Is Building A Successful Online Business As Difficult As Climbing A 10,302-Foot Peak In Antarctica

Which do you think is more difficult - building a successful business or climbing a mountain? What if that mountain is over 10,000 feet tall and located in the freezing cold of Antarctica? What if the climber is 89 years old?

If daring to dream big can carry an 89-year-old man to the top of an ice-capped peak at the bottom of the world ... don't you think it can carry you to the profitable heights of online marketing? After all, building a successful business calls for you to dream ... and to dream big will take you further.

= Dream Big - Dare To Fail =

In 1994, Norman Vaughan decided to climb to the top of Mount Vaughan - named in his honour 65 years earlier. Vaughan was determined to celebrate his 89th birthday on the peak of this 10,302-foot mountain. He wasn't going to let his age - nor an artificial knee, nor a fused ankle, not even two feet that were numb from an earlier frostbite injury - stop him from pursuing his dream.

Norman Vaughan's motto had always been, "Dream big - dare to fail." While violent gusts of wind whipped off the icefields, dropping the windchill to minus seventy, Vaughan and a three-person team step-lock-waited their way up the mountain. On December 16, they stood on the summit, poked 89 sparklers into a birthday cake, and sang "Happy Birthday."

= Be Tenacious In Your Business =

Standing on top of that icy mountain, amongst the blasts of freezing air, Norman Vaughan read a message he'd written in his tent two days before. He made the climb a tribute to Admiral Byrd, but also to the tenacious spirit of the Antarctic sled dogs ... who never give up. Vaughan named them his inspiration.

In your business, you'd do well to use the tenacious spirit of Norman Vaughan as your inspiration. Remember his motto - "Dream big - dare to fail" - and use it as your motto. Never let anything get in your way. Never let anything stop you from reaching your dream.

= No excuses =

It is easy to make excuses for failing to reach goals in your business. "I don't have the right education." "I don't have the financial support." "It's too difficult for me." "It's too hard!"

Norman Vaughan could easily have stayed in his comfortable home, talking about the mountain of his youth, full of good excuses for not climbing it now. For one thing, even most healthy, young men would be excused for not attempting to climb such a daunting mountain.

If Vaughan had let his age or artificial knee or fused ankle or frost-damaged feet halt him from following his dream, he would never have reached greatness. Excuses would have kept him from success.

It's the same with your business. If you let excuses get between you and your dreams, you will be giving away the success that could be yours. Excuses can rob you of greatness ... they can keep you from taking your business to the pinnacle.

Dream big! Don't let any excuses stop you.

Article Source: http://www.ArticlesAlley.com/

How To Keep Your Rambling And Climbing Roses From Getting Out Of Control

Climbing or rambling roses are popular around the world with men and women of all ages. They are found in different varieties of texture and color everywhere but the few basic rules of their maintenance and care remain universal.

For those who love the gorgeousness of flora around them have definite favorites in special roses that bloom and make their environment rich and pleasurable. Climbing or rambling roses are popular around the world with men and women of all ages. They are found in different varieties of texture and color everywhere but the few basic rules of their maintenance and care remain universal. Of course one has to take into account the idiosyncrasies of different regions, but their overall upkeep remains the same.

Before embarking on this gardening route you should be well versed with the history of the Climbing and rambling roses. They have two kinds of shoots, the main cane which is center of the structure and the flowering shoots which grow from the canes. plan well how you can space them best and regulate their growth before plantation.

Rambling roses are taller and flexible enough to be planted anywhere while climbing roses need to be tied and kept in place due to their weight. Before planting, decide on what you want more with your roses, a once a year bloom during the four to six weeks of spring as with rambling roses or blooming and rioting colors throughout the year of your climbing roses.

There is a lot of dedication and time devotion related to growing roses. The soil needs to be nourished with manure and fertilizers and checked thoroughly for holding ample water and nutrients for growth.

To give a particular direction to your roses' growth, tie them up as soon as they start growing. Climbing roses are heavy and need a definite path to grow. You can add really style to your garden by using climbing roses to accent and add height.

If you want your roses to grow well and healthy make sure to prune them good and often. Spending a little time with your roses throughout the season will help keep them looking beautiful.

The interim weather of harsh and cruel winters can totally destroy precious roses. Protect them by wrapping them into bundles and covering them with straws mulch for warmth and prevent frost from settling.

If you want to add to the beauty of your garden with rambling and climbing roses, make sure you have made the necessary preparations and research to maintain and grow them well. You can choose the proper structure and appropriate direction of their growth with some advanced planning. You cannot simply plant precious roses and forget all about them. If you do not have time care for them, or if you travel a lot make sure that you hire adequate help to look after your roses in your absence.


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Like a Spider

As I ventured towards the Illinois Athletic Center for a new experience, or what I would call it as an experiment of the mind. You see, a friend of mine gave me a free pass to go for an orientation on indoor wall-climbing.

My question was this...would I overcome a problem of mine dealing with a fear of heights or would I give into the fear that ruled me through my life?

I accepted the challenge hoping to overcome this fear facing me, and to prove to myself that, in this world, if I set my mind to a task, I could do anything I wanted to no matter how great the fear or obstacle that stood in my way.

So I entered the building, and readied my reserves for my new task at hand, and making a fantasy come true.

After going through an extensive training in learning to tie a double figure-8 knot, John, my instructor, was running through the climbing commands, safety procedures and other things about climbing that should seem important, but instead the thing that lurks in the back of my mind is an intimidating sight of a 350 foot vertical floor turned sideways 90 degrees, this gargantuan wall that stands in front of me and says “Don't even think of beating me. You can't do it.”

I have now forgotten everything, the teachings, the time, my friends and family have all disappeared, and as I look at the bottom of this wall the only thing that comes to mind is that I'm thinking......thinking......thinking.....WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING OF IN THE FIRST PLACE! This is CRAZY!!!!!

Then John came up to me and said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

“Who told you about that?” I asked quizzically.

“You said that, remember?”

And then I faintly remember myself telling him why I was going through this, in which, I wanted to live out my fantasy.

For one brief moment, I wanted to become Spider-Man.

And I then remembered Spider-Man's motto which reinforced his way to help mankind, to do right, and to be a better person was to remember that with the power that you have in your life to help others and to help yourself, within that comes a great responsibility to others around you as well. Even if I didn't have super-human powers, the power I did have in this world was to help myself and others, and that was the great responsibility that I'd taken on for myself.

With great power comes great responsibility.

And suddenly, I felt my fear somehow drained away, and for a while nothing else in the world mattered except me and the wall, and in that time, I had the power to conquer my fear and become a stronger person from it. For a small moment in time, everything became right.

I climbed the vertical surface, pulling myself upward and over the outstretching cliff hangings, passing this green mark, later this yellow mark, and slowly working my way to this red mark when I found myself thinking.....thinking.....thinking.....,

How high up am I right now?

In one of the not-so-bright ideas I ventured on, I turned my head over my shoulder and looked.....down.

Then I heard something that my instructor John screamed up to me, which was one of the smartest things I heard him say at the time. One of those important instructions which I forgot him tell me, while I was in fear of the wall, was a number two priority---Don't Look Down.

The incredible height I was at caused myself to become sick, with the incredible urge to puke out my Corn Pops cereal, two pieces of sausage, one scrambled egg, and my morning coffee and orange juice. Not suprisingly, I felt the wave of nausea hit my throat, but with a all the will I could muster, I held it back.

Unfortunately, it also sapped my strength to keep me on the wall.

And then John said another one of his brilliant instructions I again forgot to remember, which was the number one priority---Don't Let Go Of The Wall.

Mental note: Must not forget to remember very important instructions.

My grip slipped away from the wall for a moment, and I could feel myself move away from the wall, millimeter by millimeter.

My reality snapped back to place and with all my reflexes and agility my body could give, my arms stretched back to the wall, and grabbed hold onto the fingertip crevasses once more as my body held on for dear life. I was literally holding onto the wall by my fingertips, as I struggled to regain the footing beneath me against the wall.

“No wonder they call you Spider-Man.” I could hear John faintly say, but it sounded so distant, that it felt light-year's away. I continued climbing, pushing myself farther...closer to the red line above me, as the crevasses got smaller, harder to hold onto that it made the accent increasingly difficult.

As I pulled myself past the red line, I slipped again, as my footing vanished beneath me, and my arms were to weak to hold to the tiny crevasse that supported me. My slip was fatal, and I could feel myself pull farther away from the wall.

I panicked, and prayed God would protect me.

Falling ten feet felt like an eternity, but my miracle came to shape. The safety ropes caught...and held.

“Do you want to continue on, or do you wanna come down?”, I heard John yell up to me. I gave him the thumbs down, and was slowly lowered to the safety of Mother Earth, where I kissed the ground, and as I stood up once more, I got some things I didn't expect.

The first was applause.

“What's this for?”, I asked with as to wonder what I did to deserve fifty people clapping for me as I had a puzzled look on my face.

John looked at me and said, “You're the new newbie record holder of this complex. For your first attempt ever, you climbed higher than anyone ever did on this wall for their first time, and for an amateur, you made it up the wall three-fourths of the way up. And for this being an Advanced wall, you beat the last record by 33 feet !”

Couple of guys shook my hand, and one woman came up to me and hugged me.

Incredible, I thought.

To this day, I really don't know if the record is still in place or if it even exists, but for at least that day, I beat the demon that plagued me, a demon called Doubt, and sent it howling back into the night.

I walked out of the complex, and felt good, and everything for that time in the world with me was......right.

So when I get depressed or down on life, I look back to the day I felt I could beat the odds.

You should have seen me, because for one day in my life.....I was the Spider.

http://www.quazen.com/Recreation/Climbing/Like-a-Spider.13349/2

Climbing the Great Wall of China

So much has been written and published about the Great Wall of China but one thing is certain, if you travel to China without visiting this world renowned landmark, then your trip is incomplete. The history of the great wall is one which is difficult to comprehend, although it is said the construction of the wall began in the warring states period in the early seventh century BC.

The Great Wall of China is the one the artificial wonders of the world which symbolizes the greatness of China. With a functionality of over a thousand years, the great wall was built to protect the villages from the invasion of the northern tribes providing a stable life, culture and government. The history of this wall is what contributed to the growth of China in terms of political, economy, culture and tourism.

The length of the Great wall extends approximately 6700 kilometers across deserts, and plateaus from the border of China to the Hun territories in the north. The beauty of the great wall is such that you cannot appreciate its beauty except you climb it step by step. It is better seen from an aerial perspective if you are on the plane or a helicopter. In the ancient times, it was called the Wall of ten thousand li (a li is one third of a mile) and its construction started as earth works built for the protection of the different kingdoms. Each kingdom had its own section of wall; like in the east, the wall was built out of stones and bricks, while the section on the western part of China was built with less durable materials. The individual sections of the wall was later renovated and connected to one another during the time of the Qin dynasty (221 – 206 BC) when Emperor Qin recruited peasants, soldiers and farmers to work on the wall. This tradition continued for centuries until each dynasty added to the height, length and design of the wall through forced labor. The wall has now become a major landmark for tourists visiting China.

The Great Wall of China can be climbed from different sections all of which serve different purposes. The four main sections best suited for climbing and sightseeing are the Badaling section, Mutianyu section, Simatai section and the Shixiaguan section.
The great wall at Badaling became a strategic point of the wall since the Warring states period when it was built.

Being the very first section of the wall to be opened to tourists, it has recorded a statistics of about 140 million visitors who have climbed successively. This section was built with huge bar stones which weighed hundreds of kilograms with watch towers at every distance. These watch towers were used as the deployment points for the military during the olden days. This section of the wall is very crowded being that it is the most visited section.

The Simatai Great Wall is located in the northeast of Beijing. Its construction started in the Ming dynasty and measures around 5.4 kilometers with 35 watch towers. This section of the wall retained its original feature and has earned the reputation of being the most beautiful section of the wall. Unlike the other sections, Simatai section of the great wall is very quiet and remote and this has challenged many hikers to climb this section in quest of adventure.
The Mutianyu section of the great wall is the most preserved section of the great wall which is very important in Chinese military history. This section has cable cars installed allowing tourists to move from end to the other. It is slightly rugged and full of green plans making it the greenest part of the wall. The Mutianyu section is noted as the essence of the great wall because of the distinct style and construction of this part.

Shixiaguan Great Wall is the most part of the great wall to be opened to visitors and still shows the ruins of some of the old construction from the ancient times.

In conclusion, the great of china is definitely a must see on your next trip to china. In order for you to enjoy your tour around the wall, it is advisable to consult the services of a tour operator in China to assist you with the itinerary.



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Exploring The Udzungwa Mountains – The Mwanihana Trail

When you mention the Udzungwas to the vast majority of people, the first question they ask is ‘Where’s that?’ which is closely followed by ‘what is there to do there?’

The Udzungwas are part of the Eastern Arc Mountain Range. The forests that cover these mountains are the remnants of the great forest that used to cover the country. The climate changed, this combined with pressure from people and elephants pushed the forest back until it fragmented. These forest islands have been dubbed the ‘Galapagos of Africa’ due to their divergent evolution and consequent high degree of endemism. The importance of the Eastern Arc is not limited to its high biodiversity; the catchments provide the majority of the country’s fresh water and hydroelectric power. Having spent some time working as a biodiversity scientist in the East Usambara Mountains that start the Eastern Arc in Tanzania I was very keen to visit the Udzungwas.

My first visit to the Udzungwas started in Dar es Salaam where I boarded the 10.00 am TAZARA train with a group of friends. Our compartment had 4 bunk beds and we settled in as city gave way to shamba and then the vast wilderness of the Selous Game Reserve (where there was a brief halt due to elephants on the tracks!). We were well fed on the train and took advantage of the bar’s cold drinks. At about 8.00 pm we arrived at Mangula station where we were met by Furaha, our guide. We made a short transfer by safari Landrover to our campsite on the edge of the forest. The fire was burning and there was hot water for a much needed shower before dinner. After a superb meal we drifted off to the sound of bushbabies in the trees above.

I woke early with the dawn chorus and was greeted with fresh coffee and a full breakfast. Our guide explained our program and the safety aspects of hiking in the forest. We picked up an armed ranger from the park headquarters and made the short drive to the Sonjo Waterfall, the beginning of the Mwanihana trail. We left the road and shouldered our day-sacks, the heavier gear was gathered by a cheerful team of porters. The ranger led the way, then the guide, us and the porters bringing up the rear. It felt as though I was part of one of Stanley’s expeditions. We walked in silence to have the best chance of seeing animals. Our efforts were soon rewarded when we were treated to and excellent view of a Red Duiker in the miombo woodland that borders the road.

On fording a picturesque river, the miombo gave way to forest, the temperature dropped and the air filled with butterflies. Giant trees with buttress roots and hanging lianas towered above us. The Vervet monkeys that had chattered over us in the miombo were replaced by elusive glimpses of black and white Colobus and the endemic Iringa Red Colobus. These beautiful primates sometimes form mixed troupes for mutual defence, as they do not compete for food. It seems strange the name ‘Colobus’ comes from the Greek ‘Colobe’ meaning ‘cripple’ when these monkeys are so agile. They are so named because the fingers are fused into a hook shape perfectly adapted to their arboreal existence.

Suddenly there was a booming alarm call and the Colobus descended to an unusually low level in this leopard-stalked forest. As we entered a clearing we saw the reason for this strange behaviour, a Martial Eagle glided above. Our guide explained that eagles take baby Colobus and drop them from a great height before consuming them. As we voraciously consumed our packed lunches, he went on to add that there was on incident where a heroic adult male Pied Colobus had actually jumped from a huge tree onto an eagle that was making off with a baby, plunging them both to their deaths (apparently the baby lived!). The eagle in question is stuffed in the Udzungwa Mountains Park office.

We continued to walk through the forest for a further 10km, with occasional halts when the ranger checked the way was clear of buffalo. The guide showed us a variety of animal tracks and signs, explaining how to tell how recent they were and which way the animal was heading. We saw stunning birdlife including Turacos and colourful Orioles. We also had a close encounter with a large column of army ants that were wreaking a trail of destruction across the forest floor. These are the only insects that consider humans prey, they will kill a tethered goad and have left many a chicken coup containing only bones and feathers. Apparently the jaws of the soldier ant can be used as a surgical staple should the need arise. Our guide explained that villagers welcome them into their houses as they remove all unwanted insects as well as rats and mice. Needless to say we fled before them.

We emerged from the forest into a clearing with a spectacular view of Mwanihana Peak. We had arrived at Njia Ya Panda campsite (the ‘climbing path’). Camp was quickly pitched as we had tea and biscuits. We were again treated to a hot shower before dinner. This time however, Furaha had rigged it up with one side open and a view of Mwanihana peak. Whilst we dined the ranger and guide positioned watch fires and lanterns round the camp explaining that there were many elephants and buffalo in the area. During the night we heard some distant crashing and trumpeting, on sticking my head out of my tent I saw that the ranger had stoked up the fire considerably, he smiled and said ‘Tembo’, I listened for a while and retired once more.

The next morning we were awakened early and, after a swift breakfast, began to climb the Udzungwas’ second highest peak, Mwanihana at 2150m. The ranger told us to move silently and to stay a little back so that he could scout ahead. The lowland forest of the valley floor gave way to moss clad suhmontane forest. Curious Pied Colobus watched us from above as we filled our water bottles from an idyllic waterfall. The beauty of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park is the diversity and pristine nature of the forest. Because of the range of altitude it is possible to walk from miombo fire sustained sub-climax woodland through lowland forest to submontane and montane forest in just one day.

As we left the submontane forest and entered bamboo groves we could see signs of extensive elephant damage. Further up we came upon a strange site, the earth was churned and terraced in 6 distinct areas, each about the size of a car. Fruaha explained that this was where the elephants had slept and that they had terraced the ground as they do not like to sleep on a slope. On looking more closely we could see the tusk marks. When we left the bamboo we paused to rest in a grassy area and were treated with a view over the entire valley. We ate oranges and looked at the cascading ridgelines. Over each ran a spider’s web of criss-crossing elephant trails. In the distance we briefly glimpsed 6 grey shapes dropping into the next valley.

Invigorated by our good fortune we continued up the steep slope towards the summit. Here we entered a montane world of stunted trees, giant heathers and wispy lichens. The climb was hard but short and we were pleased to reach the top where celebrated with chocolate and drinking coconuts. The view was spectacular in all directions, with forested hills, jagged outcrops, patches of grassland and Luhombero, the highest peak in the Udzungwas, looming in the distance.

We descended quickly and had a substantial cooked lunch back at the Njia Ya Panda campsite whilst the guide and the porters broke camp. We walked about 6 km through the forest until we came to Kima campsite. This campsite was first used by researchers studying the relatively recently discovered and endemic Sanje Mangeby, which we really hoped to see. Unfortunately the noise of our arrival at camp meant the trees were bare. Camp was quickly set up and we showered, ate and retired in short order, exhausted from our day’s climb.

I was awoken shortly after dawn by the quiet yet insistent voice of our guide. ‘Wake up, come look!’ On emerging our tents we were treated to the site of about 20 Sanje Mangebys literally festooning the trees all around our campsite. It was incredible to think that this many of such a rare primate had just decided to come and hang around our camp. Once we had got over our surprise we breakfasted watching these peculiar mid-canopy, rather fluffy monkeys go about their morning grooming. Mischievous youngsters hanging from each other and unpicking the grip of the one holding on to the tree, falling squawking before catching a lower branch. All watched by a disapproving wizened old male and an anxious batch of mothers.

We regretfully packed up camp and walked the remaining few kilometres out of the forest. We were joined first by |Sykes monkeys near the river and then a large troupe of Yellow Baboons in the Miombo. When we exited the forest we had walked a total of 35km, seen 5 species of primate, including 2 endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains, in just 3 days. Our safari car was waiting to transfer us to Mikumi where planned to enjoy some game drives, hoped to find tree climbing lions and have a relaxing stay in a comfortable lodge.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com

Roy J. Hinde is currently a director of Wild Things Safaris ltd. He previously worked as a biodiversity research scientist in Tanzania and completed his M.Sc. in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment during that time. For information on visiting the Udzungwa Mountains contact Udzungwa@wildthingsafaris.com or Wild Things Tanzania Safaris also has some superb safari gallery pictures.

Guidelines To Purchase Adequate Climbing Equipment

Rock and mountain climbing is one of the most popular of the extreme sports. One of the things about rock climbing is the equipment which can cost a pretty penny but you do want to make sure that you are buying only the best because you want to be safe no matter what the cost. If you choose to use the equipment that is not of the highest quality you are allowing yourself to be put into danger because the equipment may fail when you are on the side of a mountain. This can be very dangerous to say the least.

The first and probably most important piece of rocking climbing equipment that you are going to buy is the rope. Most often people think that rope is rope but that is anything but true. Standard rope can not withstand the friction and pressure that is required for rock climbing. The standard for rock climbing rope is the type that is millions of strands of high tolerance fiber that are woven together and then fused with other woven bands of fiber. Once all is woven together you get the tinsel strength that is very important. The best thing about this type of rope is the way that it will stretch and accept the weight of the person that is being suspended.

A rope bag is another important piece of rock climbing equipment. An important part of rock climbing safety is to be sure that all of the equipment is keeping it all clean and dry. The rope is very important when it comes to keep clean. If you get the rope dirty with oil or what have you there is a very good chance that it can fail when it is being used. The rope bag is very good for helping to keep it clean and dry. The rope is fed into the bag and then it is pulled out once it is needed while climbing. This is also in place to make sure that the rope does not get tangled or knotted during the climb which can spell disaster for the climber.

Rock climbing shoes are also important. The shoes that should be worn for rock climbing are specifically designed for such things with soles that help the climber grip the rocks with their feet. In most cases they would recommend that the novice wear a lace up shoe. This is due to the fact that when you are new to the sport you do not want any kind of slippage. The lace up shoes also have a thicker sole which allows for more comfort and less pain on the rock. The experienced climber will most likely go with the slipper style of shoe which has an ultra thin sole. The thin sole allows the climber to feel the rocks with the feet as there are climbing, adding an extra bit of safety.

Carabiners come close to the top as far as importance goes with rock climbing equipment. The carabiner is a quick release anti-fail device that allows the climber to move the rope and also go up and down without a lot of hassle. The carabiners that are sold these days are fairly simple to use and the best ones are made out of high temperature steel. A cheap carabiner will most likely break and this can cause a fall from the side of the mountain.

Follow these guidelines, gear up for rock climbing, and you will surely have a great, fun and safe outdoor experience.

Article Source: http://www.thearticlezone.com

Climbing Plants - Your Complete Gardening Resource

A wonderful addition to the outdoor decoration of almost any space in plant life. Although trees and shrubs are always an important part of any landscape design, climbing plants can add an extra touch. When you are considering the purchase of any outdoor plants it’s a good idea to visit a local expert. Almost every community has a gardening store which employs people who have a vast knowledge in the area of climbing plants. They will be able to suggest which varieties will work well in the space that you have and can also confirm whether or not what you want will actually work for you.

If you need one that will do well growing against a wall there are many choices including clematis, wisteria, climbing hydrangea, golden hop and star jasmine. Clematis is a variety that produces purple/blue bell shaped flowers and fern like plant life. Wisteria is a hardy climbing plant that boasts lilac colored flowers that grow in the shape of beans. My personal favorite climbing plants are the star jasmine, which produces leather like, dark green leaves and beautiful white blooms that have an unmatched, abundant perfume.

Flowers can add a perfumed as well as visual aspect to your outdoor area. You may choose climbing plants that flower each year. These will take several years to reach their full potential but once they do they will create climbing plants of color on a gazebo, a fence or even up the side of a house. If you are looking for a variety that will provide lots of color, try the blue trumpet vine. This climbing plant blooms from autumn through summer and has bright blue flowers on a twining stem.

Another species of this plant are also available that produce white flowers. Another colorful climbing plant is the Mandeville. It produces flowers of pink, yellow and rose, and puts out quite a lovely smell. Taking care of any type of living thing requires special care and that includes plants whether they are found indoors or outdoors. Climbing plants will require regular watering as well as fertilization from time to time. Again you’ll want to consult with a gardening specialist concerning what fertilizer is best.

If you are an avid gardener, try giving one a bit of space in your garden. You may be surprised at how well climbing plants grow and are able to adapt to their environments. Some climbing plants require a stable base from which to flourish, while others can adapt quite well growing up against a wall or fence. See what climbing plants have to offer by giving one a home in your yard today.

Article Source: http://www.thearticlezone.com

Linda E. Joy provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for gardening, home as well as related information.