Frozen Sea in Luleå, Sweden

The Luleå archipelago (Swedish: Luleå Skärgård or Lule Skärgård) is a group of Swedish islands in the north part of the Bay of Bothnia. They lie offshore from the city of Luleå and the mouth of the Lule River. A few of the islands have small permanent populations, but most are used only for recreation in the summer months. They are icebound during the winter.

Location

The north of the bay of Bothnia contains a large archipelago area. The islands in the Swedish sector make up the Norrbotten archipelago. They are divided into the Piteå, Luleå, Kalix and Haparanda archipelagos. The Luleå archipelago lies in the Luleå Municipality, part of the Norrbotten county. The port of Luleå is one of the largest in Sweden in terms of tonnage, shipping iron ore and steel.

There are more than 1,312 islands in the Luleå archipelago if small or very small rocky islets are included. Many of the islands are uninhabited, in a natural state, and are quite small with little or nothing in the way of facilities for visitors.Due to post-glacial rebound the land is rising at from 0.8 to 1 centimetre (0.31 to 0.39 in) annually, so the shoreline can retreat by as much as 100 metres (330 ft) in one person's lifetime. As a result, the islands are growing in size but the waters and harbors are becoming shallower. Because of this process in 1649 the entire city of Luleå was forced to move to its present location since the channel to its previous location had become too shallow.

Climate

The archipelago is only 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of the Arctic Circle, so there is daylight for 24 hours in the summer, and full moon all day in the winter. In the summer many of the islands can be reached by tour boat. In the winter they can be reached by ice road, snowmobile, skiing or skating.

The waters around the archipelago are brackish, with less the 10% of the salt content of the Atlantic. The sea freezes in January and remain frozen until March-April. Ice roadsare cleared to four inhabited islands. In total there are 60 kilometres (37 mi) of ice roads. The longest ice road in Sweden at 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) runs from Hindersöstallarna on the mainland to the islands of Hindersön, Stor-Brändön, and Långön. Normally the road is open from January to April. Vehicle weight restrictions apply.

Environment

The Luleå archipelago was described by the Swedish bishop Olaus Magnus in 1555. He praised the fair islands, with constant daylight in the summer, well-covered in trees, bushes and grass, with warm but refreshing air, set in a sea that was rich in fish. The islands are rich in wild berries including lingonberries, blueberries, raspberries, Arctic raspberries, cloudberries, wild strawberries and seabuckthorn. They have a large and varied bird population. The outer islands are considered more vulnerable, with more sensitive vegetation.

A number of islands are in whole or part included in the Natura 2000 ecological network of the European Union, including sixteen nature reserves that cover 16,340 hectares (40,400 acres) of which 1,392 hectares (3,440 acres) is land. There is one 5 hectares (12 acres)biotope protected area. There are eight bird sanctuaries covering 1,670 hectares (4,100 acres) of which 366 hectares (900 acres) is land. These are off-limits to visitors during the months of May, June and July, when the birds are breeding. Most of the protected nature reserves and bird sanctuaries are in the outer zone.

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Trango Towers, Pakistan

The Trango Towers is family of world tallest rock towers situated in Gilgit-Baltistan, an autonomous territory in the North ofPakistan. Every year, a number of expeditions from all over the world visit Karakoram to climb the most challenging granite cliffs. They are located in the north of Baltoro Glacier, in Baltistan, a region of the Gilgit-Baltistan territory in northern Pakistan. They are part of the Baltoro Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram range. The Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world. The highest point in the group is the summit of Great Trango Tower at 6,286 m (20,608 ft). The east face of the Great Trango Tower features the world's greatest nearly vertical drop.

Structure of the Group

All of the Trango Towers lie on a ridge, trending northwest-southeast, between the Trango Glacier on the west and the Dunge Glacier on the east. Great Trango itself is a large massif, with four identifiable summits: Main (6,286 m), South or Southwest (circa 6,250 m), East (6,231 m), and West (6,223 m). It is a complex combination of steep snow/ice gullies, steeper rock faces, and vertical to overhanging headwalls, topped by a snowy ridge system.

Just northwest of Great Trango is the Trango Tower (6,239 m), often called "Nameless Tower". This is a very large, pointed, rather symmetrical spire which juts 1000 m out of the ridgeline. North of Trango Tower is a smaller rock spire known as "Trango Monk." To the north of this feature, the ridge becomes less rocky and loses the large granite walls that distinguish the Trango Towers group and make them so attractive to climbers; however the summits do get higher. These summits are not usually considered part of the Trango Towers group, though they share the Trango name. Trango II (6,327 m) lies northwest of the Monk, and the highest summit on the ridge, Trango Ri (6,363 m), lies northwest of Trango II.

Just southeast of Great Trango (really a part of its southeast ridge) is the Trango Pulpit (6,050m), whose walls present similar climbing challenges to those of Great Trango itself. Further to the south is Trango Castle (5,753 m), the last large peak along the ridge before the Baltoro Glacier.

Climbing history

Overall, the Trango Towers group has seen some of the most difficult and significant climbs ever accomplished, due to the combination of altitude, total height of the routes, and the steepness of the rock. All of the routes are highly technical climbs.

Trango towers have only been climbed once by Pakistani rock climbers in history. Imran Junaidi and Usman Tariq successfully reached to the summit of Trango Tower in July 2014 and opened a new route with difficulty 5.10d, A0. They are also the first locals to attempt Trango Tower, in September 2013, but were forced by heavy snowfall to descend from camp 2. Two days later, however, the team climbed a virgin line at Trango Braak, reporting difficulty of 5.10, A1.

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Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand

The Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe in Māori) is a 13 km (8.1 mi) long glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Parkon the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox.

Geography

Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600 m (8,500 ft) on its 13 km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast, with it having the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing between 1985 and 2009. In 2006 the average rate of advance was about a metre a week. In January 2009, the terminal face of the glacier was still advancing and had vertical or overhanging faces which were continually collapsing. Since then there has been a significant retreat, with the 2009 high level clearly visible as vegetation line on the southern slope above what is left of the lower glacier today.

 

The outflow of the glacier forms the Fox River. During the last ice age, its ice reached beyond the present coastline, and the glacier left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson formed as a kettle lake within one of these.

Tourism

Like nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. It is a major tourist attraction and about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season. Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb without guides onto the glacier, whose rapid advance creates dangers of sudden ice and rockfalls.

Fox Glacier township/Weheka, 6 km away from the glacier, functions mainly as a service centre for tourists, though it also services the local farming community, which had been its main focus until the 1990s (though tourism started as early as the late 1920s). The approximate township site had been gazetted as early as 1866. Bruce Bay is 46 km to the south-west of the township, and Franz Josef is 23 km north-east. State Highway 6 runs through the town.

The population was 375 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 117 from 2001.

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The Shilin Stone Forest, China

The Stone Forest or Shilin (Chinese: 石林; pinyin: Shílín) is a notable set of limestone formations located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, near Shilin approximately 90 km (56 mi) from the provincial capital Kunming.

The tall rocks seem to pray to the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like petrified trees thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Since 2007, two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest (乃古石林) and Suogeyi Village (所各邑村), have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the South China Karst. The site is classified as a AAAAA-classtourist site.

According to legend, the forest is the birthplace of Ashima (阿诗玛), a beautiful girl of the Yi people. After falling in love she was forbidden to marry her chosen suitor and instead turned into a stone in the forest that still bears her name. Each year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, many Yi people celebrate the Torch Festival (火把节 Huǒbă Jié), which features folk dances and wrestling competitions.

In China’s Yunnan Province is the famous stone topography of Shilin, meaning “stone forest.” Covering an area of three-hundred square kilometers (or 186 miles) the stone forest is a massive otherworldly landscape of karst formations over 270 million years old. Over the millennia seismic activity and water and wind erosion have carved the present-day limestone formations.

The giant stalagmite-like pillars create huge arrays of labyrinths that are easy to become lost in. Shillin is divided into many smaller stone forests and features caves, waterfalls, ponds, a lake with an island, and even an underground river. Two of the smaller individual stone forests, Naigu Stone Forest and Suogeyi Village, are a part of the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of Shillin’s most famous attractions is the Ashima Stone, which legend says was formed after the beautiful Sani girl, Ashima, ran into the forest and was turned to stone after being forbidden to marry the man she loved. Every year on June 24 the local Sani people hold the time-honored Torch Festival at Shilin, which features many “traditional performances such as wrestling, bull fighting, pole-climbing, dragon-playing, lion-dancing, and the A-xi Moon Dance.”

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Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States

The Nā Pali Coast State Park encompasses 6,175 acres (2,499 ha) of land and is located in the center of the rugged 16 miles (26 km) along the northwest side of Kauaʻi, the oldest inhabited Hawaiian island. The Nā Pali coast itself extends southwest starting at Keʻe Beachextending all the way to Polihale State Park. The na pali (high cliffs) along the shoreline rise as much as 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above thePacific Ocean. The state park was formed to protect the Kalalau Valley.

Although inaccessible to vehicles, this coast can be enjoyed over land by hiking or in a helicopter, and from the ocean by kayak andpaddleboard. Charter tours are available on rigid-hulled inflatable boat or catamaran, originating from Port Allen and Hanalei Bay. TheKalalau Trail from the end of Hawaii Route 56 (called the Kuhio Highway) provides the only land access along the coast, traversing 11 miles (18 km) and crossing five major valleys (and many smaller ones) before reaching Kalalau Beach at the base of Kalalau Valley. Side trails along the way lead to waterfalls in the valleys above.

To the east of the state park is the Hono O Nā Pali state Natural Reserve. It was established in 1983, and then extended to over 3,578 acres (14.5 km²) in 2009. Hiking trails and hunters roads have access to the sharp ridges from Koke Road (route 550) in Waimea Canyon.

Location: Trailhead for Kalalau Trail at end of Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56) in Ha'ena State Park; Kalalau and Miloli‘i Valleys also accessible by kayak from May 15 through September 7. Nu‘alolo Kai accessible for day use by commercial boat tours or by private boats.

Description: The Na Pali Coast is a very special place. The pali, or cliffs, provide a rugged grandeur of deep, narrow valleys ending abruptly at the sea. Waterfalls and swift flowing streams continue to cut these narrow valleys while the sea carves cliffs at their mouths. Extensive stone walled terraces can still be found on the valley bottoms where Hawaiians once lived and cultivated taro.

The Kalalau Trail provides the only land access to this part of the rugged coast. Originally built in the late 1800s, portions of the trail were rebuilt in the 1930s. A similar foot trail linked earlier Hawaiian settlements along the coastline. The trail traverses 5 valleys before ending at Kalalau Beach where it is blocked by sheer, fluted cliffs (pali). The 11-mile trail is graded but almost never level as it crosses above towering sea cliffs and through lush valleys. The trail drops to sea level at the beaches of Hanakapi'ai and Kalalau. The first 2 miles of the trail, from Ha’ena State Park to Hanakapi’ai Beach, make a popular day hike.

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Lake Baikal, Russia

Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Known as the 'Galapagos of Russia', its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.

Justification for Inscription

The Committee inscribed Lake Baikal as the most outstanding example of a freshwater ecosystem on the basis of natrual criteria (vii), (viii), (ix) and (x). It is the oldest and deepest of the world´s lakes containing nearly 20% of the world´s unfrozen freshwater reserve. The lake contains an outstanding variety of endemic flora and fauna, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is also surrounded by a system of protected areas that have high scenic and other natural values. The Committee took note of the confirmation of the revised boundaries of the site, which correspond to the core areas defined in the Baikal Law (excluding the five urban developed areas). It also noted that the special Lake Baikal Law is now in its second reading in the Duma. Finally, it noted concern over a number of integrity issues including pollution, which should be brought to the attention of the Russian authorities.

Long Description

Lake Baikal in south-east Siberia, the deepest lake in the world at 1,700 m, contains 20% of all fresh running water on the planet, making it the single largest reservoir. The lake contains an outstanding variety of endemic flora and fauna, of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is also surrounded by a system of protected areas that have high scenic and other natural values. The basin supports a variety of plant and animal species, a number being endemic; the most notable of which is the Baikal seal, a uniquely freshwater species. The great variety of plants in the basin is determined by its climatic asymmetry: the western part is occupied by light coniferous forests and mountain steppes; in the eastern part pine forests predominate; and the north is covered by deciduous forests. The formation of the geological structures in the basin took place during the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras and there are a number of significant geological features. Various tectonic forces are still ongoing, as evidenced in recent thermal vents in the depths of the lake.

The lake itself is the centrepiece of the site and its largely unseen underwater features are the core of its value to both science and conservation. Baikal is one of the most biodiverse lakes on Earth, with 1,340 species of animal (745 endemic) and 570 species of plant (150 endemic). In the forests surrounding the lake there are an additional 10 threatened species along with the full complement of typical boreal species. The evolution of aquatic life that has taken place over this long period has resulted in an exceptionally unique and endemic fauna and flora. As the 'Galápagos of Russia', the lake is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.

The landscape surrounding the lake basin, with its mountains, boreal forests, tundra, lakes, islands and steppes, is exceptionally picturesque. The Baikal region has some 1,200 historical, archaeological and cultural monuments of which 1,000 have state protection. A number of these are considered sacred. There is also a mix of distinctive cultures in the region and an interesting human history.

However, there are serious threats to the biotic communities at Lake Baikal and there is a danger that its unique ecosystem properties could be lost. Various steps are being taken to address these issues of integrity with strong support from all levels of government and the Russian public.

Source: hc.unesco.org/en/list/754

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Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

Within two hours either side of low tide visitors flock to the usually deserted Hot Water Beach to find hot water bubbling through the golden sand. Families, kids and couples can be seen digging their own spa pool in the sand and relaxing in the natural springs. Often rated as one of the world's most renowned beaches - this is one experience that should be on your bucket list. A truly unique Kiwi experience that every New Zealander should experience at least once in their lifetime!

The beach also boasts some great surf, cruisy cafés and art galleries and is only a 5 minute drive to another Coromandel ‘must do’ – Cathedral Cove.

What is Hot Water Beach?

It is possible to dig into the sand allowing hot water to escape to the surface forming a hot water pool. The water, with a temperature as hot as 64°C (147°F), filters up from two underground fissures located close to each other to the surface where the beach meets the Pacific Ocean. These natural springs can be found on the beach in front of the projecting rocks (the whole beach is not hot). With the ebb and flow of the tide the pools are washed away, clearing the way for the next influx of visitors. For further information including the best time of day to visit and exact location details refer to the product listing for Hot Water Beach

Ngati Hei

Ngati Hei are the tangata whenua (people of the land) along the Mercury Bay coastline. Hot Water Beach is historically and culturally significant to Ngati Hei. Archaeologists believe the Whitianga locale has been populated by the Ngati Hei iwi (tribe) for a thousand years, thus making it one of New Zealand’s longest inhabited areas. To this day Ngati Hei endeavour to protect this taonga (treasure), that is near an Urupa (burial ground) and Pa site (fortified settlement), and hope that you too will respect this special location.

Safety Warning

It is advised that swimmers only swim between the flags if the Hot Water Beach Surf Life Saving Crew Service are on patrol. The rocks in front of the hot springs are a hazardous location for strong currents, holes and rips making swimming in this location dangerous. Remember – always swim between the flags and if in doubt don’t go out.

Surfing

While the natural occurences at Hot Water Beach can make it a dangerous swimming beach (without lifeguards) it’s these formations that contribute to it’s reputation for a great surfing beach – for experienced surfers. Hot Water Beach handles a good size swell with banks along the beach making for good 'A frame' waves and the point holding a nice right hand wave when the conditions are right. The northern end of the beach is more popular with locals, however it’s advised to surf here with others as the steep banks and hidden rocks make for a heavy break. Check out more surf spots in The Coromandel here

Parking is available in three locations: The Main Beach carpark, Te Waiwai carpark and the Main Store carpark. Note, fees may apply at the Main Store carpark.

Spades are available for hire at Hotties Cafe, Hot Water Beach Cafe and the Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park.

Source: http://www.thecoromandel.com/new-zealand/Hot-Water-Beach/

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