It’s no secret that the 13 states comprising the Western U.S. are a bit unusual. Enter Westphoria, Sunset magazine’s 4-month-old blog dedicated to celebrating all that’s quirky, kick-ass, and distinct about the Left Coast, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Think retrofitted teardrop campers, chicken “sitters,” bike-powered farmers market smoothies, and, uh, hotel rooms designed to resemble giant bird nests.
For those of you living on the other side of the Continental Divide, Sunset is the nation’s top Western lifestyle magazine, focused on travel, gardening, design, green living, food and the outdoors. Understandably, we’re big fans here at Gadling.
Westphoria is sort of like Sunset’s black sheep little sibling: edgy, on-trend, a smarty-pants with a sweet soul. Categories include themes like “House Crush,” “Made in the West,” “Dream Life,” “Food” and “Wanderlust.” I’m hooked.
“Man vs. Wild” host Bear Grylls will teach ten lucky (or deep-pocketed) fans his famous survival techniques during the first Bear Grylls Survival Academy in Scotland this November.
Much like his television show, the adventure will require participants to test their land and sea survival skills as well as a series of adventure tasks. The culminating test? A 36-hour wilderness expedition that involves tasks like making a fire in the pouring rain, building emergency shelters, foraging for food and river crossings.
“So many people have asked me over the years where they can learn extreme, practical survival – the type that requires spirit, determination and the skills to self-rescue against the odds, in some of the harshest terrain around,” saids Bear Grylls in a release. “Oh, and it may hurt a little.”
In 2013, Grylls plans to expand the course to Scotland, the United States and Africa.
On completion, enrollees will receive a badge, certificate and a Bear Grylls Ultimate Gerber knife. The price for this torture experience? A cool £2,999 per person (excluding flights).
Just after completing the second ascent of Kilimanjaro‘s Breach Icicle 25 years ago, Scott Fischer and Wes Krause realized that they were hooked on adventure. Since then they have faced grizzly bears, walked among lions, rode avalanches and made first ascents, founding Mountain Madness to provide the highest quality experience for beginner and advanced mountaineers and trekkers alike.
Coming up in October, Mountain Madness guides head to Red Rocks, one of the best desert rock-climbing areas, offering something for every climber from challenging sport routes to long and classic multi-pitch traditional climbs.
“Few climbing locations have as much sun and varied climbing as the beautiful canyons found in the Red Rocks National Conservation Area” says Mountain Madness on its website – and they should know. Mountain Madness was selected by Outside, America’s leading multimedia active-lifestyle brand, as a recipient of its first-ever Active Travel Awards earlier this year.In addition to the diverse Red Rocks terrain, unique to the Mountain Madness program is the freedom to adjust your itinerary as the weather, climbing conditions and the objective allow.
The scheduled five-day course starts with an orientation and equipment check, with a review of essential knot tying skills and proper use of equipment. Top rope set-up, anchors, belaying a lead climber, cleaning protection, rappelling and rope management take up the rest of the day that ends at a nearby campground.
The next day is devoted to practicing skills including a warm-up multi-pitch climb with the evening saved to enjoy the Las Vegas nightlife. After that, guides cover anchoring systems, and equalization techniques with time to apply the skills learned throughout the course in the multi-pitch climbing arena.
The course gets an early start each day to beat the crowds and the heat, giving flexibility regarding which routes to climb in Red Rocks, depending on skills and interests.
The October course starts at $795 per person with one guide for every four students and includes group-climbing equipment. Check the Mountain Madness website for more information.
Want to get an idea of what its like to climb Red Rocks? Check this video:
Saturday is National Public Lands Day in the U.S. and to celebrate, the National Park Service is waiving entry fees to all of the parks. The day is set aside on an annual basis to not only recognize the value and importance of public lands but to organize opportunities to maintain and protect them as well.
During last year’s National Public Lands Day, more than 170,000 volunteers worked on 2067 sites spread out across every state in the country. They spent the day collecting over 23,000 pounds of invasive plants, building or maintaining 1500 miles of trails, removing 500 tons of trash and planting 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants. Their efforts helped to improve some of our favorite national parks and forests while protecting the environment and other natural resources. A similar number of volunteers are expected to turn out this Saturday as well, with opportunities in abundance once again. To find a work site near you, simply click here.
Even if you don’t plan on volunteering for the day, you can still enjoy free entry into the national parks. For a complete list of locations that will be completely free on Saturday, click here.
On a related note, the final fee-free days for the national parks in 2012 will be November 10-12 in celebration of Veterans Day.
Nine climbers are dead after an avalanche on one of Nepal’s tallest mountains, the Guardian reports. At least five climbers were injured and have been evacuated to Kathmandu.
The avalanche hit the climbers’ camps at 7,000 meters (22,966 feet) on Mount Manaslu, a 8,163-meter (26,781-foot) peak and the eighth tallest in the world. More than 200 climbers and guides were on the mountain, but not all were in the area of the avalanche. The nationalities of only three of the dead are known at this time – German Spanish, and Nepali. The Toronto Star reports that seven climbers are missing – five French, a Canadian, and an Italian climber.
Mountain rescue crews, assisted by helicopters, are searching the area for bodies and survivors.
This is the beginning of the autumn mountaineering season in Nepal, a time right after the monsoon season when unstable weather makes avalanches more common.
This sobering news reminds me of my own trip to the Annapurna Base Camp, when a Japanese team lost some men in an avalanche on a nearby peak. It’s good to remember that adventure travel carries with it certain inherent risks.
