besthike.com

April 29, 2006

Terragenâ„¢ software – photorealistic landscapes

Have you heard of Terragen?

It’s software for generating real looking landscapes. This is not an actual mountain, but a generated image.

peak
More terragen images by artist Luc Bianco.

Terragenâ„¢ still offers a free beta version if you want to try it.

George recommends these sites:

http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/userg/user1.shtml
http://swaroop.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://www.begann.de/start.html
http://www.terradreams.de/
http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/wallpapers/
http://www.inganielsen.de.tc/
http://www.moodflow.com/

April 27, 2006

cycling – world’s longest line?

Did you happen to see Darren Berrecloth’s uninterrupted ride down a steep arid mountain ridge in Utah?

Very cool!

It first aired on Discovery Channel’s Stunt Junkies Feb. 1st, 2006. But I notice they are replaying that episode frequently where I live.

Darren

Berrecloth is widely considered to be the top mountain bike freerider on extremely steep and technical terrain.

Bike Magazine’s 2004 “Rider of the Year,” Canadian Darren “Bearclaw” Berrecloth has spent the last few years radicalizing the already extreme sport of freeride mountain biking. His signature spins, hand grabs and no-hands seat grabs have redefined the sport and earned him tons of accolades in the biking world.

April 26, 2006

Bruce Kirkby – travel photos

Blue Nile Falls â€” also known as Tis Issat or Tissasat Falls. (Ethiopia)

The flow has been greatly reduced since a hydro-electric station started diverting the river in 2003.

waterfall

More of Kirkby’s favourite photos

April 25, 2006

all-terrain hiking chair?

The ultimate trekker’s wheelchair!

tank chair

April 24, 2006

Chang Tang, Tibetan Plateau

Have you heard of the Chang Tang?

A part of the world half the size of the continental USA?

Me neither.

George Schaller made 11 trips between 1985 and 2001. I read a couple of his books so perhaps I did hear of the region.

plateau

The photographer is Galen Rowell, who’s work was admired by Ansel Adams. This was Rowell’s last adventure. He and his wife were killed in a plane crash in California.

National Geographic sponsored expedition to Chang Tang

Bruce Kirby pitched the idea to National Geographic and worked a year on the Chang Tang project. But NG went ahead without him.

April 24, 2006

book – The Dolphin’s Tooth, Bruce Kirkby

Inspired by Chris Bonnington’s Quest for Adventure, a regular Canadian kid became an Adventurer.

cycling the Karakoram Highway

hiking the CANOL trail

paddling the Blue Nile

guiding paddling tours in the Arctic

kayaking in Belize

Kirkby hooked up with Jamie Clarke, Calgary’s most famous adventurer for:

Mt. Everest 1997 (Kirkby was communications man)

Empty Quarter of Arabia

His greatest claim to fame (or greatest sufferfest) was what he called The Grande Cirque â€” the first circumnavigation of British Columbia’s southern Coast Range.

His best destination so far â€” the Mergui Archipelago of Burma, off-limits to everyone for the past 50 years.
beach

rainbow photos

February 2, 2006 Rainbow at Elam Bend (McFall, Missouri)

rainbow

April 19, 2006

top 10 travellers

1. CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
2. XUANZANG
3. SIR RICHARD BURTON
4. IBN BATTUTA
5. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
6. CHARLES DARWIN
7. FRIDTJOF NANSEN
8. YURI GAGARIN
9. MICHAEL PALIN
10. APHRA BEHN

There is no doubt Cook is the greatest of them all. His 3 voyages of discovery are unmatched.

The rest of the top 10 can be argued.

Certainly Michael had it a little easier than the rest.

The 10 greatest travellers of all time

April 18, 2006

weird world maps

In 2003, 665 million international tourist trips were made. … Western Europe is the most popular destination for international tourists: 46% of world tourist trips. At the other extreme 0.1% of world tourist trips are made to Central African territories.

Size shows proportion of world international tourist trips to that territory.

world map