaline sport. In fact, it's the opposite. Going to an extremely deep point in the ocean, just to get a number for a depth record, that is not my motivation. I would happily do, and have done a lot of very deep dives, for a reason such as a historic shipwreck that nobody's managed to dive. I have more of a kind of Peter Pan, never grow up, child-like approach to exploration. Being there is just magical. It's my drive.”

“There is something special about the connection between women that cannot be explained with words alone. It is that deep feeling of affinity we have that brings us close and sets a common understanding of what we experience in our life’s triumphs and tribulations. It is a connection only a woman can truly understand. That is what makes the Suunto Jewel so special. The very essence of its existence and what it represents, expresses that unspeakable bond that brings us together,” the Scuba Diver Girls say. Last February, Suunto sent three Suunto Guiding Star pendants on a journey around the globe. The pendants were passed from one adventure-minded woman to the next, travelling from the Alps to the Arctic Lapland and onwards, and from the Pacific Ocean to icy waters in upstate New York and back under the Caribbean Sun. We have been following the journey of one pendant in particular, as it was passed on among some of the world’s most inspirational female divers. Here is an account of that journey, told by the divers themselves. While the list of adventures and places the jewel has seen is impressive, what strikes as most extraordinary, is the invisible bond of sisterhood the jewel has created between these women. The journey took off in the Maldives, where Scuba Diver Girls Margo Sanchez and Stephanie Adamson were the first women to wear the jewel. The jewel spent some memorable moments diving in the crystal blue waters around Maguhdhuvaa Island and later on travelled with Margo and Stephanie back home to San Diego, United States. “The jewel came with us into our beautiful backyard, an ocean full of kelp, sharks, turtles and a myriad of other amazing sea creatures,” Margo describes. “After a few weeks of enjoying our precious piece of art, it was time to pass it along.” Scuba Diver Girls chose to give the jewel to Becky Kagan Schott, the Emmy Award winning underwater videographer, photographer and tech dive instructor. “Becky embodies an amazing spirit that every woman should embrace. We passed our jewel on, holding it tight as to pass on our energy with it. By now it has traveled the world and laid over so many strong women’s hearts. The energy it possesses is most certainly magical,” Margo writes now, looking back to that moment in February. One of the strong women to hold the Guiding Star next was Jill Heinerth, the underwater photographer and film-maker specialized on demanding cave exploration and 3D imaging. She took the jewel on a National Geographic cave diving expedition in Cuba, where she conducted exploration and survey dives, working with climate scientists and paleontologists: “My job was to photograph and video our work and also deploy an exciting 3D imaging technology. I was able to take numerous calibrated photographs that were assembled into a 3D model of some of the paleo animal artifacts inside the cave,” she explains. “These files were merged into an accurate model that could be printed in 3D so that scientists could examine and work with a model rather than disturbing the artifact underwater where is remains well preserved and untouched.” During the months that followed, the Guiding Star traveled onwards to technical diver Renata Rojas, who in turn gave it to scuba diver and submersible pilot Erika Bergman, who handed the jewel to marine biologist, researcher and deep ocean explorer Megan Cook. In August, the jewel landed in the hands of the explorer, teacher and instructor Cristina Zenato, world renowned for her work with shark awareness and conservation. At the time she was in the Bahamas, hosting the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society’s scholar, teaching sustainable shark diving and shark conservation. Her work aims to change the economic situation of the Bahamians, enabling them to move from traditional fishing to different forms of work and income, including professional scuba diving. During her time with the Guiding Star, Cristina also continued her long term project and conducted cave diving exploration in the area, successfully mapping and connecting previously undiscovered caves and water systems. “It has been a solo expedition and work and the jewel happened to be with me on the day I did the two most important ones. I consider it my luck charm,” Cristina concludes. Cristina passed the Guiding Star on to technical diver Gemma Smith, the first woman ever to dive at the world famous Antikythera Shipwreck. Gemma took the jewel to Central France, to the Lot/Dordogne region, where she completed her internship and became an Introductory Cave Diving Instructor on Open and Closed Circuit and managed to log some long-awaited cave dives. “I was also fortunate enough to complete a major cave diving personal ‘bucket list’ goal during the trip. I wore the Suunto Guiding Star to guide me 2.2 kilometers through the earth, reaching depths of up to 80m to finally reach the stunning cathedral-like Bivouac Chamber in the Emergence de Ressel,“ Gemma says. The journey of the Suunto Guiding Star still continues and we wish every future woman to hold the jewel to get a spark of that energy and courage these women have passed on with the pendant. “It has been an honor to carry the Star on such big moments in my diving journey, and I really hope I've inspired other women to follow their own diving dreams, and show that size and gender should never hold you back,” Gemma Smith summarizes.   To learn more about the Guiding Star – or to get it for an adventurous woman who inspires you – visit suunto.com

Ryan is taking a break from elite racing until 2016. © Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool It’s not uncommon for runners to push themselves too hard. That’s why many of us choose to work with a coach – they often stop us from overdoing it. They stress the importance of recovery just as much as training. Without recovery, there’s no improvement. “If you get overtraining symptoms it’s important to back off,” says Ryan. “The best thing to do, is nothing, watch a whole bunch of movies to allow your body and hormones to recover and settle again.” No spring in your legs? You might be pushing too hard. © Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool 1. Beware, the grumpy runner! When we push too hard with training it’s easy to lose motivation and wind up feeling flat or, worse, irritable. One minute you're feeling great and then the next minute for no reason you are feeling super grumpy. 2. No bounce in your springs If you find yourself plodding through your training with legs that feel like concrete, it might be a sign you need to ease off. You should have pep in your step. There’s a difference between tired legs and legs with no spring. 3. The force field is down! Overtraining results in a weakened immune system. With your biological force field out of commission, one virus after another can cruise in and cause illness. If you’re catching one cold after another or just feel lousy generally, then you need to rest. 4. Restless nights If you are battling to sleep at night and then feel exhausted during the day this might be due to elevated cortisol levels from too much training and stress on your body. 5. The dreaded niggles Overuse injuries, tendonitis and stress fractures are signs you might need to change down a gear or two. Remember, trying to bulldoze your way through a niggle often leads to full-blown injury. 6. Stuck in the slow lane When your legs are becoming chronically fatigued, it’s not surprising to find your training times getting slower. Rather than trudging on, it might be time to consider getting those legs massaged and allowing them to recover. 7. Running on empty Loss of appetite can be another symptom of pushing too hard. This further compacts the problem by starving the body of the nutrients it desperately needs. Main images: © Craig Kolesky | Red Bull Content Pool

Think you can take on one of the world’s top ultra runners? We asked this year’s Ultra Trail World Tour silver medallist Gediminas Grinius for his favorite places to run around the world. Check out his list below. © Ultra-Trail World Tour Squaw Valley, California, USA Distance: 13.22 km (8.2 miles)Elevation: 970 m (3,182ft)Time to beat: 1:49’51Why: If you want to feel the Olympic atmosphere of the resort and at the same time climb the very first and the most beautiful part of the legendary Western States race this trail is for you.Click for Gediminas's tips on transitioning from road to trail running© Pete Forsyth via Wikimedia Commons Mt Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands Distance: 63.95 kmElevation: 4,671 mTime to beat: 10:29’21Why: Long, but an amazing run, especially if you start in the evening. With a bit effort you can see the sunrise from the Volcano, which is the highest peak in Spain. © Nikodem Nijaki via Wikimedia Commons Roque Nublo, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Distance: 38.23 kmElevation: 2,189 mTime to beat: 5:25’42Why: A nice run from Artenara Cave hostel to the picturesque Roque Nublo from where you have all the island stretched out on your hand. If the sky is clear you can see Mt Teide on Tenerife on the horizon. © H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island Distance: 12.01 kmElevation: 544 mTime to beat: 2:18’30Why: It is must to run this trail, as it is in the middle of la Reunion island and part of the Raid de la Reunion race, also known as the Diagonale des Fous – the route of crazies. At the end of the trail you are on the top of a still active volcano. It’s an incredible and very difficult trail. © B. Navez via Wikimedia Commons. LTU Trail Running People trail, Lithuania Distance: 28.37 kmElevation: 1,263 mTime to beat: 3:08’45Why: This is what you are forced to do when you don't have real mountains :) But it is home and a place where the (local) LTU trail running community was born, so it’s close to my heart.© Kontis Šatūnas via Wikimedia Commons

Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck has set a new speed record on Eiger for the third time, beating his previous record by 25 minutes and the 2011 record set by Daniel Arnold. Ueli Steck, the Swiss Machine, took advantage of good climbing conditions this week and clocked a lightning fast 2h22m summit of Eiger via the classic Heckmair Route. The Eiger (3970 m), a mountain in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, has long been an iconic testing ground for alpinists because of its severe north face and accessibility. The Heckmair Route boasts 1800 m of vertical gain. In 2008, Steck smashed his own record by over an hour, clocking an impressive 2h47m summit. This week he broke Daniel Arnold’s 2011 record of 2h28m. “I didn’t push myself as hard as in 2008.” “This time I had a good track, good conditions and I was pulling some gear that made it quite safe and I believe it makes much more sense this way,” Ueli says. “I didn‘t push myself as hard as in 2008 and I felt very comfortable. This made this ascent a beautiful experience and a great day.” He adds: “We can never compare ascents on a face like the Eiger because the conditions and weather are always different. This is what makes alpinism interesting and unique. For me it’s the personal challenge and your own experience that really matter.” The record breaking accent was a finale for Steck after spending the last few weeks taking advantage of good conditions to attemp a number of routes on the Eiger with fellow climbers and trail runners Nicolas Hojac and Killian Jornet. More about legendary climber Ueli Steck