The best places for solitude. Place of solitude
Extreme tourism today is the most “ tidbit” for many travelers, “adrenaline hunters” and simply suffering from a boring life within the stone walls of a metropolis. The opportunity not only to see with your own eyes the most remote and picturesque corners of our planet, to take breathtaking pictures of water cascades or columns of steam and boiling water escaping from the mouth of a geyser, but also to test your own nerves for strength - this is what unites modern extreme sports enthusiasts.
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Today, all kinds of tours and extreme entertainment in close proximity from volcanoes. And this type of tourist leisure is not limited to banal photography against the backdrop of a long-extinct natural phenomenon. Daredevils set completely different goals for themselves, which sometimes border on madness and set human life on the flimsy scales of “His Majesty Chance”.
Courage or madness?
Agree, not everyone will voluntarily decide on such a desperate journey, the mere thought of which causes nervous trembling in many! But with what “burning” eyes do those few who experienced their fate and still decided to make a crazy acquaintance with such representatives of volcanoes as Sicilian Etna, Hawaiian Kilauea or Japanese Fuji talk about what they saw! Undoubtedly, the memorable days, hours and minutes of this journey into the heart of the volcanoes will forever remain among best memories such brave souls. They will undoubtedly have something to surprise their children and grandchildren, encouraging them to repeat their exploits.
Myths and reality
The ancient inhabitants believed in the divine origin of volcanoes, and perceived the eruptions as nothing other than the “wrath of the gods.” Some tribes tried to calm the volcanoes by making thousands of human sacrifices to the pagan gods who lived in their minds and hearts. Others associated the eruptions with the approaching end of the World and tried to escape by leaving their inhabited lands.
One has only to remember the myths of Ancient Greece, in which the battle between the giants and the gods of Olympus is described in the most vivid colors. Zeus and his companions were able to defeat the giants and hid them under a thick layer of earth. It is they who from time to time try to escape through huge volcanic vents, without abandoning evil thoughts of enslaving the human race.
The attitude towards volcanoes has always been wary, and some of the processes that occur in its depths cannot be explained even by the best minds of our time. It will be all the more interesting to personally meet the most prominent representatives of this natural phenomenon.
Get on the road!
If you are not so greedy fantasy stories and the sight of a huge mountain with a crater at its highest point does not cause panic fear in you, you should definitely evaluate all the possibilities and advantages of such an extreme type of tourist holiday as a trip to a volcano.
What does your soul desire? If you are just a beginner extreme sports enthusiast, do not have invaluable experience in climbing steep rocks and are holding a safety rope in your hands for the first time, you should start conquering volcanoes with small and long-extinct ones. Once you get used to it a little, and even in the company of “experienced” conquerors of snowy peaks, you can take a risk and go to those places that are still kept at bay by a “sleeping” or even an active volcano. And believe me, there are not as few of them as it might seem at first glance.
What awaits you?
The process of climbing the volcano will give every tourist a rich set of vivid and unusual impressions. Colorful landscapes will be a worthy addition to your personal collection of photographs. Clean mountain air will undoubtedly be the best gift for lungs tired of the atmosphere of big cities. Well, smiling guides and local fellow travelers will be happy to introduce you to local traditions, customs and even legends. After all, not a single volcano can do without myths, which are diligently passed on from generation to generation.
But the biggest impression, perhaps shock, awaits everyone at the very top of the mountain. Exactly where there is a view of the bottomless crater of a natural phenomenon, at the bottom of which, quite possibly, a hot mixture of bright red or gray-orange color is seething. And the smell of hydrogen sulfide will be another reminder that this is not the most the best place for jokes and pampering.
Fujiyama
One of the most popular and beautiful places For extreme tourism, the Japanese volcano Mount Fuji is considered. This is the highest point, the height of which is 3776 meters above sea level. Today this volcano is officially considered inactive. It is noteworthy that the Japanese volcano has almost perfect shape cone Not many representatives of this natural phenomenon can boast of such forms. Therefore, the first thing tourists who find themselves in its vicinity do is take pictures of themselves against the grandiose backdrop of a Japanese mountain.
As you climb, you feel close to heaven. Here and there lonely clouds appear, which seem to be just a stone's throw away. And my chest swells more and more from the purest mountain air. During such an ascent, it is best to use the services of an experienced escort.
Mexican Popocatepetl
This volcano is considered one of the most active volcanoes of our time. Even today it is difficult to predict its behavior and even determine the approximate time of the next eruption.
In this regard, local authorities were forced to introduce some restrictions on excursions and tourist ascents to the crater of the volcano. Thus, a restricted zone has been established within a radius of 15 km from the volcano’s mouth, into which no person will be able to enter without special permission. This territory is part National Park Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, so you can still “knock out” permission. And, take my word for it, it’s worth it!
The volcano itself is conventionally divided into three zones. The lower, “green zone” is covered with dense coniferous thickets and is considered the safest zone for tourists. The middle one has a rocky surface characteristic of an active volcano, which smoothly turns into eternal glaciers. And the uppermost zone, which is located right up to the crater’s mouth, is not covered with glaciers, which indicates high temperatures and the proximity of the volcano’s mouth.
The best periods to visit the volcano are March-April and September-October. Firstly, it is during these months that the volcano’s activity strangely “declines.” And secondly, the flow of tourists is significantly decreasing. Although you may not be allowed in if the volcano decides to “wake up”.
Along the way, don’t forget to check out another local attraction. There are 14 monasteries located on the slopes of the volcano, whose history begins in the 16th century. There are many interesting facts about these monasteries, but let’s focus on just one. It was not for nothing that the missionaries who built them chose the slopes of the volcano. Thus, they wanted to show that they were not at all afraid of the eruption, because God was protecting them.
The volcano is located just 64 km from the capital of Mexico and can be reached by regular bus. The journey will take no more than a couple of hours.
Greetings from Sicily
One of the most striking, exciting and popular volcanoes in Europe is Etna, which is located in the eastern part of Sicily. The main feature of this active volcano is the presence of 4 permanently active craters. And, of course, one cannot help but appreciate the simply divine view opening onto the bays of the Mediterranean Sea.
Getting to the “Sicilian beauty” today will not be difficult. Having flown to Catania airport, tourists can transfer to comfortable sightseeing buses or rent a vehicle. Many travel companies are happy to offer extreme and exciting tours. You can go to the top on your own, but for safety reasons, it is recommended to hire a local guide who will save you from many possible troubles along the way.
You can arrange an unforgettable tour with a visit to the outskirts of Catania, wine ceremonies and villages located on the way to the top either in advance or upon arrival at the place. On average, excursion tours, which include visiting local attractions and climbing to various craters of Etna, will cost from 70 to 245 euros per person. It all depends on excursion program, time of year, number of people in the excursion group.
Feel the breath of the volcano, which a few centuries ago terrified the outskirts of Sicily, touch its warm surface and leave forever in your heart and photo album these vivid memories of meeting the European fire-breathing giant!
Puehue is a place for real extreme sports enthusiasts
Another interesting place from the point of view of active tourist recreation is the Chilean volcano Puyehue, which is located in the southern part of the Latin American state. This volcano is considered active and poses a potential danger today, despite the fact that it showed its last active signs of life in the 60s of the last century.
If you are a passionate fan of a special type of extreme jumping - bungee jumping, you should definitely visit this place. After bridges, arches, skyscrapers and other high points have been conquered, many extreme jumpers decide to test their fate and their nerves by jumping into the very mouth of the Puehue volcano.
1. Himalayas, Nepal, China. Even when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay proved in 1953 that the world's highest peak could be climbed, Everest remained synonymous with the words "climber's challenge" and "real adventure." Now every spring, despite storms, avalanche threats, biting frost and the difficulties of technical ascent, dozens of people - from thirteen-year-olds to the blind and disabled - climb to the top to set a new record. Despite such excitement, the mountain is still reluctant to be conquered by man, and those who have reached the very top have, in every sense, reached the top of the world.
2. Jump from the Eiger with a wingsuit. Translated from German, Eiger means “ogre”. An appropriate name for a “monster” almost 4 km high. A mountain composed of limestone, shale, gneiss and ice rises above resort town Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps. Its unpredictable weather, falling rocks and steep slopes have already claimed the lives of more than 60 daredevils who decided to climb to the top. But the northern slope of the mountain, famous among climbers, still attracts hundreds of people who want to try their luck. But it is worth noting that the last 1800 m remain insurmountable to this day. Now adrenaline junkies have come up with a new entertainment - wingsuit. Translated from English, this word means “suit with wings.” This sport involves not only climbing to the top, but then also jumping off it. Dean Potter (pictured) had the most exciting adventure of his life in 2009. Having climbed alone along the northern slope for more than 2 km, he jumped down. The flight took 2 minutes 50 seconds. This extreme sport is one of the most dangerous on the planet. But it has its own attractiveness - this is the closest step to fulfilling a person’s long-standing dream of learning to fly.
3. Surfing the waves at Shipsterns Bluff. To the distant South coast Tasmania is bordered by one of the most unpredictable and stormy seas on Earth. It is there that there is a place that is so hidden from prying eyes that you can only get there by boat or on foot through the wilderness, but traveling on your own will take about an hour. This place is called Shipsterns Bluff. Cold and restless waves, when they begin to rush in, rise to a height of two meters, but when they reach their apogee, the crest can be 6 meters high. Such treacherous waves can also be a real challenge for experienced surfers such as Callie Slater and Ryan Hipwood (pictured). After all, if you hesitate a little, a powerful wave will hit you on the rocky bottom. “The scariest moment is when the wave comes and you wonder if you're going to catch it or not,” says local surfer Charles Ward. “But once you catch it, you get a feeling of unreality.” And you forget about everything in the world except what you see in front of you.”
4. Trekking the Triple Crown. General length of three The longest American trails are about 12.5 thousand km. Enough to cover a third of the globe. This explains the fact that no more than a hundred people have completed the Triple Crown route. Trekking the Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Continental Divide Trails takes a few years and a couple of boots, but hikers have completed some of the Appalachians' longest hikes, such as the Cliffs and the Cascades. And as a reward, daredevils will get the chance to get to know the country's remote places, which are rich in a variety of wildlife. Between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, tourists can admire coastlines that are being hit high waves, virgin forests, snow-capped peaks, volcanoes, tropical jungles, geological deserts and a huge, vast sky that changes like the mood of a capricious beauty. This photo of the Bishop Trail in Sierra Nevada, California shows just one of the many views you'll encounter along the way.
5. Ski slope from K-2. After Everest, the second highest point in the world is K-2 (8611 meters). But compared to Everest, it is more remote, has more unpredictable weather, and, according to statistics, has taken more lives. Naturally, all this only attracts skiers and climbers, making the climb more desirable. IN last years the number of people wanting to go up and then ski down is growing. But there will be plenty of dangers on your way: fierce winds, avalanches and the risk of falling down - these are just the beginnings. American guide Dave Watson, who managed to ski 250 meters on elephant K-2 in 2009 (pictured), and Swedish climber Frederik Eriksson died in 2010 while trying to climb to the very top. So the conquest of this peak is still ahead.
6. Climbing El Capitan, Yosemite, California, USA. Like a fortress, El Capitan rises above Yosemite Valley. The height of the mountain is twice the size of the Empire State Building in New York. It was these impressive dimensions that haunted the early climbers and made the peak the cradle of American mountaineering. One of the most legendary routes is the Nose - a wonderful sight and a coveted prize for those who like to conquer peaks. The first ascent of this route was made in 1953 by Warren Harding and took 45 days. And in 1993, Lynn Hill furthered the mountain's illustrious reputation by attempting a free climb that had previously been thought impossible. Now, fast climbers manage to complete this route in a matter of hours, but untrained climbers have to spend three to five days climbing. You will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful crevasses in the world. Perhaps, for the sake of this spectacle, one should follow in the footsteps of the legends.
7. Crossing the Sahara Desert, North Africa. The world's largest sand sea, the Sahara Desert, stretches 8.5 million square kilometers across North Africa. The desert territory occupies a strip of about 5 thousand kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. This place lured many researchers who, despite sandstorms, hostile tribes, thirst and unbearable heat, wanted to look with their own eyes at this boundless dune, glorified in many legends and poems. And today there are adventurers who undertake to cross the Sahara on foot, on a camel or on a vehicle, taking with them huge reserves of all the essentials that will come in handy if something suddenly goes wrong. Only a handful of temporary nomadic villages are found in the desert, so explorers can walk through the desert for days and see nothing but dunes.
8. Set a new record for jumping from a waterfall in a kayak. Washington, USA. In order to attempt to set a new record for jumping from a waterfall in a kayak, you will have to do a lot of reconnaissance work, be prepared for the fact that it will probably hurt, and also believe in your own immortality. And yet, in recent years, it has been proven that most waterfalls remain insurmountable and dangerous, and those few daredevils who are lucky enough to survive such a fall really have something to brag about. “The motivating factor that inspired me to do all this was the idea that it was possible,” says Taylor Brandt, who set a new record in 2009 by kayaking from the 57-meter Palouse Falls in eastern Washington state (on photos). “I really wanted to do it and I thought I could do it.”
9. Descend into an active volcano. Vanuatu, South Pacific. In general, lava is best viewed from long distance. But not for such daredevils as the group of cavers led by Kiwi adventurer Geoff Mackley, who ventured 195m down the Marum volcano in the Vanuatu mountains in 2010. A unique video showing how a man in a heat-resistant suit descends to 91 meters above an angry boiling lake of lava has spread all over the Internet and many TV channels. It is quite obvious that the behavior of the volcano is unpredictable, and any kind of trouble can await reckless adventurers: toxic gases, high temperatures, rock slides and sudden explosions. But just because it's crazy doesn't mean it's impossible.
10. Climbing, swimming or surfing at the pole. Arctic, Antarctic. In an era when fewer and fewer places remain unexplored by man, adventurers from all over the world, in particular the Poles, decided to go literally to the ends of the Earth for new sensations. In recent years, the six-person expedition team has tried a lot: surfing the icy waves off the coast of the Lofoten Islands, which belong to Norway, winter period(pictured), a kilometer-long freestyle swim across the waters of the North Pole performed by Lewis Gordon Pugh, and skier Pugh Davinport led a whole team of athletes to ski in the Antarctic mountains, which do not even have a name. On these routes, explorers must plot their own course and choose their own goals. What drives such people to these distant lands? The desire to challenge the coldest parts of the world, the heady feeling of being alone for thousands of kilometers, or the innate desire of a person to do something that no one has done before.
11. Cross-country skiing on the Hahnenkamm track, Austria. Nowadays, lawyers would never allow a ski slope to be built in a place like Hahnenkamm. But in 1931, the organizers of the race did not pay attention to the little things that could later become the basis for many lawsuits, and boldly began to create what is today one of the most dangerous slopes on the planet. The track is about three kilometers long, has an amplitude of 853 meters and contains sections where the inclination angle reaches 85 degrees, which can puzzle even the most experienced racer. Of course, qualifying for this race is not so easy, and the best riders in the world are ready to break all their bones just to qualify. But just being a spectator at these competitions is also something else extreme entertainment. About 85 thousand Swiss and Austrian fans come here in the evening to get better seats, and during the race itself they wave flags, blow horns, ring bells and, of course, crowd around the beer tents. This is truly one of the most legendary winter bacchanalia in Austria.
12. Crossing the Amazon, South America. Despite obvious dangers ranging from dengue and leeches to jaguars and tarantulas the size of small watermelons, the Amazon River has attracted many world-famous adventurers. These include Percy Fawcett, Theodore Roosevelt and, of course, the legendary Indiana Jones. But today's adventurers continue in the same spirit. Briton Ed Stafford, who completed his 6,437 km journey along the mighty river in 2010, is the latest on the list. Nowadays, it is unlikely that you will go there for the treasures of the Incas or to find the lost city of El Dorado, which attracted adventurers, but here is the adventure " clean water"You are guaranteed.
13. Climb the seven peaks. Humans are perhaps the only species on the planet that responds to its own challenges and has visited the highest points of every continent. For example, on Mount Elbrus, Russia (in the photo), which is just asking to be conquered. Such ascents require impressive mountaineering skills, time, money and nerves. But those who managed to reach the top had the honor of sharing the glory with several hundred other daredevils. And although the first award undoubtedly went to Dick Bass and Pat Morrow in 1985 and 1986 respectively, the Seven Summits of the World continue to attract climbers of all stripes: from teenagers to grizzled elders, Japanese and Latvians, natives of Kuwait and Chileans. Probably the call of the mountains sounds in some commonly understood language.
14. Dive into the blue abyss, Bahamas. When holiday divers dive into the upper layers of the Bahamas' blue holes - flooded limestone caves - they unwittingly encounter one of the most dangerous dives in the world. After all, just below lies a whole kingdom of tunnels and passages, which consist of fossils and ancient formations. Few manage to navigate through the cloud of toxic gases to find the entrance and reach these lower tiers, where a technical glitch or wrong turn can lead to the death of an underwater traveler. But those who manage to see this place with their own eyes talk about entire halls filled with stalactic columns and littered with prehistoric human remains and the fossilized skeletons of now extinct crocodiles and turtles. These caves are another world in every sense of the expression.
15. Cyclocross from Alaska to Argentina. Between Prudhoe Bay in Alaska and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina there are 32 thousand kilometers of highway, two of the world's steepest mountain ranges and more than a dozen countries. Cycling that distance would take more than two years, making the journey less of a trip and more of a way of life. There are a lot of problems on the road. What is the cost of one tire puncture in some remote corner of the wild South American expanses or on a deserted highway in Alaska. But as a prize, those who decide to take such a trip will get to know the beauties of the entire Northern and South America, from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia (pictured), and meeting many different people along the way. “I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I wanted to see all these incredible places. “I knew that at times I would be scared, sad, lonely, and at other times I would go crazy with joy,” writes Dominic Grill, who was riding a two-seater bicycle and took passengers along the way to make a documentary about it. “But what I didn’t expect was such trust and friendliness from people. Over these two years, my faith in man has grown greatly.”
16. Circumnavigation by oneself. Magellan did not at all want to sail around the entire planet, he was simply looking for a shortcut to the spice islands. But now people are sailing around the world with a specific purpose, and lately there has been a growing number of teenagers vying for the title of youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world alone. However, the sea remains as treacherous and dangerous as it was several centuries ago, and there is always the threat of getting caught in a storm, during which a 38-millimeter wave will break the mast like a straw. Such a journey will bring you a true understanding of the world and the insignificance of our existence in it. Maybe that’s why luck in such an event is something less than a conquest, and something more than just the grace of the water element.
17. Swim with a great white shark, South Africa. Thanks to the success of the Jaws sequel, generations of otherwise brave people are deathly afraid of great white sharks. Only a few brave souls, such as Jeb Corliss and his team from Mexico (pictured), dared to swim next to the underwater predators without a cage and remained safe and sound. And these few realized that even though sharks are at the top of the food chain underwater world, humans are not among their natural prey. “We were swimming less than two feet away from her and she just swam past,” says Naos Nachoum, an underwater wildlife photographer. - This is incredible spiritual experience“It’s an unbearable lightness of being to see the beauty of such creatures.”
18. Take part in the marathon through Mont Blanc, Italy, France, Switzerland. Any run of 161 km in length could be called inhuman, and even the Ultra-Trail through Mont Blanc through the territory of Italy, France and Switzerland can make anyone go crazy. Get ready for a 9,144-meter climb, an hour-long run over boulders the size of a washing machine, and some devil-may-care descents. But there are also reasons that make runners move forward: this amazing views from Mont Blanc and the cheers of every village that comes your way. “When we approached the finish line, there were six rows of people lined up along the fences. They took pictures of us,” said Seattle marathon runner Chrissy Moel, who won the women's event in 2003 and 2009. “I felt like a baseball or American football star.”
19. Rapids of the Bashkaus River, Siberia, Russia. Even in the vastness of such a huge country as Russia, where you can’t find anything, the Siberian river Bashkaus stands out among the others. In remote creeks near the border with Mongolia, on average, the water level changes by 8 meters per kilometer. And so 209 km. Needless to say, it throws you up there, like in a butter churn, so no matter what, you’ll end up in a whirlpool or run into a sharp stone, or you’ll even crash against the wall of an incomparable, but no softer gorge. “It was the most difficult, but at the same time the most rewarding swim in terms of gaining experience,” says kayaker Sam Sutton, a participant in the 2010 Adidas Expedition (pictured). Sam was one of the few who managed to reach memorial plaque in memory of the six professional kayakers who died here in 1976. Under the slab lies the Book of Legends with the names of those who swam across some of the most difficult and dangerous rivers in the world and lived to tell others about their incredible adventures.
20. Complete the Hungarian Patagonian expedition race, Chile. This event is more like an expedition than a race. Teams must travel between four and ten days to cover 563 km, trekking through some of the most remote and wild places in Patagonia. There are no topographical maps, so race participants use satellite navigators to find the right direction as they walk, climb, mountain bike, or kayak. And the route changes every year. There is no time for respite, so many teams sleep for only five hours to buy time. But on their way they see places that few have ever seen: the mountain spiers of Torres del Paine, the expanses of the Southern Continental Ice Field and the stormy waters of the notorious Cape Horn.
