Category: alpine

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best view, best hike – Yosemite

Chris is blogging his trip from Kansas City to the outdoor centre of the universe, California.

He loved Yosemite.

… all I can say is “wow”.

But dear ol’ Jimmy put it much better when he said, “This place is amazing…It’s like your walking in a picture” which is true, cause Yosemite IS the place where all landscape pictures are taken. …

My Favorite Hike and My Favorite View

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My Favorite view is from where I stood in the above picture looking down 3000 feet into Yosemite Valley. …

As for My Favorite Hike, and I do mean my favorite hike of ALL time, it was suppose to be a leisurely walk to the Cathedral Lakes cause this was the end of the week and by this time Jim and I were hurting more places than we care to think.

So we thought we could handle the relatively flat walk to these picturesque lakes. We did managed to stick to the trail all the way to the gorgeous lakes but once we reached our destination and saw those tall, commanding, pointy little peaks we just could not resist a shot at the top.

So we hiked along the ridge … and had some incredible views of Cathedrals lake on one side and Bud Lake on the other. Shortly we reached the base of the peak from which reaching the summit look quite doable so we hike on up as rain clouds gathered over head and scrambled within 50 feet of the pointy little summit …

I would say that that 360degree view was second only to Yosemite Valley in its incredibleness.

The Tulumne meadows in front Cathedral and Bud lakes to the sides and Yosemite Valley way off behind me all add up to the best hike I’ve ever enjoyed. Not even to mention that it was off trail which makes it better 🙂

Hike Bike Climb: Yo Semite Nation Park

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hiking the granite Tombstone Range, Yukon

My favourite hiking author is Chris Townsend. But I’ve not yet read his 1990 solo Yukon adventure, a route never duplicated. Or again attempted.

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The next day, I found that walking into this mountain sanctuary was like walking into paradise.

As befits the way of a pilgrim, the going was rough, leading gradually through dense brush, across willow-thicketed creeks and over moss-covered, half-hidden boulders into the inner sanctum, the magnificent rock amphitheater that is the Tombstone Range, a huge curving ridge of heart-stopping granite walls and spires.

Talus Lake, a boulder-ringed, brooding mountain tam, backed by a towering cliff that looked about to topple into the water, made my fifth night out from Dawson one of the most magnificent wilderness camps I have ever had. Beyond the rippling waters Tombstone Mountain darkened into blackness as the sky deepened from pink into the dark blue of night.

Perfection is not easy to find. Some would say it is an ideal, a goal to seek but never achieve.

Perhaps, most of the time, but I found it at Talus Lake on the morning of August 12, 1990, a morning so beautiful, so faultless that I almost felt guilty for being there, almost wondered what I had done to deserve such rapture. …

Chris Townsend: Walking the Yukon

Andy Howell interviewed Townsend on a recent audiocast. You can listen to it streamed or download it from Podcast Nation. (I subscribe to The Outdoors Station in iTunes and have it automatically downloaded to my computer. Much easier.)

There are very few established hiking trails in the Tombstones. And even fewer hikers. (Leave a comment if you can recommend a route.)

That 1990 book is not available from any of the libraries near me, but you can still get it on-line: Walking the Yukon: A solo trek through the Land of Beyond

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Talus Lake – Phil Hammer

I’m pencilled-in myself for a trip to Talus Lake starting Aug. 5th. I’ll be looking for perfection.

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Walking Inn to Inn – Swiss Alps

cover.jpgAn editor, Shana Hoch, sent me a review copy of a new hiking guidebook.

Walking Inn to Inn: A Self-Guided Hike in the Swiss Alps

The small, easy-to-pack guide by Linda Jean Titus reads like an extended trip report.

First of all, I am a sucker for personalized guidebooks. Linda’s reminds me of the (also excellent) The West Coast Trail – One Step at a Time by Robert J. Bannon.

This is a great trend. All hikers should write a guidebook on their favourite trail!

This guide describes an “inn to inn” hiking route in the Berner Oberland (Bernese Alps).

The trek begins in Engelberg and travels in a southwestern direction before sweeping in an arc through the dramatically beautiful Jungfrau region.

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details

If your looking to do one of the best hikes in Europe, this book would be a great starting point. It is very specific, detailing the choices you have to make in planning, including best airport. (Zurich)

I always picture Swiss hiking as very posh. Lovely accommodation. Fantastic food. Short, easy days.

But I learned that on this route you can sleep in barns and campgrounds, inexpensively. Rush past the French coffee and chocolatiers to put in long, physically challenging days. It is endlessly flexibly in terms of itinerary.

The risk of putting together such detailed recommendations is that they might quickly become out-of-date. (That’s why so many guidebooks are vague on details.)

Fortunately, this guide has good website support with a user forum. Or you can get up-to-date information personally from the author herself on their contact page.

Buy it directly from the SwissHikes.com.

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Engelberg monastery – flickr

Like all review copies, I’ll be donating Linda’s book to the wonderful Alpine Club of Canada Library in Canmore, Alberta on behalf of the author. I stay at the inexpensive Alpine Club residences whenever I get the chance, an excuse to look over their unique collection.

(Good news — the ACC library received a donation for C$100,000 in 2007 from long-time member Bev Bendell.)

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“Worlds Most Dangerous Tourist Route”

UPDATE from Brad in California:

Unlike every other report I’ve read on the internet, Brad’s actually been there.

It’s a good sidetrip out of Xian, site of the astonishing Terracotta Warriors.

A few more facts: It is not "Mt." Hua Shan. It is just Hua Shan. …

A hostel is available on the mountain top — what a cool place for a midwinter honeymoon?! Despite the vigor and risk involved in the climb, it is crowded in fair weather! …

The mountain has multiple summits, and looks somewhat like a blossoming tulip: hence the name flower mountain.

You can take a cable car to the vicinity of the lowest summit, or you can hike about 5 or 6 klicks to the same area. The "hike" option is very worthy, with incredibly lengthy and steep staircases carved into the stone, — awesome. Rusty chain handrails are anchored into the rocks.

Once on the lowest summit, you can climb the circuit of the other higher summits. This is where you will encounter the most harrowing exposures, and the pictures that accompany this page.

Again, on a crowded day, it would suck! Everything is one-way, or narrow, etc… We went on a rainy day, with fog, and had the mountain almost to ourselves. It was incredible when the fog cleared!

Snow or freezing rain would make this hike very dangerous. I would not do it!

Mount Hua (Hua Shan) – Wikipedia

We’ve added Hua Shan to our list of the best hikes in Asia.

Click PLAY or watch a “hiker” on the route on MetaCafe.
Snapple Scores With Super Premium Tea Ad During Super Bowl XLI – Click here for funny video clips

==== original post Nov. 6th, 2006:

The most dangerous tourist route in the world is located in Tibet.

Damn Cool Pics: Worlds Most Dangerous Tourist Route

But … they have the location wrong.

It seems these photos are actually from (or Mt Hua or Mt Hua Shan) in Shaanxi province, China. It is the Western Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains. This error was pointed out in a comment on Cool Pics by JJ.

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More photos:

Welcome To China – Welcome2CN.Com

photo set – Fosdick

To a hiker like me, this scramble looks like good fun. Similar to Half Dome in Yosemite.

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lost and hypothermic in the Andes

Non-hikers assume that what I do is “dangerous”.

I always pooh-pooh the notion: “It’s more dangerous driving to the trailhead than hiking the trail.”

The only time I really got in trouble was in Venezuela. I learned important lessons the HARD way.

From my 1997 photo travelogue:

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… Mérida boasts the world’s highest (4765m) and longest (12.5km) cable car. Unfortunately, in the 1980s a car on the top crashed killing an undisclosed number of tourists. The last section of the ride up was never repaired. …

Still, I could ride to 4000m and hike from there. Overnight camping is technically illegal so almost no one knew where I was going as I headed up the mountain.

I climbed a ridge. The vista was magic with clouds blowing in and out. I dropped my pack at the first possible tent site & continued up looking for a better spot. The terrain was steep, exposed & rugged. Not many options for a tent.

I knew that at the top of the mountain was The Virgin of the Snows, a statue of the Virgin Mary. She led me on.

On a whim I decided to kiss the Virgin — once the dayhiking tourists had departed for the day.

I was careful to note landmarks on my way up so I could return to the pack. Unfortunately they all disappeared in the clouds.

Blast.

Lost in the Andes above 4000m. I vainly searched for the ridge back down to my tent, pack and sleeping bag. Finally, as night fell, I resolved to take refuge in a grotto beneath an overhanging rock. I had water but no food.

For 10 hours I huddled shivering, calculating the probability of death from hypothermia in just a t-shirt and fleece pants. I’d like to tell you I learned something from this experience — but I didn’t. It was a drag.

At first light I tried another long route down. What a relief when, four hours later, I bumped into an elderly Swiss couple on the trail! They gave me a cookie & directions. I had been hopelessly lost.

To add insult to injury, officials on the cable car wanted to arrest me for camping illegally.

Lesson learned? Never leave your pack.

Click through my annotated photos from that adventure

OK — hypothermia is no joke:

Early warning symptoms include intense shivering, fumbling hands and poor coordination. Shivering is the body’s attempt to generate heat. A simply field test for mild hypothermia is to try touching your thumb to your little finger on the same hand. If you have difficulty doing this, it’s time to seek shelter and warmth.

Later hypothermia symptoms include slurred speech, mental confusion and unconsciousness. Often victims do not recognize the symptoms and fully understand the dangerous situation they face. The victim needs warmth immediately and protection from further body heat loss. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

Wilderness Survival – Hypothermia symptoms

(via My Outdoor Gear)

Honestly, I estimated that I could survive one more night of hypothermia. But not two.

I’ll never leave my pack again.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I want to return to Mérida, to hike La Travesia Mucuy – Mérida.

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is heli-hiking cheating?

I’ve only done it twice — both times to Mt. Assiniboine — and can confirm riding the bird is … GREAT.

Sure I’m polluting the atmosphere. And distracting the teeny tiny hikers below, sweating the 8hr uphill slog with a full pack. (It takes me 8min.)

But on arrival it’s like you landed in Heaven. Fresh. Excited. Already at altitude.

Wow!

A little more thoughtful analysis from John Flinn in the San Francisco Chronicle arrives at the same conclusion:

I’ve known about heli-hiking for years, but stayed away until last fall because of three big concerns: Are the wilderness lodges a burden on the fragile alpine landscape? Do the frequent helicopter sorties spoil the solitude of those who walk into these mountains under their own power? And would I feel the same mountaintop exhilaration if I didn’t “earn” it through sweat equity?

In other words, is heli-hiking cheating?

By the end of my three-day stay, though, I was pretty much won over. Now my biggest concern is the cost: Unless you have the net worth of a CEO — and many guests do — the $700-a-day price puts it into the splurge-of-a-lifetime category.

Heli-hiking keeps high peaks within reach

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Happily for the environment I can rarely afford the high fee. You’ll normally find me sweating on the trail, cursing the lazy so-and-sos that chopper past overhead.

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Berg Lake, Canadian Rockies, early season hike

Outdoor Video Magazine have posted their best video to date. (That’s one nasty avalanche caught on film.)

A stunning trail featuring close-up glacier action, the Canadian Rockies Highest Peak (a staggering 2.5 vertical kilometres above the trail), blue-blue lakes, and more than one fantastic waterfall.

Berg Lake Trail – Mt Robson Provincial Park (with Video) · Outdoor Video Magazine

Though the trail was officially closed in May, these hikers braved a night walk, a glacier creek water ford in Crocs and snow storm. Snowshoes were needed for some sections.

We’d never recommend this to anyone … but I wish I’d been with them.

Our information page details how to organize a hike to this area in summer. Highlights: Valley of a Thousand Falls, Emperor Falls, Snowbird Pass, Toboggan Falls and the mass of Mt. Robson. One of the best hikes in the world.

 

Mount Robson: Berg Lake Trail – flickr photo set – Fotos de Canada

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guided trek in Morocco

Guide Aitelkadi Hassan contacted me regarding tours including treks in the Atlas Mountains. He collects you from the airport, makes all arrangements, and delivers you safely back for your return flight.

Get some testimonials from other travelers, of course, before you sign on with any guiding service.

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Their website is AtlasWalkers.com (French).

Here’s the home page translated from French to English using Google Translate. (Somewhat amusing, but still useful.)

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VOLCANIC TRAVERSE hike in Alaska

Mark Scanlan recommended the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest in the USA.

The jumping off point is Anchorage.

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… two rough gravel roads (the McCarthy Road and the Nabesna Road) wind through the park, making much of the interior accessible for backcountry camping and hiking. Chartered aircraft also fly into the park. Wrangell-St. Elias received roughly 57,221 visitors in 2004

Of the Nabesna trail options, the National Park Service website highlights a new adventure they call the Sanford-Dadina Plateau “Volcanic Traverse”.

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DISTANCE: 15 miles one way. 4-8 days depending on route and side trips.

ACCESS: Fly-in by air taxi from Gulkana Airport to upper Sanford River. Pickup from strip along Dadina River.

DIFFICULTY: Difficult. Requires extensive route finding (no trails), crossing glacial moraine, brush, steep rocky hill-sides with loose material, and negotiating swift but relatively small rivers.

HIGHLIGHTS: A wild and remote area with unsurpassed scenery. Volcanic peaks (Mount Drum 12,010’, Mount Sanford 16,237’, and Mount Wrangell 14,163’), alpine tundra, and splendid isolation. Watch for sign of caribou, Dall sheep, moose, bison, and ptarmigan.

linked via National Park Service Wrangell-St. Elias Hiking Routes

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new name for GLACIER National Park, Montana

A tongue-in-cheek article by Bill Schneider, founder of Falcon Guidebooks, sends a message to a Montana congressional delegation — “it is time they supported mandatory global warming pollution reduction policies.”

I love it.

GLOBAL WARMING POLITICAL STATEMENT
Group Wants to Rename Glacier

After 97 years, is it time to give Montana’s Glacier National Park a new name?

Yes, says a national green group.

Why? Because of climate change, scientists say all of the park’s famous glaciers will melt away by 2030.

So, says the National Environmental Trust, we need a new name, perhaps something like Used-to-have Glaciers National Park or Formerly Glacier National Park. …

Group Wants to Rename Glacier | Travel & Outdoors | New West Network

(via Two-Heel Drive)

I am worried. Not sure what really can be done about it though. How do you trigger an ice age?

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source – Politics Blog