The Adventure Community Looks At Health Insurance

In a follow up to our post on the challenge of finding health insurance for those who engage in "high risk" adventure activities such as rock climbing, here we look at a case study involving one of the most high risk activities out there today: BASE jumping.

BASE jumper prepares to launch from Christ
the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

On November 19, 2012, professional BASE jumper Jill Kuzman had just made her 4th jump from a towering sandstone cliff near Moab, Utah, when she experienced every BASE jumper's worst nightmare - her parachute opened backwards, causing her to plummet to the desert floor. Kuzman broke her leg on impact but was lucky to have the immediate assistance of medics and doctors who were jumping alongside her that day. Her competent companions treated her as they rushed Kuzman to the hospital, minimizing the consequences of a fall that could have turned out much worse. Today, Jill Kuzman is off crutches and moving toward a full recovery.

Unfortunately, like many athletes and adventurers, Jill Kuzman did not have health insurance coverage at the time of the incident and quickly racked up $120,000 in medical bills. Friends pitched in and Kuzman herself reached out on Facebook for donations to help offset her cost, bringing in close to $10,000 toward her bills, but a majority of her expenses still remain.

Not long after Kuzman's incident something of a firestorm, focused on uninsured BASE jumpers and adventure seekers, erupted on BASEjumper.com, with some contributors voicing support, others exasperation that someone would engage in such high risk activities uninsured, when accidents are so likely to occur. In his article The Adventurer's Health Insurance Conundrum on National Geographic's Adventure Blog, James Mills outlines the argument that unfolded on the site and examines some of the points that were brought to light, which adventure-seekers across a number of sports must grapple with.

What To Order: Thailand - Thai Tea

A barista whips up Thai tea on a train
platform in just a few moments

Whether you are navigating the bedlam of downtown Bangkok or enjoying the silence atop Chiang Mai's Doi Inthanon or lounging on one of Thailand's many island beaches, one thing is almost guaranteed - a delicious, iced "Thai tea" is probably only a stone's throw away.

Thai tea is a ceylon tea (though often now made with cheaper black tea leaves and colored with food coloring) that is mixed with evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk before being poured over ice for a cool and refreshing liquid refreshment. Thai tea's burnt orange hue and creamy, slightly smokey, sweet flavor make this iced drink quite distinct, with many devotees and the occasional detractor.

For myself, I will admit that I was not completely sold on my first sip. However, my second sip led to a third and it quickly grew into endearment, such that now I look forward to any chance to grab a "cha-yan" (Thai, lit. "iced tea"). There is also a variation of Thai tea with an added lime flavor called "cha-manao," if you are looking to increase the "tropical quotient" of your drink.

Mixed Thai tea ready to
be poured over ice

Thailand, especially the Lanna region of northern Thailand, has a long history with tea, and Thais love their tea, especially a Thai tea on-the-go to contend with the pervasive heat and humidity of this much-desired Southeast Asian tropical travel destination. This ocher-colored beverage is so popular that Thai restaurants in other countries and continents include it on their menu, a distinctive element of many Thai menus around the world.

In Thailand, street stands and small beverage shops are everywhere, whipping up Thai tea in no time. In fact, there are even iced coffee and Thai tea stalls on the Bangkok BTS skytrain platforms. So, get a leg up on the heat and start your Thai travels with a Thai tea!

Skimo: A Novice's Introduction To Ski Mountaineering - Video

The beauty of "adventure sports" is that the options are as broad as the term adventure. Each year it seems, innovative ways to combine sports, push the envelope, and break new ground are being introduced and popularized.

From adventure racing, which has been in a constant state of emerging and refining for the last 20 years, to free solo climbing, which jumped onto the outdoor sporting scene afresh last year with Alex Honnold's speed climb of Yosemite's El Capitan, there seems to be a steady flow of new and exciting possibilities.

A pack of ski mountaineering competitors race uphill

So it is this year with ski mountaineering, a type of competitive ski touring event where participants race both up and down mountains, combining mountaineering with alpine, telemark, and backcountry skiing.

Ski mountaineering, or 'skimo' as it is often called in the US, has maintained long-term popularity in Europe under the name 'randonee racing' and is quickly gaining a following in the United States.

The following video from the 2013 Eddie Bauer Winter Mountain Games Ski Mountaineering Race that was just held in Vail, Colorado, gives a great glimpse into the grueling challenge that skimo competitors are enthusiastically throwing themselves into:

Wild Yunnan - China's Hidden Gem

China is an intriguing mystery to many trekkers and adventurers, with nowhere more compelling than the wilds of western China: pandas in Sichuan province and the wide open Tibetan plateau in Qinghai province, to say nothing of Tibet itself. Owing largely to many travelers' only superficial familiarity with China, too many of the country's most worthwhile sights and experiences are missed - possibly nowhere more than in southwesterly Yunnan province.

Beautiful Lugu Lake in Yunnan's northern mountains

Not only is Yunnan where the Himalayas fade into the sultry jungles of Southeast Asia, it is home to 25 of China's 55 ethnic minorities and some of the greatest outdoor experiences you've never heard of. The pristine natural landscapes blend with the rich variety of minority cultures to offer a wealth of memorable adventure travel opportunities.

Enjoy a Climb Dali route
over Yunnan's Er Lake

Earlier we wrote about hiking the trails in Yunnan's Tiger Leaping Gorge, reportedly the deepest gorge in the world, where a tributary of the upper Yangtze cuts between two 5,000+ meter peaks to create thundering rapids, and Celeste LeCompte has just reported on her experience rafting Yunnan's Nu River with raft guiding outfit Last Descents in her Outside Online article China's Last Wild River. 

Other organizations, such as Climb Dali, Bike Yunnan, and Action Asia's Lijiang 3-Day Ultra Marathon, offer tailored experiences that delve deep into the treasures that lie hidden in Yunnan's far corners. While the outdoor sporting market is certainly still in its fledgling stages in Yunnan, there are a growing number of credentialed guide outfits offering forays into southwest China's best kept secret.

Last Descents leads Tibetan monks on whitewater fun

One additional aspect of choosing one of Yunnan's many adventures that should not go overlooked is the invaluable difference tourism dollars can make in tipping the scales in favor of conserving, rather than developing, China's vast but shrinking natural beauty.

A laudable example, Last Descents' owner Travis Winn uses his raft guiding as a platform to raise awareness among local Chinese policy makers and the many up-and-coming Chinese who are beginning to head for the outdoors of the need for conservation efforts in many of China's lesser-known travel spots which are in danger of being overrun by China's modernization efforts.

No matter what type of adventure you are looking for, chances are Yunnan has it!

World's Best Hikes According to National Geographic

Though it's just a tease for many, National Geographic has put out a list of "epic trails" to hike.

Santa Cruz Trek in Peru's Cordillera Blanca 

National Geographic - World's Best Hikes: Epic Trails

Hey, it can't hurt to dream, and with a little planning, it's not hard for you to take the initiative to turn your dream into an epic hike!

Packing Tip: Osprey Airporter LZ - Save Your Straps!

A backpacker with her closest travel companion - her pack

Backpacks and rucksacks are hands-down the luggage of choice for many of today's budget world travelers, aptly named "backpackers."

More than anything, a backpacker needs his or her backpack to hold up to the beating it will receive being thrown into airplane baggage bays, on bus roofs, and over horse saddles day after day.

It is more than a backpack - it is a seat, a pillow, a coffee table, a closet. It is home.

Osprey, well known for their packs and uber-efficient travel equipment, has a practitioner's grasp of the demands that are placed on their packs by trekkers around the world every day.

The Osprey Airporter LZ was birthed out of Osprey's practical understanding of the backpacker's way of travel - a simple, durable, light and packable duffle bag who's one and only job is to protect zippers and straps from the careless hands of baggage handlers, security checkpoint personnel, bellhops, and bus drivers.

The old Airporter was one-size-fits-all.
Now, you can choose one to fit your pack.

The Osprey Airporter LZ's constuction is simple: a cavernous duffle with a single, top-loading zipper and a sling strap.

Now, this long-time favorite of trekkers and backpackers has gotten injection of Osprey's genius. The updated Airporter now comes:

• In three sizes to more suitably accommodate packs of different volumes;
• With improved handles;
• With a more comfortable shoulder strap. 

As much as I love my old-model Airporter which has served me and my pack faithfully for years, all three of these improvements are much appreciated. A great buy for US$30-$40, this is a no-brainer - you should definitely have the Osprey Airporter LZ in your luggage stash.