Tag: hiking

running barefoot and Vibram “Barefoot” shoes review

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

In continuation of my post about running, I would like to add my thoughts on running barefoot, which is an increasingly popular trend now. I definitely support the movement, especially if you run bare, why not run barefoot as well?

In my childhood, I was encouraged to walk barefoot by family during summers; they didn’t put much explanation to it, just said it was healthy. I didn’t really practice it seriously, and got interested in the idea again after I broke my foot almost 3 years ago. I quickly came to a webpage of a group from Harvard University that had been doing extensive studies on running. One of the conclusions of their work published in the most respected scientific journal Nature was that barefoot running style may actually “protect the feet and lower limbs from some of the impact-related injuries now experienced by a high percentage of runners”.  I would suggest you to go to the website of the Harvard Uni group for more details and videos explaining the benefits of barefoot running, and if that doesn’t convince you, there is a more graphic and visually pleasing website of a minimalist shoes producer Vibram, which is, I must add, also naturist-friendly 😉 The take-home message is that while running barefoot, you use all those muscles and tendons that are otherwise left untrained if you only walk and run in traditional shoes, AND the pattern of the foot strike changes from heel-strike to shock-absorbing and collision-reducing fore-foot strike. In other words, you make your feet and calves stronger and learn how to step more cautiously (without actually thinking about it).

When I did my search now before writing this post, I found several articles claiming the opposite, for example that ‘Doctors see uptick in foot injuries from barefoot running shoes‘ (also see this one). However, none of those articles has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and their claims that the new industry of the so-called minimalist shoes is nothing more but fashion do not have much base in my opinion, as the industry producing [currently] traditional running shoes is much bigger and has much higher capacities for advertisement. They acknowledge, however, that those injuries may be related to too sudden a transition from running in thick-sole to shoes to running barefoot or in minimalist shoes.

That’s where I totally agree with these articles: before running your first marathon barefoot, get some experience by first walking barefoot and only then running, slowly increasing the speed. I think the ultimate goal should be being able to run totally barefoot (if not totally bare ;-)), but you could use minimalist shoes as intermediate stage. That was why I wore them for my first trail race.

While I am now totally comfortable with hiking barefoot, I am not sure I could really run fast on a rough terrain like a forest trail with pebbles. That’s why I opted to stay in my Vibram Sprint shoes for the race, and I felt it gave advantage over runners in regular shoes.

First of all, such minimalist shoes are much lighter, and you do feel it! Every step you take just feels lighter. Second, having flexibility in your feet and toes being able to move, even though slightly, helps with the grip, which is especially helpful on an uneven terrain. Third, this flexibility allows you to use only fore-feet, which I found very helpful when running uphill.

There are several companies and numerous models of such minimalist shoes. I used to have Vibram FiveFingers Classic, probably the most minimalistic of all minimalist shoes.

I really liked them and they served fine for jogging and travel, but after I lost them in a trip, I decided to try another model and went for Vibram FiveFingers Sprint. They turned out to be much more flexible, and they have three velcro straps that allow very fine adjustment, so they fit the feet just perfectly.

In any case, I would strongly recommend to try those first, even if you find better deals online.

There are many other models that look more elaborate, but I think that makes them less minimalist, which defeats their purpose. In my last hike, I kept my Vibram shoes on for the first couple of hours, and after I took them off I actually felt a relief – compared to walking even in these light and flexible shoes, walking barefoot feels even lighter, not to mention that you feet don’t get sweaty. That’s why I consider minimalist shoes just an intermediate stage. Of course, all of this implies walking at warm temperatures. Also, I would rather wear such shoes in the city than walk totally barefoot; there’s just too much spit, chewing gums, and occasional dog poo or even broken glass (at least in New York City).

So, once you get used to walk barefoot or in minimalist shoes, learn about differences in running barefoot and shod. Maybe you will be able to break old habits and will re-learn how to run naturally, but I found it helpful to get some guidance from my friend Pétur who is an instructor of MovNat system. One of the techniques is basically seeing running as continuous fall forward with lifting your feet to prevent the actual fall; this technique is supposed to save a lot of energy. Perhaps following this technique was what helped me to run 7k trail race pretty fast without much previous training. Another reason could be that I got some natural ‘doping’ for breakfast: I ate some red beets, because I read they boosted stamina :p

Agistri island

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

If you go from Athens port Piraeus along Aegina island you will notice a small hilly island of Agistri. Unlike other islands around, it is fully covered by forest. Also, it has plenty of small bays with sandy and pebbly beaches. One of them is known as a naturist beach. Considering that getting to Agistri from Piraeus takes about 50min, it is an excellent alternative to naturist beaches around Athens on the mainland. Or if you are on Aegina island already, you can get from there too (Flying Dolphin in 10min, Agistri Express in 15min).

Flying Dolphin brings you to Megalochori pier

From which you’ll need to take a bus to Skala beach (€1.5), but ferries and Agistri express come directly to Skala pier.

Skala is a neat beach with clean sand, small tavernas and hotels.

Go further south along the sea and eventually the road turns into a trail.

You’ll see a hill covered with pine trees that has an entire tenting camp site. And no wonder, fresh sea breeze and pine smell create a perfect atmosphere.

The bays is hidden behind a small cape, and the way down is not obvious.

When I came to the edge of the cliffs, right by my feet, a head of another naked tourist appeared.

That’s how I found out the trail leading to the beach. From down there I saw some people above who probably couldn’t find there way down. Oh well, but I couldn’t complain, as that was what probably helped to keep the beach so pristine!

**********

This story and photos were contributed by our reader from Moscow, Igor.

Nikita beach and forest (Crimea)

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

 Русский

One of very few places where primeval dry subtropical forest meets the sea on the South coast of Crimea. Simply a beautiful place! This is my last post about naturist places in Crimea for now.

Probably you’re surprised to hear about subtropical forest in Ukraine Russia (depending on your political views and the map issued by your state), but the South coast of Crimea is indeed one of the northernmost areas with subtropical climate, as it is  protected from northern winds by Crimean mountains and warm Black Sea keeps temperatures milder.

The protected forest of Nikita, officially known as Cape Martyan Reserve,  is right next to the Nikita Botanical Garden (and formally, it is a part of it), and it hosts some plants that are common in the Mediterranean, for example, arbutus, or strawberry tree.  I couldn’t resist resting on low branches of one of those the way to the beach: the bark is very smooth and has a very pleasant, slightly velvet-like, touch.

Just too bad its strawberry-like fruit were not ripe yet.

First time, I was came the beach walking by the shore starting at this point, where I also paid a park fee, but sometimes it was too rough too hike through the rocks, and later I discovered that it was easier to walk by the trail starting here. In both cases, you can use trolleybus #34 from Yalta in the direction of the Nikita Botanical Garden.

When I first reached the beach, it really appeared like paradise lost!

And after having walked behind that upright rock, I saw a man walking in Adam’s suit, so I knew I was in the right place 😉

By the way, Cape Martyan Reserve does not only include the forest but a part of the sea too, with many fish species. Numerous cormorants resting on the rocks indicated at the sea riches.

And indeed, the underwater rocks seemed teeming with life.

Second time, I brought my sister too. She is not an adamant nudist like me, but she was impressed by my photos from the first trip to cape Martyan and was eager to come along. We got some rain, but we didn’t mind it, as it was warm.

And this was what kept this place so green at the height of summer. After the clouds started disappearing behind the hills,

we climbed some of those strawberry trees again.

And then, with the beautiful sun rays on the background, I felt like posing in the role of some ancient sun-god.

The “sun” that I held in my hands was a juicy Crimean melon, which we happily ate afterwards :p

What a nice day it was to celebrate both the rain and the sun!

Forested area near Balaklava, Crimea

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

 Русский

Balaklava is a former home of Soviet nuclear submarines, but now it is merely a small colorful port full of tourist vessels (but you can still check out the natural submerged cave where submarines were located).

You can go by scheduled boats and then hike to a remote beach; or you could just rent a smaller boat that would bring you directly to one of the numerous secluded spots to the south of Balaklava.

There is a dry pine forest, and small pebble are beaches squeezed between the rocks. We went there just for a day, but apparently it is very popular for camping. Nudity is a commonplace.

On the way back, my sister and I saw a bunch of guys covered in grey mud, but it didn’t occur to me to take a photo, although they were posing like statues. I guess I’ll have to return there!

wild stuff in Harriman Park, NY

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

This post will summarize some of our experiences in Harriman State Park, a beautiful woodland just 1-1.5h away from Manhattan (driving or by train + bike).

There are scenic views, numerous lakes, and plenty of wildlife. It is nothing but stunning to have that land of [nearly] unspoiled nature so close to the biggest urban area in US… This fact is only evident by the view from Bear Mountain.

By the way, the name was not given to this mountain in vain – yes, there are bears in the park, and we have even seen one! I have to admit this is not the best photo of a bear – unfortunately it was not close enough to make a good shot, but I just had to add it here as a proof.

Other animals, like the Canada geese on the photos below, might be less unusual for an urban dweller but also appear less menacing.

But before I go on with the list of animals we have seen there, here is a bush that every year turns those woods into a truly fabulous place for about two weeks early June. It is mountain laurel.

In places where mountain laurel is concentrated, e.g. at the Lake Skannatati, its white-to-pink blossom is outstanding.

In the height of its bloom, the woods look more like Garden of Eden than just a wild forest. Of course, you’d feel like wearing nothing but Adam’s (or Eve’s) suit there.

… which provides plenty of opportunities for nice photos. Just wandering around there feels special.

But don’t think it would be the only type of flowers you’ll see there.

Lily Pond is rightfully called so because it is almost entirely covered with water lilies!

Other lakes, on contrary, have totally open surface and clear water, like Second Reservoir

or Silver Mine Lake, for example.

And there are many more lakes.

It is warm enough for swimming from May to October.

If you’re not up for swimming, you can just walk on water.

Seriously! Well, it is just that many of those lakes are reservoirs with dams. It is like those infinity pools but in a natural setting.

Main activity in Harriman Park is hiking, but some trails are good for biking too.

I’d recommend wearing a helmet though.

But of course, it is hard to resist temptation to relax in such a tranquil place… especially when you have a hammock with you.

And especially after some nice food.

By the way, there are some wild fruits there too, like grapes

and blueberries, but better leave those for animals.

And if you bring food with you, make sure not to leave any garbage, it is really disappointing to find any in such a pristine place.

But even if you don’t have a hammock, sitting by the lake will make you forget about all daily troubles.

 

There are also some springs and falls connecting the lakes and reservoirs.

 

After all that chilling, it is definitely worth going for a walk again, and don’t forget your camera for there will be a plenty of opportunities to shoot photograph animals.

There are many colorful insects.

Dragonflies are the easiest to spot, and some come right to you or even on you 😉

Other arthropods that drew our attention were these huge centipede and harvestman.

Recently, we’ve seen this juvenile eastern newt (eft), that had amazingly bright orange skin (they loose the color when they go back to water and mature).

Common Garter snakes are common there indeed (and do not pose any threat).

As in any healthy forest, there is plenty of birds; we’ve even seen some nests with nestlings.

Some of the most common bigger birds are turkey vultures and herons.

The latter probably feast on fish like this school of young catfish.

Most likely you will see some species of sunfish family. There were many nests of theirs at Silver Mine Lake, and it was interesting to see how protective they were around them.

At Lake Skannatati, they could easily hide among water plants but they preferred not to,  perhaps they were even attracted to my underwater camera.

After I mentioned bears, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are some more common mammals, like hares,

raccoons (even though you can see them in Central Park too, it is somehow nicer to see them not feeding off a trash bin),

chipmunks,

and of course deer (white-tailed deer, to be exact).

Seeing a horned stag among all that blossom will make you feel like in a fairy-tale.

As Christian says, you may get to see unicorns coming out of those bushes any moment.

Naked hike alert: Summer Solstice Hike in Vermont

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

I got an email from one of my readers about a hike that has become traditional on the summer solstice day on a stretch of Appalachian trail in Vermont. Although I am not sure I am joining this time, I would encourage to check it out. Here is the text that I got and a couple of pics:

Here are the directions to the hike. From Bennington, VT take US Rte 7 north to Danby. In Danby, turn right onto Mt Tabor Rd(Becomes USFS #10) and drive about 3.4 miles to the AT parking lot(on right). We meet there at 9 AM. From there we pile into some of the cars and head to Wallingford. In Wallingford we turn right onto VT Rte 140 and drive another AT parking lot( about 3.4 miles, parking lot is on left). From there we start hiking back to the other parking lot. The hike is approximately 10 miles. The first 2.5 – 3 miles is uphil after that it is a roling downhill There are plenty of ops for photos. About 2 miles from the end the is Little Rock Pond and is time for cooling off or doing some swimming. After that, it’s back to the cars. The hike is classified as moderate to easy.

If you have any further questions, ask Ed by email.

Marathon

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

 ελληνικά

In times when the Olympic torch has just been brought from Greece to London Olympics, it only makes more sense to post about one of my favorite places for camping, which bears the name of Marathon. That is where Persians attempted to invade Greece… and from where, allegedly, the courier ran all the way to Athens to tell the news of victory of the Greek army. This story, in turn, inspired the Marathon race! But I think not many people know that the beach where Persians once disembarked their warships is nowadays a perfect place for running. Given that even modern Greeks are quite easy with nudity and the beach is never crowded, you can run the way Ancient Greek athletes did – naked!

This is how this place looks from the plane:

Marathon is a little over 2-hour ride from buzzing Athens, but to get to the wilder part of the beach, you’ll have to walk from the bus station along the beach for more than an hour. (That is if you don’t have a car.) However, it is totally worth it. It’s a great weekend escape, and we often went there to camp overnight.

It’s easy to find a nice cozy spot for you tent.

So, there is not only a nice beach but also an old pine forest

with a pond

and numerous trails to wander around.

Scarcely growing old pines were perfect for hanging a hammock.

It was a lightweight variety, but still cozy enough to chill out, feeling the sea breeze all over body. I was learning Greek with a book, but not for too long as you can see…

Other “facilities” at the beach include a couple of metal platforms that are not in use anymore but are still stable and provide nice views over the beach.

But why stay on the beach all the time, if there is a forest next to it?

We were exploring whereabout of the ancient battleground in full tranquility and…

full nudity too 🙂

Haven’t I mentioned tranquility?

And of course we didn’t just walk and sit there. We also played beach bats during day,

and at night we tried a fast version of badminton, ‘Speedminton’, completed with glow sticks in the shuttlecocks. To see each other, we also decorated ourselves with glow sticks.

Then we also attached glow sticks to frisbee, which made it look like UFO in the night sky. Too bad our cameras couldn’t catch it, but it was quite a sight!

Another time, we ventured for a long run forth and back along the beach; wet sand was compact enough to run comfortably. Just a few patches have some colorful pebbles instead of sand.

If all that is not enough for your entertainment, there is also a bunch of friendly stray dogs that are happy to keep you company.

Fort Tilden, NYC

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

I’ve written about a beach at Fort Tilden and its abandoned bunkers previously, but I can’t help sharing some more experiences and photos from that place last year.

Fort Tilden is not an official clothing-optional area, although I always wonder how come it isn’t possible to be clothes-free just anywhere in “the land of the free”?! Well, you’ve got to be brave sometimes.

Well, Fort Tilden beach rarely gets crowded, especially off-season, so it’s a great naked escape from the city on those surprisingly warm and sunny days, like we had last November.

It was a a perfect time to wander in the dunes and thickets of trees that were ready for winter sleep.

And yet the sun was quite strong still and made everything bright and alive.

When the clouds came in the afternoon it got pretty chilly, but we couldn’t resist the last possibility for skinny-dipping in the ocean before the winter would take over.

But even in summer you can usually find a spot without too many people, and you can always hide behind the fence that goes along the beach.

And there are some logs that can serve as a perfect naturist lunch table :p

Another time I came there on weekday in July and it was also almost empty, so I felt free and comfortable enough to fool around and practice some simple acrobatics exercises and stretching.

I was definitely into cartwheels and handstands that day,

and the soft and smooth sand was just so perfect for that.

I made some bridges too.

Then we found a coconut. We imagined it was brought by currents all the way from South Florida, where were in May.

It was a fantastic day, very relaxing (in an active naturist way). It is always hard to believe that you are still within New York City borders there, but you if you need a reminder, just go to those abandoned bunkers.

I think I will be coming there again and again!

 

video from River Island Nature Retreat (NSW, Australia)

by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

My naturist pen pal Brenton wrote in his first post for this blog about a beautiful nature retreat in New South Wales, Australia, called River Island. While the north-eastern state Queensland is suffering from floods and is in a critical state now, NSW seems to have a good summer weather, so Brenton made this cool video about his latest visit to River Island.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgl0qv_river-island-naturist-reserve_lifestyle#.USBYWqVH3TY

Enjoy! Hope to visit that and many other places in Oz one day…

Hiking near oasis at the Dead Sea in Israel

by αNaturist, posted in Uncategorized

After spending 2 days of snorkeling at the Red Sea, I had to move further, and the next stop on my trip through Israel was the Dead Sea. I stayed at a friend of my new friend who brought me to Ga’ash beach in Tel Aviv. He lived in Ein Gedi kibbutz, which is a part of luscious Ein Gedi oasis off the shores of the Dead Sea. The sea-lake itself is of course the major attraction in the area, and I will talk about it in my next post, but there is also a nice opportunity to see local flora and fauna on a daily hiking trip. Ein Gedi nature reserve has two spring-fed streams with flowing water year-round: Nahal David and Nahal Arugot. The former is much more popular, and I was advised not to go there, as tourists pour in big portions coming with organized bus tours.

view 0001 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

So, I went alone to Nahal Arugot and for most of the time I wasn’t disturbed by anyone and even found some moments to enjoy the refreshing waters in the buff!

view 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

Right after entrance, it did feel like it was a desert, but then it got quite green along the stream and at some points I walked right on its banks or even in its shallow waters.

view 0002 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

When it got deeper and wider, I couldn’t resist dipping in the water. Skinny-dipping, of course!

naturist 0001 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

But I heard some loud voices of american teenage tourists and had to cover fast. In any case I had to hurry, because the trail closes very early and I had to return to the entry point by 5pm.

Then I saw the first pool with waterfalls. That is what the trail is known for, but this one was quickly occupied by some American tourists and I continued further.

view 0003 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

I noted another pool but decided to stop there on the way back, if I didn’t find anything else.

view 0004 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

So, I continued hiking partially on the trail, partially through in the stream, in hope to find a more secluded spot. I found one pool that seemed to be somewhat hidden by the trees and bushes and refreshed again.

naturist 0003 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

It also seemed like a nice spot for having a lunch. While I was eating my sandwich, a couple of birds came very close to me.

bird 0001 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

They did not beg for food like their urban relatives, and it was nice to imagine that they were as curious about me as I was about them.

bird 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

After food I went for another dip

naturist 0002 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

and encountered another creature that didn’t mind me taking a close-up photo.
dragonfly 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

Then I finally continued hiking. I reached the tallest waterfall

view waterfall 0005 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

but didn’t stay there for too long as I wanted to go till the end of the trail.

view waterfall 0006 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

Unfortunately, just a little further above the waterfalls I was called by a guard, who told me it was too late to continue further. It sounded strange to me, as it was early still, but I didn’t bother arguing and started my way back in the direction of the Dead Sea.

view 0007 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

I was passing by the high waterfall again, but it was then full of VERY noisy teenagers, orthodox Jews this time. I was wondering why they needed to shout so much, as the place looked so peaceful and perfect for listening to the sounds of nature, but for them it was more of an attraction park, which is also understandable, given that they might not have too much access to natural freshwater pools if they lived in that area. But then I raised my head and right above the gorge saw a group of nubian ibexes.

nubian ibex 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

Apparently, they were thinking about the same issues, as they were staring from above at the noisy tourists fooling around at the waterfall. The good part about their noisiness, I thought, was that in case I would do skinny-dipping, I could hear them approaching.

The pool that I noted previously was still unoccupied so I decided to enjoy it for myself.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xghfk2_skinny-dipping-in-the-desert_travel

As you can see, I also found it to be quite an attraction to slide down the stream bed into the pool.

It was also amazing to see ferns growing on the walls above the stream given that few meters away a rocky desert was starting.

fern 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

But then even more amazing was it to see two animals side by side that you would never expect to see in the desert: a frog and a crab!

frog & crab 0000 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

After I had enough fun at the pool, I followed till the exit quickly and just stopped to take pictures of another group of ibexes, which came even closer.

nubian ibex 0001 Nahal Arugot, Dead Sea, Israel

I never thought I could spend such a refreshing day and seeing so much wildlife at the Dead Sea.