Destination on the edge: SEAL training

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Navy SEALS seem to have a phrase that functions as both “hello” and “goodbye”: kick ass! But, it’s not reserved solely for these purposes. This expression also works as a motivator, squeezing every last ounce of effort out of the recipient. And, at Extreme SEAL Experience, you’ll need it. Spend close to four weeks pushing your mind and body past every limit you’ve ever imagined, and you’ll finally understand the full definition of “kick ass!”

Extreme SEAL Experience is one of many military-themed vacation spots at which you can get an inside look at elite military training. This one is different, though. When the instructors at Extreme SEAL Experience send a letter of recommendation to the official Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) school, it makes a difference. Of course, it helps that the program’s teachers have combined special warfare experience of around a century. They can spot talent, and the U.S. Navy knows it.

Extreme SEAL Experience offers four programs, running from the sheer agony of the first day (a prerequisite for the other courses) to SEAL Advanced Operator Training, which includes fastroping, night operations and a frighteningly real field exercise. Each minute of each program is carefully scripted to inflict the most pressure possible … and push you to new levels of, um, “self-discovery.”

The first night, “Hell Night,” is mislabeled. It actually lasts more than 24 hours. For the vast majority of this effort, you will not be happy. There’s no other way to put it. Misery tops (and pervades) the agenda. But, you come out the other side with more confidence and a greater sense of what you can accomplish. Unlike the official version of BUD/S, Hell Night is not designed to hit an 80 percent attrition rate, but you won’t graduate without some pain.

Participants in Extreme SEAL Experience programs understand the intensity of the program (or think they do) before registration. Thus, most are in great shape and have the necessary “Type A” personalities. Youth is abundant, with most guests in their late teens or early twenties. In almost every course, there are a handful of people whose names are stenciled in red. This means they are using Extreme SEAL Experience as a way to test the waters before enlisting and applying for BUD/S. They receive the benefit of some extra attention along the way.

Prospective SEAL candidates are not the only attendees singled out, however. Anything that makes you different will catch an instructor’s eye. If you are the youngest or oldest in your class, you will not escape detection. Those with a bit of gray hair can expect to have the stress of leadership added to an already strenuous program. The “old folks” usually do well, motivating younger team members and adding a touch of maturity to the mix. Age is not a barrier at Extreme SEAL Experience, and it can be an advantage. The oldest graduate was 58, and he was hardcore.

The advanced courses delve into the tools of the special warfare trade. You’ll still push your body and sacrifice some sleep, but you’ll get to have some fun at the same time. Hand-to-hand combat, small unit operations (mostly at night) and live-fire weapons shooting add to your portfolio of skills as an elite recreational special warrior. If you complete all four courses, you will leave with a pretty good sense of what it takes to be a Navy SEAL.

I know what you’re thinking: there’s no way Extreme SEAL Experience can be as tough as the real thing. Duh. There’s no way it could be. The instructors would have to keep an ambulance on site 24 hours a day. Nonetheless, the team goes as far as it reasonably can, which you’ll see is pretty rough. If you can finish the Extreme SEAL Experience, you have a decent chance of surviving BUD/S, but there are no guarantees.

Some people do have a tough time with the program. In fact, it has led a few aspiring SEAL sot reconsider their plans before heading to see their local recruiters. Even if you change your life plans after only one night, the instructors will continue to motivate you. Usually, a decision to quit a session at the camp is averted by a pep talk from the cadre. The participant may not go on to BUD/S, but he can still call his time at Extreme SEAL Experience a success.

If you’re looking to punish your body with aggressive military-style training, you have choices. Shoot for the nastiest experience imaginable, and graduation will be most fulfilling. Extreme SEAL Experience will punish you – which is what you’re looking for. Spend a 27-hour night or a few weeks with these misfits, and you’ll know you’ve accomplished something.

[Photos thanks to Extreme SEAL Experience]

China’s Hidden Outdoor Wonderland

by Kraig Becker on

The Wall Street Journal published a really interesting story over the weekend about the Guangxi Autonomous Region in Southeast China, which is a gateway to a seldom visited paradise for outdoor enthusiasts looking to climb, mountain bike, or paddle their way through a remote area surrounded by stunning scenery.

The largest city in the area is Guilin, but for outside visitors coming to play, Yangshuo is the destination of choice. The small town is located on the Li River, which has carved a path through the sprawling limestone cliffs that dominate the horizon, and help to isolate the region from the majority of the tourist traffic.

Yangshuo has, in recent years, become a destination for backpackers coming to the area to whitewater raft on the Li or mountain bike in the near by mountains. The backpacker influence has meant that there are a number of cheap places to eat and sleep in the village, as well as guide and outfiter services looking to help visitors take advantage of the natural wonders at their disposal. The article offers tips for travelers planning on visiting Yangshuo, such as how to get there, and the best places to stay and eat after you’ve arrived.

For the most part, the Guangxi Region is still relatively unknown to outsiders, which makes it a wonderful opportunity for adventure travelers who want to get off the beaten path and enjoy outdoor activities in a quiet, undiscovered environment. Yanghuo is actively courting tourists though, so you may want to go before the word gets out.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of January 24-30

by Jamie Rhein on

When it comes to finding places to stay, this week has turned up several options from national parks to a person’s backyard.

  • For the budget conscious traveler, Alison offers a new idea in her post Out: couch. In: tent. Instead of looking for a couch for a sleeping arrangement, there’s another network where travelers can find a place to pitch a tent–like a person’s backyard. If staying in a stranger’s house seems unnerving, staying outside a person’s house may feel more comfortable.
  • Brenda has given us the dibs on the Hostel Trail in Latin America. After telling about her personal experience at a guest house in Popayán, Colombia, she presents tips about how you can find the same kind of deal–the type that leaves a person beaming, just like she’s beaming in the photo.
  • In Kraig’s post The World’s Best National Parks, follow the link to National Parks Traveler. Along with descriptions about the top 10 parks, you’ll find links to the parks themselves and places to stay if you go. For example, here’s the link to places to stay in Fiordland, New Zealand, number one on the list.
  • In Budget Travel: Detroit, an installment of our series on budget destinations, David Landsel, editor of the New York Post’s Travel section offers many suggestions for where to stay in Detroit. The Inn on Ferry Street sounds the most unique and interesting.
  • If you want to avoid the dirtiest hotels, one place to look is Trip Advisor’s 2009 Travelers’ Choice Awards.

And one more. If it’s late and you have no where to go, Annie suggests that you try 2itch.com, a site that will find places near you that are open.

Chinks Peak in Idaho gets a name change in time for Chinese New Year

by Jamie Rhein on

In the name of cultural sensitivity, Chinks Peak in the Pocatello Range in Idaho has a new name. It’s official name is now Chinese Peak.

The name change came after a long time effort to make this particular mountain reflect the important contributions that Chinese pioneers made in Idaho history. Chinks Peak was deemed racist.

In this report, one person on the panel expressed concern that this name change may lead to a flurry of other name changes because there are other mountain peaks and valleys with racist sounding names. He named “papoose” and “squaw” as examples. He also said that changing names sanitizes American history. On the other hand, there’s the argument that keeping the name perpetuates stereotypes and the idea that people who have a Chinese background are outsiders.

Why places are named what they are turns up details of history that offer unusual stories. Booger Mountain comes to mind. In the case of Chinese Peak, there are two accounts. One is that a Chinese person was found dead on the mountain. Another is that there was once a Chinese shanty town located on it. Regardless of the official name change, my hunch is that it will take awhile for the new name to roll naturally off people’s tongues. Old habits die hard. Maybe this will start a new name trend.

The mountains in the photo are the ones that are next to Pocatello. I have no idea if Chinese Mountain is in the distance. Click here for a recent photo taken from the top of the mountain.

A Travel Guide to Shangri-La

by Kraig Becker on

The mystical, mythical Shangri-La has held a special allure to travelers since the release of the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. In the book, the main character survives a plane crash in the Himalaya only to discover a hidden valley that is a paradise on Earth where the people live for hundreds of years without a care in the world. Since that time, many have searched for the possible location of Shangri-La, hoping to discover the place for themselves.

Now, author Michael Buckley has written a travel guide to the legendary place. The book, entitled Shangri-La: A Travel Guide To The Himalayan Dream, is an interesting mix of myth and reality, as it serves as a guidebook for such places as China, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, while still focusing on Shangri-La, a place that doesn’t really exisit at all. The book weaves in local legends, with tales of the yeti and sacred Himalayan peaks, while still providing practical information on Himalayan culture, the best treks in the region, places to visit, and more. There is even a field guide to the wildlife you’ll encounter there.

World Hum has recently conducted an interview with Buckley in which he talks about the challenges of writing a travel guide for a mythical place and why that myth has become such an indelible part of western culuture. He also touches on his own experiences in the Himalaya, where he has spent more than 20 years immersed in the culture and landscapes there.

Shangri-La is one of those unique legendary places that often inspires travel. The mere mention of the place conjures up visions of far off, snowy mountain kingdoms. And while it may not exisit as a real place on a map, the mere thought of it is enough to send us off looking for it none the less.