© John Carter

As water temperatures around the coast of Britain turn up a notch, adventurers will divert their attention from the white-stuff to the wet-stuff in search of the water-sports on offer.

For some water-sport enthusiasts however, this is an all-year-round vocation. We managed to catch up with professional wind-surfer Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray, who certainly doesn’t let a cold and wet day get in the way. Chris has been playing in the open water since he can remember, holding on to big sponsors in a time of uncertainty while going from event to event taking silverware home. This is what he had to say:

Chris – what first inspired you to brave the British weather and start windsurfing?

© globalshots.co.uk

I love the weather in the UK it’s so varied and gives you a surprise every day, it’s great. The windier and crazier the weather – the better! I started windsurfing with my Dad for fun at the age of twelve. As I progressed I continually tried more tricks than my friends and it was at my first comp that this rivalry between friends turned out to be great – I ranked top three in the UK as a junior and kept going from there.

Were the prospects of becoming a pro ever realized as a young windsurfer?

I think as a youngster you never know where you’re going and I remember in school a career adviser asking me what do you want to do when you leave school, I told her I wanted to be a professional windsurfer and she thought I was joking. Instead she suggested I become a fire man, haha. That made me even more determined to prove her wrong – she really was clueless, haha.

What are your best achievements to date?

© globalshots.co.uk

The best achievement of mine has to be making it as a professional windsurfer, with the opportunity to travel all round the world having fun, its epic, especially during a recession! Best result is UK vice champion in Waves 2010.

How do you spend you’re time when you’re not sailing?

I get quite a bit of down time when I’m in the UK not at comps and I use this time for loads of other sports like surfing, mountainbiking, and snowboarding. I also work on promoting my sponsors as well as finding different ways to make ends meet feels – it sometimes feels like I’m spinning loads of plates at a time, haha. More recently I’ve been making videos for Adventure 001, videoing all their adventures for them, so far I’ve had a flying lesson and I’ve got a helicopter lesson coming up too, it’s epic.

Tell me more about your up-and-coming windsurfing tour operation you’ve had in the pipeline.

Well I’ve been working on Adrenaline Adventure Holiday with a company called Ocean Source – I’m running a holiday to a place called Hood River its in Oregon, USA. This trip gives windsurfers of all standards a world class venue to practice, there’s also epic mountain biking trails and a summer glacier ski/snow board park. So there’s a lot on offer at Hood River and it really makes the perfect action holiday. There are also chances to go white water rafting, get on some really cool hikes and the socials in the evening are awesome, check out our promotional video.

 More information

• Chris is sponsored by Tushingham, Starboard, Spartan Wetsuits and Franklin & Marshall.
• Dates of the Adrenaline Adventure holiday are; June 22^nd – 29^th 2012.
• Book by emailing bookings@oceansource.net or calling +44 (0)1243 374615.

A Bedouin looking over the Treasury

Jordan – home of the Dead Sea, Petra, tales of Lawrence of Arabia and countless historical religious sites. Despite being one of the smaller countries in the Middle-East, it certainly packs a punch.

As airlines open up routes from Europe to the region, Jordan’s tourism infrastructure seems to be more geared to package or tour-based holiday deals. Still, there is still plenty on offer for independent travellers. The sites of greatest interest lie along the western side of the country, where three parallel highways, each taking slightly different routes, link the capital, Amman, to Aqaba on the Red Sea, via the Dead Sea, Petra and the Jordanian Highlands.

Bus services between these sites are infrequent, inconvenient and are best preferred for solo travellers who have more time than money. As a group of four, we found that it was only marginally more expensive to charter a taxi between towns. This gave us freedom to stop at locations of interest whilst giving us the benefits of local knowledge of the area, its history and suitable accommodation options.

Petra, one of the seven wonders of the world, holds much more then just the Treasury. The UNESCO site contains over 800 individual monuments over an area of 100km² and can take as long as an entire week to see everything.

Petra

Petra Pricing

1 Day 50JD – £44
2 Days 55JD – £48
3 Days 60JD – £53 (4th Day free)

We found that 3-4 days would be enough time to see the major sites within Petra without having to rush about in 30^oC heat ticking off experiences from a check-list. We came for the sights, but in doing so we also discovered the remarkable hospitality and unyielding friendliness of  the local Bedouins who have lived and maintained the area surrounding Petra for hundreds of years.

Enter Ghassab Al-Bedoul, a local Bedouin who for the last two years, who offered his property as a home-stay for independent tourists. He has advertised this through Couchsurfing, a website where users offer their couches for passing travellers as an alternative to staying in a hotel. It works as an exchange medium of culture, language and ideas predominantly over just having a free place to stay. Having used the site for two years and having had many incredible experiences, I was excited to use it again in Jordan. On the site, users whom you have stayed with, hosted or met leave a ‘reference’ of their experience with you, which is permanently on your profile for all to see. With almost 200 positive references, I knew that in Ghassab we had found the right guy.

Looking out over Wadi Araba with Ghassan

Unlike all of my other previous experiences with Couchsurfing, Ghassab didn’t live in a regular home, but in a cave. It was similar to hundreds of others littered throughout the Petra area and where the Bedouins had historically lived for hundreds of years. Over four days we slept on mattresses, collected firewood, ate gigantic (and incredibly tasty) traditional meals and were immersed into the intimate Bedouin society of Petra. The Bedouins themselves effectively bring the ruins of Petra to life. Even though few have retained a traditional nomadic existence, their quirky sense of humour and steadfast dedication to hospitality and kindness ensures the principals of Bedouin life live strong despite all of the changes around them. By the fourth day, we were continuously being invited for sugar loaded ‘Bedouin Tea’ and shisha wherever we went throughout the reserve; in cafes, on rolled out carpets or in other caves!

Petra, despite all of its splendour, is lifeless without experiencing the energy and distinctive communal nature of its inhabitants. It is really what made this tourist site unique and is something  you can’t read about in any guidebooks. For now I believe few visitors to Petra have realised this, with many only appearing for a day to see the famous sites before moving on to the next location.

Ghassab’s brother Ghassan, also offered very affordable rates for desert treks and tours  into nearby Wadi Araba and similarly contributed to what was an unforgettable experience. Their knowledge of the area and its inhabitants are unmatched and without them, our stay wouldn’t have even been half as fascinating as it was.

Living in Ghassab's cave

Contact Bedouin Eco-life (Ghassab and Ghassan)

• Via their Couchsurfing Page
• By email: bedouinbrothers@yahoo.com
• By phone: 0096 278 5389662 (Ghassab), 0096 277 6210519 (Ghassan).

Costs

• Expect to chip in for meals and petrol – 5-10JD (£4.50-9.00) per person per day.
• Desert tours, 2 meals, transport and camping – 20JD (£17.50) per person.

The rest of our time was spent on the Red Sea and at the Dead Sea before returning to Amman. Jordan’s modest 16km stretch of coastline gives fantastic views over turquoise water towards neighbouring Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Snorkelling can be done for as little as 10JD (£9) and diving from around 30JD (£26.50). Two artificial reefs in the form of a sunken ship (30 meters long, 20 meters in depth) and a former Soviet Tank (5 meters depth) ensure that Jordan can hold its own against the Red Sea tourism heavy-weight, Egypt.

More affordable accommodation is available 10-minutes drive south of the main city of Aqaba towards South Beach. Here the water is cleaner and the beaches are more secluded (preferable for female tourists). A taxi to Aqaba, where there is more on offer food and nightlife-wise, costs less than 2JD (£1.50).

The Dead Sea, is extortionately expensive as far as accommodation options are considered. For this reason we decided to spend a few hours at the lowest point on the planet (-423m) on our way back to Amman from Aqaba (5 hour drive). For 16JD (£14) it is possible to use the hotel facilities such as a private beach, pool and fresh water showers. This is important for the comfort of female travellers and to ensure that all of the salt can be washed off effectively.

Floating about at the Dead Sea

At 31% salinity, the Dead Sea is the 2nd saltiest body of water in the world. It is virtually impossible to sink yourself and I cannot stress how much fun simply bobbing about can be!

The area is reputed for its health effects such as the high mineral content of the water and the therapeutic Dead Sea mud itself.

Rather than paying over £10 for a packet of Dead Sea mud at the tourist shop, it is much easier (and cheaper) to search and scoop up the stuff as you wade around in shallower waters and apply it there.

Religion in Jordan

Snorkeling in the Red Sea

Jordan is a moderate country by Middle-Eastern standards. In parts of Amman, you can expect to see women with their hair visible and couples holding hands in the street. However it is important to remember that ignorant stereotypes of westerners do exist, and many parts of Jordan outside of the main cities and tourist areas, remain quite conservative. These effects of this are felt more so by women than men. Either way, for less unwanted attention, it is important to bear this in mind when deciding what to wear for the day (such as long sleeve tops/trousers) or how to behave with members of the opposite sex (less kissing in public basically).

Respect earns respect, but do not allow one bad experience to ruin your trip, every experience can be a learning experience at its worst!

Many businesses can be shut on Fridays, and ensure that your travel plans do not depend on travelling within a certain timeframe during this day! If you are travelling to/from Israel, the border opening times are likely to be affected on Fridays and Saturdays (the Jewish holy day).

Get there and around

Sun setting over Egypt across the Red Sea

• Visas are issued on arrival to Jordan, at land borders as well as at airports. Each single entry visa costs 20JD (£17.50).
• Easyjet flies from London Gatwick for as little as £45 one way. Book ahead in advance for the best fares. A good alternative is Turkish Airlines or Royal Jordanian, although this is likely to be considerably more expensive, but a good choice if you are not planning to fly from the UK.
• A driver who gave us a repeatedly good, affordable prices for transport throughout Jordan (and enthusiastic historical knowledge) was Aref Salamein. Our transport from Aqaba to Amman with stops at the Dead Sea, and two key religious sites (Mt. Nebo & the Madaba Mosaic) cost us 20JD (£17.50) each.
• For more information, contact: 00962 777 439687, 00962 796 679396 or aref_petra@yahoo.com.

The tour began simultaneously in Cape Reinga (North of the North Island) and Bluff (South of the South Island) at 8am on Saturday April 14th, from where cyclists routed 700 kilomtetres over eight days to the Beehive in Wellington on the south of the North Island. Cyclists were able to choose which route they took, either by linking South with North, or by completing the ride entirely on the North Island. The optional routes gave rides the chance to experience very different terrain from Queenstown to Wanaka, then Twizel, Tekapo and Fairlie on the South Island, or Waitomo, Wanganuie and Wellington on the North Island.

The 2012 event itself

This year, 170 team and solo riders took off from the South Island and 70 left from the North Island, complimented by nearly 100 riders doing single day stages. Professional mountain biker and junior world champion Anton Cooper and his Christchurch Boys High School claimed overall victory in the Tour’s final criterium stage in Wellington while Japan-based Dan Underwood took the overall victory as the leading solo rider on the North Island, trumping the South Island’s solo winner, Geoff Williamson. The North Island’s first-placed solo female was Diane Bell who beat the South Island’s Jan Litt.

While the tour had terrain to challenge the toughest cyclists, event organisers were keen to encourage wide participation across a range of abilities and solo/duo/team configurations. Notable teams this year were Powered by Stroopies – a team that pioneered ‘stroopies’, a simple mix of caramel, sandwiched btween two wafers – with Shake Rattle & Ride 70 representing the 70+ demographic.

Keep an eye out for details on next year’s event at tourofnewzealand.co.nz.

North Island Race Course (638 km)

Day 1: Cape Reinga to Kaitaia (111 km)
Day 2: Opononi to Dargaville (79 km)
Day 3: Dargaville to Brynderwyn (70 km)
Day 4: Tuakau to Raglan (84 km)
Day 5: Waitomo Caves to Taumaranui (102 km)
Day 6: National Park to Wanganui (broken into two stages) (118 km)
Day 7: Pahiatua to Masterton (74 km)
Day 8: The Beehive Criterium, Wellington

South Island Race Course (687 km)

Day 1: Bluff to Mossburn (139 km)
Day 2: Queenstown to Wanaka (76 km)
Day 3: Wanaka to Omarama (113 km)
Day 4: Tekapo to Geraldine (88 km)
Day 5: Methven to Oxford (80 km)
Day 6: Hanmer Springs to Kaikoura (126 km)
Day 7: Blenheim to Picton (via Havelock) (65km)
Day 8: The Beehive Criterium, Wellington

More information

• Tour of New Zealand race results.
• Full information for routes and daily stages
• Follow the Tour of New Zealand on Facebook
• The tour was raising money for Kiwi cycleways via donations to the Hikurangi Foundation, and rescue organisations Red Cross and St. Johns.

Incidentally, since visiting Pakistan in summer 2009, all Joe seems to have talked about is ‘how great the rivers out there look’ and how ‘we need to get out there one day’. In a last-ditch effort to shut him up, Chris and I decided to join him on a 5 ½ month kayaking expedition to the Himalayas.

Since the 1970s, there have been a number of kayaking expeditions to Pakistan (see Rafa Ortiz’ descent of the Indus) but we intend to tackle the rivers of Pakistan at their full summer flows.

We have an itinerary in place, albeit quite loose and entirely dependent on river levels and the political situation. Beginning in Gilgit, we’ll warm up on an easier section of the Gilgit river before trekking up as high as we can, putting on and descending to the Indus confluence. We’ll then explore the tributaries of the Gilgit, heading over to the Hunza valley and if we have time, cross the Shandur pass and explore the Mastuj river basin and the Chitral area. We intend to spend around two months in Pakistan before heading over to India and Nepal, rounding the trip off in Arunachal Pradesh.

The aim of our trip is to put Pakistan back on the kayaker’s map. In recent years, the Pakistani tourist industry has suffered not least due to its portrayal in the media; we hope that by sharing our story, photos, videos and river guides we can present a true picture of this wonderful region and its people, encouraging other likeminded groups to visit.

For more information about us and what we do, see our recent video and we’ll keep you posted on how it all goes.

Hans Zimmer – Time

Warpaint – Shadows (The Neon Lights Remix)

Explosions in the Sky – First Breath after Coma

John Murphy – Sunshine

M83 – Outro

Olsen Olsen – Sigur Rós

Fiji Vignette

Five Full Runs

Most recently, the brand announced an initiative to encourage participants in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women with 350 pairs of shoes to help them achieve their fundraising goals. The Entertainment Industry Foundation event takes place in a couple of day on May 5th in New York City and in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 12th with thousands of participants set to race to raise awareness for women’s cancer research programs.

Race entrants who raise at least $1250 in pledges receive a gift certificate they can redeem at newtonrunning.com for a pair of Lady Isaac Guidance Trainers, Terra Momentus All-Terrain Trainers, Motion Stability or Gravity Neutral Performance Trainers, MV2 Speed Racers or Distance Light Weight Trainers. A pretty neat deal and a great way for Newton to partner with a major event.

Neat advertising in Boston, MA

More information

• Newton Running was recently awarded the 2012 Glen and Mildred Robbins Leet Humanitarian Award from Trickle Up, a New York-based, non-governmental organization dedicated to alleviating poverty. Trickle Up provides seed capital and business training  to the world’s lowest-earning people so that they may start a micro-enterprise.
• Our favorite Newton product.

Meanwhile, next to me sits a small box with some of the best sports marketing I have ever seen that contains 2XU compression tights.  If I had half the muscle tone of the guy pictured on the box I’d quit school and start working as a Calvin Klein model. In my angst, I slip on the tights, which were surprisingly comfortable, snug yet not crushing.

The product

2XU offers a wide variety of compression gear which ranges from shorts to tights to tops to calf sleeves to leggings. While leggings technically should not be worn without accompanying garments, I have a hard time entering public casually while wearing spandex pants (even while living in the San Francisco Bay Area).  I am a strong believer in a comfortable pair of jeans when not exercising, which will fit perfectly over your compression leggings for the perfect blend of recovery, comfort and style.

Another fine attribute of 2XU compression gear is they come in a variety of strengths that range unofficially from “loving hug” to “Boa Constrictor vs. lifeless rodent.”  A less compressive garment can be comfortably used while exercising for warmth and muscle support where the more restrictive, tighter pieces are better used after a workout.

Now, I’ve heard of compression garments; I think everybody in the triathlon community has, and we all vaguely know that they “aide in recovery.”  If you asked the first 10 athletes you saw wearing compression gear how it aides recovery, you would get 5 wildly different answers, and 5 who all agree that they have no clue whatsoever.  While I claim to be a member of the scientific community, I still fall firmly into the latter category.  I decided to start my research by reading the side of the box.

The science behind compression

2XU has a couple of bar graphs that represent how much power, weight and flex each fabric type has.  The axis of the graph however are not labeled, nor are they are not compared to any other product.  The box claims you will recover faster, improve circulation, reduce fatigue and increase muscle compression which are claimed to “suggest performance benefits.”  Ok, so I’m not going to find too many answers on the box so I went to Pubmed.com, a web browser specifically for published scientific articles.

Now compression garments are not new to the medical industry.  They have successfully been used for many years in patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Lymphedema.   Many imagine the circulatory system simply as a closed circuit.  This, however, doesn’t really make sense: if one hose (an artery) leads to a smaller hose (capillary bed) and then back to another big hose (vein) and then back to the heart, that’s cool, but what’s the point?

Somehow the good stuff from blood (Oxygen, glucose, etc) needs to get to the muscle tissue.  This happens in the capillary bed where the vessels are actually permeable to fluids and small molecules while larger proteins can be moved via protein transporters.  Out of the 5 Liters of blood that gets pumped out of the heart every minute only about 4 make it back via the circulatory system.  The other one gets picked up by the lymph system, which does far more than just aid with immunity.  Although white blood cells are produced in specialized lymph nodes, this system is mainly designed to get the lost blood plasma and cells back to the heart.  Both CHF and lymphedema cause pooling of this leaked blood fluid in peripheral extremities most commonly in the feet due to a breakdown of these systems.  Both blood veins and the lymph ducts rely on external compression to push blood back towards the heart.  While this is usually provided by muscle contraction, compression stockings were invented to aide in this process.

It just makes sense that creating positive pressure in lower extremities would help push the blood back towards the heart where it could get recycled, being filtered in the liver, kidneys and lungs then redelivered back into circulation again.  This has been shown to be useful to fix a system that is broken (CHF) so why not extrapolate this technology to an intact physiological system?  2XU has done just that in pioneering their compression recovery gear.  All of their claims on the box revolve around increasing circulation during recovery.

The verdict

Great, so we put on these tights and blood rushes back to the heart.  Sounds good, but does it really work? And what’s with “performance compression gear?”  I have to admit that I am usually a skeptic and the biggest thing I learned through my research was that “recovery” is very difficult to quantify.  Most studies (this is one of my favorites out of a large number available on the web) preferred to do some combination of measuring lactic acid levels [La-], muscle oxygenation and perceived muscle fatigue usually using elastic tights and loose shorts as a control.   Although results were quite variable between studies, the general consensus was that compression gear does aide in recovery both from a physiologic and psychological standpoint.  I always encourage people to look at all the research and draw their own conclusions, though.  The idea behind “performance compression” is to reduce muscle oscillation especially upon impact while running.  This, however, was shown to be ineffective, though many professional athletes still swear by it.

So what if studies have shown some variable results? And who even knows how to objectively measure “recovery” anyway? What I can tell you for sure however, is that sitting here after a workout I am very happy to be wearing my 2XU compression tights.

Daisy freezing for a quick snap

An introduction to ice climbing

Ice climbing, simply put, is the act of scaling a vertical sheet of ice using pick axes and crampons (shoes with spikes on). While traditionally an alpine sport done on frozen waterfalls, iced over rock faces and glaciers, any ice face will do as proved by a host of indoor ice walls around the world.

As a sport it is physically challenging,  requiring a combination of balance, strength and skill.  Axes are swung into the ice above a climber’s head and are used as stabilisers while the climber kicks the front part of their crampons into the ice.  This technique is known as front pointing and can be quite tiring on calf muscles, which explains why climbing boots have evolved into today’s extremely rigid “plastics”.  As a novice ice climber, it’s surprising to see how little ice is needed for a firm hold with the ice axe.

Covent Garden Vertical Chill

Operated by Vertical Chill, the London ice wall is situated inside Ellis Brigham’s Covent Garden Store and has been there for almost a decade.  The wall ranges in steepness, making it suitable for complete beginners up to more expert climbers.  At -7°C, it merits the name Vertical Chill, although you can be sure to leave the wall sweating after some intense climbing.

The wall is open six days a week (on Mondays it has to be reconstructed from scratch) and has space for two climbers at a time.  Given this Monday reconstruction, the wall gets easier to climb as the week goes on as the ice has been chipped away leaving more and more holds.

Further information

Price: £50 per person for an introductory hour session, £35 for a equipment and supervision (£25 with your own gear)

Opening times: Tuesday 12.30 – 18.30, Wednesday to Friday 10.30 – 18.30, Saturday 10.00 – 18.00, Sunday 12.00 – 17.00, closed on Monday

Location: Tower House, 3-11 Southampton St, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7HA

Here are our top 3 Welsh riding destinations!

Afan Forest Park – It’s Mighty Mighty

Over recent years more and more cyclists have been heading to the mighty Afan Forest. There are 14 rugged cycle routes, which vary difficulty, and there is something for all levels of riders. Its recent listing in What Mountain Bike Magazine, as one of the “Top 10 Places to Ride”, has seen the spot get a lot busier. However, even at its peak, the scale of the various routes means that you will always find enough space to work up a good sweat and enjoy your ride.

“The 9,000 acres of Afan Forest (Afan Argoed) is a paradise for mountain bikers – recently described as one of the 10 best places to ride before you die” The Guardian

Local Knowledge

Avoid the “easier” routes on bank holidays and weekends – the harder the route level, the less people there are on it. But don’t forget, ride to your limits, you won’t get far with a broken leg/arm!

Road Riding Across the Brecon Beacons – The Challenge of a Life Time

Personally, I prefer riding down hills than up them but some of my colleagues go out of their way to inflict as much pain on themselves as possible.  The Brecon Beacons are infamous with Welsh cyclists and offer a truly rewarding challenge for those that want to push themselves. The routes are colour coded and the different colours show the different grades of difficulty. Yellow, Green, Blue, Red and of course, the hard as nails, killer black route.

Although the Brecon Beacons can be conquered in a day, it really is worthy of more time. I would suggest spending a long weekend enjoying the various routes and all that the sleepy surrounding towns have to offer. Public transport is available for bikes on the Beacons Bike Bus on Sundays and bank holiday Mondays.

Local Knowledge

As with all beautiful roads, the Brecon Beacon attracts a large amount of motorcycle and car enthusiasts who enjoy tearing up the roads and taking in the views. At high speeds and on twisty roads, cyclists should take extra precautions to make themselves easily visible, even in clear conditions.

Swansea Bay to Mumbles – Ice-cream, Sunshine and Happiness

What can I say about the Swansea to Mumbles coastal cycle track? On a sunny day, with the scent of homemade ice-cream and freshly roasted coffee, you would be forgiven for thinking you were on the French Riviera. The flat and easy track hugs the coast all the way from Swansea Marina to the beautiful Fishermans’ village of Mumbles. It’s not exactly the ultimate in cycling endurance but it offers enough to get the heart pumping and the smile grinning.

Local knowledge

Be sure to stop at the almost hidden ice-cream parlour half way between Swansea and Mumbles. It’s called Ripples Cafe and has been providing authentic Italian ice-cream and coffee for as long as I can remember (the mint-choc-chip is a personal favourite). Of course, if you do have to cycle back to Swansea city centre to get your car, you should probably grab your second cappuccino from the award winning Holbrook’s Coffee House – It would be rude not to!

When Ben isn’t finding big hills to ride down (or avoid) you’ll find him working at South Wales’ biggest retailer of skate shoes – Nucleus Surf Shop