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Up in the Air While Hiking – 5 Great Destinations

Some of the best hiking destinations are up in the air, in the mountains. They all offer plenty of fresh air, great exercise and amazing scenery from their lofty vantage points. These five hiking destinations get progressively higher in attitude although it depends on the actual trails you chose for your own up in the air experience.

Five great mountain hiking destinations:

Haystacks – Lake District, England
Starting from the town of Gatesgarth you have a steep climb of 1,775 feet (541 meters) with some easy scrambling to Haystacks, one of the most popular hikes in the northern Lake District and final resting place of famed English author Alfred Wainwright. While you are up in the air you have a commanding view of the picturesque Buttermere Valley and lake. There is a great pub in the town to enjoy after your hike.

Sulphur Skyline – Canadian Rockies
This trail is located in Jasper National Park with 2,296 feet (700 meters) of steady climbing. Close to the top and above the tree line the trail become very steep with a path of loose stones. Up in the air from the top the view is spectacular with the valley of the Fiddle River below and the Miette Mountain range is the distance. The area is known for afternoon thunderstorms and bears (we saw one during our visit).

The Eiger – Swiss Bernese Alps
Start from Grindelwald and hike up the mountain for 1,027 meters (3,369 feet) to Mannlichen, located at the top of a ridge with views of the valleys in both directions. Then continue along the ridge to Kleine Scheiedgg as it provides excellent views of the Eiger in distance. Continue up the well maintained path for an additional 259 meters (849 feet) to Eigergletscher station. Your up in the air experience offers views of the Swiss Alps and Grindelwald deep in the valley below. Use the mountain railway for the return.

Machu Picchu – Peru
The Inca Trail will take you 3 or 4 days starting near Cuzco 3,352 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level. Dead Women’s Pass is the highest on the trail and you continue through gateway of the sun before arriving in Machu Picchu. The ruins of this former Inca city sit up in the air mountainside with views of the mountains and a tributary of the Amazon in the jungle below.

Everest Base Camp – Nepal
A strenuous climb of 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) which takes several days. This is the ultimate up in the air experience with incredible scenery, small Himalayan villages surrounded by terraced rice fields.

Any of these five up in the air mountain hikes will all be worth the effort for the views.

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What Makes Andorra a Superb School Ski Trip Destination

A school ski trip is an excellent opportunity for young people not only to rise to a highly rewarding physical challenge, but also to explore a new corner of the globe – which is one reason that Andorra, a small country located between Spain and France, is an excellent destination for such a trip. Here, students will be introduced to a new culture while enjoying all the fun of winter sports. There are several excellent resorts in Andorra, including the beautiful Grandvalira, the largest resort to be found in the Pyrenees. It is of especial interest to school groups, thanks to its high-tech and ecologically minded design, as well as its enjoyable ambience and, of course, great slopes. Read on to learn more about this first-class winter destination.

The Area

School ski trip groups who visit Granvalira will find themselves surrounded by spectacular mountain vistas and welcoming Andorran culture. A large ski area incorporating several resorts, including Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, Arcalis, Arinsal and Pal, it is also full of picturesque villages that visitors can explore in order to gain an appreciation of the country’s history, attractive architecture, pristine landscapes, and easygoing atmosphere. It is also a great place for language learners, as French and Spanish are widely spoken in addition to the official national language of Catalan.

The Slopes

Granvalira is an especially rewarding school ski trip destination for groups including beginner and intermediate skiers, thanks to its many excellent nursery slopes and variety of green and blue runs, which allow students to learn the basics before progressing to more developed courses that will test their new skills or help them to advance from one level to the next. With over 210 kilometres of piste available, there are plenty of routes to keep even the fastest of learners occupied – while the integrated lift network will allow the more advanced to venture further afield and take on new challenges.

Other Activities

Developing their skills may be the main focus for students on a school ski trip, but it is an activity that needs to be complemented by others – including alternative physical exercises to help wind down the muscles, and entertainment to help relax both body and mind before returning to the slopes. As well as skiing, visitors to Granvalira can enjoy plenty of other wintry activities, including snowshoeing and ice skating. There is even the option to take a tour of the surrounding countryside via dog-pulled sled. When it comes to evening entertainment, meanwhile, school groups are spoiled for choice with the range of activities offered in all of the area’s resorts, such as bowling, swimming in thermal baths, or joining other young visitors for a disco.

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3 Reasons to Make Restaurant Recipes at Home

If you were to tell me that you don’t enjoy eating at restaurants, I’m afraid I’d have to call you a big liar. I believe that you may restrict how often you go in order to keep your waistline under control. I believe that you may not go as much in order to keep some money in your wallet. But I know you love the food! We all do.

Luckily, these days with the help of the internet, it’s possible to make all your favorite restaurant recipes at home. And I mean, really make them. We’re talking recipes from some of the top restaurants in North America that end up tasting as close to the real thing as you can get. Some of you might wonder why in the world anyone would want to do this. Below are 3 reasons to make restaurant recipes at home that will make sense to any skeptics.

1) Cost

Despite how great some restaurant food tastes, few would argue that the price can really start to get up there. Even at some of the mid-priced restaurants, to take your family out to eat can easily top the fifty dollar mark. To buy the ingredients required to make the exact food at home would likely save you half that amount or more.

2) Health

Just like it’s no secret restaurant food costs a lot, it really is no secret that many of them are quite unhealthy as well. Food additives and cooking methods can make for a pretty toxic meal at many chain restaurants. Buying the ingredients and making restaurant recipes at home will give you greater control over the quality of what you’re putting into your body.

3) Convenience

Some of you might wonder how cooking your own food could be more convenient than going out, but it all depends on how you think about it. Often, the time it takes to decide where to go, get in the car, go to the restaurant, wait, get seated, served and eat would be a lot longer than if you had just made the food yourself at home. Also, making it at home means you can enjoy it anytime you want, whether the restaurant is open or closed.

I suppose you’d have to enjoy cooking just a little for this sort of thing to make sense to you. But if you do, and you agree with the points I’ve made above, making restaurant recipes at home may be a perfect choice for you.