My backyard. 🙂
10 Must-Do Adventures from Banff to Jasper
Greater Patagonian Trail update
GearJunkie:
The Greater Patagonian Trail (GPT) is 1,300 miles long and counting. It is a growing network of backroads and rutted trails stitched together to form an enormous route across South America, and almost nobody knows about it.
That’s because it’s been built quietly, the entire route put together by one couple who hope to share a love of hiking with the world.
At 1,300 Miles, Remote ‘GPT’ Is Longest Trail In South America
I met Swiss-German hiker and explorer Jan Dudeck and his Chilean wife Meylin Ubilla last January. And hope to get back to Patagonia again in 2017.
hiking Salida to Blanca Peak, Colorado
Cam Honan:
Approximately 120 miles in total. Mostly exposed, off-trail terrain. Elevation generally ranged between 10 and 14,000 ft.
Throw in regular afternoon thunderstorms, consistently high winds and a cumulative elevation gain of more than 40,000 ft.
In short; it was a challenging trip.
World’s Most Dangerous Pathway no more
El Caminito del Rey, also known as The King’s Little Pathway, is a walkway built onto a gorge in the province of Malaga, Spain. It has a reputation as the world’s most dangerous path. It used to, at least. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
scrambling Mt. Tyrwhitt, Alberta
Hiking Mt. Tyrwhitt is a photographer’s dream! The approach from highway pass takes you through a beautiful larch meadow. This is especially scenic in the fall when the larch trees change to a stunning gold color. As you near the summit a natural rock archway offers a unique scrambling experience …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Why spend MONEY on a hiking holiday?
Psychology Professor Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University has made four studies on the subject over decades and came to the conclusion that happiness is derived from experiences, not things. …
Experiences also reflect more of who we really are. They are closer to our inner selves as we are, according to Gilovich, “the sum total of all our experiences.” And as such, when they are shared, experiences allow us to get closer to others in a way impossible with inanimate objects that we can buy. …
Want Happiness? Buy Experiences, Not Things, Says a Cornell Psychologist
hiking Ivvavik National Park
David Webb:
… Tucked away at the tip of the Yukon, with its base camp set at 69 degrees north and hundreds of kilometres from the nearest road, only a handful of people will ever visit this park. Untouched by the last Ice Age, it’s a place of unique rock formations, abundant wildlife—we saw muskox, caribou, grizzlies and Dall’s sheep—jaw-dropping mountain vistas, clearwater rivers and vast open tundra. …
And the hiking… wow. There was no point in the five days I spent in Ivvavik where Iwasn’t surrounded by an awesome panorama. From deep gorges carved by a frothy river; to tundra dotted with bright lupins; to multi-coloured slate stabbing from mountaintops like the spines on a dragon’s back; to the midnight sun circling the whole expanse like a halo. It is the most beautiful natural environment I have ever seen. (And I’ve seen a lot.) …
Video Post: Jaw-Dropping Ivvavik National Park
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.
Don’t date a girl who treks
Brown Gal Trekker:
… For she lives life to the fullest
If you cannot catch up to her when she flies
Then don’t think she’d even shed a single tear
If you tell her goodbye
Don’t date a girl who treks
She will go exploring on her own when her heart so desires …
Click through to read the entire poem. It’s dedicated to all solo (or otherwise) female trekkers of the world.
Makalu Base Camp trek
by site editor Rick McCharles
As I’ve done most of the easily accessible major hikes in Nepal next time I’m planning on Makalu. Cost most likely between $3000 – $4000. I’m hoping to do it for less with one Guide and carrying my own pack.
Sathya did it independently in 2012.
Mountain IQ has a good overview.
Though not visited by many hikers each year, there are some tea houses available now.
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube. Two feet of snow on day 8 en route to Base Camp.
trekking the Huemul Circuit, Argentina
Steve Hänsch:
El Chaltén is the trekking capital of Argentina and I spent more than 2 weeks there to do exactly that: hiking.
The Huemul circuit in El Chaltén is a lesser known route for experienced hikers and absolutely worth the efforts as you are able to experience real adventures and see massive ice fields and panoramic views that will blow your mind! …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
related – 2 Drifting Coconuts – Huemul Circuit: Our Best Trek in South America
We’ve added this adventure to our list of Best Hikes in South America.
besthike.com 