Decline of Mountain Equipment Co-op

Canada’s Mountain Equipment Co-op has offered the best shopping for hikers for decades. I’d argue it’s still the best hiking shop in the world.

But anyone in one of their stores in 2015 would concur it’s not as good as it once was. The staff is much younger and less experienced in the wild than in the past. Prices are higher. There’s too high a percentage of yuppie, urban crap on the shelves.

Outdoor gear for city folks who have no intention of going to any mountains. Click through to Canadian Business magazine for a history of the change through to 2013.

MEC without the Mountain

Outdoors retailer goes mainstream

December 11, 2015December 7, 2015

top 10 detours off the Everest trek

Though I spent 15 days on the Everest trek already, I’m tempted to go back and side trip off the main trail.

Ama Dablam Base Camp looks great.

Lonely Planet – Top Ten Detours off the Everest trek

The Everest trek was not much affected by the earthquakes of 2015. If interested in doing this life changing adventure yourself, start with our Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes information page.

No guide required. It’s easy and inexpensive to hike Everest on your own.

December 7, 2015December 4, 2015

Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek

From the Nepal side.

Kanchenjunga, meaning “five great treasure houses of the snow,” is the third-highest mountain in the world and the second-highest in Nepal. Until 1856, it was believed to be the highest of all.

$3-$5,000 for an up to a 28 day adventure according to one source.

You could do it cheaper by shopping around in Kathmandu. Doing more of the organizational work on your own.

November 1, 2015November 1, 2015

world hiker Cam “Swami” Honan

… Cam “Swami” Honan has trekked more than 53,000 miles (85,295 km) in some 55 countries around the globe since the early 1990’s.

Hailing from Australia, Cam’s longest hiking journey took place in North America. Between July 2, 2011 and December 28, 2012, he completed an incredible trip which was called the “12 Long Walks.” Consisting of a dozen consecutive long distance hikes and totalling more than 14,300 miles (23,014 km), Cam passed through 29 US States, 4 Canadian provinces and destroyed a whopping 28 pairs of trail running shoes!　

Along the way he set records for the completion of a calendar year Triple Crown (Pacific Crest, Appalachian and Continental Divide Trails – 236 days), distance covered in a calendar year and the one of which he is most proud, dehydrated beans consumed in an 18 month period (123.7 lbs / 56.1 kg)! …

Cam-Honan-CBT

exclusive interview
besthike – What attracts you to any specific hike?

I don’t really have any specific criteria that I look for. Sometimes I’m drawn to remote wilderness areas. On other occasions I look for a combination of elements such as historical, cultural, culinary and even libational (e.g. country pubs in the UK/Ireland or Italy’s wine growing regions)!

besthike – What were your favourite short (week or less) hikes all time?

I get asked this question quite a lot and the answer has always been the same…….I don’t have any favourites. That being said, certain regions such as the Karakorum, Tibet, Lapland, Gobi desert, Alaska/Yukon, High Sierra, SW Tasmania, Patagonia, Colorado Plateau and Canadian Rockies come to mind.

besthike – Do you know of anyone else who’s hiked as extensively around the world as you have?

No one that I’m aware of. That being said, it’s not a question I’ve given any thought to.

besthike – How do you afford to travel so much?

Once the plane fares and all the equipment have been taken care of, hiking trips are generally very affordable. Accommodation is usually free, food often equates to $10 a day or less and your own feet take care of things on the transportation front.

besthike – Where would you most like to hike in the future?

There are quite a few different places I’m yet to explore. A couple that come immediately to mind are the Kimberley region of Western Australia and sub-Saharan Africa.

In more recent times, Cam has completed historic traverses of Mexico’s Copper Canyon region (2013 – together with fellow Montbell athlete, Justin Lichter) and Peru’s Cordillera Blanca (2014). When not wandering the wild regions of the planet, he can be found splitting his time between Australia, the US and his adopted homeland of Mexico.

mont bell USA

His excellent website is called (appropriately) The Hiking Life. 🙂

September 28, 2015October 2, 2015

Markha trek, Ladakh – day 5

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | info page

Morning coffee.

These curious (and common) ground birds dropped by. Are they Chukar partridge?

Sergei packs up his small cycling tent.

We were surprised when a Tibetan woman appeared asking for 150 rupees each. It had seemed the campsite (dirty and without a toilet) was closed for the season. Apparently not.

Official campsites seem to cost 600 Indian rupees in 2015. Unofficial ones 150 Indian rupee. Both overpriced compared with homestays, we felt. (900 rupees including 3 meals)

UP and off.

I tried to keep up with Sergei. It wasn’t easy. Especially since I had been exhausted the day before keeping pace.

On the other hand, we were fairly compatible. Both keen and very independent hikers.

I found the dry Markha valley gorgeous. Sergei missed trees.

River crossings were actually a relief. Heat emergency is a real risk here.

I changed footwear. Sergei plunged through.

We’d anticipated Markha village 3806m to be somehow more impressive than the other villages. But it was very quiet. Harvest was in progress. Everyone in the fields.

So we continued.

Horses are the most popular pack animal here. Followed by donkeys.

I didn’t once see a Yak or Yak hybrid used.

The geology here is stunning.

Sergei is an alpinist, having summited Lenin Peak. He was interested in these formations.

Though there are many impressive stupas and monasteries, it seems Ladakh does not have many monks.

This particular monastery does impress, however. Umlung Gompa 3890m, impossibly situated.

The parachute camp was closed. So we carried on.

Seabuckthorn berries are everywhere. Used for jam and other local products.

Higher and drier.

We considered stopping near Hankar 3990m. But Sergei likes to walk until dusk. So he can set up his tent in the dark (for free) and not be hassled by passing locals. Everyone who walks past asks for 150 ruppee, even a monk … though the monk actually seemed to have “receipts” in his robes for the camping fee.

Exhausted and with sore feet, I finally put down my tent in the official camping at Thachungtse 4250m.

Sergei, lacking firewood to cook his dinner, decided to stay as well and use my gas stove.

See all my high resolution photos from this day on flickr.

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | info page

August 14, 2015

West Coast Trail getting upgrades

The WCT is our favourite hike in the world. 🙂

The 75-kilometre West Coast Trail is getting repairs to bridges, ladders and other sections, as part of $33.6 million in funding announced for Parks Canada.

The money is the largest federal infrastructure investment in Parks Canada since its formation 104 years ago, said Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan. …

Sooke News

June 4, 2015May 27, 2015

top 10 trekking peaks

We’ve updated our top 10 section. With input from Kraig Becker, of the Adventure Blog. He’s recently back from his second climb of Kili. 🙂

Top-10 #1) Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 5895m
#2) Cotopaxi, Ecuador 5897m <wiki><pb><sp>
#3) Island Peak, Nepal 6189m <wiki><pb><sp>
#4) Mera Peak, Nepal 6476m <wiki><pb><sp>
#5) Stok Kangri, India 6153m <wiki><pb><sp>
#6) Huayna Potosí, Bolivia 6088m <wiki><pb><sp>
#7) Misti Volcano, Peru 5822m
#8) Mt. Toubkal, Morocco 4167m <wiki><pb><sp>
#9) Mt. Rainier, USA 4392m <wiki><pb><sp>
#10) Mont Blanc, France 4810m <wiki><pb><sp>

Aconcágua, Argentina 6,960.8m can be a walk-up. But not many would be willing to call it a trekking peak. 🙂

Trekking peaks are mountains under 7,000 metres (22,970 ft) climbable by anyone with a moderate amount of mountaineering experience and minimal gear.

Others considered for the top 10:

Chimborazo, Ecuador 6,268m <wiki><pb><sp>
Khüiten Peak, Tavan Bogd, Mongolia 4374m <wiki><sp>
Mt. Elbrus, Russia 5642m <wiki><pb><sp>
Lhakpa Ri, Tibet 7045m <pb>

Leave a comment if your favourite walk up peak is not listed.

May 29, 2015May 24, 2015

hiking Chapada Diamantina National Park, Brazil

Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina) in Brazil gets great reviews on Trip Advisor.

… the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. … The park is typified by hills, mountains, valleys and monoliths …

The jumping off point is the town of Lençóis. Not easy to reach. There are a few flights. But most people travel 400km by bus from Salvador.

There are plenty of things to do and see.

Click PLAY or watch a highlights video on YouTube.

Ideally I’d do a 3-5 day hike.

Perhaps Guiné Paty Valley Capão Valle or Lençóis Fumaça Capão Valley.

Here are highlights from 3 days of hiking in Pati Valley.

May 17, 2015May 17, 2015

book an independent TOUR de MONT BLANC online

The Tour of Mont Blanc is one of the best hikes in the world.

Duncan Boar, a guide with Tough Mountain UK, sends news that there is now a website that helps you plan a self-guided route on the TMB. It has a list of accommodation in each of the villages with prices and email/phone contacts.

It looks pretty good. And is posted in 5 languages: French, English, Italian, German and Spanish.

Check it out montourdumontblanc.com

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a unique trek of approximately 200km around Mont Blanc that can be completed in between 7 and 10 days passing through Italy, Switzerland and France.