Video: Climbing the Monolith in France

The Monolithe de Sardières is a massive rock tower located in Savoie, France. It stands 93 meters (305 feet) in height, and is a good challenge for rock climbers. Recently, Laurene Sibue and Xavier Gaboriaud climbed the Monolith and carried a GoPro camera with them as the went. As you can imagine, the views were pretty amazing, as you'll see in the video below. Drones were also used to collect some dramatic shots, which only makes the clip that much better.

Video: Valentine Wingsuiting in the Alps of France

To celebrate Valentine's Day a bit early, professional wingsuit pilots Sam Hardy and Nate Jones scaled a 2525 meter (8284 ft) peak at the Brevent in Chamonix, France. They then proceeded to leap off the cliff, and sailed back down the mountain in grand style. This video is the record of that flight, which includes some fantastic views of the surrounding countryside covered in winter snow. It is a beautiful part of the world, and it is understandable why Chamonix is so popular with BASE jumpers and wingsuiters.

Video: ASICS "Outrun the Sun" Trail Running Challenge

Last summer, ASICS hosted an incredible tail running event that challenged two teams of endurance athletes to "outrun the sun" around Mont Blanc in Europe. The relay race started and ended in Chamonix, France but crossed through Italy and Switzerland along the way as well. Covering a total distance of 152 km (94.4 miles), the route took runners through some of the most mountainous terrain in the region, forcing them to climb a combined 8450 meters (27,723 ft) in the process. The event was held on June 21, the longest day of the year. With sunrise taking place at 5:44 AM and sunset occurring at 8:48 PM, they had roughly 14.5 hours to run the route while the sun was still overhead.

The video below, which comes our way courtesy of EpicTV, gives us a glimpse at this challenge. I won't spoil the final results, but lets just say it was a tough run with some impressive results.

Sign-Up for the Inaugural TransArabia Ultramarathon, Get a Discounted Entry into the TransPyrenea 895 Too!

Ultrarunners who had been hoping to take part in the 2015 TransPyrenea 895 race, but found themselves missing the cutoff for registration may just have a second chance to get in on the adventure. The race reached its 300 person cap weeks ago, leaving some of the top endurance athletes in the world on the outside looking in. But now, organizers of the TransPyrenea have announced that they will accept the next ten people who enter TransArabia ultramarathon as well, allowing them join the ranks of competitors at their event. And to sweeten the incentive even further, they're willing to provide a €500 (roughly $620) discount off the entry fee as well.

Organizers for these two great events have teamed up to give ultrarunners the ultimate challenge for 2015 – run a stunning course through the deserts of Jordan, and another through the breathtaking Pyrenees of France. The first of those races will take place starting on February 22, when runners will set off from the shores of the Dead Sea on a 300 km (186 mile) race that will take them through ancient villages, past the lost city of Petra, and into the very heart of Wadi Rum. Then, later in the year, they'll also take on the demanding 895 km (556 mile) TransPyrenea route that will test their legs with more than 52,000 meters (170,600 ft) of vertical gain in the Pyrenees. Both races promise to be incredibly demanding, pushing the competitors to their absolute physical limits.

 For someone who had been hoping to run the TransPyrenea but found themselves missing the entry cut-off, this is a bit of a reprieve. These ten entrants will get to race two of the most exciting ultra events on the calendar for 2015, with more to follow. The two race management teams also promise a big announcement that will be coming soon, with a sister race for the TransPyenea being announced for 2016. Those who race in both events in 2015 will be on the fast track for entrance to those races the following year as well.

If you were hoping to run a major ultra race next year, but just haven't gotten around to registering for one yet, this must might be the opportunity you've been looking for. But act fast, as these ten entries are likely to go quickly, particularly since they now involve not one, but two races, and a discount as well.

Good luck to all the runners in both of these amazing events.

Video: Swoopy Summer - Speedflying in Chamonix

Here's a fun video from filmmaker Arnaud Longobardi. It features some great scenes from this past summer in Chamonix, France, where the speedflying, wingsuit jumping, and paragliding appear to be amazing. The scenery in, and around, Chamonix is second to none, and it is well known for being one of the great outdoor playgrounds in all of Europe. Here, you get some great shots of it from the air, and on the ground.

swoopy summer from Arnaud Longobardi on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking Les Arcs, France

Earlier today, we had a video of mountain bikers riding the wet trails of central England. Now, we jump across the Channel to France, where the conditions are decidedly more tolerable, and the scenery incredibly breathtaking. In this video, a couple of riders head to the French Alps, near the ski resort of Les Arcs, to make on some of the backcountry trails found there. The landscapes are nothing short of spectacular, and the riding looks sublime. This looks like a fantastic place to go for a ride.

MADproductions: Backcountry Spirit from Trans-Savoie on Vimeo.