Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Greg and Lori had a week long holiday on Vancouver Island.
Greg and I got out for an electric bike ride to Goats on the Roof. And a hike on the Little Mountain cycling trails.
Does Greg look happy? He should — having retired the end of last year. 😀
This funny quotation is credited to Noel Coward and Fred Allen.
First large flowers to bloom in March 2025 in Parksville were skunk cabbage.
It’s an impressive plant found in swamps and wet woods, along streams and in other wet areas of the Pacific Northwest. A distinctive “skunky” odor is characteristic of blooms.
About the same time, Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), also known as Kingcup start to pop up. Also near wetlands, marshes, and along streams and ponds.
Both are impressive, brightening up the trail after a long winter.
In fact, I saw tiny Daisies (Bellis perennis) even earlier. Late February.
Though pretty, we usually remove them from our lawn during the summer — along with dandelions.
Speaking of dandelions — they are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring, a crucial food source for bees as they emerge from hibernation and begin foraging. So I’ll leave the first flowers of the season alone.
Here’s a list of some of the established hikes known to have caused deaths and injuries in the past.
Of course if you are experienced and cautious, I’d call most of them ‘safe’.
Of the list, I’ve done 5 myself and would recommend them.
El Caminito I’d call SUPER safe in 2025.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I’ve been wearing a series of Helly Hansen LIFALOFT™ Hooded Insulator Jackets almost daily since 2019.
Love them. Especially because I can machine wash and dry those jackets without fear. I’ve washed some dozens of times.
But in 2025 I’m having trouble finding that jacket online.
As an alternative, I’m trying my first RAB synthetic puffy jacket.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Synthetic primaloft equivalent to 650 fill.
CAD $230 shipped free to me. A good price. Not much more than I’ve paid for the Helly Hansen.
Click PLAY or watch a review on YouTube.
The Otter Trail on the Garden Route out of Capetown is arguably the most famous in Southern Africa.
Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.
Lush forests, rugged shorelines, mountain streams and waterfalls and fragrant fynbos make this a unique coast adventure.
Book 12 months in advance to get one of the exclusive permits. .
Read more on our Otter Trail information page.
Kraig Adams and 2 friends hiked the Dientes de Navarino trail, Chile, March 2025.
It’s more of a route than a fixed trail. Bushwhacking required.
FIRST ➙ make your way to Puerto Williams, Chile.
Kraig’s is the best video I’ve seen yet of that remote adventure. I tried and failed to complete the Circuit myself in 2019.
The trail was covered over with snow, and I had no guide to lead the way. I only tented one night. Awoke with a a bad stomach ache. Then turned back.
To find out how to do this trip yourself, click over to our Dientes Circuit information page.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
All hikers plan, one day, to travel to southern Patagonia. Towers of Paine photos entice.
And anyone who hikes Paine, should also hike Fitz Roy, Argentina.
Hikers have a choice to base themselves out of Puerto Natales, Chile or El Calafate, Argentina. Though you may find yourself stopping in both, El Calafate is the better choice.
El Calafate is a small town in Patagonia, Argentina. …
… an important tourist destination as the hub to visit different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park, including the Perito Moreno Glacier (one of the most visited in the world) and the Cerro Chaltén and Cerro Torre.
… In the last census 6,143 permanent residents were counted
You could argue that El Chaltén, Argentina’s “national trekking capital“, about 220km from El Calafate, is an even better base town.
On the other hand, there are large grocery stores like Diarco in El Calafate. The shops in Chaltén in 2019 were still very limited. We couldn’t get instant mashed potatoes in Chaltén, for example. Pick up your provisions in Calafate.
And Calafate is about half way between Paine and Fitz Roy.
More interesting photos tagged El Calafate, Argentina.
More information on Wikitravel – El Calafate.
Our favourite hike hikes out of El Calafate:
• Paine Circuit (Torres del Paine), Chile
• Huemul Route, Fitz Roy, Argentina
• Around Monte Fitz Roy (Los Glaciares), Argentina
These are the most famous, but there are many more “best hikes” in the Patagonian Andes. Ground transportation is the biggest challenge in this part of the world.
Best months are December to March.
Despite the despotic Chinese government, Hong Kong offers the BEST urban hiking of any major city in the world.
Logistics are EASY getting to and from trailheads.
Click PLAY or watch Kraig Adams on YouTube.
