Alps Mountain Range – Things to know

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Alps Mountain range is one of the most popular in the world. It attracts millions of tourists every year from all over the world. Here are some interesting facts about the Alps:

  1. The formation of the Alps  started some 300 million years ago. It was a process spread between various episodes from the Paleozoic Era to the Mesozoic Era to the Jurassic Period. From a single tectonic plate, the Pangaean supercontinent broke into many plates, thus forming the Tethys Sea between Laurasia and Gondwana. Mountain ranges called the Alpide belt were formed when the Tethys was squeezed between the colliding plates – a process that continues till now. This orogenic process led to the formation of the Alps, caused by the collision between the Eurasian and the African plates.

    Aerial View of the Swiss Alps
    Aerial View of the Swiss Alps

  2. Covering eight counties, the Alps are located in Middle-Southern Europe and cover a distance of 1,200 km. This crescent shaped mountain range is majorly divided into Western Alps and Eastern Alps. The division is along the line from Lake Constance through the Rhine to Lake Como. The Western Alps are located in Italy, France, Monaco and Switzerland, the Eastern Alps in Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Switzerland.
  3. Alps have been extremely important from a historical point of view. Even before antiquity, countless numbers of armies crossed the Alps, including Caesar and other Roman leaders during the expansion of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, post the fall of the Roman Empire, barbarian hordes looking for a new settlement migrated through the Alps.

    Famous Mount Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps
    Famous Mount Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps

  4. In 1991, a mummified man nick-named Otzi the Iceman was found at the Austrian/Italian border in the Alps. It is said to be 5,000 years old. In the Drachloch cave above the village of Vattis in the canton of St. Gallen, radiocarbon dated charcoal placed around 50,000 years ago was found. It proved that the high peaks in the Alps were visited by prehistoric people.
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Andes Mountains – Things to know

Bolivia's Salar De Uyuni
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  1. Experts state that around 50 million years ago, a head-on collision between two tectonic plates led to the formation of the Andes. These were the Nazca and the Antarctic plates that were undergoing subduction beneath the South American plate. This process has continued to this date and causes earthquakes and volcanic activity in the region.

    Aerial View of the Andes
    Aerial View of the Andes

  2. The Andes Mountains have been inhabited for centuries. One of the most recognizable civilizations from the past is the ancient Inca Empire. Inca engineers built massive and impressive sites, including Machu Picchu and the capital city of Cuzco. They also constructed roads and conduits throughout the mountain. Inca Empire, also known as Tawantinsuyu in the Quechua language, covered the entire length of the Andean range from Colombia to central Chile to northwestern Argentina.

    The ancient city of Machu Picchu
    The ancient city of Machu Picchu

  3. The name “Andes” is believed to have come from the Quechua word “Anta”, meaning copper or “Anti”, which means “East Cardinal Point”.
  4. The Andes Mountain range at 4,500 miles is the longest mountain range on the Earth. It is located around the entire western coast of South America  and covers a surface of 800,000 square miles. It is divided into three sections – Southern (Argentina and Chile), Central (Chilean and Peruvian cordilleras and parts of Bolivia) and Northern (Venezuela, Colombia and Northern Ecuador).
    Snow Mountain, Peru
    Snow Mountain, Peru
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Bill Tilman

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Born on February 14th, 1898, Major Harold William “Bill” Tilman was an English explorer, mountaineer and one of the finest travel writers of the last century. He is known for his many climbing and sailing expeditions.

Tilman fought in both the World Wars and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery twice and Distinguished Service Order in World War I and II respectively. The latter was awarded for having fought behind the enemy lines in the Balkans.

Bill Tilman Image Credits: www.grin.com
Bill Tilman
Image Credits: www.grin.com

He was the true embodiment of the spirit of adventure. As he grew older, his zest for adventures became stronger. He has often been referred to as the conceiver of the stylish lightweight approach to mountaineering. It is said that Tilman was ahead of his time, he pioneered ecologically sound principles of adventure and exploration. He was one of those rare people who considered the journey itself as the adventure!

Even though he suffered from altitude sickness all his life, he either summited or attempted to summit the highest peaks known to man. He was a part of the two of the Mount Everest  expeditions in the 30s. He participated in the Reconnaissance Expedition (to Everest) as the expedition leader, and reached 27,000 feet without oxygen. Along with his team that included Peter Lloyd, H. Adams Carter and Eric Shipton, he successfully made the ascent to Nanda Devi Sanctuary  in 1936 and that remained to be the highest summit climbed by man until 1950. It was during this ascent that they discovered a new passage to this summit. More information about this can be found here .

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America’s emerging ski towns!

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1. Ogden, Utah

Ogden lies only 40 miles north of Salt Lake City’s International airport and its two primary mountains – Snowbasin and Powder Mountain. Spread across the lower flanks of the popular Wasatch Range, Ogden has recently become a key Mountain hub for the outdoor industry. Head 30 minutes into the Wasatch for your choice of skiing styles on two sprawling mountains. Snowbasin underwent major renovation for the 2002 Winter Olympics and has elegant base lodges with state of the art lifts, including a tram and two gondolas. It boasts expert terrain rivaling anything in Utah. Powder Mountain is a throwback hill with simple lodges and non-high-speed chairlifts. Both areas are shockingly very less crowded.

Winter morning on Mount Ogden in the Wasatch Mountains
Winter morning on Mount Ogden in the Wasatch Mountains

2. Reno, Nevada

Before its reinvention as an outdoorsy city filled with university students and skiers, Reno was a gambling mecca in the 20th century. Reno sits at the northern end of Lake Tahoe that has the thickest concentration of ski resorts in North America. Within 100 miles of Reno’s international airport, 18 resorts are located. At a 20-minute drive from the downtown there is Mount Rose. While it might not be the biggest ski area around, it is definitely economical and offers an excellent beginner program. In addition to that, it has the highest base elevation in the Tahoe region (8,260 ft.) that helps escape the rains that can spoil the area’s snow pack. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been put in to revamp the city and that has resulted in the sprouting of many cafes and galleries.

Nevada mountains near Reno, Nevada
Nevada mountains near Reno, Nevada 
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Illustrious Indian Mountaineer – Debabrata Mukherjee

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Adventure Nation is thrilled to share with you all that our Mountaineering Guru Debabrata Mukherjee along with his team, has recently been chosen to be awarded with the prestigious Himalayan Club Award for excellence in Mountaineering for the best Indian Himalayan Expedition – 2013. This is for opening a new route to the Himalayas during the historical exploration from Badrinath to Gangotri over Chaukhamba col.

Read all about this great adventure here.

Here are some glimpses from this historic expedition (All image credits – https://www.facebook.com/indiaguide):

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Erich von Drygalski

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Born on February 9, 1865, in Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia, Erich Von Drygalski was a German geophysicist, geographer and polar scientist and an Arctic veteran.

Erich Von Drygalski Image Credits: en.wikipedia.org
Erich Von Drygalski
Image Credits: en.wikipedia.org

At the end of the 19th century, when many countries and avid explorers in Western Europe were resolute to head south to the Antarctic, the German South Polar Commission also suggested a national expedition to Antarctica. For his experience in the field of geophysics and geography at the University of Berlin, Drygalski was chosen to be a part of the expedition along with 31 others (22 crew members, 5 naval officers, 5 scientists).

This was the first German expedition to the Antarctic, led by Drygalski in the ship Gauss.

The entire team aborad Gauss Image Credits: coolantarctica.com
The entire team aboard Gauss
Image Credits: coolantarctica.com

The Gauss Expedition started from Kiel (Northern Germany) on August 11, 1901 and reached Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean on January 2, 1902. After some very difficult navigation through the Ocean, the crew first sighted land on February 21 1902. But as luck would have it, later that day their ship was trapped while trying to enter a gap between two ice ridges.

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Antarctica – Things to know

Emperor Penguin
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  1. Older than you know! – Research shows that Antarctica has existed for over 200 million years! Back all those aeons ago, it was joined with Australia, Africa, South America, India and New Zealand, in the supercontinent Gondwana. Then around 40 million years ago, it made its final disengagement  from the Australian continent, settled into its present polar position, and began to cool dramatically.
    Watch this amazing video to know what life’s like on the coldest place on the planet!

    Cloud Filled Mountains of the Neuymayer Channel in Antarctica
    Cloud Filled Mountains of the Neuymayer Channel in Antarctica

  2. A bit of history – Antarctica was discovered in 1820 by a Russian team but it took almost 100 years before further serious expeditions were undertaken. In the 1890s, John George Bartholomew, a Scottish cartographer, became the first person to formally use “Antarctica” as a name for the continent. Translated literally, Antarctica means “opposite the bear” (from the Great Bear, or Ursa Major, above the North Pole) or “opposite to the Arctic”.
  3. Coldest place on the planet – Antarctica is the world’s highest, driest and coldest continent, with an annual mean temperature of -55°C. It was at Russia’s Vostok Station, in Antarctica, that earth’s lowest ever temperature ever, -89.2°C, was recorded, on 21st July, 1983.
  4. Ice Ice baby – 

    The ice sheet in Antarctica is 4,776 metres deep at its thickest point, with an average thickness of 2,160 metres. This is 90 percent of the world’s entire ice, and 70 percent of the world’s total freshwater. There is about eight times as much ice in Antarctica as there is in the Arctic. If all this ice were to melt (let’s hope for everyone’s sake that it doesn’t!), ocean levels across the world would rise by 200-210 feet.

    Ice Shelf
    Ice Shelf
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Adventure Legend – Sir Ernest Shackleton

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A legendary polar explorer, and one of the chief figures of the time period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Sir Ernest Shackleton led three British Expeditions to the Antarctic. So strong was his love for the region that after his death in 1920, his wife asked that he be buried in South Georgia, accompanied by the stormy seas.

Sir Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Shackleton
Image Credits: en.wikipedia.org

Here is a look at this great man’s life:

1. Explorer Extraordinaire

Ernest Shackleton is the ultimate personification of a time at the beginning of the 20th century that is now regarded as the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration”. An Irishman by birth, Shackleton put behind him the disappointment of his first foray into the frozen wastes of Antarctica – poor health led him to return home from the 1901-04 Discovery Expedition (also known as the National Antarctic Expedition) – to become one of history’s most storied polar explorers. His epic, though ultimately futile, attempt at crossing the continent of Antarctica would become a feat of “Endurance” for the ages.

2. Pull of the Ocean

It was through books that Shackleton got his taste for adventure. But such was his restiveness as a teen that his school (Dulwich College London) let the boy leave to seek a life out at sea. With the (reluctant) encouragement of his doctor-father, Shackleton became an apprentice aboard the Hoghton Tower, a sailing boat, and spent the next four years living the life of a seaman, learning the tools of the seafaring trade. Shackleton travelled around the world, sailing with men from all walks of life. These experiences would prove invaluable as he turned his gaze towards Antarctica.

The Island of South Georgia in the Southern Ocean
The Island of South Georgia in the Southern Ocean

3. “The Great Southern Journey”

Shackleton’s second journey to the South Pole was as part of the four-member Nimrod Expedition, which he led. During this trip, Shackleton and his fellow explorers reached as far south as anyone had ever done at that point in time – a latitude of 88° 23’ S, the equivalent of 97 geographical miles (that’s 112 statute miles, or 180km) from the South Pole. The party also reached the summit of Mount Erebus (3794 m/12,448ft), the first men to do so. Shackleton proved to be a fine, as well as an empathetic, leader of men. For his Nimrod exploits, he was knighted by King Edward VII.

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Teen sets new mark in trek to the South Pole

South Pole
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Lewis Clarke, a fearless 16-year-old from Bristol, England, made history by becoming the youngest ever person to trek from the Antarctica coast to the South Pole. Read more here.

Lewis Clarke ImageCredits: nydailynews.com
Lewis Clarke
ImageCredits: nydailynews.com

The teen adventurer set out on December 2, 2013 – only a couple of weeks after celebrating his 16th birthday – and reached the South Pole on January 18, 2014. Clarke took the Hercules Inlet route, a distance of some 1100 km (about 700 miles), skiing for eight hours and covering roughly 29km (18 miles) every day. Clarke, who had to tow a sled of supplies over the duration of the trek, was accompanied by polar explorer Carl Alvey.

There were challenges aplenty: Clarke had to combat temperatures as low as -50C and wind speeds of up to 120mph, as well as a broken ski and blisters – but if this hardy young man was flustered over the 48-day hike, he didn’t admit it. “I knew it would be hard, but it’s harder than I ever thought it would be.

“I think sometimes about how few people have done this. Only 300 in 100 years. And I’m doing it. That’s pretty cool.” Clarke reached the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on the evening of January 18 (a Saturday), beating the mark of Canada’s Sarah Landry (who was 18), set a decade ago, in 2004.

The young achiever! Image Credits: factincept.com
The young achiever!
Image Credits: factincept.com
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Himalayas – Things to Know!

Himalayan Sunset
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Although the youngest mountain range, Himalayas seem as old as the world itself! It is majestic, mystic and mesmerising and has been the subject of innumerable explorations and a part of popular culture for many years now.

Here are some interesting facts about the Himalayas:

  1. The Himalayan range, as believed by many, was formed some 70 million years ago after a massive collision between the Asian and Indian land masses (tectonic plates). To get an idea about the geology behind this read more here or take a look at this fascinating video!

    A depiction of the Himalayas as seen from a satellite
    A depiction of the Himalayas as seen from a satellite

  2. Mount Everest (the highest mountain peak in the world) stands at a dizzying 29,029 feet and is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. Locally called Sagarmatha (Nepal) and Chomolungma (Tibet/China), it came to be known as Mount Everest after Sir Andrew Waugh, the then Surveyor General of India, decided to name it in honour of his predecessor, Sir George Everest, in 1865.

    Moon rising over the Himalayas - mesmerising!
    Moon rising over the Himalayas – mesmerising!

  3. Would you believe it if someone told you that the Himalayas are geologically alive? Yes, they are! It has been proven by several tests performed by geologists over the years. This majestic and gigantic chain of mountains is said to be moving approximately 20mm every year!
  4. We all know that the Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world. But what’s fascinating is that there are 30 peaks towering over 24,000 feet, and of the 10 highest peaks in the world, nine are located in the Himalayas (Nepal Himalayas). Check out the Everest Base Camp trip!
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Adventure Legend – Edmund Hillary

Mount Everest
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Born in 1919, Sir Edmund Hillary, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climber to conquer Everest in the year 1953. In addition to this, he also climbed many peaks in his home country New Zealand and till date is the only man to have reached both poles and climbed the tallest peak in the world!

Here are some of the landmark moments of his life:

Road to Everest
Road to Everest
Birth of the Mountaineer
Birth of the Mountaineer
Fearless Airman
Fearless Airman
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Adventure Flicks for the Mountain Lover!

Peruvian Andes
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There are thousands of films released every year around the world. But very few of these are based on adventure or real-life adventure stories. And even out of those that are made, there are only a handful that actually do justice to the spirit of the theme!

This New Year, Adventure Nation recommends to you four of the finest films made on some of the most significant moments in mountaineering history.

  1. Touching the Void (2003):
    This adventure-filled documentary is based on Joe Simpson’s book of the same name. It features Simpson’s and Simon Yates’ calamitous attempt to climb Siula Grande (6,344m, 20,814ft) in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
    This film is high on emotion and has been widely praised for its cinematography. It combines documentary footage of the interviews of the climbers along with a re-enactment of the attempt. It is highly rated on rotten tomatoes.
    Touching the Void - Movie Poster!
    Touching the Void – Movie Poster!
    Image Credits: summitpost.org

    Read more about Joe Simpson here.

  2. Everest: Beyond the Limit (2006):
    This reality television series by Discovery Channel is about the attempts made on the summit of Mount Everest every year. Russell Brice, a mountaineer from New Zealand, is the leader.
    In this season, there are 11 climbers, three guides and a group of Sherpas followed by a production crew of 17 people, during their climb in the months of April and May of 2006. We highly recommend this film to all adventure lovers for the actual footage in extreme conditions.
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December Junkets

PADI Advanced Diving Course at Andaman
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“Adventures don’t come calling like unexpected cousins. You have to go looking for them.” — Unknown

You need not look too far as we at Adventure Nation not only offer adventure travel activities and opportunities but also strive to guide you in choosing the best locations every month. Here is our list of the best that the month of December has to offer:

  1. Kamshet – Paragliding

Kamshet (original name “Karmakshetra”, which means “the land of your karma”) is a small township located off the old Mumbai-Pune highway (NH-4).

Paragliding in Kamshet Image Credits: Image Credits:
Paragliding in Kamshet
Image Credits: thelongwayback.canalblog.com
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India’s Ski Towns

Alps Skiing
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Skiing in India takes place mostly in the Himalayas. Owing to their great height, Himalayas make for a great Skiing destination as they offer long descents. There are 3 popular destinations for Skiing in India – Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Auli in Uttrakhand and Solang in Himachal Pradesh. Here is some information about these places and the infrastructure they offer for a great Skiing experience –

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  1. Gulmarg 

Situated on a high plateau, pastoral Gulmarg, which literally means ‘Meadow of Flowers’, is home to a hill station that has few parallels in India. It boasts a picture-perfect Alpine landscape, with gardens, lakes, snow-covered mountains and (when not snowed in) lush-green vistas as far as the eye can see. Gulmarg also has one of the highest cable cars in Asia – a ride here can take your breath away, literally!

Gulmarg Image Credits: kashmirskiing.com
Skiing in beautiful Gulmarg
Image Credits: kashmirskiing.com

Gulmarg is India’s top skiing destination (8955 ft), and consistently ranked as among the world’s best. It also hosts the country’s annual Winter Games. It is surrounded by dense forests of tall conifers and snow capped mountains of the Himalayas. Today Gulmarg is acknowledged not only for its scenic surroundings, but also as the world’s highest golf course and a premier ski resort in the country.  

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International Destination – The Archipelago of the Azores

Azores View from above Povoacao to the Atlantic ocean Sao Miguel
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Located out in the Atlantic, the isolated Azores is 1564 km directly west of Lisbon, Portugal, and 3900 km off the North American coast. This chain of nine islands, all volcanic in origin, was colonized by the Portuguese in the mid-15th century. The islands’ location, almost bang in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, has proved of great strategic value. Today, they are a key mid-ocean refueling and pit stop for commercial airlines, international shipping, cruise ships and private yachts.

Extremely popular for deep-sea fishing, wine production, many varieties of tropical fruit and local cheeses, the Azores is increasingly becoming a favorite tourist destination. Even the nonchalant traveler will be smitten by the emerald-green and sapphire-blue lakes, volcanic craters and cones, verdant grasslands, 15th-century churches and majestic manor houses.

Azores Lagoa Sete Cidades
Azores Lagoa Sete Cidades
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Mountain Climbing Tips

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Mountaineering or Mountain Climbing is one of the most popular adventure sports/activities in India and many other countries. While a lot of people wish to climb high peeks, they tend to ignore the basics.

We have compiled a list of top 7 tips from our Gurus, that will help you understand mountaineering better and what goes into a successful climb. Here goes –

Tip 1 – Research
Tip 2 – Get fit
Tip 3 – Acquire the gear 
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The many colors of India!

Kerala Elephant
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Mountains, beaches, deserts and the colorful festivals, India has it all. Offering activities like Mountaineering, Kayaking, Cruising, Birding, Wildlife and Desert Safaris, Outdoor Photography and more – India is a popular travel destination.

Here are some glimpses of this diverse landscape –

Mountaineering in India
Kayaking in the Ganges
Rock Climbing near Gurgaon
Safdarjang, New Delhi
Safdarjang, New Delhi
Image Credits: facebook.com/PhotographyByManoo/
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Destination Guide – Solang Valley

Image Credits: holidayinn-manali.com/
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Located 14 kms from Manali in Himachal Pradesh, SolangValley (8500 ft) lies on the western bank of the River Beas. It has a number of hotels and other accommodation options available nearby – and also the choice to pitch your own tent!

The start of international skiing competitions like the Alpine Premier League has made the valley very popular among foreign tourists.

Solang Valley, locally known as Solang Nullah, derives its name from a combination of the words Solang (nearby village) and Nullah (water stream). It offers great views of the surrounding glaciers as well as of the splendid valley lying between Solang and Beas Kund. The valley is also home to a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on top of a hill. Hidimba Temple and Raha Waterfalls are other attractions nearby that one can visit.

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