Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.
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gear in Kathmandu

Last trip (2009) I was shocked at the variety and quality of hiking / climbing gear available to buy or rent in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Mostly knock offs — “North Farce” — but you can get real gear, as well. Full price.

Manaslu Mountain Trail:

There is a minor manufacturing industry here now for outdoor equipment. Much is copied, using quality materials from China or Korea. Several companies make their own items for export. Famously Sherpa Adventure Gear is made in Kathmandu, so fine quality items are made here, if expensive.

On the cheaper side of this, a friend Uday has a small factory nearby and produces a range of equipment that certainly does the job at low cost. Is the quality as high as you can buy at home? Probably not, but it is not bad either …

details – Equipment that you can buy in Kathmandu

Jet your own gear to Kathmandu, if you can.

If you can’t, no worry. You can buy enough gear for a trek and later donate it to the local people. Or buy whatever you need and bring it home with you.

Things have certainly changed since my first visit to Kathmandu in the 1990s. At that time there was only one bank that would accept foreign credit cards. 🙂

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gear for hiking Zion Narrows

Virgin Narrows, Utah is one of the best hikes in the world.

• canyon walk in knee-deep water
• real risk of flash floods
• 1 or 2 days
• 10-12hrs of walking
• 16mi (25.8km)

Tim Miner, Trail Sherpa:

The Essentials

Regardless of your preferences for weight, style, or functionality you will need the following essential gear to tackle the Narrows in Zion:

Backpack
Shelter
Dry Bags
Water Shoes
Neoprene socks or Seal Skinz
Dry Pants (early or late seasons)
Walking Stick
Clothing
Headlamp
Camera and extra battery
Hydration System – bladder, bottles, and filtration system

Gear List for Hiking the Narrows in Zion

Most critical – water shoes. Tim recommends Chaco Tedinho Pros.

If I went again, I’d wear 5-10 CANYONEERS again. With neoprene socks, again. They were perfect for my Narrows trip, perhaps 40% of the time walking in the water.

related – nearby Paria Canyon

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7 gorgeous Korean mountain hikes

My only hike in Korea was the new coast island adventure — Jeju Olle.

I’ve got to get back for the mountains.

… Korea was blessed with a shapely topography: 70 percent of its landscape is mountain (the other 30 percent, expensive coffeeshops).

Around this time of year, due to the startling colors of the curvy landscape, the trails will doubtlessly be packed with streams of hikers in garish colored hiking gear …

But there are also many paths to the top of the mountain (literally), and many excellent paths that don’t necessarily lead to the top.

Here’s where to check out the most vibrant autumnal hues or, later in the year, the bleached landscape of a snowy mountaintop. …

1. Seoraksan
2. Bukhansan
3. Taebaeksan
4. Songnisan
5. Jirisan
6. Naejangsan
7. Hallasan

Seoraksan National Park

CNN

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wildlife photo of the year

This is Colossal:

… winners of the 48th annual Veolia Environmental Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition were announced on October 17th featuring 100 incredible photos selected from 48,000 entries originating from 98 countries, with top prize claimed by Paul Nicklen for his bubbly capture of emperor penguins. …

Winners of the 2012 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

10 favorites are posted via that link. The full gallery is also available online.

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air bag for your head

How often have you, or someone you know, eschewed a bicycle helmet to look cool at the expense of safety?

Well, gamble with a traumatic brain injury no more. Two Swedish inventors created an invisible helmet called Hövding …

The helmet is actually a thick collar — like one you might see on a heavy winter jacket — with an airbag hood underneath that deploys should you get in an accident. …

Invisible Bike Helmet Keeps Riders Safe, Looking Cool

Great idea. But it’s single use, $450.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Colca Canyon, Peru

BBC and Lonely Planet posted an article on one of the best hikes in the world:

Most first-time visitors to Peru make a beeline for the ruins of Machu Picchu, without realizing that they are passing within a bus ride of the epic Colca Canyon.

Slicing through the High Andes like a giant fissure for more than 100km, Colca is the world’s second deepest canyon, approximately 3,400m at its deepest point — a shade shallower that the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon and nearly twice as deep as the US’ Grand Canyon. …

With a few days to spare and minimal planning, it is easy to shoehorn Colca Canyon into a wider Peruvian trip. The area is best accessed via Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city …

The Calera hot springs are an acclimatizing 3km walk up the valley to a scenic spot by the Colca River. Once there, recline in a simple alfresco pool as screaming zip-liners slide terrified across the canyon overhead. The zip-line stretches for 600mbetween the canyon walls simulating the flight path of an Andean Condor. …

read more – Exploring Peru’s epic Colca Canyon

Check our Colca Canyon information page.

Consider climbing 5822m (19,101ft) Misti Volcano on the same trip.

You need enough time for acclimatizing to altitude, of course.

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Video: Made On Earth

Kraig Becker:

… amazing timelapse images shot by photographer Enrique Pacheco in all corners of the globe. As we’ve come to expect from these amazing timelapse videos, there are some beautiful scenes here that will get you in the mood to start planning your next adventure.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m addicted to these stunning timelapse videos. 🙂