Patrick Woodhead and his team of explorers
reached the South Pole on Wednesday and became the first adventurers to retrace the steps of Norwegian pioneer
Roald Amundsen. They finished their epic trip in just 37 days. Really an amazing feat. Ballsy.
The team, consisting of three Brits and a Canadian (cold up here, eh?) are going to try to set a record for the
fastest crossing of all of Antarctica. You can read up on Woodhead’s other accomplishments at his site
here.
It’s hot. It’s flat. And there’s not a whole lot to do there, but
Death Valley, California has it’s share of adherents. Maybe it has
to do with the odd atmospheric pressures at 300 feet below sea level. Who knows. Whatever the case, many folks make the
trek to Death Valley to hang out, explore the desolate lake beds, stride the salt flats, and crawl around the dunes.
Right now is probably the best time to go since in summer Death Valley can reach 120 degrees, hot enough to fry an egg
(and perhaps even some sausages, yum!) on the hood of your car. Of course, if you’re completely insane, you can attend
or even participate in the Badwater Ultramarathon, an epic 135-mile race
from the lowlands of Death Valley to the snowy heights of Mt Whitney. Crazy!
There are few more inhospitable places on earth, which is probably why the poles make such an appealing
adventure destination. And of course some of the greatest stories ever told – Amundsen, Scott, Shackleton – were all
about going to these extreme places. But few people ever make the effort to get to the poles, north or south. But if
that is your dream – and I confess it is one of mine - then you might be interested in
this guide to getting there. From equipment, food (tip: “store
oil in tight canisters but remember that some oils (olive) freeze solid in cold whilst other (avocado) doesn’t.”) and
training to navigation and the inherent dangers of making such a trip, the site offers a good deal of real and useful
information about traveling to the poles.
Now’s a good time to start planning that late springtime trip. And
here’s a recommendation that should satisfy the most
discerning adventure traveler: hike to Everest Base Camp. Yes, you fall short of summiting Everest itself, but with
those $20,000 per person peak fees, who can afford it? Besides, are you really in that good shape? Anyway, the trip I’m
recommending here is run by Mountain Sobek, one of the pioneers of adventure
travel. Here’s a brief description:
You’ll first visit delightful Sherpa villages, where you’ll meet the friendly people and soak up the colors, sights,
and sounds of village life as well as the spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism so prevalent in the Himalaya. Then you’ll
head to the rocky heights of Kala Patar (18,192′), where you’ll set your eyes on the awesome face of Everest, The Big
One, and trek to Everest Base Camp, with its views of 50-foot-tall seracs.
A bit pricey (about $3500 per person), but a definite once in a lifetime experience.
Everyone knows Mumbai (once Bombay), Calcutta, Delhi and the
other big cities, big places in India. But there are scores of lesser-known towns and villages throughout the country
that are fascinating and often devoid of tourists. Gordon Janow has made a specialty of exploring the more remote
corners of the Indian sub-continent, often to places few Westerners have ever been, and in
this article he ventures
to Nagaland. Located in the northeast corner of India, Nagaland is bordered by Burma (the regime now calls itself
Myanmar) and the Indian states of Arunchal Pradesh and Assam.