top 10 hiking towns worldwide

Lets say you want to plan a hiking holiday.

U.K. hikers

You might need to base yourself close to major trailheads. In a community with a good gear shop. Large enough to supply last minute provisions.

Mt. Whitney

You’ll need a memorable place to stay. A place that will store your bag while you’re gone out on the trail.

IMGA0471

The best hiking towns have a hiking culture. They appreciate and respect those on foot with a backpack.

Hikers Crossing

And you’ll want a memorable restaurant to celebrate on your return.

Ichiban Okazuya restaurant, Maui

Starting tomorrow we’ll be announcing our top 10 hiking towns with #10. And posting one each day until #1 … Christmas morning.

Trail Days - First Baptist Loves Hikers

related:

• our top 10 hikes in the world
• our top 10 hiking regions in the world

Half Dome – permit required

Yosemite Blog:

Following on the success of it’s weekend permit system the NPS has opted to extend the program requiring permits for all hikers who wish to ascend the cables to the top of Half Dome, not just weekend hikers. …

Last season weekend permit demand was high and permits were reserved months in advance. Hikers without permits will be turned around at the foot of the cables. …

Click through for details on how to get one: Permits Needed Everyday to Hike Half Dome Starting Spring 2011

hiking Tecolote Beach, Baja

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Tecolote (A) is an isolated beach community located in the municipality of La Paz in the state of Baja California Sur, It is 25 km from the city of La Paz …

It is one of the most extensive of the beaches in this area with fine, white sand gentle waves and little undertow. Water skiing and jet skiing are available here as well as a boat that goes to Isla Espíritu Santo.

Google maps

I’d been here several times in the past, most memorably on my kayak tour of the island (PHOTOS).

You can walk anywhere in this desert. I headed east along the shore, like Graham MacIntosh. Here’s a view looking back to Tecolote.

The highlight is sea birds. Especially Pelicans.

This little lizard is the only other beast I saw.

Seems the area has many wild burros. They were all around. But I never saw even one.

Perhaps the ATVs scare them away.

Here’s the ferry La Paz – Mazatlan.

There are plenty of ramshackle fishing shacks along the coast. Most empty.

I decided to head inland to tent.

Perfect weather, I enjoyed a peaceful sunset and sunrise. Someone had previously tented up here, already clearing a spot.

In the arms of that cactus near my tent, I left a Summit Stone.

Deserts are some of my favourite hikes. But you cannot go out long. Drinking 4 litres, I was already thirsty after 21 hours.

See the rest of my photos from this hike.

New Balance MT101 Running Shoes

Buzz of the Adventure Running blog recommends the New Balance Men’s MT101 Trail Running Shoe.

My stockpile 4 pairs of minimalist New Balance 603 Country Walkers are plum wore out. … I’m due for a new New Balance shoe, assuming I can get them in very wide sizes. (serious bunions!)

Thanks Buzz. I’ll buy myself a pair for Christmas.

review by runningandrambling.com

minimalist footwear

Have you tried any of the new ‘barefoot’ shoes as yet?

Gear Junkie has a guest post on what’s available by journalist and author Bill Katovsky of ZERO DROP, a new blog about barefoot and minimalist running.

I wear a fairly flat, but conventional approach shoe myself. No plans to go even more minimal.

Certainly this concept, presumably by Nike, is out of the question:

Has Nike Invented A Second Skin?

Leave a comment if you have an opinion. Is this just a fad? … Or is minimal footwear here to stay?

Joshua Tree’s eight hidden palm oases

Hank Leukart tried and failed at his first two JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK adventures.

Third time’s a charm.

In his journalistic trip report, Hank explains:

… I devise a plan to visit each of the Park’s eight desert oases: Mara, 49 Palms, Cottonwood Spring, Lost Palms, Victory Palms, Summit Spring, Munsen, and a final, mysterious and nameless oasis near Munsen. …

Click through to see if Hank and 3 friends succeed. … Or if he trips into the cactus (again) and ends up drinking wine, watching shooting stars.

Without Baggageuntil we meet again, joshua tree.

one year walk/beard grow time lapse

Trying to research the “Pinggu International Walking Road” in China, reportedly the first trail at “international standard” … I stumbled on to bigfatspringroll aka Christoph Rehage.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

November 9th 2007 – November 13th 2008
one year on foot – 4646km through China

His website is The Longest Way.

… I never did find information in English on the “Pinggu International Walking Road”. Leave a comment if you know something about it.

climb Mt. Hallasan, Korea

#Jeju #JejuOlle

Hallasan National Park (Korean: 한라산국립공원, 漢拏山國立公園) is located in the provinces of Jeju-do, South Korea. ….

It features the highest mountain in South Korea, the shield volcano Hallasan on Jeju Island. It was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002, and a World Heritage Site in 2007. …

At a stretch you could call Jeju the Maui of Asia. … A tourist island with palm trees, cactus, and a big central volcano.

There are 6 official hikes in the National Park:

Eorimok Trail (6.8Km 3hours)
Yeongsil Trail (5.8Km 2.5hours)
Seongpanak Trail (9.6Km 4.5hours)
Gwaneumsa Trail (8.7Km 5hours)
Donnaeko Trail (7Km 3.5hours)
Eoseungsaengak Trail (1.3Km 30minutes)

official Park website

From what I’ve read, the most scenic route to the summit (1950m) is the Gwaneumsa Trail up, Seongpanak Trail down.

Gwaneumsa has a basic campground at the start, but no bus stop. (It’s about a 4km walk in.)

Seongpanak does have a bus stop on the exit.

I’m looking to get there November 2011.

Leave a comment if you know more about this mountain.

Cicerone Lightweight Camping

… new guide by John Traynor provides detailed information and advice on how to get the most out of camping light – on foot or by bike, canoe or car. From picking a campsite in the wild to coping with bad weather, tips for campers with some or no experience on gear, luggage, campsites and taking the kids.

Cicerone

It’s available as an eBook now. And as a dead tree dead weight in 2011.

(via Andy Howell)

superwoman Jennifer Pharr Davis

I’m just browsing articles on this six foot tall thru hiker.

Seems to me she must be the #1 female hiker in the world.

2005 – Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike

2006 – Kilimanjaro Summit, Africa

2006 – Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike and Fundraiser ($10,000)

2007 – Hike for Habitat Fundraiser ($10,000)

2007 – Machu Picchu and Cotahuasi Canyon, Peru

2007 – Unsupported Long Trail Record (7 days, 15 hours)

2008 – Unsupported Bibbulmun Track Record, Australia

2008 – Supported Appalachian Trail Record (57 days and 8 hours – an average of 38 miles per day.)

2009 – Colorado Trail

2010 – Foothills Trail, GR20, Tour du Mont Blanc, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, West Highland Way

Jennifer has hiked over 9,000 miles of Long Distance Trails. She has trekked on 6 continents and currently holds endurance records on The Appalachian Trail, Long Trail and Bibbulmun Track.

about

The link I most enjoyed features a number of articles written by her – Girl Gone [Into The] Wild

She sets speed records when possible in order to get back to her hubby as quickly as possible.

She’s just published her first book – Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail