besthike.com - the blog

The most popular way to see the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” is Canyon Trail, 3.6mi (5.8km) with a short side trip on Cliff Trail to the lookout.

The goal is Waipoo Falls where Kokee Stream drops into the canyon.

I thought the “moderate difficulty” trail might be a bit much for the kids, but […]

I’ve finally done it.
Made the trekker’s pilgrimage to the volcanic island of Kauaʻi (also spelled Kauai). My first trip.
There are more miles of hiking trails here than on the rest of Hawaiian islands combined. It’s the “Garden Isle”. The one used in the opening fly-in scene for Jurassic Park.
The most useful website I’ve […]

Entertaining trip report from one of the best and most popular hikes in the world.
… We weren’t exactly sure what to prepare for in terms of climate, and timing to complete the hike but we knew it was going to be quite the challenge.
The Tongariro Crossing is actually rated New Zealand’s BEST […]

Friends just confirmed today they are spending 2wks on Kauai the end of March.
Of course, that got me thinking. …
This is the guidebook my friends are using. It has a pretty good overview of hikes on the island.

The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed
Other resources include this DVD: Hiking Hawaii: Kauai
And these guidebooks:
Kauai Trailblazer: […]

The Adventure Blogger went to Kilimanjaro, inspired by the 2002 IMAX film by David Breashears.

Kilimanjaro - To the Roof of Africa (Large Format)
I finally saw the film myself.
Fantastic.
When can I go?
There’s a terrific, funny review of the film on Amazon posted by Archimedes Tritium:
… The narrator (mountain guide Jacob Kyungai) intones that climbers of […]

New Zealand

There’s no debate.
The Land of the Long White Cloud — Aotearoa — is by far the single best hiking destination on Earth.
North Island? South Island? Both are great. And both much different.
The most compelling evidence that New Zealand has EVERYTHING a hiker could want is with photos:

Hump Ridge Track - flickr […]

Central Andes

Equador, Peru and Bolivia.
Hiking holidays in Peru are hot right now. More popular than ever. Political stability since the leader of the Shining Path terrorist group was captured in 1992 resulted in a booming tourist industry.
The second highest mountain range on Earth is fantastic. Broad valleys and endless vistas. You are always […]

Patagonian Andes

Patagonia is massive and bleak. Yet we love the Patagonian Andes, 2000km (1243mi) in length, but averaging less than 100km (62mi) in width. You could take years exploring just the eastward (drier) side of the mountains.
Towering granite peaks, untouched lakes, massive glaciers, huge volcano trekking peaks. This land is phenomenal.

Patagonia […]

Ann Young is the woman behind a New Zealand based company providing quality guided adventure trekking trips.
Uniquely, these treks are designed for women in the 40+ age group.
Tours are available both “less strenuous” and “more challenging”.
Challenging is right. Upcoming: Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary, Annapurna Circuit, Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Are you a woman […]

It’s official. As confirmed by Inside Tourism, Issue 665, 2 November 2007.

The internationally-famous Tongariro Crossing is being renamed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing - to reflect how dangerous the 18.5 km trek can be.
About 65,000 people are said to complete the walk each year although last year it claimed two lives and several people were caught […]