Tim Petrick Returns to K2

Seattle, WA - Ski and snowboard gear maker K2 Sports is currently in the middle of a multi-year investment plan, and industry veteran Tim Petrick has returned to the company as President of K2 Sports Global Sales and Marketing, effective immediately. Petrick, who recently resigned from his position as president of Rossignol North America, will report to Anthony De Rocco, President and CEO of K2 Sports, in the newly-created role.



?We are very proud to welcome Tim back to the family of K2 Sports,? said De Rocco. ?Tim has worked side-by-side with our global teams and our retail partners for almost 20 years. He knows our DNA intimately and the market climate very well and our retail partners know and trust him. Tim will be a strong leader to further the momentum to our next era of growth and success during K2 Sports? most pivotal time of opportunity on the domestic and global level.?
Tim Petrick (photo: Facebook)
The strategic move brings Petrick full circle with K2 Sports, a company with which he?s invested nearly two decades of his career. Petrick first worked with K2 Sports as VP and General Manager of the ski division from 1989-1997 before going to Booth Creek Ski Holdings as Executive VP of Product Development. He returned to K2 Sports in 2000 as VP of Global Sales and remained there until 2009 when he left to head Rossignol North America.
?Returning to K2 Sports is an incredible opportunity,? said Petrick. ?The company has market leading iconic brands across many outdoor active lifestyle categories. These leading brands give K2 Sports the unparalleled opportunity to build on the company?s reputation for product innovation, retail sales results, and ultimately, satisfied consumers in the years ahead.?
The scope of K2 Sports? investment venture will see resources allocated toward global sales expansion, manufacturing and technology platform enhancements, new category launches including ski boots, and accelerated brand growth. Petrick will help orchestrate product line decisions, trade policies, distribution solutions, and marketing communications across the K2 Sports portfolio of brands.
?We have exciting growth opportunities with product line launches in winter sports, our Zoot brand of triathlon gear, and our new Spring ?13 collection ? which is leading to great counter seasonal growth,? said Petrick. ?Couple these with our targeted growth initiatives developed with our parent-company Jarden, and these are truly exciting times at K2 Sports.?

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Top 10 remote destinations to see in your lifetime

In 1990, Bruce Poon Tip launched G Adventures with the belief that other travellers would share his desire to experience authentic adventures in a responsible and sustainable manner. Here, Bruce shares with us his own Top 10 Places to See In Your Lifetime.10) Kampala, UgandaOne of the ultimate African experiences is being able to explore the natural habitat of mountain gorillas; a rare pleasure and one that still leaves me in complete awe. After a challenging trek through thick African jungle, our group was presented with the awe-inspiring reward of finding ourselves in the company of a family of roaming gorillas. The trek was led by experienced trackers who allowed us to get as close as possible to the primates while constantly ensuring that we did not disturb their natural thriving habitat.9) Pak Ou Caves, LaosThese magnificent ancient caves, high above the Mekong River some 25km from Luang Prabang, have been a place of Buddhist worship and solitude for more than 600 years. Over that time, more than 4,000 images of Buddha have been placed inside them, creating a humbling place to ponder life?s greater mysteries. The opportunity to experience the tranquillity of these caves was something I will personally always cherish. 8) Galapagos Islands, EcuadorFor as long as I can remember I have read about Darwin completing his research on evolution on these curious islands, so I was keen to explore them for myself.�� The location is still relatively remote and left me powerless to do anything but relax and learn. The Galapagos Islands are an experience rarely available to the modern day tourist and the opportunity to explore a virtually untouched location inspires me to this day. 7) Placencia, BelizeThis lost sandy peninsula in the south of Belize is another hidden gem that remains undiscovered by mainstream tourists.� Aside from a few lost backpackers, it was a rare pleasure to relax with villagers in total anonymity.� More lost islands are located just off the coast, which can be easily reached, and I would highly recommend them to those who have the extra time. 6) Tikal, GuatemalaThe Mayans left behind a majestic city that always seems remarkably undisturbed in the middle of its tropical jungle setting. By imagining how the Mayans once ruled this area of the world, it is easy to transport yourself back to a time of ancient and savage civilisation.� 5) Ngorongoro Crater, TanzaniaMy journey through this lush wildlife playground in the middle of a dry open desert in Africa left me wanting more.� I witnessed rhinos and baboons roaming effortlessly and free against a stunning backdrop of the setting African sun. It was a truly untouched experience, where I felt as if I was immersed in the land itself. 4) Angel Falls, VenezuelaAngel Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever had the pleasure of visiting, and is certainly the highest in the world. The overall trip experience is heightened by the adventure one needs to endure to get there.� Travelling down wild rivers by canoe and sleeping in hammocks along the riverside makes it an unforgettable quest to find this spectacular natural wonder.3) Taj Mahal, IndiaThe greatest monument to love on Earth. The passion that inspired the pristine structure, built so many centuries ago, left me in complete wonder. Even before its construction, the Taj Mahal was designed to become an inspiring example of beautiful architecture and remains so today, creating a powerful effect on visitors from all backgrounds. 2) Otavalo, EcuadorEvery Saturday morning, the world's largest craft market is brought to life with a wash of vibrant colour as the Otavalo Indians come down from the hills to market their wares.� The electric energy in the air is captivating and puts you in a mood to spend and take home a special memory of this unique place.� 1) Lhasa, TibetAt one time Tibet was the spiritual and cultural heart of Asia. While the people of Tibet have had their struggles since the Cultural Revolution, their spirit was still palpable as soon as we set foot in Lhasa.� The Potala Palace sits looming over the city as Buddhist monks passed by us on their daily routines, reminding us that this city was once the pulse of a nation in change.








Comments


Guide2Uganda (@Guide2Uganda), Kampala, Uganda
We are so excited to see Kampala -our city listed
If you look forward to a true African Adventure, then #VisitUganda -the beautiful and warmly welcoming people,the snow-capped mountains, unspoiled beaches and wildlife infested forest - all awaits you here.
For ideas and tips on how to spend your ultimate Uganda Safari holiday, connect with us on twitter.

18 August, 2012


Clark Norton, New York
Top Ten lists are always tough because they're subjective and, after all, limited to ten. I love the Taj Mahal, have been there twice, but mine would have to include Easter Island over the Taj because it's much more remote. I'd also have to include Greenland, Svalbard, Antarctica or some place in the far north or south -- at least Cape Horn!
17 August, 2012


Jon Walsh, London
I've been to the Ngorongoro Crater, but was way more impressed by the Serengeti and it's wildlife....
17 August, 2012




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Paralympics 2012: crossing London can be an obstacle course for disabled fans

Despite millions spent on making the capital's transport system more accessible, getting to the Games can be nerve-racking for disabled travellersTransport for London says it has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in making the capital's public transport system more accessible before the Paralympics, and on the opening day of the Games the network was tested by large numbers of disabled people travelling to the Olympic Park.Many people said they encountered friendly staff and surprising efficiency as they made their way to Stratford but some were met by the same unpredictable service and unhelpfulness from the general public that can make travelling around London in a wheelchair a nerve-racking experience.Becki McGuinness's complicated journey from her home in Southfields in south-west London (one bus trip, two tube trains, and the final stretch on the Docklands Light Railway) to the Olympic Park, went without any major problems, but was accompanied by an undercurrent of tension."I still find it very stressful. You panic about whether you are going to be able to get off where you are going," she said. She has used a wheelchair since developing osteosarcoma of the spine, a kind of bone cancer, as a teenager.Her mother, Susan McGuinness, who is her full-time carer and travels with her on any trips made by public transport, says she has a constant "knot in her stomach" whenever they are out together, wondering if the right stations will be open, and whether the lifts will be in order. She says very few people offer to help her; she has developed a tennis elbow from her caring responsibilities and sometimes the massive heave required to push the wheelchair up over the 20cm gap between the train and the platform is too much for her."Sometimes my mum is struggling to get me on, and people stare, but it's only once in a blue moon that anyone will say 'Do you want some help?'" Becki said.A guard at Southfields tube station calls out: "Are you all right?" The lift is working so everything is fine; they don't ask for a mobile ramp to be taken out, because it takes too long."Look how big the gap is," Susan says as the train draws in, but manages to manoeuvre the wheelchair into the carriage.When she finds a young man stretched out across the fold-up seats that are marked as a priority space for wheelchair users, Becki doesn't ask him to move, but squeezes her wheelchair awkwardly into a corner of the standing area and hopes that he will get up and give her the seat.Becki, 25, thinks that people retreat into a bubble when they get on the tube. "Their persona changes; they switch off; they don't talk to anyone," she says, with the consequence being that they don't register that they could be helping her.Three stops go past and the man doesn't move, and he seems oblivious to the hard stares of several other passengers, who let their eyes rest on him, and try to draw his gaze to the prominent disabled passengers sign to his right.People walk around the wheelchair with difficulty, but still the man doesn't move. Becki's mother, sister and niece who are travelling with her, glare at him, but also decide not to say anything."I tend to just weigh it up each time. I don't want to say anything in case he says something rude, or does something physical. Just in case," she says, glancing at the man, relaxed and leaning back into the seat. "You feel much more vulnerable travelling like this.""There's no way I could do a tube journey on my own," she says. "I couldn't physically do it ? I'd be too worried." But she has been helped in organising journeys and undertaking trips out of London by CLIC Sargent, a cancer charity that supports children and young people. She says it's very hit and miss whether fellow passengers will be helpful. "You get the impression that some people feel they have somewhere to get to in a hurry; they forget that we've got somewhere to get to as well."Accessibility problems in the underground system have annoyed some of the athletes. British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft said in an interview before the Games: "Am I allowed to swear? It's crap. It's really bad."She said there were too many tube stops that were not wheelchair-accessible. "If you don't want to get on or off at one of those stops then you're pretty much screwed."I think they've changed bits of it, and they have made it more accessible, just not as accessible as we'd like them to be."She said she was surprised about how few offers of help she got when travelling in her wheelchair. "People are not willing to help you, they're just not. I think that's ignorance, or maybe people feel awkward. I am very independent, but obviously there are things that you do need help with."Mark Evers, director of Games transport with Transport for London, said hundreds of millions of pounds had been spent recently to improve accessibility. All 8,500 of London's buses were now fully wheelchair-accessible, he said (with the exception of some heritage Routemaster buses, for tourists) and all taxis.The campaign group Transport for All is calling for the temporary manual wheelchair ramps installed in many tube stations, allowing wheelchair users to use their local station for the first time, to be kept there after the Games."We certainly want to keep them in place," Evers said, adding that he was looking at how to ensure that staff would always be available to help people on and off using the ramps. He said having 66 fully accessible stations out of a total of 270 across the tube network was "not as many as we would like, which is why we continue to work to make more stations step-free". Emphasising the huge improvements made in recent years, he added that it was expensive to adapt some central London stations because they were so deep, and because of the disruption it caused at pavement level.Some visitors on Thursday had come by taxi to avoid risking public transport with a wheelchair. Daphne Hermitage, 77, spent �50 on a taxi journey to the stadium from Essex and would spend another �50 to get home. "I wouldn't go by train. I'd be afraid I couldn't get on the train." Others said that the staff on the overground were "amazing, so friendly and helpful", and Michael Cogswell, who travelled in a wheelchair with his six-year-old daughter by high-speed rail from Ashford International in Kent, said he had had "the best journey possible ? a big change from everywhere else." Sandra McCullagh, who travelled from Dublin with her son, who uses a wheelchair, said her journey had been "very good; stress-free".The most common problem was with overcrowding in the wheelchair area on London's buses, where wheelchairs are meant to have priority but parents with prams often do not realise, and don't make way.Sarah Brown, a support worker who accompanied a friend in a wheelchair to the Olympic Stadium, said she had to argue with a bus driver in order to get on to a bus."We couldn't get on because there was a buggy. Parents have got a choice to fold up buggies; if you're in a wheelchair you don't have that choice. The drivers don't know the rules."Most people were very positive about access within the stadium. Vanessa Bancroft, who has ME, borrowed a mobility scooter on site to help her cover the distances. "The mobility service at the gate was so good. I wouldn't have been able to manage the walk," she said. David Pyall, from Leytonstone, who lost the use of his left side in a stroke, also borrowed a scooter. He said: "They've done a lot to try to make it accessible."But there was continuing unhappiness about families being unable to sit together in the wheelchair-accessible areas of the stadiums. Michael Cogswell, attending with his daughter, said tickets could only be bought in pairs, and seating appeared to be designed for a wheelchair user and a carer. "They have got that entirely wrong. I couldn't buy three tickets, so I couldn't come with my whole family."Travelling with disabilitiesParalympics 2012LondonDisabilityguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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The Authentic Ski Tour: Chico Hot Springs, Day 2

..... Pray, Montana (Ski Press)-Through the windshield I can watch the Absaroka Range coming into view like great blue gods with diamonds and avalanches in their hair. Livingston, Montana is coming up on the right, and Bob Dylan is on the radio. ?Did you ever see the movie Rancho Deluxe, with Sam Waterston and Jeff Bridges?? I ask Jeff. He shakes his head. ?No.? It?s day two of my self-proclaimed ?Authentic Ski Tour,? of Montana?s Yellowstone Country, busting a Big Sky hole through the cookie-cutter clutter of ski experiences so sugared up, starched out, and stiltingly stratified that it?s a wonder anyone can tell their vacations apart anymore. Jeff Carroll got me started with the grassroots elegance of Red Lodge, and now we are heading to Chico Hot Springs, then Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky, Moonlight Basin and Bridger Bowl. ?It was filmed in Livingston,? I said. ?Bridges and Waterston are modern rustlers. And Slim Pickens is sent to catch them. And Jimmy Buffet and his band have a scene in the bar.? Buffet wrote a song called ?Livingston Saturday Night?: ?Pickup's washed and you just got paid. With any luck at all you might even get laid, 'Cause they're pickin' and a-kickin' on a Livingston Saturday Night.? But we?re heading south to Paradise Valley now, closer to those mountains catching clouds, through the endless prairies between the peaks and the great log cabins in open spaces without even a tree to stop the wind and the sun from coming through. ?It?s beautiful.? ?I know.? We?re heading to Chico Hot Springs, a kind of Rocky Mountain Eden where the mountains and plains and bubbling hot waters come together, and the wedding parties, couples and cowboys come for miles. Like a great camphouse-meets-country hotel, it is tucked against the peaks, golden in the light, with the wonderful restaurant inside, those mythic waters, and the Chico Saloon, its legendary bar. At the rooms across from the stables, where the horses are being fed at dusk, a stout man is busy unloading several six-packs of different micro-brews. ?Looks like you?re getting ready for a good time,? I said, wondering if he was booked for a week, or about to host his own beer festival right then and there. He looked me in the eye between moving six packs and said, ?It?s always a good time in Chico.? And walking over to the Chico Dining Room I felt a little warmth of anticipation at the light melting out the windows, and the sense of coming in from the cold. I felt the warmth of the wine, The Prisoner, and the conversation as Chico?s General Manager Colin Kurth Davis took us into the night, through Chico?s history and the restaurant?s menu. ?You have to stay for two nights,? he said. ?One night to eat here in the restaurant, and one night by the pool in the Grill.? Interested and generous, Davis gives off the air of a friendly neighbor hosting an endless pool party and barbecue. And what a pool, and what a menu. For the Dining Room there is even a book, ?A Montana Table,? written by Colin?s wife, Seabring Davis, an accomplished journalist and foodie, detailing the deceptively simple preparation of the restaurant?s ubiquitously delicious fennel breadsticks, rock-cooked Yellowstone Chicken, and Huckleberry Swirl Cheesecake. We sit there for hours. It is a perfect pace. In my mind, I could go there right now. It is Colin who finally breaks the trance. ?Shall we go next door?? I?ve never seen two-stepping that good before. The pedal-steel guitar and stand-up bass of Dirty Shame, and all those pretty country girls heating up the dance floor. The young cowboys come in with their towels tucked under their arms to hit the pool. Drinks are served in cups through the window, into the steaming outdoors. A sun-kissed blonde named Shona shoots me with a potato gun. Rounds of tequila are ordered, and the night suddenly accelerates as the band plays faster numbers. The dance floor fills, and if you look hard enough, you can see the stars start to swirl. Links Chico Hot Springs: www.chicohotsprings.com A Montana Table: www.amazon.com/Montana-Table-Recipes-Springs-Resort/dp/0762725702/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Jimmy Buffet, Livingston Saturday Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzzS0nyMfM

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#EOTC2 Round Up: Heli-skiing the Andes

// ?This isn?t a normal helicopter!? Ingrid Backstrom shouts from the seat next to me. I?m wedged between Ingrid, Chris Davenport, and Greg Harms in the back of said helicopter. I?ll have to take her word for it?responding isn?t an option. My heart?s beating on pace with the rotor blades buzzing overhead?my mind is working even faster to comprehend just what the hell I?ve gotten myself into as we swoop over the Chilean town of Farellones. I?m onboard an AS350 B3e Helicopter headed deep into the Andes?if I don?t have a heart attack first. The B3e is a souped-up version of the B3, the same helicopter that landed on the summit of Mt. Everest in 2005. Ingrid?s right, this isn?t a normal helicopter. But nothing about this is ?normal.? At least not for me. Five minutes ago I was getting a safety briefing from world-renowned heli-guide Greg Harms. Harms is a giant, standing 6?5?? and, when combined with ski gear, weighing in around 300 pounds. He?s guided the best?from snowboarding?s Jeremy Jones to Ingrid, Chris, and more. He?s also pretty nice. When I ask the question, ?How exactly do I get out?? He smiles, puts his bear paw of a hand across my shoulders and says, ?Don?t worry buddy. Follow me. I got you.? Even with Harms?s guidance I can?t help but be a little nervous. Cresting the first snow-draped wall I see an Andean library of ridges and peaks, each ridge a bookshelf containing many stories. And this library is congressional size. My wonder is quickly replaced by vertigo. Not only are the Andes vast and enormous, they?re steep. Our pilot, an ex-Chilean military officer dubbed ?The General,? nauseatingly buzzes ridge after ridge. It?ll take me a few lifts to get over the shock and start having fun. But here, fun is an understatement. Our first landing is at nearly 15,000 feet. After unloading I stare into the white craggy vastness. The helicopter lands so far away we can?t see it. The only way to get back to it is to descend 6,500 feet of untouched snow. Davenport drops after getting an ?all-clear? from Harms. He disappears into a white infinity. I?m next and my knees are shaking faster than they ever have. Instantly I?m transported to my first day on skis at tiny little Marquette Mountain in Michigan?s Upper Peninsula. Knees rattling above a blue square run called ?Snow Field.? It?s so shallow they put a terrain park on it. I watched my uncles slip away effortlessly while my pubescent voice muttered something about skiing being stupid. But I let go and the world opened up more in that moment than it ever had before. With that little lesson in mind I push off. After a few timid turns I start to let go. That dream run you want? It?s there in the Andes. We meet below at the heli, and I continue my pattern of speechlessness. I?ve just re-experienced skiing for the first time all over again. Each heli-drop yields more smiles and giggles. I slowly regain my speech. The best part comes with the fact that everyone involved has the same shit-eating grin plastered to their face all day. Heli-skiing isn?t normal. But you really should go if you have the chance. If you don?t have the chance, make the chance. It?ll shift your perspective on skiing in ways only landing on top of a peak in the middle of the wilderness can do. For more info, visit thirdedgeheli.comFor part 2 click HEREStay tuned for part 4 tomorrow and the People's Choice Vote!

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SIA Show Hits 6-Year Attendance High

..... McLean, Va. (Ski Press)-SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is reporting a six-year attendance high for the inaugural Snow Show recently held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado from January 28-31, 2010.The sold-out Snow Show attracted 18,932 attendees and featured over 3,100 booths representing 845 snow sports brands, including 125 new exhibitors. Throughout the four-day trade show, numerous television camera crews, photographers and reporters could be seen roaming the Show aisles to report on next season's hottest fashions, gear and accessories. Snow Show exhibitors were kept busy with appointments and interviews with 875 journalists in-attendance. "Participating in the Snow Show exceeded our expectations. We were overwhelmed by the interest from retailers, distributors and the public. As a result of being featured in a local FOX 31 television report on the Snow Show a distributor came to us with a great opportunity," commented Brett Curtis of Manic Snow. The 2010 Snow Show buying power index, measured by Leisure Trends Group, totaled 74.9% for the U.S. retail buying power. Total buyer attendance was up 9.6% from last year's Show with 4,561 buyers from 1,309 buying managements. The buying power is a measurement of U.S. retail sales from specialty ski and snowboard shops in attendance at the Show. An early stat from the Buyer Survey indicates that 95% of the buyers felt that the SIA Snow met their objectives and more than 50% of the buyers said the economy still has an effect on their business. Snow Show audited retail attendance numbers indicated a notable increase in the number of retailers from the Rocky Mountain and Midwest regions compared to the previous year. On the flip side, there was a drop in West Coast and Northeast retailers. "For the first year in Denver, in the middle of a recession, we're very happy with the attendance numbers. We were lighter in some regions but we hope they'll come back next year after hearing all the positive experiences people had this year," said David Ingemie, president of SIA. "The Show wound up great this year. The Never Summer booth was constantly busy with both local and out of town buyers and Denver had enough options to keep it interesting," commented Mike "Gags" Gagliardi, Never Summer Snowboards. The Snow Show officially kicked off on the evening of January 27th, when 1,600+ attendees and a select group of consumers previewed the hottest on/off slope fashions for next season at SIA's Snow Fashion Show. The music was loud, the lights were bright and the fashions were anything but demure with bright colors, prints and lots of style. New product buzz on the Show floor included cutting edge technology heading to the Olympics and the continuing story of rocker or reverse camber technology for both skis and snowboards. Outerwear fashion could hardly be pinned down at the Show ? with as many styles and color schemes to match the diverse personalities that love snow sports. There was plenty of bright (even neon) colors, plaids, geometric shapes and creative prints bringing to life outerwear and apparel collections.

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Shanghai soup dumplings

In Shanghai there are street stalls selling delicious xiaolongbao, or steamed pork dumplings, on almost every corner. Here's a guide on where to find the best ? and how to master the tricky art of slurping them downThis post first appeared on the Culinary Backstreets blog Know a great place to eat in Shanghai? Add a commentAny Shanghai denizen who has lived in the city for longer than a few months worships at the altar of xiaolongbao. These steamed buns of goodness ? tiny pork dumplings with a slurp of soup wrapped up in a wonton wrapper ? provide delicious fodder for debates among Shanghai's foodies.We all have our favourite joints and the truth about which one reigns supreme varies, depending on whether you prioritise the thickness of the skin or the quality of the soup inside. With XLBs (as those in the know call them), the dumpling isn't bobbing in a bowl of hot soup; rather, the soup is contained neatly inside the delicate dumpling skin. This is attained through a nifty trick of including cooled pork jelly (OK, fat) in with the minced pork, which is then wrapped in a thin flour dumpling skin. Good XLB joints have enough turnover that dumplings are steamed fresh throughout the day.That said, if anyone tells you the best soup dumplings in the city can be found at Taiwanese chain restaurant Din Tai Fung, give them a polite smile and then turn on your heels and run. Sure, these XLBs may win the day in Melbourne or even San Francisco, but why come to Shanghai, the home of the xiaolongbao, to order your steamer baskets from a chain? No one suggests going to Rome and eating at Pizza Hut, however well the corporation may have localised their flavors to the Italian market.We also avoid the historic Nanxiang tourist trap in Yu Gardens at all costs. This perennial guidebook favourite is a branch of the original dumpling shop that invented the method for preparing XLBs, but they churn out so many dumplings in a day that the product is wildly inconsistent. In addition, their widely publicised historical connection has led to interminably long lines of hungry tourists who are all searching for a suitable seat to slurp down the dumplings.In our humble opinion, there is no single winner of the great xiaolongbao debate ? and that's not because we like sitting on the fence. There are two regional varieties of soup dumpling: Nanjing-style, which are actually called tangbao, literally "soup bun," and traditional Shanghainese xiaolongbao. The latter boasts heartier wrappers that hold in a hearty pork meatball in a sweet soup, while Nanjing's offerings have skin so thin it's almost translucent, a more savoury broth, and a smaller serving of pork. In each of these categories, we have a clear winner.We first introduce the front runner of the Shanghainese battle, the pride of the Paris of the Orient, the proprietor of the juiciest xiaolongbao joint in the city: Fu Chun. It's a hole in the wall, and it's delicious. When you enter Fu Chun, immediately place your order with the counter attendant to the left of the door. In return, she will give you small coupons to hand over to the expediting waitress, who usually floats between the tables and the open kitchen. Lunchtime gets hectic, so in order to snag a seat you may need to use our time-tested method of hovering over a hungry diner who has just a few dumplings left. Sharing tables with strangers is the norm here, as chairs are precious. Head upstairs only if you're looking to order the full range of dinner dishes on offer here in addition to dumplings.For an even bigger hole in a much smaller wall, enter Nanjing's best import to Shanghai, the simply named Nanjing Soup Dumpling stall, which is consistently filled with hungry diners and even offers up a few small tables outside when weather permits. The well-worn steamer baskets are a testament to the popularity of the place. Linger during rush hour and you may be politely asked to give up your seat to waiting customers. The dumplings' delicate skin is so impossibly thin here that simply extracting them from the steamer often results in a few accidental skin piercings. With a spoon at the ready, you can hope to salvage some of the escaping broth, of which there will be a torrent. Staying true to form, the unctuous broth outweighs the meatball, almost sloshing around inside the lucent wrapper. This shop also serves up an impressive m� l� tang soup, with a fiery broth that has a base of over 20 traditional ingredients, stewed slowly in a giant wok.Whichever regional favourite of XLB you choose, the eating method is the same. Order a l�ng (steamer basket), which usually contains eight dumplings. While it's steaming ask for an order of ginger (shengjiang). Fill up a dipping dish of vinegar and plunk the slivers of ginger into the sauce to flavour it. When the basket of soup dumplings arrives, wait! If you bite right into one of these suckers, the soup will squirt out and can leave an unsightly burn on your face. Use your chopsticks to dip the XLB into the ginger-vinegar sauce, then place the dumpling in your soup spoon. This is in case the skin splits ? you don't want to lose any of the precious soup.Gently take a bite out of the top (or the side) and let the steam escape. Then carefully suck out the succulent juice of the xiaolongbao. A second dip into the sauce, after you've drained the melted pork fat, wouldn't hurt. Cue the swan song and pop the xiaolongbao in your mouth whole. Savour. Repeat.This is merely a loving ode to the standard Shanghai pork xiaolongbao. We could go into the high-class XLB filled with pork and crab roe, but we'll save that one for another day.? Fu Chun (650 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu 650, +86 21 6247 1277, fuchun8.com, Chinese menu only); open 6.30am-midnight.Nanjing Soup Dumplings (641 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Gao'an Lu 641, +86 21 6473 5648, Chinese menu only; 6.30am-midnightThis is an article from our Guardian Travel Network. To find out more about it, click hereShanghaiFood and drinkChinaFood & drinkAsiaChinese food and drinkStreet foodCity breaksguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Walking with St Cuthbert through rain and hail and thunderstorms

It's the second day on St Cuthbert's Way for the Guardian Northerner's intrepid pedestrian Alan Sykes and the trail loses sight of the sun. But at least the water's free...Sadly yesterday's glorious dappled sunshine did not repeat itself this morning. Leaving Jedburgh by the Border Abbeys Way, the track rejoined St Cuthbert's Way on Vere Street before going through many boggy woodland paths. These no doubt are a delight on a sunny day, but less so when the rain is sheeting down. At least I was able to refill my water bottle (for free) from a busy little beck in one of the woods. The path through the woods was surprisingly overgrown, suggesting that relatively few people have used it in recent weeks.A short stretch of open country takes you past the stark ruins of Cessford Castle. Thomas Howard, later Duke of Norfolk and previously a commander of the English forces at Flodden Field, apparently described it as "the third strongest castle in Scotland", adding, when he was besieging it in 1523, that the outer barbican had been vawmewred with earth of the best sort I have ever seen the earth piled up against the barbican meaning that his 11 cannon were largely ineffective in their bombardment.At Morebattle it was raining so hard, and there were occasional flashes of thunder and lightening, and brief outbreaks of painful hail that, very reluctantly, I decided not to continue over Wideopen Hill, but instead to take the B-road on towards Yetholm. The distance is about the same, and there seemed little point in risking being on an exposed hilltop at 1200' in a thunderstorm, especially as the reward would have been panoramic 360 degree views of the inside of a cloud.Just after Morebattle ? on the road route, that is ? is Linton, whose church is apparently one of the oldest in use in Scotland, and which, despite Christ's advice to St Peter, is built not on rock but on sand. The church's tympanum shows local hero Sir John Somerville killing the Linton Worm, or dragon, for which he was knighted by King William the Lion, and granted much land in the parish. According to Sir Walter Scott's version, the beast was in lenth three Scots yards, and somewhat bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a head more proportionable to its lenth than greatnesYou know you've got really wet when the money in your wallet is damp. Fortunately it was not cold and there was virtually no wind, so the discomfort wasn't that great ? the Guardian's late great Harry Griffin always maintained that, once you're wet, you can't get any wetter, so you might as well strip off and have a swim, but this might have raised Scottish eyebrows and isn't especially practical (or comfortable) when you're lugging an 8 kg rucksack, anyway.For Pennine Way walkers Kirk Yetholm is the goal. Alfred Wainwright, whose picture adorns the bar of the Border Hotel here, describes it as "a quiet village pleasantly set around a tree-shaded green", adding There is no brass band to greet you, there is nobody waiting to pin a medal on your breast. There may be people about but they will take no notice of you. Nobody cares that you have walked, and just this minute completed, the Pennine Way ... the satisfaction you feel is intensely personal and cannot be shared: the sense of achievement is yours alone simply because you have earned it alone.No such sense of achievement for St Cuthbert's pilgrims, as we're only a little over half way there.More tomorrow, as Sykes marches on...Walking holidaysScotland & Northern IrelandAlan Sykesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Skiinfo: Return of the Big Snowfalls

..... Global Snow (Ski Press)-Skiinfo.co.uk reports that there has been fresh snow across much of Europe and North America in the past few days with many resorts in the Alps and the Pyrenees reporting at least 30cm (a foot) of new snow.The snowfall is continuing today with more fresh snow across both continents. Italy has seen some of the most snow in the past few days, especially in the north of the country. Two thirds of powder alarms issued today for snowfall of more than 20m in 24 hours have been issued for the country, with Limone reporting 60cm (two feet). Temperatures have dropped dramatically from up to 20 degrees last week to sub-zero temperatures by the weekend and more snow is forecast for the rest of the week. Arabba Marmolada has the deepest snow with a five metre (nearly 17 feet) of snow with the Pragelato glacier having 430cm (14.3 feet) and Courmayeur 330cm (11 feet) of snow. Germany had a snowy weekend with more than 30 powder alarms. Most of them were issued in the central and southern uplands (Sauerland, Harz and Black Forest). Gaby Baur of the Black Forest Tourism Board told the regional broadcasting corporation (SWR), ?The current winter season is one of the best we ever had.? The Allg�u saw some remarkable snowfalls, too. On Sunday Grasgehren there even reported the weekend?s biggest snowfall in Germany with 50cm (20 inches) of fresh powder within 24 hours. The Zugspitze had 20cm the same day. Oberstdorf had already reported 30cm (a foot) of powder on Saturday. Today (Wednesday) Austrian ski resorts like Gro�glockner, Katschberg and Ankogel reported another 10-15cm (4-6 inches) of new snow. S�lden got 9cm. The M�lltal glacier issued a powder alarm because of 20cm (eight inches) of fresh powder. Ski resorts in Switzerland were also busy issuing powder alarms on Sunday. Andermatt-Gotthard did so because of 20cm of freshly fallen snow. Peter Heinzer, director of Andermatt Gotthard Sportbahnen, told Skiinfo, ?It?s hardly possible to describe the snow conditions here without using many superlatives,? and so he described the ?finest powder snow? and ?unique skiing conditions.? France turned very cold on Sunday and the south of the country received some significant snowfalls, especially for March.� For example, in the Gard department (Southern France),�40cm of powder in the valleys, which at this time of year and in such volume has not happened since 1974. The Winter X Games Europe kick off in Tignes today for the very first time. Tignes was chosen to host this key event in freestyle ski and snowboard until March 12th.� Chamonix still has the deepest snow in the country with 407cm (13.5 feet), La Grave la Meije has 330cm (11 feet) and La Rosi�re 1850 290cm (nearly 10 feet). There have been big snowfalls in Pyrenees, and the nearby city of Barcelona ground to a standstill due to the weekend snowstorm.� Sierra Nevada continues to have the greatest snow depth in Europe with five metres on their upper slopes. This week this most southern resort in Europe will host the European Freestyle Championship gathering the best freestyle riders (ski and snowboard) in the disciplines of moguls and skicross. The Pyrenees are still looking very nice with more than 2mof snow on the top of the slopes with Boi Taull having the most with three metres.� Formigal has the most terrain open in the region with 240cm (eight feet) on upper slopes and 136km of trails open.� In Canada Banff-Lake Louise has just been named Top North American Spot for Spring Skiing by The New York Times (February 28, 2010) and received another dump of 25cm (10 inches) of fresh powder overnight.

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Grand Prix Package A Special Event At Sea

Filed under: Festivals and Events, Europe, Monaco


Monaco's Grand Prix has brought out the best of Formula One auto racing each year, and to race fans waiting for that starting flag to drop, there's nothing better. In 1929, the first winner was a sleek Bugatti, completing the difficult course in just under four hours. Last year, racing legend Mark Weber crossed the finish line in less than two.

Want to know what next year will bring? Add the Grand Prix with Windstar package to a Yachting the Riviera yacht vacation.

Sail into the glamorous port of Monaco, on Windstar Cruises elegant sailing yacht Wind Surf, to experience the world's most legendary auto racing event. With Windstar's exclusive Grand Prix package added on to Wind Surf's Yachting the Rivera voyage, race fans get preferred seating for the preliminaries on Saturday.Continue reading Grand Prix Package A Special Event At SeaGrand Prix Package A Special Event At Sea originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Video: Dubrovnik In Your Pocket

Dubrovnik in Croatia is justly popular as a destination. This well-preserved medieval port on the Adriatic is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Ottoman architecture. It was hit hard in the Yugoslav Civil War and is now undergoing a major renovation campaign. Luckily, many important buildings and the beautiful scenery itself was spared.

This video from inyourpocket guides is a quick introduction to some of the major sights. Their Youtube channel has several nifty video guides to major and lesser-known destinations such as Amsterdam, Warsaw, Zagreb and, of course, Dubrovnik. They also offer a series of free, short guides to major cities, downloadable as PDFs. I reviewed their Athens city guide before, and while I couldn't be 100% positive about the text and maps, it was certainly worth far more than what I paid for it.

Check out inyourpocket guides' channel for more tempting travel videos. This one certainly piqued my interest in visiting Dubrovnik and the rest of the Adriatic coast.Video: Dubrovnik In Your Pocket originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Walking with St Cuthbert through rain and hail and thunderstorms

It's the second day on St Cuthbert's Way for the Guardian Northerner's intrepid pedestrian Alan Sykes and the trail loses sight of the sun. But at least the water's free...Sadly yesterday's glorious dappled sunshine did not repeat itself this morning. Leaving Jedburgh by the Border Abbeys Way, the track rejoined St Cuthbert's Way on Vere Street before going through many boggy woodland paths. These no doubt are a delight on a sunny day, but less so when the rain is sheeting down. At least I was able to refill my water bottle (for free) from a busy little beck in one of the woods. The path through the woods was surprisingly overgrown, suggesting that relatively few people have used it in recent weeks.A short stretch of open country takes you past the stark ruins of Cessford Castle. Thomas Howard, later Duke of Norfolk and previously a commander of the English forces at Flodden Field, apparently described it as "the third strongest castle in Scotland", adding, when he was besieging it in 1523, that the outer barbican had been vawmewred with earth of the best sort I have ever seen the earth piled up against the barbican meaning that his 11 cannon were largely ineffective in their bombardment.At Morebattle it was raining so hard, and there were occasional flashes of thunder and lightening, and brief outbreaks of painful hail that, very reluctantly, I decided not to continue over Wideopen Hill, but instead to take the B-road on towards Yetholm. The distance is about the same, and there seemed little point in risking being on an exposed hilltop at 1200' in a thunderstorm, especially as the reward would have been panoramic 360 degree views of the inside of a cloud.Just after Morebattle ? on the road route, that is ? is Linton, whose church is apparently one of the oldest in use in Scotland, and which, despite Christ's advice to St Peter, is built not on rock but on sand. The church's tympanum shows local hero Sir John Somerville killing the Linton Worm, or dragon, for which he was knighted by King William the Lion, and granted much land in the parish. According to Sir Walter Scott's version, the beast was in lenth three Scots yards, and somewhat bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a head more proportionable to its lenth than greatnesYou know you've got really wet when the money in your wallet is damp. Fortunately it was not cold and there was virtually no wind, so the discomfort wasn't that great ? the Guardian's late great Harry Griffin always maintained that, once you're wet, you can't get any wetter, so you might as well strip off and have a swim, but this might have raised Scottish eyebrows and isn't especially practical (or comfortable) when you're lugging an 8 kg rucksack, anyway.For Pennine Way walkers Kirk Yetholm is the goal. Alfred Wainwright, whose picture adorns the bar of the Border Hotel here, describes it as "a quiet village pleasantly set around a tree-shaded green", adding There is no brass band to greet you, there is nobody waiting to pin a medal on your breast. There may be people about but they will take no notice of you. Nobody cares that you have walked, and just this minute completed, the Pennine Way ... the satisfaction you feel is intensely personal and cannot be shared: the sense of achievement is yours alone simply because you have earned it alone.No such sense of achievement for St Cuthbert's pilgrims, as we're only a little over half way there.More tomorrow, as Sykes marches on...Walking holidaysScotland & Northern IrelandAlan Sykesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Four Dublin Attractions Not To Be Missed

Filed under: History, Europe, Ireland, Transportation, Nightlife

One of Europe's oldest and greatest cities, Dublin not only retains its historic and cultural identity, but hosts a variety of current, relevant attractions. With a wide variety of friendly bars, stylish shops, elegant restaurants and sidewalk cafes, deciding what to do in Dublin can be tough. But on a recent visit, we stopped by several must-see attractions that give a real feel for the city, its people and its rich heritage.

The Guinness Storehouse is home to arguably the most famous beer in the world. On a 90-minute walking tour, visitors go through the history behind the brand as well as the production process from beginning to end.

Old Jameson Distillery is a good alternate for those who prefer whiskey to beer. Here, visitors learn what makes Irish the best whiskey in the world and get a chance to sample the Uisce beatha - the water of life.Continue reading Four Dublin Attractions Not To Be MissedFour Dublin Attractions Not To Be Missed originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Yeo's runway taunt is big-willy politics, and that is the most dangerous politics of all | Simon Jenkins

The third runway appeals to paranoid machismo, not reason. A recession is no excuse for pushing through dumb projectsBig-willy politics is back. If we do not build a third runway at Heathrow, says Tory MP Tim Yeo, Britain will "slide towards insignificance". Britain will leave the premier league, lose out to China and become a second-rate power. Those who refuse to build third runways are mice not men. As for manifesto pledges and coalition agreements, they are for wimps. Real men love planes. To be great, says Hamlet, is "greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honour's at the stake". What greater honour could there be than a third runway at Heathrow?Similar dire warnings were made if Britain withdrew from "east of Suez", refused to join the euro or failed to back a British car industry. They are why governments still build aircraft carriers, buy nuclear missiles and fight foreign wars. They are why lobbyists argue for banking bonuses, high-speed trains and lofty skyscrapers. Yeo says we risk repeating Macmillan's retreat from empire. Foreigners will kick sand in our faces and be rude about our food and our women.Big-willy politics is the most dangerous politics of all. It appeals to paranoid machismo, not argument or reason. Yeo's taunt at David Cameron ? is he "a man or a mouse" over Heathrow ? is the dumbed-down remark of a politician who takes �140,000 in a year from energy companies while chairing the Commons energy select committee ? though this may say more about today's parliament than about Yeo. The thesis that any profit to an interest group must be "good for Britain" is insidious. War is more profitable than peace, but we do not go to war with Russia.The case for a third runway at Heathrow is like that for a heliport in St James's Park or a shard on Hampstead Heath. Some might find it remunerative and convenient, but we try not to commit such outrages on the environment these days. No sensible country builds airports with flight paths over densely populated areas. However much BAA and BA may spend on PR to keep alive "the case for a third runway", it cannot alter this fact.The London area has more airports and more runways than any other city in Europe. Heathrow alone serves more "key business" destinations than Paris and Frankfurt together. Screaming for a "hub" is lobbyists' nonsense. London's trading future lies in being a terminus, not a transit lounge. Anyway, a mere 15% of London air travel is business rather than pleasure, the latter overwhelmingly that of outbound Britons. Why boosting Britain's �15bn tourism deficit holds the key to economic recovery is a mystery.There is nothing to stop Heathrow serving more business destinations if BAA and BA wanted. Instead they are addicted to outbound leisure travel, as is glaringly obvious from any Heathrow departure board. As for inbound tourists, far more harm is done by Cameron's clampdown on their visas than might be done by directing them to Stansted or Gatwick.BA prefers to work out of Heathrow, while Spanish-owned BAA has sold both Gatwick and Stansted and has no interest in their growth, let alone in a new Thames airport. These are two companies with a commercial interest in Heathrow, pure and simple. They are continuing to press for a third runway for one reason alone. Cameron and George Osborne have shown they will bend under pressure. While this is sometimes the welcome reversal of a bad decision, each U-turn is a gift to the lobbyists.Cameron famously said in opposition that "secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics". Money, he said, was "buying power, power fishing for money, and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest". He spoke the truth. Can he now not recognise the evil when he sees it?This week's Guardian poll shows the pressure on the government to show lateral thinking on the economy. The demand takes a drearily familiar form, that Cameron sack Osborne rather than change his recovery policy. With the American and German economies now showing signs of growth, the danger of Britain "sliding back to insignificance" is real. But the pressure from Yeo and others is to halt this slide, not through a desperately needed stimulus to liquidity and demand, but through "infrastructure projects".Not a day passes without a call for something big, brash and financially sexy: a road, an airport, a railway, a power station. Economists get on TV if they call for more infrastructure, even when such projects take years to get off the ground and benefit only professionals and consultants in the short term.The British class system is nowhere more apparent than in this pressure. An economic stimulus that puts money directly into the pockets of consumers through higher benefits and/or lower taxes is bad, indeed possibly immoral as corrupting expectations. It is thought vulgar to print money for people to spend through their wallets and credit cards. On the other hand, a stimulus that aids "investment" is automatically good. As we saw last month, Olympic stadiums are good, school playing fields are bad. Third runways are good, local transport bad. Developers want hypermarkets and eco-cities in the countryside, not healthier high streets and urban renewal.The Treasury and the Bank of England seek to "pump money into investment", even when they know it merely disappears into a bank vault. Money can be printed but not for ordinary people to spend. It must be conduited through government agencies, banks, boards and consultants. It thus becomes "clean" and can even be declared "below-the-line and off-budget". Nobody trusts ordinary people to rescue the British economy. The only good spending is government spending on infrastructure. It makes no sense.The best thing Cameron could now do is meet Yeo's challenge. He should show himself a man, not a mouse. He should get Yeo expelled from the Commons energy committee for blatant conflict of interest. He should declare closure on the third runway nonsense. He should tell the toffs and tycoons of the infrastructure lobby that consumption, not investment, is today's absolute priority. A recession is no excuse for collapsing environmental standards or pushing through dumb projects.Cameron might take note that the chief lobbyist for BAA is a firm called Blue Rubicon. He now faces his blue Rubicon. Dare he cross it, and send the mice scampering?Heathrow third runwayAirline industryTravel and transportAir transportDavid CameronLondonHeathrowSimon Jenkinsguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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SIA Show Hits 6-Year Attendance High

..... McLean, Va. (Ski Press)-SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is reporting a six-year attendance high for the inaugural Snow Show recently held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado from January 28-31, 2010.The sold-out Snow Show attracted 18,932 attendees and featured over 3,100 booths representing 845 snow sports brands, including 125 new exhibitors. Throughout the four-day trade show, numerous television camera crews, photographers and reporters could be seen roaming the Show aisles to report on next season's hottest fashions, gear and accessories. Snow Show exhibitors were kept busy with appointments and interviews with 875 journalists in-attendance. "Participating in the Snow Show exceeded our expectations. We were overwhelmed by the interest from retailers, distributors and the public. As a result of being featured in a local FOX 31 television report on the Snow Show a distributor came to us with a great opportunity," commented Brett Curtis of Manic Snow. The 2010 Snow Show buying power index, measured by Leisure Trends Group, totaled 74.9% for the U.S. retail buying power. Total buyer attendance was up 9.6% from last year's Show with 4,561 buyers from 1,309 buying managements. The buying power is a measurement of U.S. retail sales from specialty ski and snowboard shops in attendance at the Show. An early stat from the Buyer Survey indicates that 95% of the buyers felt that the SIA Snow met their objectives and more than 50% of the buyers said the economy still has an effect on their business. Snow Show audited retail attendance numbers indicated a notable increase in the number of retailers from the Rocky Mountain and Midwest regions compared to the previous year. On the flip side, there was a drop in West Coast and Northeast retailers. "For the first year in Denver, in the middle of a recession, we're very happy with the attendance numbers. We were lighter in some regions but we hope they'll come back next year after hearing all the positive experiences people had this year," said David Ingemie, president of SIA. "The Show wound up great this year. The Never Summer booth was constantly busy with both local and out of town buyers and Denver had enough options to keep it interesting," commented Mike "Gags" Gagliardi, Never Summer Snowboards. The Snow Show officially kicked off on the evening of January 27th, when 1,600+ attendees and a select group of consumers previewed the hottest on/off slope fashions for next season at SIA's Snow Fashion Show. The music was loud, the lights were bright and the fashions were anything but demure with bright colors, prints and lots of style. New product buzz on the Show floor included cutting edge technology heading to the Olympics and the continuing story of rocker or reverse camber technology for both skis and snowboards. Outerwear fashion could hardly be pinned down at the Show ? with as many styles and color schemes to match the diverse personalities that love snow sports. There was plenty of bright (even neon) colors, plaids, geometric shapes and creative prints bringing to life outerwear and apparel collections.

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Holiday in the City of Angels with Flights to Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a popular tourist destination in the United States of America The place is blessed with a number of natural attractions, historical monuments, resounding nightlife and full on shopping experience The luxurious ambiance appeals and tempts visitors from all over the globe

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Win a Free Luxury Cruise

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ISLANDS editors have long been fans of Paul Gauguin Cruises, known for luxury small-ship cruising with authentic shore experiences across the Islands of Tahiti. Now Paul Gauguin is debuting its first Caribbean cruises on its new ship, the m/v Tere Moana. ISLANDS sister brand Caribbean Travel + Life has partnered with Paul Gauguin on a cruise sweepstakes. The prize: a luxury cruise for two for seven nights. All you have to do is enter a super-quick Paul Gauguin cruise sweepstakes form on CT+L's website. Good luck!
















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The South American Beacon Project

While passion for riding deep snow among skiers is universal, access to avalanche safety equipment isn?t. Pro skier and patroller Alex Taran discovered this after her first year of patrolling at La Parva, Chile, where four beacons were shared between 18 patrollers. ?It was shocking to me that the ski patrol didn?t have a beacon for each patroller.? Says Taran. She also noticed that many skiers lacked basic snow-safety education. She recalls a day she went skiing out of bounds with some friends. The group started out with four beacon-equipped skiers, but by the time they reached the top of a 2,000-foot slide path, it had gained six more people and no more beacons. Taran hesitated. ?I?m freaking out!? She told the others. Their response was unnerving. ?Gringa, tranqilla, no tenemos avalanchas en Chile.? Which translates to ?Easy, white girl, we don?t have avalanches in Chile.? Later that year two people were killed on that same exact path. ?It was alarming to me.? Says Taran. ?The Andes are some of the biggest mountains in the world. It?s easy to confuse them as safe because it?s a maritime snowpack, and the snow settles quickly.? And while avalanches may not be as frequent here as they are in drier inland snowpacks, Taran wanted to err on the side of safety. So rather than standing by, Taran and fellow pro skier Drew Tabke created the South American Beacon Project, which aims to give donated beacons to those working in avalanche terrain who can?t afford them, and provide free basic snow-safety education to workers and the public. The program is making progress. This year they brought 45 beacons to South America and have begun to expand into other resorts. They also have expanded the education aspect to include a Spanish version of the Utah Avalanche Center?s ?Know Before You Go? video.There is still plenty of work to be done, but the South American Beacon Project is making progress and Taran welcomes new donations. For more info, visit southamericanbeaconproject.com

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David Cameron taunted by Tory MP over Heathrow

Former environment minister Tim Yeo asks prime minister if he is 'a man or a mouse'A senior Conservative has launched a stinging attack on David Cameron, urging the prime minister to decide if he is "a man or a mouse" over the expansion of Heathrow airport.The former environment minister Tim Yeo, writing in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, said environmental objections to a third runway were disappearing and backing the third runway would give the government a "sense of mission".Earlier, speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, Yeo said the issue "was a race in which Britain is now falling behind and we need to get back into it".Yeo wrote: "The prime minister must ask himself whether he is man or mouse. Does he want to be another Harold Macmillan, presiding over a dignified slide towards insignificance? Or is there somewhere inside his heart ? an organ that still remains impenetrable to most Britons ? a trace of Thatcher, determined to reverse the direction of our ship?"An immediate go-ahead for a third runway will symbolise the start of a new era, the moment the Cameron government found its sense of mission. Let's go for it."The outspoken comments came after the housing minister, Grant Shapps, warned recently that a third runway was needed to ensure the UK remained a "great trading nation" and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, told Cameron to "stop pussyfooting around" on expansion.Yeo, who chairs the Commons energy committee, was previously a high-profile opponent of expansion but now argues that European Union carbon emissions caps will force airlines to use more environmentally friendly planes if they want to use new capacity at Heathrow.He added: "The environmental objections are disappearing. Last January, greenhouse gas emissions from flying were brought within the EU cap. Indeed, we could cover the whole of Surrey with runways and not increase emissions by a single kilogram: if Heathrow expands, so remaining the European destination of choice, airlines will fly their newest and quietest aircraft to it."Heathrow third runwayDavid CameronAirline industryTravel and transportLondonHeathrowAir transportConservativesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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No April Fool's - 3 Feet of Fresh at Squaw

.....Squaw Valley, Calif. (Ski Press)-No fooling, a strong storm has left up to 3 feet of new snow at Squaw Valley USA in the last 36 hours. A chance of snow showers remain in the forecast in the days ahead, providing continued fresh ski conditions. Squaw will be open through May 9th, with superb springtime skiing and snowboarding, and a host of spring events, including weekly pool parties at the spectacular High Camp Swiming Lagoon and Spa, and fun events like the annual Billy Dutton Uphill Race on April 11th, and the Lake Cushing Classic Pond Crossing. SEASON STATS To date this season, Squaw Valley USA has received over 428? or more than 35 feet of snow on the upper mountain. Current base depths measure 139-151? on the upper mountain.

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Alaska?s Cat Mayor

When I arrived in Talkeetna, Alaska, Mayor Stubbs was lounging near a pile of Beanie Babies, fighting to keep his eyes open. His office, on the top floor of Nagley?s General Store, was filled with knickknacks and cages full of screeching green birds. A little girl with tumbling blonde pigtails leaned over Stubbs and whispered, ?I can?t believe this is the mayor!?

Neither could I. A cat ? as mayor!

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Ski Gear: DPS Wailer 112RP Launch

..... Salt Lake City (Ski Press)-DPS Skis (dpsskis.com) announced the launch of The Wailer 112RP which ?bridges the gap with a shape that combines the loose and early planing feel of a fully rockered ski with aggressive sidecut and slight camber underfoot.??Once in awhile a ski comes along that breaks boundaries and becomes the new standard in terms of shape, flex, and construction. The Wailer 112RP is truly the centerpiece of any skier?s quiver. It?s equally at home pulling loaded g?s on packed snow as it is slashing a wave feature or surfing powder. It?s as close to a one ski quiver as possible and will become the new standard in versatility ? it?s fun everywhere,? says Stephan Drake, DPS Founder and President. DPS has built and shaped skis geared for the freeride community since 2005. According to Drake, The Wailer, is ?A 16m radius underfoot and great torsional stiffness allow for maximum versatility, while the rockered and tapered tips and tail allow the Wailer 112RP to get loose and be driven from the ball of the foot in deeper snow. It's a game changer.? For information visit: http://dpsskis.com/

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The Authentic Ski Tour: Red Lodge, Day 1

..... Billings, Montana (Ski Press)-They say that what you seek is what you find. So I shouldn?t have been surprised in the Billings airport, the ?gateway to the big sky,? to feel like I had landed in 1975, waiting for my bags in a nostalgic mountain scene of ranchers, miners and skiers, before anyone had heard of timeshares.Maybe it was the cowboys drinking Budweisers at the airport bakery and pastry bar, the guys in the seats on the plane behind me trading Clydesdale dreams and the promise of open land, or the horse statues at the baggage carousel, the stuffed sheep and all the soldiers coming home. But that sense of grassroots wonder started as soon as I heard those two good old boys behind me talking on the plane. ?If I had one of those Clydesdales I?d just keep it like a big old dog. Here puppy, puppy,? one of them said. And the other one agreed, that they were the most beautiful horses, and started to tell a story about how he used to ship bull semen all over the world. But then the plane hit a patch of bad air and the younger one said, ?Right now I?m just imagining that I?m driving down a gravel road.? Jeff Carroll picked me up outside. Tall, blonde and eternally tan, he had been Red Lodge Mountain?s Director of Sales and Marketing for nine months now, having made the move from Tamarack in Idaho. He said he had jumped at the job, and loved the mountain, and loved the opportunity to tell his wife that she was going home. ?She grew up here,? he said, driving to Red Lodge with all the deer beside the road. ?So it?s pretty amazing to raise our family here, too. He said he had a little girl, and another baby on the way. And I told him I remembered Red Lodge from coming up from Jackson Hole to ski Beartooth Pass in the late spring when the road was plowed between high white walls of snow; the red brick parade of buildings down Broadway and all the cowboy hats and Carhartts in the bars. We ate steak at the Carbon County Steakhouse, a perfect New York and Cowboy Coffee Ribeye. And I slept at Pollard?s down the street, the grand red brick hotel with the history of ?Liver? eating Johnston and William Jennings Bryants and even Ernest Hemingway on fishing trips coming through. There was a plaque behind the counter with the quote, ?Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear, and with a manly heart,? by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that had been saved from the heyday of the miner?s ?Theatorium? next door. ?They started clearing out a lot of the statues and stuff when that place was used to make our own special ?cough syrup? during Prohibition,? the lady at check-in said. ?They used to ship their ?cure? all the way to Chicago and San Francisco.? I wanted to ask her more in the morning but she was gone. So I walked past the neon tipi of the Red Lodge Caf�, the wine bar, antique, pottery and kitchen stores, and past a fence made of skis where I saw a truck attached to an extension cord to keep the engine warm right next to an open Subaru hatchback loaded with fishing gear and thought: ?That?s Montana right there.? Slightly more than 2,000 people live in Red Lodge. And Jeff Carroll said his destination ski traffic is heavily weighted to North Dakota and Minnesota. ?So will I see lots of snowmobile suits and Viking?s Starter Jackets on the slope?? ?Oh,? Jeff assured me. ?Those are some of our best customers.? I didn?t see any obvious Brett Favre fans, but lots of hot-rodders in camouflage came zipping by, and telemarkers, snowboarders and kids in Day-Glo. We saw them skiing off Nichols and Grizzly Peak, and down into Palisades Park where the cliffs rise up like dinosaurs. Down the tree-sided steeps of Upper Continental and True Grit, and zooming the open slope of Lazy M with Bob, a fast-skiing welder from Billings who rides Harleys and only hunts with black powder now. He led us down ?Lodge Trail,? a gullet of bumps into the base area where I wish I had stopped to pull out my camera. And he stopped and smiled up at the sunshine and said, ?I?m going to have a beer then see a man about buying a house. It?s time I made the commute from here to Billings instead of the other way around.? At the gas station, Jeff started talking to the banker who said, ?Oh, Chico Hot Springs. You guys are going to love it there.?� Links: The Carbon County Steakhouse: www.thepizzaco.com/steakhouse The Pollard Hotel: www.thepollard.com Red Lodge Mountain: www.redlodgemountain.com

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Dynafit Signs Eric Hjorleifson

Today, Dynafit announced the signing of professional skier Eric ?Hoji? Hjorleifson to a three-year sponsorship contract. He will be a member of Dynafit?s International Team and a major consultant on boot and binding design. Though he's previously been riding Dynafit gear and working in a less prominate role with the brand, this marks his first major deal with the company.Hoji comes from an extensive big-mountain film background with Matchstick Productions, and, during the past few seasons, has been exploring human-powered descents, ski mountaineering, and boot design. Which is to say, he?s a pretty well-rounded badass. It?s an interesting though not unsurprising move considering Dynafit just lost its premier North American athlete, Greg Hill, to Salomon. (Which raises a whole plethora of questions around our office. Primarily: What the hell is Salomon up too signing an athlete with such touring acumen? Some of which are answered here.) Hoji brings a much more downhill-focused mindset to Dynafit?s team and a certain measure of mainstream recognition?at least for the ski industry?to the brand. Now we?ve got more questions. What the hell is Dynafit up too? It seems the entire industry is fully recognizing the touring market?one of the few segments of skiing actually seeing growth?and starting to invest bigger dollars in touring-centric athletes. With the explosion of interest in backcountry skiing, traditional alpine companies and traditional touring brands are all rushing to get a foothold on the rapidly expanding market, especially the freeride touring category where fast, light, and burly are equally prized in equipment. Athletes like Hoji will further push that image and interest to the masses. We?re guessing a big shake-up of the whole boot and binding industry is not too far down the road. Just sayin?. Read the full press release from Dynafit at Skiing Business here.

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Archaeologists Search For Lost Grave Of King Richard III

Filed under: History, Learning, Europe, United KingdomArchaeologists in Leicester, England, are looking for the grave of a king - in a parking lot.

The grave of Richard III is believed to be beneath the parking lot of a local government building, according to analysis by the University of Leicester.

Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, the decisive battle of the War of the Roses. The victor was Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII.

Richard was buried at the Franciscan friary of Greyfriars. Later development erased all trace of this church and the site was lost. Richard III is one of the few English kings for whom there is no recognized burial place. Now archaeologists have analyzed old maps and believe they have pinpointed roughly where the church was.

Heavy machinery moved in this weekend to break up the pavement, the Leicester Mercury reports. Once they're done, the archaeologists will dig two trenches using more meticulous methods in the hope of hitting part of the church. The trenches will run from north to south, maximizing the chances of hitting the church. Medieval churches were traditionally built from east to west.

If they do find any bones, they'll be able to tell if they belong to the slain king. Genealogists have discovered a direct descendant of Richard's sister and will be able to use DNA analysis to check for a match.

The work should be finished in two weeks. On September 8-9 the excavation will have an open house for the public.

[Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]Archaeologists Search For Lost Grave Of King Richard III originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Barefoot Cay Resort

$1,299pp plus 16% taxes for the inclusive dive package, or $999 pp plus taxes for the non-dive package in an oceanview studio loft or two-bedroom loft suite for any of the following dates: January 12-19th, April 27-May 4th, June 8-15th or August 17-24. Pricing is per person, based on double occupancy in a studio loft and quadruple occupancy in a two-bedroom loft suite. The rate includes airport transfers, welcome drink, 7 nights' accommodations, 3 meals daily, choice of lemonade, iced tea, coffee or water at meal times, daily housekeeping, and use of the resort amenities and facilities. Dive package also includes 10 dives, including tanks and weights.
Terms & Conditions:A 50% deposit is required to confirm a reservation. Full payment is due 60 days prior to arrival. Cancellations made 60 days or more prior to arrival are entitled to a full refund; cancellations 30 to 60 days prior to arrival are entitled to a 50% refund--both minus a service fee of $100 per person and minus any fee paid for non-check or cash transactions. Cancellations 30 days or fewer prior to arrival are non-refundable, non-transferable, and have no credit value. A date change to a reservation is treated as a cancellation and rebooking. Credit for the re-booking shall be given in the same terms as the refund stated above. Date changes made within 30 days of arrival will not have a credit applied to the new booking. Prices on unconfirmed reservations are subject to change at any time without notice. We recommend that you insure against unforeseen circumstances that could necessitate partial or full cancellation of your reservation.

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Police Hunt For Lion In English Countryside (And Fail To Find One)

Filed under: Hiking, Europe, United Kingdom
A mysterious beast stalks the fields of Essex, England.

Over the weekend local police received calls from a number of eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen a lion in the fields near the village of St. Osyth. One person even snapped a predictably blurry and inconclusive picture of the beast. I'm not a wildlife expert but it looks like a house cat to me.

Police took the sightings seriously enough to scramble two helicopters and a team of officers and wildlife experts. They also checked with a local zoo and circus but neither reported a missing feline. After a long search they found ... nothing.

A police spokesman said the sightings were probably due to "a large domestic cat or a wildcat," the BBC reports. Police have called off the search and told people to enjoy themselves outdoors while remaining cautious. They should also have told them to stop overfeeding their pets with chips and kebabs and wasting police time.

This odd incident is actually part of a much bigger trend in the UK. Alien Big Cats, as they're called, are giant felines not native to the area where they are spotted. Of course they're never actually found. That would ruin the fun. We reported on one jaguar-like creature in Scotland three years ago and that's just a drop in the Alien Big Cat bucket. The Big Cats in Britain research group has collected 240 different reports so far this year.

So why do Brits see lions and pumas in their fields while Americans get buzzed by UFOs? I guess it's just one of those cultural differences we should all celebrate and not analyze too much. So next time you're hiking in the UK, be sure to keep your camera out of focus. You might just start the next wave of Alien Big Cat sightings.

Don't scoff too much, though. One woman said she was attacked by an Alien Big Cat. I've hiked a lot in England and Scotland and while I've never been attacked by an ABC (yes, that's what they call them), I did nearly get attacked by cows.


[Photo courtesy Jennifer Barnard. As far as I know, this particular cat has never been the cause of a lion sighting]Police Hunt For Lion In English Countryside (And Fail To Find One) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Julian Maslinski obituary

Julian Maslinski, who has died of cancer aged 63, chaired the Westminster Tree Trust for nearly 15 years, making a major impact on the streets of Westminster with new bottlebrush trees, Chanticleer pear, disease-resistant elm, birch and whitebeam. I knew Julian for 30 years. He was a ward chairman while I was a Westminster councillor and I came to feel that not a single sparrow fell in Pimlico without Julian knowing it.One of five brothers, he was born in Andover, Hampshire. His father was a Polish army officer who served in British army intelligence. His mother was a secretary in MI6. After being educated at St Edmund's college in Ware, Julian went into the hotel industry, starting with the company that became the Forte Group. After his father's death he assumed responsibility for the family's small hotel, the Elizabeth hotel in Eccleston Square, central London. He dedicated himself to it for around 25 years.Julian was a governor of the nearby Churchill Gardens primary school and was closely involved with the school finances and building works. He was touched by the warm messages from the children during his final illness.Julian loved opera and was a wonderful conversationalist but he was also a superb athlete, running in more than 25 marathons and raising huge amounts for charity. He played tennis at the Hurlingham and Queen's clubs and was often asked to play against visiting foreign dignitaries including the US secretary of state Alexander Haig at the time of his negotiations with Margaret Thatcher over the Falklands.What gave Julian the greatest joy was his relationship with his wife, Rani. She was working at the hotel when they met 38 years ago, and her son, Sengha, adopted his name. They married in 1989. Both gentle and assuming people, they displayed steely determination during Julian's 10 years with cancer. Throughout that time, Julian showed kindness, unstinting support and uncritical praise to countless others.He is survived by Rani and Sengha and two of his brothers, Michael and Robert.HotelsLondonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Where is Shangri-La?

Since James Hilton imagined Shangri-La in his bestselling 1933 novel Lost Horizon, a host of Himalayan areas have laid claim to this earthly Eden. But only one place?Zhongdian in China?s southwestern Yunnan Province?has officially gone by the name Shangri-La County since 2001.

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DH-er Scotty Mac Retires After 12 Seasons

..... Crystal Mountain, Wash. (Ski Press)-Two-time Olympian Scott Macartney announced his retirement from the U.S. Ski Team leaving a legacy of leadership at every level of the U.S. alpine program.In 12 years with the Team, 'Mac' amassed World Cup podiums, top-10 finishes at Olympics and World Championships and a record of World Cup points at every downhill venue he raced. "There's a lot of things that I'm proud of in ski racing, but some of my greatest memories are fairly recent," said Macartney. "Our speed team's trip to Moab mountain biking last summer was pretty amazing for our group. It was cool to get together and be competitive in something else other than ski racing. There are bonds I've built with these guys I'll hold my entire life." A skier from birth, Macartney's volunteer Ski Patrol parents had him on boards at age three. By seven he had started racing at Crystal Mountain and in 1998 made his break through with a bronze medal and the Junior World Championships in Megeve, France. Through racing, he continued his education through Dartmouth College and received a degree in 2004. His rise through the U.S. Ski Team program was something that Head Speed Coach Chris Brigham lived through every training camp, every race start and every injury. "Mac has always been a leader in this program," said Brigham, who has been with the U.S. Ski Team since 1997. "As a young guy he was pushing the veterans then it was him getting pushed and responding with outstanding performances. He's battled through a lot of injuries and came back charging and smiling. As a team, we're all bummed he's leaving. He's been a fantastic teammate and a friend for a long time. We'll miss him." His most notable injury, both personally and across the ski racing community was at the 2008 Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria. After finishing on the podium earlier that year in Val Gardena, Italy, Macartney was on laser point to what would have been a top 10 at ski racings biggest and most treacherous event when a crash off the finish jump sent him through the finish line unconscious. It was his 30th birthday. After completing an incredible recovery, he returned to the World Cup circuit the following season and was producing some of the best skiing of his career when another crash in Wengen, Switzerland ? the week before Kitzbuehel ? knocked him out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The result was another year of waiting before returning to Kitzbuehel. "I was ready to charge it again in at Kitz last year. I had just come off an incredible race in Bormio, which is one of the gnarliest tracks in all of ski racing and then I blew my ACL at Wengen. It was pretty heartbreaking, but I'd been there before," Macartney said. It was heartbreaking to his coaches too. Brigham, more than anyone, was fired up to see him conquer the Hahnenkamm and knew that his skiing was in a place where he could, then the crash at Wengen. It hit teammate Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA) especially hard. "That December, he was skiing better than ever," said Sullivan. "He basically came back from something that no one would have thought possible. He was super focused and then he blew out his knee, but he still came back to race at Kitz the next year. That showed a lot about his character. He has a unique passion for the sport and for him to put that out there is pretty inspiring." "To see him cross the finish line at Kitzbuehel, two years after that crash - as a coach - was one of the coolest things of my career. I couldn't have been more proud," added Brigham. Yet it wasn't the mark Macartney wanted to leave. "I never had just a check box next to Kitzbuehel," he said. "It wasn't that I just wanted to finish again, I wanted a top 10, I wanted a top 5, but by the time I got back there it became more about how my body felt. My back was hurting, my hip was hurting. I wanted to charge, but being in the finish again and on my feet, that was pretty special. While Sullivan's worries end when it comes to Macartney's next career, he does have some competitive fire left for the snow and plans to go head-to-head with Macartney in one more race this season. The friends plan to meet early April in Alaska for the Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic, a unique event deep in the Hoodoo Mountains that opens with a downhill, before the skier is intersected by a snowmobile and towed at 90 mph through a canyon then whipped down to the finish line. From the start, the course drops 1,700 feet to "hook-up" then climbs 1,200 feet to "release" before dropping 1,200 feet to the finish line. Both Macartney and Sullivan have Arctic Man victories on their resume, with Macartney, along with driver Tyler Johnson, holding the event record. On this line this year is a guaranteed purse of $25,000.

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#EOTC2 Round Up (3 OF 4)

?This isn?t a normal helicopter!? Ingrid Backstrom shouts from the seat next to me. I?m wedged between Ingrid, Chris Davenport, and Greg Harms in the back of said helicopter. I?ll have to take her word for it?responding isn?t an option. My heart?s beating on pace with the rotor blades buzzing overhead?my mind is working even faster to comprehend just what the hell I?ve gotten myself into as we swoop over the Chilean town of Farellones. I?m onboard an AS350 B3e Helicopter headed deep into the Andes?if I don?t have a heart attack first. The B3e is a souped-up version of the B3, the same helicopter that landed on the summit of Mt. Everest in 2005. Ingrid?s right, this isn?t a normal helicopter. But nothing about this is ?normal.? At least not for me. Five minutes ago I was getting a safety briefing from world-renowned heli-guide Greg Harms. Harms is a giant, standing 6?5?? and, when combined with ski gear, weighing in around 300 pounds. He?s guided the best?from snowboarding?s Jeremy Jones to Ingrid, Chris, and more. He?s also pretty nice. When I ask the question, ?How exactly do I get out?? He smiles, puts his bear paw of a hand across my shoulders and says, ?Don?t worry buddy. Follow me. I got you.? Even with Harms?s guidance I can?t help but be a little nervous. Cresting the first snow-draped wall I see an Andean library of ridges and peaks, each ridge a bookshelf containing many stories. And this library is congressional size. My wonder is quickly replaced by vertigo. Not only are the Andes vast and enormous, they?re steep. Our pilot, an ex-Chilean military officer dubbed ?The General,? nauseatingly buzzes ridge after ridge. It?ll take me a few lifts to get over the shock and start having fun. But here, fun is an understatement. Our first landing is at nearly 15,000 feet. After unloading I stare into the white craggy vastness. The helicopter lands so far away we can?t see it. The only way to get back to it is to descend 6,500 feet of untouched snow. Davenport drops after getting an ?all-clear? from Harms. He disappears into a white infinity. I?m next and my knees are shaking faster than they ever have. Instantly I?m transported to my first day on skis at tiny little Marquette Mountain in Michigan?s Upper Peninsula. Knees rattling above a blue square run called ?Snow Field.? It?s so shallow they put a terrain park on it. I watched my uncles slip away effortlessly while my pubescent voice muttered something about skiing being stupid. But I let go and the world opened up more in that moment than it ever had before. With that little lesson in mind I push off. After a few timid turns I start to let go. That dream run you want? It?s there in the Andes. We meet below at the heli, and I continue my pattern of speechlessness. I?ve just re-experienced skiing for the first time all over again. Each heli-drop yields more smiles and giggles. I slowly regain my speech. The best part comes with the fact that everyone involved has the same shit-eating grin plastered to their face all day. Heli-skiing isn?t normal. But you really should go if you have the chance. If you don?t have the chance, make the chance. It?ll shift your perspective on skiing in ways only landing on top of a peak in the middle of the wilderness can do. For more info, visit thirdedgeheli.comFor part 2 click HEREStay tuned for part 4 tomorrow and the People's Choice Vote!

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