In 1999 Hayley Shephard was the first woman to solo sea kayak around Vancouver Island, followed by another epic adventure in 2005 when she was the first woman to kayak alone around the rugged and exposed coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. After 7 years of kayak guiding, and leading expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic islands, gaining a passion for these Polar Regions and a care and interest in the wildlife, Hayley will attempt to be the very first person to solo sea kayak around the Island of South Georgia.

As well as fulfilling a personal dream, Hayley’s Expedition is in the Aid of Helping to Save the Albatross. Behind the scenes of soaring Albatross is the insidiously slow, almost invisible loss of lives, thinning out breeding colonies, emptying skies and threatening the very existence of 19 out of 20 species of Albatross, due to illegal fishing and poor techniques in the Long line fishing Industry. South Georgia, a Sub-Antarctic island known for its rugged beauty & abundant wildlife is home to a number of Albatross species. During Hayley’s 5 week, 470 nautical mile kayak journey around the often storm beaten coast, she will take video footage and still images in order to create a documentary and slide presentation of her adventure with the intention of traveling internationally, telling her story whilst making people aware of the tragic Albatross situation. Hayley encourages you to browse her website www.kayakingtosavealbatross.com for more information on the Expedition and the Albatross.

The mission is to start at the north end of Baffin Island at the town of Pond Inlet in the Canadian High Arctic, and paddle towards Devon Island. This will involve a 60 mile open water crossing over Lancaster Sound. From there the Team Sweetwater must make a 45 mile over-land crossing of Devon- the largest uninhabited island in the world. After that, the team will have one last 45 mile open water crossing before arriving at Griese Fjord, a small settlement on the southern end of Ellesmere Island. Stay with us as we document the training, preparation and execution of an incredible Arctic adventure.

Applications are now being accepted for the third VTH which will be a whitewater expedition. For rules, FAQs and how to enter visit the website www.irvacationtohell.com.

In 2006, Tyler Williams became the first to paddle the entire length of British Columbia's 800-mile-long Fraser River. He didn't know it at the time, but that trip served as the first in a series of river journeys forming the project: Source to Sea—exploring western North America's rivers from headwater to salt water. Williams' quest is to run the continent's major Pacific-draining waterways; the Fraser, Columbia, Yukon, and Colorado, from source to sea.

In 2007, Tyler took a year "off" from the ongoing expedition to run the contentious Klamath River, where dam removal could be the first important step in restoring a severely threatened salmon population. His experiences from that exploited river system will serve him well this year, when he attempts to paddle the Columbia by starting on the nearly salmon-less Salmon River in Idaho.

Williams' trip will start by hiking into the Sawtooth Mountains, where he will locate the Salmon's highest source before launching in a portable pack raft. Near Stanley, Idaho, he will switch to a whitewater kayak, and ride springtime's freshet for 425 miles to the Snake River, and the inland "seaport" of Lewiston, Idaho.

Here, Tyler will run headlong into the dilemma of migrating Columbia salmon. The ocean-bound fish are severely impacted by dams and current-less reservoirs on the lower Snake River. Tyler, too, will likely be tested by flat water and legendary headwinds on this crux segment of his trip. He will try to stroke across the 145 miles of the lower Snake as fast as possible, emulating the struggle that young fish face in their race to reach the sea.

Continuing by sea kayak, Tyler hopes to reach the Cascade Range by mid-July. After paddling past the confluence of the Willamette River and city of Portland, his final challenge will be in negotiating treacherous ocean currents at the mouth of the Columbia. Should he reach mother ocean, Tyler will have completed leg number two in his odyssey of headwaters to salt waters.

For more on Tyler, his Source to Sea quest, and his Funhog Press guidebooks, visit www.funhogpress.com.

Applications are now being accepted for the 3rd Vacation to Hell another Whitewater Mission. You can read or watch videos about the on the official website http://www.irvacationtohell.com/. Congratulations to the 2006 Winners – The Range Life. These guys had an epic trip to el Rio Huallaga in Peru