Amazon Adventure: Kayaking for a Cause
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The winding path of the Amazon River (courtesy, Brand X)
The Amazon River and its surrounding jungle can be a seemingly inhospitable place—with anacondas, piranhas, and electric eels being just a few of the characters you might meet along the way. But for 26-year-old Helen Skelton, the Amazon River is her home of choice for the next several weeks as she attempts to be the first woman to kayak the river.
Helen is a cast-member of the BBC kids television show Blue Peter, and she is hoping to use her notoriety and adventurous spirit to raise money for Sport Relief, a charity organization that aids the poor and homeless in the UK and abroad. Helen is no stranger to major accomplishments; in April 2009, she became only the second woman to finish the 78-mile Namibia Ultra Marathon.
Helen has paddled about 600 miles so far, and you can follow her the rest of the way on the 2,010-mile journey down the Amazon via her almost-daily blog, complete with interactive map. Also check out Away.com's Brazil Travel Guide for your own travel ideas in this amazing country.
 |
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
January 29, 2010
Extreme Job: Meet the Man Who Gets Paid to Dodge Rhinos
What's twice as tall as Niagara Falls, several times as long, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world? The Victoria Falls, which spans both Zambia and Zimbabwe. But the famous waterfall is not the only thing these two African countries have in common. They both share the honor of being Africa's extreme-sports capital. Their borders are smack dab in the middle of the bridge where most of the really extreme activities like bungee jumping and gorge swinging take place.
But if you think that is extreme, meet someone who willingly goes into the jungle on foot to give visitors a walking tour of the area and its inhabitants. Chiinga Siavwapa lives in the former capital of Zambia and is a licensed safari guide and Falls expert. Here's some questions I put to him:
So I take it that you've tried a few of the extreme activities?: I've done the gorge swing, a couple of boat cruises, and obviously the walking safari, which some people call extreme.
Why is it extreme?: I've had an elephant come after us, a rhino charge, and you have to know how to react. It's always best to back away slowly because a running target is more interesting. I've been trained in animal behavior and it helps that the park provides you with a guard who is authorized to carry a gun.
Continue reading "Extreme Job: Meet the Man Who Gets Paid to Dodge Rhinos" »
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
January 28, 2010
Top Five Family Vacations, From a 12-Year-Old Perspective
HERD CROSSING: Bring your brood to Arthur's Pass, New Zealand, where sheep have the right-of-way (Simon Russell/Getty)
As the founder of an adventure-travel company, I often have the chance to speak with our guests about their travels. One question I hear a lot is, "How do I know if my kids are ready for a trip to Europe?" (or Costa Rica, or New Zealand, or Peru...)
A recent conversation I had with my oldest son illustrates why I think it's never too soon to introduce kids to the big, wide world.
Jack, now 12, has been traveling abroad with us since he was an infant. (In his first passport photo, aged 11 months, he's wearing a Winnie the Pooh sleeper.) On a recent river-rafting trip, I seized just the right father-son moment to ask him which trips he remembers most fondly and why. With little or no prompting, he offered me the short list of his all-time top five.
5. New Zealand's South Island
While you won't spot any hobbits from the Lord of the Rings movies that were shot here, the whole family will find plenty of miraculous discoveries. Walk on amazing beaches, swim with the world's smallest dolphins, and explore a parrot-filled jungle with its own glacier. At a high-country sheep station, you can spend the day checking on baby lambs and watching the sheepdogs do their work. There's even jet-boat rides on the Dart River. Adults can enjoy sipping their way through award-winning wineries as well as some of the most scenic walks on Earth. New Zealand is a friendly country that captures the imaginations of all ages.
Continue reading "Top Five Family Vacations, From a 12-Year-Old Perspective" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
January 14, 2010
The Right Winter Gloves
I picked up Mountain Hardwear's Jalapeno gloves mid-season last year, but that winter proved to be more a murmur than a roar, and outside of confirming their snug fit, the gloves remained tucked in my closet. Wishful thinking for next season.
The talisman must've worked. This winter in DC we've seen one bona fide blizzard, a few flurries and one-inch storms, and a near-record amount of days with temps that barely shoulder past freezing. Cold enough, in other words, to send my colleague from Mississippi scouring for every piece of warm clothing she owns and for me to put the Jalapenos to the test. And after several dark, cold-weather commutes, I can now report that these gloves are my go-to pair for winter cycling.
The fully-insulated leather glove ($100) boasts a hearty waterproof shield that bonds the breathable/waterproof membrane to the inner nylon shell for hardcore protection against all foul and unfriendly elements. The wide, long cuffs swallow my jacket cuffs, preventing any squalls from sneaking inside, and twin wrist leashes keep the gloves within reach (and out of whatever elements pollute the ground) whenever conditions demand bare-handed dexterity. That said, the abrasion-resistant goatskin palm and fingers offer more touch than you'd expect from a glove this warm. I also appreciate the aesthetic nod to the old-school, all-leather gloves worn by most of the country's ski lift operators, though sadly I was forced to dirty the Jalapenos while doing roadside repair to a popped bike chain. Some argue that the black grease on that tan lambskin actually makes 'em look more authentic. But to me, it's just the excuse I need to get another pair. The stained ones for cycling, the new ones for skiing...
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
January 12, 2010
World's Greatest Ski Run: Vallée Blanche, France
EYE OF THE BEAST: Guide Armel Faron skis Chamonix's Vallée Blanche (Gerry Wingenbach)
Even in the European Alps, where ski lifts as varied as the blades of a Swiss Army knife scale mountain after mountain, the 60-passenger téléphérique to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi seems impossible. It is the highest gondola in Europe, topping out at 12,605 feet, and the way-up-there view looks out over three countries—France, Italy, and Switzerland.
The tram rises from Chamonix, France, the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and ends atop the granite needle that looms next to white-domed Mont Blanc, at 15,750 feet the highest mountain in the Alps. It covers the distance in two airy, ear-popping spans—one of them, the longest of any aerial tram in the world until Whistler opened its Peak 2 Peak Gondola last year.
The Aiguille du Midi also is the starting point for the longest lift-serviced ski and snowboarding run in the world: the 13-mile-long Vallée Blanche. It's often called the greatest ski run on the planet.
On a perfect blue-sky morning last winter, my friend, veteran Chamonix mountain guide Armel Faron, and I boarded the tram for the Aiguille du Midi.
Continue reading "World's Greatest Ski Run: Vallée Blanche, France" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
January 04, 2010
New Year's Resolution: A Ski Pilgrimage to Europe
Kleine Scheidegg, Grindelwald Village, Switzerland (Gerry Wingenbach)
So you're heading west to ski the Rockies again this winter. Great.
Maybe you're planning on returning to that cozy lodge where the kids like the pool and you know the bartender. You also know the mountain as well as you know your commute to work.
But before you schuss down that same slope let's dream about the European Alps. Come on. Skiing is either a great adventure or nothing at all. Every skier should make a pilgrimage to traverse the roots of our sport.
Oh, I know. The perceived cost of the dream keeps jolting you back. You think you can afford Colorado but not Switzerland? Aspen but not St. Moritz?
Continue reading "New Year's Resolution: A Ski Pilgrimage to Europe" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
December 30, 2009
Five Best Places to Bicycle in Chile
PASSING ON THE RIGHT: Biking with the cows in Chiloé, Chile (ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours)
From the Atacama Desert in the north to Chiloé Island in the south, Chile has an incredible diversity of culture, history, and scenery packed into its 100-mile-wide strip of territory. If you are looking for sunshine in February or springtime in November, Chile is the place to be. A solid infrastructure throughout the country means a variety of quiet paved and unpaved roads, which tempt cyclists to jump on their bikes and start exploring. Here are our five favorite places to bicycle in Chile.
- 5. The Atacama Desert: Cycling in the Atacama Desert will change the way you think about wide-open spaces. Tucked between the Pacific Coast and the high Andean Plateau, some parts of this 600-mile desert have never recorded rainfall. With horizons that go on forever, bicycling in the Atacama offers miles of traffic-free, smooth roads. The endless view is the only thing that might interrupt your ride as you bicycle in the driest place on earth.
- 4. The Andean Altiplano: The "high plateau" of the Andes is exactly as the name suggests: high and relatively flat. At an average altitude of 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) a bicycle ride on the altiplano allows for a surprising amount of well-paved roads with little traffic and striking views of the surrounding mountains and colors. Mineral deposits from the past few million years have created a landscape scattered with red, brown, orange, and gold colors. A magical place to bicycle, the altiplano has near perfect conditions for anyone interested in long-distance cycling and high-altitude training.
Continue reading "Five Best Places to Bicycle in Chile" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
December 23, 2009
The Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah
UNTOUCHED SNOW: Skier in the solitude of fresh powder at The Canyons Resort (The Canyons Resort)
Don't be fooled by the stylish cabriolet rising from the lower parking lot, the swanky ski-in accommodations, or the spiffy, carless village. The Canyons Resort is all about extraordinary skiing. It's everywhere up there, spilling over the mountain like a fat guy in a Lycra downhill suit. Sure, they pass themselves off as a wonderland for families (which they most certainly are), or a tony meeting place for Fortune 500 suits (right on, again), but they're stuck with that incomparable mountain. Make that eight peaks, to be precise.
The Canyons, which is just four miles from Park City's historic Main Street, is the gnarliest and largest of the three ski resorts that border the best little ski town in America (Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resortcomplete this trifecta of stand-alone resorts). The Canyons is both wide and tall—3,700 skiable acres and 3,190 vertical feet—with a whopping average annual snowfall of 355 inches. The lift arsenal of high-speed quads and an eight-passenger gondola whisks snow riders into the thin air of snowy boulevards, tree-lined steeps, off-piste bowls, and miles of sun-dappled powder shots that snake and splinter through drop-dead gorgeous aspen groves. But the place is also about as good as it gets for kids, the snow rolled out like a carpet, offering everything but a docile St. Bernard.
Continue reading "The Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
December 19, 2009
Great Southwest Road Trip Day 8: Sugar & Spice Ranch in Bandera, Texas
Bandera, Texas, the "Cowboy Capital of the World," is a tremendously popular tourist attraction to everyone except the denizens of the U.S. coasts. East Coasters, Pacific Northwesterners, certainly Californians think of Texas only as a place with sinister politics, rampant red meat consumption, and too many big trucks (each with its own gun rack). Germans, Canadians, Brits, Indians—even wealthy Mexican nationals, it turns out—love to get that Lone Star experience. The more cowboys, the better. I saw proof of this while eating lunch at the Old Spanish Trail the other day. This downtown Bandera landmark has a giant elk head above the bar, saddle seating atop every bar stool, and a different foreign accent at every table. Shops like the Cowboy Store, Hy O Silver, and Renegades are full of visitors buying up turquoise jewelry, Southwestern art, and "cowboy furniture" (whatever that means).
It's no wonder the cowboys in Bandera aren't exactly the hard-working, rough-and-ready men they were back in the original Spanish Trail days. Few of them still make a living feeding cattle or riding fences. Instead many of them are dude-ranch staffers—basically the Western version of the "entertainment corps" that you find on all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. Dude-ranch cowboys lead trail rides, perhaps teach private riding lessons, or hire out as fireside singers if reasonably skilled with a guitar. They are dressed in the finest cowboy outfits. They do not, generally speaking, get their hands dirty.
It is very hard to find an honest-to-goodness cowboy in the Cowboy Capital of the World, or so my new friend Miz Leigh told me. Which is why she found hers in San Antonio.
Continue reading "Great Southwest Road Trip Day 8: Sugar & Spice Ranch in Bandera, Texas" »
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
December 18, 2009
Big Sky, Montana: Big Everything!
At Montana's Big Sky Resort I hooked up with Mike Mannelin, a 34-year-old couch surfer and sometime parking-lot camper. Mike grew up ski racing in Minnesota and has skied big lines in Warren Miller and Greg Stump ski movies. He summers in Alaska. "Nothin's handed to you in Alaska," he said.
On the lift he never spoke of cold. (No good boarder or skier does.) Nor did he talk a big game. He let the resort's challenging terrain and abundant snow speak for itself. On the subject of skiing, all he said was "the rewards are always going to be there." On our first run he barreled down a black diamond, sometimes straight-lining, sometimes tightening things up into perfect slalom turns. His main obsession is freedom. I liked him instantly.
Over the course of two days, I tailed Mike around the biggest skiing in America (5,300 acres and a vertical drop of 4,350 feet). All the back-of-beyond riders on the 11,000-foot-high Lone Mountain tram knew him. "He's the best on the mountain," one of them whispered to me.
Continue reading "Big Sky, Montana: Big Everything!" »
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
