.All Trips / Argentina / South America

Nowhere is a Place. Visiting Patgonia, 4) El Chalten, Argentina

22 El Chalten 2014 (186)

Our next stop in Patagonia is the small town of El Chaltén in Argentina.  This town rests in the rain shadow of the massive spires of the Patagonian Andes and is a dry, windy and cool place.

The region around El Chaltén is part of Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is very remote.  It is usually reached by taking the bus or driving from El Calafate some 220 km to the south, El Calafate itself a remote town which we’ve previously discussed here.

The town resides in a glaciated valley adjoining the Rio de las Vueltas. The most dramatic aspect of El Chaltén is the beautiful mountains that frame it to the west, including the amazingly steep and narrow spire …

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.All Trips / Africa / Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro (Part 1) Ascent to Shira

A Trek up Mount Kilimanjaro 1) Ascent to Shira

Mt. Kilimanjaro has fascinated me ever since I read Ernest Hemingway’s classic novella, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro“.  Little did I know as a schoolboy that I would one day walk its slopes.  As it turned out my journey to the Roof of Africa was one of my greatest travel experiences.

Some facts about the mountain:  At 19340 feet (5895 m) above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa.   Even though the mountain is near the equator, it’s so tall the summit is always covered by ice and snow (“Kili” means cold.); this snow-pack is an important source of water for the foliage and animals living around its base.  The lower slopes …

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