Mt. Everest at 29,028 feet is also known as Sagarmatha or Quomolungma by the people who live at it’s foothills. Throughout the world, climbers have tried to set different records on this mountain. However, many have died trying to climb it. Recently, Katsusuke Yanagisawa (a Japanese teacher and climber aged 71,) climbed to the rooftop of the world, and he has become the oldest Japanese man to climb this particular mountain Yanagisawa broke the records set by another Japanese men:Yuichiro Miura as well as that of Takao Arayama. Both of these men, climbed this mountina at 70 years of age. According to the book of world records, Miura was the oldest man to climb Mt.Everest at 70 years, who topped out on May 22nd, 2003. However, after Yanagisawa’s successful climb to the top and safe return to basecamp, he became the oldest Japanese man to climb Mt.Everest. I think the Japanese are great explorers. They have not only climbed Mt.Everest but also, Mt.Mckinley and various other high peaks throughout the world. On Mt. Mckinley(North America’s highest peak), there are several routes with Japanese variations. This shows that they are very much into mountain climbing. Every year, there’s at least one Japanese expedition to Mt.Everest. As for Yanagisawa, this was a great achievement. At his age, mountain climbing gets a lot harder. High altitude sickness mostly gets to the younger people and the older ones. Ideally, you should be above 25 and below 55 (at least) with a great physique to climb this mountain. This way Acute Mountain Sickness or the thin air of Mt. Everest doesn’t get to you. However, Yanagisawa turned out to be a lucky guy, and everything worked out. He made it look easy. Yanagisawa mentions: I was pretty much at ease mentally at the summit, like I could sing a song Mountain climbing is the king of sports. Anything can happen anytime. One can die of avalanches, crevasse falls, getting lost in whiteout condition or simply if an old rope gets chopped up by rock fall. Irrespective of this, Yanagisawa had everything working to his favor and he has become the oldest Japanese man to climb Mt.Everest at 71 on the auspicious day of May 22nd. It seems like all the Japanese climbers summit on this day.
If you are planning to visit Australia this summer then, I would suggest you not to miss the internationally-renowned Australian Safari. It is Australia’s ultimate off-road adventure with competitors, on both four and two wheels, traveling over 5000 KM of grueling outback terrain over nine exciting day. The event is commonly referred to as Australia’s version of Paris to Dakar. To mark the 20th anniversary of the Australian Safari, the event will explore the vast expanses of Western Australia. With its incredibly diverse landscapes, Western Australia will, for the first time, provide the Australian Safari with an unrivaled backdrop and an off-road rally course that will rank amongst the most spectacular in the world. The competitors will take in landmarks such as the Kimberleys, Cable Beach, 80-Mile Beach, Marble Bar and Karijini National Park during the ride. Andrew Cowan, Daryl Beattie, Heinz Kinigadner, Alfie Cox and Jutta Kleinschmidt are the famous drivers that have previously competed in the race. When: The event starts on August 24 and finishes on September 1. Location: The event continues from Kununurra and the Kimberley’s through regional centres such as Fitzroy Crossing, Broome, Port Hedland, Newman, Meekatharra, Leonora, Kalgoorlie and York. It culminates with a stunning finale in the state’s capital city of Perth. Image Source: Just The Flight
Have worked hard your entire life for some great adventures? Thinking about what can you do with your savings and where? Here’s some options for you. You can do the following five and then some: Have fun with the party on wheels: Thinking what this is? This is basically a bunch of musicians trying to hit the big party at the Lake of Stars festival. The musicians will be mostly playing South and East African music. The musicians play during their journey to the destination. I think this can be an unique experience. The festival basically does a lot of charity and promotes Malawian music. So, if you are up for some great tunes do check out the Lake of Stars festival. However, you might find yourself 1000 pounds (cost) sterling short after this adventure. Next up, is the London-Sydney(Australia) adventure:: Instead of a single 24 hour flight you can stop by 24 countries in 12 weeks. How exciting? This way you learn a lot. How expensive is this option? Try 4100 pounds total. * Yet another exciting lifetime opportunity is a 950 Km bike route in the Tien Shan mountains of Khazakstan which will let you pass a high altitude mountain pass. This will take you about a month (25 days) and 1,795 pounds. You can go on small group trips throughout US which will take you through about 11 National Parks The last option will take you to the mountains of Nepal. If you are wondering what to do with the cash and the physical strength , try the Everest Base Camp and around Annapurna trip. Being a climber myself, this would be the most ideal trip for me. Although, the hike can be physically demanding. As you walk into thin air of the Himalayas, you might find yourself short on breadth and feeling low with the Kumbhu cough. So, if you are ready for the next big adventure, think about these ideas and see which is more appealing to you. Make sure you make the right decision. It’s your cash & your adventure. Source Link: Guardian UK Image Links: Lake of stars aboutxinjian uniquetreks
Barrington Irving, a 23-year-old aerospace student has completed his three-month trip around the world on Wednesday. He built his plane from more than $300,000 in donated parts and started his journey from Miami-area city on March 23, 2007. Florida, Cleveland, New York, Canada, Atlantic, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Alaska were the places where Irving flew. Before arriving in Houston last week, he stopped in Seattle and Denver. Barrington Irving circled the Opa Locka airport and flew low along the runway for the crowd before he landed his plane. Irving is a Florida Memorial University student and is the founder of Experience Aviation, which is an organization to encourage other minority youths to get interested in the field. He has also earned private, commercial pilots licenses. Irving claims has made him the first black person as well as the youngest person to complete the journey alone. However, EarthRounders.com, a website lists 255 journeys, including 82 solo trips since 1929. According to the records, trips were undertaken in far less time than Irving has, and even by younger pilots, though they were not flying solo No doubt, Irving’s endeavor is praiseworthy but it is still unclear how his claim to be the youngest person to complete the solo tour around the world would be validated. Image Source: USA Today
You have been sitting at the desk all week long and just swamped with work. Finally it’s time for you to enjoy the scenic outdoors with your special person when the party crashers pitch their tent right next door. They break the peace and quietness by blasting their stereos and being loud and obnoxious. How would you feel? So next time please be considerate for others and the Environment while camping. First, make sure you don’t litter in the woods. Please keep the wilderness pristine. So, pack in and pack out. Follow the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles. As someone once rightly mentioned: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures Second, when using the National parks restroom try to keep it as clean as possible. This is probably the most disgusting topic but, there’s always that one person who always throws trash right down the toilet and clogs it up. Third, if using the pit for camp fire, please make sure you douse the flames off in the morning. As the happy camper would say “Drown it! Feel it! Stir it!” This is the key to the camp fire. I remember on my last camping trip we made sure that there was not even one single burning flame in the pit before we left the campground. Fourth, in bear country like Yellowstone, make sure you pack your food and beverages in a separate beer proof container and keep it away from the tent. It should be more than 15 feet off the deck(ground). This is just to keep it out of reach from bears. Otherwise you might find the bear family or other animals sniffing around your tent for food. So, next time you go out in the wilderness, please abide by these suggestions. This will help you have a fun camping trip and make your trip more pleasant. If you do it right, you will see others cooperating with you as well in the wilderness. Image Links: Duboiswyoming and Naturpur Source Link: MSNBC
What are those two little things sticking out in the picture above? They nothing other than twin tubes of an engine fitted kayak. Waterfall kayaking is no longer going to be a quiet game. From now on you can steer jet powered kayaks. Shaun Baker proved this recently during a race. A waterfall kayak race was held in the Iceberg Lake. Here the glacier melt runs off to the lagoon. The race course was just two miles from one end of the Lake to the bridge. World record holder Baker came up with the unique idea of custom fitted engines on the boat. Along with his buddies he fitted a 6 foot long kayak with a 45 horsepower engine. The engine was a Yamaha jet ski engine. Baker also tried this baby out in the Waimakariri River Gorge of Newzealand. Once the engine was turned on, all he knew was that he was skipping across the water like a stone. After the tests were done, it seems like the jet ski engine fitted kayak is faster than a speedboat. This is really amazing. However, I can understand this fact. I think part of it is because of the engine they used and part of the speed is due to the compactness of the kayak itself. Baker has set a speed record of 35 mph Image Links: Popsci
Image Credit New Zealand is just the right place for those who have thirst for thrills and adventure. The activities out here are wide ranging, from some of the world’s best skiing, heli-skiing and snowboarding, to adventure activities such as bungee jumping, flybywire, dam dropping and zorbing. The Kawarau Bridge Bungee: Some people call it crazy, but enough find it exciting. The Kawarau Bridge Bungee is the first commercial bungee site in the world. Located a few miles outside Queenstown, it is set in a picturesque valley overlooking the Kawarau River. It’s the only bungee where you can choose to bob above the water, touch it or be fully immersed. No trip to Queenstown in New Zealand would be complete without at least considering a bungee jump! FlyByWire Flybywire: With a top recorded speed of over 170 kph, FlyByWire is said to be the fastest adventure flight in the world. FlyByWire is a self-drive flying machine which is built of premium grade aircraft material using state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques and is powered by a 60 hp aircraft engine. You experience a force of three G’s to weightlessness within a three second interval as it accelerates you. Image Credit The machine is suspended from an overhead cable system, which allows it to fly in circles within a spectacular steep-sided canyon. The flight lasts 6 minutes. Dam Dropping: Dam Dropping is a form of river surfing, commonly know as river sledging. Through some of New Zealand’s most picturesque river scenery, down the Waingongoro River, under the shadow of Mount Taranaki in New Plymouth, it’s an experience of a lifetime. Zorbing: Ever wondered what it would feel like to get inside your washing machine on a spin cycle? Try Zorbing! New Zealand offers the opportunity to have a go at zorbing which is a unique, exciting, downhill, adventure experience. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages who don’t mind being strapped inside an enormous clear plastic, air-cushioned ball. Image Credit As all the violent bouncing is absorbed by the bigger outer transparent ball, you are quite secure inside the inner capsule. As the ball rolls down a long grass-covered slope, you spin around in a virtual anti-gravity form of weightlessness like an intoxicated space traveler. Liquid-zorbing is a more recent development of this zany downhill roller coaster ride. Two or three buckets of water are added to the mix and you remain unattached to the inner ball like a loose cannon tumbling out of control. Grab the chance to zorb, wet or dry! Source: MSNBC
Can you even imagine how it would feel like to swim in water that is -1.8 degrees Celsius (28.75 degrees Fahrenheit)? An average human would probably freeze to death in under four minutes in waters this cold but a British adventurer and swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh had the courage to swim in the icy waters of the North Pole. With the aim of raising the awareness of how global warming is affecting the polar ice cap, Pugh undertook this task and has become the first person to swim in the icy waters of the North Pole. He took 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim one kilometer in waters created by melted sea ice at the coldest temperatures a human has swum in. This isn’t the first time he’s accomplished some the amazing feats. He is the first person to swim 1km in the Antarctic Ocean, and he holds over 20 swimming endurance records, including swimming the whole length of the Thames River, the first to swim the length of the world’s longest fjord and first to swim round the most northerly point of Europe. Pugh suffered unbearable pain throughout the journey and even made up his mind to quit on few occasions. No, doubt it was the hardest swim of Pugh’s life but he undertook the task courageously and succeeded. He hopes that his swim would inspire world leaders to take the climate change seriously. Source: Daily Mail
Another glorious edition of the intergalactically-famous X Games is right around the corner. The annual X Games is the premier action sports event in the world and showcases more than 150 of the world’s top athletes competing in BMX freestyle, moto X, skateboard, rally car racing and surfing. Taking place in Los Angeles, California, X Games 13 for 2007 is scheduled for August 2nd to 5th. This year is promising exciting new competitions and the same amazing action from the best athletes in extreme sports. Image Credit Held on August 3rd, Moto X Step Up final at the Home Depot Center will be one of the most exciting contests to watch. Skateboard Big Air Final (Aug. 2), BMX Freestyle Park (Aug. 4), Rally Car Racing Super Special (Aug. 5) are the part of X games. Image Credit X Games 13 will be telecast live on ESPN and ABC.X Games will remain in Los Angeles through X Games 15 in 2009. One thing you can count on from the X Games is excitement. Start planning now to go! Image Credit for the first picture Source: PE.Com
Are you planning to roll on the Lower Kern this summer? If you are, then it’s time for you to act quickly, the rafting trips are expected to end by Aug 20. Usually the rafting season runs till the end of September but this year the amount of water is little below the normal so the rafting trips will not run till September. Whitewater rafting is a popular pastime throughout the Kern River. There are many companies that offer rafting trips. The majority of trips along the river range between Class III and Class V rapids. Also, there are some Class II rapids that provide exciting adventures for younger and inexperienced rafters. Choose the class level you are comfortable with. Lickety Split is the easiest of the trips. This takes rafters through Class II-III rapids just upriver from Kernville and offers beautiful views of the river banks and surrounding forests. The Pictor is another Class II-III trip which runs south of Lake Isabella Dam and offers stunning views of Kern River Canyon in all of its glory. The Sampler is a Class III-IV run on the Upper Kern, a half-day trip that offers an idea of what rafting the river is like. Keep in mind your level of experience and how much time you have for rafting. There are a number of companies that provide equipment and guides for trips along the rapids. It’s best to take a guide with you when rafting the river, especially if it’s your first time whitewater rafting. Be safe and enjoy your Lower Kern rafting trip!
Image Credit Source: Latimes