Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain standing at 19,340 feet, thats almost 6,000m. It is due to the extreme altitudes that Kilimanjaro is considered be hard to climb. Earlier this month Matt Cutts (the head of Web Spam at Google) climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro for Charity:Water.
Matt Cutts of Google Source: Flickr by Tony Young
As a bit of a tech geek I have known about this trek for a while, however to explain why Matt took on this challenge who better to explain than himself.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
There are many mountainous regions in Afghanistan and prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979 it was a popular destination for climbers and mountaineers. In May 2009 the new democratic government created the Band-e-Amir National Park which it hopes will boost national tourism to the area. It should also help to encourage the international community to take adventure travel and hiking holidays in the spectacular and remote countryside of central Afghanistan.
View Larger Map
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
The Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust are holding a 30th Anniversary Lecture called Boundless Horizons – Great first ascents achieved beyond Everest in the greater ranges. The talk will be given by their patron Sir Christian Bonington at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 3rd June.
The funds raised by the lecture will go towards subsidising young people on their Scottish and Alpine training courses. They provide a very worthwile service and thousands of students have benefited from their courses over the last thirty years. At only £10 per ticket it is a great opportunity to support the trust as well as getting to hear Sir Chris Bonington, one of Britains most sucessful mountaineers. For more details on the Jonathan Conville memorial trust and to find out how to buy tickets for the event see below.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
At 1,344 m, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Scotland and the UK. As such it is a very popular mountain for people to climb. It is often attempted by inexperienced hikers who have no idea of the scale of the task or of the potential dangers involved. Many people attempt the summit of Ben Nevis without taking proper outdoor gear.
Ben Nevis Escape Route
If you are planning to walk up to the top of Ben Nevis the first thing you need to know is the escape route from the summit. Regardless of the weather in the valley or on the mountain tops when you start your hike, by the time you reach the summit the weather may have closed in, resulting in near zero visibility. This has happened to me.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Google is constantly seeking new information which it likes to share with the online world. One of the best examples of this is mapping. Satellite images are available for all to see on Google Earth. Google Maps not only features maps and aerial views, but for many parts of the world we can see what it looks like at street level with Google Street View. An immeasurable number of miles of roads in western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the USA have been photographed at road level. This is done using cars with 360 degree cameras mounted on the roof. The Google cars simply drive around filming our roads and streets.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Mountaineering Ethics will help protect the Mountain Environment. Source: Flickr by dino_olivieri.
To coincide with
International Mountain Day 2009, the
UIAA International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation released their new code of
Mountaineering and Climbing Ethics.
The UIAA’s bold summary encompasses the thinking behind the declaration:
Stretch Your Limits, Lift Your Spirits, Aim for the Top!
The mountaineering and climbing ethics code encompasses the following twelve points, which I have summarised below:
- Individual Responsibility – Be responsible for yourself, for others and for the environment.
- Team Spirit – Support and encourage your climbing team members.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Bike and Ski at the same time!
The winter sport of skibiking, or skibobbing as it is also known, has been around since the 1950′s. A skibike is quite literally a bike with skis instead of wheels. Most of the other normal features of a bike have also been removed, such as the pedals, chain and brakes. Skibikes tend to be ridden down hill only and let’s face it, only a wuss uses brakes! Skibikes do have suspension however!
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Mountain villages are at risk from natural disasters. Source: Flickr by www.viajar24h.com
In order to improve the welfare of the indigenous
peoples of mountainous regions the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has initiated an annual
International Mountain Day. This year the theme is
Disaster Risk Management in Mountains.
Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, landslides and floods.
José Antonio Prado, Director, Forest Management Division, FAO.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Worcestershire Beacon in the Malvern Hills
At CheapTents.com we are always interested to hear from walkers, climbers and campers about what they have been doing and where they have been enjoying the outdoors. For example, Freddy Phillips recently got in touch with details about his wild camping expeditions. In this post, Steve Dempster praises his favourite walking destination: The Malvern Hills.
The Malvern Hills
– The Heart Of England’s Best Feature!
The Malvern Hills straddle the border between Worcestershire and Herefordshire, running in an almost perfect North-South line for some nine miles. Though of relatively modest height – The Worcestershire Beacon is just under 1,400 feet – and virtually surrounded by the town of Malvern and villages such as Colwall, there is a surprising feeling of remoteness once the ascent begins.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Ofcom, the Government body that oversees communications in the UK, has agreed to ‘roaming’ for emergency calls. This means that when a caller has no signal from their provider, the mobile phone system will switch them to any other provider’s emergency signal if there is one available.
This move will hopefully lead to increased safety on the mountains as it should increase the chances of being able to dial 112 or 999 from your mobile in an emergency. The move of course does not guarantee that you will get a signal as there are areas which are not covered by any operator.
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
