Willow Belden, a rookie, successfully completed perhaps the best 500 miles in the USA, the Colorado Trail. Alone.
Her trip report is succinct. Highly recommended. 🙂
lessons learned surviving 6 days solo with broken leg
Hiker Gregg Hein of Clovis “entertained the idea” of possibly dying in the high Sierra of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks as he lay severely injured for six days.
But he said the thought only crossed his mind a few times. The 33-year-old experienced hiker, rock climber and rafting guide was determined to live — and he did.
From a wheelchair Tuesday at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Hein talked about breaking his leg on July 5, hiking down from 13,600-foot Mount Goddard, and his eventual rescue Thursday by a National Park Service helicopter. …
… he dislodged a boulder that plowed into the back of his right calf, breaking bones in three spots. The impact forced bone to protrude about an inch and a half through the skin, Hein said.
His foot was soon “dangling,” Hein said. “I had to grab it so hopefully it wouldn’t rip off.” …
Click PLAY or watch the interview on YouTube.
related – Hiker Survives on Moths and Melted Ice
the mind of Steph Davis
Watch climber and base jumper Steph Davis in this Prana sponsored video on her life and “relationship” with a monolith in Utah.
In the short film, called “Crazy Beautiful Thing,” Davis sends a thin crack trad route, hikes with her pup, and contemplates life and her place in the world. The video includes intimate narrative to give a peek into her soul and stunning videography from the red stonescape of Utah.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YZWbgV_jIM
I attended a presentation by Steph Davis years ago at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. She is one unique and extreme person.
Kuari Pass trek – day 6
by site editor Rick McCharles
day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6
We arose at first light last morning, the coldest yet.
Our adopted dog was quick to the fire.
I’d have to rate the day before and the two days after Kuari as about as good as hiking gets.
Our guide was happy to get back to mobile phone service. He confirmed out pick-up time.
We wandered lazily down through huge alpine meadows. Please that the trek had been a success.
Reaching this Hindu Temple having connection to great epic Ramayana means you’ve almost completed the Kuari.
We finished at the Auli Ski Resort, India’s finest. (Ski Jan-March.) Asia’s longest Cable Car (4km) is a must. The road to get there is deadly. This was one of the hosts of the 1st South Asian Winter Games in 2011.
Our driver was waiting just outside the gates. 🙂
It was 10hrs back to Rishikesh with a hotel stop en route.
The most dangerous aspect of Himalaya trekking by far is the drive to and from the trailheads. Washouts and landslides are frequent.
OK. The giant spider we found awaiting us at our (Le Meadows) Hotel room might look even scarier. 🙂
Before the trek I knew about the June flooding, but not exactly how bad it had been. More than 5700 dead. 😦
One of the 4 Holy Hindu mountain temples, nearby Kedarnath, was inundated with water, mud and boulders from landslide. Several died from drowning or being crushed by stampeding pilgrims.
Yet the roads were back to “normal” by October.
See all high resolution photos from this day.
End.
If you might be interested in trekking Kuari yourself, start with our Kuari Trek information page. 🙂
BBC Natural World – Himalaya
Kraig Becker:
…The video below is a full episode of that series which happens to be focused on one of my favorite places – the Himalaya. If you have 49 minutes to spare, you’ll get a great look at those mountains and the people that live there, with some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ll find anywhere. So sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy the show. It is one of the greatest on Earth.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fWqEx_NQezE
I’m doing some research for a planned trip to the BIG mountains.
How to talk to your daughter about her body
This blog post by Sarah is going NUTS online. Already 700+ comments as I post.
… step one: don’t talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works.
Don’t say anything if she’s lost weight. Don’t say anything if she’s gained weight.
If you think your daughter’s body looks amazing, don’t say that. Here are some things you can say instead:
“You look so healthy!” is a great one.
Or how about, “you’re looking so strong.”
“I can see how happy you are – you’re glowing.”
Michael Glaser – tenting
Ausangate Circuit, Peru
One of our top 10 hikes in the world is the Ausangate Circuit in Peru.
Best timing for 2013 is before or after Saturday May 25th to Tuesday May 28th. That’s the famous Quyllur Rit’i festival celebrated nearby.
Best book that flight right now. 🙂
It’s also called the Snow Star Festival.
We did both Ausangate and the festival in 2005.
You circumambulate the highest peak in southern Peru, sacred Ausangate 6372m (20,905ft).
Four high passes between 4757m – 5165m.
70km (43.5mi) plus sidetrips, most hikers tent 4-5 nights. Hotsprings at start and finish of the trek.
Check our recently updated information page on Ausangate.
Edward Abbey – “I Loved it…I Loved it All”
Ned Judge:
An eight minute film essay that I co-produced and directed with Ed Abbey in 1985. …
We met in Moab and went out to Arches National Park to shoot some practice sessions with a home video camera. We would review them at the motel in the evening. After a day or two, Ed was feeling pretty comfortable on camera so we scheduled the shoot. We were all happy with the way it went.
But then we ran head-on into network reality. Roger Mudd, the show’s host, was extremely negative about putting an “eco-terrorist” on the show. … So this Abbey essay was put on the shelf and never aired.
Abbey died 3 years later in March 1989.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by radical environmental groups, and the non-fiction work Desert Solitaire. Writer Larry McMurtry referred to Abbey as the “Thoreau of the American West“. …
The story of his death and burial is … very Abbey.
Those two books are MUST READS for any serious outdoorsperson.
(via Rocky who calls Edward Abbey the Hunter Thompson of the environment)
Timelapse Iceland
Love the high speed soak in thermal hot springs.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
besthike.com 