Three American hikers have been summoned to trial in Tehran on February 6, reports ABC News. Sarah Shourd, her fiance Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal were arrested while hiking near the Iraq border in July 2009.
Due to medical conditions, Shourd was released on bail and returned to the U.S. in September. According to the BBC, it is not known whether she will travel to Iran for the trial—even if it means losing her $500,000 bail.
Bauer and Fattal remain in jail in Tehran; the U.S. has requested they be released on humanitarian grounds.
For more on the initial arrest of the three hikers in Iran, check out the Outside feature, A Mountain of Trouble.
Exercise can make or break a relationship, according to the Wall Street Journal. For every couple who meets sharing a lap lane and lives happily ever after, another duo struggles to stay together -- and too much time on the treadmill is to blame.
What happens when one spouse works out obsessively, leaving the other to care for children and chores? "The effect of extreme exercise on divorce rates isn't clear," writes author Kevin Helliker, although he does conclude that "the surest way for a marriage to accommodate an intense exercise regimen is for both spouses to engage in it."
This guest post is from professional climber Paul Robinson, who is currently in France on a round-the-world bouldering trip. Paul's first ascent of Lucid Dreaming (V16) was featured in the film "The Hardest Moves" at last year's Reel Rock Film Tour.
Great rock is a huge part of what goes into an amazing area, but there is so much more that is needed to truly make an area world class. Presenting the five areas that truly stand out in my book. --Paul Robinson
5. Ozark Mountains, Arkansas, USA
The climbing areas of the Ozarks are situated deep within the forests of Northwest Arkansas. The rock is impeccable sandstone that seems to have been built for climbing.
Much of the climbing is located in and around the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. The ranch is an amazing place to call home base as it offers cabin accommodations and a truly relaxed southern lifestyle. The problems range from very easy classics to some of the hardest and best climbs in the country. This is not to say that the easy climbing is not amazing either. There is also incredible potential for development of new areas.
As the Ozarks are located in an area with a very low population density, it is uncommon to see more than one group of climbers out at the boulders on any given day. The town of Jasper hosts some fun restaurants and the local climbers are extremely friendly. The Ozark Cafe in downtown Jasper is great for a warm bite to eat after a long day of climbing. They also have an excellent breakfast menu with low prices.
The best season for the Ozarks is between October and March, when the temperatures are cool, the friction is perfect, and there are no bugs.
Taimuraz Bolloyev, construction chief for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, resigned Monday, according to the AP and ESPN. Bolloyev cited health reasons for his resignation and has been replaced by Sergei Gaplikov, a deputy head of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's staff.
Despite what at first appears to be a setback for the Games, the International Olympic Committee says Bolloyev's resignation "will not impact" preparations.
"A lot of progress has been made," the IOC told the AP, "and we are confident that the structures put in place by Sochi 2014 and the Russian government will ensure that his departure will not impact on the progress currently being made." The IOC also thanked Bolloyev for his "hard work and dedication" and said they welcome Gaplikov's appointment and look forward to working with him.
Alpinists Cory Richards, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko have completed the first winter ascent of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II, according to Climbing.com. At 26,362 feet, Gasherbrum II is the thirteenth highest mountain in the world and only the fifth 8,000-meter (26,247-foot) peak to be climbed during the winter.
The trio established a base camp on January 11 and reached the summit at 11:30 A.M. local time today, February 2. After reaching the summit, the climbers descended through a severe storm to their highest camp and will continue down to base camp tomorrow.
Gasherbrum II is part of the Karakoram Range in Northern Pakistan, northwest of Tibetan Himalaya. Although the Himalaya receives more moisture (snowfall in the winter) because of its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the farther inland Karakoram experiences colder winter temperatures and contains glaciers far larger than anything in Tibetan Himalaya.
To read more about the team's ascent of Gasherbrum II visit The North Face's Expedition Journal, and check out our previous coverage of the trio's preparation to summit the peak.
