Saturday 30 August 2014

Elephant Rock Iceland

If you want to see something really wonderful, then the Elephant rock is ideal place for you. This rock is truly one of the amazing natural sculptures on mother earth. The Elephant Rock is a natural rock formation found on the island of Heimaey (meaning Home Island) in Iceland's Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. Heimaey is most inhabited island in Iceland with 4,500 residents in an area of 5.2 square miles. The beautiful Heimaey is actually a home to Eldfell (Means “Mountain of Fire”). This 660 foot high volcano has spewed lava on numerous occasions, leading many to believe it is the cause of the Elephant Rock.
The Island having a scenario such as this could have been the cause of the huge rock that happened to be shaped just like an elephant. What a glorious mother sculpture. I guess, you won’t believe this wonder of nature, but this is real rock not Photoshop. Besides the amazing Elephant Rock, you might see Keiko, the whale from the Free Willy films as this was where he was actually set free, and also summer is when the island becomes populated by millions and millions of adorable puffins! If you’re planning to visit Icland, then Elephant Rock is a must place to see.

Grand Teton National Park USA



Grand Teton National Park is one of the most remarkable, breathtaking places in America. Inhabiting a majority of the Jackson Hole valley, the park is home to overwhelming, huge mountains, unspoiled lakes and rivers, and plentiful, teeming wildlife.  Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Wyoming which is at approximately 310,000 acres and it's includes the major peaks of the 40 mile long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Most people visit the Grand Teton National Park in July and August, when the weather is quite sunny and warm and the snow has melted in the high country.  

The beautiful Grand Teton National Park was actually established two times, first in 1929 to protect mountain peaks and the lakes surrounding the mountain bases, and second time it is in 1950, when the neighboring valley floors as well as the Jackson Hole National Monument, created in 1943, were incorporated into the park visitor’s love today. Moreover; from 1972, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway has connected Grand Teton to Yellowstone National Park, allowing visitors to experience both the slopes of the Tetons and the volcanic landscape of Yellowstone. You can view magnificent jagged snowcapped peaks, real natural beauty, dominated by the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. Before your eyes, mountain glaciers creep down 12,605-foot Mt. Moran. The Tetons are usual fault Block Mountains and around 13 million years ago, two blocks of Earth's crust started to shift along a fault line, one tilting down although the other lifted up. So far, movement has measured some 30,000 vertical feet, most of it from the subsidence of Jackson Hole.

Large and small lakes gleam along the range's base. Plentiful of the West's iconic animal’s elk, bears, bald eagles call this park home. Whereas the scenery is nice from the road, the park is best experienced on foot! Hundreds of miles of hiking trails wind around the lakes and through the mountains; the choices are almost limitless. From relaxed day hikes to multi-day backpacking trips, each trail has a distinctive, exceptionally dynamic character all its own. Unbelievable, often spectacular scenery and wildlife sightings elk, moose, black/grizzly bears, bison, deer, and more! are guaranteed animals. Beloveds, to name just a few, include Cascade Canyon, Granite Canyon, and Amphitheater Lake. 

Although the park has a attractive draw for photographers and wildlife fans, the Tetons also provides some of the most demanding and technical mountaineering experiences anywhere in the world, particularly during the winter. Climbers and mountaineers flock to the Tetons to improve their skills before moving on to the gigantic mountains of the world. Even so, during the summer the summits are reachable to almost anyone who's well properly equipped; the experience is unbelievable for those who take on the challenge!

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Calanque D'En Vau France



The calanque D’En Vau situated between Marseille and Cassis is a popular place for tourists and locals alike, well surrounded by steep cliffs and sandy beaches, offering numerous vantage points. A great numbers of hiker and tourist are frequently visiting this area. These cliffs are used as a training spots for rock climbers. Therefore; the excessive use of these cliffs has posed problems of substantial damage to this subtle microhabitat. However; most of the Calanques are closed to the public during the summer seasons mainly from July through September, due to the risks of forest fire that often happen during the dry season. 

Therefore best time to visit Calanques is maybe March through May, when temperatures quite fresh and bearable unlike autumn and winter. The rain is usually quite rare here, as there is no fresh water sources are available in the Calanques, it is advised to carry large supplies of water, particularly during the hot summer to avoid serious dehydration. Boat tours are also available starting either from Marseille, Cassis or La Ciotat, which are offering some remarkable sight views. National Geographic has asked their Facebook fans what their favorite summer water spots ar, the reply is Calanque d'En Vau near Marseille, France. D'En Vau is one of quite a few Calanques in the south of France. 

These Calanques (with the partial exception of Port Miou) were officially declared a National Park in April 2012, and there’re restrictions on specific sporting activities such as hunting and fishing. The extraordinary topography of the Calanques makes it difficult to get too several of them, except by boat. Even on days when access is authorized, the intense heat amplified by the sun and reflected by the sea and the white rocks will make hiking unpleasant in the middle of the day. Please be sure, there’re no restaurants at any of the three Calanques near Cassis. So take plenty of water along with headgear, sunblock and other necessary equipment. 

If weather is permitting, then you can walk to all three Calanques from the centre of Cassis. The first is to Port Miou, which you can reach in half an hour from the Cassis harbor front to the top of the Calanques. The Port Pin is half an hour from Port Miou and En Vau is another hour further. So overall two hour hike each way from Cassis Harbor. You can reach there by Car, Bus, and Train. Local peoples are most familiar with weather but they’d also check weather forecast before setting out their plan. 
                                                                                       Source: Charismatic Planet