I’ve blogged a few times here about one of my favorite places in the world: Patagonia. Among the list of great
places I’ve been lucky enough to go,
Torres del Paine national park ranks
there among the top. Another place just over the crags of the Andes in Argentina that’s also amazing for hikers,
climbers, photographers, is Los Glaciares. Los Glaciers is the 3rd
largest ice field in the world after Antarctica and Greenland. The heavy moisture content there causes a great deal of
snowfall that over the years turns to ice and becomes part of the ice field. The ice reflects blue light and take on an
otherworldly hue…if by otherworldly, we also include those blue ice freezer packs. Los Glaciares is also a
UNESCO world heritage site, so you know it’s great. But the fact is that this
entire region is amazing and worth some exploration.
Spider Man Arrested
Climbers out there might be interested in this
one. Alain Robert, the Frenchman also known as Spiderman, has climbed over 70 skyscrapers throughout the world.
That’s usually a no no. And so it went recently in Houston when Robert
got busted for
trying to climb a 46-story Houston office tower. He climbs it pretty hard core in a style called ultra-light style,
which means no ropes, no bolts and no safety-net. He always attracts a crowd of gawkers…and often a gaggle or two of
police waiting for him to come down and haul him off to the pokey. His Houston venture ended before he even got off the
ground. Seems someone tipped off the coppers and as he went to ascend, some six policemen plus private security
personnel were waiting for him. Dunno about you, but I cold care less if he or anyone else wants to climb buildings.
Granted his rope could break and he’d fall on someone…but that seems unlikely. But such is the way of private property
laws. Alas.
Mt. St. Helens in the Chicago Trib
The Chicago Trib
heads out West to God’s country and visits the great Mount St. Helens that blew her top on my birthday all those
years ago. Writer Robert Cross takes us there and delivers a dose of history and geology about this monumental natural
event. Myself, I was a wee lad, but I still remember the images on the tele. And it seems ol St. Helens has been acting
up again lately, though she hasn’t yet blown her top again. There is an active volcano there still and St. Helens
watchers (as well as a few apocalypse hunters) have been camping out waiting for her to go, thus heralding in the end
of the world as we know it. But don’t worry, you’ll feel fine. (subscription req)
Postcard from Antarctica
Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame
writes briefly
about how easy (relatively speaking, of course) it is to get to Antarctica these days. With the demise of the
Soviet Union, a whole industry emerged for the old ice ships and supply vessels that used to ply those cold waters for
the motherland. I was in Antarctica
years ago, having hitched a ride aboard a Chilean Navy boat, but many people these days either take the luxury route or
the Soviet route mentioned here. There are lots of reasons to go to Antarctica. One is just being able to say and know
for yourself that you’ve been there. But it is also remarkably beautiful. The light in Antarctica is an unreal light,
impossibly clear, clean, sparkling almost. Anyway, Wheeler’s tips mostly provide the lowdown on seeing penguins (which
are very cute in person, by the way), perhaps catering to the whole conservative March of the Penguins movement…though
this seems unlikely knowing Wheeler.
2005 Gear of the Year Outside
The holidays are officially here, which means you need to start thinking
about gifts for all your friends, co-workers, enemies that you wish to “keep closer” and significant others. And while
Gadling will be doing a gift guide for y’all very shortly, I figured in the meantime, as we gather our ideas, I’d
direct you to this fine guide done
by the folks at Outside Magazine. Whether you are looking for tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, a new whitewater kayak,
mountain bike…whatever. If it’s outdoors-related, there is probably a recommendation here. Give it a look, and then
keep your eyes open for the Gadling guide coming soon.