Team Danger descend Ben Lomond

Team Danger, comprising of Yours truely paddling, Tom Wass mountain bike and Toms wife Sylvia doing the run managed a respectable 16th outof 34 teams in this months Ben Lomond Descent. Despite 2 members of the team drawing blood for the cause and a combined age of around 150 we're aiming for the top 15 next year.

Change in Polar Plans

An update on my upcoming polar trip with Pat Farmer. We had been scheduled to ski from South Pole to the coast in December this year but a delay in funding means we will now head north to south, beginning at the North Pole mid-April next year. This compresses Pat's running schedule to 6 months from Canada to Chile but is well within the capabilities of this running veteran.

I collected some of the Smitten Adventure Wear clothing last week, spending an hour with Carl looking at the best fabrics and styles for our polar journeys. Zip necks, thumb holes, 180g weight and a few different colours - all good for months of skiing over the frozen wastes. Here are some pics of previous trips using Smitten gear - the Victorian High Country, Greenland, Tasmania's Overland Track and the Antarctic Peninsula. The last pic is near my home in Mt Nelson, Tas, training for the first leg of Pole to Pole Run, from North Pole to Canada.

Thanks Carl and Nic, great gear!

Eric

DON MCINTYRE BOUNTY VOYAGE ON 60 MINUTES

Don McIntyre and his crew were on 60 minutes tonight. It was a great story of a remarkable voyage. Congratulations Don we were proud that smitten merino thermals were on the voyage. To view the story go to 60 minutes Austraia website. Click on video library and then click on Hell and high water to watch video of the voyage.

Carl and Nic Mason

Dan Hall ( Team Smitten) wins Ben Lomond Descent

DAN HALL WINS BEN LOMOND DESCENT



Smitten Merino team athlete Dan Hall Australian Extreme Whitewater Kayak Champion and Wildwater Champion wins Ben Lomond Descent. Great stuff Dan. Cheers Carl and Nic Mason

Smitten to South Pole

Hi all. I'm glad to announce that I'll be heading to the South Pole again in December. Instead of skiing there I'll be flying in and then skiing over 1000km back to the coast. So begins the first leg of Pat Farmer's epic trip from South Pole to North Pole over more than a year. I'll be guiding him on the polar sections, everything else he does on the run, literally. see www.poletopolerun.com. As always Smitten will be with us for the long haul. Thanks guys. Eric (www.icetrek.com)

More pics from Europe

Rapid Descent Racing team paddlers Stewart Bennett and Ben Maynard have flicked us more great shots from their European tour - cheers boys!

Tassie Boaters do Good at the Worlds

A big shout-out to Tassie paddlers Ben Maynard, Dan Hall, Stuart Bennett and Matt Dalziel, who are back from another successful European tour.

Here's the highlights:

Dan Hall

• 5th World Championhips Sprint Teams - Sort, Spain

Stewart Bennett

• 1st Soca International Classic - Kobarid, Slovenia
• 2 x 5th World Championships Sprint and Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
• 18th individual classic

Matt Dalziel

• 5th World Champiosnhips Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
• 17th individual classic
• World Masters Champion Classic

Ben Maynard - Overall World Cup Rank 18th!

• 2 x 9th Pyrenees Cup Sprint and Classic - Sort, Spain
• 3rd Austrian Championships Classic on the Steyr River
• 6th Soca International Sprint - Kobarid, Slovenia
• 2 x 5th World Championships Sprint and Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
• 20th individual Classic
• 22nd individual sprint
• 19th World Cup 1 Classic - Bovec, Slovenia
• 21st World Cup 2 Sprint
• 14th World Cup 3 Classic - Valtellina, Italy
• 8th World Cup 4 Sprint
• 16th World Cup 5 Sprint - Lofer, Austria
• 22nd World Cup 6 Classic

For complete results and images, check out Rapid Descent Racing. Top job boys - time to kick back on some Tassie creeks!