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October 2014

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles®

October 2, 2014 -

General Business Meeting followed by:
Christopher Earls Brennen
Canyoneering in the San Gabriels and Beyond

Wade Hallway

Wade Hallway

Canyoneering (called canyoning in Australia and Europe) is a growing adventure activity throughout the world. It involves descending narrow and sometimes steep canyons using technical rock-climbing equipment in order to negotiate the steeper sections, often in or beside waterfalls. The sport allows participants to enjoy spectacular natural surroundings that could not otherwise be visited and, in some cases, never have been visited by humans. It developed independently in the US, Australia and Europe, and separately in different regions of the southwest. Indeed, the southwest includes an amazing array of geographic wonders, many of which can only be fully experienced by resorting to this method of exploration – from the huge, vertical landscapes of Arizona, to the narrow canyons of Utah and the earthquake-fractured mountains of California.

Beginning in the late 1970s, the author was involved in pioneering the sport in southern California and, in this lecture, will describe some of the adventures experienced along the way. Mostly the photographs will tell the story of an amazing and largely unseen wonderland deep in the crevasses of the San Gabriels, Death Valley and the canyons of Utah and Arizona. He will also travel overseas to tell the story of intrepid rappelers of long ago, the remarkable and tragic people of the remote Scottish island of St. Kilda.

Great Chris

Great Chris

Christopher Earls Brennen was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, reputedly during a German air-raid of the Second World War. He grew up in the beautiful countryside around the Northern Irish country town of Magherafelt and went from there to the University of Oxford where he acquired his academic degrees. In 1969, he emigrated to California where he began his 40-year career in academia at the California Institute of Technology, retiring in 2010 as the Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He also served as the Dean of Students and as the Vice-President of Student Affairs.

Living within the shadow of the rugged San Gabriel mountains, he spent many weekends exploring the nooks and crannies of that marvelous wilderness. Beginning in the late 1970s, he was involved in pioneering the sport of canyoneering in southern California and, in this lecture, will describe some of the canyoneering adventures he experienced along the way. Mostly the photographs will tell the story of an amazing and largely unseen wonderland deep in the crevasses of the San Gabriels as well as in Death Valley and the canyons of Utah and Arizona. Many of those experiences are recounted in his widely-used internet guide book, Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the San Gabriels. Further afield he describes some of the great adventures in the American Southwest in another book, Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the Southwest.

WEBSITES:
link Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the San Gabriels
link Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the Southwest
link The Far Side of the Sky - Christopher Earls Brennen

Neon Golden

Neon Golden


 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles®

October 9, 2014 -

Lars Nielsen – "The Long-Rider" Cyclist

Lars Nielsen

Lars Nielsen

Lars bicycle journeys began back in 1980. Now in 2013 he has put 152.500 km. behind him on the Highways of the Globe.

Here’s some fascinating information about the "Long-rider."

Lars was born October 5, 1955 in Denmark where he still resides. All of his bicycle experiences of 154 500 km. as a touring cyclist are chronicled in his new book "The World’s Roads" an adventure that has spanned 33 years.

He’s been snowed in on top of the "Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse", in Austria, has had heat stroke in Death Valley, California, was chased by a wolves in Alaska, surrounded by a bison herd in Yellowstone and chased by a grizzly bear in Alaska to give you somewhat of an idea about a few of Lars adventurers around the globe.

To carry on with some more of his precarious adventurers Lars has been cycling beside the bush fires in the Australia’s desert, had a terrible fight with the endless storms in Argentina’s Patagonia, pulled his loaded bike through snow at 3800 m. height in the Rocky Mountains, he’s also biked in snowing weather from Trondheim to nordkapp (Norway) and has biked around Australia, around (the Four Corners) of the lower United States, and from Cape Horn to Alaska.

A Short Trip for Lars

A Short Trip for Lars

Once while in Denmark he hit a car and the car was totaled! He was run down by a car in New Zealand, hit by car in Miami, Florida, taken down from the rear in England which caused broken bones in his back. He was off the road for five weeks in various hospitals and spent three and a half months recuperating at home.

After a year and a half after the accident Lars was back on the world’s roads again!

Back on the road again Lars was hunted by a grizzly in Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada. He’s also been a tour cyclist in South Africa - Europe - Northern Canada - South America - several times in the United States including Hawaii.

On The Road In Norway

On The Road In Norway

After all of that and more Lar’s still says "I love it still!"

He’s published three books on his bike rides: "Stik Nord" on the trip from Cape Horn to Alaska. And "mine drømmes Nordamerika" on his 75,000 km. as cycle tourist in the United States and Canada. In addition, a third book is just on the horizon: "på to hjul under Sydkorset" about his tours in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Chile.

Join us at the Club and hear directly from Lars how does it, why he does it and all about his adventures around the world on his bicycle.

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles thanks Gary Hareland for recommending this speaker.

At the Adventurers’ Club

At the Adventurers’ Club

Lars in New Zealand

Lars in New Zealand

Good Weather or bad... Lars is always on the road to Adventure!

Good Weather or bad... Lars is always on the road to Adventure!


 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles®

October 16, 2014 -

Ladies Night - Open Thursday
Vivian Callahan - Base Camp and Avalanche

Vivian Callahan

Vivian Callahan

Vivian Callahan is a familiar and well known face around the Adventurers’ Club. She has attended many events and is an enthusiastic and popular guest.

Vivian is passionate, adventurous, athletic and goal-oriented. She loves her family, friends, pets and the Adventurers’ club of Los Angeles. She plays the flute and sings opera.

Also she is Adjunct Professor at Santa Monica College. In the past she has worked for Fox Broadcasting Company and CBS. Studied at Mt. St. Mary’s College, Brentwood, CA. Vivian currently resides in Lake Arrowhead, California.

Tonight Vivian will talk about her trek to Everest South Base Camp and the Killer Avalanche.

Due to another cancellation, Vivian has graciously agreed to appear for us on short notice. For that she deserves our thanks.

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles thanks Stewart Deats for recommending this speaker.


 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 

October 23, 2014 -

Club Dark

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles®

October 25, 2014 -

Saturday - Night of High Adventure - NOHA

Event Sold Out

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles® will be hosting our annual social event of the year the NIGHT OF HIGH ADVENTURE which will include a gala silent auction and dinner on October 25th to raise funds for the coming year. Our goal is to raise enough money to provide a reserve fund for our Club and adventure related activities for subsequent years.
NOHA’s silent auction will be held at The Odyssey Restaurant, 15600 Odyssey Drive, Granada Hills, CA on Saturday, October 25th, with all moneys raised benefiting the Adventurers Club. We hope that you will consider donating a quality auction item (e.g. artifacts, object of art, unique personal items, and adventure related objects, a gift certificate, or a gift basket to our silent auction, or whatever you feel would be appropriate). As a donor, you will receive the Club’s never-ending appreciation.
We will be sending out invitations by regular mail and e-mail and expect to have 250 attendees. Tickets are on sale starting June 1st ($125.00pp & $140.00 after September 1st).
May we count on your help? An auction committee member would be happy to receive your donated item at your convenience or at the Club or if you prefer you may send it/them to Martin Bloom, 5011 Los Robles Street, L.A., CA 90041 (323-257-2611). We would appreciate it if you would please submit your donation no later than October 1, 2014.
Thank you for your continued support of the
ADVENTURERS’ CLUB OF LOS ANGELES®

NOHA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A YEARLY TRADITION OF
THE ADVENTURERS’ CLUB OF LOS ANGELES

THIS YEAR’S FEATURED "ALL STAR" SPEAKERS ARE BUZZ ALDRIN & Sheldon Bart

THE NIGHT OF HIGH ADVENTURE
with exciting presentations
by our guest speakers, a gala silent auction
and a wonderful dinner.

Everyone is Welcome ~ Reservations Required

BUZZ ALDRIN
WELCOME TO AN EXCITING EVENING AS OUR 2013 ADVENTURER OF THE YEAR, KEVIN LEE, CONDUCTS AN IN-DEPTH AND LIVELY AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, BUZZ ALDRIN

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin was born in Montclair, New Jersey on January 20, 1930. His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army Chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was a Colonel in the Air Force, a ScD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an aviation pioneer who later became the Commanding Officer of the Newark Airport in New Jersey. Buzz grew up in New Jersey and after graduating one year early from Montclair High School he was educated at the US Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class with a BS in mechanical engineering. He then joined the Air Force where he flew F86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in Korea, shot down two MIG-15s, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross. After a tour of duty in Germany flying F100s, he went on to earn his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at MIT and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous.

Selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, Aldrin was the first with a doctorate and became known as "Dr. Rendezvous." The docking and rendezvous techniques he devised for spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit became critical to the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs, and are still used today. He also pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking. In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz performed the world’s first successful spacewalk, overcoming prior difficulties experienced by Americans and Russians during extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and setting a new EVA record of 5 hours. On July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world. They spent 21 hours on the lunar surface and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. An estimated 600 million people at that time, the world’s largest television audience in history witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor.

Upon returning from the moon, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award. A 45-day international goodwill tour followed, where he received numerous distinguished awards and medals from 23 other countries. Named after Buzz are Asteroid "6470 Aldrin" and the "Aldrin Crater" on the moon. Buzz and his Apollo 11 crew have four "stars" on each corner of Hollywood and Vine streets on the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Since retiring from NASA and the Air Force, Col. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars known as the "Aldrin Mars Cycler" a spacecraft system with perpetual cycling orbits between Earth and Mars. Dr. Aldrin has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules for space flight. He founded Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and the ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to advancing space education, exploration and affordable space flight experiences for all. In June of 2011 Buzz started a new company, Buzz Aldrin Enterprises, LLC to promote his brand and oversee all aspects of his public appearances, media, licensing, endorsements and efforts to promote the future of the space program.

On November 16, 2011, Dr. Aldrin was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, along with the other Apollo 11 crew members, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, and Mercury Seven astronaut, John Glenn, for their significant contribution to society and for blazing the trail of exploration.

Dr. Aldrin is an author of eight books including his New York Times bestselling autobiography entitled, "Magnificent Desolation" which was released in 2009 just before the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing. He continues to inspire today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books: Reaching for the Moon, another New York Times best-seller, and Look to the Stars. He has also authored two space science-fact-fiction novels: The Return and Encounter with Tiber. His non-fiction works include the best-seller historical documentary, Men from Earth, and an early 1970s autobiography, Return to Earth. His newest book, "Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration" was published by the National Geographic Society on May 7, 2013. It outlines his plan to get us beyond the moon and on to Mars.

As one of the leading space exploration advocates, Buzz continues to chart a course for future space travel.

Dr. Sheldon Bart
Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole

Richard Byrd

Richard Byrd

Sheldon Bart is a writer, explorer and lecturer who has made three trips to the Polar Regions and given presentations at the National Archives, the Explorers Club, the Virginia Historical Society, the National Museum of the U.S. Navy and numerous other venues.

He is a member of the Board of Governors of the American Polar Society and president and founder of Wilderness Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization creating more opportunities for the scientific exploration of the Polar Regions beyond the limited regime of government funding. With the publication of his book, Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole, he has been recognized as the foremost authority on the life and career of pioneer aviator and polar explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd.

Richard Byrd

Richard Byrd

Dr. Sheldon Bart’s hallmark as a writer is extensive, meticulous research far beyond what his predecessors have done and a lively, masterful and exciting narrative style. He has almost single-handedly restored the reputation of Admiral Byrd, having spent a total of eight months going through the Byrd Papers at Ohio State University and related material at half a dozen other archives. He considers the Byrd Papers to be a post-graduate course in expedition leadership. He will be speaking to us about why Admiral Byrd matters in the modern world and some of the highlights of Byrd’s incredible adventures in the Arctic and Antarctica.


A silent auction of unusual and exotic items.

Dress is Black Tie, Dark Suit, Military Uniform or Ethnic Dress

Tickets are $125.00 per person up to September 1st and $140 after September 1st. Tickets include dinner and admission. Please select from a choice of prime rib or salmon filet. Buy early for the best seating.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

The schedule is as follows:

5:00 - 6:00 Registration, Social Hour, Silent Auction
5:00 - 6:00 Open Bar
6:00 Formal Entry to Dining Hall with Bagpipes
6:15 Toast
6:30 - 7:30 Dinner
7:30 - 9:00  Featured Speakers
9:00 Silent Auction Award Winners, Socializing

 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles®

October 30, 2014 -

Domonic Corradin
Challenged Athletes Succeed: "I Dare You to Keep Up"

"I dare you to keep up"

Extreme Abilities is a quality we all possess, deep down inside of each and every one of us, yet few discover that it really exists, let alone dig it up and utilize it. It is a term Domonic used to describe the strength some of us have tapped to go out and do the things we love doing, or always wanted to; the determination to grab hold of adventures and to explore beyond our physical and mental boundaries. He has always been a person to push the limits within himself.

Domonic Corradin

Domonic Corradin

Domonic says, "as a child, I grew up on a small "hobby farm" in western Michigan where we had a couple horses, a couple dozen chickens, goats and the typical dogs and cats running amuck in the pasture. This is where I believe my determination was born. I was maybe 6 or 7 years old when I was in the pasture riding our thorough bred Dancer around bareback as my mother took care of some of the chores. When Dancer spied my mom bringing around some feed he got a hit excited and bucked me clear off. I landed on the ground flat on my back, hitting the small of my back on a stump cut off at the ground that the dirt around it had been washed away a bit. It knocked the wind right out of me, and yeah, I did cry for a moment as my mother came back to check on me, but I got right back on that nag and kept riding. So, I lived the cliché saying. I was literally thrown from the horse and got back on."

"About that age I had got into sports of all types, from tittle league baseball to wrestling, track, basketball, motocross, ATVs, and so much more. I had developed a craving for adrenaline, first in the form of competition, then evolving into more daredevil stunts. A monster was created within me. I had to get my fix and as I got older it morphed into a desire for self discovery and knowledge that still drives me to this day. My freshman year in high school, I was asked to join the soccer team by a good friend and marching band mate of mine. I decided I would give it a try. Little did I know that it would become a full on passion. I dove, head first into the sport and trained, played and learned all I could. It consumed my mind and every waking moment 1 could spare. I played three separate seasons during my freshman year and the fall season again with my high school team, then entered training-mode for the upcoming indoor turf season. One day, towards the beginning of December my sophomore year in high school, not a month after my 16th birthday, I had finished my school day and a training session in the gym and headed home for the day."

"I never made it home that day. About a mile and a half from home I lost control of my car on an icy curve and careened into a tree, crushing the roof of my car down against my back shattering two vertebrae and severing my spinal cord between my shoulder blades. Once they were able to extract me from the wreckage, I was rushed by the paramedics to the emergency room and spent the following 5 days in an intensive care unit (ICU) and another 6 weeks in a rehabilitation hospital."

"Realizing this was probably going to be the end of my soccer career I decided to see what other fun I could have. I still needed to satisfy my craving, my adrenaline addiction. Thankfully, I had the support of my family, friends and even my therapists. After taking a number of different outings while still in the hospital, I was enlightened to the world of wheelchair sports. In 1994, when I was first injured, there were only a few sports out there for people with spinal cord injuries. I started out racing wheelchairs in road races next to able-part of a national championship team."

"Then off to college in Arizona, where I continued playing basketball and dabbling in tennis and any other sports I could, in exhibitions and at sports camps. I have volunteered at and worked as a counselor for a few different camps across the country."

"Over approximately 10 years, I was privy to almost every "Wheelchair sport" there was. I then unearthed more and more activities that not too many people knew about which had been adapted for people with disabilities to compete in, or even just take part in. I started attending rock climbing clinics and then joined groups like the linkDive Pirates Foundation to get SCUBA certified and go diving with them down in the Cayman Islands."

"Then, I Went to DeLand, FL as a mentor for the Wounded Warrior Project to their annual sky dive boogie event. I was asked to be the keynote speaker of the Disability Connection’s inaugural conference in Michigan telling some of my tales of adventure and activity. Over the last few years, I find more sports and activities are becoming available out there for my "need for speed" so to speak, to get quenched. I even threw my cards on the table and started racing hand cycles competitively along-side the many other serious competitors racing in marathons across the country."

"I unfortunately noticed that there still isn’t an abundance of information out there for the like-minded, thrill seekers and what is out there is tough to find at best. This has been a major drive of mine to share my experiences in the hopes of others following in my wheel tracks or blazing a trail of their own."

"In 2007, I started a website called linkeXtreme abilties as a showcase for all the things that I was out doing -- from traveling around the globe, rolling my wheels in multiple different countries (i.e. France, Australia, China, Switzerland, and Germany and many more), to participating in many different adventure-type activities including snow skiing in Montana and car racing in New Hampshire with the Accessible Racing program. I wrote about all that I could providing basic information: if a place was accessible or not and also the tips and tricks I had learned along the way. Some of my writings were published in disability magazines such as: Venture Travel Magazine, Chloe Magazine and Active Living Magazine. I traveled to 15 different countries in three years, keeping a travel journal and grabbing at every opportunity I could in every location I went. I wanted to do my part to ease the search for information."

"Over the years, I have had an absolute blast and met so many great people in my travels. I’ve found that there is really no limitation to what people can do. I have found adaptations for almost everything I have ever wanted to do. Now, I have even put myself in the position to provide not only the instruction and information as to what is out there but I can actually build it as well. In March of this year, linkeXtreme abilties took the course of natural progression and I started a business with a good friend of mine in Santa Barbara, CA designing and building the same gear I and my friends had been using over the years. Evolution Fabrication, LLC was formed out of my own desire to help get people out doing the things I always talked about with the eXtreme Abilities website. I was a draftsman all through high school, working on both architectural blueprints and engineering designs."

"Ever since I was young I have been the athlete using the equipment. Now I get to actually make the equipment for others to use. In the coming year, 2013 will be a time filled with wild, outdoor adventures planned all around the world. I am looking forward to stepping up the challenges and pushing my limitations once again. I am working at lighting a fire under people to experience the things they dream of and in the process gain the knowledge about themselves and the world around them. I find myself in a great position to do this for people with and without disabilities alike. I hope to inspire anyone and everyone I can to push their own limits and live a more fruitful life. I dare you to keep up!"

WEBSITES:
link eXtreme abilties
link Shared Story: I dare you to keep up
link Dive Pirates Foundation

The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles thanks Kevin Lee for recommending this speaker.


 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 
© 1921 - 2024 All Rights Reserved
The Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles ®
2433 North Broadway, P.O. Box 31226, Los Angeles, CA USA 90031-0226
(323) 223-3948
 
Web site administration - Stewart Deats