The Smart Pounder

Cross Training in Hiking

Opposed to walking along the flat surface of a treadmill or an in-door walking track, hiking on uneven terrain (uphill and downhill) activates muscles that are hardly ever used in other sports or exercises. This means, hiking benefits can give an excellent cross training workout that will help to better your physical and athletic performance.

The following is advised to cross train with hiking :

- Begin leisurely, walking just 1-3 miles twice a week on top of reasonably even and consistent terrain. (During these beginning hikes, you should not include any weight of carrying a backpack).

- Over a period of time, slowly increase the distance until 9 miles can be walked with relative comfort. As the mileage increases, the added weight of a backpack will be needed in order to carry the necessary snacks and beverages. However, one should still attempt to keep the weight of the backpack as light as achievable.

- When one can easily hike for 9 miles, the weight of the backpack should be steadily increased until it reaches the maximum of 22 pounds, consisting of added foods/drinks and any equipment needed. One should then hike with this weighted backpack until 9 miles can be comfortably conqured.

- Once this distance with the weight of the backpack are acomplished, one can then begin practicing hiking on more challenging terrains such as the vertical plains of uphill and downhill walking. (As with other aspects of cross training with hiking, one should gradually increase the size and frequency of the hills hiked.)

- With some patience and a lot of practice, an individual should in time be able to safely carry 25 to 30 percent of his or her weight in the backpack while hiking.

By using these tips, hiking benefits can effectively and significantly exceed those of walking while providing you with soothing sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

Australia is the smallest continent and the biggest island in the world. In size, it is about as big as the 48 contiguous U.S.. With 20.4 million people in population, generally focused in the eastern and south-eastern coastal urban areas. This means that there are great open areas to explore in the rest of the country, and this can often be accomplished by car. Stunning coastlines, inland mountainous regions and verdant tropical forests with exotic plants and wildlife are there for the traveler to see.

A visitor with an international driving licence or a validated American or European driving license in English can easily organize for a car rental at the airport or hotel. There are lots of car hire companies offering many types of vehicles, from assorted makes and sizes of cars and SUVs to minivans, camper vans and RVs, minibuses, and 4WDs. No matter what your needs and preferences are, there will always be a vehicle to suit you. Just to exemplify, those who want to camp can find camper vans that will sleep up to 6 people, and come ready with a microwave, gas stove, griller and refrigerator. Some even have double beds, toilet and shower in addition to the mini-kitchen. If you are travelling in more rough terrain, there are four-wheel-drives. If budget is sensitive, there are economy compact cars and economy campers. There are also convertibles and luxury large cars, if you want to travel in style.

Driving in Australia can be different from other countries: driving on the left side of the road, observing the different speed limits (in kilometres) and regulations in the States to be visited, checking weather and road conditions before travel, letting police know of travel plans if driving in rural areas, making way for the road trains (a semi-truck hauling 3 large trailers), etc. Anticipate the car hire company to supply detailed information on driving rules and regulations, supplies to take (most importantly, plenty of water), what to do in case of emergency, potential dangers such as wildlife and driving at night, as well as accommodations, routes and resources on the road. Study and preparation in advance will assure a successful and pleasant car vacation in Australia.

The French settlement of New Caledonia is the perfect island destination for fishing and diving holiday, based north-west of New Zealand in the South Pacific.

If you are in to culture, shopping and dining, you will be aroused with Noumea, capital of the main island of Grand Terre. With first-class museums, the elegant dress shops of Rue de Sebastopol or the shops of Chinatown, and eateries both informal and exclusive, Noumea has been called the Paris of the Pacific. But Grand Terre is fenced by its greatest treasure, the world’s largest coral lagoon and second greatest coral reef, where marine life bursts.

South east trade winds and its position as one of the southern-most Pacific islands give New Caledonia a beautiful, temperate climate year round. These warm, sunny days offer limitless opportunites for fishing and diving jaunts. Beautiful coral and underwater canyons and caves provide the backdrop for brilliant dives and rich fishing.

Fishing holidays in New Caledonia is idyllic for the sportfishing enthusiast. From charter boats for deep sea and big game fishing; cruisers and catermarans for rod, spear and fly fishing; or small, local boats are on hand for rent. New Caledonia is known by fishermen across the world as one of the greatest and most gorgeous bonefishing locations in the world. Fisherman flock to this part of the globe desiring to break records as the fish are renowned for their strength and speed.

The small islands and atolls are also ideal for snorkeling and diving. . . Whether diving in the tranquil waters of Ile des Pins or nighttime snorkeling where special torches illuminate fluorescent coral, New Caledonia is a diving holidays paradise.

New Caledonia is the perfect location for all sportfishing and diving experiences and joys.

Cyprus is an island with a long tradition of Greek history, but its great all year round sun is what attracts most of us, which has made it a very popular destination with tourists, with over 2.4 million visiting its many resorts. The island receives over 330 days of sunshine a year, which has given it the name The Island of the Sun. With plenty of travel agents providing Cyprus holidays and low cost airlines including Monarch offering routes to Paphos and Larnaca, it has never been easier to get there.

While attracting visitors from around the world, most of them tend to be Europeans. Affluent eastern Europeans and Russians have also joined the crowd in recent years. The British Armed Forces have long has a presence in Cyprus. The UK retains a military base in order to have a gateway for forces to the Middle East. As such the Brits are now almost as local and the locals, and in turn, now cater for the Brits. English is widely spoke and understood among nearly all age groups to driving on the left side of the road. No doubt the similarity to the UK makes us Brits feel more at home, but we also get to bask in the sun.

Much of olden Cyprus is giving away to culture that is more eclectic and less traditional. However, this side of Cyprus, that continues to attract millions of tourists year after year, is only one aspect of the island and is concentrated around the tourist hotspots of Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. As soon as you leave the packaged paradise and clubbers haven of these areas and hit the road the real country reveals itself.

If your fancy cooling off, and seeing something different take a trip up to the Troodos Mountains. In the heart of the mountains you will find the Kykkos monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998. Housing art and exhibits on ancient Greece, the monastery has the twin function of being a museum for visitors and a practising monastery lived in by worshiping monks. Kykkos even has its own winery where the monks bottle and sell their wine. A daytrip to the Troodos Mountains can be a welcome change from the beach and with overnight accommodation available in many of the authentic villages dotted about; you might want to spend a few days here sampling another side of Cyprus.

However, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused His first found him within 167 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Two years later, Min Bahadur Sherchan, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Everest to finish what he had started.

The 76-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Chomolungma or Mount Everest. More than 3168 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Andrew Brash returned a hero to Calgarians. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Mt Everest. He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. Sherchan just 23 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. Now that Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. “the Mount Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. This season French mountaineer Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Chomolungma after reaching the top of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania earlier this year.

Andrew Brash last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Therefore, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey.