After gaining about 500 meters from the road, the border guards caught up with us. Luckily, we were 500 meters above the road and a few kilometers away, and the guards were not to anxious to leave their Lada 4x4 or the road. They shouted and whistled at us, but we played deaf until we arrived at the top of the ridge, and at that point we lost sight of them until we would arrive back at the observatory later that evening.
Tag: Travel
Пик Комсомола (Komsomol Peak) – Part Two: First Descent with Skis On
At this point, I cannot say I was proud about how I skied it, if you want to call it that (I’m still hesitant to call it anything but a “first descent with skis on”).
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Пик Комсомола (Komsomol Peak) – Part One: Ascent
On July 26th, 2013, I free-soloed the Northwest Face of Komsomol Peak, which rises 4376 meters (14,357 feet) almost directly above Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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Springtime in Paris
I was correct in my hypothesis that my parents would enjoy the d'Orsay; my mom even stated, and I paraphrase, that it might be her favorite museum ever. We crossed the Seine and walked the Champs Elysee from the Louvre all the way to the Arc de Triumph, which is tied with the tent at the base of Silverton Mountain as my favorite little spot in the world. We watched the sun set, then made our way back to Gare du Nord, and then to the airport where I saw my parents off before heading back to Amsterdam to meet Maria.
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Chez Monet
One of my fondest memories of being there in 2006 was being on the famous bridge with my good friend Rachel. We waited and waited for a gap in the crowds of tourists to get a shot of us, and just like that, the crowds parted and we got a photo. This time, I was much more lonely, and it took no time at all since there was maybe a quarter of the amount of tourists which would undoubtedly arrive in a month's time.
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Finally, the Rijksmuseum
I was so excited to be there both days, and to be back in Amsterdam, which might just be my favorite city in the world, that I purposely left my camera in my pocket simply to take it all in. Besides, it is nearly impossible to capture all that is the famous Waterloo painting, and better to take in the Milkmaid with your own eyes than in a digital rendition.
