Archive for the 'Adventurous Life' Category

Visiting Hampshire

The county of Hampshire has huge visitor appeal. For a short break, a longer stay or a great day out, Hampshire certainly ticks all the boxes!

For tourists, Hampshire overdelivers - a diversity of landscapes, stunning coastline, areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty including the magnificent New Forest; superb walking and cycling territory, the Hamble Valley with its unspoilt countryside and ‘olde worlde’ villages; the historic cities of Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester…and all this within easy reach of London by road or rail!

Hampshire Tourist Information at a Glance

  • based more or less midway along the South Sea-coast of the UK
  • the county of Hampshire is bordered by Wiltshire and Dorset to the west, Berkshire to the north and by Surrey and West Sussex to the east.
  • The County of Hampshire extends an area of more or less 3,769 square kilometres (1,455 square miles).
  • The County Town: Winchester; Hampshire also includes the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton.
  • Character: The roots of the grand county of Hampshire date back to Anglo-Saxon times
  • To this day, the county maintains a traditionalistic sense with a strong nautical commitment, specially within the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth.
  • Travelling to and from Hampshire: Easily accessible from all main UK cities, Hampshire is also a convenient gateway for mainland Europe, with major ports at Southampton and Portsmouth. The city of Southampton is served by an efficient local rail network and has ferry services to the Isle of Wight. Southampton International Airport is also nearby (off Junction 5 of the M27 motorway). Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester all have direct rail links and a network of scheduled coach services that connect Hampshire with London.

Tourist Tip …
For those who wish to combine a Inspect to London with a trip to Hampshire, why not base yourself in Hampshire and do a day trip to London, instead? This way, you enjoy the best of both worlds, while avoiding city prices for accommodation and entertainment!

Popular Places to Stay in Hampshire

Hampshire boasts a wide range of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from cosmopolitan, state-of-the-art hotels to stylish rural guest houses and charming pub-style B&Bs. Here are just a few suggestions of places to stay in Hampshire:

  • Hayling Island Hotel: This little know island has a huge range of plus points. It is a quieter place to base yourself, with an old fashioned seaside holiday feel. It still has great transport routes to the other areas within Hampshire. However, you can also enjoy the seaside - which is great for the kids
  • Hamble Valley: If you are looking for someplace to stay that is quintessentially English, head for Hamble where the pace is slower. Explore the unspoilt countryside, the quaint villages and hamlets, the waterside lifestyle along the River Hamble; experience Hampshire off the beaten track. The New Forest, Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and ferry links to the Isle of Wight are all close by. The Hamble Valley is noted for its top notch tourist facilities and wide range of quality, value-for-money accommodation.

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Climber from Nepal, 75, oldest man to climb the Mount Everest

He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

The 75-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Chomolungma. More than 2950 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. Indeed, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused Sherchan just 21 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. His first found him within 234 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Two years later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Chomolungma or Mount Everest to finish what he had started.

Now that Andrew Brash has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. This season climber Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for the Mount Everest after he reached the peak of Mont Blanc in France earlier this year.

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mt Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. Nevertheless, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Min Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. “Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. Andrew Brash returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Mount Everest.

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