The Sierra Nevada Mountain range can be treacherous for hikers hoping to cross in early summer, when freezing temperatures and deep snow still linger. In this video, we bundle up, grab our ice axes, and brave the steep slopes of the Sierras. We find that melting snow, buried trail, and rushing rivers add a thrilling dimension to the breathtaking beauty of this mountain wilderness.
Bowermaster’s Adventures: Antarctica by pickup truck?
Given my longstanding affection for all-things Antarctica — especially its exploration and a desire to educate as many people as possible about the remote seventh continent – a couple end-of-the-year stories have given me pause.
Motorized vehicles are not brand new to the bottom of the globe. Robert Falcon Scott took turn-of-the-century pickup trucks on his 1911 attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole, which killed him; the trucks froze-up within days. But this summer season two teams have for a first time driven cross-continent.
(I’m admittedly biased towards more old-school efforts. In the past couple decades I’ve witnessed some of the great crossings of Antarctica, going back to the 1989-1990 dogsled adventure, the Transantarctica Expedition, which took a team of six men and 36 dogs 3,741 miles from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula to the South Pole and then to the Russian base at Mirnyy. I was also there when Reinhold Messner and Arvid Fuchs (1989-90) and Borges Ousland (1996-97) pulled off crossings on foot.)
This year, between November 10 and December 5, a team from the Indian National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research drove four Toyota pick-ups on a 2,800-mile roundtrip from the coast to the South Pole and back.
A press release said that along the way they stopped long enough to “study snow chemistry, the glacial landscapes and the bedrock hidden beneath the ice.”
During the same time the fastest crossing of the continent was also recorded, by the Moon Regan Transantarctic Expedition, which took just 303 hours to cross Antarctica at one of its narrowest points, 1,200 miles (for comparison, Messner, Fuchs and Ousland each skied closer to 1,500 miles in their crossings).
A bio-fueled contraption on skis led this adventure , which was trailed by a pair of six-wheeled trucks carrying replacement drivers and gear.
Its press release said that by proving that a bio-fueled car could function in temperatures that dropped to -65 degrees it would “encourage other Antarctic explorers to reduce their environmental impact.”
Hmmmm. Driving a trio of fossil-fuel burning cars across the most pristine place on the planet as example of reducing environmental impact?
One way to experience Antarctica without leaving behind any footsteps – or fumes – has also been made possible by Australia’s Sea World, which this week opened its own “Penguin Encounter” exhibit, stocked with a half-dozen king penguins and six gentoos imported from New Zealand.
The display requires three tons of snow be made everyday in order to replicate Antarctic conditions and has a lighting system designed to imitate the southern continent’s 20 hours of light during the summer and six hours during the long winter.
“Sea World is very much about conservation and these penguins are ambassadors
for climate change and conservation of that Antarctic and sub-Antarctic environment,” said the park’s director of marine services, acknowledging the reality that as the ice along the Antarctic Peninsula continues to disappear – in large part due to fossil fuel burning in the rest of the world, from things like driving cars, making fake snow and burning electric lights – penguins continue to serve as global warming’s canaries in the coal mine.
49 of 50 U.S. states have snow
With ferocious blizzards pounding the East Coast, and a number of other storms blowing across the western U.S. and plains states, the country now has the presence of snow in 49 of the 50 states. An arctic blast rolled across the country earlier this week, sending temperatures falling in southern states that normally are spared winter’s wraith. Only Florida remains free of snow at the moment.
Despite the fact that snow was found in all 50 states last February, it is a rare occurrence to have so many places in the U.S. have snow on the ground at the same time. According to CNN, meteorologists estimate that approximately 69.4% of the lower U.S. states are currently buried under some amount of snow. Alaska of course has snow all year round and it is not uncommon for Hawaii’s Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea mountains to have snow throughout the winter either.
The news didn’t improve as the week has gone along. A Midwest storm combined with the one that hit Atlanta a few days back, and created the massive blizzard that dumped plenty of the white stuff on the New England states yesterday. Many residents in the Northeast are still digging out from 10+ inches of snow, and travelers have been left stranded throughout the country as well.
Here in Texas, where I live, we’re suppose to hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit by the weekend. But for those of you living in less warm conditions, keep your chin up. We still have several months of winter to go, and we’re probably not through the worst of it yet. Perhaps now would be a good time to take up snowshoeing or skiing?
Archaeologists discover world’s oldest wine press in Armenia
Archaeologists in Armenia have discovered what they believe to be the world’s oldest wine press. The press is inside a cave, where they found the remains of grape seeds, pressed grapes, and vines of Vitis vinifera vinifera, the same type of grape still used in winemaking today. The site is dated at 4,000 BC, about 900 years older than the previous record holder–wine from the tomb of King Scorpion I, a ruler of Upper Egypt before that country became unified.
This isn’t the first time Armenia has broken an archaeological record. Last summer archaeologists found the world’s oldest leather shoe in the same region. These discoveries are hardly surprising. Armenia is an ancient land with a rich history. It had a complex prehistoric culture that culminated in the Kingdom of Urartu in the 9th century BC. Urartu was one of the greatest ancient civilizations of the Near East.
Armenia suffered from its position between several empires, and while it was often independent it also changed hands between the Romans, Persians, Byzantines, and other powers all the way down to the Soviet Union. Now it’s an independent nation again. It also has the distinction of being the world’s oldest Christian nation, having converted in the early 4th century AD.
During all this time they never stopped making wine. They were one of the main wine producers in the Soviet Union and have since started exporting their wine worldwide. Armenian wine even spread to Africa. During the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during World War One, some Armenians fled to Ethiopia, where they cultivated vineyards. Many Armenian reds are very sweet and rich, and Ethiopian wine has a similar quality.
All of these past cultures and the Armenians’ own rich heritage has created an interesting destination for adventure travelers. Sadly I’ve never been there, but it’s been on my shortlist for years. Poring over maps and books, it’s easy to see that I’d need to spend a lot of time. The mountains offer remote trekking, there are medieval buildings to explore such as the Saghmosavank monastery pictured below, and there are even wine-tasting tours. People who have been there tell me it’s still pretty cheap, making it an attractive budget travel destination.
Maybe 2011 will be the year for me to finally get there?
[Wine photo courtesy Arthur Chapman. Saghmosavank photo courtesy Olivier Jaulent]
Five easy ways be a philanthropic traveler
Voluntourism is the newest warm fuzzy of the travel industry. Under ideal circumstances, it’s a sustainable, experiential way to see the world and give back at the same time. Whether you’re helping to build a new school or clearing a trail, a working holiday is, for some, the best possible expenditure of disposable income.
But there’s the rub. Along with multitudinous other factors that make voluntourism a dicey concept, it doesn’t come cheap. Some organized volunteer holidays cost as much as a luxury vacation or adventure trip of the same length. That’s great if you can afford both the time and expense, but many of us don’t have that option.
The good news? You can still be a philanthropic traveler regardless of your income, physical ability, educational background, or destination. Below, five easy ways to make a difference on every trip.
1. Donate.
Clothing, shoes, school supplies, basic medical supplies (Neosporin, aspirin, antidiarrheals, bandages), food (fresh fruit and dry goods such as rice, flour, or beans are often good choices, depending upon where you’re traveling; avoid processed foods and candy).
In regard to donations, I’ve found it’s best to do a bit of research beforehand (even if it just involves talking to some fellow travelers or travel operators in the region, or locals). You don’t want to inadvertently cause offense or shame by giving freebies; on the other hand, don’t be put off if you’re asked to help if you can. Some reputable outfitters may request that clients donate any unwanted items of clothing at the trip’s end. These items significantly help local communities (especially children) or the families of contracted staff such as porters or cooks. Donating gently used clothing and shoes is also a greener way to travel.
[Photo credit: Flickr user Visions Service Adventures]Ask–tour operators, guides, community leaders–before donating medical items, even if they’re OTC; ditto food. Guidebooks, travel articles, and local travel literature often note what items are in short supply in specific destinations.
For example, when I did a farmstay on a remote island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, my guidebook suggested I bring fresh fruit for my host family, as residents could only purchase it on the mainland. The farm patriarch also let me know at the end of my visit that any clothing donations for his children would be greatly appreciated. Depending upon your cultural and/or economic background, such a request may appear brazen or appallingly rude. Coming from a humble man whose entire family had welcomed me into their single-room home, fed me, and treated me as one of their own (rather than just a fast source of income), it was a request I was only too happy to honor.
2.Volunteer…for free
Voluntourism is something you can do yourself, assuming you ask permission when appropriate, and act in accordance with local and cultural mores (Behave Yourself! The Essential Guide to International Etiquette is an entertaining and informative book I recommend for all travelers). Whether you pick up trash on a beach, offer to work reception at a locally-owned backpacker’s for a few hours or days, or teach useful foreign language phrases to children, you’re giving back to that community.
I realize how colonialist this may sound, but the fact is, English speakers are in great demand worldwide. Even in the most impoverished countries or regions, locals who speak English (or French, Italian, German, etc.), no matter how rudimentary, can find employment or offer their services as guides, taxi drivers, hostel employees, or translators. Fluency in a foreign language(s) gives them an advantage in a competitive market. Think about it. It’s never a bad thing to learn a language other than your own, no matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you make.
3. Buy local handicrafts and food
Just like shopping your farmers market back home, buying local supports a local economy, and usually eliminates the need for a middle-man. A bonus: many specific destinations all over the world are famed for their food, textiles, woodcarving, pottery, etc.. Every time I look at certain items in my home–no matter how inexpensive they may be—I’m reminded of the adventures and experiences that led to their purchase.
4. Immerse yourself
You don’t need to “go native,” but the best travel experiences usually entail a certain amount of surrender to a place or culture. Learn a few key phrases in the local language or dialect; treat the people–even if they’re urbanites in an industrialized nation–with respect and observe their rules or customs when appropriate; be a gracious traveler or guest. Your actions may not provide monetary or physical relief, but giving back isn’t always about what’s tangible.
5. Reduce your footprint.
It’s impossible not to have a carbon footprint, and as recreational travelers, that impact increases exponentially. But there’s no need to eradicate “frivolous” travel; indeed, experiencing other cultures and sharing our own helps foster tolerance and empathy. Rather, we should be mindful travelers, and do our best to conserve natural resources and preserve the integrity of the places we visit. Just as with camping, leave a place better than you found it. Even if the locals aren’t putting these philosophies into practice, there’s no reason you can’t.
[Photo credits: schoolchildren, Flickr user A.K.M.Ali hossain;vendor, Laurel Miller]