Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles

Bill Altaffer, Member #1095, is arguably the world’s most traveled person. Many members of the Adventurers’ Club are well-traveled, however, Bill ranks among the most traveled people in the entire world.

He visited all the 193 independent countries of the UN, all continents, 327 countries and territories on the Travelers’ Century Club list, 858 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1,062 regions on the NM1281 list, 1024 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 16 years on the road. The list of travel accolades Bill has accumulated is too numerous to list. As a humanitarian worker, the United Nations sent him all over the world and as a private citizen and guide, he has explored the rest. In this interview Bill will talk about what it means to him to be the most traveled person and recount one of his more remote and recent adventures.

Bill has traveled since 1949. He owns a small travel company that designs travel to extremely exotic places. He lives part time in Mammoth Lakes and San Diego.

Kevin Lee is a prolific traveler. Working a corporate job in Seoul, he resigned and embarked on an open-ended three year solo adventure around the world. Along the way he met some interesting people and experienced some unique adventures.

Kevin’s adventure gene has taken him to over forty countries as well as multiple treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest summit. During his fourteen months backpacking in India, he recalls a warm hug from Mother Teresa and meeting the Dalai Lama as some of his fondest memories. After learning to scuba dive, in 2002, Kevin embraced underwater photography as a way of sharing the ocean’s wonders with non-divers. He supports marine biologists by collecting and photographing rare animals, many of which are new to science.  Some of his award winning images are on permanent display at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University in Orange, California. Other works have been exhibited at the Branford House, the University of Connecticut, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Jim Dorsey is an explorer and award winning author who has spent two decades visiting some of the most remote tribal cultures on earth. His driving goal has always been to make the world aware of these peoples before they vanish. During his extensive career as an Adventurer and Explorer, Jim has undertaken numerous expeditions around the world. From trekking across the Sahara, to exploring remote volcanoes in Ethiopia with NASA, Jim has quite a few stories to tell from his travels off the beaten path. 

Jim has written for United Airlines, Colliers, The Christian Science Monitor, Lonely Planet, The LA Times, BBC Wildlife, BBC Travel, Geographic Expeditions, Hidden Compass, Panorama, Natural History, plus several African and Caribbean magazines. He is a foreign correspondent for Camerapix International and a travel consultant to Brown & Hudson of London. 

Marc Weitz, Member #1144, talks about his safe and amazing vacation in Northern Iraq and Pakistan. Author of He Who Fights with Monsters, available on Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z57PKHX

Dr. Richard Slater talks about his career as a deep sea explorer. Author of Views from the Conning Tower, available on Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Views-Conning-Tower-Adventures-Deep-Sea/dp/0984910522

Mike talks about his career as a professional stunt man, BMX legend, and adventurer extraordinaire. Find Mike on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mikeescamilla/

Chuck Jonkey takes us through some of his best adventures curating sounds from around the world. Find his music at http://www.sonicsafarimusic.com/

In 2019, Jenny took a walk- from Delaware to Los Angeles to raise awareness for We Are Mother Earth, an initiative which will deploy 400 educational kits around the world, making a measurable difference on our carbon emissions and our mindset for solving other climate challenges.

Kendall Hudson, Member #1206, discusses his trek with his wife through the Himalayas.   In 2007, Ken and his wife Gloria embarked on a three week journey through some of the ancient Himalayan kingdoms which are now Nepal, Tibet (now part of China), Bhutan, India, and Sikkim (now part of India) with a primary goal of witnessing the annual Thimphu Festival in Bhutan.  Along the way, things took a few strange turns including the lead up to the end of two monarchies, monsoons, and ending up in the epicenter of the infamous Indian Idol riots! In addition to the above topics, we’ll talk about drunken archery, not getting out of the rain when you should, and how to take out a hotel electrical system with a battery charger! Might include a few favorite snapshots, too.

Rob Quist, Member #1207, recounts his adventures traveling through Europe and Africa in the 60s.

Bryan Kresie, Member #1186, discusses his adventures in the local mountains climbing the area's tallest peaks.

Stew Deats, Member 1168, talks about his prolific diving experience throughout Southern California. Join us live from the Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles as we delve into the exploits of our members in this new series.

The first broadcast with our new setup. COVID shut us down, so we shifted gears to keep sharing stories of adventure!