Category: photos

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Socotra Island, Yemen


Dark Roasted Blend linked to some amazing pics of a place they call The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth.

I’d love to hike there. Check out the incredible vegetation.

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larger version – flickr – jan_vandorpe

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larger version – flickr – jan_vandorpe

… Socotra is considered the “jewel” of biodiversity in the Arabian sea. The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora (which may, therefore, be vulnerable to introduced species such as goats and to climate change). Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the 800 or so plant species of Socotra are found nowhere else. Botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered island flora in the world. The archipelago is a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and a possible center for ecotourism. …

The island was recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world natural heritage site in July 2008. …

Wikipedia

The beaches look pretty sweet, too.

Qalansiyah beach
Qalansiyah beach

larger version – flickr – Valerio Pandolfo

A friend of mine (Canadian who spoke Arabic) traveled in Yemen decades ago. And loved it.

There are some trekking tours listed on the internet, including Socotra Guide.

more photos – Dark Roasted Blend – The Most Alien-Looking Place on Earth

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hiking 1949

William Holden and his wife Brenda … during their vacation hiking in Canada.

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Life Magazine – July 1949 – Photographer: Allan Grant

This is just one of 10 million high-quality images from the Life Magazine’s photo archive recently added to Google Image Search.

more Life magazine hiking photos

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superb West Coast Trail trip report

Photographer Hank Leukart penned one of the best trip reports I’ve yet seen on our #1 hike in the world …

WEST COAST TRAIL, Vancouver Island, British Columbia — After our extraordinary Alaskan backpacking experience this past August, my brother and I had become addicted. For months following the excursion, we daydreamed, researched, and gushed about the possibilities for our next adventure. We considered a number of tempting options, including a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim hike, a journey along the pristine Lost Coast of California, and even a long trek through remote Patagonia. But then, we read about the Graveyard of the Pacific. …

… When we arrived at the trailhead, Parks Canada gave us and the rest of the “West Coast Trail Class of June 2, 2008” a short presentation about the hike’s dangers. We were warned to use tide tables to time our coastal hiking and avoid being trapped by dangerous swells; we learned that if a helicopter flew overhead dropping tsunami warnings in bottles (seriously!), we would need to immediately drop our backpacks and sprint up towering ladder networks to avoid being swallowed by the sea; we were told to use the cable cars whenever possible to perform river crossings, which made us laugh due to “our extensive river crossing experience”; and we were urged, once again, never to run from a bear (or a wolf or a cougar).

After the park ranger sufficiently scared us, she sold us our trail permits. We donned our 50-pound backpacks (we were arguably overprepared for this trip, with more than two extra days of food and of course, the requisite board games we always take on backpacking trips) and stepped onto the ferry that took us to the beginning of our adventure. …

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read the rest on Without Baggage – Brothers tackle dangerous surge channels on the West Coast Trail.

The annotated photos are spectacular!

West Coast Trail: Days 1 – 3 Photography.
West Coast Trail: Days 4 – 5 Photography.
West Coast Trail: Days 6 – 8 Photography.

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Congratulations to Hank and his brother. That was some adventure!

I instantly subscribed to Without Baggage. And recommend you do too.

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hiking Paria Canyon solo

Benjamin Burner stumbled accidentally on to one of the best hikes in the world, Paria Canyon on the Arizona – Utah border. It’s the best slot canyon hike anywhere.

His photos are excellent. His trip report philosophic:

Advantages of Traveling Alone

Flexibility. This is a nice euphemism for selfishness. Going solo means you set your own pace, your own agenda, meal plan, lodging arrangements etc. In day to day life I find I constantly interact with people who I must accommodate. I need a vacation from this as much as anything.

Nature. With nature as my sole companion I am free from the distractions of society. I find I experience the beauty and purity of nature not as a spectator but as a participant.

Solitude. It is often only through solitude that I truly know myself. I find these times of solitude necessary for deep introspection.

Independence. I have been blessed with a few great friends who have always been there for me, but I believe it is important for me to survive on my own from time to time. As a man, I use this independence to take risks, test my strength, and assert my silly inner boy. However, regardless of your sex or what independence means to you, I believe the confidence gained from this independence is vital in shaping us and who we will be around others.

Spiritual Growth. Perhaps it is partly because I am religious, but I often feel the presence of god more keenly when I am alone in the wilderness. God speaks to me through the mountains and the trees, and sometimes I only hear it when I am alone and free from distractions.

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Read the rest of the post on Burner Photography – Traveling Alone through the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Besthike information page – PARIA CANYON

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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):

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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. …

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The scenery is stunning.

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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.

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yet more Autumn photos

Hiking Guide author John Soares has a blog called Northern California Hiking Trails. I’ve recently subscribed.

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I liked John’s post on the Fall Colors in Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon.

One of John’s books:

Sierra Nevada/ Cascade Mountains/ Klamath Mountains/ Coast Range and North Coast/ San Francisco Bay Area (100 Classic Hikes)

100 Classic Hikes in Northern California: Sierra Nevada/ Cascade Mountains/ Klamath Mountains/ Coast Range and North Coast/ San Francisco Bay Area (100 Classic Hikes)

I really can’t get enough Fall photos.

Of all the great photo blogs I know, Batish is the best. Consistently interesting.

A couple of samples:

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A Month of Autumn – Batish