A2Z Adventures blog

Alcino Serras from A2Z Adventures & Haglöfs Trail team achieve the first victory of the season at the Almonda Trail last 11th July. This victory (together with the previous ones at Ultra Trail Serra da Freita 2009 and 2010) added an extra motivation to participate this year at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc on August 27th.

The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc is one of the most important Ultra Trail races in the world with, 166 km and 9500 meters of positive altitude change. A real challenge with 2300 runners from all over the world.

If you would like to follow the same steps of these mountain warriors, but with time to enjoy all of what the alps have to offer, you can join A2Z Adventures trek Alps, Tour of Mont Blanc from 15 to 22 August. A full week of amazing treks visiting 3 countries around the highest mountain of Western Europe.

Our guides Pedro Carvalho, Joana Seco, and Nuno Santos are back from another bike tour in Portugal. They were away guiding our Historical Villages, the Jewish Route road bike tour. It was a fun week, in the Alto Alentejo and Beira Baixa regions, with great riding, gorgeous weather and very cool guests!

They got to visit some very interesting sites related to the Jewish presence in Portugal - the synagogues in Tomar, Castelo de Vide, and Belmonte, were some of the highlights of this trip - and also indulge in great Portuguese food and wines!

Paulo Alípio @ MTB-O World Cup, originally uploaded by A2Z Adventures.

Paulo Alípio participated at the 2010 MTB Orienteering Word Cup that took place in Hungary from 23 to 25th April.

Paulo Alípio (representing the Portuguese national team) raced with A2Z Adventures colours in “queen” category - Elite.
He ended in 45th in sprint distance and 17th in medium distance. In long distance we was unfortunately disqualified (missed a check-point), otherwise would finish in 14th.

Nevertheless it was a excellent performance, competing with the best MTB orienteers in the world.

MTB Orienteering (or MTB-O) is the sport of cross country cycling, combining riding and navigation. Using specially produced maps, riders navigate their way along roads, tracks and trails to control markers (checkpoints) placed at specific locations. Interpreting the map to decide which is the best way from one control to the next, introduces some challenge, so that’s it’s not all about speed.

Complete set of photos here.

PATAGONIA TRAIL 500, originally uploaded by A2Z Adventures.

Terminou mais uma viagem pela Patagónia da A2Z Adventures.
O grupo de 5 ciclistas de Portugal, Brasil e Austrália, maioritariamente feminino, liderado por Pedro Pedrosa, percorreu o final da carretera austral chilena, até Villa O’Higgins onde o Jorge nos esperava com o novo Hot Tube no El Mosco, cruzou a fronteira para a Argentina fazendo a incrível travessia de Villa O’higgins para El Chaltén (que obriga a 2 navegações), comemos a bela pizza e cerveja artesanal da Manuela para comemorar, dormimos na Hosteria da Mariana que sempre nos recebe bem, visitámos o Glaciar Perito Moreno desde as renovadas passadeiras e voltámos a Buenos Aires.
Todos não, porque houve quem seguisse para a segunda parte da viagem, completando 1000 km até Ushuaia, a tempo de ver os últimos pinguins.
O tempo esteve melhor que nunca, apenas com um dia de vento e sem um único dia de chuva. Pedalámos sempre com sol e mesmo com temperaturas acima de 20 graus. Lá pelo meio, em Cochrane, depositámos 500 mil pesos chilenos de donativos recolhidos em Portugal e pelo grupo, respondendo a um apelo lançado pelo nosso guia local Jaime, que divulgou a causa decorando a sua van de apoio com stickers alusivos.
Nova oportunidade para esta viagem em Novembro deste ano ou em Abril de 2011.

Europe’s airspace as been disrupted by volcano Eyjafjallajökull. According to record history, the volcano activity may last for several months (last eruption lasted 1 year and 1 month).

So far, only Lisbon, Madrid and Rome airports have not been affected by the ashes.

If you want to keep updated with more news regarding movement of the cloud, give a look at:

Real time overview air traffic and ashes layer: Radar Virtuel

Prognosis for dispersal of the volcano plume: Denmark National Environmental Research Institute

Automatic news explorer of all stories about volcano impact in Europe’s flights: European Media Monitor

Just received news from our Indian guide in Himalaya, Raju. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give teachings on Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment (jangchup lamdron) on 18th August 18. On 19th August he will confer the Heruka (dechok) and on 20th August he will confer the Avalokiteshvera (chenresig) Initiations. The teachings will take place in Jispa, Himachal-Pradesh, the starting point of A2Z-Adventures Himalaya trail (MTB) and Himalayas, Shingo La & Zanskar Trails (trekking) that will take place two weeks before.

A2Z Adventures group cycling in Patagonia for a Cause. 1% of the trip budget plus other people donations for the victims of Chilean February earthquake and tsunami will be droped personally in Cruz Roja (Red Cross) bank account, in Cochrane, next April 7.
We will keep updating this list till next April 2. Thanks to all!

A2Z 1% - 58,5€ ; Daniel Jesus- 500 €  ; Tania & Octávio - 150€