Category: alpine

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climbing Mt Baldy, Los Angeles

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Mount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at 10,068 ft (3,069 m), is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County. …

Hiking trails access the summit from three sides of the mountain and one route is assisted on summer weekends by the availability of a running ski-area chair lift …

I checked Modern Hiker for details:

– Distance: 10.33 miles
– Elevation Gain: 3950 feet

… Most of the trails are very clearly marked and easy to follow. There are a few places where you might get off the beaten path, but generally you can find your way back with ease. The Devil’s Backbone Trail has a few dangerous spots that deserve extra attention. Do not attempt this trail when there is ice or snow present. A single slip on the Backbone when it’s icy could spell serious trouble …

I was concerned about snow on May 5th, 2011. People have died here.

I was ready to switch to a safer trail, if advised to do so at the Visitor’s Center. … Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the office is currently closed Tue/Wed/Thur. (I arrived on a Thursday. Merde.)

… I decided to climb as high as possible, turning back if unsafe.

The most popular trailhead for those not CHEATING by taking the lift is Manker Flats, Antonio Falls road. It’s relatively easy to get up to Mt. Baldy Ski Resort, (not to be confused with the one in Canada).

The weather was perfect. Very little wind.

The highlight for me, though, were the ridge walk sections. Happily, all clear of snow.

Conditions were safe. I found myself on the summit in 3hrs.

I’m not saying there was no snow. Rather that there was almost no snow in any position of exposure.

I stashed a Summit Stone at 10,064 feet. (PHOTO)

This hike is highly recommended. I loved it.

more photos

A much better trip report than mine is posted on Modern Hiker. 🙂

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Chilkoot Trail eGuide

The Chilkoot Trail, which begins on tidewater in Alaska and climbs up over mountains in British Columbia, presents a unique backpacking opportunity, as this is a trail rich with history.

It was the main trail used in the famous Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1800′s, one of the biggest rushes the world has ever seen.

An international crowd of literally tens of thousands, fueled by dreams of riches, used the Chilkoot Trail to chase the gold in the Yukon. Most suffered incredible hardship, many never even made it and only a few got rich. Today on the trail you’ll find plenty of reminders of their epic journey.

sample page ...

Download a FREE Trail eGuide from the Hike Bike Travel Free Adventure Guides page. There are plenty more just like this one.

They download as .ZIP files that then need to be opened as PDFs.

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Dientes Circuit, Patagonia

The Patagonia You’ve Never Heard Of

Backpacking southern Chile’s obscure and wild Dientes Circuit

By Michael Lanza

As our 20-seat, twin-engine Otter DHC-6 prop plane drops through the ever-present Patagonian cloud cover, the Beagle Channel comes into view. On both sides, green hills rise to craggy, treeless mountains. To the north, the jagged Fuegian Andes of Argentina push into the sky. To the south looms our destination: the sharply pointed spires of the Dientes de Navarino. With a steep banking turn, the plane glides down onto the airstrip in the southernmost town in the world, Puerto Williams on Chile’s Navarino Island. …

read the trip report on The Big Outside

22.7-mile (36.5k) circuit

If you are not confident to go on your own, you can do this one guided, 6 days, 5 nights ($1300+) , by aonikenk.

I keep posting Dientes, the most southerly established trek in the world, because I’m still frustrated at having missed it myself on my one trip to the tip of South America.

I’m seriously considering going back in 2012.

Check out Dientes information page.

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photo essay – trekking Colca Canyon, Peru

Danny Milks & Kristin Tennessen posted some terrific pics from their hike to the bottom of one of the world’s deepest canyons:

Colca Canyon, at 4,160 meters (13,648 feet) from top to bottom, is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon …

see more on Backpacking Light

Here’s our besthike information page – Colca Canyon. And my personal trip report from 2005.

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hikingwithbarry – sensational hikes

LOVE these two posts by Barry . Terrific photos and trip reports.

• Twin Falls in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Twin Falls, Yoho

• Fairy Falls and Imperial Geyser – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
• Mount Allan – Centennial Ridge – Wind Valley, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada
• Perley Rock – Rogers Pass – Canada’s Glacier National Park, British Columbia, Canada
• Asulkan Valley – Rogers Pass – Canada’s Glacier National Park, British Columbia, Canada
• Swiftcurrent Pass – Glacier National Park, Montana
• Grinnell Glacier – Many Glaciers – Glacier National Park, Montana
• Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass – Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
• Eiffel Lakes and Wenkchemna Pass – Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
• Turtle Mountain Summit Traverse – Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, Canada

Ten Sensational Hikes From hikingwithbarry – Volume 1

• Upper Antelope Slot Canyon – Page – Hiking Arizona
• Lower Antelope Slot Canyon – Page – Hiking Arizona
• Rats Nest Cave – Bow Valley Corridor – Hiking Alberta

Rat's Nest Cave

• The Pod – Crowsnest Pass – Hiking Alberta
• Mount Sir Donald – Rogers Pass – Glacier National Park – Hiking British Columbia
• Highline Trail – Garden Wall – Glacier National Park – Hiking Montana
• Grandview Trail – Grand Canyon National Park – Hiking Arizona
• Butch Cassidy Trail – Red Canyon – Hiking Utah
• Mount Burke – Cameron Fire Lookout – South Kananaskis – Hiking Alberta
• Stanley Glacier – Kootenay National Park – Hiking British Columbia

Ten Sensational Hikes from hikingwithbarry – Volume 2

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El Camino Del Rey, Spain restored?

Some say its the most dangerous hike in the world, El Camino Del Rey (also known as El Caminito Del Rey) is definitely the most thrilling hike I’ve ever done. …

The path was originally constructed in 1905 for workers of a hydro electric dam set up in the cliffs of El Choro. Since then, the path has deteriorated and is now only for the adventurous. …

read a trip report with many more scary photos

The Cheap Route:

…. I just discovered that this hike is not going to be around much longer, at least not in its current “adventurous” state. If it sounds appealing, you better hurry up and get to Spain.

El Caminito Del Rey To Be Restored – €9 million over 4 years to fund the restoration

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Win $5000 from Austin-Lehman Travel Adventure

This is a super easy contest to enter. There are no Facebook likes or posts necessary, no videos to make or tweeting to do. Simply click on the Austin-Lehman link here – provide your name, email address and the URL of the blog you came from – and that readers would be me – here at HikeBikeTravel (www.hikebiketravel.com/).

… You are probably too BUSY to bother with this contest.

Never mind.

But if I WIN, I’m leaning towards Peru …

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The Rockwall – Kootenay National Park

A classic hike in my part of the world, the Canadian Rockies.

It’s a 3 -5 day tough backpacking trip covering 55 kms (34 miles) one way. Start at the Floe Lake Trailhead and finish at the Paint Pots Trailhead.

The trailheads are about a 2 ½ hour drive from Calgary. …

Hitchhike back to your car at the end of the trip or arrange a car shuttle before you begin. The trailheads are only 13 kms (8 miles) apart. You do need to buy a back-country pass beforehand. …

read more on Leigh McAdam‘s site Hike Bike Travel – Backpacking The Rockwall Trail – Kootenay National Park, BC

Her site is my best recent blog discovery, by the way. Check it out – Hike Bike Travel

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top 10 Himalayan Treks

Mick from Wilderness Trekking questions our choice of the Annapurna Circuit as one of the top 10 hikes in the world:

… road building and the inevitable changes with so much trekking traffic have taken their toll …

He suggests a number of terrific alternatives:

Sacred Tsum Valley – Nepal
Classic Manaslu Circuit – Nepal
Everest Base Camp – Nepal
Dolpo Traverse – Nepal
Mythical Nar & Phu – Nepal

Mount Kailas Kora – Tibet

Remote Zanskar Traverse – India
Markha Valley – India

Wild Lunana – Bhutan
Phubjikha Festivals – Bhutan

Wilderness Trekking

Mick’s company guides those great adventures. For example:

… Our Phubjhika Festivals trek combines exploration of many of Bhutan’s historic places of interest, including Taksang, or the Tigers Nest Monastery and coincides with perfectly preserved, ancient Buddhist Festivals.

Making use of a chain of comfortable Bhutanese style hotels, we travel with experienced, English speaking local guides who will be able to interpret our experiences and offer personal insights into this fascinating culture. No trip to Bhutan would be complete without a walk through the Himalayan mountains and our gentle three day trek in the Phubjhika Valley, home of the endangered ‘Black Necked Cranes’ will give us just enough time to relax into the Himalayan rhythm before visiting the annual Nyzer Dromchoe Festival. …

details

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Gear Junkie Video Show

I’m no Gear Junkie.

I’ve got Stephen Regenold for that.

GearJunkie.com, launched in 2006, is regarded as a top blog and online publication for product reviews and news in the outdoors world. The site contains thousands of pages of content — gear reviews, news, travel and adventure stories …

Stephen already got a lot of excellent video content. But new to me was his Gear Junkie Video Show.

Episode No. 1 … was shot … at Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – Video: ‘What is Gear Junkie?’