Experiences labelled with 'trekking'
Sitting in the shadow of a volcano at six in the morning has a waking effect beyond anything a cup of coffee could offer. It creates an escalating sensation of awe that draws a grin onto your face as you ride down the pockmarked gravel road. Everything is heightened by anticipation as the black outline grew larger and more distinct with every second of the approaching daylight. Small indentations seemed to be highlighted more and more, and I couldn't help but be excited—I was about to do one of the most popular treks in New Zealand: The Tongariro Crossing. The Tongariro Crossing is a 17 km trek offering panoramic views of the countryside with a twist; these views are courtesy of the mythical "Mt. Doom" ...
The road to Death Valley National Park from Los Angeles winds along the Owens River—a dry, hot region bordered by the Mojave Desert and the High Sierra. Death Valley has been the stage for gold prospecting, cowboy movie backdrops (John Wayne was a frequent visitor to the town of Lone Pine to film Westerns), and fierce battles over the ownership of water that flows through the Owens. Driving through the desiccated air on the way to Death Valley, I could taste dust on my tongue—the sweet tang of desert yucca, pinon and sage. Death Valley in California holds two extremes: Badwater, the lowest elevation of continental United States at 282 feet below sea level; and Telescope Peak, an 11,331-foot peak just a dozen miles from ...
Every national park needs a crown jewel. Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park has it's red-ruby Kilauea Volcano, Malaysia's Kinabalu National Park has it's green-emerald Mount Kinabalu, and Taiwan's Yushan National Park is beautified by it's lofty Jade Mountain, so named because of her snow-capped peak which glistens in the sun like white-jade. Many of us picture high-rises and concrete madness when we think of Taiwan. After all, it made its place on the world scene in the 1990's as one of the "Four Asian Tigers." But with over 79,000,000 acres of Taiwan's landmass set aside and preserved as National Parks, this Asian province is as much a mecca for campers, hikers, adventure trekkers and nature lovers as it is for world-class business men. One of Taiwan's ...
The ancient Hindu epic “The Mahabharata,” tells of a family of five brothers known as the Pandavas who were accused of killing their cousins during the Kurukshetra war. The brothers sought out Lord Shiva to pardon them of this accusation, but Shiva was convinced of their guilt, took the form of a bull, and went into hiding. Shiva re-emerged in five different locations, where the hands, hump, head, stomach, and hair of his bull-body were found. The Pandavas built a Shiva temple, or “Panch Kedar,” at each of these places. I trekked to the temple built in reverence to where the bull's hands are said to have materialized. This is the highest temple in the world, called Tungnath (“the lord of the peaks”). Seated in ...
Are you ready to be impressed by 340,000 hectares of mountainous terrain in Huascaran National Park? For over six decades people have been travelling to Peru’s northern mountain range to enjoy mountaineering, trekking, mountain-biking and mountain adventures. The best time to enjoy this region of Peru is in July when the summer sun is bright, warming the terrain by day. While in transit, take time to acquaint yourself with some of the rare animals of the region, including the spectacled bear and Andean condor. Arriving in the Peruvian city of Huaraz, your first stop after securing a hotel in Huraz will be to speak with the local Peruvian Mountain Guide Association. One of many amazing trails you can choose to hike begins at Lake Llanganuco, ...
