Does anybody remember those phony “eco-challenge” television shows that were aired a couple of years ago?

It seems we have a lot of rather large egos among members of the recreational and pro-arborist treeclimbing communities, so I’ve come up with a fantasy “tre-eco-challenge” for those climbers who think they’re the world’s greatest at…! Well, most of you should get the idea right off the bat.

My idea is for a minimum of five 2-climber teams to paddle, hike and climb their way across the Isthmus of Panama. Each team will start with a shrimp dinner at Restarante Yarisnori in the Caribbean beach community of Boca del Drago. Each team will follow the same canoe route and hiking trail across the spine of the isthmus to the local resort town of Boquete in Chiriqui Province near the Pacific coast. They will finish with a ribeye steak dinner at Café Nueva York on Avenida Central. Each team will have the coordinates for five geo-caches along the hiking trail that will be tied 100 feet up in the canopy. The canoeing part is roughly seven miles long, and the hiking trail is roughly 50 miles long.

The race will start at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and must be completed within seven days, by Feb. 5. That’s the middle of the dry season in Panama, and it’s in the middle of the slow season for most professional arborists and rugged outdoor adventurists, which eliminates the excuse that you have to work.

Each team will wager something like $2,000 to enter the race, but if you get commercial sponsorship for your team then the president or a senior manager of that company must be a member of the team. The team that completes the race in the fastest time, and with all the geo-caches, takes home all the money. I bet we could even get a couple of the Panamanian television stations to cover the event.

Any takers…? This is intended as a joke, but…!

I don't think I am interested in the challenge. But I will volunteer to be a part of the all expences paid, cache placment team.

Wild Bill, That is not a bad idea to submit to one of the TV Show Incredible Race competition. You never know if they may be interested in something like that for one of their shows. I will look for a link and post it in case some one wants to submit your idea for consideration.. There may be a $100 reward or a Show T-Shirt .... Who knows.

I saw one time when they left from Peru across some of those Andean countries and made it to Venezuela in route to New York... I enjoyed the part about going thru Venezuela with the crazy taxi drivers. Driving like maniacs at 140 kph in old taxis almost falling apart in pretty bad roads ....We don't need no stinking seatbelts!

Now that is something worth training for... I'd be game. Ive often thought of having a skills challenge field day too, but this is a non~competitive sport.... mostly.

I thought up an extra "twist" to this challenge: Our friend and native guide, Enrique Dixon Sr., will lead a "war party" of his fellow Ngobe indians who will surprise-attack each team with spears and poison-dart blowguns in the midst of night along the hiking trail. I feel quite certain Enrique can come up with enough water-based house paint from Dupont or Sherwin Williams to create some fantastic war paint for his warriors (this assumes, of course, that they can get time off from their jobs as bankers, pharmacists and agri-businessmen to actually participate in all the fun).

sweet... will I be allowed to climb nekkid as usual? I can move much faster through the vegetation without clothes getting snagged on every little twig ect. Some pungee pits are also in order, I hope.

I'm in, providing all the big-name sponsors are in place to pay my expenses, and my contract has me spending the next year traveling the world advertising their products. Sponsors, if you're listening, please send all the gear to me now, so I can get familiar with it before the race.

Ok - that sound like to much fun

seeing j-bird as they say nekkid as a jay bird - hmm while being chased by a whooping war party that is filled with rum and biscuts.


maybe something like this can be done at fdr - as there be a lake and trees and trails.

put names in a hat or draw straws

winner or whiner gets to sleep in the heated cabin

he he

jz

I am holding my sides and laughing so hard; where in the world do you dream up these ideas? Its so far out that it may become a TV show. Bill, you are not right!

I'm not shy.... ask anyone who knows me.... maybe ESPN will cover an event like this?

J~Bird, honey, if you gonna climb nekkid, then I wanna be on your team...
We can have a breakfast of waffles and grits, warm up on our "his and hers" chainsaws, then head out for the competition on my little 4WD forklift...

My Monday just got a lot better!

What's more frightening? Poison dart guns or Alice? ZOINKS. Sorry Alice, dear, but I'd hate to interfere
with you and Jim K's new restaurant franchise plans.... don't let me distract y'all.

Was that Alice Lou I spotted pumping plates full of southern fried chicken at the local buffet at 53 and 400. Building them Muscles and gett'n ready for January's event?

J~Bird - you better watch out, she know what that helmet cover looks like.

Anyway - What Lady from the south would not want to watch a young buck in the wood?: It be hunt'n season and all.

Did someone say at one time that Alice Lou drives a pickup?