We're skiing in Colorado for the first time. Yesterday, Snowmass Mountain offered up an epic adventure when some of us ended up not skiiing the promised steep bowl (off the very top - the Cirque) but narly steeps that lead to trees then glades. I definitely got more than I bargained for on Headwall and Hanging Valley.
Today we enjoyed pristine sun and warmth at Aspen Highlands. Steeplechase was an interesting adventure (double back moguls with all manner of consistency of snow).
It's great being here and getting worked out. Pics to come!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Finally, a video collage of footage from my visit at this Wildlife Preserve near Whitehorse, YK. While travelling on business I added a free day to explore the Alaska Highway and visit here. Definitely, will have to spend some serious time exploring up there.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ice cave and thin ice were all part of the fun
This is another route Jan climbed yesterday. Featuring her exploration of the ice cave near its top.
And this one is a thin, mixed ice climb with overhang. Gotta try it all :)
And this one is a thin, mixed ice climb with overhang. Gotta try it all :)
Jan rocks on ice
MountainFest took place for the 16th time this weekend in Keene Valley, NY, th High Peaks Region in the Adirondack's.
It was our first time at the Festival; we went for a day of ice climbing.
Here's Jan on her very first climb - connecting seamlessly to the one and only other time ice climb in Bolivia in November 2010.
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It was our first time at the Festival; we went for a day of ice climbing.
Here's Jan on her very first climb - connecting seamlessly to the one and only other time ice climb in Bolivia in November 2010.
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Sunday, January 8, 2012
Red Book Entry: December 21, 2010
I don't know at this point just how many photos I have taken of Inga, but what I do know is that it is only a fraction of the time that you do not see her true beauty. Travel suits Inga very well. Her curiosity about the world, her openess of spirit towards the people she meets, and her ever-expanding sense of adventure make her the most amazing travel companion.
[and Inga is beautiful too!]
So here is what is has been like for the last two and a half months of travelling: have an idea; figure it out; smile a lot (actually, have a permanent smile in your heart); follow your passions; have an experience and delight in it for days (and days and ... always).
[Live the moments]
[R E P E A T ]
This part of the journey is yet another type of experience. Neither Inga nor I have been on a boat trip of this nature. We have a cabin with a window and a bathroom. Although it is a cabin for four, we only have one cabin mate, Claudia from Switzerland. She is considerate and friendly and makes for a fine cabin mate. Inga and I brought wine and we plan on sharing it with Claudia tonight. Tomorrow night might not be the night for wine, given the wave predictions. Hopefully it will be a non-issue for Inga and I, and for everyone on the boat, for that matter.
All is well at the moment. I am sitting comfortably in the pub having a cappuccino and listening to the various conversations and the various languages being spoken. What is the common factor amongst all of us who choose to take this voyage? Is there one?
[and Inga is beautiful too!]
So here is what is has been like for the last two and a half months of travelling: have an idea; figure it out; smile a lot (actually, have a permanent smile in your heart); follow your passions; have an experience and delight in it for days (and days and ... always).
[Live the moments]
[R E P E A T ]
This part of the journey is yet another type of experience. Neither Inga nor I have been on a boat trip of this nature. We have a cabin with a window and a bathroom. Although it is a cabin for four, we only have one cabin mate, Claudia from Switzerland. She is considerate and friendly and makes for a fine cabin mate. Inga and I brought wine and we plan on sharing it with Claudia tonight. Tomorrow night might not be the night for wine, given the wave predictions. Hopefully it will be a non-issue for Inga and I, and for everyone on the boat, for that matter.
All is well at the moment. I am sitting comfortably in the pub having a cappuccino and listening to the various conversations and the various languages being spoken. What is the common factor amongst all of us who choose to take this voyage? Is there one?
Red Book Entry: December 21, 2010
Aboard Evangelista, en route to Puerto Montt. And the adventure continues. Today the sailing is supposed to be relatively calm which is great as I get my sea legs (which I know will not be developed like my trekking legs!) Tomorrow, on the other hand, we will be passing through the Golfo de Peinas where we will be in the open Pacific Ocean, hence the name "De Peinas". For 12 hours, we could experience the ocean with two metre waves. The crew will be giving us some advice ahead of time on what we can do to cope best.
[Happy longest day of the year!
The beauty of being far south : )]
The journey, which is for three days, will take us to an island of 150 inhabitants, including the seven remaining members of an indigineous tribe. Navimag [the ship company] stops there twice a week with their provisions. It is national parkland and, weather permitting, we can disembark and trek along a path for an hour. Here's hoping.
There was a meeting this morning detailing each day, as well as safety onboard. I will be heading off for a talk on glaciars. There will be several such talks over the next couple of days.
[Happy longest day of the year!
The beauty of being far south : )]
The journey, which is for three days, will take us to an island of 150 inhabitants, including the seven remaining members of an indigineous tribe. Navimag [the ship company] stops there twice a week with their provisions. It is national parkland and, weather permitting, we can disembark and trek along a path for an hour. Here's hoping.
There was a meeting this morning detailing each day, as well as safety onboard. I will be heading off for a talk on glaciars. There will be several such talks over the next couple of days.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Red Book Entry: December 2, 2010
Santiago airport. 3:20 am. Flew from Cusco to Lima to Santiago (with a stop in Antafogastas). Next up: Punta Arenas. I have never hung out in an airport overnight. Unlike in Canada, the Santiago airport does not shut down. After an extremely painful landing here, due to a nasty, nasty head cold, I am having an "individual" pequeñita bottle of Vina La Rosa (La Palma) from the Cachapoal Valley in Chile, of course.
Already the Chilean Spanish is challenging me -- Peruvians and Bolivians are so much easier to understand for me. In any event, it's all great practice for my language acquisition.
So what happens at the Santiago airport in the middle of the night? Tonight is not a typical night: we are entering Christmas season at the airport. Inga and I watched a huge tree being decorated with white lights. Aside from this "special event", the more "regular" activities are taking place: sweeping and dusting and washing and structural maintenance. As for me, I have just finished my wine ... and am contemplating (oh, now have) ordered another "individual" bottle and a cheese plate to share with Inga. Indulging seems to be the thing to do at this time of the night while waiting for a morning flight.
Already the Chilean Spanish is challenging me -- Peruvians and Bolivians are so much easier to understand for me. In any event, it's all great practice for my language acquisition.
So what happens at the Santiago airport in the middle of the night? Tonight is not a typical night: we are entering Christmas season at the airport. Inga and I watched a huge tree being decorated with white lights. Aside from this "special event", the more "regular" activities are taking place: sweeping and dusting and washing and structural maintenance. As for me, I have just finished my wine ... and am contemplating (oh, now have) ordered another "individual" bottle and a cheese plate to share with Inga. Indulging seems to be the thing to do at this time of the night while waiting for a morning flight.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Torres del Paine: 2005 fire damage seen in 2010.
 |
| This is part of the area in Torres del Paine that was burnt in 2005 by a Czech tourist, Jiri Smitak. 14,000 hectares burnt (about 7% of the park) in the Laguna Azul, Cebolla and Paine Waterfall areas. The cause was Jiri camping wild, ie in an area not designated for camping, in grassland! He improperly handling his gas cooking stove. He got the maximum $200 fine. The Czech Government stepped in (smartly) to pay for the restoration and replanting activities. The damage is obvious today when you head through the area. |
Friday, December 30, 2011
Fire closes Torres del Paine National Park
Looks like a careless tourist has set off a massive fire on December 27 in Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Patagonia. By this morning (Dec 30) a whopping 5,700 hectares were burnt already, according to Bloomberg, and counting (8,500 hectares this afternoon...). Winds of 90+ km/h are fanning the rapidly growing fire.
This traveller's Youtube video taken from a bus shows the fire's extent vividly.
The fire is uncontrollable and the Park has been closed completely now; tourists and trekkers have been evacuated.
TdP is known for its strong winds. Sparks fly far and wide (even a badly handled camping stove can set off a major blaze as happened in 2005) and with the very dry conditions this year, fire hazards were very high. This fire started just off the trail, at Lake Grey. Park Rangers believe it might have been a camp fire that had not been extinguished properly. Hope they find whoever is responsible and hold them to account.
For local coverage, there are local news links here and here (both are Lonely Planet Forum links to Chilean news media)
This is one area in the world where human-made forest fires are not needed to clear the underbrush. I hope the winds let up so that this fire can be extinguished and the ground erosion that follows can be stopped before it takes hold.
This traveller's Youtube video taken from a bus shows the fire's extent vividly.
The fire is uncontrollable and the Park has been closed completely now; tourists and trekkers have been evacuated.
TdP is known for its strong winds. Sparks fly far and wide (even a badly handled camping stove can set off a major blaze as happened in 2005) and with the very dry conditions this year, fire hazards were very high. This fire started just off the trail, at Lake Grey. Park Rangers believe it might have been a camp fire that had not been extinguished properly. Hope they find whoever is responsible and hold them to account.
For local coverage, there are local news links here and here (both are Lonely Planet Forum links to Chilean news media)
This is one area in the world where human-made forest fires are not needed to clear the underbrush. I hope the winds let up so that this fire can be extinguished and the ground erosion that follows can be stopped before it takes hold.
 |
| We took this photo at Grande Paine last year - part of the W Circuit - which has been affected by the fire. Note, the wind... |
 |
| This is on the way from Grey Camp to Grande Paine/Pehoe. Sounds like all this and much more has been burnt. |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Red Book Entry: November 14, 2010
The biggest and most important journal entry for me today is to say that I am feeling sooo much better than I did yesterday. A couple of things conspired to make day six of our trek a bit of a challenging one. First of all, the "allergy" I thought I had turned out to be a full blown cold complete with energy sucking properties. The other factor was the lack of energy from simply not eating what my body needed in order to hike up Pico Austria at 5,350m. It was difficult and took all of the mental might I had. Heading up to 5,350m is not what you want to be doing when you bonk.
The good news to the story is that I did make it to the summit, moving very, very slowly, one step at a time (with each one feeling as if it was the last one I could take). I so wanted to close my eyes and rest. We ate lunch at the summit; all I could manage was the cheese followed by chocolate for a quick hit of energy. I closed my eyes and dozed for a bit and was happy that I actually was able to recover enough to complete the trek to our next camp.
As with all the other camps, the location was awesome; it was by a laguna, with a river and had a view of a gorgeous glacier. It was only around 1:30 when we arrived and the sun was still warming. I layed outside to rest for a bit before heading into the tent for a full-on rest. Supper was at 6:30 and I had to drag myself of the tent to head to the cook tent for some sustenance. I managed to make it through supper but could not stay for mate. Off I went with my water bottle filled with hot camomile tea. I did not end up taking even one sip because I simply passed out. I did not wake up to go to the bathroom which, given my record, is saying a lot. When I did finally wake up in the morning I was super hot because the sun was beating down on the tent.
Another blue sky day!
The pattern so far has been for full blue sky in the morning, followed by clouds moving in, followed (or not) by hail or rain. You certainly have to be ready for every type of weather while trekking here. I find myself one minute hauling clothes off and the next, putting it all back on. Certainly when we reach the passes, which range from 4,800m to 5,100m, there is usually more wind and it's definitely cooler.
Each day has really been a different experience, depending in part on the character of each valley. We have hiked through deserts; rocky terrain; bogey areas and have hiked down steep pitches of scree. (I am not exaggerating when I say that the pitch has been as much as 40 degrees). There have been many lagunas, all offering up various greens, blues and opals. There have also been unending herds of llamas (lovely creatures) and some herds of alpaca (the pure white ones apparently fetch more money than the ones of other colours; not sure how many colours they "come in" but I have seen gorgeous brown ones as well). They have quite a unique look with their heads seeming large because only their bodies are sheared.
The good news to the story is that I did make it to the summit, moving very, very slowly, one step at a time (with each one feeling as if it was the last one I could take). I so wanted to close my eyes and rest. We ate lunch at the summit; all I could manage was the cheese followed by chocolate for a quick hit of energy. I closed my eyes and dozed for a bit and was happy that I actually was able to recover enough to complete the trek to our next camp.
As with all the other camps, the location was awesome; it was by a laguna, with a river and had a view of a gorgeous glacier. It was only around 1:30 when we arrived and the sun was still warming. I layed outside to rest for a bit before heading into the tent for a full-on rest. Supper was at 6:30 and I had to drag myself of the tent to head to the cook tent for some sustenance. I managed to make it through supper but could not stay for mate. Off I went with my water bottle filled with hot camomile tea. I did not end up taking even one sip because I simply passed out. I did not wake up to go to the bathroom which, given my record, is saying a lot. When I did finally wake up in the morning I was super hot because the sun was beating down on the tent.
Another blue sky day!
The pattern so far has been for full blue sky in the morning, followed by clouds moving in, followed (or not) by hail or rain. You certainly have to be ready for every type of weather while trekking here. I find myself one minute hauling clothes off and the next, putting it all back on. Certainly when we reach the passes, which range from 4,800m to 5,100m, there is usually more wind and it's definitely cooler.
Each day has really been a different experience, depending in part on the character of each valley. We have hiked through deserts; rocky terrain; bogey areas and have hiked down steep pitches of scree. (I am not exaggerating when I say that the pitch has been as much as 40 degrees). There have been many lagunas, all offering up various greens, blues and opals. There have also been unending herds of llamas (lovely creatures) and some herds of alpaca (the pure white ones apparently fetch more money than the ones of other colours; not sure how many colours they "come in" but I have seen gorgeous brown ones as well). They have quite a unique look with their heads seeming large because only their bodies are sheared.
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