Tashi Delek from Lhasa, The Holy City, at the heart of the Rooftop of the World! A wild & wacky week of travel covering maybe 2000 miles, countless mountain passes, and some of the planet's most beautiful terrain brought me here over a week ago. My route to Lhasa took me from the NW reaches of Yunnan north thru areas which are officially closed to foreigners by the oppressive Communist imperialists which have occupied Tibet for the past 53 … [Read more...]
Mountain Zone – May 2000
Mountain Zone - was one of the earlier mountaineering sites on the internet - having been founded back in 1996 (the same year this site was started). For a number of years they covered and sponsored a number of major expeditions and covered major mountaineering news including the discovery of George Mallory's body on Mt. Everest and the Everest climbing disaster of 1996. Mt. Everest was on the front page of this site a lot back in their early … [Read more...]
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
In every inspiring natural creation there is a realism that speaks to you. In every moment on a mountain you find it more and more. You discover yourself in ways not possible through other means. This stays with you and guides you for the rest of your life. May everyone have this chance at least once. ~ Dave This guide is a review of a climb by Dave of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. This article focuses solely on the climb with little other … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Groveland
Groveland is a town of about 3,000 people located on Highway 120 about 20 miles from the Yosemite Park entrance. There are several small restaurants, hotels and one hostel in this town. The center of town basically consists of the narrow Main Street with historic buildings located on both sides. Because of its small size, one can easily park and spend some time strolling the picturesque Main Street. The Iron Door saloon (one of California's … [Read more...]
Gold Country, CA – Restaurants
The following is a list of restaurants for all southern central California gold mining towns covered in this guide. Prices are subject to change without notice. All Phone Numbers unless otherwise noted are in the 209 area code. ANGELS CAMP Cruscos Ristorante serves quality Italian cuisine in the heart of Angel's Camp. Parking (if found) is in front of the restaurant on the street or in a nearby parking lot. … [Read more...]
Nepal
The format of this guide differs slightly from the others. This guide is partly a journal of the author's experience in Nepal. Highlights covered in this guide include the capital city of Katmandu, Royal Chitwan National Park, and a hike to near Everest Base Camp, on a 18,200 foot mountain called Kala Patar. Nepal is a country that I will never forget. It is the land of the rising mountains, mountains that rise so high, you can not imagine … [Read more...]
Nepal – Helicopter Flight
From Katmandu we took an old Russian military helicopter to our base hiking elevation of 9000 feet, in a small town called Lucla. I am glad that we took a helicopter because the runway in this town begins on the edge of a steep cliff, with nothing but hundreds of feet of air between you and the bottom of the ravine. At the time of our trip this runway as gravel at best (since paved) and is situated on a fairly steep slope. The runway is steep … [Read more...]
Nepal – World’s 8000 Meter Peaks
Nepal – Altitude
The heights in Nepal are not to be taken lightly. The high altitude can definitely be a problem for many people. Everyone adjusts differently to the altitude as I found out on our hike. Studies have estimated that 30 to 40 percent of all hikers on the Everest trail will develop some sort of altitude sickness. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the most common form of altitude sickness. Out of the 16 people on our trek, I would say that only 3 or 4 … [Read more...]
Nepal – Lucla
The town of Lucla is where most people fly to in order to start their hike or trek. The elevation here is about 9,100 feet and it is better to fly here, then to Namche Bazaar which is situated at 11,700 feet. I say this because it is easier to acclimate yourself to lower elevation. This town is fairly large compared to the rest of the towns scattered along the trail on the way to Everest Base Camp. Don't expect any luxury in any of these … [Read more...]