Category: alpine

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trekking in Bhutan

I’ve long been a fan of Bhutan-Trails.org.

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I asked editor Rogier Gruys when Bhutan would open to “independent hikers”. Not soon, he says.

As for trekking in Bhutan … you do have to go through a local travel agency. They are not likely to change that …

… you can go with one or two people, and set up exactly the itinerary you want with the agency. The only thing is that you pay US$230/day (for less than 4 people in a group). … But that does include all meals, all local transport, hotel/tent etc. So compared to a typical trip to NY city it is not all that bad!

If I could afford $200 / day I would be booking my next holiday to Bhutan, for sure.

The most famous hikes in Bhutan are the Snowman Trek and Jhomolhari-Laya-Gasa, but Rogier points out there are other great hikes that you can do year round.

Even the hikes out of the capital Thimphu are excellent. In particular, Rogier recommends walking to Tango/Drolay goempas. Or radiotower to Phajoding. “Great views, and a beautiful monastery along the way.”

A Trekker's Guide (Cicerone Guide)
Bhutan: A Trekker’s Guide (Cicerone Guide)

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Sierra High Route, California

Just finished listening to the final episode of Steve Howe’s on-the-trail audiocast of his solo Sierra High Route trek in California.

Howe is BACKPACKER’s Rocky Mountain editor.

Sounds fantastic! And very few hikers do it each season.

Howe posted daily to an interactive map. Very cool.

He was 37 days, 280mi (450km) on the trail starting August 26, 2006.

If you are looking for a much-more-dangerous alternative to the John Muir Trail, this is it. Much of the walking is above the treeline.

There’s no real continuous trail. Some experience in off-trail route finding is needed.

Scouting the High Route – GORP


“The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country” (Steve Roper)

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Rucksack – Exploring the Inca Trail

Exploring the Inca Trail is the latest in the excellent Rucksack hiking guidebook series. It’s a perfect format for a guidebook you can carry on the trail. (waterproof, lightweight, open-flat with built-in map).

But are the authors expert?

I’ll say. It’s written by Roy Davis, editor of the most comprehensive Inca Trail website, and Jacquetta Megarry, founder of the Rucksack series.

That’s all we needed to know. The Rucksack Guide instantly jumps to our most recommended guidebook for the Inca Trail. It’s also the lightest and most durable.

That said, the Inca Trail is far over-rated. Our advice is to take the train to Machu Picchu and save your hiking days for one of the many, many other wonderful South American hikes. For our reasons why, check Inca Trail – besthike.com


“Explore the Inca Trail (Rucksack Readers)” (Jacquetta Megarry, Roy Davies)

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Southern Alps New Zealand – “highlights”

satrek.jpgThe folks at Adventure South in my old home town of Christchurch offer a “best of” the Alps tour. (On the dry side of the mountains, of course.)

Their 8-days of day hiking package is accessible for any fitness level.

A spectacular itinerary featuring some amazing mountain walking, three nights camped in comfortable back country huts, with the chance to rest up at quality accommodation after your alpine experiences. A mixture of remote untracked terrain coupled with friendly trails of a relaxed grade.

Southern Alps Trek – Adventure South

New Zealand is over-all the best hiking destination in the world.

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Pinnacles Track, New Zealand

Browsing the superb tramper.co.nz website, I was reminded me of my own trip to the Coromandel Peninsula.

The go-to hike there is The Pinnacles Track, one of our best hikes in the world.

If The Pinnacles were in any other country, it would be a huge destination. In New Zealand, though, it tends to be overshadowed by many far more famous treks.

I loved learning about the history of logging Kauri trees. Unbelievably, loggers toppled them over cliffs — and picked up the pieces below. Eventually they built an outrageous rail track to try to lower the massive logs from the Pinnacles. You see all this on the hike.

Most people are even more impressed by the Pinnacles alpine hut. It is astonishing! The best in New Zealand and one of the most impressive in the world. We spent a lot of time watching possums from the expansive balcony.

The Pinnacles is ideal as a weekend trip with one night at the top.

. . . stone steps, wide enough for packhorses, dominate most of the track, crossing the river three times as it rises steeply to logging / power camp at the ‘near’ top. I warn you now – the stone stairs are great to look at but hard on the legs …

Once at the hut, you can leave your pack and climb the Pinnacles proper.

Whilst not dangerous, it isn’t for the faint hearted. It’ll only take 45 minutes to get to the top, but you go up some steep rock faces, and several ladders before negotiating a large boulder, to get to the narrow ledge at the top. From the top, you can see both sides of the Coromandel – Tairua / Pauanui on one side, The firth of Thames and Hauraki Plains on the other. The view is breathtaking.

The Pinnacles Track – tramper.co.nz

Pinnacles-Mist
Pinnacles photos on flickr – BruceandRobyn – waiting for the clouds to clear

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Chena Dome Trail, Alaska

Just added the Chena Dome Trail to our list of best hikes in the world.

Chena Dome is a very challenging 3-4 day adventure, 29.5mi (47.5km) loop mostly on ridgetop above the treeline.

It’s famed for great views and tasty berries in August. Finding water can be a problem late in the season.

About 50mi from Fairbanks, Alaska, this hike can be combined with a visit to Denali (Mt. McKinley), the highest mountain in North America.

I’m considering a trip to Alaska for summer 2007.

I started my research with Lonely Planet Alaska

Lonely Planet Alaska.

Next I’ll need Lonely Planet Hiking in Alaska (Lonely Planet Walking Guides). I always start with Lonely Planet when planning a trip.

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trekking Nahuel Huapi, Argentina

I went back to browse the travelogues of Jeffrey Poznanovic.

After seeing his pics of a 6-day trek through Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, I was tempted to start brushing up on Spanish and shop for airline tickets to South America.

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more photos – Jeffrey Poznanovic

We’ve listed the Nahuel Huapi Traverse one of the best hikes in the world.

It’s perhaps the best hike in the superb Argentinian Lake district, a wilderness of granite spires & gorgeous lookouts. The location is perfect, only 20km by bus from the outdoor adventure town of Bariloche.

The Villa Catedral to Puente Lopez route is 36.5km (23mi) plus sidetrips, 5 days, 4 nights recommended. Wind and cold are the biggest challenges.

On a related matter, MyOutdoors.net has added KLM data for some of their hikes.

What’s KLM? (That’s what I said.) It’s a pointer file which takes you a specific place on Google Earth. For example, they post a KLM for a hike of Nahuel Huapi.

This is pretty geeky stuff. To try it out you need a fast computer, high speed internet connection and to download a (free) copy of Google Earth software.

Oh, and lots of time. You might get hooked flying over the Earth checking out future adventures.

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hike sharing – MyOutdoors.net

Serious adventurer Jeffrey Poznanovic likes a new site called MyOutdoors.net.

“Map your outdoor activities. Journal your progress. Attach Photos. Share it all with friends and family.”

The map-based interface is not all that intuitive. Using a mash-up of Google Maps is touchy. Most people make mistakes using that AJAX technology.

But if you take the time to figure out how it works, MyOutdoors has some very cool features including: mileage distances, elevation profile, GPS waypoints, linked photos, and more that I do not understand.

No doubt about it, sites like this are the future of hiking. We’ll be linked by satellite on the trail, uploading video and photo directly to MyOutdoors in real time. (The rescue helicopter will have exact coordinates and visuals by which to confirm location!)

They need to simplify the interface. Or, at minimum, put up a friendly video tutorial to show me how to best use the site.

Want to try it out yourself? Check the Wind River Backpacking entry in Wyoming.

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screenshot

Wind River Backpacking – MyOutdoors.net

For more information – Cirque of the Towers – besthike.com

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Mt. Rainier flooded – Wonderland Trail closed?

Nearly 18in (45cm) of rain fell over 36 hours in November.

After seeing the Images of the Flood on the Mt. Ranier National Park website, I’m worried about next season. Will Wonderland open in 2007?

With millions of dollars damage to Park infrastructure, it may be some time before we know.

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photo – landslide damage to highway SR123

(Thanks Park Remark – The Great Flood at Mt Rainier National Park)

The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier near Seattle, Washington is one of the best hikes in the world. Lets repair those trails as quickly as possible.

Leave a comment below if you hear anything the Wonderland trails.

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coast-to-coast Vancouver Island?

Has anyone heard of such a route? Or do we need to pioneer one?

I’m looking at walking up to the Mt. Washington Ski Resort chair lift (marked A on map), then hiking across Strathcona Provincial Park to Hot Springs Cove via Della Falls.

After a good soak, we’d exit via private transport to Tofino.

Is this crazy?

Please tell me I’m crazy.

This line would necessitate, likely, a lot of bush whacking. (At least there are no trails marked on my Backroad Mapbook – Vancouver Island west of Strathcona Provincial Park.

I even considered carrying a light inflatable raft in case floating is easier than bush whacking.

Suggestions? (Leave a comment below.)