2013 - Page 2 of 2 -

Roopkund Trek – A Travelogue!

4 months of workout, 4 months of abstinence, 4 friends – and the mountains beckoned!
This is their journey from New Delhi to Roopkund and back, covered in 7 days!

Day 1 – Reached Kathgodam by train from Delhi and drove up to Loharjung (7600ft), which is a 10-hour drive through the foothills of the Himalayas – past gushing streams, through valley clouds and on curvy roads.

Fresh streams on the way!
Image Credits :facebook.com/anandkshitij/media_set

Day 2 – Walking past icy-cold streams and coming face to face with high-flying birds, the group trekked its way up to Didna (8800ft). Villagers’ huts and blankets came in handy for camping.

On the way to Didna
Image Credits :facebook.com/anandkshitij/media_set

Day 3 – The day began at 8, and through muck, rock, oak forests and meadows, they reached Ali Bugyal – the next campsite.

Burning Rubber in High Places

The 15th Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya, India’s most exciting motorsport event, and a regular stopover on the international circuit, came to a rousing conclusion in Leh, Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir), after travelling more than 1800km over six days. The competitors, men and women (tough nuts all), crossed some of the world’s highest motorable terrain and braved sub-zero temperatures – those who managed to complete the arduous route would surely have felt on top of the world!

November Jaunts

“Winter is coming,” is a phrase made popular by the characters of a widely popular TV series – except, in the series they say the words in fear, while we in India say them with cheer!

Winter, the time to get out and explore, to ski, sail and more!

Here is our pick of some of the most beautiful places to visit in India in the month of November – the official beginning of the winter season:

Andaman (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) – The apotheosis of beauty, the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is unlike any other place in India. This collection of 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal has so much to see and explore that any number of days you decide to spend here would seem too little.
Natural Coral Bridge – Andaman
Image Credits: https://www.facebook.com/anandkshitij/media_set

You can choose from thrilling water-based activities like scuba diving and snorkeling, historical sites like the Cellular Jail, and also beautiful islands (Havelock, Neil, and Baratang) that boast of some of the most stunning beaches around. This cluster of islands is also home to the Onge and the Jarawa, tribes that are many centuries old but whose populations are dwindling.
For trip details click Here
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Travel is Adventure!

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” – William Feather

Kerala Backwaters
Image Credits: facebook.com/PhotographyByManoo

Adventure is a word associated with a lot of things – travel, sports, life experiences and events, taking risks, relationships and more. While each person chooses his/her own adventure, it can truly be said that adventure is everywhere, within us and around us.

Most people feel that traveling to new and far-off places offers the best kind of adventure one could experience. The thrill of getting on a plane/ship/bus, and making the journey to a place one has never seen before, is so exciting.

Corbett Beauties!

Howdy outdoorsy folks!

It’s Monday again, and our animal friends from Corbett National Park are here to add cheer to your week.

Spotted Deer
Image Credits: weareholidays.co.in

Red-Whiskered-Bulbul Image Credits: walkthewilderness.net — Red-Whiskered-Bulbul
Image Credits: walkthewilderness.net

Hanuman Langur Image Credits: walkthewilderness.net — Hanuman Langur
Image Credits: walkthewilderness.net

To The Mountains!

At Adventure Nation, we are committed to providing you with the best of what the adventure world has to offer. Be it destinations, activities or adventure travel, we are your one-stop shop for all the information that you might need.

Other than the regular trips and activities that we offer, we also aim at creating something unique and exciting, keeping in mind the mood of our patrons. With that in focus, we recently conducted a survey to find out what you think are the top adventure activities. Here is what you said:

Mountaineering came out on top, receiving 11% of the votes, followed closely by skydiving (10%) and trekking/hiking (9%). Next in the list are rafting, scuba diving (both at 8%) and paragliding (7%). Wildlife safari, camping, bungee jumping and hot air ballooning complete our top 10.

‘Beaut’ from the Bush

Folk heroes come from the most unlikely of quarters. Albert Ernest Clifford “Cliff” Young, a potato farmer from Colac, in rural Victoria, Australia, was one such bloke. Only, Young was as un-Australian as they come – a vegetarian and a teetotaller.

‘Cliffy’ is a feelgood tale of this salt-of-the-earth Aussie’s journey from utter unknown to national hero. Cliff Young was the winner of the first Sydney-Melbourne Ultra Marathon, back in 1983. The tele-movie, released this year to mark 30 years of a feat that still warms the heart, is an affable movie about an affable man. Cliff, not surprisingly, became the toast of a nation, earning words of commendation from (besides others) then Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and also winning the Medal of the Order of Australia.

It’s Time for Tanzania!

Howdy, outdoorsy folks! A new week is here and with that it’s time to talk about new things, new places and new adventures. This time we bring to you The African Adventures in Tanzania. From national parks and wildlife safaris to the continent’s highest mountain peak, this East African nation has it all. Here’s our pick of the top 10:

Serengeti National Park – Wildlife/Jeep Safari, Photography

The Serengeti National Park has the perfect African safari setting. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tanzania and is well known for its annual wildlife migration of wildebeest and zebra. The month of May is one of the best times to visit the park, when the grass is dry and the wildebeest and zebra start to gather in huge armies, presenting an amazing wildlife show. Meanwhile, the vast spread of grasslands make the Serengeti ideal for witnessing lion kills – one can see the whole spectacle clearly!

River Rafting – It’s that time of the year again!

“When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
And so it is with adventure – no two experiences are alike!

The time to raft is here again. Come October and the rivers start to beckon! October marks the onset of winters in India and offers the perfect combination of ideal water temperatures and the right amount of sun.

Rafting, river rafting or whitewater rafting is a recreational adventure activity that pushes the participant to the limits. This pursuit is followed primarily on whitewater, or water of varying degrees of roughness, using a raft for navigation.

Bonjour France!

With its rich history and culture, 37 World Heritage sites, beaches, snow-capped mountains, the most modern cities and most picturesque villages, France is, statistically, the most popular tourist destination in the world.

The French climate varies from moderate in the northwest to Mediterranean in the southeast. Across different regions, one witnesses extreme rainfall, plentiful sunshine and freezing temperatures, making France a favorable destination for a variety of adventure activities and holidays.

Women to the Fore in the Raid ’13

Women rallyists will be at the forefront in the world’s highest motorsport rally, the legendary 15th Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya, which will run from October 4 to 12, 2013. The rally is organized by Himalayan Motorsport, the Shimla-based motorsport club.

Sheetal Bidaye of Mumbai is the first Indian woman biker to compete in the ‘Raid Xtreme’, an all-out speed category. In addition, this year’s Raid will for the first time have a team of women Army officers competing – Maj. Smitha of ASC and Capt. Madhavi Singh of EME. These two ladies will be driving a Maruti Gypsy as they aim to capture top spot in the ‘Raid Adventure’, the category which follows the time-speed-distance (TSD) format.

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Sunil Nehru, Adventure Nation Guru for trekking and scuba diving, undertook a trip in 2010 to Tanzania to realize a dream of his – reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, one of the world’s most mythical peaks. Here is his account of the attempt on Africa’s highest mountain. Climbing Kilimanjaro

Tête-à-tête With Leelabai, A 59 year old Forest Guard in Kanha

“I was walking back to the field camp, when a tiger decided to take the same path as me. It looked me straight in the eye and kept moving in my direction… The tiger came close… and then just trotted off into the bushes,” Leelabai reminisced. “The tiger must have seen the uniform and understood that it’s the malik (owner) out for a walk.”

Want to be a Volunteer?

The conservation centre was established over 30 years ago to help save India’s dwindling crocodile populations and in particular, the endangered Mugger, Gharial and Saltwater species. Through a successful programme of captive breeding, the centre has been able to expand its activities to the protection of 14 species of crocodile, as well as a turtles, snakes and lizards. Nowadays it is regarded as a world-leading institute for research and conservation, with a commitment to environmental education and public awareness.

For more information, visit: http://www.indiavolunteer.net/projects/crocodile-conservation-volunteer-project/

Mohit Oberoi talks Rock Climbing

“I start carefully by placing my feet on small bumps. The friction is good. My feet are holding well while I caress the small crystals with my fingers. The first few metres of the ascent are easily tackled. Sweat starts to break out as I jam my fingers in the crack and get my feet to balance on a small ledge. The protection anchor, though only 5m below, seems miles away. Yes! Ten metres is a long distance to fall. Maybe just too long. I carefully select the appropriate protection, while balancing gingerly on the hand and foot holds, and slide a nut along a crack till it is securely wedged in the bottleneck portion of the crack. I quickly pass the rope tied to my seat harness through. As I feel the rope tighten, I know that I am safe.”

The next few feet up are tricky as the footholds disappear. I am forced to push the soles of my climbing shoes hard on the plain surface. Thankfully, the high-friction, rubber-soled, skintight shoes are doing a great job! I jam the first digit of my fingers in the crack and move up, my feet still smearing the plain surface of the rock.

Brave-heart Conquers Everest!

Arunima Sinha lost her left leg after being thrown off a moving train – but she never lost hope, and never lost her will. In May 2013, the determined Arunima wrote her name into the history books by becoming the first amputee to scale Mount Everest. A former national-level volleyball player from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, she was part of a TATA-led expedition to the summit.

Howdy, outdoorsy folks!

Welcome to the Adventure Nation blog!

We will be regularly be updating this space with the buzz from around the world of adventure and nature: What’s new and what’s happening, what adventurers (intrepid veterans and fearless greenhorns) are up to, the quirkiest wilderness destinations and the most tantalizing activity hot-spots, the activities du jour and the hippest adventures, the most stunning wildlife experiences and the most heartwarming wildlife conservation success stories – we’ll be keeping you posted on all the adrenaline shots, the good vibes and encounters of the invigorating kind, that the Great Outdoors offers!