Tag: mountains

Whistler: skiing and biking

.Reading time 6 minutes.

“The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world.”  
Georges Simenon

Valley Trail in Whistler

Whistler Village is only a couple of hours drive north of Vancouver in Canada and it’s such a fun place to visit, especially if you love spending time outdoors. The Village is located at the foot of two beautiful mountains – Whistler and Blackcomb – and there are several gondolas and chair-lifts operating throughout the year to take you onto the mountains (with a few less operating during off-peak season).

I’ve been to Whistler in both seasons and have gone skiing, biking and hiking here. In this week’s blog I’ll talk about my skiing and bike riding experiences, while next week I’ll share an amazing hike from Whistler summit.

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Vancouver: Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Lynn Canyon

.Reading time 7 minutes.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau

Capilano Suspension Bridge

This week I’m continuing my tour of some of my favourite places in Vancouver, but I’m heading away from downtown and across the Lions Gate Bridge to West and North Vancouver. Here you’ll find some great recreation areas including Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Lynn Canyon Park. 

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Farewell 2013

.Reading time 7 minutes.

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

On New Year’s Eve I tend to reflect on the last 12 months (that have flown by way too quickly). Then I make some half-hearted resolutions to welcome the New Year. My main thought last year was to make sure I kept writing this weekly blog, which I managed quite well. The exception was during my overseas travels when I didn’t have easy access to a computer. Clearly, I’m not up to date with the latest technology – and probably never will be – so it’s lucky I’m not a frontline journalist 😉

But I do get a lot of enjoyment from sharing my travel stories, even if it’s only a handful of people who take the time to read them. I love each and every comment; just knowing that my words occasionally move people or inspire them. For me, there is nothing better.

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Wilsons Promontory: Tidal River to Squeaky Beach

.Reading time 4 minutes.

“This is my carefree, this is my freedom – this is MY HAPPY.” Coco J.Ginger

Squeaky Beach

A couple of days ago, on the first day of the Australian summer, my brother and I took a Canadian friend on a lightning trip to Wilsons Promontory – so he could see a place that is very close to our hearts before he heads home. So, for this week’s blog, I’ve decided to take a break from US National Parks to share some photographs that I took a bit closer to home.

I think we (my family) must be creatures of habit because whenever we take overseas visitors to The Prom we always do the same two walks. We hike up Mt Oberon for the incredible views across the ocean, the peninsula and offshore islands. And then, if time permits, we hike from Tidal River to Squeaky Beach to get up close and personal to one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches.

But then, I guess, why wouldn’t we, when these places are so amazing?

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The Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Trail

.Reading time 9 minutes.

“You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted. To see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths.” John Wesley Powell

There’s a sign-board at the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail, which says: “Grand Canyon hiking differs from almost all other hiking. Here the easy part – downhill – comes first; the tough part – up and out – comes when you are already tired. You are responsible for your own safety. Don’t underestimate the Grand Canyon”.

When we set off, we didn’t have a plan for how far we would descend. But the ease of the walking was tempered by the knowledge that we did in fact have to go back up.

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The Grand Canyon: Rim Trail

.Reading time 3 minutes.

“The glories and the beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon – forms unrivalled even by the mountains, colors that vie with sunsets, and sounds that span the diapason from tempest to tinkling raindrop, from cataract to bubbling fountain.” John Wesley Powell

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon has been on my ‘bucket list’ for a long time and, this year, I finally made it. Words can’t describe what it’s like to stand on the crater rim or to walk part of the way down into the canyon, but what I can say is this – the experience surpassed my sky-high expectations. And that is no mean feat.

My first look at the Grand Canyon was from the Desert View Watchtower. It was late afternoon and the light was golden; intensifying the colours of the landscape. The shadows, in all the nooks and crannies of this remarkable chasm, ebbed and flowed, as the sun drifted behind the clouds and back out again. Then, further along the canyon rim, I walked from Mather Point to Yavapai Point – just as the sun was setting.

Have I mentioned that I love any landscape in the late afternoon light? It could be a rolling patch of farmland or a rusty car abandoned in field. There is beauty in everything at this time of the day. But here, an already awe-inspiring view was increased a thousandfold.

The timing of my first view of the Grand Canyon was perfect; a gift from nature!

Here are some photographs, which, like words, don’t do it justice. I think the Grand Canyon is one of those places you just have to visit, to really understand how amazing it is.

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Zion National Park: Angels Landing

.Reading time 5 minutes.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir

Angels Landing hike is in Zion National Park, Utah. It’s billed as one of the top two attractions in the park – and I’m not arguing, because it was the most spectacular hike that I did on my recent trip to the US.

The trail begins at the Grotto, meandering alongside the Virgin River in lower Zion Canyon. But it doesn’t stay flat for long, gradually getting steeper and steeper. This is a strenuous hike (5m/8km return) and, in summer, it’s likely to be hot. We were lucky to get started by 9am, which meant the trail was partially shaded on the way up. But, by the time we headed back down, the trail was completely exposed to the sun (and the 40-degrees-Celsius heat).

After about half an hour of walking, the cliffs loomed above us, seemingly impassable, but we could see people dotted along the trail. It’s truly remarkable that the National Parks Service were able to build a trail on these cliffs.

We followed a series of steep switchbacks and it was equally incredible looking up at the trail ahead or back down along the path we’d followed. Vertigo anyone! The view into lower Zion Canyon was also worth pausing for, and a chance to catch a breath.

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Zion National Park: Emerald Pools

.Reading time 4 minutes.

“All this is the music of waters.” John Wesley Powell, 1895

Zion National Park is stunning. Towering mountains rise majestically to the sky. The sculptured cliffs are multi-coloured; formed over many thousands of years by layers of mud, lime, sand and ash. It’s a desert landscape, but the canyon has been shaped by the Virgin River that winds its way through the valley. Of all the national parks I’ve visited in the US, this is my favourite. I was awestruck, just like the Morman pioneers and an early Methodist minister who gave some of the peaks biblical names – Angels Landing, the Great White Throne and The Three Patriarchs.

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The Grouse Grind: dangerous hike or Sunday afternoon stroll?

.Reading time 6 minutes.

“Personally, I’ve never been attracted to danger. It’s not my sort of thing. I am more attracted to pubs and cafes. The known, safe and comfortable world.” Bill Bryson

View of Vancouver from the top of Grouse Mountain.

One of the first things I wanted to do when I arrived in Vancouver this year was hike the Grouse Grind. But my brother, Ross, who I was visiting, cautioned me. Apparently, Outside magazine had named it as one of the world’s most dangerous hikes. Did I really want to risk it?

Of course, Ross was joking. He handed me an article from The Vancouver Sun, which basically labelled the Outside article as ludicrous and included some humorous comments from locals:

“In response to the Grind being called dangerous, Gary Ross tweeted “Blindfolded maybe”. And on Facebook, Eric Tran wrote: “There’s an effing chalet at the top with cold beer, and a gondola ride down.” Comedian and blogger Torben Rolfsen, writing on The Province website, joked that “dangers include spilling one’s latte, not bringing enough money for beer at the top, and having to call the North Shore Rescue helicopter if the gondola breaks down.”

To read the full article click here.

The truth is the hike is somewhere in between. It’s definitely a challenge. In less than three kilometres, the trail climbs more than 850 metres, and its nickname is “mother nature’s stairmaster”. You also don’t see many people chatting and laughing near the top; because it is a grind to get to the finish. But dangerous? I think not.

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Tasman National Park: Cape Pillar

.Reading time 6 minutes.

“All that glitters is not gold. All who wander are not lost.” William Shakespeare

Cape Pillar and Tasman Island

The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service have, for some time, been working on an ambitious project known as the Three Capes Track. This multi-day coastal trek will take in the towering sea cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula, including Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy, and will have a boat leg across Port Arthur Bay, and finish at Fortescue Bay.

My friend Mary and I were keen to explore the Tasman Peninsula while it was relatively unknown and somewhat wild, so we set off on a New Year’s weekend (a couple of years ago). On day one, we walked from Fortescue Camping Ground to Retakunna Creek via Cape Pillar Track. It was a short walk, taking us about three-and-a-half hours, climbing gradually across Consolation Hill and Tornado Ridge. The final half an hour was downhill to our beautifully located campsite, our base for two nights.

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