The start line, for this adrenaline-fuelled feat, is at 5184m — higher than any European or North American ski resorts — and is close to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Runners then take on the 26.2 mile, mostly downhill, course to the finish line, based at the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar at 3446m — again higher than any European skiing. The 2011 race will be the 14th time it has been held since 1987.

To make sure the runners are acclimatised for the race they will travel out to Nepal 26 days before the event in 2012. This includes a few days of sight seeing in the capital, Kathmandu, before partaking on a 15 day hike to the base camp, accompanied by a medical team. They will also undergo ascents of Goky Ri, at 5483m and Kala Pattar, at 56623m, where they can enjoy some of the most spectacular views of Mount Everest. With the huge difference in oxygen and the strain on your body of physical activity, the slow build up to base camp with the acclimatisation is essential for the runners.

Though the race is mostly downhill, due to the two steep sections, the rugged terrain and the altitude, the marathon’s organisers advise that "the race is only suitable for runners with recent experience of cross country, fell or mountain running and endurance events. Experience of rough terrain is essential and road marathon experience is not sufficient."

The Everest Marathon really isn’t for the faint hearted, during the race participants will pass through the highest glaciers and moraines, around to 10-15 km stretch, and will pass along the historical route to Everest pioneered by Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953. The marathon also passes though the highest, in elevation, of the world’s monasteries, monuments, chortens and suspension bridges including the world renowned heritage site — the Tengboche Monastery.

So far the race has managed to raise £520,000 to support health and educational projects in rural Nepal, with runners dividing the money 50/50 between the Everest Marathon Fund, a UK registered charity (number 1005422) and charities at home.

For more information check out the Everest Marathon website.

Growing popularity has also meant sites are coming under increasing scrutiny, with hoteliers accused of placing false positive reviews as part of an Internet Marketing Strategy — or guests accused of posting overly negative ones in hope of getting an unfair refund. Plying your way though all the information out there to find what you need is becoming more difficult then ever.

Back in October, a Bournemouth-based reputation management firm, KwikChex, brought together around 400 establishments to take on Trip Advisor in a  group defamation action. Basically they are accusing sites such as Trip Advisor for hosting damaging reviews that are unfounded and infactual. Last month the battle against review sites took another twist when one of Britain’s most famous, successful, businessmen, Duncan Bannatyne joined the fight.

Sites such as Trip Advisor and Review Centre are being targeted by hoteliers and travel companies as there seems to be increasing number of negative reviews that are infactual and damaging against the property. These negative reviews were described as ‘rogue’ by Duncan Bannatyne, who also expressed that he was being bullied by the sites in question. Though it is possible to reply to bad reviews it is difficult to get damaging reviews that don’t offer any evidence to their claims to be removed.

They also host reviews where people are either voicing a gripe against a hotelier or restaurateur, or are unaware of their surroundings. For example if you were to look at review of the Ritz you would find complaints of a stuffy hotel and my particular favourite where someone complains that being dressed ‘head to toe in Armani’ while carrying ‘a Prada handbag’ wasn’t deemed the correct attire for the restaurant. Designer clothes in no way guarantee elegance and as a recent customer in their restaurant you are politely reminded that gentlemen should wear a jacket and tie, and jeans and casual clothes are not appropriate. I happened to have a great experience, yet have not written a review, and firmly believe that the world’s top and most famous hotels should stand by their traditions.

Now this isn’t to say that review sites are bad, but it does highlight the need to be careful when using these sites. There are more people out there who will write about a negative experience then those who have enjoyed a positive one. It is quite possible that hoteliers are writing reviews to ‘up’ their ratings and even write false reviews about their competitors. Therefore with this in mind here are a few tips on using review sites.

Top Tips To Review Site Success

• First of all take the best and worst review(s) with a pinch of salt, these are the most likely to be over-inflated opinions or self-promotion.
• Consider who has written the article, if a couple has gone to a family resort, or the nouveau riche are in a traditional hotel, they may not represent who the holiday, hotel or restaurant are aimed for.
• Take into account when the review was written, if they talk of a calm resort in mid May, the place could be heaving during the school holidays and vice versa, if the place was too crowded but the review is mid August then you know why.
• Read between the lines — does the review sound like sumptuous brochure copy or could it be an unprovoked personal assassination?
• Take as many reviews into consideration as possible. Everyone has different standards, expectations and reviews.
• Consider the product, as mentioned the Ritz isn’t for everyone and I recently travelled to a Club Med that was slated by someone due to the lack of English nationals — this was a French-run hotel in Italy, what did they expect? Plus I had a great time avoiding the typical Brits abroad.
• Read the details, if someone booked a week’s catered holiday in the Alps for £300 last minute will it really compare to the £1,000 they spent last winter?
• Avoid irrelevant rants, people will often slate a property due a problem that was nothing to do with the hotelier or tour operator. People who are injured on holiday can be terrible for this, they just want someone else to blame.
• Look at how many reviews the reviewer has posted, if it is their only review, or they only ever complain, then they may not be the most reliable source.
• Also look at the number of reviews the holiday has had, whether a brand new cruise ship or a B&B in Whitby, the more reviews the better.
• Consider the date of the review, it could be two weeks, two months or two years old and properties may have changed hands, had a refurb or gone to the dogs in that period.
• Last but not least try Twitter, you’ll be surprised how many people will happily offer advice and opinions, especially if you search the hotel / resort in question.

Don’t get me wrong I think review sites are fantastic, I also agree with the likes of Duncan Bannatyne sticking up for themselves. The moral of the story is to gain as much information and advice as possible and to consider the reviewer’s background or experience to what you are looking for. I have used Trip Advisor to help me chose between hotels, resorts and B&Bs for years, though have yet to let it sway me due to an overly positive or negative post. These sites are a great resource and 40 million users (Trip Advisor’s figures for 2010) show that, but they need to be approached wisely, as opposed to being taken as fact.

There are a few pretenders to the crown, such as The Big Snow Festival, but Snowbombing is where its at. It’s a good job Easter falls after the festival this year, leaving you in the knowledge of a bank holiday to recover shortly after.

Though Snowbombing is a festival everyone can head to it really is a event for serious festival goers and snow addicts. With this is mind I wanted to explore how best to survive six days of riding and six nights of one of the best parties in the Alps on four hours a night sleep.

Preparation

Now most of us head to festivals with our camping kit, a few crates of beer and our barbecue essentials, but a week long festival in a ski resort, where getting on the mountain each day is a must, takes a little more preparation.

Unlike Reading, Glasto or Bestival there is no camping, portaloos or feral showers, depending on your budget or style there are 2* B&Bs to 5* luxury hotels. Most of us would probably head to the 2* and 3* B&Bs, saving our money for the parties and much needed alpine lunches.

Before you jump on the plane to Austria there is some serious preparation to do. Both gym and Jaegermeister sessions are a must! With a serious lack of sleep on the cards and an awesome mountain at your disposal, a few weeks in the gym working on stamina will definitely put you in good stead. With long nights to look forward to, getting in some Sambuca fuelled evenings followed by early mornings, and preparing for a diet of potatoes, cheese and meat will pay dividends.

On the Mountain

So with the accommodation sorted, and camping not on the agenda we can forget our sleeping bags and gazebos and concentrate on the important stuff, the mountain.

The first thing to pack or hire is your helmet, now not everyone is a fan of the plastic lids in April, but in a week of riding, partying and quite probable hangovers, you will be glad you bought it with you. There is also the obvious need for skis/board, boots and bindings. Personally I’d take/hire a nice easy set-up, you wont be hiking 3ft powder, and probably wont be trying double-corks off the black kickers in the park!

Goggles vs Sunnies? You need both, goggles for the mountain, sunnies for the terraces. You can’t get a decent goggle tan without them!

Apart from the obvious skiing and boarding a decent mountain lunch is paramount to survival. Whether it’s your first day or you are recovering from the night before a big plate of meat, carbs and cheese followed by the restaurateur home-made schnapps will sort you out and set you up for another night. With all the alcohol and exercise (from skiing and dancing of course) you’ll need to top up on energy, protein and salt, the French classic of tartiflette, or a bowl of spag bol are always high on my list.

To finish a successful day on the mountain head to the Arctic Disco for the iglu-style ice bar to start the night, break out the sunnies and Jaegermeister and get warmed up for the night’s events.

Off the Mountain

Whether Pro-Plus, Red Bull or coffee is your cup of tea, morning, afternoon and late night caffeine kicks will surely be on the agenda. After dropping off your kit and getting out of your ski boots, a couple of pints of water, an espresso and bite to eat will get you ready for the night ahead.

With acts like Fatboy Slim, 2many Djs, Fake Blood and the Doves on offer last season, this year will surely go off with a bang. After a day on the mountain you won’t want those jelly legs to ruin your night out. However tempted you are to stop the key is not to, drink as much water as you can (in between all the beer, schnapps and sambuca) and let you adrenaline take over.

The party atmosphere is pretty nuts, so pace yourself, remember it’s a marathon not a race. This could be your one week on the mountain, and the only festival you make it to so you want to make the most of it. Keeping hydrated and remembering to eat are the key.

The next morning do you give in to your hangover of get back on the mountain? Paracetamol, PG tips and a trip to the bakery on the way to the lifts has always worked for me.

Essentials

There are a few essentials worth taking that are either hard to get, or not even possible at all. Here are a few suggestions:

• Passports, Tickets and Festival wrist band – I know it’s obvious but you’ll be surprised how many people forget them!
• PG Tips – Tea just isn’t the same in Austria
• Paracetamol – For bumps, bruises and sore heads
• Sun Tan Lotion – For the all important goggle-tan opposed to goggle-burn
• Decent Sunnies – With all those reflective surfaces you need a decent UV protection
• EHIC & Travel Insurance – Just in case
• Deodorant and Toothpaste – For the all important post mountain shower-in-a-can and freshen up
• Cash – Cash points is resort are sparse and can run out during busy weeks
• Plenty of clothes – after skiing in 20^° heat all day you won’t want to party in the same clothes!
• Mobile Phone or Walkie Talkie – Just in case you lose your fellow festival goers and cant remember they way home
• Chargers – phone, iPod, razor, you don’t want them running out mid-week
• Prescription Medicine – Don’t forget your insulin or inhalers, medical care isn’t cheap
• Gaffa Tape – You can fix you board pants, jackets, goggle strap or favourite jeans midweek if needed

Okay, so some of this may be a little obvious, or even pinched from our earlier post The Ultimate Festival Checklist, but you’ll be surprised the amount of times someone has forgotten their base-plates, sunnies, favourite hangover cure or even toothpaste.

If you have any other suggestions I’ll add them to the list.

For people like myself who would love to go to the Monaco GP finding a centrally located hotel of a luxury standard on race day is near impossible. The idea of jumping on a four day cruise that arrives first thing Sunday morning and leaves on Monday afternoon on a 5* luxury ship for a fraction of the cost of a 5* hotel in Monte Carlo does appeal.

On broaching this with my partner, a semi fan of F1, who isn’t convinced a cruise is for her, on mentioning this something clicked. ‘You mean we get to spend a day in Portofino and another in St. Tropez before the race and all night in Monaco’ she asked. The idea of lunching on the Italian Riviera in one of Portofino’s infamous waterside restaurants on the Friday, and celebrity spotting over dinner in St. Tropez the following day did indeed appeal to her. on mentioning the cost of a balcony cabin, full board, with flights was only a fraction more then the cost of our average ski holiday she was convinced.

Azamara’s decision to offer this itinerary is inspired. Their ships are more intimate than the super-liners at around 700 people, the service is renowned for being impeccable and you are dining in 5* quality everyday. Once you’ve bought your tickets to one of the most iconic race’s in the world it is the perfect weekend away.

Monaco GP

The only problem is that this cruise deal doesn’t start until next season as this year is looking like a cracker. The Red Bulls are flying but having a few issues, Ferrari aren’t far behind and have two talented drivers with former champ Alonso and there eternal unofficial number two of Massa, and not forgetting the Battle of Britain at McClaren with two British champs, the smooth driving defending champ of Button vs the prodigal son of Hamilton. Let just hope the 2011 race looks as exciting as next month’s encounter.

After watching the race unfold it’s back to the ship, freshen up, favorite suit then off the enjoy the famous nightlife. Do you try and blag your way into one of the after-race parties, if Buttons wins his celebrations are infamous, or is a trip to the casino’s more up your street. For those die hard fans who prefer a more relaxed pace there is always dinner and a show on the ship and a morning of site seeing to follow. Whatever you preference if you like F1, luxury holidays and intimate cruise ship them you can’t miss this special event.

For more info Iglucruise have got some great deals and regular updates on the cruise.

You can pre-register for this right now at Iglucruise, they currently have a couple of different deals available on their Arcadia Alaska page:

1. The whole 72 night shebang from Southampton to Alaska and back to Southampton. It’s called the Grand Alaska Voyage.

2. A 46 night special, where you start with the cruise from Southampton and until Los Angeles and fly back to the UK. That’s here.

On top of that excitement, P&O have also announced the details for the Artemis Farewell Voyage. This one is also Southampton to Southampton via… the Med! I can imagine that one being really popular, and Iglucruise again have a good deal, as you get $50 onboard spend thrown in.

What a time for cruising!

It’s been eagerly anticipated by cruisers, ever since it was announced that the QE2 would retire to Dubai to become a luxury hotel. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth sets a whole new standard for the cruise line, with it being the second largest ship they’ve built.

Easily accommodating 2,092 passengers and weighing in a 92,000 tons, the ship will start sailing in October 2010 and you can book Cunard Queen Elizabeth cruises right now!

Inside, the ship is looking as luxurious as you’d expect, with glorious décor and classical charm. With Cunard’s trademark White Star Service, the ship is set for fine and quality dining.

The estimated total cost of the ship is €500m, which highlights the extent Cunard have gone towards to making the Queen Elizabeth as special as possible. The maiden voyage has already sold out, so it’s first come first served to get on the other available sailings!

Following the landing of 500mm in the Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre, conditions on the slopes expected to keep the powder in shape pretty much forever!

Boasting a 160 metre slope, along with a nursery training slope of almost 100 metres, it will be similar to other indoor skiing uk snow centres, but a much closer outlet for skiers in the South East.

There’s no better way to get ready for ski holidays on the slopes than to take the professional ski lessons offered at places just like the Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre.

They’ll also be their own version of Après-ski, with bars located close-by that give the perfect panoramic view of the action.

Sure, snow centres like this aren’t close to the real thing, but if you haven’t skied before, it’s a really good opportunity to get some practice in. Say you go to the Alps for a week and are a beginner, you’ll spend most of the holiday just picking up the ropes and just as you get the hang of it – you’ll be on your way home! Indoor skiing is great for getting that initial difficulty out of the way, so that you can fully enjoy the proper thing.

Designed by Ken Shuttleworth of MAKE, architect of the Millennium Bridge and 30 St Mary Axe in London, the red steel sculpture stands at Nottingham University at the Jubilee campus. I say red, it’s actually four very specific shades of red, namely Purple Red, Ruby Red, Carmine Red and Traffic Red.

Shuttleworth spoke of the naming:

We’re particularly pleased that students and staff have been responsible for actually naming the sculpture. These are the people who will experience the sculpture as part of their daily environment. We hope they will feel a real sense of ownership and pride in this striking new addition to the campus. We certainly think that their chosen name really captures the essence of what we are trying to achieve with the work.

My immediate thoughts were if Aspire had been deliberately named after the Aspire Tower sports centre in Dubai which happens to look eerily similar. However, it seems to be just a coincidence.

The height of of Aspire represents 60 years of the University’s opening and the name was selected by students and staff. It cost around £800,000 and the money was an anonymous gift donation. The height is made up from 52m of steel and 8m of concrete. Aspire has its own website which you can view here: http://aspire.nottingham.ac.uk/

In similar new, Shard at London Bridge is set to join Aspire as another symbolic skyline feature of Britain. Except this one’s going to be an actual building. With a height of 310m, the tower will be one of the tallest buildings in Europe.

I like it when a skyline has some definition to it. It’s not so much that places without a unique structure have no feeling to them, just that sometimes is does take a building or structure that really stands out to have an impact on you.

There’s a video on the University site which shows a blind Internet user functioning WebAnywhere’s Screen Reader with great success. He reads his email, sends a reply and checks a bus timetable before leaving in just a few minutes.

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

• • Plug headphones into computer.
• • Visit the WebAnywhere URL. This is done by bringing up the run command box by pressing Windows Key + R and entering the address.
• • The website loads with a frame at the top which acts as the address bar.
• • Sites the user wants to visit appear below the frame with text and instructions being read out to them.

It’s all pretty simple and looks like it’s easy enough to use. I think it’s really great that this service means that you don’t need to spend loads of money on additional software any more. Especially since even current screen readers that are free still need installing on computers before you can use them.

WebAnywhere uses an electronically generated voice and as such is only currently available in English, but according to their press release, the source code has been made available to Chinese web developers. This surely means it won’t be too long before we see the software appearing in many other languages.

For blind travellers, this is a great step forward to making information more easily accessible on the go. It opens up the use of any computer connected to the Internet, which means that everything from hotel lobby computers and Internet cafés to your friend’s laptop can now all be used by blind people.

With the Internet being an integral part of travelling these days, it’s good to see that it’s much more easy to access.

http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu/

Both airlines will be using Aircell’s ‘Gogo‘ technology, which will allow passengers to connect to the Internet whilst flying. This won’t be limited to simply laptops, all applications will be able to connect. So whether you want to check the weather on your iPhone or play PSP Socom online, the options are there.

The service begins testing tomorrow in the US and once launched, is expected to cost between $10 and $13 to use on long flights. This runs in sync with Ryan-air’s recently announced service to allow texting, GRPS and voice calls via OnAir‘s satellite technology.

I always just assumed the reason we hadn’t seen these kind of services commercially was because it was too dangerous and may interfere with flight controls, but I guess not. I think that it could quite radically change how boring flights usually are. For too long I’ve had to think ahead and make sure my laptop is packed with enough decent material to keep me occupied in the air. Soon I won’t have to bother, I can just browse and download at leisure. Naturally though, cost is going to paramount to its success.