We're up here: Looking like ants in a giant rock garden, intrepid climbers become the first to scale uncharted 1,000ft structures in a land that time

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Making history: Two of the climbers ascend the 'Wine Bottle' rock for the first time in Chad's remote Ennedi desert after travelling hundreds of miles across desert


If you blinked, you might miss these two intrepid climbers, looking like ants in a giant rock garden.

But they made history by being the first mountaineers to ascend an awesome formation in a remote part of Chad.

Untouched by humans, this is the stunning desert home to the stacks, arches and 1,000 feet walls of rock that dominate the Ennedi Plateau - long regarded as the holy grail of the climbing community.

'It's fair to say we were like kids in a candy store', said climber and photographer Jimmy Chin. 'This was like finding a new continent for climbers, literally. I was stunned at the rugged nature of the landscape.'


Climbing: James Pearson is seen making the first ascent of the 'Citadel' formation in the Ennedi desert in Chad


He travelled last December with a crack team from his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to the 20,000 square miles of virgin African climbing territory in central Chad that are reminiscent of Utah's Monument Valley.

Equipped with three trucks and provisions for three weeks, Jimmy, 38, and his team slept in the desert and braved armed bandits - just so they could make each climb there the first.

After flying 8,000 miles to the country, the team spent four days driving hundreds of miles across the desert on dirt roads to reach the remote and almost inaccessible Ennedi Plateau.

Occasionally, they would cross paths with nomadic camel troupes.


Is it much further? James Pearson climbing the Arch of Bishekele with the backdrop of the stunning Ennedi desert


'There was some element of a long shot about this, but you know if you go on a trip with Mark it is going to be difficult, it is going to pose problems, it is going to question you as a climber.'

Likening the journey into the wastelands of the plateau as like travelling back in time, Jimmy and the team came across the local people who spent their days hiding from the 38-degree heat in straw huts.

'Even in December the temperature was extreme,' said Jimmy. 'In summer the thermometer can exceed 47 degrees. '

Able to support themselves with petrol, food and shelter the adventurers were stunned when the open expanse of the desert exploded into the land that time forgot.

'Visually it was just like the canyon lands of Utah,' explained Jimmy.


Swinging time: An awesome shot of Alex Honnold and James Pearson rappelling off the Arch of Bishekele after climbing to the top


'We saw arches, stacks and walls that we knew had never been ascended before. This was a dream scenario, there was unlimited potential there.

'You are talking about 200ft high stacks, 1,000ft high walls, all there ready to be climbed.'

Faced with an enormous amount of choice, Jimmy and his team approached the Ennedi methodically. 'We decided to climb the 12 most impressive features we could see in the three weeks we had.

'We climbed the fabled Aloba Arch, which at 700ft tall and 300ft wide is the tallest free standing arch in the world.'

In the middle of their ground-breaking tour, the team faced off against possibly their greatest challenge - bandits.


Ready to rock: Crack climber Mark Synnott racking up gear for the ascent in the Ennedi desert which is located in a remote North African region of Chad


Jimmy said: 'At one point after a climb, all of us but James were confronted by a gang of four armed with ten-inch daggers.They were trying to edge us away from our cars, which were still some distance away.

'They were gesturing for our cameras and equipment, dressed in head scarves and they were extremely aggressive. James appeared on the scene off the side of one of the rock formations and I indicated to him to run back to the cars.

'I managed to document over 5,000 photographs during my time there and it was one of the pleasures of my life to be the first to explore such pristine and virgin climbing routes.'



Base camp: One of the climbing team gazes at the stars during the four-day drive across the desert to the Ennedi Plateau in Chad

source: dailymail

When all hell breaks loose: Lightning tears the sky apart above the glow of the Chilean volcano

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Spectacular: A time-lapse photo shows lightning bolts striking around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain in Patagonia


Flames reach up to the heavens as lightening flashes criss-cross the sky.

These extraordinary images show the full force of Mother Nature as a Chilean volcano erupts for the first time in 50 years.

Ash has been thrown six miles up into the sky and the South American government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Winds fanned the ash toward neighbouring Argentina, darkening the sky in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the centre of the country, and its airport has also been closed.



Nature's force: Lightning and volcanic fire is seen amid and underneath a towering cloud of ash. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4


Incredible lighting bolts strike around the plume of volcanic ash and smoke


The dramatic scenes above the volcano makes an incredible cloud formation as smoke rises several miles into the air


The eruption in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles south of the capital, Santiago, also prompted authorities to close a busy border crossing into Argentina.

It was not immediately clear which of the chain's four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960.
Local media said the smell of sulphur hung in the air and there was constant seismic activity.

'The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometre-high gas column,' the state emergency office ONEMI said.


Above cloud level the plume looks like a nuclear bomb has just exploded with its mushroom cloud bursting towards the skies


As a precaution, the government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area.

This development is the latest volcanic activity to affect the country. Three years ago, Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere and was visible from space.

It also drifted over neighbouring Argentina, coating towns. Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, also erupted that year and again in 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


The ash makes driving hazardous as it creates a thick layer on people's cars



One could be forgiven for thinking this was a wintry scene covered in snow, but in fact it is all ash


It was the latest in a series of volcanic eruptions in Chile in recent years.

Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly in 2008 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere.

The ash also swelled a nearby river and ravaged a nearby town of the same name.
The ash cloud from Chaiten coated towns in Argentina and was visible from space.

Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, erupted in 2008 and 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


Caught in the sunlight: Beautiful but deadly, the toxic cloud turns fiery red in the sunshine as the eruption continues to belch ash skyward


Smiling lightning: As molten rock and gases are ejected from the core of the volcano below, what appears to be a 'have a nice day' face is formed from the electrically charged air


Protection: One man wears a gas mask to avoid breathing in ash


As darkness falls the centre of the Argentinian town looks like it could be a wintry wonderland in the Austrian mountains



A car drives through a street covered by ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano - 100 miles to the west - in the Argentine resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche


PUYEHUE VOLCANO - Threat To Thousands From Chilean Volcano


source: dailymail

When all hell breaks loose: Lightning tears the sky apart above the glow of the Chilean volcano

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Spectacular: A time-lapse photo shows lightning bolts striking around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain in Patagonia


Flames reach up to the heavens as lightening flashes criss-cross the sky.

These extraordinary images show the full force of Mother Nature as a Chilean volcano erupts for the first time in 50 years.

Ash has been thrown six miles up into the sky and the South American government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Winds fanned the ash toward neighbouring Argentina, darkening the sky in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the centre of the country, and its airport has also been closed.



Nature's force: Lightning and volcanic fire is seen amid and underneath a towering cloud of ash. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4


Incredible lighting bolts strike around the plume of volcanic ash and smoke


The dramatic scenes above the volcano makes an incredible cloud formation as smoke rises several miles into the air


The eruption in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles south of the capital, Santiago, also prompted authorities to close a busy border crossing into Argentina.

It was not immediately clear which of the chain's four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960.
Local media said the smell of sulphur hung in the air and there was constant seismic activity.

'The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometre-high gas column,' the state emergency office ONEMI said.


Above cloud level the plume looks like a nuclear bomb has just exploded with its mushroom cloud bursting towards the skies


As a precaution, the government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area.

This development is the latest volcanic activity to affect the country. Three years ago, Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere and was visible from space.

It also drifted over neighbouring Argentina, coating towns. Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, also erupted that year and again in 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


The ash makes driving hazardous as it creates a thick layer on people's cars



One could be forgiven for thinking this was a wintry scene covered in snow, but in fact it is all ash


It was the latest in a series of volcanic eruptions in Chile in recent years.

Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly in 2008 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere.

The ash also swelled a nearby river and ravaged a nearby town of the same name.
The ash cloud from Chaiten coated towns in Argentina and was visible from space.

Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, erupted in 2008 and 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


Caught in the sunlight: Beautiful but deadly, the toxic cloud turns fiery red in the sunshine as the eruption continues to belch ash skyward


Smiling lightning: As molten rock and gases are ejected from the core of the volcano below, what appears to be a 'have a nice day' face is formed from the electrically charged air


Protection: One man wears a gas mask to avoid breathing in ash


As darkness falls the centre of the Argentinian town looks like it could be a wintry wonderland in the Austrian mountains



A car drives through a street covered by ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano - 100 miles to the west - in the Argentine resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche


PUYEHUE VOLCANO - Threat To Thousands From Chilean Volcano


source: dailymail

Armchair astronaut discovers Mars 'space station' using Google earth

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Uncovered: David Martines believes he has found a structure on the surface of Mars - by looking at Google Mars


We have all heard of little green men from Mars.

But now an American 'armchair astronaut' claims to have discovered a mysterious structure on the surface of the red planet - by looking on Google earth.

David Martines, whose YouTube video of the 'station' has racked up over 200,000 hits so far, claims to have randomly uncovered the picture while scanning the surface of the planet one day.


The white dot in the centre of the screen has set the blogosphere alight with rumours of a secret base


Describing the 'structure' as a living quarters with red and blue stripes on it, to the untrained eye it looks nothing more than a white splodge on an otherwise unblemished red landscape.

He even lists the co-ordinates 49'19.73"N 29 33'06.53"W so others can go see the anomaly for themselves.

In a pre recorded 'fly by' video of the object, Mr Martines describes what he thinks the station might be.

He said: 'This is a video of something I discovered on Google Mars quite by accident.

'I call it Bio-station Alpha, because I'm just assuming that something lives in it or has lived in it.


NASA and Google have both yet to respond to the 'finding', circled here


'It's very unusual in that it's quite large, it's over 700 feet long and 150 feet wide, it looks like it's a cylinder or made up of cylinders.

'It could be a power station or it could be a biological containment or it could be a glorified garage - hope it's not a weapon.

'Whoever put it up there had a purpose I'm sure. I couldn't imagine what the purpose was. I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to live on Mars.

'It could be a way station for weary space travellers. It could also belong to NASA, I don't know that they would admit that.

'I don't know if they could pull off such a project without all the people seeing all the material going up there. I sort of doubt NASA has anything to do with this.
'I don't know if NASA even knows about this.'


The infamous 'Face on Mars' image from 1976 caused a huge stir when it was released


The 'discovery' is similar to that of the infamous 'face on Mars'

Uncovered by the Viking 1 probe in 1976, a quirk of geography threw shadows over a small hill on the Cydonia region of Mars, making the inanimate rock look like a carved face.

The picture was heralded as proof of an alien civilisation by some but was dismissed as a mere trick of the light by scientists at NASA.

MailOnline has tried to contact both NASA and Goggle for a response to the image, but neither has replied.


Bio Station Alpha on Mars. The latest discovery by David Martines. Original Video


Interview with David Martines, the creator of the Utube video Bio Station Alpha.



source: dailymail

Armchair astronaut discovers Mars 'space station' using Google earth

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Uncovered: David Martines believes he has found a structure on the surface of Mars - by looking at Google Mars


We have all heard of little green men from Mars.

But now an American 'armchair astronaut' claims to have discovered a mysterious structure on the surface of the red planet - by looking on Google earth.

David Martines, whose YouTube video of the 'station' has racked up over 200,000 hits so far, claims to have randomly uncovered the picture while scanning the surface of the planet one day.


The white dot in the centre of the screen has set the blogosphere alight with rumours of a secret base


Describing the 'structure' as a living quarters with red and blue stripes on it, to the untrained eye it looks nothing more than a white splodge on an otherwise unblemished red landscape.

He even lists the co-ordinates 49'19.73"N 29 33'06.53"W so others can go see the anomaly for themselves.

In a pre recorded 'fly by' video of the object, Mr Martines describes what he thinks the station might be.

He said: 'This is a video of something I discovered on Google Mars quite by accident.

'I call it Bio-station Alpha, because I'm just assuming that something lives in it or has lived in it.


NASA and Google have both yet to respond to the 'finding', circled here


'It's very unusual in that it's quite large, it's over 700 feet long and 150 feet wide, it looks like it's a cylinder or made up of cylinders.

'It could be a power station or it could be a biological containment or it could be a glorified garage - hope it's not a weapon.

'Whoever put it up there had a purpose I'm sure. I couldn't imagine what the purpose was. I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to live on Mars.

'It could be a way station for weary space travellers. It could also belong to NASA, I don't know that they would admit that.

'I don't know if they could pull off such a project without all the people seeing all the material going up there. I sort of doubt NASA has anything to do with this.
'I don't know if NASA even knows about this.'


The infamous 'Face on Mars' image from 1976 caused a huge stir when it was released


The 'discovery' is similar to that of the infamous 'face on Mars'

Uncovered by the Viking 1 probe in 1976, a quirk of geography threw shadows over a small hill on the Cydonia region of Mars, making the inanimate rock look like a carved face.

The picture was heralded as proof of an alien civilisation by some but was dismissed as a mere trick of the light by scientists at NASA.

MailOnline has tried to contact both NASA and Goggle for a response to the image, but neither has replied.


Bio Station Alpha on Mars. The latest discovery by David Martines. Original Video


Interview with David Martines, the creator of the Utube video Bio Station Alpha.



source: dailymail

Surf's pup dude! The amazing dogs who take to the waves like ducks to water

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

Bedraggled: Dogs from across the US flock to the beach to take part in the event


Hundreds of people took to a beach in the US over the weekend to cheer on a dog race of a different kind.

Rather than going for 'walkies' these incredible canines enjoy going for 'surfies' as they take part in the sixth annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog competition.

More than 60 dogs from across the country took part in the competition where they had 10 minutes to catch two decent waves.


The competition is in its sixth year at the Loews Coronado Bay resort


Taking a tumble: One unfortunate pooch goes for an early bath after falling off his board


They were then judged on their confidence level, length of ride and overall ability to 'grip it and rip it'. The winners then get the ultimate holiday at the resort along with exclusive bragging rights to being the best dog surfer.

There are three categories for small dogs, large dogs and tandem dogs. The most decorated dog was Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie, which won the small dog category and came third in the tandems section.

Money from the event goest to donorschoose.org where school teachers in San Diego can post classroom needs and request and receive funding for school supplies from private sponsors.


Despite its size, this young dog manages to keep control of its oversized surfboard


Champion: Happy with his days work, this dog sits on the beach enjoying the sun and all the attention


Three's not a crowd on this surfboard while another dog rests on its owners shoulders before heading into the water to catch more waves


Dogs and their owners competed in the annual Surf Dog Competition at the weekend


Surf dog Ricochet - Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf competition


Dogs take to the waves for Californian surfing competition



source: dailymail

Surf's pup dude! The amazing dogs who take to the waves like ducks to water

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

Bedraggled: Dogs from across the US flock to the beach to take part in the event


Hundreds of people took to a beach in the US over the weekend to cheer on a dog race of a different kind.

Rather than going for 'walkies' these incredible canines enjoy going for 'surfies' as they take part in the sixth annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog competition.

More than 60 dogs from across the country took part in the competition where they had 10 minutes to catch two decent waves.


The competition is in its sixth year at the Loews Coronado Bay resort


Taking a tumble: One unfortunate pooch goes for an early bath after falling off his board


They were then judged on their confidence level, length of ride and overall ability to 'grip it and rip it'. The winners then get the ultimate holiday at the resort along with exclusive bragging rights to being the best dog surfer.

There are three categories for small dogs, large dogs and tandem dogs. The most decorated dog was Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie, which won the small dog category and came third in the tandems section.

Money from the event goest to donorschoose.org where school teachers in San Diego can post classroom needs and request and receive funding for school supplies from private sponsors.


Despite its size, this young dog manages to keep control of its oversized surfboard


Champion: Happy with his days work, this dog sits on the beach enjoying the sun and all the attention


Three's not a crowd on this surfboard while another dog rests on its owners shoulders before heading into the water to catch more waves


Dogs and their owners competed in the annual Surf Dog Competition at the weekend


Surf dog Ricochet - Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf competition


Dogs take to the waves for Californian surfing competition



source: dailymail