Among those who come to Africa to join a safari, the holy grail of animal tracking is the so called 'Big Five'. Originally coined by the big game hunters of days long past, it comprises the lion, African elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, and the Cape buffalo. Supposedly these were not necessarily the biggest animals, but the most difficult to hunt. Now, my brother Abdul and I were definitely not out to hunt these animals. We just wanted to see them … [Read more...]
Africa Adventure
Our tour through Southern Africa began in Zambia and on arrival into Livingstone we were transferred to our accommodation on the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles upstream from the Victoria Falls. Arriving in plenty of time before the tour began I made the most of the opportunities available in the area - this being one of Africa's adventure capitals offering a range of activities, from bungy jumping to sunset cruising. Our first day was … [Read more...]
Falling for Africa
"Only two of us have had malaria so far," said Heidi as I joined the group of seasoned overlanders in their fifth week on a truck safari from Nairobi to Cape Town. "Weren't you taking malaria stuff?" I asked naively. "Yeah, but it doesn't always work," was her heart-stopping response. I added 'contracting permanently-relapsing malaria' to my list of African hazards to watch out for - something I thought I'd taken care of with a quick trip to … [Read more...]
Planning Your First South America Vacation
South America presents a beautiful world with a wide range of unique landscapes. Choosing a place to visit is quite difficult with highlights like Machu Picchu, the Perito Moreno Glacier, regions like Patagonia, Pantanal and Amazon and cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. This article is written to serve as an introduction to some of the best places to visit in South America and how to combine the best highlights in one trip. Each … [Read more...]
AFS Peaks of Patagonia & Chilean Vineyards
Dramatic landscapes provided us a continual Kodak moment throughout. It is late spring in the region and the weather was cooperative with a lot of sunshine. This however is a land where the unexpected is the norm, so we came prepared for occasional wind and rain. After a rest at the lovely Hotel Neruda and a city tour in Santiago, we flew south to Punta Arenas. There we transferred 2 hours by coach to Puerto Natales at the Patagonia steppe. We … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA
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 Mt. Rainier is the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest and the 700 mile long Cascade range spanning from Mt. Lassen in the south, all … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Pre-Climb
Rainier as seen from start of trail on the way to Camp Muir, and Bergshrund above Ingraham Flats A note regarding the National Park Service links listed on this page. The National Park Service is the most unorganized department for constantly changing links and NOT updating old URL's to point to their new URL's. We like to point our users directly to the correct information and this is a nightmare to keep updated across the articles posted on … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Equipment List
The following are important items that you will want to take to Mt. Rainier if you are planning to climb to the summit via the standard Disappointment Cleaver router. Also, there may be additional items you will want to bring not listed here. This list assumes 2-3 days on the mountain and it assumes you will experience below freezing temperatures and strong winds. For reference, Dave's climb was in late June. Other routes may require more … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – The Climb
Introduction We stayed one night at Camp Muir, then crossed the Cowlitz Glacier to Cathedral Gap (10,640 ft) and continued along the rock and scree ridge to Ingraham Glacier and Ingraham Flats at 11,100 ft. We spent the rest of the day here, caught some Z's until just past midnight - then left for the summit, reached the top and returned to Ingraham Flats. At this point due to exhaustion we caught some more Z's and then packed up the tent and … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Accomodation
Most of the accommodation closest to Mt. Rainier is in the very small town of Ashford located just outside of the National Park entrance. Ashford is considered the "gateway to Rainier". In addition to the properties mentioned below, additional information is available about regional accommodation on this informative guide here: www.stayinwashington.com The following are select hotels and motels in Ashford. Almost Paradise offers private … [Read more...]
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