“I am completely confident with my ability to catch the line if I were to fall.
Highlining at Cathedral Peak, Yosemite, California
Photograph by Mikey Schaefer
This shot is just one spectacular scene from “The Man Who Can Fly,” an episode of Explorer airing Sunday, February 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel. The show captures Potter’s quest for true human flight, with first feats in free soloing and wing suit flying in Yosemite, California, and British Columbia, Canada. …
Whales, dolphins, myriad jungle flora and even yachts may be spotted on the six-hour coastal hike from Drake Bay to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula.
… The views, too, are wild – unbroken, endless, to-the-horizon wild, an infinity of greens and blues painted with streaks of copper, beige or bronze sands. The sunsets here often suffuse the air all around with a golden glow that many people describe as unique to the area. Repetitive cloud formations over the 700-meter Agujas Peak often shine with double rainbows over the rain forest. Look the other way and you will see the sun setting into the fiery Pacific around distant Caño Island, with the clouds above lit with more colors than the rainbows.
Gazing at the sea from this trail, you are likely to see a humpback whale or two, or more. Groups of spotted dolphins hunt daily along this coast, often only meters off the rocks and beaches. Pseudorcas and orcas also cruise the rocky points, hunting big roosterfish. …
I’m on Andrew Skurka’s mailing list, getting updated on future adventures he’s leading personally.
… uber-hiker Andrew Skurka and Gerry Mortion, President/CEO of EnergyFirst, hiking the 224-mile (360km) John Muir Trail. The two mean were able to cover the entire distance, from Yosemite Valley to the Mt. Whitney, in just seven days, averaging an impressive 32 miles (51.5km) per day.
The video serves as a great introduction to the trail …
A camp stove that heats your food and charges your mobile devices long after sundown? You heard right, the BioLite CampStove does just that. Heat generated from the stove is converted into electricity, allowing you to plug in via USB and charge your gadgets. …
On Saturday, 29 January, at 12.45 South Africa time, our entire team of six barefoot climbers, … and four support crew (in shoes) reached Uhuru Peak, at 5,895m, the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro and the highest point in Africa. …
Though the Milford Track gets more recognition, nearby Routeburn Track might be even better.
Kyle Ellison – trip report:
… This past year Lonely Planet listed the Routeburn Track as one of it’s top ten treks in the world, and the heavily trodden track has seen it’s annual numbers climb to over 13,000 walkers per year.
… the Department of Conservation limits the number of people who can through-hike the 20-mile route by only providing 50 beds in each of the 4 backcountry huts scattered along the trail. During the summer months, the no-frills huts (mattresses and gas stoves are provided) run a pricey $40 US per person/night and reservations are absolutely crucial. …
… The service was perfect, they even carried satellite phones, and foremost the cook knew his job. Group size was 4 pax and from their headquarters in Kathmandu, they called in every day to see how we were doing. …
Read about her 85-mile, weeklong transect of Glacier National Park on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail:
Naturally, Rowan and I want quality time alone–we eloped just weeks before our hike, and this Continental Divide-crossing route will not only be my Reader Leader dream trip, but also our honeymoon. …
… When I backpack solo, I can do breakfast and pack in 30 minutes. With Rowan, it takes two hours, and my frustration is building to a boil. …
… “Would you mind silencing your bear bell?” Rowan asks. “The incessant jingle is grating. And I’d love to see a bear.”
Who am I to argue with a man who’s lived with lions? So, against my better judgment, I silence my bell, and zip my lips. We hike 30 minutes before seeing a grizzly 20 yards off the trail …
besthike.com 