Monday, April 12, 2010

The Humming Birds....

The humming birds are among the smallest of the birds and are one of the quickest bird species in the planet with flying speeds at 54kmph. They can hover in the mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 19-20 times per second. They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds to do so. These birds drink Nectar from flowers as the bees do and can assess the amount of sugar present in the flowers. They also prey on insects to balance the diet.


Here are some beautiful pictures of the bird (various species) from the National Geographic Society's collection. Please visit the site for more stuff about many other beautiful creatures on the planet.

Click here for Nat-Geo Site

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Beautiful Flowers of India....

The beauty of our nation lies in its greens and flowers. Check some unusual flora and an unusual land that houses a part of the so called heaven...on earth...the Valley of Flowers

Brahma Kamala:















This one is native to India and blooms only in the night for about 2 hrs. This beautiful thing is also called the 'Cradle of Jesus', for its superb structure.


Paarijatham:

This is one of the most sacred flowers in the country. In the flowering season it blooms in hundreds in a tree and its garlands are considered to be special offering to the gods.

Champa:


This flower is well known for its fragrance, that sometimes faints a person or brings headache. Still very sacred. The sister flower, 'Naga Champa' is also in the same form and sacred too.


Shanka Pushpa:
Considered sacred in south India, it is known for the shape specified in the name.

Maha Kamala:

This is our nations pride. The lotus is a spectacular sight and sacred because it blooms beautifully in the dirtiest swamp.

Karna Kundala:
This one is also called Gauri Pushpa. Sacred too...

Uthpala (Blue lotus):

The other form of lotus....


Pundariika (White Lotus):


(The collection below is done by Tejaswini C B)
Kumuda Pushpa:


Linga Pushpa:

Bandook:


Mullukatteri:

Dok-Champa:





The paradise on this planet
Valley of Flowers, Uttaranchal:



The Valley of Flowers is a paradise on earth located in Uttaranchal near the town Joshimath in the midst of the Himalayas.It is also a National Park renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty.

Ramayana Legends says that this is the place where Hanuman searched for Sanjivini Booti to cure Lakshman, When he was injured by Indrajith, Son of Ravana.

Some flowers in the Valley...



Himalayan Bell Flower

Siliene Flower with morning Dew...




Thursday, April 1, 2010

Mount K2 - The Toughest mountain on Earth



People speak only about Mount Everest when it comes to the Himalayas. It is indeed true to praise its altitude and beauty, but there are a few peaks whose stories are worth listening to. One such thing is the Mount K2, which is second to Everest in altitude, not anything else.

Mt. K2 which was in India is now located in POK on the Pakistan-China Border, in the Karakoram range of mountains. The name K2 was given in 1852 by British surveyor T.G. Montgomerie with "K" designating the Karakoram Range and "2" since it was the 2nd peak listed. During his survey, Montgomerie, standing on Mt. Haramukh 125 miles to the south, noted two prominent peaks to the north, calling them K1 and K2. While he kept native names, he found that K2 did not have a known name. Later the peak was named Mount Godwin-Austen for an early explorer but it was never recognized.


K2 is nicknamed the "Savage Mountain" for its severe weather. The total height of the montain is 8611mts It is typically climbed in June, July, or August. K2 has never been climbed in winter. The first expedition to K2 took place for 68 days(!!!) from March to June, by a team of British climbers and was partially scaled upto 6525mts. The expedition was stopped due to severe weather and avalanche.

Fritz Wiessner, a great German climber transplanted to the US, led a 1939 American expedition that had set a new world altitude record then by reaching 27,500 feet on a place called Abruzzi Spur. The party was 656 feet from the summit before turning around. Four team members were killed.

The Glorious K2................


K2 Base Camps..........

The first successful ascent to K2 was at 1977 , an expedition led by a Japanese team. The first American ascent was in 1978. A strong team led by James Whittaker ascended a new route up the peak's Northeast Ridge. K2 is one of the most difficult 8k mountains with technical climbing, severe weather conditions, and high avalanche danger. In 1986 13 climbers died in a row due to avalanche, 6 due to storm and 8 more due to similar dangers. This was the year when the summit could not be reached at all. As of 2009, 305 climbers have reached K2's summit, while at least 76 have died.

Trek Earth - Destinations