• LAVA Moderator: Shinji Ikari

Travel The MEGA Travel Thread!

cuba.

1181Cuba_11.jpg


Cuba-Lead.jpg


SculptureCheGuevaraCuba.jpg


cuba_diving.jpg


<3

...kytnism...:|
 
Dominican Republic for obvious reasons................................................IF I had a number 2 choice, then it would be Thailand for even more obvious reasons.
 
Even Glasgow has an urban/natural charm going on.

glasgow_4_comp.jpg


And I took this photo just outside of Edinburgh. Scotland is beautiful, but it's harsh.

2337_52968774394_1408009_n.jpg
 
My buddy and I from a couple weeks ago in Yosemite. Im the one with the dark hair.

DSC_0359_zpsfba8e9ac.jpg






DSC_0572_zps5ec68c9a.jpg






DSC_0514_zps23cff120.jpg
 
I'm planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail this year starting at the southern end around April 16th or so and making my way north over the course of 5-6 months. I'm quitting my current job next week and going back home to NC and I don't think I'll get another chance to attempt this for some time.

Any of you guys ever do a long term hike like that? I'm no stranger to hiking, camping, or the woods in general but I've never attempted a hike that is this long before. I'm really looking forward to it.

I hiked parts of the Appalachian trail as a teen but I didn't learn about Grandma Gatewood until much later. I loved it when I read that she said all you really need is a shower curtain and a pair of Keds.

I just did four months of day hiking around Ecuador and Peru--my goal now is to go back and do some backpacking in the Colca Canyon in Peru. The spine of the Andes in Ecuador in particular is so interesting because you are at these unbelievable heights but because of the fact that you are also on the equator there are often subtropical plants growing at these very high altitudes.

This is at Cruz del Condor in southern Peru where it is possible to sit 4,000 feet above the canyon floor and watch condors ride the thermals below you!


here are a couple more from that day:




This is a vicuña--one of only two truly wild cameloids in the Andes (the other is the guanaco). They will not breed in captivity and it is illegal to hunt or trap them for their wool, with the exception of the local indigenous tribes that are allowed to round them up once per year for one day.This annual legal roundup (Chaccu) is amazing, The people literally band together from all over to walk shoulder to shoulder holding colorful ropes between them rounding up all the small herds until they have as many as they can find herded into stone corrals, clip their wool and then let them go again. The entire weight of the wool from one adult vicuña is only 7 oz!
 
Last edited:
Hiking is so awesome! I rarely get to hike, but when I do, it makes me feel energized and accomplished.
I've hiked in Boulder (CO,) Mesa Verde, Garden of the Gods, and somewhere in Kansas, and I'm planning another trip to go hiking in Boulder sometime soon. Hopefully later in the Summer.
Where I went hiking in Kansas was my favourite spot. It was a forested area with a bike trail and a hiking trail, and there was a lake nearby. We hiked a little over a mile down the trail and through some hills, then climbed to the top of a hill where we got an awesome view of the lake. And it wasn't too hot, sunny, or windy, so the weather was perfect.

My first hike in Boulder was really impromptu, so it didn't last long, but my friends and I were hiking a trail along a creek and ended up trying to climb up a hill/rock formation thing. Since I wasn't prepared, I ended up falling and scraping my knees pretty bad. Also got a lot of sand in my shoes. But it was an adventure, and it was really fun. =D
 
Thats awesome herbavore, my uncle lives in Peru and Ive always wanted to visit him there but never had the opportunity.
 
I'm planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail this year starting at the southern end around April 16th or so and making my way north over the course of 5-6 months. I'm quitting my current job next week and going back home to NC and I don't think I'll get another chance to attempt this for some time.

Any of you guys ever do a long term hike like that? I'm no stranger to hiking, camping, or the woods in general but I've never attempted a hike that is this long before. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'd love to do that... I assume you have read Bill Bryson's book?

It's been a while since I've been Hiking... I miss it. I have rather fond memories of navigating around Cairngorm in near white-out conditions, very fun :D

My favourite area of the Scottish Highlands would have to be North West Scotland, around Loch Assynt. The hills don't even qualify as Munros (over 914m/3000ft) but unlike most Munros, they all come from almost sea level, so they look quite impressive.

View from the top of Stac Pollaidh:
...

...

The way down a nice steep scree slope:

...

The view, resting at the bottom in 25C heat:

...

Also another great area for hiking, the Cuillins in Skye:

...

All this was 5 years ago... I really need to get back out in the hills, so much more places to visit that I haven't seen.
 
Last edited:
Thats awesome herbavore, my uncle lives in Peru and Ive always wanted to visit him there but never had the opportunity.

Care, with your love of mountains you would be in heaven in Peru. Do you know exactly where your uncle lives?
 
^Lima

@ Alasdair

NICE! I'm gonna do upper falls this weekend with my girlfriend. It will be her first strenuous hike.
 
Very nice, I was at Zion and Bryce like a year and a half ago. Incredible canyons! Zion struck me as having a few slightly dangerous hikes if you don't have your own equipment.
 
OK, I could hardly wait to post these here after my wild-flower quest in Big Sur yesterday. Big Sur is one of the most magical places on the planet for me. Sometimes the colors are very muted by fog and sometimes the fog just swallows the whole world but yesterday the colors of the water and the colors of the hills were so vibrant that I kept jumping for joy-quite literally, like a baby goat LOL.






 
Top