I find it hard to believe that I have never been white water rafting. During my years at college I did quite a bit of canoeing on white water rivers, but never managed to do any rafting. Hopefully I can fix that soon!
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Vote now for "Add 5" extra goals Sunday, July 13, 2008
There have been hundreds of suggestions for extra goals which could be added to my list, many of which sound absolutely fantastic. It has been pretty tricky to narrow it down to only 20 to choose from.
There are so many wonderful places to go too, many of which I have never considered before. I think that is one of the big problems when you start travelling, and see some great places, and meet others who have travelled too. The more you see, the more you realise that there is out there that you would like to see. So instead of getting shorter, your list gets longer and longer.
Anyway, there are a few travel goals on the list, a few activities, and a few experiences too. This list of twenty needs to be trimmed down to five, which will get added to the 95 that I already have.
Cover yourself in honey bees Climb Big Ben Learn to ride a unicycle Spend a week in a silent retreat See an active volcano Live someone elses life for a week See Kakadu National Park, Australia See Angel Falls in Venezuela Climb "7 peaks in 7 days" from the 53 Colorado 14ers (14,000ft+ mountains) Spend a night in a haunted house - alone! Ride an ostrich See the giant redwood trees in California See the Red Paperclip house Attend a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl Visit Red square in Moscow White water rafting See Burg Hohenwerfen, 'Schloss Adler' in film Where Eagles Dare See a plane land at St Maarten Island Become vegan for a month Adopt an animal (preferably an endangered species)
My favourites are (but don't let this influence your voting!!): Learn to ride a unicycle Ride an ostrich See Burg Hohenwerfen, "Schloss Adler" in the film Where Eagles Dare
"Add 5" voting now ended!! Monday, July 21, 2008
Voting for the "Add 5" extra goals has now finished. I have been watching the voting with interest, and have not been too worried about which ones make it into the 100 list, as I think they are all pretty exciting.
However some of the movements are interesting, and it would seem that some people have their own particular favourites, and are very keen for them to be in the top five. A couple of the goals seem to have come from nowhere to appear at the top of the list, whereas others which were early leaders for a while have dropped away. On a couple of occasions a goal has appeared to have several hundred votes in the space of a couple of hours, when other goals have received none!
So in the interests of fairness I asked my web-designer-guru to weed out all the multiple votes from the same IP address, and the final results are as follows.
The five goals added to the other 95 to make up the total 100 goals are as follows (click on the link or the picture to find out more):
Someone else has 100 goals too... Friday, August 1, 2008
I have a credit card with the National Australia Bank (NAB), and recently I logged in to check my balance (it wasn't too bad!), and was amazed to find this:
Looks like there are a few of us thinking along the same lines. There are a few here I would like on my list!
There are a few here that I have already done, including numbers 2, 6, 9, 11, 13, 18, 21, 40, 45, 46, 68, 69, 80 and 88.
But what is most amazing is how many there are here that match with my list, or are very similar: 3 Take the next taxi to the airport and catch the next plane to anywhere 11 bungee jump 13 skydive 14 run with the bulls at Pamplona 24 be an extra in a film 33 go to the film festival in Cannes 34 spend a night in a haunted house 42 go white-water rafting 46 ride a motorbike on the open road 47 learn to juggle 51 learn to fly a helicopter 58 ride the bigest roller-coaster in the world 61 memorise a poem 68 get a tattoo 72 meet someone with your own name 74 gallop a horse on a deserted beach 76 work in a soup kitchen on Christmas Day 78 drive along Route 66 79 experience weightlessness 98 dive with sharks
Anyone else out there written down 100 goals yet?
More goals invites.... come and join in. Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My RV is now repaired, and departure is imminent! The next leg of my trip will take me around the western states of America, where my next set of goals and challenges are scheduled to take place. As always, the offer is there for anybody that wants to come and join in for any of the activities.
The timetable for the next few weeks is as follows:-
6th to 9th August - drive San Francisco to Wendover, Utah 9th to 12th August - Bonneville Salt Flats - Speed Week 15th August - Bobsleigh Ride - Olympic Park, Salt Lake City 16th August - travel down to Colorado 19th August - flight from Boulder, Colorado to London 22nd and 23rd August - Worthing Birdman Competition, UK 24th August - flight from London back to Denver 25th August - drive down to Colorado Springs 26th August to 1st September - "7 Peaks in 7 Days" - also includes Whitewater Rafting
This last week of August probably offers the best opportunity to join in, as there are seven days of hill walking/mountain climbing, starting fairly easily at the beginning of the challenge, working up to longer routes with more technical climbing involved. Also, in the middle of the week is the chance to join in for another goal, whitewater rafting. The schedule for the week is as follows:-
Day #1: Pikes Peak Date: Wednesday August 26, 2009 Start Time: 9am Start Location: Devils Playground Parking Area on Pikes Peak Hwy Estimated Summit Time: 11am Approximate Elevation Gain: 1300’ Approximate Distance: 2.5 miles Car P/U @ Summit of Pikes Peak - Return to C/S then Drive to Dillon, CO Early Dinner at Beau Joe’s Pizza in Idaho Springs approx 4:00pm Wednesday Night: Condo in Dillon
Day #2: Lincoln, Democrat, & Bross Date: Thursday August 27, 2009 Start Time: 7:00am Start Location: Kite Lake Route: Democrat/Lincoln/Cameron/Bross Estimated Summit Time Democrat: 9am Estimated Summit Time Lincoln: 11am Estimated Summit Time Bross: 12pm Approximate Elevation Gain: 3700’ Approximate Distance: 7.5 miles Happy Hour @ Arapahoe Cafe Dillon, CO approx 5pm Thursday Night: Condo in Dillon
Day#3: Drive to Ouray Via Glenwood Sprgs & Black Canyon (6 hr Drive w/ no stops) Date: Friday August 28, 2009 Leave condo in Dillon 8am Optional Hike @ Hanging Lake Trail by Glenwood Sprgs (add 2hr) Optional Detour into N. Rim of Black Canyon (add 2 hr) Happy Hour in Ouray and/or Dip in Ouray Hot Springs approx 4:00pm Drive to Campsite in Yankee Boy Basin & set up camp approx 7pm Friday Night: Tent Camp in Yankee Boy Basin
Day #4: Climb Mount Sneffels Date: Saturday August 29, 2009 Start Time: 6:30am Route: Lavender Col from Yankee Boy Basin Estimated Summit Time: 10:30am Approximate Elevation Gain: 3430’ Approximate Distance: 4 miles Happy Hour @ O’Brians Pub in Ouray approx 3pm Drive to Campsite @ Matterhorn Creek Trailhead & Set up Camp approx 6pm Saturday Night: Tent Camp @ Matterhorn Creek Trailhead Note: Grillin/Chillin/Thrillin Music & Brew Fest in Ouray 8/29 12pm - 6pm
Day #5: Climb Wetterhorn Peak Date: Sunday August 30, 2009 Start Time: 6:30am Route: Southeast Ridge from Matterhorn Creek Estimated Summit Time: 11am Approximate Elevation Gain: 3535’ Approximate Distance: 6.5 miles Happy Hour @ Packer Saloon & Cannibal Grill in Lake City approx 3pm Drive Lake City to Salida - Approx 2hr 20min drive Sunday Night: Chalet in Salida
Day #6: Travel to Westcliffe or Weather Contingency Day Date: Monday August 31, 2009 Leave Lake City or Gunnison: TBD Royal Gorge Rafting Trip beginning @ 8:30am - (4hr + $60)* Hike up to Colony Lakes Base Camp: 3pm Monday Night: Tent Camp @ Colony Lakes *If interested in raft trip, contact Raven Rafting (800)332-3381 - mention that you are with the 7 summits/7 days group and receive a $5/person discount. We are doing the 1/2 day trip
Day #7: Crestone’s (Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, or Both) Date: Tuesday September 1, 2009 Start Time: 6am Route: North Couloir from Colony Lakes Estimated Summit Crestone Peak: 11am Estimated Summit Crestone Needle (if attempted): 3pm Approximate Elevation Gain 4700’ - 5300’ Approximate Distance: 6 miles - 15 miles Drive back to Colorado Springs
As usual, contact me through the "Contact Me" page if you would like to be involved at any point.
Following the week in Colorado, I plan to head to Las Vegas to play some Texas Hold 'Em, and then make my way to LA to try to score a small part in a Hollywood movie - does anyone have any contacts that might be able to help out there?
Goal 56 - Whitewater rafting. Monday, August 31, 2009
Our day off from slogging up the mountains was far from relaxing. After a great night's sleep at the Days Inn, and a fine breakfast we were on our way to Raven Rafting at the head of Royal Gorge on the Arkansas River, where we met Diane, Val's cousin, who would be our fifth rafting team member for the day.
We were geared up, some of us opting for wetsuits, other tougher locals happy to simply wear shorts and t-shirts. I went for the warmer wetsuit option! A short minibus ride took us to our start point, and we launched pretty quickly, our guide Carrie happy to give us our instructions and safety talk once we got moving.
The first rapids were pretty shallow, and we scraped and bumped down them, and started to get our paddling teamwork together. We had arrived pretty much at the end of the rafting season, and the river was low, the flow being about 280 cfs (cubic feet per second). In June, when the river flow is at it highest, the flow can be over 3,000 cfs! However, the lower levels would make the trip quite technical, and would mean we would actually have to do alot more paddling to make our way through.
As the walls of the gorge narrowed and we entered the canyon the rapids got bigger, and we started to drop into some more exciting, tricky sections. At one point we got well and truly stuck, and Carrie later told me that I needed write in the blog for anyone familiar with the river that we were left at Bird Drop (oops!) in Sledgehammer Rapid! I guess we weren't meant to go that way! It certainly took some teamwork to get us out again.
The scenery was very spectacular, and the steep sided canyon had all sorts of interesting and unusual features. A railway ran through the gorge, and the train passed by a couple of times, filled with waving tourists. There were remnants a water pipe that used to run along just above the river, from a past era of mining here, now just a skeletal framework. There was a steep cog railway up out of the gorge, a rollercoaster that hung out high above us over the steep cliffs, and the highest suspension bridge I have ever seen!
Halfway down the river there was an opportunity to get out of the rafts and do some jumping off the cliffs, which was fun. Well done to Diane, who pushed herself to make the jump, and did so in fine style.
After a couple of final exciting rapids we began the easier final approach into Canon City, and I got to have a go at steering the raft, and calling out the instructions for the rest of the crew, which was fun, although I don't feel I was quite awarded the same amount of respect that our guide Carrie was!
What a fantastic trip, thanks again to Val for organising things, to Tim, Eric and Diane for joining in too, and of course, to Carrie, our wonderful guide, and the rest of the staff at Raven Rafting.
That night we made our way back up into the mountains, up a 4WD track out of Westcliffe, that, believe it or not, made the previous tracks look relatively smooth. We found a fantastic campsite just below Colony Lakes, and made a campfire. I made the most of a couple of hours of down-time to try to catch up on writing about the previous days' adventures, which seemed to amuse the others. I admit it must look unusual to be sat in the middle of the wilderness with a computer perched on a log, but it's been a busy week, and you have to fit blog-writing in whenever possible!
Costa Rican rafting - another goal re-visited.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The week in Costa Rica continues to be wonderfully relaxing and immense fun. The only problem is that I am not making much progress with my remaining unachieved goals. However, I do manage to keep revisiting some of the other goals that I have achieved previously.
We went horse riding again, a more gentle ride in hotter conditions, with some spectacular views over the countryside and coastline. I felt much more confident, despite being on a different horse, which was a little more stubborn than my previous mount.
The next day we all went rafting on the Naranjo River with H2O Rafting. The last time I went rafting was in Colorado, where I achieved goal #56. On that occasion the river had been low, and the rafting a bit technical, but here the river was flowing well, and we bounced through some spectacular rapids.
I took my camera in it's waterproof case, but most of the time the river was too exciting to be able to get it out, so afterwards Jelene bought the official photographer's disc of photos, and those shown below are all credited to H20 Rafting.
Yesterday we took one of the little runabout speed boats owned by John's marina development out for a run along the coastline just before sunset. On the return we pulled up a good distance offshore, and dived in to the wonderfully warm ocean, and floated lazily around as the orange sun sank below the horizon.
In between activities we have longed around on the condo balcony watching sloths, monkeys and toucans in the jungle below us, sipping coffee, smoothies, or beer, depending on the time of the day.
There is more horse riding planned for this morning - I am just hoping that my saddle sores don't hurt too much today!!
Colorado United-States - No specific date
