Category: books and magazines

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#10 best hiking region in the world is the …

Indian Himalaya

India is vibrant, chaotically mad. But you can easily escape to the tranquil high mountains and have them to yourself.

This is Nepal, but without “teahouses” packed together on every popular trail.

Indulge your spirit of adventure and trek the spectacular Indian Himalaya. First-timers and seasoned trekkers alike can experience the region’s rich blend of cultures, religions and dramatic landscapes … LP

As you know, the weather is fickle. The infrastructure undeveloped. You need be confidently independent at altitude or sign on with a reputable guiding company. People die in the Himalaya every year of altitude sickness.

Personally, sadly, I’ve hiked very little in this region. I’m still kicking myself for not trekking to Kangchenjunga when I had the chance in the 1990s. I stood on a ridge in Darjeeling looking at the third highest peak in the world, and decided to head to the beaches of Goa for Christmas, instead. Doh!

The best future destinations for serious hikers, I think, are the Indian Himalaya and Bolivia. (Bhutan, as well, if it ever opens to independent travel.)

More information on our new Indian Himalaya information page.

The best guidebook is Lonely Planet Trekking in the Indian Himalaya. But more inspirational is Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya (Trekking & Climbing Guides) by Harish Kapadia. (It can be difficult to find a copy.)

Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya

Leave a comment if you have your own favourite trek in the Indian Himalayas. We’re looking for advice.

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best hikes Copper Canyon, Mexico

Researching the best hikes in the Copper Canyon has turned out to be more challenging than expected. My ragged copy of Mexico’s Copper Canyon Country: A Hiking and Backpacking Guide (1994) is amusing, but badly dated.

I’ve been there before on the standard Gringo route, day hiking. Perhaps I’ll go back this winter for some serious multi-day canyon busting.

map_copper_canyon.gif

The Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barranca del Cobre) is a group of canyons consisting of 6 distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in the neighboring United States although the Grand Canyon is larger than any of the individual canyons.

The system is transversed by the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad, known by the nickname “Chepe”. It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.

Mexico established the Parque Nacional Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon National Park) to showcase this remote area.

The canyon is the traditional home of the indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) people.

Copper Canyon – Wikipedia

I’ll order the Moon guide by Joe Cummings, the world’s best guidebook writer in my opinion.

Northern Mexico (2nd Ed.)

Moon Handbooks: Northern Mexico (2nd Ed.)

Leave a comment if you have advice on longer treks in the canyons.

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gift idea: American Hiking Society Membership

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Consider giving a fellow hiker or backpacker a gift membership in the American Hiking Society. A $30, one-year membership includes subscriptions to American Hiker and Backpacker magazines, along with other member benefits.

Holiday Gift Idea: American Hiking Society Membership – Trailspace.com

That’s the basic individual membership. There are many other options.

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Banff Festivals – good not great

After 5-days at the Banff Mountain Festivals 2007, here’s my FINAL review:

totempole_190.jpgThis was my first trip to Banff for the festivals.

THE GOOD:

  • bringing together so many outdoors enthusiasts
  • Banff and the Rocky Mountains
  • food available on site
  • sponsors, especially National Geographic and New Balance
  • “reading rooms” for previewing the books
  • TV monitors showing the performances for those without tickets
  • no bottled water on site (reduced environmental impact)
  • enthusiastic volunteers

    • =====

    THE BAD:

  • Banff Centre is a surprisingly poor venue
  • events are widely scattered across campus
  • trade show spaces too small and scattered
  • theatres are not great
  • confusing website
  • confusing schedule of events

    • Small gripe: I could walk in and out of movies when I wanted. Except Sunday morning when suddenly I was not allowed in after the first movie had started.

    My biggest complaint, though, is too much focus on mountaineering at the expense of all other Mountain activities. If you are not interested in climbing, don’t bother coming. That’s the message I get, as a hiker.

    That’s amusing since the Canadian Rockies are infamous for dangerous rock climbing. The infamous “rotten Rockies”. Most of the world’s best climbers don’t come here — except for a holiday at the Banff Festival.

    For Books, 2007 was not a banner year. The movies were better, I thought.

    I’m not sure the Banff Centre could ever host a great festival. The venue is limited.

    My advice is that you attend, instead, the superb World Tour. Or the Radical Reels tour. Check out the award winning books and award winning movies on-line. No need to spend the time and money to come to Banff.

    The Kendal Mountain Festivals in the UK looks better to me at first glance.

    Ask anyone else who travelled to Banff, you’ll get a more positive review, I think. I may be too critical.

    Banff Mountain Festivals 2007 – official website

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    toughest long distance walk in the British Isles

    So says the Ramblers Association.

    Cape Wrath Trail is a hiking route that runs through the Scottish Highlands and along the west coast of Scotland.

    It is approximately 200 miles in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK.

    The trek gained prominence via a 1996 book by Dave Paterson entitled The Cape Wrath Trail. This was followed in 1999 by a separate publication (North to the Cape: A trek from Fort William to Cape Wrath) by Denis Brook and Phil Hinchliffe.

    In both versions the trail begins in Fort William and ends at Cape Wrath lighthouse on the northwest tip of the Scottish mainland. It connects with the West Highland Way and parts of it also follow the Great Glen Way to Inverness.

    These guidebooks estimate an experienced hiker should be able to traverse the entire route in less than 20 days. However the two sets of authors detail slightly different routes and stages for hikers to follow.

    Officially the trail is not endorsed by Scottish Natural Heritage and it is not waymarked or signposted. Facilities along the trail are also minimal and it covers some of the remotest parts of mainland Britain. …

    Cape Wrath Trail – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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    Check a superb trip report by Colm Ennis.

    North to the Cape (Cicerone Guide)

    North to the Cape (Cicerone Guide)

    DISCOVERING THE CAPE WRATH TRAIL. A JOURNEY OF 200 MILES FOLLOWING SCOTLANDS ANCIENT FOOTPATH FROM FORT WILLIAM TO CAPE WRATH

    A Walk Through the Highlands of Scotland: DISCOVERING THE CAPE WRATH TRAIL. A JOURNEY OF 200 MILES FOLLOWING SCOTLANDS ANCIENT FOOTPATH FROM FORT WILLIAM TO CAPE WRATH

    We’ve added Cape Wrath to our list of the best hikes in Europe.

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    Into Hot Air: Mounting Mount Everest

    Former SNL funnyman Chris Elliot has just published a new book called “Into Hot Air: Mounting Mount Everest,” a send-up of Outside Editor at Large Jon Krakauer’s famous work of nearly the same name. The book imagines it wasn’t Hillary and Tenzing Norgay who first bagged Everest’s summit, but Elliot’s adventurous and stone-crazy Great Uncle Percy Brackett Elliott, who subsequently disappeared. Hoping to solve the mystery, Elliot the younger sets off to hike the mountain with a cast of characters including Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Kirsten Dunst and Tony Danza.

    Outside Blog: Archives

    Into Hot Air: Another “Novel” by Chris Elliott

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    children’s hiking book

    Hiking is an activity that appeals more to adults than children.

    On the other hand, when I’ve volunteered to take groups of kids on day hikes, I estimate about a third really get into it. They tell me they’d like to do more and longer trips.

    Perhaps children simply have too little exposure to hiking. And too much exposure to TV.

    Are there any gift giving holidays coming up?

    anna-goes-hiking.jpg

    Anna Goes Hiking: Discover Hiking and Explore Nature (Bur Bur & Friends) – Amazon

    Bur Bur and Friends blog

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    Backpacker magazine – Global Warming

    Once a month or so I head for the library to catch up on magazines.

    Of course I had seen many references on-line to the Sept. 2007 Backpacker Global Warming Issue.

    I like Backpacker — but am suspicious of any magazine with a GREEN issue. Are they simply pumping sales with the G word?

    In this case, no. This issue is excellent. And scary. The “Future of Wilderness” projection will affect all hikers.

    Climate change, Parks at risk, desertification, species extinction, forests dying, degraded water supply. It is depressing.

    Some solutions are suggested. But buying a hemp pack somehow feels too little, too late.

    Backpacker, September 2007 Issue

    Backpacker, September 2007 Issue

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    Rick Deutsch – Half Dome, Yosemite

    Rick is expert on one of the World’s great scrambles, the author of One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome.

    His opinion has been much in demand as 3 people died in 2007.

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    original – flickr – tjk

    Rick points out that an estimated 50,000 climb it every year. And no one has ever fallen using the cables until this year.

    Still — you must be physically and psychologically ready for this hike. (Get his book.)

    We feel there is no need to regulate Half Dome. But it’s essential that less experienced day hikers are warned of the dangers.

    Listen to Rick interviewed by Steve Sergeant on the Wildebeat audiocast.

    Yosemite's Half Dome

    One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

    HikeHalfDome.com – official website