Researching the famed Newfoundland Trails:
Tablelands, found between the towns of Trout River and Woody Point in Gros Morne National Park, look more like a barren desert than traditional Newfoundland. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Kilimanjaro – Machame route
Once again I’m looking to climb Kili.
The last thing I want to do is sleep in the Marangu huts. I much prefer tenting.
Of the options tenting, Machame is most popular. 6-7 days, 49km. Less expensive.
Kyle McLaughlin recommends it.
What guiding company should I sign on with?
Kyle likes African Walking Company and Ultimate Kilimanjaro. They charge $2,000 to $3,500 per climber. Mid-range.
Here are the Ultimate Kilimanjaro trips for autumn 2014.
African Walking Company does not seem to have an easy-to-browse calendar. I emailed them. UPDATE: They got back to me by email, a 7-day trip starting Aug 26th costs $1850. … Those dates are not likely to work for me.
More recommended Kili trek operators.
Though you can climb year round, the main dry season is July to October.
I’ve got the gear.
Leave a comment if you have any recommendations for me.
climbing Volcan Villarica, Chile
Villarrica is one of the world’s most climbed stratovolcanoes. Guided hikes to the crater are offered from the town of Pucón by several enterprises, but may ascent might be suspended due to cloudiness and in periods of seismic or increased volcanic activity. …
Mike Howarth reports on his climb – The Lake District: Autumn Leaves, Asphalt and a Volcano
People love this adventure.
the man who walked the Amazon
Ed Stafford (born 26 December 1975) is an English explorer and former British Army captain. He holds the Guinness World Record for being the first human ever to walk the length of the Amazon River. …
Stafford was announced as one of National Geographic Adventurers of the Year 2010 and then in March 2011 he was awarded European Adventurer of the Year in a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. …
Amazon – Walking the Amazon: 860 Days. One Step at a Time.
Click PLAY or watch his TED Talk on YouTube.
Only The Essential (Hiking the PCT) – Trailer
In the summer of 2013 Casey Gannon and Colin Arisman thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail with cameras in hand.
“Only The Essential” is the story of their 5 month, 2668 mile journey on foot from Mexico to Canada across the wilderness of California, Oregon, and Washington.
The full length film will be available to stream for free online, as well as premiering around the country and being submitted to film festivals. Prior to the hike we successfully ran a Kickstarter fundraiser, and we are deeply grateful for the independent financial support of those who backed our project. The film is a non-commercial project and has been a labor of love for us. We are honored that Only The Essential has received the support of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Only the Essential will premier at Pacific Crest Trail Days, fall 2014.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Caminito del Rey … closing
Kraig Becker:
My friend Matthew Karsten recently had the opportunity to hike the Caminito del Rey, a notoriously dangerous trail located in Andalucia, Spain …
Matt gives us an extensive report on his experience there, as well as a fantastic video that he shot along the way. Read his thoughts on the experience here, and watch the video below. He describes the place as very beautiful, while also acknowledging the inherent dangers of walking this route at the same time.
If you’ve always wanted to walk the Caminito del Rey, you may want to hurry. Matt also reports that in May, the trail will be shut down, and a restoration plan will be put into place. …
Adventure Blog – Hiking The Caminito del Rey: Spain’s Most Dangerous Trail
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
hike Lake O’Hara in the Canadian Rockies
I was born in Calgary, Alberta. Banff and the Canadian Rockies are my back yard.
When people ask me to name the most beautiful location of all, I tell them Lake O’Hara.
Getting a reservation to camp in Lake O’Hara is difficult. The few tent sites very much in demand.
Lake O’Hara Reservations must be made starting 8am Mountain Standard Time 3 months (not 90 days) before you want to camp.
250-343-6433
If you wanted to Camp Aug 10,11,12 you’d telephone May 10th at 8am. For example.
When you call, please have the following information ready:
Day or dates requested: maximum of 3 nights for camping
Number of people: maximum of 6 people per party for day use
Number of campsites: maximum of 2 sites per party and 1 tent per site
Preferred in-going bus time: reservations are not required for an outgoing bus
Mastercard, Visa, or American Express number: all fees are collected at the time of booking
The much more expensive Lake O’Hara Lodge and cabins are an alternative.
Elizabeth Parker Hut is another alternative. Available only by lottery, a year in advance of your stay.
mountain biking the GR20
Dan Harmon and Dale Weatherson … Are you crazy?
It’s super difficult to walk!
the GR20 is notorious as being one of the most scenic, yet most difficult hiking trails in Europe. The harsh, granite terrain rises steeply out of the Mediterranean on the French island of Corsica. In July, when the snow on the peaks has melted and the refuges are open, the route becomes home to thousands of walkers who traverse the island in about two weeks. They move from refuge to refuge, eating and sleeping in relative comfort before the next stage. One must therefore question why anyone would choose to attempt to complete this route, almost 200km in length with more elevation change than Mt Everest, by mountain bike in early May!
cycling the Carretera Austral
In Chile.
Mike Howarth:
… a grand feat of engineering linking the remote and isolated communities of Puerto Montt in the north with Villa O’Higgins in the south. Perhaps a curiouser byproduct is that of the adoption of this rough isolated road spanning 1200 kms by cyclists. Voted one of the top ten cycling destinations in the world, each year more and more come to make their pilgrimage to the holy grail of adventurous cycling. …
see Mike’s photo journal – Carretera Austral: A Ripio Oddeseey
There’s GREAT access to remote hiking from that roadway, by the way.
defending Greg Mortenson
Did 60 Minutes Get it Wrong?
Two filmmakers, Jennifer Jordan and Jeff Roads, are working on a documentary that delves back into the Greg Mortenson story. Their film is called 3000 Cups of Tea (see trailer below), and it is nearing completion. They say they have a very different side of the story to tell, and that their experience with Central Asia Institute, and Mortenson’s work, does not resemble what 60 Minutes reported. They have visited many of the schools that were the result of Greg’s work, and they say that aside from a few that aren’t up and running, most of them are serving the purpose that their founder intended. …
Adventure Blog – 3000 Cups Of Tea: Revisiting The Greg Mortenson Story
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
details – 3000cupsoftea.org
