Category: alpine

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Lake Lovely Water Trail, B.C.

The Tantalus Range is easily viewed from the “Sea to Sky Highway” that travels from Vancouver to Squamish and Whistler.

Tantalus

Lake Lovely Water is a Mountaineer’s and Scrambler’s Paradise. But it’s not for the inexperienced nor ill-prepared.

There is a 6.5 km (4-6 hour) hike to Lake Lovely Water. The trail is very rugged and steep. Good route finding skills and proper equipment and clothing are required. Weather can change quickly, causing limited visibility.

There are steep and rugged established trails leading from the cabin towards Niobe Meadows (approximately 2.5km one-way) and Lambda Lake Meadows (approximately 3.5km one-way).

BC Parks

Access to the Lake Lovely Water trail requires crossing the Squamish River. Jetboat service may be available out of Brackendale. Or you could chopper out of Squamish Airport direct to a hut. Contact Omega Aviation 604-898-1067 or Black Tusk Helicopters 604-898-4800.

I’ve heard of hikers canoeing across.

By reservation only, you could stay at either Tantalus Hut on the Lake (3850ft) or Jim Haberl Hut (6800ft).

Lake Lovely Waterrelated – Tantalust, Part V: Epilogue (heli hiking)

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Loggers Lake – Whistler, BC, Canada

On a trail run/hike out of my residence, Whistler’s Athletes Lodge, I passed this pretty volcanic crater lake.

You can’t lose hiking near Whistler B.C.

It’s all good.

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One of the easier Whistler, BC, Canada lakes to access by walking a short distance. But, be aware, the distance to the lake may be short but the steep climb to the lake is not easy. … mainly loose rocks following a deactivated road, now hiking and mountain biking trail, for 350 metres.

Loggers Lake – Whistler, BC, CanadaLogger’s Lake, considered a watershed, is a small lake surrounded by trees and rock formations located in the Whistler Interpretive Forest. …

Loggers Lake Trail – Whistler, BC, Canada

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Whistler Athlete’s Lodge

For the second time in 2014, I’m staying at an athlete’s hostel built for the 2010 Winter Olympics near Vancouver, B.C.

Inexpensive. And brilliant.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If you want to be inspired to do more outdoor sport, stay at Whistler Athlete’s Lodge.

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Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

Once you’ve been up on the Roof of Africa in the Ethiopian Highlands, you won’t want to come down

Jemima Sissons:

… I spent my first few days in Ethiopia exploring the capital, Addis Ababa, then caught a flight to Gondar in the north, where I met Mulat and our driver, Melsie Nuru, and started preparing for our four-day, 50-kilometer trek across the Simien Mountains.

The Chinese-built roads make the three-hour drive to the base camp at Sankaber an easy whiz through lush pastures and past goat herds weaving their way across the road, oblivious to traffic. Soon the roads give way to dirt tracks, and after leaving the final village, the real adventure begins. It is unimaginable to contemplate this stretch without an SUV, as we lurch from side to side through unfathomably deep mud, on a number of occasions jolting within a hair’s breadth of the precipitous edge.

When the car finally stops, the cook and driver go off to set up camp, while my guide and I begin our trek. …

Take a Hike Across Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains

Simien Mountains

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Rattlesnake Ledge, WA

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Though I’d rushed through Snoqualmie Pass dozens of times over the years – to or from Seattle – this was the first time I’d ever stopped to hike.

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4.0 miles, roundtrip

Gain: 1160ft
Highest Point: 2078ft

No pass or permit required. And, no, there are no rattlesnakes.

This is a fine hike on a well maintained, albeit busy trail through the forest with views of the Cedar River watershed, Mount Si, Mount Washington, Rattlesnake Lake and Chester Morse Lake.

As soon as you arrive in the parking lot you have a view of Rattlesnake Ledge’s sheer rock face across Rattlesnake Lake. At this point it seems amazing to think you will be up there by the end of your hike, but a look at a trail map will reveal some well-engineered switchbacks …

WTA – Rattlesnake Ledge

It’s super popular. Hikers. Dog walkers. I saw many trail runners. (I walked up. Ran down, myself.)

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Careful. In 2009 two different hikers fell to their deaths.

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related – A lookout of legendary proportions

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trek the Dientes Circuit in Patagonia

We’ve moved and updated our Dientes information page.

AT A GLANCE

  • circumambulate the jagged spires of Cordon de los Dientes
  • out of Puerto William, Chile, on Isla Navarino (pop. 2,262 last time we counted)
  • recommended 5 days, 4 nights
  • world’s most southerly major hike?

Why We Like This Hike

  • great views, most of the trek is above the treeline
  • vista over the islands making up Cape Horn (about 150km south)
  • condors, guanaco & beaver may be seen
  • it’s close to Paine & Fitz Roy, our favourite hikes in Patagonia
  • no risk of altitude sickness
Radek Tezaur

 Check the rest on our Dientes information page.

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Roof of Yosemite Loop

Leor Pantilat seems to have invented his own high Sierra route:

The Roof of Yosemite Loop travels to the highest point in Yosemite National Park on 13,114 ft Mount Lyell and also includes ascents of 12,900 ft Mount Maclure (5th highest in the park) and 12,561 ft Mount Florence (9th highest in the park).  …

The Roof of Yosemite Loop combines many of the highlights of this region into an aesthetic and highly scenic loop. …

 
lyell02

roof_of_yosmite_loop

Leor Pantilat’s Adventures – The Roof of Yosemite Loop

That looks one wild and challenging adventure. 🙂

I believe I saw this linked from Hiking in Finland.

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climbing Fansipan, Vietnam

Fansipan is a mountain in Vietnam, the highest in Indochina (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), at 3,143 metres (10,312 ft). …

Update. I’m just about to book my flight. I hope to climb Fancy Pan end of October.

“the Roof of Indochina”

AT A GLANCE

  • map Fansipan3,143 meters (10,312ft), it’s the highest in Indochina
  • Northwest region of Vietnam, near the Chinese border
  • 9km southwest of Sapa (Sa Pa) Township
  • 1-3 days hiking
  • pine forests, bamboo thickets and jungle

I’ll travel to the jumping off tourist town of Sa Pa. Hang out for a day or two looking at guided options. If I feel good, and the weather is reasonable, I’ll try for the one day up-and-down. About 10 hours total.

The best trip report I’ve seen was posted on mymilez:

We did not expect the climb to be so heavy. The trail was very steep and mostly ran in the rain forests and bamboo groves, by wet and slippery roots and rocks. …

Fansipan

summit

Climbing Fansipan – highest peak of Indochina

Fansipan Peak was blocked due to snow fall damage January 2014.

Leave a comment if you have any advice for me. I’ve added Fansipan to our list of the best hikes in Asia.

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Villarrica Volcano, Chile

Villarrica is one of Chile’s most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name. …

Villarrica is one of the world’s most climbed stratovolcanoes. Guided hikes to the crater are offered from the town of Pucón by several enterprises, but ascent might be suspended due to cloudiness and in periods of seismic or increased volcanic activity. Helicopter sightseeing services offer flights over the crater as well. In the winter (July–September) a ski resort operates on the northern slopes. In 2007 a service guided helicopter began to offer flights over the crater. …

Check a trip report by DAMIAN HALL posted on the Merrell blog.

Turning up at the guide company office at 7 a.m. for the third morning in a row, my travel buddy Elizabeth and I had quietly given up on ever climbing the 9,340 foot Volcán Villarrica. …

The weather was calmer. We got the green light to climb the volcano. Gulp. …

It’s hard work climbing up the volcano, but the rewards are great. After a couple of hours of climbing, we gaped at the rich woodlands, discreet villages, vast lakes and hills worthy of hobbit habitation below. Indeed, the climb was about to go a bit Mt Doom …

villarica-tree

read more – Epic Trails – VOLCAN VILLARRICA – A HOT HIKE IN THE CHILEAN LAKE DISTRICT

I once traveled to Pucón to climb this beast. My trip was canceled due to weather. It happens a lot.

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