Posts tagged: Trekking

Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra

The visit today did narrate the Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra. It’s a jungle so thick it blocks out the sun and they do not reach the ground. The park occupies almost the entire northern part of the island to the coasts. This natural park is named after Mount Leuser found within it. The usual practice here is trekking and backpacking hikers follow the trail above.

This center is the natural habitat of the famous Bengal tiger, rhinoceros and Asian elephant are in total freedom with what you have to go with caution, although rare sighting, an unexpected encounter with them could pose problems.

The route to explore this huge park is about 4 days, when it was summer, and heat is very humid there, it is impossible to wipe your sweat.

There you can find all sorts of botanical specimens, giant ferns; mosses, vines, and lianas … grow unchecked until his roof of the jungle, and doing that we have to climb in some places to get around this thicket that blocks the road. There are many insects, as might be expected, as repellent is essential.

For what we will not have insect repellent and if we have to be careful is with snakes, you should bring sturdy shoes and high walking through this area, we never know what can we tread. There are often plenty of leeches here.

Before entering the park should be stocked with water and maps … inside the park there is a stream, but should not drink any water before finding it to relocate, because dehydration is one of the biggest hurdles that we have in this trip.

One of the things we can see here with a little luck are copies of Rafflesia grow in this area … is the largest flower in the world … has a meter in diameter, we can find it because it has a characteristic odor of putrefaction … despite This is one of the rare examples that are rarely seen anywhere else in the world.

Although it may seem, this park features some rest areas, guest houses are usually made with reeds and where we sleep, latrines and other sanitary facilities are very poor, and the rooms are very simple , just a mattress on the floor.

But to visit this highly protected along with the ability to spot the trail of a tiger, which is complicated, but it never ceases to have the illusion … makes the entire trip and the effort to walk four days in this thick jungle worthwhile.

National Arts Festival in South Africa

The National Arts Festival (also known as Grahamstown Festival) is the second largest arts festival in the world. Each year for two weeks of July, the art is at its best: theater, dance, opera, music, visual arts, readings and more. I invite you to learn a unique festival that brings the great South African cultural spirit with each heartbeat.

The National Arts Festival is not a single event, but many. The National Youth Festival Jazz lover and Awards Standard Bank young artists are also part of this event.

It began in 1974 as a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, arriving today to be the second largest arts festival on the planet.

If you have the opportunity to attend the festival, you will see more than 120,000 participants for 10 days fill the “University City” (where Rhodes University) making a unique artistic display, a burst of creative talent nurtured by the most diverse cultures throughout South Africa.

Day and night without stopping, without interruption, you can enjoy live music, street performers, and walking tours, readings, etc. In addition, always never rest the endless craft markets, ideal to buy many souvenirs dating back to you once you experience the journey again.

The “green” city
Known as the most important tourist routes in the region, Grahamstown has a history dating back to colonial days, so it has an incredible display of Victorian style marked more than 40 churches, forts and other buildings.

It is also considered a “green” city because it has thousands of acres dedicated to nature and conservation of flora and fauna, you can visit with a guide. You will take an unforgettable experience.

Grahamstown is also a city for lovers of birds. Thomas Baines Nature Reserve is just outside the city, like the Great Fish River Reserve, and both offer a wide variety of rare birds that jaw-dropping.

For lovers of hiking or “trekking” is the path of “Oldenburgian”, which took two days to cover, beginning and ending at the gates of the city. Other routes are known and smaller and Gowie Dassie Krantz Kloof. Ask for them to locals.

A festival out of this world
The festival takes place between late June and early July so the weather is rather cold, because of that everyone wears coats, scarves and gloves.

It will see both foreign and native artists. The population of the city of Grahamstown is doubled for 10 days Imagine! Not for nothing is one of the biggest festivals in the world. Nearly 50,000 people migrate to the city in those days, hungry for entertainment, cultural entertainment, souvenirs and recreational activities.

Every hall or large room becomes a theater, with each park and sports field fit a traditional market and the whole city, which does not allow you to escape more than 500 shows ranging from opera, theater and jazz up comedy style stand-up “(monologue) and African folk music.

Eye young people and lovers of electronic music have their place in this festival so great. All the time there is a giant industry where rave parties are held to the sound of a punch-punch ending.

For the more exotic are the medieval banquets, where it all goes back to a bygone era filled with noble fantasy. You can dress up, dance and laugh until mad.

As you can see there is room for everyone. You can attend with children, engaged in activities including those between 4 and 13 years to learn the art and culture are protagonists. You will not regret.

All You Need to Know Before Trekking

The trek puts you in direct contact with nature, walking paths through the mountains, next to a river or in the middle of a forest. It’s a long ride but fun. So before you get ready for the long walk, find out what to wear, what level of difficulty of your route and some safety measures to be quiet and go off to adventure.

The trekking is a long walk in a natural setting, usually away from civilization. The idea of trekking is to reach those places that can only be reached by foot, horseback or bicycle, and is a great effort is rewarded with a goal: a waterfall, an amazing panoramic view, a hidden lake. The sole purpose is to know that place the end of the trail.

Trekking is an activity that emerged from the mountain. The mountaineers, who climbed the Himalayas and peaks of great difficulty, must first reach the mountain base where they spent many days walking studying what the best way to go. The route up the mountain was a journey in itself and not all were able to go up, or were in a state to do so. Thus was born as a separate activity.

Although it usually takes more than one day, you can go hiking for a few hours. The difficulty varies depending on terrain. You can do trekking combined with other activities like horseback riding, biking or rappelling. The trekking is quite enough, but with its rules. Learn everything you need to know before trekking:

Difficulties

Most of the time the trek is done through trails, roads and valleys. Although the paths may be blurred, the most important challenge is the location of the path but the human effort required to reach the end of the road. In trekking there are 4 levels of difficulty and all walks properly marked to indicate what level correspond:

* Difficulty No. 1
Son walks free of small and large steep slopes. The paths are well defined and the end of the road tends to be a lookout. No experience is needed to make this trip. They are short and easy hike on good trails and a low altitude, with an appropriate infrastructure for walkers and good signage.

* Difficulty No. 2
It is an adventure, a little longer with some challenges in the road. The trail difficulty is still low, but may be at higher altitude (5,500 meters above sea level). The route has an infrastructure and appropriate signs. The highest mountains are already closely.

* Difficulty No. 3
It is a walk with a more ambitious path and steep, more than 5,500 meters. The road is seen in some sections can be blurred and difficult to follow the trail that at times crosses rivers and crosses or other difficulties. Mountaineering experience is required.

* Difficulty No. 4
It is a very difficult trek, where they are sometimes combined with hiking and climbing at altitudes higher than 5000 m and no infrastructure.
On High Mountain environment is, in uninhabited areas. You must have experience in mountaineering rope and appropriate equipment.

Who can trek

The type of people who can practice trekking varies with the level of difficulty of the trail. In a Level 1 trekking do not require fitness, but walkers must provide several hours of hiking with some uphill sections. Not recommended primarily for people with respiratory or heart problems and pregnant women.

Trekking Level 2 is required some physical training. Being a long journey that can last several days, the walker must have resistance. For trekking Level 3 and 4 is important to have previous experience and be in good physical condition.

A weighty matter
Note that the duration of the activity, you must carry a team for the night, feed, take shelter and water. When preparing the pack keep in mind that will bear the burden for hours. That’s why your team should be light. Take only the essentials.

The team
When hiking is only a few hours at a difficulty level 1, the computer is essentially a bottle of water, shelter (according to season and location) and refreshments. However, as we progress in difficulty, we will need more items. A hiking backpack is essentially complete 10 things you can not miss:

1. Food and water to withstand the days that the trip, providing extra precaution.
2. Mostly comfortable clothes, a raincoat and overcoat.
3. Flashlight or lantern.
4. First aid kit.
5. Fuel and elements to start a fire.
6. Matches.
7. Knife or knife.
8. Sunglasses and sunscreen.
9. Compass or GPS.
10. Updated the road map

Security
Many of the safety rules for hiking are based on having a little common sense. However, it is good to remember to avoid problems or accidents:

* Do not start any tour if you’re not sure you support the level of difficulty.
* Bring the right equipment. Even when they are in a difficult way, do not forget to bring water and a snack.
Alerts the rangers * for the difficulty of the path requires.
* Find out about dangerous animals in the area.
* Calculate the travel time, taking into account that the round trip may have a different duration depending on the slope of the trail.
* If the trek lasting several days and you can access natural water purifier is to avoid carrying extra weight during the entire trip.
* If this is your first time on a difficult trek, be sure to get an experienced guide.
* When the path is not well marked, turns your GPS or compass and map. Do not trust your intuition: is it safe.

Philosophy walker
Trekking is an experience that puts you in direct contact with nature. There is weakness and smallness of man before the imposing landscape. Only we can make these sites remain as they are. Care for the environment and follows the philosophy of LNT (Leave No Trace: Leave No Trace), who intends to take a conscious attitude while traveling, including keeping the waste to throw enabled sites and avoiding a fire in fire-prone areas.