Loneliest House in World, Island of Ellirey, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland

The Loneliest House in the World is located at the group of beautiful remote islands off of the southern coast of Iceland called the Vestmannaeyjar. And in that archipelago, there’s a beautiful island called Elliðaey, and on that island, there’s a single, solitary mysterious log cabin that has generated wild speculation as to its purpose ever since photos of it first surfaced on the internet.

The island was inhabited roughly three hundred years ago by five families that subsisted by fishing, hunting puffins, and raising cattle. By the 1930s, however, the last permanent inhabitants had left their tiny homes. Some speculated that the island had been donated to famous Icelandic singer Bjork (which it wasn’t), while others thought it was home to an eccentric billionaire (which it wasn’t). The pedestrian truth is that the tiny house serves the purpose of a hunting cabin and a sauna for a local hunting association, which hunts puffins on the off-the-grid island.

                             

On a remote, deserted, island in the Vestmannaejar archipelago just off Iceland’s south coast sits a lonely, solitary white house on the side of a green hill. Exposed to the elements and facing the wild Atlantic waves that crash upon the rocks, this appears to be the most remote home in the world. The island is Elliðaey, and the image of the small, isolated house has given rise to a whole host of theories about who lives there. Over recent years, Elliðaey has been featured in countless reports and articles, fuelling speculation about the island and the owner of its mysterious house

Even Some have even speculated that the house doesn’t exist at all and that it has simply been photo-shopped onto images of the island in order to cook up an interesting story. Although a handful of families are known to have lived on the island from the 18th century, it has been completely uninhabited since the 1930s. Life for the small number of people who braved the elements here in the 18th and 19th centuries was grueling and lonely, and they lived primarily on fish and puffin, Elliðaey’s principal food source.

 

Eventually, in the 1930s, the remaining five inhabitants decided that their prospects would be much improved by moving to the mainland, and the island has lain empty ever since. Where, then, did the white house come from? Although life on Elliðaey was difficult, it did offer one advantage: a ready and ample supply of puffins, and former residents and neighbors did return to the island periodically in order to hunt. In the 1950s, the Elliðaey Hunting Association decided to build a base on the island to make these trips easier.

The Elliðaey Hunting Association continues to maintain the white house as a hunting lodge to support their activities during expeditions to hunt puffins on the island. While it might appear to be an idyllic retreat from the world, the little white house lacks electricity, running water and even indoor plumbing. However, it does boast its own sauna, essential after a long day of hunting, which is fed by a natural rainwater collection system.

it remains heaven for bird life. In addition to the many puffins that live on the island, Elliðaey is also a major nesting area for storm petrels and other sea birds. For this reason, it is officially listed as a nature reserve and a protected area. Tour companies operating in the Vestmannaejar peninsula offer day trips to this beautiful, wild location, but for the time being, the little white house, and the rest of the island remains unoccupied.

The Red-Shanked Douc, Vietnam, Southern Laos and Northeastern Cambodia

The red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) is a species of Old World monkey, among the most colourful of all primates. It is an arboreal and diurnal monkey that eats and sleeps in the trees of the forest.

The red-shanked douc is native to Indochina; Vietnam, Southern Laos and possibly Northeastern Cambodia. Before 1967, the douc was completely unstudied. Doucs are found in a variety of habitats: from lowland to mountainous terrain up to 2,000 m (6,600 feet), semi-deciduous, primary and secondary rainforests, in the mid to upper levels of the canopy. They occasionally get on the ground to drink water or eat dirt that contains minerals. 

Like other doucs, the red-shanked douc is a long, slender monkey. The male has an average head and body length of 61 cm (24 in), and the female averages 54.5 cm (21.5 in) long, with a tail that measures 55.8–76.2 cm (22.0–30.0 in) long. Males weigh on average 11 kg (24 lb), and females 8.44 kilograms (18.6 lb).

The red-shanked douc is the most colorful monkey among all species of primates. They are considered “Queen of primates” thanks to their distinctive and unique appearance. Their forearms are white, upper legs black to grey and the lower legs a deep red while hands and feet are black. The monkey’s yellow-orange face and ears appear to be powdered with theatrical makeup, and the eyelids appear to be dusted with a powder-blue eyeshadow. Dark, almond-shaped eyes view the world, and from a modest nose, tiny nostrils inhale the fragrance of the forest habitat. Long, white whiskers (more generous in males) adorn the chin and frame the monkey’s alien-like face. A wide black band stretches across the monkey’s forehead. Belly and back are grey. There is a slight difference in rump markings between genders: the male has round white spots above the triangle of white on its rump, while the female does not. Males of all ages have a white spot on both sides of the corners of the rump patch, and red and white genitals. Shortly, the douc’s fur is a harmonious combination of the 5 colors: black, grey, white, brown-red and orange. Due to this fact, the species is also called the five-color douc. A baby douc has yellow-brown fur with black face. Between 8 and 24 months of age, the colors of the fur and face have changed gradually to form colors of the mature one.

The doucs are, like all monkeys, social animals. They live in groups with an average size of 4 to 15, but groups of up to 50 have been recorded. A group usually consists of one or more males and approximately two females per male. Both males and females have their own hierarchies and males are dominant to females. Both males and females will eventually leave the group they were born into.

When the group is untroubled, the red-shanked douc will move noisily from branch to branch through the forest, crashing through foliage, swinging under branches and leaping with two feet together, displaying its remarkable sense of balance. But when a group is disturbed, by either a predator or other dangers, it can flee soundlessly through the trees, away from danger. If it is startled, it may give loud barks and rush around the trees slapping branches with its hands and feet. In contrast to their noisy travel, doucs spend most of their time quietly eating, digesting their bulky food, dozing and grooming each other's fur.

This monkey communicates using facial expressions. It has a specific play face with the mouth open, teeth partially bared and chin thrust forward. Sometimes, it closes its eyes and paws blindly towards another douc with remarkable disregard for the hazards of doing this when up a tree. A fixed stare is a threat display. A grimace with the mouth open and the teeth exposed is a submissive gesture given in response to a stare. It is also used to initiate grooming or play. The red-shanked douc has a low-pitched growl that is given as a threat, and a short, harsh distress squeal.

The red-shanked douc is diurnal and eats and sleeps in the trees of the forest. Its diet consists mostly of leaves high in fibers. Belonging to the subfamily Colobinae, or leaf-eating monkeys, it has a large stomach which is divided into sacs containing bacteria that break down the cellulose in the leaves through fermentation, giving the douc its pot-bellied look. This also makes it burp frequently from the resulting gas. It prefers to eat small, young and tender leaves, but will also eat fruit like figs, buds, petioles, flowers, bamboo shoots and seeds. It gets all the liquid and protein it needs from the food it eats and doesn't need to descend to the ground to drink. This monkey eats 50 different plant species but no animal prey. It is a messy and chaotic feeder, dropping much of its food onto the forest floor: old leaves, under-ripe or over-ripe fruits. It eats peacefully together, not quarreling over food, and has been known to share it with others. Often, it will share the same clump of foliage and may even break pieces off and hand them to each other, a type of active generosity that is rare among Old World monkeys. It does not have cheek pouches.

According to the most recent assessment of IIUCN Red List, the red-shanked douc is critically endangered. The species is listed in CITES I which prohibits international trade. 

 
So far, there is no research yet on the total population of red-shanked doucs in the Indochina. In Son Tra, Vietnam, the douc population is approximately 1300 individuals. Hunting is currently the major threat to this species, most often for subsistence use and traditional medicine. Local people often hunt the species for food, pets or making glue. For the population in Son Tra, habitat loss due to development plan poses as the biggest risk to them.

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Colorado, United States

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway (also known as the Pikes Peak Cog Railway) is an Abt rack systemcog railway with 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge track in Colorado, United States, climbing the well-known mountain Pikes Peak. The base station is in Manitou Springs, Colorado, near Colorado Springs. The railway is the highest in North America by a considerable margin. It was built and operated for the tourist trade following its use by people who lived above the town below. As of February 2019, the railway will remain closed until 2021, when it will be reopened with new equipment.

The Abt rack system will be replaced with the Strub rack system. The railway was started by Zalmon G. Simmons, inventor and founder of the Simmons Beautyrest Mattress Company. The company was founded in 1889 and limited service to the Halfway House Hotel was started in 1890. On June 30, 1891, the first train reached the summit.

 

A number of steam locomotives were built for the line by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, all rack-only locomotives with steeply inclined boilers to keep them level on the average 16% grades. Operating steam locomotives on such a line was back-breaking work and expensive, so when more modern forms of traction became available, the railway was eager to modernize.

A gasoline-powered railcar #7 was constructed in 1938. It was designed to be a cheaper alternative to the steam locomotives enabling economic service during quieter times of the year. Proving a huge success, the railway soon bought more internal combustion engined trains. This car is still on property having been re-engined with a more modern Cummins diesel.

The next were five 'streamlined' diesel locomotives from General Electric, which were equipped with matching passenger cars, acquired from 1939 onward. These slowly supplanted the steam locomotives, though some steam operations persisted until the 1960s as backup power and to operate the snow-clearing train (where their greater weight meant they were less likely to derail). A number of the steam locomotives are now on static display, in Manitou and elsewhere, and the Railway still has an operational steam locomotive (#4) and an original coach. The steam locomotive was put out of service for many years before being retrieved from a museum and brought back to service in 1980.

In 1964 the railway needed more equipment, but General Electric was not interested in the business.The railway went abroad, to Switzerland, home of most of the world's cog railways. In 1964, the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works in Winterthur provided two bright red railcars, very similar to equipment used on many Swiss railways. Unit 14 was delivered in 1964 with a pair of air-cooled, 8-cylinder diesel engines that proved to be less than satisfactory on the railroad above treeline. Unit 14 was returned to Switzerland and redesigned to have facilities for water cooling. Unit 14's twin, Unit 15, was also rebuilt to house a pair of water-cooled Cummins 724's. Two more (Units 16 and 17) were built in 1968 to increase the railroads capacity. All four of these units eventually received new Cummins 855 diesels. As of 2017 all four original Swiss trains are still in operation at the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

As tourism increased in the 1970s the railway needed more capacity. In 1976 M&PPRy took delivery of two larger two-car articulated railcars from the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur, designated Train 18 and Train 19. Passing sidings were built in several places at about the same time, allowing trains to pass at various points on the mountainside. Trains could previously pass only at the Mountain View siding, permitting only three trains a day up the mountain. Eight trains per day became possible with the new equipment and sidings (two additional larger railcars were delivered from SLM; Unit 24 in 1984 and the last, Unit 25, in 1989).

Rolling stock on the M&PPRy consists of four 214-passenger articulated Swiss-built railcars, four 78-passenger Swiss-built railcars, four GE built locomotives (one being rebuilt in 2017 to modern specifications), one snowplow (#22 - built upon the frame of a GE locomotive), one 23-passenger diesel railcar (#7), one steam locomotive (#4 - built by Baldwin), a Winter-Weiss "streamliner" coach, and an original Wasson wooden coach (#104). Only the Swiss-built railcars carry regular passengers. The steam locomotive and passenger coaches are used on rare special occasions, but can no longer make it to the summit due to the demolition of most water towers on the line.

As of 2017 the railway owns enough equipment (railcars and snow plows) to run six to eight trains per day from mid-May through mid-September. During "off-peak" months (mid-September through mid-December and mid-March through mid-May), from one to five trains are run per day, with additional trains added if there is sufficient demand.The railway was usually closed from mid-December through mid-March unless the snow plows were able to clear the line, but in 2006 the railway began year-round service. The winter service varies according to demand: in January, for example, trains run once a day on weekends and holidays. These Winter operations were suspended on October 29, 2017, for maintenance to the railway. In March 2018 it was announced that the railway would remain closed indefinitely while feasibility studies are completed.

On June 13, 2018, the Manitou Springs City Council approved a pair of tax incentives to fund repairs of the railway. On November 29, 2018, it was announced that the tax incentives had been approved, and that reconstruction would begin in Spring 2019 for a projected 2021 reopening; the project will see all track replaced, the Manitou Springs depot remodeled, and Cars 14, 16, and 17 retired (Car 15 will be retained for maintenance-of-way duties) in favor of three trainsets manufactured by Stadler Rail; the Stadler order consists of three locomotives and nine passenger cars, marking a return to locomotive-hauled trains; Cars 18-19 and 24-25 will be refurbished and remain in service.

On November 19, 2020, it was reported that the new Stadler rolling stock is ready for commissioning. 

^{For more information - www.cograilway.com}

The Manitou Springs Incline, Manitou Springs, Colorado

The Manitou Springs Incline, also known as the Manitou Incline or simply the Incline, is a popular hiking trail rising above Manitou Springs, Colorado, near Colorado Springs. The Incline ascends on the east slope of Rocky Mountain which is itself on the eastern flank of Pikes Peak. The trail is the remains of a former 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway whose tracks washed out during a rock slide in 1990. The Incline is famous for its sweeping views and steep grade, with an average grade of 45% (24°) and as steep as 68% (34°) in places, making it a fitness challenge for locals of the Colorado Springs area. The incline gains 2,011 feet (613 m) of elevation in .88 miles (1.42 km) horizontal. Currently the Incline has approximately 2,744 steps from the bottom to the summit, although the top step is numbered "2768". The number of steps changes occasionally with trail maintenance and deterioration.

The Incline was constructed under the ownership of Dr. Newton N. Brumback (1854-1923) as a funicular in 1907, for the purpose of providing access to water tanks at the top of the mountain that would provide gravity-fed water pressure to the cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs.Originally, the railroad was constructed to access a hydroelectric plant and service the water pipes. Shortly after its construction, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway was opened as a tourist attraction.

The Incline's original summit house was a rudimentary building constructed from left-over materials from the Incline's construction. It burned down in 1914. The summit house was quickly rebuilt into a more elaborate, comfortable, and safer structure, offering shelter from storms and the elements. The 1914 structure remained until 1958 when it was replaced by an updated summit house, which remained until it was dismantled after the Incline's closure. The Incline operated under the Pikes Peak Cog Railway until a rock slide in 1990 washed out the rail bed and the Cog Railway decided to not repair the tracks. 

Though the Incline is a popular hike and fitness destination for locals, its existence since its public closing in 1990 has been controversial. Many locals and some National Forest Service officials wanted to keep it closed to allow it to re-vegetate, either by reseeding or allowing nature to reclaim the scar.

Another controversy centered on parking rights at the base of the trail head, which is co-located with the Barr Trail trailhead and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. All three sit in the narrow Ruxton Canyon, and the popularity of the Incline has caused major parking conflicts with these entities. The land through which the Incline passes on its ascent is owned by three entities: the bottom portion is owned by the City of Colorado Springs, the middle section is owned by the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and the top portion is owned by the US Forest Service. The controversial land swap known as "Strawberry Fields" between Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor traded 14 different sections of land totalling 371 acres for 189.5 acres of Colorado Springs land. The part of the Incline of owned by the Cog Railway was included in this land swap making all of the Incline now publicly owned land. The Strawberry Fields land swap was approved but is being challenged in court by a citizen's group.

The legal battles over the conversion of the Incline to a public hiking trail were finally resolved in January 2013, after the issue was settled by the United States Congress.

Since its closure as a railway in 1990, the trail has steadily grown in popularity as a hiking trail and fitness challenge. The base of the Incline sits at 6,600 feet (2,000 m) and the trail climbs 2,011 feet (613 m) in about 0.88 miles (1.42 km). Hiking the trail should not be undertaken by the physically unfit, as there is no vehicle access to the trail and anyone injured or suffering a medical emergency will have to walk or be carried down by other hikers. At the top of the Incline, there is a tie-in to the Barr Trail that allows for hikers to descend without going back down the Incline. (This descent is approximately 2.79 miles or 4.49 kilometres, with a much gentler slope.) Due to the close proximity to the large and active population center of Colorado Springs, the large military population of nearby Army and Air Force bases, and the US Olympic Training Center, the Incline has become a popular fitness destination for those seeking an intense workout.

About ​²⁄₃ of the way up, a Barr Trail switchback passes just a few yards from the Incline, and there is a pathway that allows those who wish to exit the Incline the opportunity to take the Barr Trail back down. Locals refer to this point as a 'bailout'. In 2020 two new bailouts were added that exit to the right (north) and lead to the Ute Pass trail. The first, the Lower Ute connector, is at step #395 and the second, the Upper Ute connector, is at step #1300 which is about 500 steps below the Barr trail bailout. These two new 'bailouts' give hikers the option to exit a very difficult trail and also serve the purpose of alleviating some of the heavy traffic on the lower Barr Trail. The Incline is at its steepest grade just after the Barr Trail bailout for about another 200 feet (61 m), when it reaches the 'false summit', a semi-crest in the trail that obscures the true summit to hikers due to its extreme grade. Those who reach the false summit are about ​³⁄₄ of the way to the top, but still have several hundred feet to climb. 

Further Details:

• Reservations are available between 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Reservations are available for 35 people every 30 minutes.
• After that, the capacity will be increased to 45 people every 30 minutes.
• All users are asked to also follow current local recommendations for COVID-19, which will be readily available on the Incline website.

How the process will work:

• After making an online reservation at their webite, users will receive a welcome email with directions for parking, rules and regulations.
• Free parking is available at Hiawatha Gardens or users can pay to park at the Iron Springs Chateau.
• Those parking in the Hiawatha lot should plan for a 1.3–mile walk to the base of the Incline or utilize the Ruxton Avenue shuttle service.
• Plan ahead accordingly and arrive as close to your reserved time as possible.
• Upon checking in at the base of the Incline, hikers will be issued a wristband by an Incline attendant that must be worn at all times on the property.
  

 For More Details - Official Website

Harihar fort, Ghoti, Nashik District of Maharashtra, India

Harihar fort is a fort located 40km from Nashik City, 48 km from Igatpuri, 40 km from Ghoti in Nashik district, of Maharashtra. It is an important fort in Nashik district, and was constructed to look upon the trade route through Gonda Ghat. It receives many visitors because of its peculiar rock-cut steps.

Located atop a hill with an elevation of more than 3500 feet, it overlooks the nearby settlement of villages like Harshewadi. The history of the fort stretches back to the period of the Yadava dynasty in between the 9th and 14th centuries. The fort was constructed to guard the trade route. Later on, it was captured by several other invaders and local rulers until it came under the control of the British army. Today, the fort is in ruins and is only used as a trekking site. You need to climb up a flight of rock-cut steps to reach the fort. The villages from where the trek starts are Harshewadi and Nirgudpada.

 

 

There are two base villages of the fort, Harshewadi and Nirgudpada. The Harshewadi is 13 km from Trymbakeshwar. The other base village of the fort is Nirgudpada/Kotamvadi which is 40 km from Ghoti which itself is 48 km from Nashik and 121 km from Mumbai. One can travel from Ghoti to Trimbakeshwar by bus or by private vehicle. One should take care of returning from the fort the last bus from Trimbakeshwar is 5:30pm to Ghoti and enough trains are available from Nashik to Mumbai till late night. The climb from Harshewadi is more easier than from the Nirgudpada. A wide, safe trekking path starts from the hil lock north of the Nirgudpada. It passes through scrub forest till it reaches an open ridge which is connected to the fort. It takes about an hour to reach the scarp of the hill on which the fort is situated. The ascent through the 60 m rock-cut steps is wonderful. It is like a stone ladder placed at 60 degree along the scarp. The steps are worn out at many places yet the holes on either side of the steps are conveniently cut for holding onto. After reaching the main entrance, the paths takes a left traverse and again a helical rock cut steps are to be climbed, which are more steep than the earlier. The steps finally end with a narrow entrance. At many places the steps are very narrow that, only a single person can climb at a time. Accommodation is possible on the harihar fort as well as in the local villages.

There are no good structures left on the fort except for a storage house with a small entrance. There is a series of rock-cut water cisterns in the center of the fort. It takes about an hour to visit all places on the fort.

After you climb the first rocky staircase main entrance we walk thru below an overhang with a sheer drop. Again one has to climb a set of steep stairs with niches, then pass thru a staircase inside the rock like Peth Fort - Kothaligad Fort and then reach the top of the fort. The view from the top is excellent. After climbing these steps, we get up to the entrance door. The fort has got a tapering plateau with a raised level in the middle. There is a small temple of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva on the plateau. A small pond is there in front of this temple. Water from this pond can be used for drinking.