mountains travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

 

The Mount Fitz Roy is one of the most majestic and ominous of mountain ranges in the world. The peak is located in the Glaciers National Park, Andes Mountains on the border with Chile. It’s one of the best places in South America for trekking and climbing. The Fitz Roy Mount is a popular for those tourists who are interested in risky activities. 

  It is composed by volcanic rocks as a result of enormous intrusion processes produced around 12 million years ago. The mount Fitz Roy is height of 3.405 meters above sea level, the third largest in the world and one of the biggest challenges for climbers all over the world. Mount Fitz Roy was first climbed in 1952 by the two French who reached the top on 2nd February. Glaciers National Park has been listed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1981.  
 When you visit the area of Glaciers National Park, don’t miss the Fitz Roy massif, Cerro Torre group and the gate of the Patagonian Ice Field, includes a spectacular glacier walk on the Cerro Torre glacier.  
  
     

Prekestolen, also known as Preacher’s Pulpit or Pulpit Rock,  is a 604-meter high mountain cliff above Lysefjorden. These valleys were created by icebergs that fell as they melted – it’s one of most spectacular fjords in Norway.

The climb takes two to three hours. There are some lakes, so you can refresh yourselves, some people even swim there. The top of the cliff is 25 square meters and almost flat, rise vertically 1000m over the water. These fantastic scenery of the surrounding mountains is one of those “must see’s” – it’ll stop your breath.
About 100,000 people visit the incredible Prekestolen every year.

 The fjord is renowned for its beauty and unforgettable views. When you see the snow-covered peaks of the mountains, wild waterfalls and blue waters, you might think you’re in a fairy tale. Geiranger Fjord, Norway, is certainly one of nature’s masterpieces.

The Principality of Liechtenstein is situated in the center of Europe, on the east bank of the Rhine River, bordered by Switzerland to its west and by Austria to its east. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. Liechtenstein is a country known for its winter sports, thanks to a lucky combination of mountainous terrain, frequent snow, and a surprisingly mild climate for such an alpine location.

The most popular sports are swimming, tennis, hiking, and skiing. Athletes enjoy nature with bicycle and skating tours along the Rhine, hikes in the mountain area and paragliding over the Rhine valley. Attractions include mountaineering and nature walks, the castles of Vaduz and Gutenberg, the ruins of several fortresses, and the numerous local brass bands and choirs, as well as the operetta societies of Vaduz and Balzers. The Principality offerings range from museums visits, whether to the Ski Museum, Postage Stamp Museum, or the Museum of Fine Arts with the collection of the Prince, to toboggan runs in the winter with a tasty fondue in the mountains afterwards.

The Principality is also an inviting place to relax, dream, or simply be lazy. Taste princely wines, enjoy breakfast in the middle of nature, look over the shoulders of potters, or let a birds-of-prey show take your breath away. But in the winter, the activities focus on the enchanting vacation destination of Malbun. The ski resort has 10 hotels and 6 ski lifts. Malbun continues to be one of the most expensive ski resorts in Europe, principally because of the high cost of accommodation – it has some of the best prepared pistes to be found in the Alps with skiing at up to 2,000 meters.

Would you like to treat yourself to a few days of relaxation and feel just like a prince? Discover Liechtenstein- winter or summer, on foot, by bicycle, on skis, or any other way.

Come along on a lovely ride to the top of the Untersberg mountain in a spacious cabin of cable car. During your ride, you will have magnificent views of the Rositten Valley and the surrounding mountains. From the cable station atop the mountain, you can hike to the Geiereck (1805 meters), visit the mountain climbers memorial or walk to the Salzburg Hochthron mountain (1856 meters).

From the summit , you’ll be able to see the beautiful Salzburg Lake District, as well as the ice-capped Hohen Tauern mountains. You will also if you are a seasoned mountain hiker, we recommend climbing via the Edersteig and the Toni-Lenz Cabin – and don’t forget to visit to the ice caves along the way! On the way down, hike by way of the village of Marktschellenberg, or via the Schellenberger ridge to the Dopplersteig path and down.

There are many legends associated with the Untersberg mountain. According to one legend, the Emperor Charlesmagne never really died, but instead is sleeping in the Untersberg along with his loyal knights. He will awaken, so the legend goes, when the empire needs him the most and when the ravens no longer fly around the mountain’s top. When this happens, Charlesmagn, the “Father of Europe” and his men will again come to the aid of his people.

It is important to remember that you are in high-alpine country and that you should therefore have proper clothing and shoes.

By reputation the second of Mexico’s beach resorts, Puerto Vallarta is smaller, quieter and younger than Acapulco. It lies in the middle of the 22-kilometers wide Bahia de Banderas (the Bay of Flags), the seventh largest bay in the world, fringed by endless sandy beaches and backed by the jungly slopes of the Sierra Madre. Once but a tiny fishing village, Puerto Vallarta is now a world class resort that has retained all of the quaint charms of the original village yet embodies all of the characteristics you’ve come to expect in a modern resort.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations – equally popular with both national and international visitors. Puerto Vallarta has been consistently voted by Conde Nast readers as one their top ten favorite international destinations for years. Puerto Vallarta really is the destination where Mexico comes to life, and there’s a little something here for everyone! Dozens of restaurants feature cuisine from around the globe. It’s a shopper’s paradise with traditional market stalls as well as designer boutiques, fine art galleries and handicrafts from every corner of Mexico. With several different environments close together, Ocean, Beach, Jungle and Mountains, there are many tours and excursions available in Vallarta. Vallarta offers championship golf, tennis tournaments, mountain biking, hot air ballooning and more for the active traveler! Where ever you are, there are tours for you on the water, the beach or land. Day trips range from a flight to a mountain silver mining village to a cruise to the island preserve of many endangered species, from booze cruises to dolphin and whale watching, canopy zip line tours, scuba diving and snorkeling, fishing, bay cruises, hiking, sailing and horseback riding.

The Blyde River Canyon Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa: The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon’s winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges dropping 800m into the riverbed. Beneath the Canyon the Blyde River also yields the unique and critically threatened Lowveld Riparian Forest, which now covers only 100 hectares in extent.

Blyde Canyon Country is characterised by towering mountains, deep ravines, green valleys, fast-flowing rivers and an abundance of wildlife, including The Big Five. Its scenery is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of bird life includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis. Just over halfway down, the swift-flowing Blyde River is joined by the Ohrigstad River from the west.

Their tops appear to have a hut-like rounded roof. Where the Blyde River (”river of joy”) and the Treur River (”river of sorrow”) meet, water erosion has formed one of the most remarkable geological phenomena in the country, known as “Bourke’s Luck Potholes”. Over thousands of years, surreal cylindrical rock sculptures created by whirling water.
The scenery of the 25 000 ha reserve is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of bird life includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis.

Enjoy adventure at its best at the Blyde River Canyon Reserve, where an abundance of hiking trails await your voyaging. Other enjoyable activities on offer at Blyde River Canyon Reserve include white water rafting, mountain biking, walking trails, luxury 4×4 game drives, golf, tennis and abseiling or boat trips on the Blyde Dam. The Blyde River has many opportunities for adventure activities such as river rafting, black water tubing, abseiling, rock climbing and scuba diving.

Only 35 minutes from Kruger National Park:This is the perfect family safari, offering wildlife nature conservation, cultural interaction, and adventure. On this Kruger Park safari you will spend time in Kruger National Park, Balule Private Game Reserve and enjoy activities at the Blyde River Canyon. You will learn about the plant and animal life, and how important each aspect of nature is. At the end of the day you will realize that plants, animals, predators and the insects are interdependent upon one another. The canyon is home to a diversity of plants and many animal species, including the Big Five, Antelope, Giraffes and Hippo. A number of plant species is endemic to the area, some only occurring on a single mountaintop. Predators include civet, leopard, serval, and caracal. Hippo and croc lurk in the rivers and lakes and the most distinctive of the bird species are eagles, buzzards, and falcons.

Popular activities in the reserve include fishing and hiking to beauty spots such as God’s Window, which offers unparalleled views across the canyon and the Lowveld. The town of Pilgrim’s Rest is of particular interest as a former gold-mining town between 1873 and 1972.