July
July
Greenland
Why now? In this arctic land, spring begins in July; watch as the flowers burst through the melting snows.
The world’s largest island (2.1 million sq km) has vast swathes of beautiful, unfenced wilderness that give adventurers unique freedom to wander at will whether on foot, by ski or by dog sled. Greenland’s dominant feature is its ice cap, the world’s second-largest, covering around 80% of the island and so heavy that Greenland’s interior has sunk into an immense concave basin depressed just below sea level. Very experienced cross-country skiers can emulate Fridtjof Nansen and join expeditions across the ice cap organised every year by a couple of expedition tour companies. With just white infinity ahead for three exhausting weeks, some claim it’s like meditation, other that it’s wanton masochism. Some crossings are accompanied by dog sled, others you drag your own supplies. If you cross the icecap in the far south the chore is much shorter (though still very tough) and can be combined with trekking through more aesthetically appealing landscapes. Away from the ice cap, Greenland offers some of the worlds’ most marvellous trekking for those seeking a total-wilderness experience. Except for a few farm tracks in South Greenland, almost all walking is on unmarked routes. Views are magnificent and the purity of light is magical, with a profound silence generally broken only by ravens, trickling streams or the reverberating thuds of exploding icebergs. Kayakers will find themselves in something of a paddling heartland, though if you’ve never kayaked before this is not the place to start. Greenland qajaq are the precursors of modern kayaks and few places in the world are more mind-bogglingly beautiful for sea kayaking than Greenland’s inner fjords. Great accessible areas to paddle include Tasermiut Fjord, Nuup Kangerlua and the sheltered sounds around Aasiaat. The Ilulissat area is also superb but perhaps a little too crowded with icebergs. One-way drop-off rentals mean the lovely Narsaq-to-Narsarsuaq route is especially popular. For traditional rock climbing, Greenland’s southern tip is a remarkable paradise of nearly pristine vertical granite. Walls and spires, many still unclimbed, rival those of Yosemite or Patagonia, yet are unusually accessible once you have a boat. For more information, visit www.greenland-guide.gl
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Volcano Board on Mt Yasur, Vanuatu
Why now? Use the dry season for a marble-like run on the pumice.
Think there’s nothing new in the world of adventure? How about taking to the pumice slopes of an active volcano on your snowboard? Mt Yasur, on Vanuatu’s southern island of Tanna, is one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world, and one of the most active, erupting almost continuously for eight centuries. In 2002 Zoltan Istvan boarded the 300m slope from Yasur’s crater, gliding through pumice like stodgy snow, spawning the nascent adventure of volcano boarding. Such is the infancy of volcano boarding, and such are the numbers of active volcanoes, all sorts of firsts await those boarders who are prepared to enter this brave new world.
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Summer Bobsled at Igls, Austria
Why now? Summer bobsled runs begin this week (running until early September).
And the world moved on, ostensibly leaving Igls and its bobsled track to slide into history. After all, what does a city do with a slightly used bobsled In 1976 the Olympic Winter Games journeyed to the Austrian city of Innsbruck where, high above the city, in the ski resort of Igls, a bobsled track snaked like plumbing across the Alpine slopes. A few days of competition track? In the case of Innsbruck and Igls, it throws it open to the public. Bobsled runs behind professional drivers quickly became a winter favourite in the Tyrolean city. And for the last decade, summer visitors to Innsbruck have also been able to climb aboard bobsleds, with wheels replacing runners for two months of the year. What’s unchanged is the speed and the G-force thrill of banking and bending through a 1220-metre blur of Alpine country. www.sommerbobrunning.at (in German).
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Drive the Dempster Highway, Canada
Why now? Under the midnight sun you can drive day or night.
Canada’s 747km Dempster Hwy is a gravel hell-raiser, pushing deep into the Arctic Circle through a remarkable slice of mountainous terrain. Beginning 40km southeast of the infamous old gold-rush town of Dawson City, the Dempster trails along the foot of the Tombstone Range, passes through several First Nation towns, and crosses the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers on ferries (or natural ice bridges outside of summer) before heading up the Mackenzie Delta to its end at Inuvik on the shore of the Beaufort Sea. Along the way, there are opportunities for the adventurous to try hiking and canoeing, and there are a number of government-run camp sites. Once a dog-sled track, the highway is in pretty good condition but services are few and far between. There’s a service station at the southern start of the highway, and from there it’s 370km to the next one. www.yukoninfo.com/dempster
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French Alps
Why now? For a few days in mid-July the Tour de France rolls into the French Alps
The French Alps form the highest and most spectacular mountains in Western Europe. Their icy spikes, needles and snowy peaks have inspired Roman generals, Romantic poets and madcap mountaineers alike, and for a few days in the middle of July they inspire the world’s greatest cyclists. When the Tour de France rolls its annual show into the French Alps, most everything else is forgotten. Pelotons grind out enormous climbs, then plummet like bobsledders, reaching speeds approaching 100km/h. In the hours before they arrive you can see what all the sweat is about by riding the climbs ahead of the racers (or you can just join the majority and paint riders’ names across the road). The climb that defines the Tour’s Alpine stages is the Alpe d’Huez. This 13.8km lung-searing climb has an average grade of 8.5%, includes 21 numbered hairpin bends and is ranked hors categorie (above categorisation, ie, very steep). The day the Tour visits Alpe d’Huez is a grand celebration of people, colour and sounds. Nearly 500,000 fans line the route, in touching distance of the riders in most places. Preceding this, a snake of chrome and colour inches its way to the summit as hundreds of riders painstakingly make their way to the top. Enthusiastic French spectators are usually on hand to dole out free samples of pastis (a liqueur) to kick riders along. What the Alpe d’Huez is to cyclists, the Chamoni XValley is to hikers, who have their own tour of sorts. The 10-day Tour du Mont Blanc passes along the northern side of the Chamonix Valley and circuits the Alps’ highest mountain in one of the world’s top treks. Elsewhere in the valley, more than 300km of trails provide opportunities for walks of all difficulties. The extremely rugged Aiguilles Rouges provide some of Chamonix’s classic routes, while the Grand Balcon Nord and the Montagne de la Côte take walkers as high into the mountains as they can go without becoming mountaineers. The French Alps are at their busiest and best during July and August, when the popular trails attract tremendous numbers of walkers.
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Surf at Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
Why now? June to September is the best time for experienced surfers, with July also bringing the Billabong Pro championship to town.
Once a sleepy seaside town, ‘J Bay’ is now South Africa’s foremost centre of surfing and surf culture. Boardies from all over the planet flock here to ride waves such as the famous Supertubes, once described as ‘the most perfect wave in the world’. Development is raging at a furious pace in the Eastern Cape town, with clothes shopping almost overtaking surfing as the main leisure activity, but so far the local board-waxing vibe has been retained. Most beachgoers come to J Bay in December and January, handing the strong Atlantic swells to surfers in winter. Keep your eye on the low-pressure systems - anything below 970 millibars and you’ll be in heaven. www.gardenroute.co.za/jbay/jbhome.htm
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Windsurf at Vasiliki Bay, Greece
Why now? ‘Eric’ is a summer creature.
Windsurfing is the most popular water sport in Greece, and little wonder when Vasiliki Bay, on the south coast of the Ionian island of Lefkada, is considered the place to windsurf in Europe. Nor are conditions here elitist, with many people reckoning that Vasiliki Bay is one of the best places in the world to learn the sport. You’ll find a wide, sheltered bay just waiting for the afternoon winds - known locally as ‘Eric’ - to blow in. Along the pebbly beach, numerous windsurfing companies have staked prominent claims with flags, equipment and their own hotels. They offer all-inclusive tuition and accommodation packages. If they’ve got spare gear, some will willingly rent it to the independent enthusiast for a day or two. www.lefkada-greece.biz
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Stay in a Mongolian Ger, Mongolia
Why now? Most ger camps are only open from June to mid-September.
Tourist ger camps are springing up everywhere in Mongolia. It may seem touristy, and they’re usually poor value, but if you’re going into the countryside, a night in a tourist ger is a great way to experience some Western-oriented ‘traditional Mongolian nomadic lifestyle’. If you’re particularly fortunate, you may be invited to spend a night or two out on the steppes in a genuine ger, rather than a tourist ger camp. This is a wonderful experience, offering a chance to see the ‘real’ Mongolia. If you’re invited to stay in a family ger, in very rare cases you may be expected to pay for this accommodation, but in most cases no payment is wanted if you stay for one or two nights. If you stay longer (unless you have been specifically asked to extend your visit), you will outstay your welcome and abuse Mongolian hospitality.
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Paddle in Poland, Poland
Why now? Let the rivers relieve the summer heat.
The Polish towns of Augustów and Olsztyn have no great lure for tourism, but they do serve as bases for two great river trips. From Augustów, the most popular of several paddling routes is along the Czrana Hanska River. The traditional route is designed as a loop, beginning in Augustów and leading along the Augustów Canal as far as Lake Serwy and up to the northern end of this lake. Kayaks are then transported overland to Lake Wigry, from where paddlers follow the river downstream to the Augustów Canal and return to Augustów. The full loop takes 12 days. Out of Olsztyn, a 103km route runs along the Krutynia River, beginning at Stanica Wodna PTTK, 50km east of Olsztyn. You can hire kayaks at Stanica Wodna PTTK - check availability in advance.
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