health & safety – Page 78

November 15, 2008

Survivorman – publish, not perish

… how do you like that headline, Tom?

From the sun-scorched sands of the Kalahari to the snake-infested jungles of the Amazon, Les Stroud has survived it all. Now, the creator, producer, and host of the hit television show Survivorman shares his field-tested expertise and gives you a no-nonsense look at the real world of survival. …

Survivorman.ca

Now he’s an author. I’m adding his new book to my Christmas wish list:

Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive

I’ll add my thanks to the many others who love the reality TV show that Les Stroud did SOLO for three season. That’s impressive.

The first two seasons are available on DVD:

Survivorman

Survivorman: Collection 2

(via The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog)

November 14, 2008

America’s 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

New on Backpacker:

From a slippery Sierra catwalk to a treacherous Hawaiian paradise, we name the country’s 10 most hazardous hikes.

The Maze, UT

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO

Mt. Washington, NH

Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier, WA

Huckleberry Mtn., Apgar Range, MT

Kalalau Trail, Kauai, HI

Buckskin Gulch, UT

Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mtns., TN

Mist Trail, Half Dome, CA

America’s 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

Buckskin Gulch looked very dangerous, I thought, when I took a sidetrip hike part way in from Paria Canyon. No one has yet died there, though.

The Maze really appeals to me. But rather than do the long, difficult drive to get there … I’m thinking of rafting across the river from the Needles. (I’m not sure that’s actually allowed.)

The Maze is huge and sprawling. It would be difficult to see many of the rarely visited arches in one trip.

Tibbett Arch – NaturalArches.org

November 9, 2008

most hazardous walk to school

The world’s remotest school

Children in a remote part of China face a hazardous walk to school – because it is halfway up a sheer cliff.

The school in Gulu village, Sichuan province, lies halfway up a mountain and climbing up from the base takes five hours.

The elementary school has only one teacher who has been there for 26 years, reports the West China City Daily.

Villagers say going to school is very dangerous for the children, since the path is only 1ft 4ins wide at the narrowest point and has a sheer drop on one side.

Walking along the narrow, zigzagging path also makes the children feel dizzy, they say.

The school has five concrete buildings and a playground with a basketball hoop made of two wooden poles and a broken blackboard.

However, the children are allowed to only pat the balls, as if they throw them and they go over the edge of the cliff, it would take half a day to retrieve them.

Shen Qijun, 45, the teacher, has threatened to quit several times, but each time the villagers plead with him to stay as there would be nobody else to teach their children. …

Ananova

(via Dark Roasted Blend)

Check, too, their “Most Dangerous Roads in the World” Series.

November 6, 2008

Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal

My buddy Grant Assenheimer just emailed:

Leaving tomorrow for the Annapurna Base Camp.Â Have to get my permits today, pick up a sleeping roll and sleeping bag and some chocolate and I’m good to go.Â Haven’t managed to find anyone to go with me yet but I’m not going to let that slow me down.Â Should be able to find someone in Pokara and, if not, surely on the trail!Â No guide or porter…I agree with you and don’t think it is needed at all!!
Â
I’ll send youÂ a pic!

larger version – flickr – mikemellinger

more interesting photos of Annapurna Base Camp

My own solo trek to ABC in Nepal was one of my personal best hikes.

Here’s an excerpt from my 1998 trip report:

… Access to the Sanctuary is via an intensely scenic gorge; a narrow, winding trail through dense bamboo and huge trees. You scramble over river boulders; gnarled, polished hardwood roots; traverse the most recent avalanche tracks; climb bamboo ladders.

There are no permanent settlements here. This is the only major trekking route in Nepal subject to serious avalanche risk. Occasionally backpackers are trapped at basecamp when tons of snow collapse into the gorge from the unseen. On November 11, 1995 a freak early winter storm resulted in the death of 63 people in Nepal. This caused a bit of unease when it started raining, hailing, and snowing while I ascended to the notch of the Sanctuary gate.

The basecamp itself is bleak. An eerie calm. No wind, though clouds swirl in every direction up on the mountain tops. The scene is dominated by huge, white, vertical Annapurna — one of the most difficult faces ever climbed. On Christmas day 1997 an avalanche here killed Anatoli Boukreev, the Tiger Woods of high altitude, and subject of the best seller, The Climb. …

Annapurna Sanctuary – trip report

original – flickr – Gianni Scopinaro

related: besthike Annapurna Circuit information page

November 3, 2008

trek the Pakistan / India border?

The Indian army has gone ahead with plans to allow trekkers to visit the disputed Siachen glacier, despite protests from Pakistan. Three civilians were among 42 members of an expedition which left Leh in Ladakh on Wednesday for the glacier area, an army spokesman told the BBC.

It is not the first time that civilians have been to Siachen, between Pakistani and Indian-administered Kashmir.

But new Indian plans for “adventure tourism” there have angered Pakistan.

The two sides have fought and argued over the 5,500m-high glacier – described as the world’s highest battlefield – for decades. …

The expedition has been made possible because of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan which has held for almost four years. …

Officials say that India has decided to open 200 peaks, including four on Siachen, to climbers as part of a national “adventure park” project to attract more tourists.

BBC

‘Adventure park’ is the term being used now by India. But some dreamers have called the proposal a “peace park“.

This looks more like posturing to me. I doubt I’ll be heading for the Kashmir border â€” the World’s Highest Battle Field â€” any time soon.

India has perhaps 5,000 troops on the Siachen glacier, while Pakistan has fewer than half that number. Harsh weather in claims many more lives than fighting.

original – flickr – more photos from this set

It must be a beautiful, but boring, military outpost.

The beautiful coincidence point of Siachen and Baltoro glaciers (75 km & 64 km respectively).The two longest non-polar glaciers in the world.More than 60 peaks (above 7000 metres) of Karakoram mountain range are clustered around the both two.Baltoro glacier contains 28 peaks above 7000 metres with 4 even above 8000 metres & the Siachen glacier contains 32 peaks above 7000 metres.

larger version – flickr – Heartkins

more interesting photos tagged “Siachen glacier” on flickr

November 3, 2008

beautiful Mt Sanqingshan, China

Mount Sanqingshan National Park was recently added to the World Heritage List.

The photos are beautiful.

… a unique array of forested, fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks …

larger original – flickr – GenekÂ´s cards

It has some crazy cliffside pathways similar to those of Mount Hua (Hua Shan).

larger original – flickr – Vincent H P Liu

more interesting Sanqingshan photos on flickr

Mount Sanqing (Chinese: ä¸‰æ¸…å±±; Pinyin: SÄnqÄ«ng ShÄn) or San Qing Mountain – Wikipedia

(via The Adventure Blog)

November 1, 2008

trip report – Ausangate Circuit, Peru

Ausangate is our #4 best hike in the world.

That’s a demanding 70km (43.5mi) plus sidetrips recommended only for confident hikers acclimatized at high altitude.

The best trip report I’ve seen yet was posted on Photodiary of a Nomad. That’s a couple who have documented “4000km of walks, with detailed descriptions and over 8000 photos”.

From Ausangate Circuit (part 1):

At 6372m, Nevado Ausangate is the highest mountain in the Cuzco Region.

The mountains were sacred to the Andean people and Apu Ausangate was considered one of the most important deities, the origin of alpacas and llamas and the source of many legends. It stands somewhat isolated from the rest of the Cordillera Vilcanota, a massif with several distinct peaks and many glaciers lining the hollows and slopes between them.

To circumnavigate this massif, you need to cross four major passes, two of which are over 5000m, while the valleys that head off in different directions are home to quechua-speaking mountain people whose daily lives have changed little in centuries. To trek the Ausangate Circuit provides not only the opportunity to experience the alpine landscapes of the high Andes, but to see how life was, and still is, like in its harsh environment. …

The scenery is stunning.

I highly recommend you click through to check it out: Ausangate Circuit (part 1)

What to hike Peru yourself?

Check our besthike Ausangate information page.

October 31, 2008

flying tents

Nothing like a good â€œMaytagâ€ tent photo.

This tent belongs to the West Virginia Civil Air Patrol … All the cadets placed their day equipment into this tent, but no one noticed that it was not staked down. When all the cadets removed their equipment, a gust of wind knocked the tent over. (The top of the tent is facing down.) At the top of the tent is a screen so the tent was more like a parachute. The tent was in the air for about 15 seconds and reached an altitude of 30 feet. Photo by Rocco S. Rossetti

(via EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 Photo Gallery)

And another:

… at Maker Faire Austin, the lights went out. All power was lost in one whole area of the fairgrounds. It turned out that a dome tent from the camping area had taken flight in a dust devil and crashed into the power lines. Fernando Rizo got a couple of great shots of the tent moments before impact.

MAKE

(via The Piton)

Leave a comment if youâ€™ve ever had your tent take flight.

October 27, 2008

hiking in Lebanon?

Not once have I heard of any hiking in Lebanon.

Yet before the Lebanese Civil War started in 1975 it was called the “Switzerland of the East”. Beirut the “Paris of the East.”

Even today Lebanon has six ski resorts. It’s a beautiful country.

larger version – flickr – LLP

Guided walks are advertised: Hiking and Trekking – LebanonTourism.com

There’s even a long distance trek: Lebanon Mountain Trail – 44okm (275mi)

Fareed Abou-Haidar suggests that this country could be a major draw for hikers. (If only their security could be ensured.)

larger version – flickr – LLP

See more gorgeous photos of Lebanon on the Dark Roasted Blend blog.

October 24, 2008

climber found alive on Mt Adams

We climbed Mt Adams this summer. It was a walk in the park.

Not so for Derek Mamoyac who fell when snow gave way under his feet.

A 27-year-old Oregon climber who survived five days on southern Washington’s Mount Adams with a broken ankle told rescuers he ate centipedes and drank water from creeks as he tried to crawl to safety. …

… ate centipedes and other bugs after running out of food early in the week. He drank water from creeks.

He was wearing water-resistant pants, insulated boots and gloves but was still very cold. …

Missing climber found alive on Wash. mountain – AP