If you have not had a chance to go to the Redwood National park and Coast this should be on your to do travel list. The Redwoods are the tallest known trees in the world with some recorded heights of over 360 feet. The Redwoods grow only in a narrow strip of land along the Pacific coast and south western Oregon. Redwoods survive to be over 2,000 years old and were here in the age of the Dinosaurs.

These days only 40,000 acres of rainforest are left. The Redwoods have been cut in half by overlogging and the Goldrush.

If you are a first timer to the Redwoods then go do your tourist thing first. In most of the famous images of the Redwoods it is the car going through the Redwood tree, well alas no longer. You can still see the tree that you used to be able to drive through but you have to hike to get there. The road that went to the tree and Camp 44 that is at the bottom of the Redwood forest has been cut off from regular traffic in order to save the Redwoods from carbon emissions. You can get a permit that is free that will take you to the trailhead. You can get the permit from the Kuchel Visiter center that is located on the beach and just after the town of Orick.

Hiking:

Some of the best hiking is actually in the Redwood Prairie Creek State park, you can spend days hiking in this area. The Prairie Creek area is so well preserved it literally is like going into Jurassic park with trees spanning overhead and evey direction. They are the world’s tallest trees, but they are also just one species in an incredibly varied ecosystem with wind-pruned, salt-tolerant Sitka spruce by the seaside, to the cool, moist redwood groves, and sunny, open grasslands of the prairies. Redwoods prefer mosit air that creates a colder eco system when you enter in the woods to hike.

Camping:

There are a few places to camp but my advice is if you are in toursit season book a reservation  ahead of time. A great time to go is the end of April and the beginning of May becasue it’s not too hot and busy, you get to enoy the Redoods to yourself.

Camping at the Prairie State park is only $20 a night and is located in easy distance of the Redwoods. It seems to be a little quieter and as showers , running water and toliets. Another place to camp is at Klamath camp ground which is pretty much on the Kalmath river that overlooks the ocean.

By Sharon Page – April 21, 2009

Have you ever been to the desert, if so then you will know that water is everything. Carry enough water for a fulls day’s hike can be challenging at best and since you’ll need at least a gallon a day in the warm months, more at the height of summer, planning a backpacking trip in the desert revolves around the quantity of water that you can reasonably carry and the likely hood of finding additional sources along your route. Don’t count on water being available just because the map shows a spring. You can probably trust people who have actually been there – so long as they were there yesterday, not the week or month before. Even in that case, bring along some extra water.

In an emergency, your map, your eyes are your best ways for finding water. Examine the map not only for springs and streams, but also for man-made structures like wells, cattle tanks and windmills. When you are hiking keep an eye out for bright green vegetation. There may be a spring nearby. Keep an eye out for cottonwoods, sycamores and seep willows growing in dry stream beds. They too may mean water is close at hand. If you find damp sand, dig downwards as may find water further down. Search out places in canyons where flash-flood waters have scoured away the sand and gravel, exposing bedrock. Shallow depressions in the bedrock, called tinajas, may have trapped pools of rainwater.

MSR SweetWater Microfilter Water FilterLightweight and compact, the SweetWater Microfilter makes water filtration fast and easy.

If you’re hiking the ridges in hilly terrain, examine the canyon floors for the bright flash of sunlight reflecting in a water-filled pothole. Lava and limestone are porous rocks that often contain springs and a cave neaby. Look for the dark stains and green moss that mark seeps in sandstone cliffs.

In the high desert in the winter months, examine the shady north sides of cliffs where the sun never shines. Lingering snow patches may provide a source of water. Whatever the source, an easily cleaned water filter will not only remove whatever critters may exist, but also the inevitable sand and silt. If you carry a Strei Pen which is a water purifier just carry a coffee filter for cleaning out silt, will save you weight.

By Sharon Page, November 2008

Women Himalayan climbers Sushmita Maskey and Usha Bistthey and their climbing team made history by becoming the first  all-women’s team from Nepal to summit Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

On Sundaythey were celebrated as the 99th International Women’s Day, the 10 Nepali women climbers have broken new ground by announcing they would establish a national mountaineering school that would help other aspiring climbers in the country to aim at Everest , k2 and other high Himalayan summits.

As Hisila Yami, minister for tourism and civil aviation, handed over the cheque, the group said they would use it as seed money to establish a National Mountaineering School.

The women’s group will now head for Langtang in northern Nepal to identify a possible site for the proposed school. The other optional sites are Rolwaling Valley and the Khumbu, Annapurna and Kanchanjunga regions.

Leh is situated between the Tibetan Platetu and the Indus Valley in the province of Ladakh in the region called Jammu and Kashmir. Rising from the valley floor to 11,000ft, the city of Leh is breathtaking has well as stark in contrast almost looking like a moon landscape, until you look out to the high Karakorum range of the Himalayas heading towards China. Leh is called little Tibet and as you head into Leh from the airport you understand why with Buddist temples situated on the side of mountains and the old Leh palace protruding above the city of Leh with Tibetain flags fluttering in the wind and welcoming into the city of Leh.

 Leh is in a sensitive area of Northarn India and one that is still disputed between India, China and Pakistan today. So for a westerner flying into Leh, it is a bit unnverving to see gun turrets looking at you as you get off the plane. The Indian army as a good pressence in Ladakh and controls the area with an iron hand and for good reason. In 1965 China took a good part of Ladkah by force and took the Indian goverment by surprise with the invasion. So for well over two decades the area of Ladkah was closed off from the outside world until 1971 when India opened up the area to tourists. Since 1971 tourusts have flowed into the area and Leh the captial of Ladkah has doubled in size. Even though there are changes happening to this area of the world with a new hydro dam, Ladkah is still a place of living history where Buddists, Kashmiri and Hindu live together in mostly a peaceful harmany.

Leh became the capital of Ladkah in the 17th century when Sengge Namgyal moved his court from the Palace of Shey so that Namgyal could be closer to the silk road trade route. Since then Leh proposed until the closure of the Chinese border in the 1950′s. By closing the border’s to Jammu and Kashmir India unwittling created an area of amazing Buddist culture, rivers that sparkle the color of Jade, mountains that are still wild and the Ladkah people that value harmony with nature.

 

Leh is a great place to have your base camp to visit other areas of Jammu and Kashmir. There are plenty of things to do and visit in and around Leh and a good place to get used to the altitude of 11,000ft for a few days. The old Buddist stores are a great place to find traditional Tibetian clothing and rugs. There are daily open markets and I mean open so beware of the area I called Goat Alley and stay away during the midday heat. Otherwise you will find an array of spices and fresh Aproacots, Mango and Papaya.

 Leh has many stupas(Buddist Relics and one of the oldest forms of Buddist Architecture) and Gompas(place of mediatian and learning). A great Gompa to see just outside of Leh is the Thikse Gompa of the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism which is a living symbol of Tibetian Buddism and even though there are crumbling buildings the main building has be revived and is a great place to come and see and hear Tibetian prayers.

 Leah, Ladkah is a place that you will never forget and a place that you will find great joy in the simplest of things.

Climbing legends Lou and Jim Whittaker turned 80 earlier this month. Born in Seattle, Washington in 1929, they were born in the era of  Mallory and Irvine and the beginning of Alpine and Himalayan adventure. Both Jim and Lou developed their climbing in the rugged mountains of the Cascades in the Northwest.

By 1963 Jim Whittaker scaled the highest mountain in the world, Mt Everest at 29,028 ft and in doing so was the first American to climb the mountain. On returning from Everest Jim went on to become REI’s first employee then becoming CEO in the late 1960′s.

Lou Whittaker is an accomplished higher-altitude, glacier-travel guide who has summitted Mount Rainier 250 times and founded the guide business Rainier Mountaineering Inc.

At 80 things are not slowing down to much with a trip last year to the Everest Base Camp and a trip to New Zealand. Let’s only hope when we reach the golden age of 80 that I am traversing some Himalayan passage.

MSR’s Denali snowshoes’ groundbreaking modular design makes them extremely versatile. Simply attach the optional Denali Classic and Ascent 4 in. Snowshoe Tails for additional flotation in soft snow or when carrying a heavy pack. This quick adjustment-easy to do in the field-allows one pair of shoes to adapt to a wide range of loads and snow conditions. The 4″ and 8″ models are compatible with the Denali and Denali Ascent snowshoes, while the 6″ model is compatible with the Denali Evo and Denali Evo Ascent snowshoes.

Snowshoeing is a great way to exercise during the winter and is easy to do. Buying snowshoes is also a lot easier than buying a pair of ski’s or a snowboard. There are quite a few snowshoe models on the market from MSR snowshoes, Atlas snowshoes, Cresent Moon snowshoes that will have all the different bells and whistles but with the same basic principle that snowshoes are made to float on the snow rather than sink.

When choosing a snowshoe the most important thing to decide for yourself is what you want to do and what type of terrain you plan on snowshoeing on. For example are you going to stay on trails, snowshoe in the park or heading off trail with long accents and descents in the Backcountry.

Helping select the right snowshoe:

 

Flotation:
Snowshoes come in different sizes that are based on your weight so that you can find the perfect balance of flotation and maneuverability. If you plan to carry a backpack that is also considered part of the weight you carry on the snowshoes. The heavier a person is the bigger the snowshoe needs to be so that the snowshoes have a wider surface to float on the surface of the snow.

 

 

MSR Denali Classic and Ascent 4 in. Snowshoe Tails Price: $29.95

If you find that you are between sizes because you are carrying a backpack then on some snowshoes you can add a flotation tail so that you get the surface area needed without going up an extra size.
Materials

Most snowshoes have a aluminum frame with a waterproof decking. There are a couple of snowshoe manufactures like MSR that use plastic as the overall material of the snowshoe. A aluminum frame with a waterproof decking is lighter weight than plastic and generally get a wider surface area for flotation. Plastic snowshoes last longer and have a less chance of breaking on the trail.

Binding:

The binding on a snowshoe is important for toe to heel support so that you get a combination of comfort and control. On the MSR Denali Evo Ascent Snowshoe for instance let’s you fit a ski boot so that you can get into the backcountry and don’t want to skin up on skis. If you plan on staying on the trails you will find with most snowshoes intended for trail use that it will be a fixed binding with an easy adjust to get in and out of the binding. For off trail use the binding generally will be a binding that rotates with your boot so that you get the control descending steep terrain and save energy. Off trail bindings will also have a heel lift to reduce fatigue on long ascents and makes climbing easier and more efficient.

Crampons:

Traction is really important on any snowshoe, especially when you are on steep ascents. Most snowshoes have some sort of crampon for extra traction and support on steep and icy conditions. With on trail snowshoes the crampons are generally fixed and placed under the foot for maximum grip throughout the stride. With off trail snowshoes the crampons will pivot with your foot and dig into the snow or ice as you descent or ascent.

Your Activity:

Trail Adventure:

Primarily packed snow, gently rolling terrain. This is the snowshoer who wants to go on local trails or the park. Snowshoes like the Crescent Moon Silver 9 Snowshoe and the Atlas 930 9 Series snowshoe are made for packed trails and all round trail use.

Day Hiking:

Packed and powder snow conditions with moderate to steep terrain. The snowshoes are designed with a more beefy binding and crampons like the MSR Denali Ascent snowshoe and the Atlas 1025 10 snowshoe than can handle both on and off the trail terrain.

Backcountry:

These snowshoes are designed for deep powder, untracked snow and steep terrain. The materials are made to take the conditions they are going into and will have more micro adjustments for more control on steep terrain. The MSR Lightning Ascent 30 Snowshoe and the Atlas 1230 12 snowshoe is a lightweight backcountry snowshoe but also ideal for everyday trail adventures.

Osprey have gone ahead and vamped their travel luggage line to include the new Sapce station line. These wheeled haulers are large enough for everything from expedition use to family ski or scuba vacations. The extra wide base and wheels, along with a superlight frame allow for easy manuevering on a variety of terrain from airport hauling to world travel.

The SpaceStation’s light weight with both model of Space Station less than 10 lbs that ensures that you’ll pay to haul your gear and not the pack. Grab it and go with six oversize loop handles.

 

 

Specs:

Cubic ins: 6100

Weight: 9lb 11oz

Pockets: 4 Outside

Compartments: 1 Main and 1 base compartment with divider

Wheels: Yes

Backpack Straps: No

Handles: Yes

Have you ever wanted to visit a true medivial castle that will haunt you to your bones. Well now you have the perfect opportunity to climb and visit a Castle all in one place.

The Castle is run by climbers for climbers and as the premier indoor climbing centre in South East England. It is constructed within a magnificent Victorian building, formerly a water pumping station.

The Centre houses over 450 routes serviced by more than 90 roped lines. The extensive range of bouldering surfaces display some 250 marked problems. The climbing areas are spread over two floors of the unique atmospheric building. So if you get a chance to pop on over to London hit the Castle for a quick climb or two.