NYC Bicycle Share Coming Soon?

According to BBC Travel, a new bicycle share program is set to start in early August in New York City. But as with any large scale public project, delays are inevitable...

"The initial rollout will consist of 7,000 bicycles and 420 stations, peppered throughout the lower half of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens; the program will be expanded in the spring of 2013 to reach 10,000 bikes and 600 docking stations in total.

"An annual Citi Bike membership costs $95, a seven-day membership is $25 and a 24-hour membership is $9.95. No deposit is required, and members can make as many daily trips as they want, as long as they keep each trip within the time limits (annual members must return bikes to a dock within 45 minutes of pick up; weekly and daily members have 30 minutes to re-dock). Those who exceed the time limits will pay additional fees which start at $2.50 for the first 30 minutes but increase exponentially thereafter (remember: the idea is to share the bikes, not monopolise them). 

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20120725-new-york-citys-new-bike-share-program 

The Most Epic Road Trip Ever. 23 Years. 800000 Kilometres.

This man is my new inspiration. From the BBC: 

"Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall fell, Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine set out on what was meant to be an 18-month tour of Africa in their Mercedes Benz G Wagen. Now, with more than 800,000km (500,000 miles) on the clock, Gunther is still going.

The German former airline executive has travelled the equivalent of 20 times around the planet in the vehicle - which he calls Otto. He says he has never had a serious breakdown."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18910560

Subject to copyright. Photography by Gunther Holtorf and David Lemke.

Escondido Falls, Malibu, CA

Escondido Falls is a great day hike in Malibu and is accessible right from the Pacific Coast Highway on Winding Way Road. There's a small carpark on PCH. If that's full you can park right on the side of the PCH. To get to the trailhead, you walk down the road past the multi-million dollar mansions and in about 10-15 minutes you'll see a sign and a path on the left that slopes down the hill. At the first two path junctions take a left and you'll reach a small waterfall with a refreshingly cool pool of water underneath it. It's too shallow to swim in and due to all the rocks it's a bit tricky to get into the water but it feels great to put your head underneath the falls on a hot day. From here, there are several paths leading further up. The easiest one is on the right and rises gently at first then gets very steep. Once you climb up and through the boulder crevice you find yourself on a very small rock ledge which fronts a 20+ metre drop. I have to admit, it's a bit unsettling if you don't like heights but the view of the falls a bit further up from this point is awesome. From here there is a web of tracks that aren't signposted so you have to do a bit of path finding but almost all the trails invariably lead to the top of the hill.

On the way down, you have to press your back against the smooth side of the boulder crevice while pressing your hands and feet on the other wall. Think of walking on all fours...vertically. It's actually not as hard as it first seems but be sure to wear a shirt for this bit. And be ready to use your hands for the very steep descent back into the forest from here. Remember the easy path going up I mentioned earlier? It's important to keep left and try to take this path back down to the smaller falls. If you take one of the other routes like we did you'll have to find your way down some near vertical rock faces which you definitely don't want to fall off of unless you don't mind breaking a bone or two.

The Louvre Pyramid

The Louvre Pyramid serves as the main entrance to the museum and also makes for a nice juxtaposition to the rest of the palatial building and grounds. It's basically a glass and metal (steel?) pyramid sitting in the middle of the main courtyard to the complex. Unsurprisingly, there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding it when it was introduced. However, it has since become quite popular with the hordes of tourists that visit the museum each day. If you stand on one of the concrete blocks near the roundabout it's easy to get of a photo of yourself touching the tip of the pyramid, similar to the one everyone takes when they go to the Taj Mahal.

Tour of Mont Blanc, Days 6 and 7

Day 6

Glacier du Trient

After an outstanding breakfast at Relais Arpette, we headed for Fenetre Arpette (2665m). The track started off at a relatively gentle slope but soon started ascending sharply. Stepping carefully across snow traverses, skipping across boulder fields, and treading up the switchbacks of the track, I finally reached the top of the mountain pass. Exhausted and happy to be done with it, I stopped to have the takeaway sandwich purchased from the refuge, take some snaps with John, then proceeded down the steep path to the bottom of the valley. On this particular day, we passed or crossed paths with several large trekking groups. All of them were informed of the etiquette of letting faster walkers pass but unfortunately a few solo walkers we came across were not as well versed and pushed on without even looking up, in one case almost leading to a collision.

After a long and seemingly never-ending descent we reached the popular Chalet du Glacier Buvette. We stopped for another meal there before carrying on up to Refuge Les Grandes. The path from the valley floor to the refuge ascended 600m. The weather was sunny and warm so the way to the top was a very sweaty one. As usual, John beat me to the refuge, this time by 15 minutes. He's a machine! We refilled our water bottles, took a few snaps, then carried on to Col de Balme. According to some other trekkers we met, the refuge there is said to be haunted by a witch. I guess we'd find out soon enough...

Shouldn't have tried to cross this one...

The walk to de Balme was fairly short but consisted of an undulating path which included one tricky snow traverse. As we approached one guy was attempting to cross it and nearly made it but slipped and slid down the face of it (about 20 metres). He slid down slowly and came to a complete stop once he reached the gravelly bottom. John made it across slowly and with the help of his trekking pole. I misheard him when he yelled over from the other side "don't do it!" and made an attempt at the crossing. About 5 steps in I realized that it was far too dangerous and tried to step back but it was too late. I was on the especially steep part of the mountain face and slid down at very high speed. When I hit the bottom it wasn't a gentle stop; I tumbled over one or two times before landing on my bum. After catching my breath, a quick check revealed that I luckily hadn't broken any bones and merely had a few cuts and scrapes. I was very lucky.

After walking down a bit to retrieve my water bottles I walked back up onto the main path to rejoin John and we reached Col de Balme. Strangely enough, there wasn't a single trekker at the refuge. It was a bit dark and unwelcoming but after what just happened I just wanted to stop for the day. But for some strange reason they didn't allow camping so we carried on to Le Tour. The explanation was that since we were still in Switzerland it wasn't allowed.

It was a quick 45 minute descent to Le Tour and we settled into the CAF refuge there. It was clean, well-run, and full of trekkers and climbers. Would highly recommend it. Dinner, breakfast and camping cost about EUR 22. Demi-pensione in the dortoir cost about EUR 39. All in all, it was a good deal. We had a great dinner, some wine, and good company.

Day 7

Lac Blanc

After a hearty breakfast, we set off for Lac Blanc. After about a 30 minute descent we reached Tre-le-Champ and from here it was all uphill to Lac Blanc. We reached some very steep areas where we had to climb metal ladders or traverse narrow rock faces with the help of metal railings to hold on to. It wasn't exactly nerve-racking but I'm sure some people felt uneasy about it. After a couple of hours we reached our destination and stopped for a cup of tea. The view of Mont Blanc from here is truly amazing and was well worth the detour.

From Lac Blanc to Le Brevent we took a series of variantes that saved us from having to descent to the valley floor. Our first stop was at L'Index where we stopped to have lunch. There was a picnic table and bench that suited us perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed my takeaway lunch from the refuge in Le Tour. The only downside to this spot, however, was that there was no toilet nor a place to get water.

After lunch we accidentally took a double variante and ended up on a narrow high path that involved some serious rock scrambling that honestly made me feel a bit uncomfortable mainly due to the sheer drop if I made a mistake. I took my sweet time and made it through that section and we linked back up to the main track. It wasn't anything ridiculously dangerous but since I didn't have any ropes or equipment just didn't feel at ease. Back on the main track we went up and down past a few cols before finally reached Le Brevent. Along the way we came across a baby and mother Ibex. That was pretty cool.

View of Mont Blanc from Le Brevent

At Le Brevent, they were just closing up the restaurant and cable car. Unfortunately for us they didn't have any potable water so we had to pay EUR 3 for a 500ml bottle of water. We were running very low and still had about an hour to go so we had no choice but to cough up the money. We took a couple of pics at the top to commemorate John's completion of the TMB and then descended down to Refuge Bellachat. I was 100% ready to settle in after a long day but unfortunately the refuge was full!! They had no space for me at all so I had to carry on to Les Houches, another 2.5 hours down. On the bright side, there was a toilet at the refuge (I really had to go) but much to my chagrin it was a squat toilet. Using a squat toilet to poop after 8 hours of hiking was probably the hardest part of the TMB.

I was told I had to hurry down cause the manager of Gite Michel Fagot in Les Houches was waiting for me to arrive before he left for the day. I dashed out of Bellachat without looking at the signs and about 45 min later I realized I had gone the wrong way. The path I took was leading me straight down towards Chamonix but I didn't have the time nor energy to go back up and get on the right path. I tried to go west as much as I could and ended up in Les Bossons and conveniently found an easy path along the river Arve to Les Houches. After an extremely long day, I finally reached Les Houches around 21:00, checked in, showered, inhaled a pizza, and passed out. TMB fini!

Tour of Mont Blanc, Days 3 - 5

Day 3

Rifugio Elisabetta

It rained heavily overnight and this morning there was still a steady downfall. From des Mottets, it was all uphill to Col de la Seigne (2516m). Even with a pair of Compeeds protecting my 2 huge heel blisters, I took it slow all morning. To be fair, I was moving a LOT faster than yesterday but every now and then I would step on a loose rock and that would trigger a sharp pain in my heel. The forecast was quite accurate and the sky cleared just before midday. The walk down to Rifugio Elisabetta was absolutely beautiful. The valley and the glaciers where truly breathtaking. The refuge itself was perched on a hill right under a glacier and boasted some spectacular views.

I carried on past the refuge and since the weather was clear, took the high elevation route to Courmayeur. This track took me high above the valley and afforded me bountiful views of the valley and the glaciers on the other side of the Val Veni. The walk took longer than expected because I couldn't help but stop and admire my surroundings. Oh, and take some pictures too. You don't get scenery like this in New York City or Sydney. I didn't get a takeaway lunch from des Mottets so I ended up having a late lunch of beef stew (EUR 12) at Col Checrouit. I saved my half eaten sandwich from yesterday but it had gone off overnight :(

Courmayeur

From Col Checrouit, it was a long and boring descent on an unpaved road down to Dolonne and Courmayeur. Thankfully Courmayeur is a beautiful town with views of the Alps on nearly every street. The high street embodies that of a sophisticated Italian getaway. Tanned skin, fashionable clothes, and shops to suit every taste. I stocked up on Compeeds at the local pharmacy for my assortment of blisters and took dinner at what I later found out was the best pizza place in town: Du Tunnel. The pizza was large and delicious but the Italian custom of EUR 1.5 service charge wasn't so nice.

Day 4

View of Mont Blanc from just
above Rifugio Bertone

Before leaving Courmayeur I picked up a few snacks at the Carrefour then started the ascent up to Rifuge Bertone. It took nearly 2 sweaty hours to reach the refuge, which is 700m above town. From here, it was a lovely and relatively flat walk to the Rifuge Bonatti. There were lots of day walkers and people training for the TMB Ultra Marathon (UTMB) on this stretch. The Val Ferret valley also provided awesome views. After a steep and sweaty final ascent to Bonatti, I took a break and had my lunch there. The refuge has a large outdoor seating area which is great for getting some sun and for looking at the mountains and glaciers on the other side of the narrow valley.

Yurts at La Peule

From Bonatti to Rifugio Elena, there's a short climb followed by a long flat. And then, much to my chagrin, a drop to the valley floor followed by a very steep climb up to Elena. There was one especially dodgy snow traverse which I probably should've detoured around but took head on and safely made it across. The ascent seemed never-ending but upon reaching Elena I was rewarded with a lovely full-on view of the Glacier de Pre de Bar. Since the refuge is accessible by road there were lots of day trippers here. I stopped to have a snack and refill my water bottles before tackling the Grand Col Ferret. It was already mid afternoon by this point the thought of doing another mountain pass nearly took the wind out of me. The path was not as steep as the earlier ones today but still took some time. It quickly started to get very cold and small hail started coming down but that wasn't going to stop me from getting up and over the pass. At the top, the view looking back on the Val Ferret valley was incredible. But it was freezing cold so I didn't spend much time up there and quickly started heading down into Switzerland. The fatigue was taking hold so I called it a day once I reached La Peule, a converted dairy farm with a surprisingly very high level of accommodation. There were also some Mongolian style yurts that you can stay in, which I found out later were cheaper than the dorms. Demi-pensione (bed, dinner, breakfast) in the dorm came out to CHF 58, which is over 25% more than in France!

Day 5

After breakfast I accidentally took the low altitude route to get to La Fouly. The weather was great but there were clouds hanging over the mountains so there wasn't much to see anyhow. La Fouly is a nice little town but Praz-de-Fort is a gorgeous little town. Some of the timber chalets look over 100 years old! There weren't many mountains views today but plenty of forest and river views. I was planning on taking lunch in Issert but the prices were really high and there weren't many dining options available. Switzerland is a seriously expensive country! On the way up to Champex I ran into John at a small picnic area. We stopped and had a chat and he told me about another variante which I hadn't considered and he highly recommended. A blister had slowed him down and today was his easy day. At the pace he normally moves I didn't think I'd see him again after day 2.

Relais Arpette

The upwards path to Champex had random wood statues in honor of the champignon mushrooms which grow in the area. After a relatively easy ascent (compared with previous days) I reached Champex and had a late lunch. CHF 20 for a salad and plate of spagbol at a local restaurant. The supermarket didn't open till 15:00 so I had no self-catering choice anyway. John caught up with me in Champex and I decided to join him on the variante to Fenetre d'Arpette (2665m). He camped and I stayed in the dortoir at Relais Arpette, a large and very well run refuge. When I got my bill that evening of CHF 80 I found out that it's also an expensive refuge. Everything at the refuge, including the views, were excellent so it was well worth it.

My blisters are no longer bothering me thanks to the Compeeds but I wish I had bought extra wide medical tape to put over the Compeeds. After a few days they wear down and start to get stuck to my socks...

Tour of Mont Blanc, Days 1 and 2

The Mont Blanc Massif is the tallest mountain range in western Europe. Mont Blanc itself towers over Europe at 4808m. The Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB) is traditionally done as an anti-clockwise circuit starting in Les Houches in the French Alps. The classic guide to the walk published by Cicerone breaks the walk up into 11 stages, but since of the stages are short I made a plan to do the walk in 9 stages. I ended up doing it in 7.

Day 1

My TMB started with an overnight train from Paris (Austerlitz) to St Germain Les Bains and then a local train to Les Houches, which is a tiny town when compared to Chamonix. After getting some food and trail snacks at the local Carrefour I made a reservation at Gite Michel Fagot for my return 9 days from now and stored my bag there. At the tourist office I made a reservation for tonight at Camping Pontet, which is about a 40 min walk past Les Contamines. So far so good...until I got to where the signpost opposite the Hotel Slalom was. The sign was pointing down towards the river instead of up into the mountains. This totally confused me and it wasn't until a lovely elderly woman helped me out that I found my way. From here the path ambled upwards, providing a fine view of the town and valley below.

The highlight of the day was coming across two young businessmen running a snack bar from their front yard. They got really excited and rang a bell each time someone walked by. After stopping for an expensive coffee next to the rack rail station I carried on to the Hotel Bellevue to admire the views. It was at this point that I made the decision to take the variante via Refuge Miages. In hindsight, this was not a good idea. While the views were great, the extra 2-3 hours of walking on my first day took a toll on my body, particularly my feet. A nasty blister formed on the back of my left heel and one was starting to form on the back of my right heel. Refuge Miages would have been a great place to spend the night but I made do with having a simple but very tasty slice of blueberry pie before carrying on to Les Contamines, where I picked up some groceries, and onward to Camping Pontet. If I had known that the campsite had dinner for sale I wouldn't have bothered to cook my own since there was a EUR 2 fee for using the kitchen. Although I found a EUR 10 note on the road near the campsite :) The foam beds in the dortoir were for some reason too short for the bedframe but my body was so racked it didn't matter.

Day 2

Breakfast was available for EUR 6 but I had food already so I just got a coffee for EUR 1.4. At around 08:10 I started walking, but this time with a simple bandage on the left heel blister. The track started out fairly flat then started getting steep before opening up onto a small plateau of farmland. Before reaching the farmland the pain from the blister was becoming unbearable so I stopped to have a look. Blood had soaked through the bandage. This time I applied a gauze pad and medical tape to hold it in place but less than an hour later the pain was still present if not worse. Before starting the ascent to Col du Bonhomme I tried wearing 2 pairs of socks on each foot. The first few steps were actually more painful than before but the extra cushioning took hold and made each step slightly less painful. For the rest of the day I was moving about as fast as a senior citizen with bad knee, an oxygen tank, and a cane. I'm pretty sure it looked like I was limping. There was a small shelter atop the Col where I tried to have lunch but it was so cold up there I only had half my sandwich and sprinted out. I also tried drinking a bit of wine up there but that didn't warm me up either. On the bright side, it was so cold that I couldn't feel the pain from the blisters anymore. It got even colder and ominous as I made my way to Col des Fours (2665m). The path wasn't that steep but it felt longer than it really was because of the blisters. On the other side of the col the sun was out and shining and the path winded its way down through alpine country, abandoned farms, and finally down a 4x4 road to the Les Ville des Glaciers and then a gentle ascent to Refuge des Mottets. It was here that I found out about some special blister prevention stuff called Compeed and where I met John who was nice enough to give me 2 pieces of it. It's like a second skin which goes over areas where blisters would form. des Mottets provided a beautiful and atmospheric view over the valley and was a great place to stay the night.

Europe By Rail

Paris

The easiest way to travel around Europe is by train. You can easily go from city centre to city centre without the hassle of airport security checks and the like. Possibly the biggest dilemma one faces when going via rail is whether to get a railpass or buy point to point tickets. In my experience so far, point to point is far cheaper than the railpass if you buy well in advance. However, whilst the tickets are cheaper, you lose the flexibility to change them. On the other hand, if you shell out the extra money for a railpass, you have much more flexibility but the price per ticket that you're paying can in some cases be significantly higher than point to point. On top of that, some countries add on a railpass surcharge, may require reservations, and sometimes have quotas for railpass users. Unfortunately, you'll have to really think about which one works best for you. For more information on this and train travel in just about any part of the world the amazing website www.seat61.com has got all you need. I used this site extensively to do my European train research.