Archive for the ‘Extreme Vacations’ Category

Yesterday I was dreaming of Alaska, but for all you snow enthusiasts who can’t wait for the northern hemisphere winter and possibly feel that New Zealand and Australia are a bit too far to scratch the itch, well then, have you thought about Argentina? Or Argentina and Chile?

The Andes Mountains are blessed with unparalleled conditions for skiing and snowboarding. Argentina and Chile feature many different ski resorts divided into world class and rustic areas. In addition to classic ski resorts South America offers two snowcat skiing operations as well as four heli-skiing destinations.

Skiing and riding the most challenging terrain in the Andes Mountains – what more could you ask for? Well, perhaps some wine tasting at the same time? and why not!

ARGENTINA

Las Leñas is a haven for extreme skiers and heli-skiers – thanks to freeski73 for the great video and if you don’t understand the small amounts of French spoken, don’t worry, persevere, it’s a great video! This resort is not only about extreme skiing, it  also has a good selection for beginners and intermediates.

RUNS: 28                  42 km / 26 miles

BEGINNER                  8%
INTERMEDIATE     23%
ADVANCED              31%
EXPERT                      38%

It is the highest ski resort in Argentina. The summit is at 3,430m and the base of the resort is at 2,240m which gives skiers a vertical slope of 1,225m. With its unbeatable snow, its trails for all levels of skiers and especially for the world class off-piste descents and cross-country ski, this resort is considered by many to be outstanding. Las Leñas  has a slalom stadium and 28 authorized trails with a maximum skiable surface of 7,050m or 46 kms, one of which is one of the longest intermediate trails in the world. There are 13 lifts and if there is not enough fresh snowfall, Las Leñas has a modern system to make artificial snow.

As for the back country trails – it’s hard to beat. Over 20,000 acres of endless powder. The best freeriding in South America. Endless opportunity for adventure.

The season stretches from June 11th to September 24th.

The closest airport is Malargue – 70 kms away.

Close to  Las Leñas is Los Penitentes. Established in 1979, Los Penitentes winter resort has at present more than 300 hectares of skiable runs. There are 25 runs of different lengths and something for everyone from beginner to advanced and expert skiers. The snow is generally dry and compact.

And you can take advantage of Portillo across the border in Chile. The snow quality here is fantastic. There is also an enormous amount of unexplored back country potential.

The season runs from mid-June to late August and the closest airport is Mendoza International – 174 km away.

The top of Cerro Catedral is 2,180m and the bottom 1,030m, giving a vertical drop of 1,150 metres. This resort is considered to be the most developed one in South America. In the 600 hectares of skiable area (120 km), the resort is divided into 53 well sign-posted trails of various difficulties: 17% for beginners, 42% for intermediate, 25% advanced and 17% for expert skiers only. There are 38 lifts and good access to back country skiing. The closest airport to this resort is Bariloche International.

With 22 trails of various difficulties and excellent snow quality, Chapelco combines extreme adrenaline and landscape. It has 140 skiable hectares (32 kms) with 31% of trails for beginners, 17% for intermediate skiers, 42% advanced and 10% for expert skiers. There is also a Snowboard Park at the 1,700 m platform where adrenaline seekers can find a half pipe, parallel slalom and big air jumps.

The landscape is magnificent. The impressive view of Lake Lácar, the silence of the lengas forests and the striking presence of the Lanín Volcano breaking the horizon add to the uniqueness of this winter resort. It is open from June 23 to October 14.

The closest airport is Chapelco 19 kms away.

Cerro Bayo is another beautiful resort with magnificent scenery. It is surrounded by forests and has a majestic view of Lake Nahuel Huapi. It offers 200 hectares of pisted slopes, with a 700m vertical drop (maurigar99).

Although suitable for beginners (28% of the resort is ideal), Cerro Bayo appeals to extreme skiers with its good black runs, deep snow in the ravine and matchless off-piste runs that go through untouched forests from the summit to the base. There are 800+ acres of trails with very good back country routes too. The ski season runs from mid June to October.

The closest airport is Bariloche International: 83 km away.

Cerro Castor is truly at the end of the world, way down there in Ushuaia. It is the same distance from the South Pole as Moscow is from the North Pole. It is Argentina’s newest resort and the southern-most ski resort in the world. Although not very high it enjoys very good weather and excellent powder snow. It has one of the longest seasons in South America – from July 09 to October 12.

With a skiable drop of 772m, there are 24 runs with different levels of difficulties and 20 kms of off-piste sectors. It also has wonderful back country trails with circuits that go through lengas forests. Also ideal for snow rackets/shoes.

The closest airport is Ushuaia, 26 kms away.

Caviahue is in the heart of the Andes Mountain Range, Northwest of the Province of Neuquén and on the Argentinian-Chilean border. It lies at the feet of the Copahue Volcano. This mountain village is 1,600 m above sea level and it presents a contrast between its natural environment and the almost lunar landscape of Copahue. The ski resort guarantees the quality of powder snow without long lines at the lift making it an ideal family resort for both downhill and cross-country skiing.

The closest airport is  the city of Neuquén – 353 kms away.

La Hoya is the last resort we will cover today which means we will come back to Chile another time… Standing at 1,350m above sea level its geographic location allows visitors to benefit from snow as early as the first few days of June. From the summit (2,050m) to the base there are 60 hectares of pisted slopes, with large runs for all levels although, as with all the Andes resorts, La Hoya prides itself on its selection of off-piste skiing. There are 10 lifts and 24 runs  and the resort is proud of its powder snow. However, for years with poor snowfall they do have all the modern amenities to make the artificial stuff.

The name La Hoya comes from the shape of the mountain which is a wide glacier above a circular basin. All the ski runs join at the same point at the base. In the 1930’s, pioneer skiers from the region discovered this attractive natural formation and began to visit the mountain.

The closest airport is Esquel Domestic: 21 km.

And more later…

It is so extremely hot here that I long for winter… and the snow!

And so from one extreme to another I go from the south of France to ‘The Last Frontier’ – Alaska, and when you’ve seen this video from Salomon Freeski TV you, too, might see why I dream of skiing…

Alaska is a land of towering peaks, massive glaciers, extensive boreal forests, and rich marine ecosystems. It is the epitome of the term ‘wilderness’.

It also has some fantastic skiing.

Aleyska Resort comes in amongst the top 25 ski resorts in North America. Just 40 miles south of Anchorage in the beautiful rustic mountain frontier town of Girdwood you’ll find more than 1,000 acres of ski terrain suitable for all standards of skiers. With an average of 631 inches of snow annually (or, to be more precise, 621 annual inches of snowfall mid mountain and reports 742 annual inches of snowfall at the peak) it’s no surprise that this resort is being increasingly sought after by adventure seekers and families alike. The ski area has 2,500 feet of vertical rise on 1,400 acres of skiable terrain. 68 trails and 9 lifts include a 60 passenger aerial tram, a high speed quad, two regular fixed grip quads, three doubles chairs, and two pony lifts.

With its lengthy top to bottom intermediate runs there is room and to spare for everyone. In fact the resort has been very carefully thought out.  Something I’ve never heard of before but which Aleyska offers are sheltered beginner trails  where shaky newcomers can hone their skills without having to merge with more advanced skiers. Now isn’t that a good idea? 11% of the resort is suitable for beginners. 37% of the area is dedicated to advanced skiers including some magnificent open bowl powder skiing and 52% of the area is ideal for intermediate skiers.

It’s hardly surprising that Aleyska is becoming the ‘must ski’ destination in America.

I’ve OD’d a bit on one resort, but Alaska has many more to offer.

10 miles from Anchorage there is the Arctic Valley Ski Area. Whether you ski, snowboard, telemark, or snow skate you can find what you are looking for here. With its 500 acres of skiable terrain it is a very family friendly resort.

Here’s another something different: Mt. Aurora Skiland, the farthest north chairlift in North America. Although not a large resort it appeals to adventure seekers. Open weekends only it is probably unique in the fact that there are no snow making operations here. The powder will always be fresh and natural.

There are eighteen swooping, wide open intermediate runs and eight narrow, steep, and challenging advanced slopes. There are also 10 beginners trails located around the mountain. Family owned and operated this small resort has created a niche in the ski industry. Ski or board your heart out until the sun sets or until 5pm (whichever comes first) because there are no lit trails after the sun goes down. And if its off-piste exploration that you’re looking for then head on into the six outlined areas and try your skills out in  “Bering Straight,”or  “Cindy’s Hot Chocolate,” “Bob’s Bomb,” or the “Budweiser Rocks.”  that should get your heart pumping.

Fairbanks is the closest town at 21 miles away, so you are well and truly in the wilderness at this resort.

Eaglecrest, Hilltop, Moose Mountain, Mount Eyak are other resorts to look out for in Alaska plus the nordic or cross country ski resort Tsalteshi Trails Association which is located just south of Soldotna, on the Central Kenai Peninsula and has over 15km of groomed trails.

And then there’s the famed heli-skiing.

Skagway, at the northern end of Alaska’s inside passage, is surrounded by an extremely jagged, glaciated, mountain landscape that includes the world’s largest non-polar ice caps. The mountains rise up to above 6,000 feet directly from the ocean. The variety of terrain from glacier cirques with a multitude of steep couloirs to open undulating bowls of heavenly powder make for excellent skiing and riding.

These mountains get the greatest annual snowfall on the planet, neighboring Mt. Fairweather receives over 1,000 inches of snow annually. The terrain surrounding Haines, Alaska is unique in North America, and offers world class climbing and skiing. Peak elevations in this region range up to 20,000 feet.

And then there’s the Chugach range mentioned in the Salomon video above. Some call it ‘the world’s most adventurous winter-sports playground’ and certainly Doug Coombs, who pioneered this resort, loved it. “We were infatuated with the Chugach terrain,” he wrote on his website.

It has an annual snowfall of between 30 to 80 feet per year and the regions’ maritime snowpack sticks to even the steepest faces. Cold air pours in from the Copper River Delta making the snow cold and velvety. Breathtaking knife blade ridges make for landing zones on peaks with elevations up to 6,800 feet — and descents up to 5,000 vertical. Not only are there steep couloirs and chutes, the terrain also lends itself to long ridgelines and big open bowls.

With more than 2,500 square miles of glaciated mountains to choose from this mountain range  offers the perfect combination of steep, ride-able terrain and abundant powder.

You’ll ski between 20,000 and 30,000 vertical feet during an average day. No wonder mark Abma, Mike Douglas and Dane Tudor were so enthusiastic.

Like peas and carrots the two go hand in hand…

Many of the extreme sports and challenges we write about are as much about the money they raise for charity as they are about personal challenge and achievement.

ATD (Across the Divide) is a company that was established in 1996 to deliver exceptional worldwide adventures, expeditions and charity challenges, and on this subject it has a 5-day fundraising trek which may well interest you.

Scheduled to start on the 1st October, the trip will finish on the 6th.

Jbel Toubkal is a mountain peak in southwestern Morocco. At 4,167 metres, it is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and in North Africa. It is located 63km south of the city of Marrakech, in the Toubkal National Park.

Minimum sponsorship is requested to be £2,050 and the whole trip is self-funding. This fundraising walk is part of the Just Events organised by ‘Across The Divide’s’ own UK based charity challenge called ‘JUST WALK’ which allows individuals to raise money for the charity of their choice.

There are several other events throughout the year.

North Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Toubkal in Morocco, is the challenge. The climb does not require any previous mountaineering experience but, at 4,167 m, reaching the summit is a real achievement.  The first ascent by Europeans was on 12 June 1923 by the Marquis de Segonzac, Vincent Berger and Hubert Dolbeau, but the mountain was almost certainly climbed by Berber tribesmen well before this date.

Not every day of your trip is climbing. You spend your first night in Marrakech and then get taken to the foot of Mount Toubkal the following day where you will have a 9 hour trek to the Louis Neltner Mountain Hut  at 3,207m.

Day 3 you will attack the summit from where you can expect magnificent views: views of Marrakech, the Anti-Atlas mountains and row after row of sharp granite peaks. You will then return to the hut for a second night.  The following day you complete the walk down and transfer back to Marrakech. Before you leave there is a whole day free for shopping … oops, I mean sight-seeing. The return to England is on the 6th day, and that’s the 6th of October.

If you want to take part in this expedition and raise money for your favourite charity, please go directly to the ATD site.

Want to do it but not sure whether your application will ever rise to the top of the pile? Well, if you’re quick you can submit your application HERE to become a Marshall for one day in either London, Barcelona or Milan this year and it will guarantee you a place in the 2011 rally.

Instead of hitching a ride you, too, could be the driver on your very own quest to get to Mongolia in an under-powered car with a bunch of other crazy people…

The Mongol Rally – an extreme adventure. There is no route – the choice is yours as to how you get from either England, Spain or Italy to the capital of Mongolia,  Ulaan Baatar. Several routes have been tried in the past and you can check them out here.

The trip will take you a third of the way around the earth in a  car with no bigger engine than 1 litre. If your car is LESS than 10 years old it can be donated to charity when you arrive in Mongolia.

The 8 – 10,000 miles will take you about 4 weeks – MUST take you about 4 weeks otherwise you’ll miss the party in Ulaan Baatar.

Obstacles in your way will include deserts, mountains, bandits and wilderness. This is, after all, meant to be the adventure of all adventures… and if there is no adventure then The Adventurists, organisers of this event and others rather like it, will have failed in their endeavour to bring spice into your lives.

In a normal year just over half the teams make the finish line in one piece and if your car really won’t go another foot then you can always try cadging a lift with another car.

So, what’s this about becoming a Marshall and what does it entail?

30 places will be available to marshal at Goodwood, 5 places in Barcelona, 5 in Milan and 6 at Czechout.

Marshals will be required to arrive at different times depending on which location they have signed up to. These details will be emailed out to the successful applicants but all marshals must be available all day (from approximately 8am – 6pm for Goodwood, Barcelona and Milan and approximately 11am – 8pm for Czechout).

Czechout – what’s czechout I hear you mutter in bemusement? Haven’t I clearly specified that there are only 3 departure points for the rally?

Yes, you’re right, but Czechout is the party that is to be held in the Czech Republic on the 26th July, 2010.

The Marshalls for London, Barcelona and Milan will be required for the 24th July.

Based on relevant experience stated in your application, some applications will be offered Head Marshal positions which on the day will involve leading a group of marshals in tasks ranging from traffic control and parking, crowd management, litter picking, helping put up and break down the stage and other aspects of the event and anything else the day throws at us!

Places will be allocated mostly on a first come first served basis, however if you have relevant experience (traffic cops, first aid trained, etc.) then please let The Adventurists know when submitting your application as there will be a number of places which will be given priority in this case.

Submit your application FAST – HERE

Here’s another teaser from the 2009 Rally:

To all you in the northern hemisphere who have packed away your skis and snowboards in mothballs for the next few months… well unearth them, blow off the dust, and prepare for the North Face Peak 2 Peak Southern Traverse event in July…. the event where individuals and/or teams of two to five people race by ski/ snowboard, mountain bike, kayak, foot and road bike from the top of the Remarkables Ski Area to the top of Coronet Peak.

We are, of course, talking about New Zealand here… and hey, July is summertime in the northern hemisphere and this event is MUCH more fun than lying comatose on a beach somewhere!!!

The course lies between two snow covered mountains, with steep gravelled and tarmac access roads – linking the ski areas, State Highways and tarmac rural roads, QLDC Reserve, public walking/cycling tracks, and the Lakes Wakatipu and Hayes and its aim is to link the two mountains – from the top of the Remarkables to the top of Coronet Peak.

This is the 17th consecutive year that the event has been held and it is open to individuals either man or woman, veterans or juniors and also to teams either open, business, schools or veterans.

The Race:

Stage 1: Ski/Board 2km
High on the Remarkables Ski Area. A mass start – run down to skis. Actual start determined by snow cover

Stage 2: Mtn Bike 17km
Down Remarkables road to Frankton Beach

Stage 3: Paddle 7km
Frankton Beach to Queenstown Bay

Stage 4: Run 9km
From Queenstown Beach, through town and out to Coronet Alpine Hotel

Stage 5: Bike 9km
From Coronet Alpine Hotel to the finish at the Coronet Peak Ski Area base

There are a few rules and regulations:

Ski: Competitors must be wearing a helmet (a normal snow helmet,bike helmets also accepted). Competitors must arrange for ski equipment to be brought down off the Remarkables. Note: competitors must go on the chairlift immediately after the briefing, before 11.45am.
Kayak: Kayaks may be dropped at Frankton Beach, with security from 9.30am. Life jackets must be worn on paddle section. Boats must have buoyancy installed. Helmets not required
Bike: Any bike may be used for Stage 5 up to Coronet Peak
Bibs: Non return of bibs will incur a $30 charge
Support Crew: Limited to 2 cars per individual/team. Snow chains recommended. NO Stopping on highways to assist/watch competitors, and restricted stopping (only in Chain Bays) on Coronet Peak access road. Please drive with care and safety at all times.

You can download the full briefing sheet here: Competitors briefing sheet

If you wanna do it and need to register, follow this link:  try Form

Last year the event attracted 50 individual competitors and 67 teams and was held in cold but sunny, clear conditions. Race Director Geoff Hunt said a highly talented field competed and there were some excellent individual results. “Dougal Allen was going to be hard to beat after taking the lead on the run. As the winner in 2007 he knew what was expected of him if he wanted to take the title again.”

Allan won again and was pleased with his win. “Conditions were perfect but skiing for me was definitely the hardest leg…”

The goal this year is going to be…. to beat Dougal Allen!

The event will be held regardless of the weather conditions:  come snow or shine, hell or highwater…

However, if severe weather conditions are predicted for the big day, then Southern Traverse, the organisers, will delay it until the following day. In case of a postponement, all race timings will remain the same.

I received this link in the comments section and have added it to my article for those of you wondering where to stay for this event: http://www.cardronavalleyvillas.co.nz I hope that helps…

There is nothing more extreme than the ultra-marathon I think. Sure there are some other amazing races – races where an athlete pushes his/her body right to the edge and then over it. I’m thinking of adventure racing here, but ultra-marathons still hold a perverse fascination for me. Why would anyone wish to do one?!

The answer is partially in my article of Monday where I wrote about RacingThePlanet and the completion of their Atacama Crossing event. At the end of the article I proffered a link to a page where some ultra-marathon athletes try to explain why they do  these marathons, and having done one, do another, and then another… follow the link above if you want to see it again.

Across the Divide is a similar organisation. They too have stupendous events around the world and their Namibian Adventure Race  24 hour Ultra Marathon, 126km long, begins 24th May and ends on the 31st.

This ultra-marathon is as extreme as they come. You might be fit enough to think that a 126 km run will be a challenge, but nothing more than than. However, it’s the Namib Desert that is going to be the biggest challenge to you and your body. The 126 km (78 miles) must be completed in 24 hours…

The race will take you through vast expanse of desert, across the endless space of gravel plains framed by distant ridges and mountains, past dramatic upheavals of granite inselbergs and all under the clearest of blue skies during the day and a full moon during the night.

Temperatures are expected to be in the region of min 5ºc / max 36 ºc – but could well be more extreme.

Contestants will be completely self reliant from the start of the race until the end, and will need to carry their food and equipment on their backs. However, water stations and medical tents will be provided at 21km intervals along the route.

Across the Divide has organised an impressive schedule over 8 days. Flight in. Acclimatisation. The Race. Rest and Recuperation. One day of nothing and home. However, I strongly recommend that if you are thinking of doing this race in the future, that you take a bit of time off and visit the other wonderful things to see in this beautiful country… Etosha, for example, a wildlife paradise, is not far from Swakopmund where the event ends,  and it would be a pity to be so close and yet so far …