Top 15 Most Spectacular Rock Climbs

Rock climbing has its perils but it can be endlessly thrilling at the same time as it takes you to the most awesome natural spots of the world. However, you normally do not undertake this adventure activity without taking some self-protective measures. One such extraordinary person to brave the towering elevations world over without taking any safety measures was the legendary sports practitioner Dan Osman. Known for his spine chilling “free-soloing” and “rope jumping” ventures, this Asian American daredevil set a record for a 1000 feet freefall. If you aspire to test your fortitude and reach somewhere near that mark, you must start by knowing the most desirable rock climbing sites of the world more closely.



15. Meteora, Greece

The name of this elevated region sums up to “suspended rock” and it holds only the second place of importance to the Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Kalambaka, Greece after Mount Athos. Located between the Peneios River and Pindus Mountains, these monasteries have a spectacular series of natural sandstone rock pillars in their background. This UNESCO World Heritage Site happens to be the shelter of about six monasteries and one of the spots for potential rock climbing importance.





14. Dead Horse Point

You must have seen this magnificent rocky peak in the opening scene of the movie Mission Impossible where Tom Cruise is shown climbing it. It also features in the Grand Canyon scenes of the film Thelma and & Louise. Situated next to the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park, this mountain has some of the most interesting topographical features. The sudden descent of the plateau at the three sides giving rise to the narrow strip of land is truly eye catching. However, the excessive aridity of this place is a deterrent to the greater inflow of tourists who dread the hardship of food and water deficiency.





13. Spider Rock

This is an amazing 244 m / ( 800 ft ) tall red sandstone monolith found in the Canyon de Chelly National Park of Arizona. It was formed over 230 million years ago through the concretization of sand layers deposited by wind. It derives its name from the Navajo legend of the Spider Woman who supposedly made it her home. She is given the position of a savior and revered by the Dine as a deity.



12. Shiprock, New Mexico

Shiprock was formed by a volcanic eruption that dates back to 30 million years and now remains as a matchless basalt exhibit of the central feeder pipe of a volcano. Rock climbers making it to the top can see a series of volcanic vents and small pinnacles specking the main peak. Some of these contain wonderful example of magma solidified in mid-air that the locals refer as the sacred Tse Bitai meaning ‘the winged rock’. Even if you do not want to climb it, you can see the central part of Shiprock from several kilometers away because of its diameter of 500 meters and altitude of 600 meters. This area of extinct volcano spans almost 20,000 square km into the surrounding Arizona, Utah and Colorado regions.





11. Agulha do Diabo

The name of this 2050 m high spire located in Serra dos Órgãos National Park translates to ‘Devil’s Needle’. It is not easy even for professional mountaineers to scale its height because of the many natural impediments it poses in terms of the trail to the base, the summit, the distance and the weather. However, it makes for a very lovely view once you make it to the peak. The specialty of this mountain is that it is partly concealed among rock blocks and towers extending for over two thousand meters. The first successful attempt to climb it was made in 1940.



10. Las Torres de Vajolet, Italian Alps

It is best not to judge this peak by its gross photographs but to see it yourself to dispel all doubts about its beauty. The Delago arête route remains the most convenient climbing route to score this mountain. Notwithstanding the protective measures you take, this tentative nature of the Delagokante slope is sure to snatch away the breaths of the best of rock climbers.





9. Prekestolen, Kjerag plateau, Forsand, Norway

The name of this 604 m / ( 1980 ft ) tall mountain that varies between Prekestolen and Preikestolen roughly translates into Preacher’s Pulpit or Pulpit Rock. It has a rare squarely top, that measures roughly 25 by 25 meters and that explains the secret behind its name. It was one of the favorite natural haunts of Norway and attracted 95,000 people in 2006 in a 3.8 km hike. The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association offers guided tours around the Prekestolen covering Prekestolhytta. It may take you anything between one to three hours to complete the hike though professionals used to sudden elevations might make it in a much lesser time.





8. El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California

Situated in the northern side of Yosemite National Park, this 900 m / ( 3,000 ft ) granite monolith has baffled cliff climbers of the world. Its altitude is not as challenging as is its vertical ascent. It was named so by the Mariposa Battalion during their 1851 exploration and it means ‘the captain’ or ‘the chief’ in Spanish. There is a trail alongside the Yosemite Falls leading to the summit of this cliff but the real difficulty lies in crossing the solid granite face. It is said that the constituting granite of this cliff is over 100 million years old and has almost no joints. The quality of the granite changes into Taft Granite towards the top and some parts of it are deemed to have formed by ages of glacial action.



7. Mount Thor, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

Situated in the Auyuittuq National Park of Canada, the west face of Mt. Thor or Thor Peak rising up to 1,675 m (5,495 ft) enjoys the rapport for being the tallest vertical cliff of the world. Its remoteness and vertical angle of 105 degrees makes it one of the favorite haunts for rock climbers and campers alike. The granite spire that forms a part of the Baffin Mountains was first ascended by an Arctic Institute of North America team in 1953. The longest rappel to date was arranged on this mountain in July 23, 2006 by a group of young American people. Even non-climbers can see and admire the beauty of Mount Thor in the famous “No Quarter” sequence of the concert film ‘The Song Remains the Same’.



6. Mount Roraima

Forming the border between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, this mountain measuring 2,810 m (9,219 ft) remains the tallest of Guyana. It is situated in the Canaima National Park of Venezuela and is one of the most ancient geological formations you will find. Sir Everard im Thurn was the first to climb this steep plateau in 1884. It is supposed to be inspiration behind the famous novel of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – ‘The Lost World’ and remains special even for the Pemon Indians.





5. Bugaboo Spire, Columbia-Kootenay, Canada


Placed between the Vowell Glacier in the west and the Crescent Glacier in the east, this is one of the famous Alpine rock climbing spots of Canada. Its name evolved as a reference point used by miners to signify the Bugaboo Creek and Bugaboo Pass. The word Bugaboo means ‘an object of obsessive, usually exaggerated fear or anxiety’ as it was truly found by the team of Conrad Kain who climbed it for the first time in 1916 when Canada was in the throes of World War I. This venture is still remembered as one of the toughest technical climbs ever attempted.





4. Las Torres, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia

You will find the Torres del Paine National Park of Chile full of the natural wonders like mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes that makes it a spot of tourist interest. Lying 112 km to the north of Puerto Natales and 312 km to the north of Punta Arenas, this park is also the home to the Paine massif that has a commanding elevation contrasting to the plains to the Patagonian steppe. While sightseers would prefer exploring the neighboring Los Glaciares National Park and Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, a rock climber can scarcely ignore the call of this eastern spur of the Andes. The climbers certainly enjoy the sight of the myriad interlacing valleys that separate the various granite spires and mountains of the massif.



3. Saint Matterhorn, Zermatt, Switzerland

This is one of the highest peaks of the Swiss Alps and it stands tall at an awesome 4,478 m / (14,692 ft) altitude. The British alpinist Edward Whymper and his team were the first to climb it in July 1865. However, the route was so hazardous that the team lost three of its members in its way down the descent.





2. Cerro Torre, Patagonia, Argentina

This upright granite mountain standing tall at 3,128 m / ( 10,280 ft ) may appear insurmountable in the very first glance. Being exposed to rough weather conditions, this remarkably steep- walled mountain posed a challenge to even the best of climbers. However, the iconic Italian alpinist Cesare Maestri and his companion the Austrian ice climber Toni Egger remained undaunted by the sight of the snowy cape surrounding the spire and finally conquered it on January 31, 1959. It took the duo four days to make it to the top and their achievement has left behind an undying inspiration for aspiring climbers. It was subsequently approached through other climb routes by mountaineers Garibotti, Salvaterra, and Beltrami.





1. Nameless Tower

This is the other name of the majestic Trango Towers located on the Baltoro Glacier in Baltistan, Northern Pakistan. This ambiguity about its name further mystifies this 6,239 m / ( 20,470 ft ) high pointed granite spire found on the Karakoram offshoot, Baltoro Muztagh. Its large size and vast ridgeline expanding up to 1000 m has fascinated rock climbers over years. The first mountaineer to leave his footmark upon its summit was the British climber Joe Brown, accompanied by Martin Boysen, Mo Anthoine and Malcolm Howells. Today you will find 8 separate climb routes to its peak, among which the Eternal Flame remains a favorite for those daring to go the Dan Osman way.


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Alien Mummy discovered in Peru?

Behold a giant-headed alien mummy that turned up in Peru. Stare into the all-knowing eye sockets of an alien that somehow wound up on Earth many years ago, and was mummified by the locals. But what was is it doing here? Website RPP is claiming that Renato Davila Riquelme, an anthropologist working at the Privado Ritos Andinos museum in Cusco, has discovered remains of something that isn't human. Measuring at 20 inches tall, the tiny remains were originally believed to be that of a child, but Spanish and Russian doctors disagree, saying:

"It has a non-human appearance because the head is triangular and big, almost the same size as the body. At first we believed it to be a child's body until Spanish and Russian doctors came and confirmed that, yes, it's an extraterrestrial being."

BOOM. There ya go. Four out of five faceless scientists agree that what you're looking at are mummified alien remains. Case closed.

Source : versesofuniverse.blogspot.com

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Gateway To Hell – Námaskarð, Iceland

Iceland is filled with geographical wonders that are immensely. The wide, open horizons of this indigenous land draw its visitors with a sense of unspoiled freedom. You feel an undying quest to explore the topographical diversity of Iceland the moment you set foot on its soil. Námaskarð pass situated in the north of Lake Myvatn is one of the many such wonders you must visit.






Traversing Mt. Námafjall at an altitude of 410 m, this pass derives its name from the 19th century sulfur recovery. The best way to reach it is by taking up the No. 1 Ring Road that passes between the Mývatn and Egilsstaðir. Alternately, you could also follow the serpentine routes from Reykjahlíð that lies 5 km away. Lake Mývatn, counted as the hottest resorts of Iceland, is a 45 minutes drive away from the nearest town. Once you reach Hinauffährt, you get a commanding view of the entire Mückensee and make out Jarðbaðshólar, the hissing volcanic crater that has the Jarðböðin lagoon behind it.





At the foothills of this spectacular volcanic mountain is an expanse of hot springs called Hverarönd or Hverir that are known for their changing variety. You may also find a number of fumaroles, mud pools and mud pots that all seem to be boiling with relentless energy. The pass Námaskarð is strategically located at a short distance from the Krafla volcano system as well as other interesting geological spots like Búrfellshraun and the desert Mývatsöræfi. While visiting Námaskarð, you must not miss the Heißquellengebiet, lava formations of Dimmuborgir, pseudo craters of Skútustaðir and the historic waterfall Goðafoss by the road.





However, Námaskarð earns its notoriety chiefly because of its sulphurous mud springs called solfataras and steam springs called fumaroles. Though you will scarcely find any pure water spring in this wonderful geothermal site of Iceland, the beauty of the colorful minerals defies all comparisons. The gigantic size of the mud craters is what makes you go ‘wow’ at the sight of them. You get parking, accommodation and dining facilities at Grýtubakki.

The other thing that is sure to strike you about Námaskarð is the sheer lack of vegetation. However, if you give a thought to the high temperature range, it does not appear an impossibility altogether. The constant emission of the fumes has made the ground utterly sterile and acidic, unfit to sustain any floras and faunas. You must bear in mind that the fumes can be harmful for humans as well.



Hence, better not forget to cover your nose or wear a mask while enjoying the hues of mineral deposits. You also must be careful about where you walk. Do not try to get over adventurous and cross the ropes that surround the pools. The ground beyond might crumble any moment and accidents do occur every now and then due to the erosive nature of the mud springs. There are no guards or guides to keep you off from the impending danger and so you must look after yourself.





It needs a visit to Námaskarð and Lake Mývatn to dispel the myth of icy coldness that people tend to associate with Iceland. In fact, Mývatn ranks fourth among the largest lakes of Iceland and remains the favorite haunt of various species of birds. The efflorescence of the sulphuric gases and hydrogen sulphide lets loose a riot of colors to flood the neighboring rhyolite rocks of this region. The view of the magnificent Lake Mývatn coupled with the turbulent bubbling and overhanging fog gives you a feeling that you have arrived at some extraterrestrial land or is it the gateway to hell!



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Top 10 Amazing Mud Brick Buildings

Mud, considered a nuisance in many areas of the world, has been considered to be a chief building material in other areas of the globe. Clay soil is found in abundance on this planet, providing its inhabitants with sturdy homes. The remarkable thing about mud brick structures is their durability, with some mud buildings lasting for a thousand years.



10. Taos Pueblo

Taos Pueblo is an ancient dwelling in New Mexico, continuously inhabited for about 1,000 years by the Pueblo native people. The mud brick homes are made of sun dried mud bricks, which are coated with an adobe plaster. Southwestern adobe is made of clay soil called caliche, mixed with straw for added strength. The walls are thick, and are re-plastered annually, as part of a village ceremony. The roofs are made of cedar trees, and ladders are used from the outside of the dwellings to reach the second flood.



9. Arg-é Bam

Bam had its beginnings as a prosperous trading center on the famous Silk Road, during the Sassanian period (224-637 AD). Bam produced silk and cotton garments for trade. Located in southeastern Iran, Bam was constructed entirely of mud bricks made of clay soil and palm tree trunks. Thick walls, with 38 watchtowers protected the citadel, which covered 6 square kilometers, and contained a series of underground water canals, supporting about 12,000 people. Unfortunately, the 2003 earthquake in Bam destroyed more than half the city’s houses and the historic mud-brick citadel.



8. Djinguereber Mosque
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Earning its reputation for being difficult to access, Timbuktu is situated in Mali, West Africa. The Djinguereber Mosque was constructed in 1325, and boasts unusual looking minarets with timbers poking out, reminiscent of American southwest’s Viga structures. Because Mali gets such sparse rain, the Djinguereber Mosque, made of mud and straw, maintains its form and strength from its constant sun baths. As are many of the world’s mud buildings, this one once sat on a busy camel-traveled gold and salt route.



7. Khiva Wall

Another desert sanctuary, Khiva is actually a collection of mosques and madrasahs, found in the Kyzylkum desert of Uzbekistan. First constructed 2,500 years ago, purportedly by Shem, Noah’s oldest son, the ancient city was called Ichon-Qala (meaning within the wall). Ichon-Qala is encompassed by Khiva’s Wall, a 10 meter (33 ft) high rampart made of high quality clay. The clay was mined from a lake shore in Ghovuk Kul. It is said that Mohammed built Medina using clay mined from the same location.



6. Chan Chan

Chan Chan, located in the Moche Valley of Peru is a fascinating complex of adobe mud buildings, intended for the Chimu kings. Eleven citadels and a pyramid are enclosed within a 8 meter (26 ft high wall. Many of the structures appear to be perfectly preserved. In its heyday, Chan Chan contained large walk in wells. The Chimu were adept metallurgists, potters and woodworkers. Lower class peoples lived outside the walls of Chan Chan, reserving the dwelling inside the wall for royalty and their servants. In 2006 archaeologists discovered warrior statues carved into the wall of the Sea Palace.



5. Bobo Dioulasso Grand Mosque

The Bobo Dioulasso Grand Mosque in Burkina Faso is a century old West African mosque, with timbers sticking out, similar in style to Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu. The timbers are in place allowing workers to scale the structure for adding extra layers of clay, as clay and timbers are the only materials from which this building is made. The mosque sits on the edge of the old city, and because of a nearby highly polluted stream, is surrounded by nasty odors. Currently restoration is ongoing on the Old Mosque of Bobo, as locals call it, but not in traditional style, as cement is being used, instead of mud.



4. Siwa Oasis

Fortified buildings made of karsheef – a local type of mud, make up the desert oasis of Siwa. Karsheef is made from the unique sand from the lake shore, high in salt content. Located on an old date trade route, in the western Egyptian desert, Siwa was an oasis vital to the trade route, as the natural springs and shade giving palm trees gave travelers respite from the desert. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, Siwa began its decline. Today Siwa is populated by Siwan Berbers, of North African descent and is one of the top



3. Great Mosque of Djenné

The largest mud building in the world, the Djenné Mosque is built in Sudanese style and located in Mali. The Djenné Mosque also has timbers jutting out for support and to make the annual replastering easier. The first mosque on the site was built around the 13th century, but the current structure is about a century old. Djenné was at one time, ancient Timbuktu’s sister city. The city’s colorful and varied outdoor market is put on at the foot of this mosque and is a must-visit!



2. Aït Benhaddou

One of the top tourist attractions in Morocco, Ouarzazate is an incredible looking place; with its clay made kasbahs, it looks as if it were a made to order movie set. In fact you may already have seen Ouarzazate as many films have been made there (Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars and Gladiator to name a few). Being on the edge of the Sahara Desert, Ouarzazate is a popular stopping point for travelers to and from other destinations, offering plenty of shopping and hotels. Aït Benhaddou is one of Ouarzazate’s ancient walled cities. Inside the high mud walls are 6 kasbahs and a small number of homes, housing roughly 8 families. For the photographer, this dry region has few rivals, and it is said to be the most beautiful in the late afternoon and during sunset.



1. Shibam

Nicknamed the “Manhatten of the desert”, Shibam is a town in Yemen featuring unique 16th century high rise apartment buildings. The tower houses, some 16 stories tall and up to 40 meters high and made out of mud bricks, were built to protect the citizens from Bedouin raids. The mud buildings have to be maintained and frequently renovated by the inhabitants in order to protected them from rain and erosion.


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Top 6 Ancient Things That Were Probably Built By Aliens

Okay, I'm going to straight up tell you I might be lying with the title of this daily list. Because these structures (all real) that I'm going to list may have been built by aliens but they may also have been built by ancient peoples with technologies that were influenced by aliens, mostly because we can't figure out how they did it. At all.

This is admittedly a subtle distinction, but either way, these are some mind-bogglingly amazing structures on Earth that we have no fucking clue how they were made by ancient men. Which means the more logical explanation for them is "aliens did it." Or, at least, "aliens helped considerably." Either one.



6) The Trilithon at Baalbek

​ The Trilithon is just your regular old everyday temple to the gods in Lebanon. It's not that exciting, except that the temple is built on three stones that are some of the most massive pieces of building material in the world. The three stones used in the temple base measure 290 feet long and 160 feet wide and weight an astonishing 750-800 tons each. Nearby, in a quarry, sits an unused stone that weighs 1200 tons. That's the weight of 3 passenger airplanes. How did these ancient masons (maybe Roman, but speculated to be much older than the Roman occupation) cut, transport, and lift these massive stones on top of other stones weighing 350 tons each? No clue.



5) The Nazca Lines

​ The real story behind the Nazca lines in Peru isn't the big shapes of monkeys and hummingbirds that get the tourists excited. True, their purpose can't be explained readily, but we know how those were made: you figure out a shape and dig until you get to the different colored rock. What's really interesting are the straight lines criss-crossing the plains. These stretch for up to 15 miles in some cases, but remain perfectly straight the entire way across. One theory is that stakes were connected at either end with something stretched across, and these stakes have even been "found," but carbon dated to after the time the lines were thought to have been drawn. Also, what could be produced by ancient Peruvian peoples and then stretched for over a mile? And only be appreciated as a straight line from the air?



4) The Palpa Flat Mountain

​ Another mystery of Nazca is the flat-topped mountain a few miles away from the lines. High above the plain, and containing some of the thicker lines, there is an enormous mountain with a perfectly flat top. It's very possible that the top of this mountain was completely sheared off by something (or someone) to make this level surface to carve more lines on. But no debris from this earth movement is found scattered around the mountain...

Oh and you know what? Large piles of stone are scattered around the plateau. But not randomly. These piles, when connected like a "connect the dots book," are believed to be Phoenician writing. From across the Atlantic Ocean.



3) Sacsayhuamán

​ Again, in Peru, this massive fortress displays a knowledge of stonework that modern man is simply unable to duplicate. These walls of stone are cut and stacked in ways that boggle the mind, fitting together so precisely that even today the seams are so tight that a piece of paper or a razor blade can't fit between. All stacked without any mortar, held in place through sheer engineering. The stones can weight up to 360 tons, yet were carried from over 22 miles away using... we don't know. We don't know what carried these stones that far, we don't know what could lift them up in the air and on top of other massive stones, we don't know how they were cut in irregular puzzle shapes and then stacked together in such perfect precision.



2) The Pyramids of Giza

​ Quite possibly the granddaddy of mysterious places, it all comes down to the basic theory that "nobody knows jack about the pyramids." We don't know why they were built, not sure really what all the chambers in them do (or if we've even found them all), aren't sure what's beneath them (theories say that enormous faces carved aside the pyramids are continually being covered by sand), and we have no idea how the enormous blocks were put in place, especially without mortar.

The blocks themselves were cut, carved, moved, and lifted miles away from the site, and the old problem of weight in building comes into play again; blocks this heavy would have crushed any sleds or tree trunk rollers that Egyptologists think moved them. The theory or slanted ramps is out the window too, as the amount of people needed to push the blocks couldn't have fit on the ramps, and the soil around the pyramid base doesn't show any settling that would have been associated with massive ramps. The juiciest theory? Sonic levitation.

And that doesn't even explain what the interiors were for (Sonic amplifiers? Power plants? Tombs? Storage?), why they align with the stars in Orion's belt, or how the interiors were lit to paint the thousands of hieroglyphics on the walls deep in the pyramids. Torches would have produced soot on the roofs and walls, which is not found in the tomb at all and reflected light on mirrors would have dissipated after only a few feet. The pyramids are a mystery and the worst part? Even with all our modern technologies, we still can't even build a smaller, to-scale replica without ruining our construction equipment.



1) Puma Punka

​ Seriously, we have no clue. I just learned about Puma Punku in Bolivia recently, and after all the things I've read and all the photos I've seen, I'm in the camp of people that say, "We don't know why or how." It's a megalithic structure atop a 13,000 ft plateau with massive blocks fitting together like Legos -- again, without mortar. The age is estimated conservatively at about 2000 years old, but many people believe they are much older, with some guesses as early as 14,000 years old. The heaviest of these stones is 450 tons -- roughly the same weight as seven M-1 Abrams tanks.

What makes this even more amazing is that many of these blocks were cut from diorite, an insanely hard rock that was used in ancient times to cut other rocks. The grooves in the diorite are machine-made, some as small as a centimeter deep with only 1 mm variation. And all these blocks are cut like this. Even today's engineers are daunted by this task, and then carting them up a 13,000 ft mountain? Fuck it, we're saying it's aliens.


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