mountains | Earthoria

I made this podcast around Easter on a 1500KM road trip from Barcelona to the Basque Country (País Vasco), then on to the beautiful Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park in the Spanish Pyrenees. The trip takes in various locations including San Sebastian, Bilbao, Mundaka, Biarritz (in France), Torla, the Cola de Caballo trek and Cañón de Añisclo.

Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park (in Spanish Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido) has been included since 1997 by UNESCO in the Biosphere Reserve of Ordesa-Viñamala. It is also part of the cross-border Pyrénées – Mont Perdu World Heritage Site.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park

16 photos

Location Map

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Links

Photos of the Basque Country, Spain.
Video showing MONSTER surf in Mundaka, Spain
Wikipedia article on Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.
The Basque Country
Cañón de Añisclo (in Spanish)
San Sebastian
Bilbao
Eduardo Chillida

Photos of the Basque Country, Spain

The Basque Country, Spain

25 photos

Video: Munnar: Centre of the world’s highest tea-growing estates

February 26, 2010February 25, 2010 by Tina

Munnar (1524m) is famous for its rolling green hills which is the commercial centre of some of the world’s highest tea-growing estates. The crisp mountain air makes it a perfect get-away from the humidity of the coastal kerala.

The town itself is divided into old Munnar and new Munnar. The Lonely Planet describes the town as “noisy and grubby”, but I actually think it’s a fine little town. Well basically any place which is safe is fine for me (after Central and South America).

I stayed in old Munnar which has the cheapest guesthouse options – new Munnar is basically just new hotels (no locals living there).

There are many beautiful walks around Munnar and I also recommend that you visit the DTPC tourist office in new Munnar. They offer fairly cheap tours in the area (much cheaper than the regular travel agencies) – among others the “Sandal Valley Tour” for 300 Rs.

The video below shows the beautiful mountain scenery surrounding Munnar. Enjoy.

Video: Patagonia – in the land of mountains and dulce de leche

January 10, 2010May 20, 2009 by Tina

Patagonia is the southern region of South America. Located in Argentina and Chile, it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. It is a spectacular place. I visited there in May and unfortunately it was impossible to travel further south for me due to the cold (winter time).

So I spent four days at the "top" of Patagonia – San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche. The city is situated at the foothills of the Andes, surrounded by lakes (Nahuel Huapi, GutiÃ©rrez Lake, Moreno Lake and Mascardi Lake) and mountains (Tronador, Cerro Catedral, Cerro López). It is famous for skiing but also known for sight-seeing, water sports, trekking and climbing.

Bariloche is also famous for its chocolate – but I spent most of my time there eating the famous and delicious Argentinian Dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is similar to caramel and made by adding sugar to milk and cooking it, is used on nearly all desserts, including facturas (pastries eaten for breakfast or tea) and alfajores (traditional cookies that consist of tiny biscuits stuck together), and many other Argentine desserts. I love it 🙂

Video: Colca Canyon Condors, Peru

April 5, 2009April 5, 2009 by Thomas

The small town of Chivay, gateway to the Colca Canyon, lies four hours to the north of Arequipa at an altitude of 3,600 metres. The Colca canyon is deep – twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and the second deepest canyon in the world at a depth of 3,191 metres, or about two miles!

We arrived in Chivay, and immediately found ourselves short of breath due to the altitude – 300 or so metres higher than Cusco. I developed a throbbing headache and my mother (whom I am travelling with for a few weeks) briefly needed bottled Oxygen. It was worth the pain as the Colca Canyon is without doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen – surrounded by snow capped 6,000 metres Andean peaks, it is surely one of the natural wonders of the world. The sight of Condors soaring over the Canyon from Cruz del Condor is something I will never forget.

Links

Photos of the Colca Canyon and Condors

Note: For the record buffs amongst you, the deepest canyon in the world is the Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru, 163 metres deeper than the Colca Canyon with a depth of 3,354 metres.