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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.

socotra-trees
larger version – flickr – jan_vandorpe

socotra-vegetation
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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Planet Earth – our home

The Secret Team has created a gift for you. This clip features our beautiful Planet Earth. As you experience this clip you will emit positive forces of energy across Planet Earth that will reach every single living thing on it. You will lift yourself, and as you lift yourself, you lift the entire world.

The magnificent music was composed and graciously gifted for this clip by composer Jo Blankenburg.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks George.

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trekking Manaslu and Annapurna, Nepal


Wow. Check out a 39-day mega-trek photo trip report posted by Tubby.

And this is only PART 1 of their adventures in Nepal.

Tubby’s group connected a trek around Manaslu with the Annapurna Circuit. AND the sidetrip to Annapurna Base Camp.

They had wondrous moments. And many challenges.

Here’s the receipt from Maoist rebels for the group “donation”:

rebel.jpg

This extortion is supposed to be ended. But I expect the odd local in Nepal will still be asking for cash for the cause.

As always, the charming people were a highlight:

kids.jpg

I can’t find a way to summarize this monster trip in a short blog post. You need to check it out yourself: Trekking our arses off in Nepal #1

manaslu.jpg
Manaslu

Annapurna Circuit information page.

Annapurna is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

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adventurer rewarded for stupidity?


map-of-brooks-rangeDavid Roberts was air rescued in Alaska this past summer at a cost of over $90,000.

Though he had a lot of experience with arctic wilderness in Saskatchewan, the media is reporting that he was totally unprepared, and a “goofy guy”.

Roberts, a 54-year-old Australian, was trying to walk almost 100 miles across the Brooks Range wilderness when he set off a long-distance distress call on Friday. He’d been out there alone for two months.
…

He hauled a 140-pound sled full of supplies behind him, he said. A persistent stomach bug left him dehydrated while frequent, stabbing pains pierced his cold feet.

He traveled fewer than 40 miles in two months — far less than he’d expected.

…

Alaskans have little patience for seemingly ill-prepared adventurers, and news of the rescue prompted comparisons to another explorer who trekked into the wilderness 16 years ago — Chris McCandless. McCandless starved to death after trying to survive on his own for more than three months near Denali National Park.
…

Roberts didn’t know who would have to pay for his rescue when he made the decision to get help, he said. “I didn’t presume that somebody else was going to pick up the tab on that.” …

Anchorage Daily News – Adventurer’s wilderness trek ends with air rescue, free hotel

Roberts will not be billed for the rescue costs.

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hike Monkman Provincial Park, B.C.


Bluepeak was the first blog to announce the opening of the Monkman Pass Memorial Trail in Northern British Columbia.

This 63-km long trail follows the route that Alex Monkman and his band of pioneers established in the 1930s. Most of this little-known, but spectacular trail is in Monkman Provincial Park, leading from Kinuseo Falls over the Rocky Mountains to Hobi’s Cabin on the Herrick River. There are very few facilities along the route – this is a true wilderness experience.

The most famous feature is Kinuseo Falls.

waterfall
original – flickr – wgelnaw

Monkman Expeditions can guide you on the new historical trail.

But it looks quite doable for experienced wilderness hikers independently.

Start planning your future adventure. First you have to get there …

map
map

related:

  • map of the Monkman Pass Memorial Trail
  • Monkman Provincial Park – Wikipedia
  • Monkman Provincial Park – official website

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    Tiger Leaping Gorge a best hike?


    It’s on our list of best hikes in Asia.

    tiger-leaping-gorge-map

    It should be one of the best trekking adventures in China.

    But ceaseless Chinese development may have already ruined it. (Though a proposed hydroelectric dam that would have submerged the Gorge was cancelled in 2007.)

    tiger-leaping-gorge
    larger version – flickr – livepine

    Tiger Leaping Gorge (Chinese: 虎跳峡; pinyin: Hǔtiào Xiá) is a canyon on the Yangtze River …

    Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山; Yùlóngxuĕ Shān) and 5,396 m Haba Xueshan (哈巴山; Hābā Shān) in a series of rapids under steep 2000 metre cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres wide), hence the name. …

    The hiking path (“the high road”) is well-maintained and marked, although sometimes narrow, and is used by the Naxi as part of everyday life. This trail is longer than the lower road, approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi), but more varied, with fantastic scenery—mainly mountain views—a challenge for most but well worth it. It features a surprising variety of microecosystems, waterfalls and a fair number of guesthouses for trekkers. …

    Wikipedia

    I hiked it about 11yrs ago. And it was already too developed for me. By the sounds of the trip reports I’ve read, it’s gotten much worse.

    Someday the Chinese governments will learn to preserve their best wilderness areas. This is part of a World Heritage Site. And yet it’s still threatened.

    Read a positive trip report with photos by Edbo on Shutterfly.

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    waterproof backpacks and bags

    Famously, in his classic book A Walk in the Woods, author Bill Bryson was outraged that top-of-the-line backpacks were not waterproof.

    That’s finally changing.

    Shopping my favourite gear store (Mountain Equipment Co-op) with Christmas gift certificates, I was surprised how many waterproof backpacks were on the shelves. Their website lists 16 products in the hiking section.

    MEC carries Outdoor Research (OR) and Seal Line. Both looked great.

    For example, the OR Drycomp Summit Sack:

    or-drycomp-summit-sack`

    Only $55.00 CAD. Cheap.

    For myself, I picked up a $10 MEC Sil/Pu Pack Liner.

    What gear did you buy yourself for Christmas?

    Leave a comment.