Intrepid Adventurers

Always traveling, always wired: Digital Nomad Andrew Evans

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Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler magazine’s “Digital Nomad,” looked at a World Atlas as a kid, pointed to a small, barely recognizable speck out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and said “I want to go there.”

So as an adult, he did. Twice. That “speck on the map” was Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island in the world.

Andrew’s second trip to Tristan da Cunha was part of his most recent trans-Atlantic journey from South America’s Cape Horn to Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

No stranger to long voyages, Andrew began his Cape to Cape journey in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina in early March aboard the expedition ship National Geographic Explorer.

Along the way, he returned to South Georgia, where in 2010 he saw the famous “black penguin” — one of the rarest genetic mutations, seldom seen anywhere on the planet — and to Nightingale Island, where last year he helped break a story on his Digital Nomad blog about an oil spill on that pristine, UNESCO-protected island.

Andrew successfully reached Cape of Good Hope a few days ago, and has promised to visit “surprise destinations” while in Africa. As of today, he is in Malawi, “slapping on mosquito repellent & draping my nets for the night.”

It is well worth your time to digitally travel with Andrew as he tweets, blogs, vlogs and “Instagrams” his adventures on NationalGeographic.com’s Digital Nomad blog, his Twitter feed @WheresAndrew and his Where’s Andrew Facebook page.

Andrew was kind enough to answer a few of my questions regarding his Cape to Cape journey, unexpected adventures, and more.

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NatGeo announces Adventurers of the Year

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Team Ultimate Descent (Credit: National Geographic)

Congratulations to Nepali adventurers Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa, who by climbing Mount Everest, paragliding down, then kayaking the Ganges River all the way to the Indian Ocean earned the National Geographic 2012 People’s Choice Adventurers of the Year award.

The team began their expedition in April of 2011. According to National Geographic, “Babu, 28, had no climbing experience,” and “Lakpa, 39, had never kayaked and didn’t even know how to swim.” Not bad for a couple of first-timers!

The adventurers set a new world record for free flight at 8,865 meters, were robbed at knifepoint and had to live off fruit trees.

Their aptly named expedition, Ultimate Descent, operated on a bare-bones budget. They successfully reached their final destination on June 27.

“There were no social media campaigns, corporate sponsors, or expedition websites, just the essential ingredients for adventure—vision, creativity, and friendship,” Fitz Cahall of National Geographic writes.

Read all about their expedition here.

Intrepid adventurers you should keep an eye on

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Welcome to “Intrepid adventurers you should keep an eye on,” a new regular feature here on ericmurtaugh.com.

As the title suggests, we’ll track down a handful of adventurers and explorers who are currently in the process of planning something adventurous, are currently doing something adventurous, or have adventurous stories to share.

If you know of an adventurous soul we should keep an eye on, shoot me an e-mail at eric@ericmurtaugh.com or leave a comment below.

Moving right along…

1. AdventureCrow: Having already completed a thru-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, AdventureCrow decided he wants to cycle 1,500 miles of the Pacific coast.

It sounds like he is debating between riding Highway 1 or Highway 395 through California. If you know anything about Highway 1, you know that it wouldn’t exactly make for a pleasant bike ride. The inclines are gnarly, landslides are common, and spaced out tourists are driving cars dangerously close to steep cliffs. Whatever he decides, I’m sure he’ll have a great time.

Following his two-wheeled journey down the coast, AdventureCrow plans on giving a PCT thru-hike another shot this summer. Talk about going big.

AdventureCrow is currently accepting sponsorships for his upcoming adventures. If you’re in a position to help him out, do so. And be sure to check out his blog if you get a chance.

2. Deano: Deano is one of those guys who is constantly on the go, having visited 48 countries so far. And he seems like the type who has done it all.

An Australian currently living in Seattle, Deano runs two very interesting blogs on his experiences abroad. Deano in America highlights his time in the States, while Deano Around the World is all about “an Aussies travels and experiences around the world.”

Pretty cool, huh?

If you have a minute, I highly recommend you read Deano’s “Travel Misadventures…I seem to have had a few!”

That’s it for this week. Again, if you know of an adventurer/explorer who should be on our radar, let me know.