Vang Vieng (population about 25,000) is located in central southern Laos about a 4 hour bus ride north of the capital city of Vientiane or about 7 hours south of the town of Luang Prabang. If you enter Vang Vieng by bus you will be dropped off on a huge gravel runway on the edge of town. A brisk several minute walk across the runway will bring you to the main part of town. Signs for guesthouses or restaurants call out from almost every single … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Water Activities
Several tour companies located along the main street in Vang Vieng offer kayaking trips bundled with cave explorations and stops at small villages just north of town. Each tour operator displays a small billboard in front of their shop; these 'signs' are always covered with items such as photos from previous trips and pleased customer comments. Single day trips range in price from $15 to $25 dollars US. Its always a good idea to shop around … [Read more...]
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – What to Pack
Here Dave details what he packed for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. One may bring other items not listed here, or feel it unnecessary to pack some of the items mentioned below. This list and related information is provided as a reference only. For a climb like this one, you will need waterproof gear, and warm gear. If you already do not have any of the below items you will want to purchasing these items. Waterproof gear is a must. This … [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 – 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...]
Mt. Shasta, CA – The Climb
The climb written about below took four days: Day One: Rent equipment and hike to Horse Camp. Camp there. Day Two: Hike to Helen Lake, and camp there. Day Three: Hike to Summit via Avalanche Gulch, through the Red Banks and up Misery Hill, return to Horse Camp, and camp there. Day Four: Hike out to Bunny Flat. Average times for the distances above are the following. - Bunny Flat to Horse Camp takes a little over an hour. - Horse Camp … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico – Attractions
A Short Walk One day I decided to walk due west and see where I ended up. I left the phone at the hotel, I didn't research anything. I just began walking. I passed by Mercado de Abastos (a market) and then drifted by an extremely polluted river, an ecological disaster so to speak. I spent some time watching people wade back and forth through the water. I witnessed several people use the soil behind small bushes as a bathroom. I watched the wind … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico – Monte Alban
For travelers on short schedules who are not able to visit any of the surrounding towns or other attractions in the Oaxaca area, at least go and see Monte Alban. These historical ruins are among the most impressive in all of Mexico. Most of the ruins have been restored to their original splendor but some of the original structures can also be seen. This site was occupied by the Zapotec Indian tribe between 800 BC and 400 BC. Archaeologists and … [Read more...]
Mt. Whitney, CA – Whitney Hike
Introduction When you first drive out of Lone Pine you will see several mountains that look very tall. In fact Lone Pine Peak to the far left of Whitney looks much taller then Whitney itself. This is an illusion stemming from the fact that Lone Pine Peak is much closer in the foreground. Lone Pine Peak in actuality is about 13,000 feet. Mt. Whitney is the spire situated on the right side of all the other sharp jagged spires. It is 14,494 feet … [Read more...]