Archive for the ‘Extreme Vacations’ Category

WEDNESDAY: 1st September – entries open for THE MONGOL RALLY 2011 at 2p.m. British time.

10,000 miles in a tiny car all on behalf of charity

If you have read our articles on this mad and crazy and very extreme adventure, and if you have followed the links through to The Adventurists even madder, crazier and more extreme website – you will know that this is an escapade that you DO NOT want to miss.

But places sell out terrifyingly fast… don’t hesitate. Go to The Adventurists SIGN-UP now… or click on the above picture.

And then of course you get to tell your grandchildren about the time you were held at gun point by a member of the Russian maffia, got away by offering him a water melon, ended up best friends and married his daughter, their grandmother.

People would still think it extreme to hear you say that you are “off to Zimbabwe” for a holiday. 10 years down the line from Mugabe’s fiasco and the poor country is on its knees. Actually, no it’s not, it’s flat on the ground gasping for breath. They say they want to sell their new diamond finds to revitalise the country… more likely revitalise a few people’s bank accounts… ok, ok, so call me a cynic!

But it’s still a magnificent country and it’s a great place to visit especially as there are so few other visitors at the moment that you pretty much have the country to yourself – with a few hardy Zimbabwean souls of course.

And whilst you’re there you would be foolish not to consider white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River.

It’s not called “the wildest one-day whitewater run in the World” for nothing. Just watch this video and see for yourself what it’s like.  It’s long but it’s well worth the 15 minutes it’ll take you to watch it.

You can watch the movie here

Victoria Falls is the epicentre of the Zimbabwe (and Zambia’s) white water rafting world. It is a high volume, pool-drop river with little exposed rock either in the rapids or in the pools below the rapids. The British Canoe Union has rated the Zambezi River as Grade 5 which means: “extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas”.  Grade 6 is unrunable and rapid number 9 on the Zambezi, “Commercial Suicide” , is a Grade 6  and has to be portered around.

The Batoka rapids below Victoria Falls were run in a raft for the first time in March 1981 and has grown in popularity ever since.

The state of the river relies on the the rains received upstream – in Angola and Western Zambia. Seasonal summer rains start around mid-November each year and usually end in April. Water in the catchment area only hits Victoria Falls early in January then rises rapidly and usually results in peak floods over the falls in mid-April. Water levels drop steadily for the rest of the season until the new rains start and it’s when the waters are low that the rafting and kayaking is seriously extreme.

When planning a trip to Zim it is worth knowing that extremely high temperatures are experienced just before the rains – October and November, known euphemistically  as the “suicide months”. Day time temperatures can exceed 40 degrees and they don’t drop below 30 degrees for nights on end. The summer rains begin somewhere in mid-November. It’s a release from about six weeks of hell … unless of course you like extreme heat.

So, what would be the best month to raft there? It depends how brave you are…

April to around mid June is “super high” season – if levels are excessive, rafting will often close for about 4 weeks from the end of April. “High water” season precedes the main floods in February and March and follows as water recedes in June and July.  “Medium low” season is during August, September and in January, just after fresh water is hitting Victoria Falls. “Low water” is from October to December when the Zambezi shows it’s wildest colors! It’s extreme, it’s terrifying, it’s exciting, it’s adrenaline pumping. It would be a pity to miss it!

The distance between rapids varies from 100 metres (328 feet) to 2 kms (1.2 miles). The Gorge itself is approximately 400ft (121.9 metres) deep at the put-in point and 750ft (228.6 metres) at the take out point. The river drops about 400ft (121.9 metres) over the 24km (14.9 miles) covered in the one-day raft trip and the depth of the river can reach 200ft (60.9 metres).

And as if the rapids themselves don’t supply enough of an adrenaline kick you might like to know that there are crocodiles in the river, but they are small due to the unsuitability of the area for their habitation. Does their smallness make you feel braver?!

As you will know from previous articles of ours, white water rafting is not the only extreme sport you can do at Vic Falls. There’s bungee jumping, slides, gorge swings quite apart from the game drives, booze cruises, and Devil’s Pool to relax in. How could you possibly resist this extreme vacation destination?

It’s the weekend again – god they come around quickly – and you might be thinking of planning a break sometime in the future – something different and preferably a little challenging. Not just a trip to an exotic island where you can do little else but bake in the sunshine…

Well ATD (Across the Divide) have the perfect excursion… a 10 day trip to Machu Picchu, Peru. And of course it’s aim is to raise money for charity (charityatd).

What is particularly interesting about this hike is that it will be well away from mainstream tourist routes ie: the Inca Trail. The trek will go up a previously unknown valley where ATD have  helped to rediscover otherwise neglected ruins; they have already constructed toilets to promote better health, and helped village communities which do not otherwise benefit from the monies generated by tourism.

The route will takes you through hidden valleys, mountain passes, along long forgotten Inca trails, and through small villages where they still follow traditional methods of farming. The trek ends when you reach Machu Picchu by passing through the Sun Gate to view the stunning sacred city.

Just because it has been termed a trek does not mean that it will not be an extreme challenge – it will be both mentally and physically challenging. And you will probably never want to see another stone step again! Although the whole trip will take 10 days: 5th – 15th May 2011, the trek itself is just 6 days. 6 interminably long, fascinating, exhausting, challenging days with the reward of one of the new 7 wonders of the world at the end of it. After all that effort it might be shrouded in cloud or partially obscured by rain, but you can be assured that it will still be magnificent, awe-inspiring and spiritually satisfying.

A few facts and photographs might inspire you to add your name to ATD’s next trek…

Trek to Machu Picchu itinerary

“Done Nevis, Ledge, Vic Falls & Bloukrans. Next stop Switzerland!!!”

Neil

Are you, too, hooked on bungee jumping? and are you by any chance planning on spending some time in Greece this summer?

So many people go to Greece and the Greek Islands for their summer vac thinking of blue skies, white buildings, blue blue seas, wonderful beaches, great food, Zorba’s Dance… hmm, I could go on for ever, but the thought of an extreme sport at the same time might not have occurred to you. However, it might interest you to know that the second highest bridge-bungy jump in Europe is also here… The Liquid Bungy Jump off the Aradaina Bridge, Sfakia, 85 km south west of Chania (or Hania), Crete.

“You have the best bungee site in the world, my friend!”

comment from a jump master at AJ Hackett’s (the founder of bungee jumping) group

138m of high octane adrenaline

This old military bridge is the highest one in Greece and the Balkans and links the edges of a wild canyon. Liquid Bungy operated for the first time in Greece in 1999 and since 2004 on the Aradaina Bridge, but please note that it is only open during the summer months and weekends only. Pretty long opening hours though – from 12 a.m. to dawn! But if you can put your own group together of a minimum of 10 people you can arrange to jump whenever you want – during the summer. By September this jump will be closed again…

Liquid bungee follows the “Bungee Jumping Code of Practice” and it is internationally recognised in its field for 100% safe jumping and the standard of material used.

Neil, perhaps you can try this one out for us one day and let us know how it compares…

As extreme sports go, bungee jumping is fairly addictive!

And whilst you’re in Crete, why stop at bungee jumping? You can also try out other extreme sports like scuba diving, sea kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing… to name but a few. Or you could just hang out in Crete’s most evocative city – Hania.

Hania has had a turbulent past which has left it with few impressive monuments, but she wears her scars proudly. Dating back to the Minoan days, Hania is Crete’s most beautiful city. Even during the height of the tourist season when tat fills the shops, she retains the exoticism of a city caught between the East and the West. Great restaurants too.

How’s about finding the closest zipline for a quick dose of adrenaline… below are videos of several that claim to be the longest in the world, others that are the fastest and some that are not quite ziplines.

Sun City, South Africa (cdmar33):

Strait Point, Alsaka:

Dragon’s Breath Zipline, Labadee, Haiti (FlaggerBoy):

Pena Aventura Parque, Portugal (davidfs):

Or how about one where you get off along the way? Causey Reservoir, Utah, USA (piano4life18):

Adrenaline Quarry Zipwire, Cornwall (nikgolding):

The Canopy Tour, Costa Rica (Bardida):

Or merely a Tarzan Canopy Swing in Costa Rica (ryanjclark2008):

So why not?!

Enough for one weekend I think. Can anyone tell me which is the best one in the States – in your opinion?

If any of you have been enthused with my articles about the Mongol Rally and are hoping to take part in it yourself one day, then you might like to know that D-Day is tomorrow, Sunday 25th July.

Teams from everywhere are converging on their respective FESTIVAL OF SLOW locations ready to embark on the mighty Mongol Rally – 10,000kms of the world’s worst driving terrain in under-powered tiny cars.

The Festival of Slow will take place at Goodwood Motorcircuit UK, Barcelona Spain and Milan Italy and you can follow the shannigans by clicking on the Adventurists link.

And here’s a little more on a previous competitor’s car (mayoisms):

… could you too be seeking adventure? what are you waiting for then – get onto the Adventurists site and book your place next year!