The world’s most dangerous destinations (according to the Los Angeles Times)

by Kraig Becker on

The Los Angeles Times recently compiled a list of their picks for the world’s most dangerous places, with some popular tourist destinations earning amongst their ranks. Unlike other lists of this kind however, they automatically omitted places like Baghdad or Afghanistan, which are not travel friendly to begin with. Instead, this list points out the the very real dangers that a tourist might face while visiting one of these places.

For example, Gansbaai, South Africa earns a spot amongst the world’s most dangerous destinations because of the shark infested waters that surround the city. The region has an abundance of seals and penguins, which attract hordes of great white sharks, making it a popular place for visitors who want to see those predators up close. Thrill seekers can take a dip in those dangerous waters inside a shark cage, while most will look on from the safety of their boat.

Other dangerous destinations include Mt. Everest in Nepal for the extreme conditions and high altitude. The entire country of Australia gets the nod thanks to all the dangerous snakes and spiders that live there, and Memphis, Tennessee is a surprise entry for its proclivity for earthquakes. The city sits on a major fault line that could make it a major disaster waiting to happen.

There are a number of other popular destinations on the list, each with a unique threat to those that visit there. The list is a good reminder that we don’t have to visit a war torn nation to face real dangers on our next trip.

It’s summit day on Everest!

by Kraig Becker on

Over the past week or so, climbers on the South Side of Mt. Everest have been working their way into position to take advantage of a possible weather window which would give commercial teams the first shot at the summit this year. For most of that week, high winds, sometimes in excess of 100 mph, have buffeted the upper slopes of the mountain, and there were conflicting reports as to whether or not those winds would die down. But yesterday, the skies cleared, the winds dissipated, and the window opened, giving way to the first major summit push of the season.

For the climbers, this will be the final leg of a two month long journey to the summit, a journey that begins with a ten-day trek to base camp itself. The weeks that follow are spent acclimatizing on the mountain. As the teams go higher up the face, they establish camps and stash their gear and supplies for later. But they are also training their bodies to work at high altitude, while slowly getting ready for the opportunity to stand on the summit, the highest point on Earth.

This weather window is expected to be a short one, and close fairly rapidly, but the climbers who moved up the mountain hoping for this opportunity have been rewarded, and it seems that they’ll have plenty of time to reach the top, and get back down safely. Other large commercial teams elected to pass on this attempt, looking ahead to another potential window forecast for early next week. That window should be longer and safer for their clients.

Meanwhile, on the North Side of the mountain, which falls in Tibet, the climbers have had to be much more patient. Bad weather had prevented the necessary fixed lines from being put into place until this weekend, when a large Chinese team completed that work. With the ropes in place, the way to the summit is now open, and climbers, such as 13-year old Jordan Romero, will soon be making their attempts as well.

The summit of Everest is not the finish line for these men and women. Getting back down the mountain is quite dangerous as well. For most of them, this is not just the culmination of two months of hard work, but also years of training and preparation as well. Perhaps even more importantly, it is the achievement of a dream

Outside in Aspen delivers outdoor fun June 11-13

by Gadling Staff on

Outside magazine and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) have announced the first annual Outside in Aspen adventure weekend set to take place in Aspen, Colorado June 11-13. The three day event will be filled with hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities, with a host of professional adventure athletes, such as Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and mountaineer/photographer Jake Norton, on hand to take part in the fun.

The festivities get underway on Friday night with a welcome party at the Sky Hotel which will be used t for the Leave No Trace organization. Then, on Saturday the Base Camp will open, which will serve as the adventure headquarters for the weekend’s activities. Visitors will gather at BC to meet up with guides who will take them rock climbing, trail running, cycling, fly fishing, and much more. Then, following a full day of active outdoor pursuits, it’ll be time to head over to a pool party at the Hotel Jerome. An after party at the Belly Up Aspen, will round out the evening.

On Sunday, it’s back to Base Camp for another full day of outdoor fun. The weekend will be capped by a panel discussion moderated by Outside editors, with adventure athletes fielding questions from the crowd and discussing issues in the adventure community. Lunch will be served following the panel discussion, with a gear give away soon there after.

In order to make Outside in Aspen as affordable and accessible as possible, special packages are being offered through Stay Aspen Snowmass, where you can get two-night lodge packages starting at $99. Additionally, the Outside in Aspen Activity Package is available for $250 and includes entrance to the welcome party, half day outdoor activities on both Saturday and Sunday, access to Base Camp festivities throughout the weekend, and entrance to Saturday’s Pool Party as well. The package also includes admission to the adventure athlete panel discussion on Sunday, and includes lunch after that event too.

For a great weekend of outdoor fun and adventure, plan on being in Aspen on June 11-13. It is sure to be a great time. Register here.

First summits of the year on Everest

by Kraig Becker on

The first summits of the spring season on Everest took place two days ago when a group of Sherpas completed fixing ropes to the summit of the world’s tallest mountain. In all, nine Sherpas, from three different commercial climbing teams, stood on the peak at an altitude of 29,029 feet. With their work complete, the door is now open for other climbers to soon follow.

The nine Sherpas were working cooperatively on the South Side of Everest to place the all important ropes for their paying clients, who will begin making their way up the mountain sometime next week. The team consisted of three Sherpas from each of the three largest mountain guide companies operating on Everest, Himalayan Experience, Alpine Ascents, and International Mountain Guides, who joined forces to ensure a safe climbing environment for all the teams.

For their part, the climbers on the Nepali side of the mountain are finishing up their acclimatization process and are preparing to make their summit bids. Early indications are that those bids will begin next Thursday, on May 13th, weather permitting. After years of planning and weeks of preparation, the finish line is in sight, for these mountaineers, many of whom have payed upwards of $50,000 for the chance to stand at the top of the world.

The story is a bit different on the North Side of the mountain, which falls in Tibet. Bad weather on that side of the mountain has prevented the Sherpas from fixing the ropes, so for now, there is no access to the summit. The climbers approaching the summit from the north, including 13-year old Jordan Romero, must be patient and wait for now. Once the weather clears however, there is sure to be a rush to the summit on that side of the mountain as well.

Sherpas prepare to clean up Everest

by Kraig Becker on

With the spring climbing season on Mt. Everest in full swing, a special team of 20 Sherpas from Nepal is preparing to mount an expedition of their own. But rather than going to the summit, as most of the other climbers on the mountain are preparing to do, this team hopes to scour the peak, collecting tons of trash and other items from expeditions long past. They even hope to collect the bodies of dead climbers who have been left behind, and them down the mountain at last.

The team, which is led by Namgyal Sherpa, plans to focus on a portion of the mountain above 8000 meters, or 26,242 feet, which is commonly referred to as “The Death Zone.” This section of the mountain is especially dangerous because of the high altitude and extremely thin air, but surprisingly enough, there is still plenty of garbage to be removed, including spent air cylinders, old tents, fuel canisters, ropes, and more.

Namgyal, a seven time Everest summitteer himself, says that the plan is for the team to stay on the South Col for up to a week at a time, making multiple trips into the Death Zone and bringing down as much garbage as they can carry. They expect to collect as much as 6500 pounds of trash in this manner before proceeding down to Base Camp, where they’ll rest up in preparation for another climb. All told, they plan to make three such week-long clean-up missions before the monsoon arrives in early June, marking an end to the climbing season.

While conducting their clean-up duties, the Sherpas intend to bring down several bodies of dead climbers, including those of two rather high profile mountaineers. Namgyal says that they will be removing the body of American mountain guide Scott Fischer, who died on the mountain back in 1996. He also suspects that they’ll find the body of Rob Hall, a Kiwi guide who perished that same year. Fisher and Hall’s stories were made famous with the general public thanks to the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, which told the tale of that tragic day on Everest during which eight people lost their lives. The removal of Fisher and Hall’s bodies will close out a long and painful chapter in Everest history.

In recent years, the Nepali government has enforced strict rules on the climbers requiring them to carry all of their trash off of the mountain when they depart for home. Moving forward, that bodes well for the future of Everest, and thanks to the efforts of these dedicated Sherpa, a lot of old trash is being removed to clean up the mountain for future climbers as well.