Archive for the 'Glacier' Category
On Friday , September 16 we boarded the 6:45 Coastal Classic Train at the Anchorage train station. The three hour jouney follows the coastline south of Anchorage, with occasional sightings of Beluga whales out the window ! The train then traverses the mountains of Chugach National Forest before arriving at Seward. At Seward it was a short walk to the dock.
We boarded the Coastal Explorer , a sturdy sightseeing craft operated by Kenai Fjords Tours. For the next six hours we explored the northernmost points of the Pacific Ocean, at 60 Degrees North.
Looks like Hawaii, but with snow. Last winter’s snow still on upper slopes with new snow starting soon.
American Bald Eagle in Seward Harbor.
Otter playing and hunting for fish.
Seals relaxing on a warm ( for them ) 40 degree day.
Blue ice from Glacier to Ocean.
Incredible Oceanic Geology.
Glacial Closeup.
Fishing village near Seward.
On Month From Today – TotalAdventure will board an Alaska Railroad train from Anchorage for a National Parks Adventure. Our group – the guests of the Railroad and the Alaska Tourism Corporation will fly with K2 Aviation over glaciers in Denali National Park, and Zipline with Denali Zipline Tours . We’ll then travel by luxury train to Seward and on to Kenai Fjords National Park where we will board a glacier and wildlife cruise. Our group will also hike back country at Exit Glacier . Later on the third day we board the Glacier Discovery Train to kayak and ice climb with Ascending Path on the Spencer Glacier. Our final night is at Alyeska Resort.
The National Park Adventure leads up to this years’s Adventure Travel World Summit , starting on September 19th in Anchorage , Alaska. The Summit, with leaders of the world’s top adventure travel companies, is in an exciting new location every year – in the recent past – Chile,Ireland,Namibia,Switzerland,Mexico,Canada,Brazil,Norway and Seattle.
More updates as the adventure approaches. During the trip TotalAdventure will have daily post,videos and photos.
Crossing North Iceland from Egilsstaðir to Akureyri was slow going as a blizzard struck in the mountains. The landscape was literally torn apart by volcanoes and earthquakes over many millennia. We also crossed from Europe to North America, as this is where the Eurasian and North American plates meet on the MId Atlantic Ridge.
Courtesy BBC.
Cold beyond imagination.
Icy.
Country Church.
Whiteout.
City Church. Akureyri 65.68 North.
For adventures in Iceland, CLICK HERE
Today ArcticTropic climbed Vatnajökull Glacier – the largest in Europe. Winds gusted as high as 65 mph ( 110 kph) but we held steady thanks to icepicks and crampons supplied by our guide.
Ice Cave.
Looking up into Springtime Arctic skies.
Corn surface – good for climbing.
In 1900 , when the current warming period began . the mountain behind us was covered in the glacier, it was not even visible The very elderly of the community remember that time. . While it snows more on the mountain tops, the weight pushes the ice faster down the moraines where it melts into the ocean. When the Vikings came in 900 to 1000 AD , it was a warm period and there was almost no ice. 1600 – 1900 was a mini Ice Age with rapid ice accumulation. Yesterday’s report on growing glaciers in the area was incorrect.
At day’s end -caviar – $ 3 per jar.
Sunset in Höfn,where we are spending the night.
For adventures in Iceland, CLICK HERE
ArcticTropic drove East along Iceland Route 1 for about 200 km today. While only about 125 miles, it was long day because of the incredible amount of nature to experience.
Glaciers flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
Black Lava Sand Beach At Vik.
River of Ice. Recent winters have gotten colder and the glaciers are expanding.
Icy Iceland Beach.
On The Moon ?
During the 2 hour sunset.
For adventures in Iceland, CLICK HERE
From Europe,to Asia back to North America, British Columbia was the last stop on ArcticTropic’s Round The World Adventure. After a long flight from Tokyo,via Manila , we settled into Vancouver to readjust to North American life, then ventured North of the city.
Fjords begin just out of Vancouver and stretch thousands of miles up into Alaska.
Glaciers overlook the Pacific.
A young Miamian enjoys the summer snow.
Mysterious life forms in the rainforest.
Road signs in First People’s Native Language of Tsihqot’in.
Enjoying the northern sunshine.
Back across the Date Line.
And finally – Home !
For adventures in Canada, CLICK HERE
Today’s Day of Adventure took us 3020 Meters ( 10000 feet) to the top the Engelberg Glacier. After donning crampons and harnesses we rappelled 15 meters inside a vertical cave in the ice.
It was difficult to shoot and hang on to the line at the same time. Reminder to get the GoPro !
The scenery is incredible.
We then climbed up a 15 meter ice wall in a crevas. My first time !
Rappelling down is easy;
The Engelberg Glacier never melts. Today’s temperature was in the 20s F ( -5 C) while in the valleys below it was in the 60s.
ArcticTropic flies by Cerro Aconcagua, 22841 ft , 6962m, the highest mountain in the Western HemisphereLast Friday,February 3, ArcticTropic was returning to Chile after business meetings in Argentina. The Mendoza to Santiago flight was on a midsummer’s day. One can see the Argentina – Chile border post on the highway below, then Portillo Ski area in Chile, beside the bright blue Lago de Las Incas.
The Wakhan Corridor is a panhandle shaped territory that serves as a buffer zone between Tajikistan,Pakistan and China. According the the New York TImes, it is the “safest’ part of Afghanistan , meaning there no warfare because the area is not strategically important to the warring factions in other parts of the country. Mountains top the 24,000 foot range and the first snow falls in August. Noshak is the highest at 24,580 feet.
Obviously the area is extremely hard to reach. Kabul based Great Game Travel offers 11 day trips beginning at about $6000 per person in a small group.
From the Great Game website : ” You will be met at the Ishkashem border and from there you will drive for 2 days to Sarhad. From there, we leave behind our 4×4 vehicles, and trek with Yaks and horses into the heart of the Wakhan corridor, taking a circle route around the Big Pamir knot, before ending up again in Sarhad. From there we backtrack to Ishkashem.
This tour can be combined with the Afghan Adventurer trip to Bamiyan and Balkh or Afghan Explorer trip that includes Herat as well. You can also combine it with trekking in the Fann Mountains (Tajikistan) or with a jeep tour to north Tajikistan/Uzbekistan or along the Pamir Highway to Kyrgyzstan”
An ArcticTropic friend,Tom Stires, took this shot of Reykjavik Harbor last Saturday morning.The first snow of the season dusts the hills overlooking the city. Iceland , only four hours from New York, makes an ideal getaway for a long weekend. One can stay in town and take day excursions to glaciers,volcanoes and geysers. The nightlife is also great – and in just a few weeks – the nights will be 22 hours long.