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More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies

Where I come from, the guidebook Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, 3rd edition by Alan Kane is essential. Increasingly my hiking friends prefer hard, fun one day adventures over multi-day walk hauling a pack.

I love this book. And curse it, alternately. Needless to say, route finding on scrambles are not without their challenges. (We’re still arguing about the actual summit of Storm Mountain.)

I’m happy to announce the sequel, by a new author: Andrew Nagura.

Looks great. New routes for those of us who like to climb high, but don’t want to gear up for climbing.

More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies

More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies

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Kendal Mountain Film Festival starts today

Guests at the biggest UK festival include Sir Chris Bonington, Doug Scott, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Greg Child, Joe Simpson, Simon Yates, Canadian Will Gadd and many, many others.

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“Since 1980, the very best showcase for mountain sports, culture & environment”

First we have news of a film coup on the opening Friday night: Far North

Only shown at the Venice and London Film Festivals, this is a dark epic tale set in the harsh beauty of the Arctic starring Sean Bean, Michelle Yeoh and Michelle Krusiec. A powerful film that combines action, love and survival in the frozen wastes. Shot in Svalbard and Northern Norway in by Asif Kapardia, director of Warrior.

Kendal Mountain Film Festival

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lightweight Dirty Girl Gaiters

My hiking buddy Mark Glaser invented “InstaGaiters” years ago. He wears modified women’s nylon stockings.

Looks like he should have patented the idea. This is similar:

From the Happy Feet blog:

Gaiters are an important for trail runners, and for that matter, hikers, adventure racers, and even walkers. They cover the top of the shoe and prevent debris from going inside the shoe. It is this debris, between the shoe and sock, which leads to hot spots and blisters. A simple pair of gaiters can help prevent problems.

For my money, I like the gaiters made by Chrissy Weiss, called Dirty Girl Gaiters. Chrissy has a lock on gaiters that make a statement. They are bold and colorful. They are in-your-face patterns that inspire. Most of the runners yesterday wore Chrissy’s gaiters. They are made from soft, comfortable four-way stretch spandex unisex with gaiter hooks under the front shoe lace and secures to the back of the shoe with a self-adhesive Velcro strip. They are dirt-cheap for $13 per pair, including postage.

And, yes, guys are wearing them too. A lot of guys.

Happy Feet

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Dirty Girl Gaiters – photos

(via Two-Heel Drive)

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climbing Naeba Mountain, Japan

One of my favourite blogs is Batish.net. I read every post.

The photos are particularly well done. Almost Japanese in their elegant simplicity, though the author is an expat.

A good example:

The hike up was one of the most challenging trails I have come across in Japan in terms of terrain – a seven-hundred meter gain in less than 1.5 km. While it was short enough that, even after a leisurely morning, we reached the summit just in time for sunset, much of it was almost vertical …. It was satisfying to me to see that everyone made it despite admissions that this was the most difficult trek they had ever done. …

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bastish.net: Hiking Tour of Japan’s Naeba Mountain

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was Alexander Supertramp crazy?

Finally saw the film Into the Wild last night.

Compared with the many other reviews you’ve read, I have little to add:

  • excellent movie
  • a little too lengthy
  • excellent acting
  • Academy Award consideration, perhaps for Emile Hirsch who played Christopher McCandless. Perhaps for Hal Holbrook and several others.

    • Hirsch was great too in Lords of Dogtown. He’s got a career ahead of him.

    I went to the movie with a hiking buddy, Rocco Cioncio, who had just reread the superb book by Jon Krakauer. Rocco was impressed how little the film was Hollywoodized. Director Sean Penn loves the book and obviously went to pains to stay true to the story.

    I want to thank the McCandless family for letting the film go forward. That must have been very painful. I trust it was something of a cathartic resolution.

    And I want to thank Jon Krakauer for having the vision to follow-up this, one of many run-a-way tragedy stories.

    Krakauer has done more than anyone else over the past 10 years to bring main stream attention to the outdoor lifestyle. Yet he’s lightning rod for criticism, most of it unfair.

    One new angle, to me, is the possibility that Chris and Alexander (his alter ego) was a manifestation of mental illness.

    This story was published in the Anchorage Daily News recently and it was sent to me by Azzfan. The gist of the story is that the writer, Craig Medred, believes that Into The Wild, both the book and the movie, fail to tell Chris McCandless’ story because they ignore the fact that he may have been a schizophrenic. …

    The Adventure Blog: Was Chris McCandless Crazy? Literally?

    Actually, I don’t buy it.

    What Chris McCandless did seems consistent with many other 23-year-old men. Like Krakauer. Like Sean Penn.

    Certainly this is a must see movie.

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    Into the Wild – Amazon

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    hiking Tasmania with Peter Potterfield

    The author of Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks (and many other books) is at it again.

    This time he’s down under hiking a new coastal route:

    … I’ve warmed up for this long backcountry journey on two of Tasmania’s other famous East Coast routes, the Bay of Fires and the Freycinet Peninsula. What’s most amazing is how wildly different in character all three hikes have been. Now, nearing the end of my two week sojourn down here, I’m a little panicked about the prospect of having to leave. Tasmania is a phenomenal place to hike, uncrowded and aggressively scenic. Just as winter sets in for North America and Europe, hiking season is just beginning here. And even after a full couple of weeks on the trail, I feel I’ve only gotten my feet wet. …

    Peter is editor of GreatOutdoors.com, and gives advice on how to hike Tasmania in his trip report:

    Hiking Tasmania’s East Coast | GreatOutdoors.com

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    taz.jpg

    We’ve got information pages on other great Tassie hikes, Overland and South Coast Tracks on our list of the best hikes in Australasia.

    And Peter is already in New Zealand.

    (via The Adventure Blog … who beat me to the punch posting a link to this trip report. Perhaps I’ll NOT link to Kraig this time. That’ll teach ‘im.)

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    10-year-old treks 2650 miles

    Tom Mangan recommends a new book on the Pacific Crest Trail in his Mercury News review.

    I’m intrigued by the 10-year-old Scrambler, Mary, youngest yet to complete the PCT.

    … you may want to pick up “Zero Days” just to marvel at how a mom, dad and daughter avoid driving themselves batty after week upon week in the outdoors.

    Among the book’s parenting lessons: Never forget your child is a child, but never let her think you’re treating her like one. Don’t hand her more than she can handle, but let her prove she can handle even more. …

    Mother and father took extra care to keep her safe, but they also insisted Mary was a full partner in the team, pulling her weight with camp chores and even carrying extra weight when Barbara needed to lighten her load because of foot and leg pain.

    By the time they got to Washington state, Mary was a seasoned trail veteran, joining the debates over which trail to take and which water supply to avoid. And, finally, her stern determination to finish the hike propelled her dad to find a safe route to the Canadian border when the high trails were snowed in.

    “Zero Days” is a straightforward account full of outdoorsy details most relevant to those captivated by the idea of trekking the PCT, but there is a moral for the non-hiking masses: If you give your kids the opportunity to amaze you, generally they will.

    Read the entire review: San Jose Mercury News – A family trek of 2,650 miles

    The Real Life Adventure of Captain Bligh, Nellie Bly, and 10-year-old Scrambler on the Pacific Crest Trail

    Zero Days: The Real Life Adventure of Captain Bligh, Nellie Bly, and 10-year-old Scrambler on the Pacific Crest Trail

    (via Two-Heel Drive)

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    Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, Canadian Rockies

    At the Banff Mountain Festival I bumped in Chris Hopkins, a friend I hadn’t seen for 17-years.

    num.jpgTurns out he and his wife are managing beautiful Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, 40km north of Lake Louise on the Banff – Jasper highway.

    Unlike many of the tourist highlights of the Canadian Rockies, winter is their favourite season. When I told Chris I was a hiker, he spoke of great trails out of the lodge. But that the cross country and backcountry skiing was even better.

    I’d love to tour of all the Rocky Mountain lodges. This would be high on my list.

    Stop summer or winter. The red roof, the blue lake, the green trees. This would be a terrific place to film your movie.

    Num-ti-jah Lodge – official website

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    Tongariro Crossing now Tongariro ALPINE Crossing

    It’s official. As confirmed by Inside Tourism, Issue 665, 2 November 2007.

    The internationally-famous Tongariro Crossing is being renamed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – to reflect how dangerous the 18.5 km trek can be.

    About 65,000 people are said to complete the walk each year although last year it claimed two lives and several people were caught out by hypothermia this year. The name has been chosen by DOC, TNZ, TIA, the Ministry of Tourism and Police. Guiding is not allowed on the trek but DOC is considering permitting professional guides.

    Tongariro Crossing renamed | News | New Zealand Tramper

    By any name, many people feel it’s the very best day hike in the world. The harsh volcanic route is severe and beautiful.

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    source – flickr – more Tongariro photos by Celebdu

    Tongariro Alpine Crossing – besthike information page

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    UNreality TV – MAN vs. WILD

    This week you’ll see a lot of press like this:

    Bear Grylls is back with a new one-hour special and the second season of MAN VS. WILD, airing Fridays at 9 PM (ET/PT) beginning November 9. Bear travels to the Himalayas for BEAR’S MISSION EVEREST, where this past spring he attempted to fulfill a dream to fly a powered paraglider higher than Everest …

    They are expecting good ratings for Bear Grylls and Discovery Channel.

    The controversy from last season — claims that some of his stunts were exaggerated or faked — will bring in more viewers.

    Discovery Channel has promised to be completely transparent this season. (Film editors will not lead viewers to believe Bear is on a desert island when he is actually sleeping in a motel in Hawaii.)

    Bear is the real thing. He climbed Everest at age-23. He’s a true survivalist. No question.

    But his show is more about sensationalizing the outdoors. Not about informing the general public.

    I can’t help cheering for the “other guy”. Survivorman — Les Stroud. I have a lot more respect for Les, a man who goes out for a week at a time, no cameraman or support crew.

    My advice to hikers is to watch Survivorman instead.

    To decide for yourself if Bear is a fraud, click PLAY or watch him on YouTube.

    Looks to me Bear has a life jacket on under his shirt. But how many people have followed his example and tried to float down a river using only a pack as a raft? What happens when one of those people drowns?

    How accountable are Grylls and Discovery Channel?

    As for myself, I boycott Man vs. Wild. Getting TV ratings this way is too dangerous.