Walking the Earth’s Spine

This looks great. I’ll try to find a copy in Kathmandu.

When Jono Lineen‘s brother died in tragic circumstances, he gave up a comfortable life, moved to the Himalayas and over eight years immersed himself in the cultures of the world’s highest mountains.

The experience culminates in his book Into the Heart of the Himalayas, a fascinating memoir that traces his solo trekking odyssey from Pakistan to Nepal across thousands of kilometres of mountain terrain. No-one has ever before attempted to walk the length of the Western Himalayas alone, but Jono’s intentions were more psychological than physical. It was about integrating the Himalayan culture he had grown to love, assimilating the wisdom of the place and coming to terms with his loss.

Jono’s openness with everyone he meets on the trail – from Pakistani military officers to Tibetan lamas and naked Hindu Saddhus – lies at the heart of one of the most complete portraits of the Himalayas ever written. Jono Lineen – a lone, disarming man – crosses borders, religions, castes, languages and philosophical boundaries to find the way to embrace his future.

interview with Jono Lineen

He explains why an adventure from 1995 was not published until April 2014.

Into the Heart of the Himalayas [Kindle Edition]

Walking the Earth’s Spine: A 2,700-kilometre Solo Hike Through the Himalyas

[paperback]

September 23, 2014September 22, 2014

Sunshine Coast Trail

Have you heard of the Sunshine Coast Trail?

… a 180-kilometre trail that stretches from Sarah Point in Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay. …

… this epic trail now boasts (12 shelters) …, making it the only free hut-to-hut hiking experience in Canada. …

more maps

The huts are basic. First come, first served. I’ll carry a tent, just in case.

No fees. No registration. Easy access from multiple trailheads means you can resupply en route. Logistics will be easy. It’s coastal and fairly flat – aside from 3 mountain ascents of about 4000 feet.

I bought the guidebook by Eagle Walz. It looks great.

Check the Facebook page for another book – A Dream of Giants: the story of the Sunshine Coast Trail

The soonest I could do all or part of the SCT is summer 2015. Leave a comment if you are interested. This is a terrific excuse to visit the Sunshine Coast of Canada.

One more thing.

There’s a paddling route roughly in parallel with a large section of the Sunshine Coast Trail. From Shinglemill to Canoe Main. Hikers could switch to canoes or kayaks for a break from the trail, or meet up with paddlers at designated campgrounds. Portage is required.

September 17, 2014September 10, 2014

World’s Best Hikes: Epic Trails

On National Geographic, Doug Schnitzspahn posted an excellent list of the best of the best:

• Mount Kailash Pilgrimage, Tibet
• Israel National Trail, Israel
• North Drakensberg Traverse, South Africa/Lesotho, uKhahlamba/ Drakensberg Park
• Cinque Terre, Sentiero Azzuro, Italy
• Yoshida Trail, Mount Fuji, Japan
• Santa Cruz Trek, Cordillera Blanca, Peru
• Hayduke Trail, Utah and Arizona
• Laugavegurinn/Fimmvörðuháls Pass, Iceland
• The Way of St. James via the French Way, Spain
• Continental Divide Trail, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
• Bibbulmun Track, Australia
• West Highland Way, Scotland (the weakest of the list)
• Shackleton’s Route, South Georgia Island, South Atlantic/Antarctica
• Shipwreck Coast/Shi Shi Beach, Olympic Peninsula, Washington
• GR 20, Corsica, France
• Copper Canyon/Tararecua Canyon, Mexico
• Great Himalaya Trail, Nepal
• Benton MacKaye Trail, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina
• The Snowman Trek, Bhutan
• International Appalachian Trail, U.S., Canada, Greenland, Scotland, Spain, Morocco

Here’s his list of the “most thrilling” treks:

• Besseggen Ridge, Norway
• El Caminito del Rey (The King’s Pathway), Spain
• Leukerbad Via Ferrata, Switzerland
• Devil’s Path, New York State
• Stromboli, Aeolian Islands, Italy
• Aonach Eagach Ridge, Scotland
• Huntington Ravine, Mount Washington, New Hampshire
• Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea
• Dry Fork Coyote Gulch, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
• Black Hole of White Canyon, Utah
• Granite Peak, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana
• Búri Cave, Iceland
• Crypt Lake Trail, Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada
• Pacaya Volcano National Park, Antigua, Guatemala
• Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru
• Mount Huashan, China
• Lion’s Head, Table Mountain National Park, South Africa
• Kakum Canopy Walk, Ghana
• Low’s Peak Via Ferrata, Malaysia
• Chadar Trek, Zanskar River Valley, India

Click through to check any of those you wish.

National Geographic – World’s Best Hikes: Epic Trails

(via The Adventure Blog)

September 6, 2014September 3, 2014

Grandma Gatewood – Appalachian Trail

Emma Rowena Gatewood, better known as Grandma Gatewood (October 25, 1887–June 4, 1973), was an extreme hiker and ultra-light hiking pioneer who was the first woman to hike the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail …

Gatewood hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67, wearing Keds sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder …

She hiked it again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, making her the first person to hike the trail three times (though her final hike was completed in sections). She was also credited with being the oldest female thru-hiker by the Appalachian Trail Conference until 2007. …

In addition, she walked 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon, averaging 22 miles (35 km) a day. …

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail (2014)

September 4, 2014September 1, 2014

Mawson: And the Ice Men of the Heroic Age: Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen

I thought I knew much about the history of Antarctic exploration. Yet I learned much, much more after reading this book.

The incredible story of Australia’s most famous polar explorer and the giants from the heroic age of polar exploration.

Douglas Mawson, born in 1882 and knighted in 1914, was Australia’s greatest Antarctic explorer. This is the incredible account of an expedition he led on December 2, 1911, from Hobart, to explore the virgin frozen coastline below, 2000 miles of which had never felt the tread of a human foot.

… he headed east on an extraordinary sledging trek with his companions, Belgrave Ninnis and Dr Xavier Mertz. After five weeks, tragedy struck—Ninnis was swallowed whole by a snow-covered crevasse, and Mawson and Mertz realized it was too dangerous to go on. Dwindling supplies forced them to kill their dogs to feed the other dogs, at first, and then themselves. Hunger, sickness, and despair eventually got the better of Ninnis, and he succumbed to madness and then to death.

Mawson found himself all alone, 160 miles from safety, with next to no food. This staggering tale of his survival, against all odds, also masterfully interweaves the stories of the other giants from the heroic age of polar exploration, to bring the jaw-dropping events of this bygone era dazzlingly back to life. …

GoodReads

Mawson: And the Ice Men of the Heroic Age: Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen. (2012)

July 27, 2014

Yosemite Adventures: 50 Spectacular Hikes, Climbs, and Winter Treks

Josh Williams from Triumph Books sent me a review copy.

Author Matt Johanson is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast with extensive knowledge and experience in the Yosemite area and having personally completed every outing in his book, Johanson provides this great resource for Yosemite visitors.

Unlike the average Yosemite guide, Johanson offers a unique approach to the park. Instead of focusing solely on the popular summertime trips, Johanson presents the park as a year-round playground and includes winter adventures. Highlights include:

50 intricate maps and over 100 beautiful color photos and graphics of Yosemite

Five categories of activities – Winter Treks, Hiking, Backpacking, Mountain Climbing, and Rock Climbing

A guide to hiking atop the legendary, 3,000 foot high El Capitan

The path to the tranquil glacier-carved Elizabeth Lake, in the shadow of Unicorn Peak

Details of the arduous climb of the tallest mountain at Yosemite – Mount Lyell

Looks great.

It’s available in 4 different formats starting at $12.99.

July 22, 2014July 20, 2014

Outside magazine – BEST new Trail

Via Dinarica, the Balkans

The Dinaric Alps have 8,000-foot stegosaurus spines, fairy-tale meadows, and stone guesthouses. Decades of conflict made them tough to experience, but the area is amping up its tourist offerings, and access is improving on the new Via Dinarica. Our favorite stretch: the 600-mile White Trail, which stitches together old routes from Slovenia to Albania and follows the highest peaks. …

2014 Travel Awards: Best New Trail

July 10, 2014

Reese Witherspoon on the Pacific Crest Trail

It’s here.

With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone.

WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The film is based on Cheryl Strayed’s wildly popular memoir. Reese Witherspoon optioned the rights to the book for her upcoming movie even before it became a New York Times bestseller and was selected for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.

Now the trailer is out for the film, Wild, based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Starring Witherspoon and directed by Dallas Buyers Club’s Jean-Marc Vallée, the film tells the story of Strayed’s 1,100 mile trek to find herself.

Time

I enjoyed the book. Love Reese Witherspoon. And can hardly wait to see this movie.

However, … to real PCT hikers Cheryl Strayed is a joke. My advice is that Cheryl stay away. Reese is welcome to hike with me any time. 🙂

June 30, 2014June 26, 2014

Paine Circuit – best trek in the world?

wikiexplora ranks Paine the #1 trek in the world 🙂

AT A GLANCE

close to the southern tip of South America
100km (62mi) Paine Circuit is unique & gorgeous
recommended 9 days, 8 nights
shorter, easier 5-day alternative called “the W”

We’ve moved and updated our Paine Circuit information page.

It’s available one click from the besthike home page, under the South America pulldown menu.

June 26, 2014June 24, 2014

new – “Natural Annapurna Trekking Trail”

Here’s the BIG question when it comes to famed Annapurna:

ramblin’ boy – Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit: Is It Still Worth Doing?

I trekked Annapurna in 2013, staying mainly on the traditional “roads” on foot and mountain bike.

But I now wish I had an electronic version of this new book by Andrées de Ruiter and Prem Rai. They are documenting the NEW Annapurna trail, avoiding the worst of the motor roadways.

Trekking in the Annapurna area along the new NATT – trails which avoid the road. [Kindle Edition]

It includes Annapurna round / circuit, Tilicho lake, Annapurna Panorama trek & Poon Hill, Annapurna Basecamp trek ABC and the new Khopra Danda and Mardi Himal trek.

Or, you can check out an older (free) PDF version before you buy the new one.

Here’s the road near Chame under construction in 2013.

P1260118