besthike.com - the blog

I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival in November and gave it a mixed review.
It took until February before they posted the trailer for the current Radical Reels World Tour.
But, it was worth the wait. Very well edited … even if it is partly a commercial for the sponsors.
Click PLAY or watch […]

Once again I went to California, unsure where to hike.
There are too many choices. Too many good guidebooks. Here’s the one I ended up buying:

One of the authors is Tom Stienstra, sometimes called “the other Tom” in relation to Tom Mangan of Two Heel Drive. (Mangan reviews hikes on the San Jose Mercury News. […]

I’ve always been suspicious of “waterproof socks” for hiking:

Seirus Stormsock Waterproof Sock
Crow confirms “they stink”: Waterproof socks: A bad idea
She likes neoprene socks. As do I.
It was an accident that started me wearing neoprene, actually. I took normal hiking footwear and water walking shoes on the West Coast Trail. And ended up wearing my […]

A review by Jeffrey Hunter convinced me to add a book to my “to read in 2008″ list.

Let me start by saying that The Ordinary Adventurer” Hiking Vermont’s Long Trail; A Primer for Baby Adventurers and Other Musings on the Nature of Journey, is no ordinary book. It is a gem!
What makes this book […]

Besthike got a wonderful shout out on Summit Stones & Adventure Musings:

Of the many (somewhat similar) outdoor websites I visit, this one is unique. Unique in format, poetic prose and philosophical outlook.
The only site I might compare it with is As the Crow Flies. Check out both.
Summit Stones & Adventure Musings…By DSD: “BestHike….!” […]

Looking for a reputable guide for Paine in Chile?
Jim Pierce had a great experience. By email:
We had two experienced, English-speaking guides, good food, and pre-arranged lodging in refugios (7 nights) and 2-man expedition tents (3 nights). The cost was $2,195 per person. Porters were hired by some at a cost of $60 per […]

After 5-days at the Banff Mountain Festivals 2007, here’s my FINAL review:
This was my first trip to Banff for the festivals.
THE GOOD:
bringing together so many outdoors enthusiasts
Banff and the Rocky Mountains
food available on site
sponsors, especially National Geographic and New Balance
“reading rooms” for previewing the books
TV monitors showing the performances for those without tickets
no […]

Jamie hosts a very neat database of hiking blogs:
I set up this blog as a unique way to browse through and discover new hiking, backpacking, trail running, and trekking related blogs. You can rate the quality of each blog listed on this site. The top 20 rated blogs are listed under the Top 20 Category. […]

This is a spin-off of the regular Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. But is also highly recommended. See both, if you can. Radical Reels tours much less widely.

The Radical Reels Film Tour complements the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, and focuses on dynamic, high-adrenalin films featuring sports such as skiing, climbing, kayaking, BASE […]

Do what you have to to get tickets for the Film Festival if it gets anywhere close to you.
It’s brilliant. Highlights from the multi-day festival.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is on the road across North America and around the world. Whether you are an experienced mountaineer or an armchair adventurer, this event is for […]