Category: alpine

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#2 best hiking town is …

Huaraz, Peru

Huaraz is a trekkers’ paradise. On one side of the valley you have the White Mountains (Cordillera Blanca). On the other side, the Black Mountains (Cordillera Negra). We hike the White Mountains, mountain bike the Black Mountains.

And only a short distance away is the remote, high Cordillera Huayhuash, ideal for hard core trekkers.

Huaraz is located in the central-northern part of the country at an altitude of 3052 m (10,013 feet), some 420 km north of Lima. Huaraz sits in the agriculturally important Callejón de Huaylas valley, at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, which includes Huascarán, the highest mountain in Peru at 6768 m (22,204 feet). …

On May 31, 1970 the Ancash earthquake destroyed much of Huaraz, killing 10,000 people. Almost nothing was left of the old city with its narrow streets and big adobe casonas roofed with tiles. The main square was the only major structure that survived the earthquake so the city was rebuilt around it. …

Huaraz is connected to the rest of the country through the Panamerican Highway (187 km north of Lima) and can be reached from Lima … in seven hours. …

Huascarán National Park is a popular destination for tourism and trekking. Huaraz is a frequent base for expeditions to the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash. …

The population of the greater area is over 100,000 though you’d never guess it was that big. Huarez retains the feeling of a remote mountain town.

More interesting photos tagged Huaraz, Peru.

One of the best things about Huaraz is that there’s no airport. Regular Peruvian tourists all fly to Cusco, leaving this part of the Andes to us.

Our favourite hike hikes out of Huarez are:

• Huayhuash Circuit
• Alpamayo
• Santa Cruz Trek

Huayhuash

There are a half dozen more, just as good. And many, many more great treks in the Central Andes.

besthikers - Cafe Andino, Huaraz - Alpamayo Circuit 2004

Best months are May through September, the “Andean Winter”. Acclimatization to altitude is your main concern here. These treks are high.

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#3 best hiking town is …

Namche Bazaar, Nepal

Every hiker dreams of trekking in the footsteps of Hillary and Norgay. Climbing to Mt. Everest Base Camp Qomolangma (Tibetan), Sagarmāthā (Nepali) should be on your bucket list.

Here is the finest alpine scenery in the world, we reckon.

Namche Bazaar … at 3,440 metres (11,286 ft) … is the main trading center for the Khumbu region with many Nepalese officials, a police check post and a bank. …

Namche has a permanent population of around 800.

Almost everyone trekking in the Khumbu region will visit Namche Bazaar, as it is the gateway to the high Himalaya.

More interesting photos tagged Namche Bazaar.

Want more information? Check WikiTravel – Namche.

Everest Base Camp - Khumbu Ice Fall

Our favourite hike hikes out of Namche are:

• Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes
• Everest Base Camp / Kala Pattar
• Everest Gokyo

Everest seen from Kala Pattar

Many consider the mountain people and Tibetan culture an even bigger highlight than the peaks.

Flapping

Best months are from October to early-December, cold but normally with clear views of the world’s highest mountains.

Spring is also a good time to visit the Everest region, though the skies may be hazy. Some argue that pastures are greener in the Spring.

Check the trip report posted by besthike editor Rick McCharles, Nov. 2009 – Everest Base Camp / 2 Passes

Or start on our Nepal information page.

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#4 best hiking town is …

Cortina, Italy

You can see weird and wild limestone spires right from town. Convenient, efficient public transport makes for easy access to trails for hikers of all levels of ability.

Cortina d’Ampezzo (German: Hayden) is a town and commune in the southern (Dolomitic) Alps …

The city center is located at an altitude of 1,224 m …

Cortina is situated more or less to the center of the Ampezzana valley, encircled nearly completely on four sides by the high Dolomites. …

Population (2008) was 6150.

Shop at La Cooperativa di Cortina for gear and trekking food.

More interesting photos tagged Cortina.

La Baita

Our favourite hike hikes in the Dolomites, to mention just a few, are:

• Bocca di Brenta to Molvena
• Over the Nuvolau
• Sciliar through the Catinaccio
• Tre Cime di Lavaredo Circuit

Check our Dolomites information page.

besthike editor Rick McCharles - Tre Cime

Best months for hiking are mid-June to early October.

Start on our Dolomites information page.

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#5 best hiking town is …

Chamonix, France

I spent a couple of weeks hiking out of the mountain town in 2009, astonished at how down to earth and welcoming it is for outdoor sportsmen from around the world.


photo – ptpotts

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix … was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics. The commune’s population … around 9800 …

… Mont Blanc, at a height of 4810 metres, is the third most visited natural site in the world …

… well known and loved by skiers and by mountain enthusiasts of all types. …

Chamonix is located 80 km southeast of Geneva, Switzerland …

Chamonix Place Balmat

More interesting photos tagged Chamonix.

You can hike out of town in any direction. And be blown away by wonderful mountain vistas. Here I am just above town on a trail run.

fit hiker in the Alps

The most famous “best hikes” in the region are:

• Chamonix to Zermatt – Walkers’ Haute Route <my trip report> (top 10)
• Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB – top 10)

More best hikes in the Alps.

Best time to hike is late June to early October.

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#6 best hiking town is …

Banff, Canada

A UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the great tourist destinations of the world, most everyone likes the quaint mountain town, Banff, in the Canadian Rockies. Growth is strictly limited by National Park regulations.

Banff … in Alberta’s Rockies, Canada.

… at 1,463 m (4,800 ft), it is the town with the second highest elevation in Canada, the highest being Lake Louise.

It is surrounded by mountains, notably Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay, and Cascade Mountain; and situated above Bow Falls near the junction of the Bow and Spray Rivers. Banff is located 126 km (78 mi) west of Calgary and 58 km (36 mi) east of Lake Louise …

…. It is a major destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing areas within the region. …

More interesting photos tagged Banff.

Canmore is a smaller town (pop. 12,000) just outside the park, a great alternative to touristy Banff. Alpine Club of Canada headquarters are located in Canmore. Many experienced hikers prefer it as a home base.

Two of our top 10 hikes in the world can be reached from here:

#5) Sunshine to Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada
#6) Glacier North Circle, Montana, USA

Mt. Assiniboine

More interesting photos tagged Assiniboine.

Many Glacier Hotel

More interesting photos tagged Glacier National Park.

Of course there are dozens of “best hikes” in the Rockies. Lake O’Hara, for example, is the prettiest mountain hiking in the Rockies.

Plan for July to mid-September in the northern Rockies. Banff is a great town, but the hiking season is short. Blizzards are not uncommon in September. We often suggest Aug. 1st as a good start date for a walking holiday here.

Disclosure: besthike is based out of Calgary. Banff is our backyard playground. You could certainly accuse us of bias.

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#8 best hiking town is …

El Calafate, Argentina

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.

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#9 best hiking town is …

Zermatt, Switzerland

This resort is off-putting to some. Ignore the posturing Eurotrash, conspicuous in brightly coloured expensive outdoor apparel, unsoiled.

Instead, turn your gaze up to the Matterhorn, “iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and the Alps”. This valley is one of the great natural wonders of the world.

Zermatt … is in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants.

The village is situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,315 ft), at the feet of Switzerland’s highest peaks. …

Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. …

To prevent air pollution which could obscure the town’s view of the Matterhorn, the entire town is a combustion-engine car-free zone. Almost all vehicles in Zermatt are battery driven and almost completely silent. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerce. …

More interesting photos tagged Zermatt, Switzerland.

Our favourite hike hikes out of Zermatt:

• Chamonix to Zermatt – Walkers’ Haute Route TOP 10 <guidebook> <trip>
• Tour of the Matterhorn
• Tour of Monte Rosa

Weisshorn 4506m from the Europa Hut at sunrise

Actually, there are trails everywhere in the Alps. It’s awesome.

View from Weisshorn

More “best hikes” in the Alps.

Best time to hike is late June to early October.

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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.

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walk the Faja de Flores cliffs

Ordesa National Park, Spain.

Eroded ledges, some walkable, are called ‘Fajas’.

… For those with a head for heights the Faja de Flores is a must. A steep climb leads to the entrance of the Faja nearly a kilometre above the valley floor. At first there looks no place for a path but as you get closer the eroded band shows itself and you can see it winding it’s way along the cliff face. The views change around every corner as you get views of the Sierra de Guara, the southern cliffs of the valley and then the Breche de Roland and the highest peaks in the park. …

Hike Pyrenees

That’s a U.K. based company offering this adventure as part of their Peaks and Passes guided walking holiday.

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trek Ausangate Circuit, Peru

We got a recommendation from John Brawner for the Ausangate Peru Company, owned and managed by Edgar.

He took a 6 day guided trek with them.

Details, testimonials and prices on AusangatePeru.com.

Having done this adventure myself with a guide and pack animals for only one day, I know it‘s tricky to do independently. If you have any lack of overconfidence at all, get a guide.

Ausangate is our #4 hike in the world.

Find out more on our Ausangate information page.