Gap Adventures introduces new trips for 2011

by Kraig Becker on

As the final days of 2010 rapidly slip away, it is time to look to the new year for new opportunities and adventures. With that in mind, travel company Gap Adventures announced a host of outstanding new trips last week, offering up fantastic options for travelers looking for unique experiences.

Gap Adventures is amongst the top adventure travel companies in the world, offering hundreds of affordable trips to far flung places across the globe. These newly announced offerings are no different, giving travelers more than 100 new trips to choose from in 2011.

The new trips have been designed to offer a little something for everyone. For example, the Columbia Coffee Trails adventure is perfect for coffee lovers everywhere. They’ll visit some of South America’s top coffee plantations in search of the perfect brew, while exploring lush landscapes in Columbia, a country that his quickly becoming a top destination for travelers.

If coffee isn’t your thing, perhaps you’ll find an adventure more to your liking in Africa. New offerings to that continent will get travelers off the beaten path and into remote villages, where they’ll experience cultural immersion, spectacular landscapes, and fantastic wildlife. And if climbing Kilimanjaro has always been on your “bucket list,” Gap has made it easier and more affordable than ever with new options for that classic trek.

Gap has new adventures on every continent, ranging from the island of Sumatra to the deserts of Egypt, to the highlands of Guatemala and beyond. So whether you want to go to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, or somewhere in between, you’ll find plenty of fantastic opportunities in Gap’s back catalog or in their new offerings. To check out all the new trips, click here. But be warned, there are so many great trips to choose from, you may have to select more than one.

Artist plans exhibition at the summit of Everest

by Kraig Becker on

The Louvre, the Met, and the Hermitage. Without a doubt, three of the most prestigious art galleries in all the world. But if 78-year old artist Ranan Lurie gets his way, you can soon add the summit of Mt. Everest to that list.

Lurie has announced plans to place three acrylic-on-canvas works of art on the 29,029-foot peak. These small pieces are a part of a much larger project consisting of dozens of individual works that has been on display at the United Nations for some time. That project, entitled “Uniting Painting” stretches over 600 feet in length and has been a focus of Lurie’s artistic talents for more than 40 years.

While the details of just exactly how those paintings will get to the summit have not been elaborated on, we can assume that Lurie has commissioned a team of climbers to carry his works to the highest point on the planet when the Everest climbing season gets underway next spring. If all goes according to plan, the world’s highest art exhibition will probably take place sometime around mid-May, 2011.

Lurie hopes that by displaying his art in the High Himalaya, he can send a message to the world about the scope of his works and the uniting message he hopes to convey, which is that no matter what our race, creed, or culture, art is a common denominator.

Martina Navratilova succumbs to altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro

by Kraig Becker on

Last week we reported that tennis great Martina Navratilova was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa to raise funds and awareness for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. She was setting off to reach the top of Africa’s tallest mountain, which stands 19,340 feet in height, and hoped to hit a few tennis balls off the summit to celebrate her success. But as the week wore on, she began to struggle, eventually turning back as she developed the very serious symptoms of pulmonary edema, also known as altitude sickness.

After struggling for several days on the trail, Martina was forced to turn back last Thursday when her lungs began to fill with liquid. She reached a height of 14,800 feet, but was too weak, and taking too great of a risk, to continue any higher. Instead, she was helped back down the mountain by a group of porters, who took her to a nearby hospital in Tanzania. From there, she was sent to a larger facility in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was treated for three days before being released on Sunday.

Before starting up Kili, Navratilova has never been to an altitude higher than 12,000 feet, but living in Aspen, Colorado she believed that she could acclimatize to the altitude quickly. She even went so far as to call the trek “just a basic hike.” After being released from the hospital she was singing a bit of a different tune however, saying “This was supposed to be fun, but nobody had fun. It was just survival. It is not an experience one would enjoy.”

Each year, a number of trekkers underestimate the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro, which results in numerous evacuations from the mountain. Most are not as serious as this one however, and had she continued higher, Navratilova ran the real risk of death. Fortunately, her guides knew when to take her back down and get her the medical attention she needed.

If you’re planning a Kili climb of your own, don’t let this story dissuade you. Do your best to prepare ahead of time, getting in some good cardio workouts and go on a few distance hikes carrying a pack. When you get to Tanzania, listen to your guides, and take their advice to go “Pole! Pole!”, which means “Slowly! Slowly!” With that in mind, you’ll have a good chance of reaching the fabled snows of Kilimanjaro.

[Photo credit: Chris Jackon/Getty Images]

Russian climber BASE jumps from remote Antarctic peak

by Kraig Becker on

Last week a Russian climber and BASE jumper by the name of Valery Rozov climbed to the summit of Mount Ulvetanna, a 9616-foot tall mountain located in a very remote region of Antarctica. After spending a couple of weeks preparing for the climb, Rozov wasn’t content to just stand on top of the peak however. Once on the summit, he proceeded to don a specially designed wingsuit, leap from the summit, and glide through the cold air, which registered a chilly -22 degrees Fahrenheit on the thermometer.

BASE jumping continues to grow in popularity with adventurers and daredevils around the globe. Participants put on a pre-packed parachute and then proceed to climb up, and leap off, some fixed object such as buildings, antennas, spans, and the Earth itself, hence the “BASE” that give the sport its name. Wingsuits have been added in recent years to allow the jumper to glide through the air for a period before they open their chute and end their flight.

This particular flight lasted all of 45 seconds before the Russian pulled his parachute and gently glided back Earth, but as you can tell from the video below, it was one heck of a ride while it lasted. Watching this video, it seems clear that all climbers should use this method for returning to base camp, as it sure is a lot faster than descending the old fashion way.

[Photo credit: Thomas Senf]


South of the Clouds: Introduction to Yunnan, China

by Catherine Bodry on

Yunnan, which translates as “south of the clouds,” is China’s most diverse province, and offers travelers extreme variation: tropical lowlands bordering Laos and Burma curl at the bottom of the province, while the unsummited Meili Snow Mountain reigns near Tibet. It’s home to more ethnic minorities than any other province in China (25 out of 56), three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the deepest river canyon in the country (Tiger Leaping Gorge).

Long on the informal backpacker’s “banana pancake trail,” Yunnan shares not only borders but culture and languages with Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and Tibet.

Gadling recently spent three weeks in Yunnan on a trip partially sponsored by WildChina. During that trip, we followed parts of the ancient Tea Horse Road, from the southern Yunnan tea fields to caravan market towns. Over the next few weeks we plans to introduce in detail some of Yunnan’s delights.

But first, the basics:How to get there

Though high-speed rail connections to Southeast Asia are in the works, the easiest way to visit Yunnan from outside China is by flying there. Kunming is the capital of the province, with direct flights to and from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Hong Kong, among others. Within China, domestic flights abound, and it’s possible to ride the rails from Shanghai and Beijing. For “shorter” distances, sleeper buses run between provinces — and there’s even a 40-hour bus from Kunming to Vientiane. It’s also possible to ride the bus to the Vietnam border in Hekou and transfer to a train to Hanoi on the other side of the borer.

What to do and where to visit

Your options are nearly limitless, but more popular destinations include Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la (Zhongdian), and Kunming. You can hike Tiger Leaping Gorge, cycle to the Vietnam border, and photograph the terraced rice paddies in Yuenyang at sunrise. In Xishuangbanna, eat Dai food and wander medicinal gardens. In Shangri-La, perform koras around a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and in Dali hike the Cang Shan trail.

In most tourist-centric towns you’ll manage with English, and though traveling without any Mandarin is no doubt tough, it’s not impossible.

Read more about my travels in Yunnan here.

Though my trip to Yunnan was partially funded by WildChina, my opinions are all my own.

[Photo credit: treasuresthouhast, Flickr]