Celebrity Kilimanjaro climb documentary comes to MTV

by Kraig Becker on

Back in January we told you about a group of celebrities who were climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the growing global clean drinking water crisis. The expedition was dubbed the Summit on the Summit, and it included musicians Kenna and Lupe Fiasco, as well as actors Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, and Isabel Lucas, amongst others. The team was quite successful in their efforts, with everyone reaching the top of the 19,340-foot mountain, the tallest in Africa.

The entire expedition was captured on film, and has now been edited down to a 90 minute television program that will air tomorrow night on MTV. Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro is scheduled to begin at 9 PM Eastern/8 PM Central. The show will follow the team from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top, and should prove to be interesting viewing for anyone who is considering making the trek themselves.

For a preview of the show, check out the trailer below, then set your DVR’s accordingly.

Machu Picchu reopens April 1st

by Kraig Becker on

The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martin Pérez, has announced that popular tourist destination Machu Picchu will reopen to visitors starting April 1st, marking a return to normalcy for the 15th century Inca fortress that is the focal point Peru’s travel industry.

The UNESCO World Heritage site has been closed for nearly two months following torrential rainfall that caused severe flooding back in January. Those floods caused the famous railway to Machu Picchu to washout, stranding thousands of tourists at the site for several days. Since that time, crews have been working hard to restore access, removing major landslides from the tracks, and rebuilding sections that were completely destroyed.

With more than 800,000 visitors per year, Machu Picchu is easily Peru’s top tourist destination. It is estimated that nearly $400 million has been lost due to the closure of the site, and with more than 15,000 Peruvians earning their living, either directly or indirectly, from Machu Picchu, the impact on Peru’s economy has been nothing short of catastrophic. The news of the re-opening offers a ray of hope to those workers.

The over-emphasis of Machu Picchu by the tourism industry in Peru has become a cause for concern amongst officials there. Over the past two months, new plans have been put forth to promote some of the other archeological sites in the area, including Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay, amongst others. Tourism experts hope that by encouraging travelers to visit these other locations, it will take some of the focus off of Machu Picchu, and diversify the industry to an extent.

Whether or not travelers can be convinced to visit these other sites remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, both the visitors and the locals alike will be happy to see Machu Picchu open once again.
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Mr. President goes to Yellowstone

by Kraig Becker on

As America’s first national park, Yellowstone has always held a special place in the public’s imagination. Not only is it home to an array of wildlife, such as bison, elk, and grizzly bears, it also happens to hold the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful.

Spread out across Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, the park has always been a popular destination for U.S. Presidents, with Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, FDR, Jimmy Carter, and many others all spending time there. In the summer of 2009, President Obama upheld that long standing tradition by taking his family to the iconic park, a place he had visited as a child.

Yesterday, the park service released a never-before-seen video of the first family on their vacation, and while not all of us arrive on Air Force One, their experience in Yellowstone is not unlike the family vacations that we all grew up with. Check out the nearly 12-minute long video below for a good historical look at the park, as well as plenty of shots of its amazing scenery found there.

I guess when you’re the leader of the free world, this is what your vacation videos look like.

Floods in Kenya disrupt safari industry

by Kraig Becker on

Last week, flash floods swept through the Samburu National Park in northern Kenya, sending travelers scrambling for high ground, while campsites, 4×4 vehicles, and even bridges were swept away in just moments. The same area was afflicted by a major drought just last fall, which also disrupted travel through the region, but now it faces an entirely different problem, that could have even longer lasting effects.

According to the BBC, more than 17 tourists on safari had to be evacuated by helicopter following the flash floods, which also took out a local elephant research station. Most of the travelers were from the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, and some of them were forced to scramble up trees to avoid the rush of water that resulted when torrential rainfall caused the Ewaso Nyiro River to swell out of its banks.

Tourism is an important part of the Kenyan economy, and the classic safari is at the center of that trade. The Samburu National Park is one of the top safari destinations in the entire country, and many visitors flock to the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro as well. Many of the traditional big game animals are plentiful there, with elephants, zebras, hippos, and giraffes all in abundance.

While the waters have already begun to recede, the washed out bridges will need to be replaced before normal travel in the area can be restored. There is no time frame as to when that will happen, but visitors are still getting the opportunity to visit the park, although alternate routes are necessary for the time being.

Maine ski resort to charge for backcountry rescues

by Kraig Becker on

Sugarloaf Mountain, a popular ski resort located in Maine, has had enough of skiers and snowboarders going out of bounds and then requiring a rescue. In fact, they’re so fed up, that following two recent incidences, they have decided to charge the snowboarders who were rescued for the expenses incurred during the operation.

The two incidences in question took place on Friday, February 26th and the following Monday, March 1st. In both cases, snowboarders elected to ignore warning signs and fence lines, to leave Sugarloaf property and move onto privately held lands. When they became lost, search parties needed to be organized, with volunteer firefighters and Sugarloaf search and rescue teams going into action.

The first rescue involved five snowboarders, and cost a total of $2300 spread out between the local fire department and the resort. At $460 each, these boarders are getting off on the cheap side however, as the second rescue operation required the extraction of four out-of-bounds offenders, and extended to 15 hours in length. As a result, the tab came to just over $8350 or $2087.50 each. That makes for an expensive day out on the slopes.

All told, about 500 man hours were spent on the search and rescue operations, which convinced both Sugarloaf, and the Carrabassett Valley Fire Department, that they would send the bill to the people that were rescued. They argued that the snowboarders made a conscious choice to go out of bounds, and as a result, they would have to be held responsible for their own actions. Perhaps a big fat bill in the mail will help convince them to stay on the proper slopes next time.