Tag: Travel

• Mount Roraima: An island in the clouds

  

  Mount Roraima is a tabletop mountain located in the deep rainforest of Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. It serves as the tripoint of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil.

  Mount Roraima forms the highest peak of the Pakaraima chain of Tepuis plateaus in South America, standing 9,200 feet with a 12-square-mile summit area and 1,300-foot tall cliffs. It’s no wonder that Roraima and the surrounding highlands look like islands floating in the sky on a cloudy day.

  Mount Roraima is one of the oldest geological formations on Earth

  A roaring beauty that dates back two billion years to the Precambrian era, Mount Roraima is often referred to as the lost world. Dinosaurs likely roamed this high and flat land, which remains rich in unusual species of plants and animals.

  At the top of the mountain are rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and caves, looking like a picturesque scene out of Jurassic Park.

  

  

  

  Mount Roraima is a tabletop mountain located in the deep rainforest of Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. It serves as the tripoint of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. Mount Roraima forms the highest peak of the Pakaraima chain of Tepuis plateaus in South America, standing 9,200 feet with a 12-square-mile summit area and 1,300-foot tall cliffs. It’s no wonder […]

  Wells Baum

  March 16, 2022

  Nature

  Mount Roraima, mountain, Nature, South America, Travel, Venezuela

• Impossible heights: Lighthouse of Thridrangar, Iceland

  

  Are you searching for your next getaway? There’s a lighthouse off the coast of southern Iceland that sits 120 feet upward on the highest of three steep rocks. It is one of the most remote lighthouses in the world.

  Constructed in 1939, the Thridrangar (Þrídrangar) Lighthouse, Þrídrangar means “three rock pillars,” is undoubtedly one of the most challenging lighthouses ever built.

  Given the swirling winds and crashing waves, climbing the precarious pillar to build the lighthouse must have been one Herculean task. The mountaineers climbed on top of each other’s backs to reach the cliff’s perch. There were no helicopters at the time.

  Today, Thridrangar lighthouse is only accessible by helicopter for service needs. The helipad sits on top of a jagged rock that sticks out to the North Atlantic ocean.

  

  

  

  Are you searching for your next getaway? There’s a lighthouse off the coast of southern Iceland that sits 120 feet upward on the highest of three steep rocks. It is one of the most remote lighthouses in the world. Constructed in 1939, the Thridrangar (Þrídrangar) Lighthouse, Þrídrangar means “three rock pillars,” is undoubtedly one of […]

  Wells Baum

  February 23, 2022

  Architecture & Design, Travel

  design, Iceland, Nature, oceans, Travel

• The beauty of Madagascar’s giant Baobab trees

  

  The Grandidier’s Baobabs (Palmate adansonia) are giant trees indigenous to Africa. Nicknamed the “mother of the forest,” this species of Baobab trees is predominantly found off Africa’s mainland in the island country of Madagascar.

  Baobabs can live up to 800 to 1000 years with their unique ability to act as water storage tanks. The trees can store up to 32 gallons of water in their thick trunks.

  The heart of many African remedies and folklore, the iconic Baobab is often referred to as the “Tree of Life.” Both the animals and locals tap the trees for H20 during the dry season. The resilient trees are also resistant to termites and fire.

  

  

  The 80-plus foot trees average a circumference of 108 feet and appear “upside down” since the tops of the trees look like roots. They also feature on a 250-meter path called the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar’s Menabe region. The tree is famous for producing surreal white, bat-pollinated flowers as well.

  “A Caliban of a tree, grizzled, distorted old goblin with the girth of a giant, the hide of a rhinoceros, twiggy fingers clutching at empty air and the disposition of a guardian angel,” once wrote the Australian novelist Ernestine Hill about the Baobab’s immensity.

  Unfortunately, baobab trees are at risk of extinction due to climate change, with more than ten thousand disappearing yearly.

  

  

  The Grandidier’s Baobabs (Palmate adansonia) are giant trees indigenous to Africa. Nicknamed the “mother of the forest,” this species of Baobab trees is predominantly found off Africa’s mainland in the island country of Madagascar. Baobabs can live up to 800 to 1000 years with their unique ability to act as water storage tanks. The trees […]

  Wells Baum

  January 22, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  africa, Madagascar, Nature, Travel, trees

• How Australia’s Lake Hillier gets its pink color

  

  Lake Hillier located off the south coast of Western Australia (Middle Island) is an iconic lake known for its vivid pink color.

  Scientists postulate that the lake’s solid bubblegum color results from the intermixing of Halobacteria and a salt-tolerant algae species called Dunaliella Salina.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Mitchell ~ Western Australia (@mkz.imagery)

  When mixed with salt-tolerant microalgae, the bacteria produce red pigments that create a stunning strawberry milkshake color. The chemical reactions between the salt and the microorganisms also make the lake ten times saltier than the ocean nearby. But the lake is still safe to swim in.

  There are 29 other pink lakes in the world. But unlike other pink lakes that morph into different colors, Lake Hillier — 2,000 feet long and 660 feet wide — retains its pink hue all year round. The contrast between the bright pink and dark blue ocean water is stunning.

  

  

  

  Lake Hillier located off the south coast of Western Australia (Middle Island) is an iconic lake known for its vivid pink color. Scientists postulate that the lake’s solid bubblegum color results from the intermixing of Halobacteria and a salt-tolerant algae species called Dunaliella Salina. When mixed with salt-tolerant microalgae, the bacteria produce red pigments that […]

  Wells Baum

  January 2, 2022

  Nature, Science, Travel

  australia, Lake Hillier, Nature, science, Travel, water

• Colombia is home to the tallest palm tree in the world, the palma de cera

  

  The tallest palm tree in the world resides in the Colombian Andes in Los Nevados National Park amid the Cocora Valley.

  Colombia’s national tree, the Palma de Cera or wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), stands nearly 200 feet tall.

  Colombia is home to the tallest palm tree in the world, the palma de cera 🌴 https://t.co/RENpMlzwRY
  
  🎥: TW/Jacob Mullins pic.twitter.com/m2xOs1I1op

  — Discvr.blog (@DiscvrB) December 20, 2021

  But seeing it is no easy trek — hikers have to walk through a cloud forest that extends six miles long. All the while, the wax palms shrouded in fog appear to be reaching high into the sky.

  Cocora Valley hosts some of the planet’s most diverse wildlife and surreal mountain landscapes — it’s no wonder it reminds people of a scene out of Jurassic Park.

  

  

  

  The tallest palm tree in the world resides in the Colombian Andes in Los Nevados National Park amid the Cocora Valley. Colombia’s national tree, the Palma de Cera or wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), stands nearly 200 feet tall. But seeing it is no easy trek — hikers have to walk through a cloud forest that […]

  Wells Baum

  December 17, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  colombia, Nature, Travel, trees

• Deadly scorpions invade southern Egypt after freak thunderstorm

  

  If you thought the plagues were over, think again.

  Thunderstorms in southern Egypt forced hordes of scorpions out of the desert into Aswan, killing 3 and sending more than 500 people to hospitals with stings.

  Sources say the black scorpions entered everywhere from people’s homes, cars, and buildings to inject them with deadly venom.

  The deathstalker creatures also uprooted trees and disrupted electricity across the area, causing schools to close down.

  Unfortunately, these freak storms are just one of the many causes of climate change.

  

  

  

  If you thought the plagues were over, think again. Thunderstorms in southern Egypt forced hordes of scorpions out of the desert into Aswan, killing 3 and sending more than 500 people to hospitals with stings. Sources say the black scorpions entered everywhere from people’s homes, cars, and buildings to inject them with deadly venom. The […]

  Wells Baum

  November 15, 2021

  Animals, Nature, Travel

  animals, Egypt, Nature, news, Scorpions, Travel

• Discover the wonder of Onekotan Island

  

  Onekotan is a deserted volcanic island in the northwest Pacific Ocean near the northern end of Russia’s Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk.

  The archipelago consists of two stratovolcanos at each end, Krenitsyn and Nemo, connected by a flat strip of land. Crater lakes surround both volcanoes.

  The 4344-foot Krenitsyn volcano on the island’s northern tip sits amid the wide Tao-Rusyr Caldera in Lake Koltsevoye, which formed following a volcanic eruption 10,000 years ago.

  Nemo’s peak rests at 3,343 ft, flanked by the curved shape of Lake Chernoye.

  

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Игорь Ожерельев (@ozherelev)

  Thankfully, landscape photographer Daniel Kordan in partnership with conservationist Vladimir Burkanov trekked Onekotan to give everyone a rare glimpse at the beautiful miracle of the Kuril Islands. Check it out in the aware-winning documentary From Kurils with Love.

  Onekotan is a deserted volcanic island in the northwest Pacific Ocean near the northern end of Russia’s Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk. The archipelago consists of two stratovolcanos at each end, Krenitsyn and Nemo, connected by a flat strip of land. Crater lakes surround both volcanoes. The 4344-foot Krenitsyn volcano on the […]

  Wells Baum

  November 11, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  Lakes, Nature, Onekotan Island, russia, Travel

• Aogashima Island in Japan is a volcanic phenomenon

  

  Aogashima is a volcanic Japanese island located in the Philippine Sea.

  It’s known as one of the most intriguing places globally for its unique structure and intense greenery. The island formed out of an active volcano’s crater and currently operates as a giant volcano with a mini volcano inside it.

  The 200 people who live there have access to the world’s most natural planetarium as the island offers a perfect view of the Milky Way.

  

  

  

  

  Aogashima is a volcanic Japanese island located in the Philippine Sea. It’s known as one of the most intriguing places globally for its unique structure and intense greenery. The island formed out of an active volcano’s crater and currently operates as a giant volcano with a mini volcano inside it. The 200 people who live […]

  Wells Baum

  September 27, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  island, japan, Nature, Travel, volcano

• Mount Bromo Crater, East Java Indonesia

  

  Mount Bromo is an active volcano located in the Tengger mountain range of East Java, Indonesia. It is also one of the most visited tourist attractions in the rugged Indonesian province.

  The views from atop the mountain are extraordinary, as one can see well into the crater and the beautiful countryside surrounding it.

  There’s also a 700-year-old Ganesh shrine at the edge of Mt. Bromo 7600 feet up made of lava stones. The locals believe that the idol God has been protecting them from a massive eruption for hundreds of years. The word “Bromo” comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.

  The Somma volcano last experienced a significant eruption in March 2019 when it spewed both ash and sand rather than hot lava. The crater is known to incur irregular eruptions on the bottom of the caldera daily.

  

  

  

  

  Mount Bromo is an active volcano located in the Tengger mountain range of East Java, Indonesia. It is also one of the most visited tourist attractions in the rugged Indonesian province. The views from atop the mountain are extraordinary, as one can see well into the crater and the beautiful countryside surrounding it. There’s also […]

  Wells Baum

  September 20, 2021

  Nature, Science, Travel

  Nature, science, Travel, volcano

• The colorful slots of Antelope Canyon

  

  There’s a colorful slot canyon in Arizona where the interplay of light and geometric sandstone create a remarkable effect.

  Antelope Canyon consists of an upper and lower section, aptly named Upper Antelope Canyon (The Crack) and Lower Antelope Canyon (The Corkscrew).

  Both parts exist on Navajo territory in northern Arizona.

  Wind and rainwater eroded and smoothed out the orange sandstone through millions of years. Flash floods, especially during monsoon season, are also responsible for rushing water into the passage through 120-foot-high canyon walls.

  After all, the Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is “Tsé bighánílíní,” which translates to “the place where water runs through rocks.”

  

  The Lower Antelope Canyon is called “Hasdest” or “spiral rock arches” in the Navajo language.

  The Navajo tribe converted Antelope Canyon into Navajo Tribal Park in 1997. It’s since grown into one of the most popular and scenic slot canyon destination in the American Southwest.

  

  

  

  There’s a colorful slot canyon in Arizona where the interplay of light and geometric sandstone create a remarkable effect. Antelope Canyon consists of an upper and lower section, aptly named Upper Antelope Canyon (The Crack) and Lower Antelope Canyon (The Corkscrew). Both parts exist on Navajo territory in northern Arizona. Wind and rainwater eroded and smoothed out […]

  Wells Baum

  September 13, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  Nature, Travel

• Climbing Austria’s Intersport Klettersteig aka “Sky Ladder to Heaven”

  

  Austria’s 140-foot long “Sky Ladder,” or “Ladder to Heaven” via Ferrata Intersport Klettersteig connects a massive gorge on the way to the peak of Donnerkogel on the Gosaukamm mountain range.

  Captured by adventure photographer Alexander Ladanivskyy, these insane panorama-ladder stairs (made out of steel cables) lie 2,297 feet above the ground and overlook Gosau Lake below.

  

  

  “[The Sky Ladder] is a challenge for the mind, but from a climbing point of view, it is actually one of the easier parts of the climb,” says the bridge’s designer Heli Putz.

  If you’re looking to make the trek yourself, blogger Jess Dales offers a first-hand experience of climbing the Sky Ladder. Word of caution: you’ll need some climbing experience.

  The Sky Ladder portion of the route is located approximately 2/3 of the way up the via ferrata. Although the ladder is only rated a “B,” and is not considered difficult relative to other sections of the climb, the exposure is intense and should not be underestimated. In heavy winds, or when others are on the ladder, the movement can be quite unnerving. 

  Jess Dales

  

  

  

  Austria’s 140-foot long “Sky Ladder,” or “Ladder to Heaven” via Ferrata Intersport Klettersteig connects a massive gorge on the way to the peak of Donnerkogel on the Gosaukamm mountain range. Captured by adventure photographer Alexander Ladanivskyy, these insane panorama-ladder stairs (made out of steel cables) lie 2,297 feet above the ground and overlook Gosau Lake below. […]

  Wells Baum

  August 28, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  Donnerkogel, ladder, Nature, Photogarphy, Travel

• The edge of the Earth: Australia’s Nullarbor Cliffs

  

  What looks like the end of the Earth is really just the end of Australia.

  The Bunda Cliffs of Nullarbor Plain, Southern Australia, form part of the longest uninterrupted line of coastal cliffs (62 miles long) in the world. They literally look like someone sawed off the bottom of Australia with a jigsaw.

  These limestone sea cliffs, which are 200 feet to 400 feet high, drop off into the Great Australian Bight, one of the most pristine ocean environments on Earth.

  Limestone caves started accumulating in Australia 50 million years before the continent split from Antarctica. The high cliffs formed as the seas receded between the continents.

  The razor-sharp cliffs also head 7 centimeters north every year, thanks to continental drift.

  PS: The Bunda Cliffs are not to be used as evidence for flat Earth believers.

  

  

  

  What looks like the end of the Earth is really just the end of Australia. The Bunda Cliffs of Nullarbor Plain, Southern Australia, form part of the longest uninterrupted line of coastal cliffs (62 miles long) in the world. They literally look like someone sawed off the bottom of Australia with a jigsaw. These limestone […]

  Wells Baum

  August 26, 2021

  Nature, Travel

  australia, Earth, geology, Nature, Nullarbor Cliffs, Ocean, Travel