Category: cost

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#8 best hiking region in the world is …


The Italian Dolomites.

by site editor Rick McCharles

I write from Europe. This is the first adjustment to our Top 10 hiking regions since we first published them. Northern Italy has been added.

High altitude adventure and colourful sunsets. Wow! The Dolomites are far better than I expected. This was my first trip.

At besthike we rank all mountain vistas in the world against Paine in Chile, and Fitz Roy in Argentina.

The scenery in the Dolomites may be just as good. And there are far, far more stunning jagged peaks in Italy than in all of South America.

click for larger version
click for larger version

Many, many Europeans get out hiking during the Summer. Trails are crowded everywhere throughout the Dolomites and the Alps. There’s a great shared sense of community here.

Instant gratification. You can ride chair lifts up to the very tops of some of these peaks. How convenient is that? Almost anyone can find a best hike for themselves in this range.

WW I history in the Dolomites is sobering. German, Austrian and Italian soldiers were stuck digging tunnels through these mountains through several winters. This was the “Front”. Needless to say, far more young men died from the elements and falls than by fire fights. There are reminders of the Great War everywhere.

Here is the home of via ferrata (Italian for “iron road”). (In fact, our next trip to the Dolomites will be dedicated to doing some of the best of those assisted climbing routes.)

click for larger version
click for larger version

Not everything is perfect in the Dolomites. I prefer the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, overall.

In the Sierras I can put up a tent anywhere I want. Fantastic.

Unfortunately, in the Dolomites you are required to sleep in alpine buildings called Refuges. (Refugios – Italian). Their locations are stunning. Many people love them. But – personally – I prefer my tent over sleeping on the floor. Or in bunk beds.

Happily you can reach almost any place in the Dolomites by day hike. Public transportation in the valleys below is good!

The two regions – the Sierras and the Dolomites – are similar in that everywhere is a best hike.

Rifugio Locatelli - click for larger version
Rifugio Locatelli – click for larger version

I do like the food and drink at Refugios. Prices are regulated.

The main reason I had not hiked in Europe in 30yrs is cost. Italy can be expensive.

It’s possible to hike on the cheap. Putting up my tent in a campground in Cortina only cost 9€ (US$12.80) / night in 2009.  Ryan tells us it’s up to 44€ / night summer 2023!

Bread, chocolate, soft cheese and wine are inexpensive. What more do you need?

Dan & Janine Patitucci relocated from California to the Dolomites. A good site in English for inspiration. A partner offers Dolomite hiking and biking tours.

For specific information on how to hike these limestone mountains, check our Dolomites Information page.

Leave a comment if you have your own favourite hike in the Dolomites.

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BestHike #8 – Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes

The Everest Base Camp via 3 Passes is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Base Camp / 3 Passes

Everyone wants to hike to Everest Base Camp (5,320m / 17,450ft). The 3 Passes route is the most epic.

Based on weather and fitness, you can do one or more passes as well as peaks like Kala Pattar (5,545m) that don’t require a permit.

base camp sign

AT A GLANCE

Nepal
  • majority of hikers in the Everest region hire a guide, porter(s) and/or pack animal(s) but it’s fairly easy to do independently. As of April 1, 2023 guides are probably required on Everest.
  • guided trekkers stay in lodges, or sprawling tent encampments
  • October to November best months
  • beginning of March to mid-May next best
  • 16-18 days minimum for 3 Passes. 21 days would allow for rest / illness / sidetrip / and other unanticipated delays.
  • if you don’t have time, it’s recommended 14 days just to get to Base Camp and back safely.
  • generally easy hiking on good trails with a light pack. Some very challenging, potentially dangerous sections, if you cross any of the 3 Passes
  • on the main trails buy food as you go and stay in simple “lodges”
  • Everest trails are not expensive, but many spend more than they anticipate on luxuries
  • be clear — you might have to QUIT if by bad luck or rushed ascent you suffer altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS).
  • many suffer respiratory problems. And fatigue.

Read more on our Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes information page.

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Nepal MIGHT Ban Independent Trekkers

I’ve hiked Nepal on 10 different vacations. But I’ll stop going if this NEW policy is upheld.

The nation is notoriously poorly governed. Don’t be surprised if Nepal Tourism Board suddenly reverses the policy once they foresee the economic damage.

As of March 2023 there is one major exception — the Everest region. The Khumbu Valley remains unaffected because they don’t use the TIMS card required everywhere else. For Everest, idependent hikers can instead buy a local Khumbu Trek Card.

Perhaps this exception will be changed before the start of the spring 2023 trekking season.

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Continental Divide Trail Gear 2022

Mac posted his annual statistics on the Continental Divide Trail.

Most important to hikers is finding out what gear works best over that long haul.

Most Common CDT Backpacks

  1. ULA Circuit
  2. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
  3. Zpacks Arc Haul

Most Common CDT Shelters

  1. Zpacks Duplex
  2. Zpacks Plex Solo
  3. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1

Most Common CDT Sleeping Bags/Quilts

  1. Enlightened Equipment Revelation
  2. Enlightened Equipment Enigma
  3. Western Mountaineering Versalite

Most Common CDT Sleeping Pads

  1. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite
  2. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite – Women’s
  3. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, Short

Most Common CDT Insulated Jackets

  1. Enlightened Equipment Torrid (Men’s/Women’s)
  2. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
  3. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 (Men’s/Women’s)

Most Common CDT Shells

  1. Outdoor Research Helium (Men’s/Women’s)
  2. Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2
  3. Montbell Versalite (Men’s/Women’s)

There’s much, much more:

Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey (2022)

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FREE Wild Camping in Norway

Report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

I hiked and bikepacked Norway for many weeks summers of 2018 and 2022.

Norway IS expen$ive. The best way to lower your holiday costs is to sleep FREE in your tent.

A longstanding law called allemannsretten (loosely translated as ‘the right to roam’) allows everyone to wild camp virtually anywhere in open country, for free.

Langøyene island, a 15-minute ferry ride away from Oslo, has grassy glades to pitch up in, right next to the fjord. Sognsvann lake, north of Oslo, is another good spot. …

CAMPING IN NORWAY: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

That sounds GREAT.

However — it’s a small percentage of Norway that is both flat enough and dry enough to pitch a tent. I was happy I carried a foam sleeping pad as well as my air mattress. I put it UNDER the tent to keep everything a little drier.

If you can’t find a good free spot, it’s easy to locate one of the 1,000 or so paid campsites.

Protection from the wind is another problem. I did hear of wind breaking tent poles. It’s often gusty.

A hiker had recommended this free spot in Sommarøy⁩. Ideal. Wooden tent pad with protection from the ocean wind.

I like having a picnic table to organize gear and sit down for meals.

This was the closest free site I could find near Svolvær⁩. No picnic table.

Here are a few more typical sites.

Last night tenting, I found my MSR Hubba™ NX Easton Syclone tentpole had broken … somehow. It’s the most unreliable part of MSR tents, along with their lightweight zippers.

My favourite campsite was Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten. But this cost $20 / night. It’s the trailhead for the Veggen and the more popular Mannen climbs.

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VIDEO – how to “hike” Aconcagua

You don’t HAVE to climb the highest mountain outside Asia.  Instead, you can HIKE to Base Camp without a guide.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related:

  • My 2018 trip report.
  • Our information page is a starting point for those who might want to plan their own Aconcagua adventure in future. 
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Hiking Banff’s Sulphur Mountain in Winter

Climbing Sulphur Mountain from Banff, Alberta is popular year round. But during the winter you can ride the Gondola back down for FREE. 😇

It’s easy to get to the very top of a Rocky Mountain peak.

Magical.

Click PLAY or watch a short video on YouTube.

655 metres elevation gain on switchback trails — easy in the summer, but potential slippery and dangerous with snow and ice.

Once you reach the Sulphur Mountain Gondola top station, the best is yet to come. A network of trails along the ridge, and viewing decks at the gondola station, provide stunning views of Banff, the Bow Valley, and 360-degree views in every direction.

The highest point is the historic Cosmic Ray Station.

On return to the bottom, consider the short walk over to Banff Upper Hot Springs. Let’s call it recovery.

Click PLAY or see the Gondola and the Above Banff interpretive centre on YouTube.

related – Banff Blog – How to Hike Sulphur Mountain (Alternative to Banff Gondola)

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BestHike #1 – West Coast Trail, British Columbia

West Coast Trail is our top hike in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1-minute preview on YouTube.

West Coast Trail

Challenging in many ways.

So much VARIETY in pristine Canadian coastal wilderness.

Mystic dawns and mind-blowing sunsets. Hidden pocket coves and weird coastal geology.

You’ll never forget the West Coast Trail.

WCT ladders

AT A GLANCE

  • 75 km (47 mi), 5-7 days Pachena Bay <> Gordon River
  • 3-5 day routes possible via Nitinaht Village trailhead
  • southwestern edge of Vancouver Island
  • Pacific Rim National Park
  • Permits required 
  • May 1 – September 30
  • extremely rugged, requires a high level of fitness
  • 6,000+ backpackers / year

Read more on our WCT information page.