Kaenon

Wearing a variety of Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses including; Rhino, Jetty, Klay and Lewi, Mike Horn and the Young Explorers cycled their way through the harsh and extreme Gobi Desert. With early morning starts at 4:30 am, the group arrived at the Flaming Cliffs after covering almost 2000km (1,242 miles) using 6 different methods of transport over extremely diverse terrain. Mike Horn and The Young Explorers climbed over 500 meters in altitude, crossing nearly 90 miles of dirt and sand, combatting extremely low humidity and high dust ” it doesn’t get much better than this!

YEP Mongolia (September 2010) – Gobi Desert Bike from Pangaea Mike Horn on Vimeo.

Learn first hand from Mike Horn and the Young Explorers why camels are perfectly built for their environment. As part of the most recent leg of the Pangaea Expedition, the Young Explorers join Kaenon Polarized’s Mike Horn, as they trek across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

YEP Mongolia (September 2010) – Gobi Desert Camel Trek from Pangaea Mike Horn on Vimeo.

“Today was a special day for all of us. Spirits were high this morning as everybody woke to see camels hovering around our campsite as opposed to horses. The new method of transport was exciting and served as hopeful relief from the hours spent on Mongolian horse saddles.

We were awake at 7am in preparation for our 9am departure. It was a stunning morning – clear skies and amazing views of the mountain ranges and the beginning of the Hongoryn Els. Once everybody had packed their gear and loaded the jeeps, we were given a short briefing on how to ride camels and how they operate. The Mongolian camels are more dangerous than horses and have the ability to do more damage to humans. As we had no experience with these creatures this meant we had to take caution and prepare ourselves in a more fastidious manner.

At the beginning, we were all totally fascinated by the looks, noises and movements of the camels. They look somewhat prehistoric and the sound they make is completely unique. This is in addition to their incredible size which was a little intimidating at first.

We set off on what we anticipated was going to be a relatively short day after the 150km horse trek over the previous few. We were however, wrong. The slow speed and discomfort quickly trumped the hopefulness of a short day as all the YEPs and Mike Horn Team members settled in for what was going to be a tough slog.

The lunch break was welcomed by all as everyone searched for clothing to make the saddles a little more comfortable. Despite this, everybody pushed through and endured the slow pace for what was an amazing experience that could not be left out when on an expedition in a desert.

Everybody was in awe as we approached the larger dunes of the Hongoryn Els – an amazing sight. We arrived at approximately 5:30pm and watched the sunset over the dunes while doing our soil analysis. We managed to complete all the testing of the samples we had taken from the saline lake near Lake Hovsgol and in the Gobi Desert. It has been really interesting to see firsthand the effects of a changing climate on such unique landscapes, inspiring us to act on such issues.

Everybody is in bed early tonight in preparation for a very early start tomorrow morning to summit the highest dune in the Hongoryn Els. Very exciting!”

Read more on Mike Horn.com

The tweet came through a few short days ago, “The YEP’s summit Himalayan Peak over 6’000 meters and name it ‘Pangaea peak’ !!! WELL DONE Mike Horn and the Pangaea Team!”

Mike Horn and his Young Explorers summitted and named a Himalayan Peak in their latest Pangaea expedition which is well underway in Pakistan.

The latest update from the YEP Blog, which was written before agreement was reached on the new peak name:

June 14th 2010 – Day 14

“We spent most of the time going straight up the main face of the mountain. Then we traversed left and walked up the ridge, which led us to the false summit, and then the summit! Erica and Hugo really felt the altitude but could combat it with a constant and safe pace, which accompanied the breath and movement of the ice axe. So as one foot moved forward then the other, we would breath in deeply then the ice axe would follow this breath, then we would breath out audibly. This pattern was repeated more than one thousand times.

“As we heard today from Mike’s point of view, looking up onto the mountain as the three groups were ascending with the sharp point of the Petzl headlamps was incredible and beautiful. Once we reached the top of the ridge, the sun was rising…it was 5 am. We could just see the tips of Gasherbrum 1, 2, 3 and 4. The sun was rising just behind the peaks and the rays were extremely exaggerated and pointed out of the peaks with a magnificent orange glow. Within 30 seconds, however the clouds covered up the sun and it was very cold.

“We were all extremely emotional and happy to have reached this new summit at a little more than 6,000m, which we have named; Pangaea Peak. Jye thinks that “there is no other feeling like reaching the top of an unclimbed summit.” The Young Explorers all took out our flags for the photos, representing 6 nationalities. It was a moment we have been waiting for and it is a unique experience for everyone that will never be lost. Unfortunately not all 8 of the Young Explorers were able to experience this feeling. 2 of the 8 did not make it to the summit due to the altitude. However, we are still one team that supports each other and works well together.

“After 6 exhausting hours of ascending and descending Pangaea Peak, not including the two hours roundtrip from Base camp to ABC, we all collapsed in our tents. We are a bit more lively now and our bellies are ready for some food, which will be good for replenishing our bodies.”

To view videos of the expeditions, go to Mike Horn’s Pangaea Vimeo channel

We will keep the Kaenon blog updated with the latest news from the YEP’s travels!

EXPEDITION
THE THIRD YOUNG EXPLORER’S PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY IN BORNEO

South African explorer Mike Horn (Hard Kore C12) and his exploration yacht, Pangaea, are sailing off Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Lankayan Island, 3 November 2009: It’s almost noon and a group of young adults is toiling away in the sun, building a metal aeroplane aboard a 35-metre exploration yacht. Sounds incongruous? It’s just another unique day for the nine Young Explorers aboard Pangaea, who are halfway through their environmental programme in Malaysian Borneo.

The youngsters boarded Pangaea in Tawau in Sabah, on Borneo’s east coast, and immediately set sail for Mabul and Sipadan islands. There they perfected their diving skills, as coral reef exploration and protection is one of the key projects making up the EXPLORE, LEARN, ACT component of every adventure.

It’s also why they’re building a metal infrastructure in the shape of an aeroplane – this will be anchored on the sea bed off Lankayan Island, a conservation dive resort in the Sulu Sea, where over time it will become a new coral reef that serves two purposes – to create a new ecosystem supporting coral and fish, and give divers and snorkellers another reef to learn about and enjoy.

The next destination for Mike Horn’s four year expedition aboard Pangaea is Indonesia. With 8 new Young Explorers, Pangaea will stop off at the Solomon Islands for the official launch of a Water Management Project with Geberit A.G. in association with ADDRA. Together, with Mike Horn and Pangaea will engage in the installation of Sanitation facilities in Cabala Primary School. This project will tackle the causes of poverty, pollution, excessive sedimentation and water wastage problems, demonstrating how the inhabitants of this village can benefit from the good will and actions of the Pangaea expedition and its motivated partners.

Stopovers like this as well as those that engage sponsors and media allow the expedition to showcase their global mission. Kaenon Polarized is proud to be a sponsor alongside the likes of G.H. Mumm, Mercedes Benz and Officine Panerai many others supporting this unique expedition.

The previous group of Young Explorers shared the impact that being a part of Pangaea has had on their lives since returning to their respective countries including China, South Africa, Poland, New Zealand and among others.

“I have had the experience of a lifetime and the amount of knowledge gained is unbelievable.”

“My first day back at work and I am still buzzing about the amazing experiences of the last 3 weeks. Talking about this at work bought home to me the enormity of what you (Mike Horn and Pangaea) have achieved in bringing the Young Explorers to a remote and beautiful part of the planet that we were able to experience to the fullest. The transformation I observed in these young adults over the time they spent aboard Pangaea was for me one of the most fascinating and satisfying aspects of the whole expedition, and Mike’s strength and vision seemed to be transfused into them.” – Malcom, Doctor onboard Pangaea

EXPEDITION – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

The latest update from Mike Horn and the Pangaea.
June 27th, 2009

At 8 am on the morning of the 27th of June (Australian time), Mike Horn and his crew sail Pangaea into the magestic Sydney Harbour.

‘It was a great trip ‘ says Mike. ‘We hit a storm just after leaving Auckland and were shaken around a little. The winds soon subsided after a few days and the rest of the trip was relatively calm.

It was a great feeling to sail into the harbour and to see the Opera House after only seeing it in the picture books. Myself and the crew are looking forward to discovering this city and to meeting with the Australian population but first things first – for now we need to deal with customs!

EXPEDITION
For two and a half weeks Mike Horn, who wears Hard Kore and Jetty, and his team had the enormous pleasure of sharing an amazing adventure of discovery with a group of highly motivated young adults. During this time they were very privileged to be able to discover the beauty of Fiordland and to learn about it’s incredible ecosystem.

Fiordland was the ideal place for Mike Horn and his qualified team to carry out the Young Explorers Programme (YEP) and to successfully achieve their goals EXPLORE – LEARN – ACT. Mike reports, “It was an amazing experience for us to be totally cut off from civilization and yet be surrounded by such breathtaking scenery and an abundance of flora and fauna…Through what they have seen and done, through their real–life experiences, they can now pass on a positive environmental message to others around them. Through our joint efforts we can encourage people to pull their resources together and help to protect and preserve the wonderful places of our planet, such as the New Zealand’s Fiordlands.”

To learn more about Pangaea, visit http://mikehorn.com

EXPEDITION
Pangaea Expedition Update – Arriving in New Zealand after spending three months in and around the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, Mike Horn refit his 35m purpose-built learning platform of a home / yacht, Pangaea, before heading off for Fiordland, the next leg of this journey. With a fresh crop of 9 Young Explorers chosen from application, the group will learn about Fiordland’s ecosystem, spending two weeks, exploring and learning before they return to their respective countries.

Mike Horn’s Pangaea travels the world by sea and land over a four-year adventure voyage, discovering the beauty of the planet. Pangaea will travel to Antarctica, Australia, then head north to Asia & Siberia, the North Pole & Canada, North America, then South America and Africa, of which they’re in year one.

Mike is world famous as one of the greatest adventure explorers of the last century and widely respected and considered to be one of the most mentally fit, durable and strongest athletes to ever grace Mother Earth. His adventure explorations – and surviving them – have classified Mike into the category as one of the most mentally-strong of all athletes, where his strength of mind and conviction required to cross and survive some of the most treacherous and extreme conditions found, have allowed him to continue to place himself right where he loves to be – out there, exploring, sharing and surviving! Mike relies on various styles of Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, including Jetty G12 and Hard Kore C28.

Next stop on the tour is Auckland, stay tuned for more on this fascinating adventure.

EXPEDITION

MIKE HORN ARRIVES AT THE SOUTH POLE AFTER 47 DAYS ON SKI

Kaenon Polarized sponsored adventurer Mike Horn (Lewi, Hard Kore) along with team members Borge Ousland, Clémence Cadario and Nicolas Valdivieso arrived on ski to the South Pole today after several days of pushing their physical and mental limits. After 47 grueling days across barren ice-capped land, the team is thrilled to have achieved their goal and able to share in this victorious moment together.

A world renowned explorer, Mike Horn started his South Pole expedition from the northern edge of the Antarctic continent on the 1st of December 2008. This Antarctic leg represents the first expedition of Pangaea (Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Action ) and Antarctica is the first continent to be visited throughout the four year global project, which departed from Ushuaia, the southernmost town of Argentina, in October 2008.

Throughout this journey, young adults from around the world are being invited to join Mike Horn on various stages of his expedition in order to learn more about the natural world and current environmental issues.  To follow Mike’s progress, click here.

On a different front, world-famous South African adventurer Mike Horn, who wears Kaenon Polarized Hard Kore, Lewi, and Jetty sunglasses, is trekking to the South Pole after sailing his boat the Pangaea across the Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina to Antarctica. Horn’s four-year expedition will take him around the world by boat as he brings a highly diverse group of teenagers to the world’s most critically endangered and most beautiful habitats.