Donovan Rice — Iceman — is an experienced thur hiker, who’s done the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT).
Rice started thinking about a massive thru-hike loop of his state, Colorado. His idea was to stitch together existing trails and form new ones where necessary.
All 11 of Colorado’s national forests, three of its national parks, 13 14,000’ers and 47 13,000’ers.
Rice set off on his Great Colorado Route from Gunnison National Park on May 14, 2026. He traveled ultra-light, carrying just six kilos of gear, with just a quilt instead of a sleeping bag and a tarp rather than a tent. …
… he describes the route as “definitely not beginner-friendly” — due to plenty of cross-country terrain, off-trail navigation, and route-finding — it doesn’t require mountaineering skills.
The South West Coast Path is England’s longest established National Trail, stretching 630 miles (1,014 km) around the southwestern peninsula of Cornwall.
It was easy to get to St. Ives via bus and/or train.
Crowded with tourists, I walked through town to quickly get started.
Day 1 – Sept 15 – St Ives to Wild Camp
This spectacular hike is well posted. But you can get lost by accidentally taking local side trails.
Very quickly I was into dramatic maritime heathland, coves, and steep drop-off cliffs.
Over the 4 days, I was surprised how little beach walking is involved. Mostly you drop down to the ocean — and climb directly back up.
Many historic mine shafts, adits, and engine house ruins sit close to or directly alongside the coastal path. You should respect the frequent warnings.
Weather was terrific for this part of the world. Summer 2026 quite mild here — part of the European heat wave and global warming.
Still … it rains frequently. Sun showers in this case.
By dark, I’d only made it to Zennor Head. So decided to wild camp. For safety.
This was the best spot I could quickly find. Great view.
Actually, it’s very difficult to find places to wild camp. I’d strongly recommend the campgrounds, instead.
Low-growing, wind-swept shrubs like heather and gorse are densely packed. There’s no way to put up a tent on it.
I did put on the fly and tie down the tent thoroughly, just in case typical Cornwall wind & rain happened during the night. It did. 😀
Heavier and slightly more complicated than my Hubba, but definitely more stable in wind and wet. More room, as well, as it’s a 2 person tent with 2 vestibules. I like it.
Last day different than the rest. I was approaching civilization. And it was more overcast.
The Mousehole Rock Pool is a historic, community-built tidal sea plunge.
Once set-up at camp in Penzance, I hopped a bus to see St. Michaels Mount. Though I arrived in time for the low tide crossing, wind and waves made it impossible.
By comparison, the Camino del Norte (Northern Way) totals 817 kilometres (508 mi) across northern Spain from the border with France to Santiago de Compostela. It’s only the 6th most popular of the many Caminos. Over 21,000 pilgrims / year.
SO … in 2026 I did 6 days from French border town Irun to tourist mecca Bilbao.
Camino pilgrimage routes attract many different kinds of people. Much different than on other thru hikes, I find. Some are spiritual seekers & reflective travellers. The highlights for others are the food, history, and culture.
Since the Camino del Norte attracts less than 5% of the Camino Francés numbers, accommodations are not all booked. It’s not nearly as crowded.
Many feel Irun to Bilbao is the best and most scenic section of the Camino del Norte.
Steep climbs, rugged coastal cliffs, and longer stretches between services make the START of the Northern Way the most challenging.
I stayed in combination of albergues (pilgrim hostels), hostels, and emergency tent one night. Accommodation is quite inexpensive.
Flying into Bilbao
It’s easy and comparatively inexpensive to fly into Bilbao.
Bilbao downtown Guggenheim museum titanium metallic facade by night
I picked up my Camino de Santiago pilgrim passport (credencial del peregrino) at the Cathedral. This gains you entrance into some of the pilgrim accommodation en route.
Bus to Irún
It’s easy to find a direct bus to Irún close to the the French border.
I stayed at the Jakobi Pilgrim Hostel (Albergue de Peregrinos Jakobi) in Irun, the official starting point for the Camino del Norte. Payment is by donation.
Next morning, off and running.
The rain in Spain falls mainly in the NORTH. Over the coming week I had all kinds of weather, including lightning storm.
The Camino is well signed. I mostly used AllTrails to confirm turns. But it seemed there were many other apps in use.
There’s one ferry crossing – the Pasaia River.
First night I stayed just outside San Sebastián, a tourist city very competitive with Bilbao.
San Sebastián
Some stay 2 nights here as there’s a lot to see. I toured the town one evening and again the next morning.
This is the kind of place in Europe some feel is over-touristed.
San Sebastián is a beach town, popular with surfers.
Onward.
One problem with ALL the Caminos … you end up doing a lot of walking on concrete and cobblestone.
By day 6 I felt one of my feet was bruised.
Zarautz Beach
I did enjoy the coastal sections.
Getaria
I happened upon a hostel in Getaria that was just serving up dinner. I stayed.
Early next morning I wandered the town before many more people were awake.
Got an early start on the hiking day.
It’s a very rural area. Plenty of farm animals to keep you company.
One of the best known anti-war paintings. Germans had bombed the people here relentlessly.
Many stay over in this historic city.
Bilbao
Early enough in the day, I walked on.
Skies darkened. I decided to wild camp before the rain. This is not legal — except in emergency situations like this one.
Surprisingly, I didn’t hear much about the Basque separatist movement.
With an even more torrential rain storm looming, I caught the first bus I saw on arrival to civilization to the centre of Bilbao. Happily, I made it to my very cool Pod Hostel before the worst of a deluge.
31 litres of rain / square meter in just a matter of minutes. It does rain in Spain.
Here I am at the Bilbao Cathedral. The rest of my clothes in the laundry. 😀
Bilbao Cathedral (Basilica of Saint James)
I’m considering a return to the Camino del Norte in future. Perhaps Vilalba to Santiago de Compostela, the final 100km. It merges with the bustling Camino Francés for the final 2 days of walking.
I’m surprised as his regime has been mainly hurting the National Park system with defunding, staffing cuts, funding diversions, and widespread censorship of historical exhibits.
He’s expanded the use of public lands for grazing, hunting, and mineral exploration.
BUT Chiricahua seems to be an exception. And — for once — those who love hiking can praise the ReTrumplican party for getting this done.
This looks something similar to our favourite day hike in the world, Harder Ridge, Switzerland.
The UNESCO High Altitude Ridge Trail in the Aletsch Arena is an epic adventure for those with a good head for heights and comfortable scrambling up bare rocks.
The views of the Aletsch Glacier are simply stunning and the trail, although challenging, is fun. …
It stars Brad Pitt and an amazing dog called Odin, portrayed by a canine actor named Uber.
It’s worth seeing.
While the movie is set in Alaska, it was filmed on location across the remote South Island of New Zealand (primarily around Queenstown and Glenorchy). The crew flew via helicopter into untouched, glacial mountainous areas and dense forests that had never been captured on film before. Because they were shooting in actual wilderness, the crew had to physically haul heavy camera equipment through steep ravines and over hills in volatile weather.
Pitt actually swam in an isolated, freezing alpine lake that the crew could only access by helicopter.
HOWEVER, the wildlife attacks were entirely digital. They didn’t look realistic to me.
Reviewers like Mark Kermode noted that while the survival script format hits familiar narrative beats, the physical set pieces and the incredible performance of the dogs playing Odin make it a captivating watch. Crucially for sensitive viewers, reviews confirm early on that the dog does not die in the film.
