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hiker Andrew Skurka – 2007 Adventurer of the Year

Yes, a HIKER.

Great news. And well deserved.

As announced by National Geographic:

… Andrew Skurka, “a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir,” as 2007 Adventurer of the Year for his epic 6,875-mile hike through the American West calling attention to the magnificence of the landscape and the environmental and ecological threats affecting it. …

National Geographic Society Press Room

Photos celebrating at the end of the trek:

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Champagne flowed freely at Grandview Point when Andy arrived, not all of it into cups. Their was no doubt that Andy was caught completely off guard as the champagne was showered all over him.

Podcast: Great Western Loop – The Loop is Closed @ Backpacking Light

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hike and hot springs – Banff, Canada

When up in Banff, Alberta for the Mountain Festival, I was trail running around town each day. I had no vehicle.

Sulphur Mountain from the Upper Hot Springs is normally regarded to be the best hike within walking distance of Banff. The view is spectacular from the top. But much of the 2hr walk up is tree locked.

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larger photo – flickr – D’Arcy Norman

My advice is to instead take the Gondolla to the top of Sulphur mountain and — starting from this viewpoint — to do some ridge walking. You will likely go off-trail or even scramble at some points.

Many, many years ago I recall a friend Pat McRoberts accidentally dropping his camera off the mountain while up here. (Hang on to yours.)

It’s a wonderful thing to be delivered to the top of a mountain for $25. You’ll need another $7.40 at the bottom of the Gondola for …

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Banff Hot Springs

PS

When we were kids we loved hiking up Sulphur Mountain because the ride down on the Gondola was FREE. That’s not the case in 2007 — though they still do not check your ticket on the way down.

I’m just saying …

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trekking 4 women – Asia and Africa

annyoung.gifAnn Young is the woman behind a New Zealand based company providing quality guided adventure trekking trips.

Uniquely, these treks are designed for women in the 40+ age group.

Tours are available both “less strenuous” and “more challenging”.

Challenging is right. Upcoming: Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary, Annapurna Circuit, Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Are you a woman who has a sense of adventure for the outdoors or wants to explore wild and wonderful places?

Are you fascinated by other cultures of the world?

Have you dreamed of trekking to far off places and seeing the highest mountain in the world or being on Safari on the African plains?

All Trekking 4 Women trips are non technical. You do not have to be a mountaineer or experienced climber, trekker, or traveller to enjoy an experience to last a lifetime with
Trekking 4 Women. If you are an absolute beginner or seasoned traveller, all you need is a sense of adventure to share with other like minded women who come from many destinations and cultures of the world. …

trekking 4 women – Home

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“Fishtail” or Machhapuchhre, Nepal

(via Women Travel the World)

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Everest Rocks slideshow

Click through to The Adventure Blog to see a video slideshow of the world’s highest rock concert (altitude-wise).

The musical score is by participating musicians.

Jake Norton has recently returned from Nepal, where he took part in the Everest Rocks Trek in which 40 musicians turned into wandering minstrels, playing their music all the way up the Khumbu Valley before performing a concert at Everest Base Camp. It was, in fact, the highest concert ever, and was conducted to raise awareness of the Love Hope Strength Foundation. The concert was a success it would seem, as Jake reports that nearly $500,000 was raised for the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu. The funds will go a long way to making it a world class cancer treatment center.

Jake has also sorted through the 5200 photos he took on the trip to put together a great video that helps capture the spirit of the entire event. ..

The Adventure Blog

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wind-up iPod replacement

Rocky Thompson linked to a Treehugger post about an MP3 player that can be recharged manually with a crank.

It’s got a voice recorder for trail notes. Can store and display hiking photos and video on removable SD cards.

This looks interesting! (Is Christmas coming?)

… the Eco Media Player would be a great option for PCT hikers or anyone who spends a lot of time in the backcountry and likes to bring music. One minute of cranking this MP3 player gives you 40 minutes of audio play time while a full charge from a wall socket gives you 20 hours of playback. It only has 2GB of internal storage, but an SD slot lets you add more slow jams and books on MP3. The Eco Media Player also has an FM radio, LED flashlight, memo recorder, and it can recharge your cell phone. Not bad. The rig is only available in the UK for now, and it costs about £155.

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Backcountry.com: The Goat » Blog Archive » Wind-Up iPod Replacement

Oh, oh. Looks like it’s not Mac compatible. That’s a deal breaker for me.

… might have to wait for a wind-up iPhone.

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Ed Viesturs – No Shortcuts to the Top

After seeing Ed speak at the Banff Mountain Festival, I immediately got his book.

He’s one of the few normal people in high altitude mountaineering. (The only other that jumps to mind is Chris Bonnington.)

I, probably wrongly, assume serious climbers are egocentric risk takers. And most often masochists.

Ed Viesturs is none of these. He’s known as a “nice guy”.

There are very few new insights into what happened in the disaster on Everest 1996. Ed was with the IMAX film Everest team.

I highly recommend it though it’s written for the general public, not the outdoors elite.

Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks

PS

I did not enjoy my one and only true mountaineering adventure, guided to the top of 6000m (20,000ft) Huayna Potosi in Bolivia. Being connected by rope was tedious. Having no input into the speed of the climb, annoying.

Much better are trekking peaks. I scrambled independently 5822m (19,101ft) Misti in Peru. And trekked close to 6000m on the Rongphu glacier off Everest.

Kilimanjaro 5896m (19,344ft) appeals in the same way.

On the rare perfect day you can walk up Aconcagua 6962m (22,841ft), the highest peak outside Asia.

Serious mountaineering above that I’ll have to do vicariously.

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when will I hike South Africa?

… some day.

One of our contributors, George Novak, lived in South Africa and is always urging me to get there for “trekking”.

Top of my list — the Drakensberg Mountains in Kwa-Zula Natal.

img47.jpgGarth and Lee-Anne from GoVertical Mountaineering Adventures guide routes including:

  • DRAKENSBERG TRAVERSE (5-10 days)
  • AMPHITHEATRE TO CATHEDERAL PEAK OR TO GIANTS CASTLE
  • SENTINEL TO SANI (16 days)

    • The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is a World Heritage site of incredible basalt cliffs, giant peaks, dramatic pinnacles, pristine rivers and ancient San Rock Art. Join GoVertical for a guided backpacking experience along the Drakensberg Great Escarpment, a wilderness area which separates South Africa’s coastal lowlands from the highveld plateau.

    All Drakensberg Traverse Treks include:

    GoVertical Mountaineering guides, all meals & necessary restocks, Park fees, general camping gear, a celebratory dinner & B&B accommodation on the last night at a local mountain lodge

    GoVertical Trekking

    I’m tempted to sign on for a guided hike on my first trek in South Africa. Security is a bit of an issue in that country. It’s safe — but you need to know which areas to avoid. Tourists sometimes make the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Related post: Trekking the Drakensberg in South Africa (photos)

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    hike Palmetto Trail, South Carolina

    Have you heard of this new project?

    The Palmetto Trail is an ambitious plan for a 425 miles (684 km) foot and mountain bike trail in South Carolina for recreational hiking and biking. Several of the sections are also equestrian trails. It will extends from the Oconee County mountains to the Intracoastal Waterway in Charleston County. …

    Palmetto Trail – Wikipedia

    Snakes?

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    source – American Southwest

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    Palmetto Conservation – larger interactive map

    (via American Hiking Society’s Southeast Trail Program)

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    Plague cause of death in Grand Canyon

    An Arizona-based wildlife biologist likely died of the plague, officials from Grand Canyon National Park announced on Friday.

    Autopsy reports for Eric York, a 37-year-old wildlife biologist for the National Park Service, showed that he had plague in his body. …

    Officials said York was most likely exposed to the plague when he performed an autopsy on a mountain lion that had been infected and most likely killed by it. York was the only person to come in contact with the dead mountain lion, according to officials.

    York presented symptoms of exposure on Oct. 30, three days after the mountain lion autopsy. He went to Grand Canyon Clinic, located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, with flu-like symptoms. York was sent home that day because the symptoms of plague are difficult to detect and are often confused with the flu, officials said.

    Plague blamed for biologist’s death – USATODAY.com

    UPDATE:

    Plague Confirmed As Cause of Death for Grand Canyon Biologist

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    wolf pack kills a man

    I am for reintroduction of wolves to the wilderness.

    Elk and porcupine worry me more than wolves in the wild. But this is significant. The first documented case of wolves hunting and killing a man:

    Environmentalists backing the re-wolfing of the American West have often said, “Don’t worry, there’s no documented instance of wolves killing any person.”

    That reassurance came under question with the discovery of the body of a 22-year-old college student, Kenton Joel Carnegie, two years ago in northern Saskatchewan. …

    GOAT – A High Country News Blog » Wolf pack killed a man

    At the Banff Mountain Film Festival I saw a fantastic slide show on some of the wildest wolves in the world.

    Then watched a preview of the PBS Nature TV special:

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    In 1995, the first gray wolves were transported from Alberta, Canada to Yellowstone National Park, to repopulate the sprawling landscape with the species, absent for more than 70 years. …

    In the Valley of the Wolves was produced and shot in High Definition by Emmy-award winning filmmaker Bob Landis.

    On the Web site for In the Valley of the Wolves, you’ll learn how the successful reintroduction of Yellowstone’s apex predator has changed the entire ecosystem of the park, and about the threats that these majestic animals continue to face on their road to recovery.

    Watch an exclusive online podcast. In this podcast, Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer Bob Landis discusses the making of the film, including the ideal circumstances for filming a predation scene; the importance of spending a vast amount of time in the field; the uniqueness of Yellowstone’s Druid wolf pack, and more.

    Watch the video clip – PBS Nature

    Bob Landis has spent more time with wolves than anyone. I trust his opinion most.

    Bob, of course, is in favour of humans learning to co-exist with wolves.