by Eric Lillstrom | Sep 1, 2020 | Expeditions
Evening of 9/12 at Camp 1 Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), the heavy rains had made the slot canyon in the next section impassable for the teams near the back of the pack. We were routed around the canyon, hiking safer terrain to CP12....
by Eric Lillstrom | Aug 27, 2020 | Expeditions
We arrived in Fiji five days before the race began and stayed at a hotel resort on the west side of the main island. There were some scheduled events (skills training, Camakau demonstrations, team photos, and the opening banquet), but we had lots of time to chat with...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 30, 2018 | Pro Tips, Uncategorized
Long days of flying are probably the biggest downside to traveling. Cramped seats, long layovers, stressfully short connections and time changes can all make for a bad day. Here are a few travel tips I use to make those long haul days a little easier and more...
by Eric Lillstrom | May 3, 2017 | Expeditions, Polar
Close Encounters of the Polar Bear Kind It was the evening of April 16th, 2017. Our team had been skiing across the arctic sea ice for 3 days, and we were in great shape having already made 25 nautical miles. It was a little before 8pm and our team was busy making our...
by Eric Lillstrom | Feb 28, 2017 | Polar, Pro Tips, Uncategorized
The Polar Sleeping System The quality of your sleep can make or break any expedition and when the temperature outside is -40 (°F or °C) with howling wind, getting good sleep can be a real challenge. Here are a few tips on how to catch some quality Zzz’s on the polar...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 20, 2016 | Crete Circumnaviagtion, Expeditions, Kayaking
When the team woke up, excitement and apprehension were thick in the air. The distance to our finishing point was a comparatively short 15km (less than half of what we would do on a regular day), but the forecast showed very challenging conditions for the last 9km as...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 14, 2016 | Crete Circumnaviagtion, Expeditions, Kayaking
Layover at Katos Zakros The first night at Zakros was the most comfortable I’ve had yet. I was able to snuggle up against a sandstone cliff and put my back to the south wind that blew all night. With a few towels and pieces of clothing to pad the bed, it almost...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 11, 2016 | Crete Circumnaviagtion, Expeditions, Kayaking
Milatou to Plaka It turns out that CP’s illness was not heat related but rather some sort of stomach bug (the symptoms are spot on for food poisoning). We were all in need of a morning off so we lounged about drinking coffee and figuring out how much daily...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 5, 2016 | Crete Circumnaviagtion, Expeditions, Kayaking
The elusive Loggerhead sea turtle The team woke up refreshed and in good spirits; we likely wouldn’t have to paddle into a headwind today and the sea was pond calm. We stopped on the packed beach of Rethmyno for a quick snack and enjoyed being gawked at by the...
by Eric Lillstrom | Oct 4, 2016 | Crete Circumnaviagtion, Expeditions, Kayaking
The team is back in business after a 72 hour layover in Falassarna. Tomorrow, the weather should be good enough to finally round the Northwest corner of the island. We have been expecting this to be the crux move of the expedition. The two narrow, mountainous...
