Machame Route (Whiskey Route) for me should be relatively easy. BUT many have to turn back due to altitude sickness symptoms.
My plan is to spend some weeks in Ecuador above 3000m and — hopefully — have some acclimatization ➙ then fly directly to Kilimanjaro airport. Altitude sickness is near impossible to predict. (I’ve never had any despite hiking higher than 6000m many times.)
I’ll stay on in East Africa following Kili. My first visit.
This is the 2nd time I’d signed up for Kilimanjaro. The first was in 2020 — cancelled by Covid.
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.
… 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. …
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:
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. 😀
BestHike editor Rick McCharles spends a week or so each Spring hiking and skiing. The trails are near empty — though you might want to wear spiked shoes.
Capitol Reef, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon, White Sands National Monument, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. This part of the world is awesome.
We hike the SW USA every year and have yet to be disappointed.
Fascinating, diverse and mind-boggling. The best WOW geological zone we’ve seen anywhere.
The high desert plateau intersection of the four U.S. states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado Plateau is not the deepest nor largest, but it’s by far the most stunningly beautiful on Earth.
Most of the best slot canyons and natural stone arches in the world are here. A desert, your views are unobstructed. The light is perfect for photography.
The best weather is Oct-Nov, Mar-May. Summers are too hot for most hikers.
Most of the hikes in the Four Corners are short due to lack of water and the real risk of getting lost. People die in this wilderness every year.
Our favourite hike in the Four Corners region is Paria Canyon on the border of Arizona and Utah. You enjoy many days beneath huge walls in a slot canyon.
Beginning October 27, Foundation friend and Highlands Park, Colorado search and rescue volunteer Gary Fraser will be undertaking an arduous journey to the base camp of Mount Everest in honor of Sophia Ruggieri, who tragically died from complications due to Type 1 Diabetes.
After a series of flights that will culminate in a white-knuckle landing into Lukla, Nepal, one of the world’s most dangerous airports, “Fraser’s Trek for Type 1” will cover 15 days of grueling climbs, with stops in multiple Sherpa villages as Mr. Fraser acclimates to the thinning atmosphere on his way to the Everest base camp at 17,600 feet.
“I am so happy to be able to honor Sophia and bring attention to this great cause by my expedition to the Everest base camp,” stated Mr. Fraser. “Sophia loved hiking, and I know that her spirit will help inspire me during this demanding journey.”
Proceeds from Fraser’s Trek for Type 1 will be used to support children and young adults battling Type 1 Diabetes, including by providing college scholarships and paid attendance at a specialized T1D camp.
To support Gary’s climb and help those with T1D, please click on the Give Lively link here:
Those who donate $100 or more will receive a commemorative “Fraser’s Trek for Type 1” t-shirt. To see updates of Mr. Fraser’s journey, please visit the Foundation website at www.sophiaruggierifoundation.org.
THE SOPHIA RUGGIERI MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The mission of the Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation Serving Those with Type 1 Diabetes Inc., a 100% volunteer public charity, is to identify cost-effective ways to help T1D youth, and to provide such aid directly, such as through college scholarships, or indirectly through other 501(c)3 organizations.
The Foundation was established to honor Sophia Ruggieri, a Dacula, Georgia resident, loving daughter, sister and friend, who passed away from Type 1 Diabetes.
The organization’s inaugural and ongoing fundraising event, Sophia’s Stroll, is a testament to Sophia’s love for hiking the forests and trails of North Carolina, travel and exploration.
Each summer, the Foundation sends children to Camp Kudzu, a Georgia-based camp that for 25 years has brightened the summer for children ages 8 to 18 who have Type 1 Diabetes, where Sophia enjoyed volunteering.
At Camp Kudzu kids not only have fun, but they also get to learn important steps in dealing with this silent disease.
In addition, the Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation awards college scholarships to students with Type 1 Diabetes and helps fund the provision of needed medical supplies and devices.
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.
besthike.com 