Hosteleria Las Torres

by Erik Olsen on

Several years ago, I did a long
trek and horseback ride through Torres del Paine
National park. The park is one of the most beautiful, pristine places in the world. I highly recommend it. Picture
Yosemite without the gnarly crowds and with the addition of cerulean lakes, glaciers and bizarre wildlife like the
spitting guanaco. Yes, it’s THAT cool.

But if you’re planning a trip there you may not know where to stay. There are ample opportunities to camp in the park,
but there are also some fine lodges and hostels. I want to highlight one of them here.

The Hosteria Las Torres is an unpretentious barn like lodge in
the park. Nestled near the 9,000 foot towers of Paine, the lodge offers ideal access to the wonders of the park in a
cozy and roomy environment. The 57 spacious rooms offer lots of amenities including excellent meals and a spa. It’s a
superb place to rest your bones after a day of trekking the Paine circuit or just wandering around the lakes.

Aconcagua

by Erik Olsen on

Argentina’s
Aconcagua is sort of the lazy-man’s Everest. Lazy because
it’s fairly easy to reach…you don’t have to fly all the way around the world…just pretty far south. And because it is a
“pretty easy” climb. I say that having never done it, but I did live in Chile and
climbed a few big peaks there and knew several folks who
did climb it. The fact is, it’s not a technical climb, assuming you take the main route. It’s actually more of a long,
sometimes miserable trudge. But it is high, at 22,834 feet, the highest peak not just in the Americas, but also in the
southern and western hemispheres. .The mountain is nothing to be trifled with especially for people who have problems
at altitude. It is also known for the “viento blanco,” or white wind which can make climbing difficult. No matter, the
article here talks a bit about the mountain and the writer summits which, despite the previous comments about it being
“easy” is something that not everyone does.  

Yosemite All Wet

by Erik Olsen on

Ah, Yosemite. Probably the best of all National Parks…except when it’s over-crowded with tourists in their motor
homes and kids screeching around on their bicycles. Oh, and when the entire valley gets sooted up with BBQ smoke and
the air is filled with the noise pollution of said tourists’ portable radios and TV sets. Then it sucks.

But that aside, there’s an article in today’s NY
Times about how the season’s unusual snow fall has made Yosemite gush. The falls are, well, falling at full fall,
and the rivers are raging. This would be an ideal time to head up there, and would make, no doubt for some great
photography. The fact is, despite the travails I just mentioned, Yosemite remains a jewel.

Climber Jim Ratz Dies

by Erik Olsen on

Major bummer. Well-known NOLS leader, climbing guide and
activist Jim Ratz died in a fall in Sinks Canyon, Wyoming. The
52-year old mountaineer was off climbing by himself and was rappelling a rock face when the accident occured. No
witnesses saw the fall. Ratz was a legendary advocate of the outdoors. He was also a co-owner of
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, a company almost all major climbers know
well, and he served as the executive director of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) from 1984 –
1995. 

Eruption In Yellowstone?

by Erik Olsen on

We are nearing the anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens which took place on May 18, 1980, and is widely
regarded as a major catastrophic event. But we have several other places of high volcanic activity here in the states,
one of which, is smack dab in the middle of one of our most treasured national parks, Yellowstone.

Take a look at this story on MSNBC sent to me by Carl. The story
explains that a new report by the National Geological Survey places Yellowstone 21st on a list of the most dangerous of
the 169 volcano centers in the United States. There is also
a mini-site dedicated to a potential “super volcano”
in Yellowstone that aired on the Discovery Channel…something to be aware of, esp. if you’ve got a Yellowstone trip
planned this summer ;-).