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October 2025 – Volume Thirty-One, Number Ten
Celebrating our 31st year!
EXPEDITION NEWS, founded in 1994, is the monthly review of significant expeditions, research projects, and newsworthy adventures. It is distributed online to media representatives, corporate sponsors, educators, research librarians, explorers, environmentalists, and outdoor enthusiasts. This forum on exploration covers projects that stimulate, motivate, and educate.
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Shackleton’s 1908 British Antarctic Expedition hut as seen in 2001.
(Photo: Antarctic Heritage Trust)
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Steger Center Recreates Shackleton’s 1908 Hut
The Steger Wilderness Center for Innovation and Leadership, near Ely, Minn., founded by polar explorer Will Steger in 2013, is building a replica of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctica hut which is still standing on Cape Royds. The original hut was part of the Nimrod Expedition of 1907-1909, otherwise known as the British Antarctic Expedition, the first of Shackleton’s three expeditions to reach the South Pole; at the time, they set a Farthest South record by reaching as close as 112 miles to the pole.
The first round of construction, including exterior walls and windows, was completed by Summit Academy OIC which offers inner-city adults an opportunity to gain hands-on construction experience.
The Center also hosted an advanced timber framing course for women, including someone who knows a few things about huts: Sunniva Sorby of Hearts in the Ice, who overwintered in Svalbard in a small 215 s.f. cabin with explorer Hilde Fålun Strøm from September 2019 to May 2021 as part of the "Hearts in the Ice" expedition. (See EN, April 2020).
The roof and ceiling of the replica hut is built primarily with hand tools such as saws, chisels, winches, following the traditional technique of employing wooden pegs to join sections.
The re-creation relies on the original Shackleton Hut blueprints provided by the New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust.
“The plans were used with some modifications to conform with Minnesota construction codes such as providing emergency egress, complying with ADA regulations, and designing a steeper roof pitch to handle northern Minnesota winters,” says Steger who reports the hut is expected to be completed in Spring 2026 for use as a spartan bunk house without electricity or plumbing, heated by a wood fireplace.
Learn more about the original Cape Royds hut:
https://nzaht.org/conserve/explorer-bases/shackletons-hut/
Learn about the Steger Center and view construction photos:
https://stegercenter.org/
| | A new crop of polar ambassadors every year. | | |
Students on Ice Now Accepting Applications
Want to change a young person’s life? Send them to the polar regions.
Applications are now open for the Students on Ice 2026 expedition season. Full scholarships are available for young people ages 14 to 35. Selected applicants will be matched to an expedition that best aligns with their interests.
Youth participants must demonstrate that they want to participate for the right reasons. This is not a vacation experience, SOI advises. “It is a learning journey that requires time, energy, passion and interest, that begins before the expedition through pre-learning content and continues after the expedition as a member of a global group of SOI Alumni.”
Application deadline is Dec. 4, 2025.
View:
https://soifoundation.org/en/youth/expeditions/application-process-youth/
See past expeditions here:
https://soifoundation.org/en/past-expeditions/
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
– Dame Valerie Jane Morris Goodall, Ph.D. (1934 - 2025), English primatologist and anthropologist. She was regarded as a pioneer in primate ethology and considered the world's preeminent chimpanzee expert.
An Explorers Medalist, Fellow, and Honorary Member of The Explorers Club, she was remembered in an Oct. 1 Club statement, “… her selflessness shines through – everyone who met her instantly recognized her devotion to the greater good.”
MEDIA MATTERS
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Jut considers both a summit's height above a lower point and the steepness of the angle between them. The highest possible version of that number – out of all the possible points where it could be measured – is a mountain's jut.
(Photo: National Geographic)
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Is Everest Really the Grandest? Depends on its “Jut.”
Have we been measuring mountains all wrong? A new method for quantifying grandeur is reshuffling the pecking order of the planet’s most impressive peaks. Turns out Everest has steep competition, writes Gordy Megroz in the October 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Yale student Kai Xu, wondering if there was a better way to measure mountains,
spent a year researching, programming, and calculating a whole new way of measuring mountains. His system considers both a mountain’s height above its surroundings and the steepness of its rise, then spits out a single objective calculation that Xu has named “jut” – as in, how abruptly does a rock face jut into the sky? How magnificent is that relief to gaze up at?
“It is essentially a method of quantifying grandeur,” writes Megroz.
Xu crowned a new most magnificent mountain. When he crunched the numbers, it turned out none of the planet’s five highest peaks above sea level cracked the top five for jut. The world’s actual most impressive summit? Annapurna Fang, a 25,089-foot Himalayan peak towering over Everest, figuratively speaking, with its relatively measly 7,293 feet. Xu’s website ranks it behind 45 other peaks with higher jut, according to the story.
“When he first published his academic paper outlining jut’s mechanics, he thought the measure’s most practical application might be extraterrestrial. ‘Celestial bodies lack a sea level,’ he (Xu) points out. ‘How do we define what is zero elevation?’ Jut, he thinks, can provide scientists with an objective framework to describe mountains on other planets,” writes Megroz.
Xu is only the latest in a long line of scientists and adventurers to challenge conventional wisdom about orometry, the science of mountain measurement.
Read the story here:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/jut-measurement-mountains?src=longre
See the list of mountains with the highest jut in the world:
https://peakjut.com/
EXPEDITION FUNDING
| | The late Jess Roskelley (Photo: The North Face) | | |
The Lowa x Jess Roskelley Legacy Grant
The Jess Roskelley Foundation has created the Lowa x Jess Roskelley Legacy Grant, honoring the life and spirit of American Jess Roskelley (1982-2019) – a dedicated climber, adventurer, and beloved son, brother, and friend. Jess’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 26 on April 16, 2019, alongside fellow North Face climbers David Lama and Hansjörg Auer, during a descent from a new route on Howse Peak, part of Banff National Park in Alberta.
The $5,000 annual grant supports non-professional climbers who reflect Jess’s passion, work ethic, and commitment to self-funded exploration. It’s open to climbers who do not receive a salary from an outdoor company, and will fund climbing-related goals including expeditions, personal projects, or first ascents.
Application period: October 15 to December 31, 2025.
Apply here:
https://www.jessroskelleyfoundation.com/jessroskelleylegacygrant
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Need Some Dosh? Apply for AAC Grants
In the U.K. its called dosh. Here in the States, mention bucks, dough, greenbacks, bread, moolah, or dead presidents and most Yanks will know what you mean.
Need some for your next project?
The end of the year is the deadline to apply for a series of grants worth $42,000 offered by the venerated American Alpine Club founded in 1902.
There’s the McNeill-Nott Award sponsored by Mountain Hardwear; the Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant for American climbers 25 years and younger; the Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant focusing primarily on humanitarian efforts; and the Cutting Edge Grant sponsored by Black Diamond, which funds athletes pursuing world-class climbing objectives.
Through the years, AAC grants have supported thousands of climbers, supported the work of volunteer Search and Rescue teams, and funded humanitarian projects.
To see the list of current grants, visit:
https://americanalpineclub.org/grants
EXPEDITION INK
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Letters from the Edge: Stories of Curiosity, Bravery, and Discovery
By Jeff Wilser
Letters from the Edge (Crown, 2025) compiles letters, email exchanges, field journals, and more from explorers who have joined the Explorers Club.
As they undertook their journeys, sometimes with their lives at risk, they penned their dispatches from afar, sharing their thoughts on enduring lava-spewing volcanos in Australia; suffering starvation and isolation in the harsh tundra of the Arctic; rescuing trapped kids in hazardous caves in Thailand; plunging into the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean to excavate the history of the Titanic; communicating with the other side of the galaxy; and so much more – all to quench the insatiable curiosity of humanity.
And still, humanity strives to discover more.
Writes Explorers Club executive director Will Roseman in the introduction, “The edge can refer to the edge of a cliff, the edge of consciousness, the edge of the known world. But almost every edge has one thing in common: the edge means risk.”
Currently on preorder, the book launches later this month. Find it wherever you buy books.
WEB WATCH
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Screenshot of Brooks Falls brown bears as they fish for migrating salmon in Katmai National Park and Preserve on the Alaska Peninsula.
(Photo: National Park Service / Explore.org)
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Explore.org is a Guilty Pleasure
Time suck aside, the live webcams on Explore.org represent one online rabbit hole we don’t mind running in the background on our screen all day.
Supported by the Annenberg Foundation, Explore.org operates the largest live nature cam network on Earth, offering raw, unscripted, and unedited views of the natural world in real time. The cams are placed in remote locations globally, from the plains of Kenya, Africa, to the riverbanks of Katmai, Alaska, famous its Brooks Falls brown bears.
If only we could catch salmon as well.
Watch the 5-1/2 min. feature that aired last month on CBS Sunday Morning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqQtftD4Ju0
In a related story, Argentina is falling hooked line and sinker for a sea-based internet sensation – live video views of crustaceans, sponges and sea cucumbers crawling and lolling around Mar del Plata canyon, just off the country’s coast. The marine project is led by scientists from CONICET, Argentina’s national scientific council. One starfish has been featured on T-shirts, stickers, and other merch because of its resemblance to the SpongeBob character Patrick.
View a sample of its streaming video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR8mmQHoqyA
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The Pale Blue Dot is an iconic photograph of Earth captured by the Voyager 1 space probe in 1990. Taken from around 3.7 billion miles as Voyager 1 was departing the solar system, the image portrays Earth as a tiny, pale blue speck in the vastness of space.
(Photo: NASA/JPL)
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Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot Still Resonates
The above image is a powerful reminder of our planet's isolation and fragility in the cosmic expanse, highlighting the need for responsible stewardship of our home. The photograph was a result of astronomer Carl Sagan's suggestion to turn Voyager's camera back towards Earth, offering a profound perspective on our place in the universe.
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We’ve run this video of Carl Sagan (1934-1996) before, but it bears repeating in these troubled times. (Our thanks to David E. Peri for this story.)
Watch the 3-1/2 min. clip here:
https://tinyurl.com/carlsaganPaleblue
Editor’s note: In 1981, Sagan wrote to the previously all-male Explorers Club and argued for the inclusion of women. He said in part, “If membership in The Explorers Club is restricted to men, the loss will be ours; we will only be depriving ourselves.”
When the men of the Club voted shortly afterwards to consider women membership, the result of the secret ballot was close, 753 to 613 in favor of amending the bylaws to allow women. Among the first to be admitted: marine biologist Sylvia Earle and astronaut Kathryn Sullivan.
BUZZ WORDS
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Rock flour from glacial melt enters Lake Louise
in the heart of Banff National Park, Alberta
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Rock flour
When glaciers pry boulders from the bedrock, they tumble and pulverize them into a powder known among glaciologists as “rock flour.” This fine talc is full of iron, nitrates, and phosphates. When suspended in seawater it has a ghostly hue, called “glacial milk.” It generates blooms of plankton and krill, which nourishes whales, porpoises, seals, and other sea mammals. (Source: Discovercanadatours.com)
IN PASSING
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Capt. Fred McLaren celebrates designation as an Explorers Club Honorary Director during the Club’s annual meeting in April 2025.
It was presented by former TEC president Richard Garriott.
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Oh Captain! My Captain!
Capt. Alfred Scott McLaren, USN (Ret.) Ph.D., Leaves a Powerful Wake
While journeying on this pale blue dot, one is privileged to know souls who leave an unforgettable mark. Such was the case with beloved Explorers Club president emeritus Capt. Alfred “Fred” Scott McLaren, USN (Ret.) Ph.D. He passed away last month in Chapel Hill, N.C. at the age of 93.
As a naval officer from 1955 to 1981, Capt. McLaren made three Arctic expeditions on nuclear attack submarines, one on board the USS Seadragon (SSN-584) during the first submerged transit of the Northwest Passage during the summer of 1960; and two others on the USS Queenfish (SSN-651).
He is recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and two Legions of Merit. His impressive c.v. also lists experience as a former senior pilot of the SAS Super Aviator submersible, and president emeritus of the American Polar Society. He was author of three books, including Unknown Waters: A First-Hand Account of the Historic Under-Ice Survey of the Siberian Continental Shelf by USS Queenfish (SSN 651). (University Alabama Press, 2009).
TEC president Richard Wiese remembers, “Fred was a transformative leader. As the Club’s 37th President, serving from 1996 to 2000, he brought an essential sense of order and discipline that the Club was previously lacking. He instituted military-like protocols that were a direct reflection of his distinguished career, and many of these procedures are still followed at the Club today, a testament to his enduring legacy.”
For many explorers, Fred was their North Star, participating in member events with a keen mind and sharp wit. He would often ask about sales of our book Travel With Purpose calling it instead with glee, “Travel With Porpoise.” To be ribbed by Capt. McLaren was a great honor.
During a March 2022 hour-long talk at Explorers Club headquarters, he regaled the audience with tales of submariners sharing hot beds with their crewmates as they slept atop torpedoes. He is also proud of his crewmates of the USSN Seadragon who played the first baseball game at the North Pole (1960). It was joked that a batter who hit a "homerun" would circumnavigate the world as they rounded the bases.
“That submarine was alive to me. It talked to me,” he said. “The crew, the submarine and I were perfectly melded to all its operations. We were extremely successful and never detected.”
Watch the talk here:
https://tinyurl.com/McLarenTECTalk
ON THE HORIZON
| | "Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear. And it shows them pearly white." | | |
"I'll be telling ya a story"
Sea Stories Dock at The Explorers Club, Nov. 8, 2025
On November 8, 2025, the Explorers Club HQ will host its annual Sea Stories, a day focused on ocean exploration, scuba diving and marine life. Presenters:
• David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes – “A Deep Dive Inside the Yellow Border”
• Natalie L. Gibb – “The 20-km Flooded Cave Under a Mexican Border Town”
• Renee Grinnell Capozzola and Ron Watkins – "Close Encounters with the Gentle Giants of French Polynesia"
• Dr. Michael Pateman - "Exploring Bahamian Heritage Through the Ocean"
• Charlie Fasano - "Tiger Sharks, CITES and The Stalwart of Shark Conservation: A Tribute to Marie Levine"
Explorers Club HQ, 46 E. 70th Street, New York, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., General Admission $95.
For more information:
https://www.explorers.org/calendar-of-events/sea-stories-2025/
EXPEDITION CLASSIFIEDS
| | Dr. Doug Duncan is looking stellar. | | |
View the August 2026 Solar Eclipse from Spain
Explorers Club member Dr. Doug Duncan will be leading umbraphiles to his 13th total solar eclipse in Spain on August 12, 2026. Dr. Duncan selected a site in Zaragoza, Spain, two years ago, based on weather prospects, clear horizon, air conditioning, and an interesting locale. In August 2025, he observed the sun's position from Zaragoza on the same day as the 2026 eclipse to insure all was ready.
Dr. Duncan's trips are known for outstanding speakers who mingle with the participants. The trip is sold out; join the wait list here:
https://bit.ly/2026-Eclipse-Spain
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Pack Lighter and Clean Clothes Anywhere with the Scrubba Wash Bag
When you're off the grid, clean clothes shouldn’t be a luxury. The Scrubba wash bag is the world’s smallest washing machine – lightweight, compact, and built for adventure. Whether you're hiking remote trails or exploring overseas, the Scrubba bag lets you wash clothes anywhere using just water, a little soap, and some elbow grease.
With a built-in flexible washboard, it delivers a machine-quality wash in minutes – no electricity needed. Weighing just 5 oz. and packing down to pocket-size, it’s ideal for minimalist travel.
By allowing you to wash on the go, the Scrubba helps you pack lighter and travel smarter – no more hauling heaps of clothing. Over 500,000 travelers trust the Scrubba to stay fresh wherever they roam.
Available on Amazon and thescrubba.com for $59.95.
| | Travel With Purpose, A Field Guide to Voluntourism (Rowman & Littlefield) by Jeff Blumenfeld – People are traveling in record numbers and many include voluntourists. Be ready to lend a hand wherever you go. How to travel and make a difference while you see the world? Read excerpts and “Look Inside” at: tinyurl.com/voluntourismbook | | |
Get Sponsored! – Need money for your next project? Read about proven techniques that will help you find both cash and in-kind sponsors. If the trip is bigger than you, and is designed to help others, well, that’s half the game right there. Read Jeff Blumenfeld’s Get Sponsored: A Funding Guide for Explorers, Adventurers and Would Be World Travelers.(Skyhorse Publishing).
Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Sponsored-Explorers-Adventurers-Travelers-ebook/dp/B00H12FLH2
Advertise in Expedition News – For more information: blumassoc@aol.com
EXPEDITION NEWS is published by Blumenfeld and Associates, LLC, 290 Laramie Blvd., Boulder, CO 80304 USA. Tel. 203 326 1200, editor@expeditionnews.com. Editor/publisher: Jeff Blumenfeld. Research editor: Lee Kovel. ©2025 Blumenfeld and Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN: 1526-8977. Subscriptions: US$36/yr. available by e-mail only. Credit card payments accepted through www.paypal.com. Read EXPEDITION NEWS at www.expeditionnews.com.
Research past issues of Expedition News dating back to May 1995 courtesy of the Utah State University Outdoor Recreation Archive. Access is free at: https://tinyurl.com/ENArchivesUSU
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