Today’s shot, from Flickr user epicxero, was taken (you guessed it) at the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. Located about 50 miles from the town of Cusco, Machu Picchu is certainly at the top of my list of places to visit before I die. Sure, a lot of tourists go there, but looking at this photo, can you blame them?
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Standing 19,340 feet in height, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and a popular trekking destination for adventure travelers. The mountain requires no technical skills to reach the summit, but remains a significant challenge none-the-less, which is why it often serves as the location for high profile, fund raising climbs.
One such climb, dubbed the Summit on the Summit, begins today with a number of celebrities joining the expedition, which hopes to raise awareness about the need for clean drinking water around the globe. The SOTS website says that more than 1 billion people do not have access to potable water and that every 15 seconds, somewhere on the planet, a child dies due to a water-related disease, such as malaria or typhoid. The expedition has partnered with the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, the UN Refugee Agency, and Playpumps International in order to deliver clean drinking water to remote places around the globe while educating the developed world about this growing problem.
The Summit on the Summit expedition is the brainchild of musician Kenna, who invited a few of his friends along for the climb. He is joined by rapper Lupe Fiasco, actor Jessica Biel, and adventure photographer Jimmy Chin, amongst many others, on the eight day climb that will take them to the Roof of Africa, passing through five unique climate zones along the way. If everything goes according to schedule, the team will stand at Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, next Wednesday.
The expedition has multiple ways for us to get involved and follow along with the team as they make their way towards the summit. The official website offers a slick interface with all kinds of information on the mountain, the climbers, and their cause. You can also follow their progress and get updates through the team’s Twitter feed, which is found at @SOTSK. They have been tweeting about their experience since their arrival in Tanzania yesterday evening.
But more importantly, you can contribute directly to the cause by sponsoring a foot of the climb. The team hopes to get all 19,340 feet sponsored before they are done, with all funds raised going directly to providing clean water for people in need all over the planet. It’s a great cause with a dedicated crew, and it should be fun to follow along.
Adventure travelers were given even more incentive to travel to India recently when it was announced that the government would begin allowing access to previously restricted areas in the remote Jammu and Kashmir provinces. The move has both economic and political motivations that officials hope will provide benefits for the country in years to come, but trekkers and mountaineers will begin receiving benefits of their own beginning this summer.
In all, 104 new mountain peaks have been removed from the restricted list, and opened up to climbers for the first time. Most fall in the Leh and Ladakh regions, along India’s border with both China and Pakistan. Because of their close proximity to the disputed Kashmir region, only ten previous mountaineering expeditions, primarily made up of Indian climbers, have made their way into the region. This means that the vast majority of those mountains have not yet been climbed. Climbers looking to claim a first ascent will find plenty of altitude to challenge them. Many of the peaks top out above 22,000 feet, including Saser Kangri I, II, and III, which stand 24,327 feet, 24,649 feet, and 24,590 feet respectively.
Backpackers will find plenty to love in this remote and stunningly beautiful region as well. High altitude passes and trails that have previously been off limits are now open to foreign travelers, including a route that leads to the village of Turtuk in the Nubra Valley. The village played a historically important role in the region in centuries past when caravans traveling the Silk Road passed through the high altitude settlement, ferrying goods from East to West.
This move by the Indian government comes following a recommendation from the Ministry of Defense. The region has been a source of conflict for years between India and Pakistan, but tensions have now eased in the area, and this will signal a return to normalcy. The influx of climbers, trekkers, and other adventure travelers is likely to help the local economy as well.
China isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind when adventure travelers are considering their next challenging, trek. But the country has plenty of remote, wild places that can offer backpackers an amazing hiking experience. Perhaps the best of those is a trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge, a deep canyon located along the Yangtze River in the southwest portion of the country.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is an excellent hike for independent trekkers looking to escape the hustle and bustle, not to mention the pollution, of China’s busy cities. Located about 40 miles north of Lijiang City in Yunnan Province, the trail first rose to prominence in the 1980’s, when western backpackers began to explore the area. At that time, there were actually two distinct routes, consisting of the easier and flatter “Low Trail” and the much more challenging and dangerous “High Road”. The Low Trail has recently been paved over and made into a highway and while it is still an option, the High Road is a far superior option.
That trail is a mere 15 miles in length and requires just two days to hike end to end, but it is a long and difficult trek thanks to the steep trails and dramatic changes in altitude. The mountains that flank the trail are both well over 16,000 feet in height, and the sheer cliff faces fall away sharply. More than 6500 feet below, the Yangtze River can be seen rushing by, making a thunderous noise as it passes. Scenic vistas dominate the region, giving you plenty to gawk at throughout the journey.
The first day of the trek generally takes hikers up more than 3000 feet, but rewards their efforts with a stay in a local tea house, which are found frequently along the route. The tea houses are great places to get food and drinks, while taking a break from the trail, and they offer cramped, but comfortable accommodations for the night when you’ve decided to put up your feet by the fire.
The second day of the trek is not any easier than the first, although the trail does turn down out of the mountains, eventually depositing hikers on the banks of the Yangtze, the very river they’ve been watching from above for the past two days. The narrow trail can be difficult to navigate at times, but the views are worth the effort, as you’ll find that the altitude isn’t the only thing that takes your breath away.
There are few reliable maps for the region, but fortunately the trail is well marked and easy to follow. You can choose to hike it with a guide, but it is also very easy to do independently as well. Simply hop a bus from Lijiang for about $4 and then pay the entrance fee to the Gorgel, which is about another $8. From there, you simply follow the designated route, going at your own pace, and choosing to stop at a tea house when ever you desire.
While not as long as some of the other major trekking trails in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge still has plenty to offer, and is an excellent escape from modern, metropolitan China, which can provide sensory overload at times. For a little peace and quite, and fresh air, add this trek to your itinerary, and you’ll get to experience a piece of rural China that few outsiders experience.
The Atacama Desert is a land of extremes. Located along Chile’s Pacific Coast, the 600 mile stretch of land is one of the driest places on the planet. It is so dry in fact, that much of the region has not seen rain of any kind in hundreds of years of recorded history. And the places that do see rain, average just 1 millimeter of precipitation per year.
This remote, seldom visited region, is found west of the Andes Mountains, and in recent years it has become a popular destination for adventure travelers who are drawn to the extreme conditions. The desert is located at high altitude, and there are very few permanent settlements there, which adds to the solitude of the setting. Some of the surrounding mountains actually reach above 20,000 feet, but because of the lack of moisture, they remain free of snow and glaciers.
The solitude and silence of the Atacama is exactly what impressed travel writer Sankha Guha, of the U.K.’s Independent, the most on a recent visit to the desert. While touring the Atacama, Guha found that it was a place that continually challenged your notions of what you know about it. For instance, upon arriving there, it immediately began to rain, which was completely unexpected in a place often described as the “driest desert on Earth.” But even more surprising to Guha was the silence found there, something that is compared to a sensory deprivation chamber, as the place is empty and still. There is little life to be found in this Atacama, but the writer did find plenty of beauty in the bold colors and rock formations that cover the area.
If you’re an adventurous traveler looking for an off the beaten path destination, then perhaps the Atacama should be on your list. If you do go, you’ll find a land of stark beauty and quiet calm, that will stay with you long after you have returned home.
