Franz Josef and Fox are the two primary glaciers located on the west coast of the South Island. Visitors who arrive on a rainy day won't really begin to see the beauty and extent of their coverage - both are among the fastest moving glaciers in the world and their footprint is constantly changing from year to year. Glaciers in Argentina and other parts of southern South America are similar to those in New Zealand in that these are the only places … [Read more...]
Cuzco, Peru – Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is visually one of the planet's most unique and inspirational sites. Combine its visual beauty with the intriguing story of a "lost city" high in the Andes being "discovered" centuries after it was abandoned has made this site obtain almost a mythical status. One can attempt to experience Machu Picchu through videos, photographs and glowing travel writing, but there is absolutely no substitute to visiting the site in person. … [Read more...]
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – The Climb
Mountain Madness guides its clients up Kilimanjaro on the Shira Plateau or the Fisher route. The route Dave chose had about 80 climbers from various companies. To put this into perspective the other side of the mountain (which included the other routes) had 2000 people attempting the summit. Usually the client/guide-porter-cooks ratio is about 4 to 1. This means that for 2000 clients there were 8000 guides, cooks and porters. In summary, there … [Read more...]
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – Route Itinerary
The following is a list of camps and descriptions that we stayed at while hiking up the Shira route. Base Camp is located at 6500 feet among lush vegetation. During certain times of the year elephants and herds of animals can be seen in this area. During clear days, there are stunning views of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Several small roads and trails are in this area - some of the trails lead up to small mountains from which there are … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France
Chamonix sits almost in the shadow of western Europe's tallest mountain, Mount Blanc at 15,780 feet in the far southeastern part of France. The town is nestled in the middle of a narrow valley surrounded on both sides by the towering peaks of the Alps. Chamonix is located at about only 3400 feet but it has the feel of being much higher because of the large mountains, glaciers, and snow fields that surround it. The Chamonix Valley stretches … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – History
During the Paleozoic Era another mountain range stood above what is now the current Mount Blanc. Over the years it eroded and eventually filled in with several seas. Marine sediments have been uncovered by present day geologists at high elevations. Then 40 million years ago a new mountain range formed due to a folding in the earth's crust in this part of the country. Mount Blanc took its present general shape about 15 million years ago as this … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Mer de Glace
Mer de Glace is well worth a visit for visitors of all ages. It is the second largest glacier in the Alps - approximately 9 miles long, almost a mile wide, and about 1200 feet in its deepest places. It moves more than 100 feet every year and is currently retreating. There are several ways to reach the glacier; for those who enjoy hiking, we highly recommend walking from the middle stop on the Aiguille du Midi. This hike works for those who … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Equipment Rental
Several companies and stores in Chamonix rent ice climbing, glacier climbing, mountain climbing and paragliding equipment. Most of the mountaineering stores in Chamonix are open in the morning till about noon and then close until mid/late afternoon and then open untill about 7 or 8pm. There are many stores in Chamonix that rent ski equipment. Expect to pay about 80-100 euro a day for ski rental equipment including the boots. Several sport … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Hiking
There are many excellent hiking trails in the Chamonix region ranging in difficulty from very easy to somewhat strenuous. Summer is an ideal time for viewing wildflowers with numerous varieties throughout the summer, depending on elevation. A few of the trails that I hiked or were recommended to me are listed below: Glacier de Bossons is well worth the trip from Chamonix for those in reasonable shape. The entire round trip hike takes about … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Other Attractions
The town of Chamonix offers plenty of shopping, relaxing or people watching. Chamonix reminds me of Whistler, British Columbia. It has the feel of being a high mountain village when in actuality it sits only approximately 3400 feet above sea level. Many local tourist shops sell stunning photographs of the surrounding mountains. These photographs are often only a few euros and are good presents for friends and family. However purchasing frames … [Read more...]
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