A VC in South Africa

by Erik Olsen on

Man, I have ALWAYS wanted to go to South Africa. Cape Town, I’ve been told, is one of the
most glorious places on the planet. Killer surfing, great hiking and mountain biking…it’s an outdoorsman’s
paradise.

So I am simmering with envy that venture capitalist Fred Wilson has been
cruising around the country and posting on his travels. He’s been hitting the
wineries (South African reds are said to be some
of the best in the world) and historical spots like
Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was held. Great
stuff…especially since it is snowing hard outside my window right now, rain is pelting the West Coast, and I’ll be the
weather in Cape Town is amazing.

New Years Idea: Be the First to See 2005

by Erik Olsen on

Hello 2005! Be the first person in the whole wide country to see
the sun and welcome 2005. Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National
Park is the highest mountain on the eastern seaboard, and as a result receives the very first delicious rays of light
from each new day. You can hike it, or drive it. It’s long been a popular thing to head to Cadillac Mountain, but due
to the guaranteed chill (great for keeping that bottle of Dom Perignon chilled),
crowds usually aren’t that bad.

Go Hike the Canyon

by Erik Olsen on

Watch the geological progress of time written in the layers of
sediment at the Grand Canyon … OK, don’t do that. That would be really boring.
Instead, take a gnarly trek through the gaping rift of the canyon, burning calories and checking out the gorgeous
scenery. And you get to learn a little bit along the way. The
Grand Canyon Field Institute offers guided treks into the
canyon led by a professional geologist.

The trips are five days long and said to be fairly rigorous, so flabsters need not apply unless you get your butt
into shape first. The days are filled with education and hiking, the nights campfires and friendly chat at Hermit
Creek, Monument Creek and Indian Garden campgrounds. Do the trip early in the year, though, becaues summer at the
canyon can be brutal.

Uphilling Quite the Workout

by Nino Marchetti on

There’s a growing trend at ski resorts which is providing a great workout. A new form
of skiing or snowboarding? Nope. Uphilling, Red Nova
reports, involves ditching the ski lift and instead hiking up the slope to the start of the run wearing gear
ranging from snowshoes to skis with climbing skins. People typically then ski or walk down. Trainers in particular are
recommending this to athletes as a great way to get the cardio going and give those leg muscles something to scream
about. There’s even a growing number of races targeted towards the uphiller set.

Martin’s Travels

by Erik Olsen on

The traveler’s Web diary has become a common site on the Internet with entire
sites now dedicated to letting people chronicle their globe-trotting adventures. Some sites suck, some sites are
great. Here’s is one of the latter. While Martin Wierzbicki’s trip around the world has ended,
his site remains, and that is a good thing for the rest of us because it
is fantastic. It looks like Martin covered just about every continent known to man, short of Antarctica, and his photos
show an aptitude with the camera that is rarely seen in tourist photos. He’s also not a half bad writer. Take a click
cruise through Martin’s site if you have a chance.