Category: desert

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#8 best hiking region in the world is …

Australia

We love Australia. Who doesn’t? What’s not to like? It’s paradise Down Under.

What an exotic treat to have kangaroos and wallabies hanging about your campsite!

“Stunning rocky headlands and perfect beaches, lush rainforests, sun-sharpened deserts and the muted beauty of the bush — taking to the trail in Australia offers a kaleidoscope of colours, terrains and adventures for walkers of all levels.” – LP

You have such a wealth of choices: the Blue Mountains (NSW), Whitsunday Islands (QLD), dense subtropical rainforest in Lamington National Park (QLD), Larapinta Trail (NT) out of Alice Springs, wild Kakadu National Park (NT), the rugged Cape-to-Cape (WA) or pretty Wine Glass Bay in Freycinet National Park (TAS).

Those are just a few! Our favourite Aussie hiking guru John Chapman helps you choose by clicking on the map:

More information on our new Australia information page.

Our favourite hike in Australia is The Overland Track in Tasmania.

View from the Labyrinth – flickr – Andrew Purdam

See our Overland Track Information page.

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best hikes in Arizona

With 50,754 Photos and almost 800 hikes, HikeArizona.com is an incredible resource. It’s run by Joe Bartels.

Contributor Al_hikesAZ posted in 2005 a list of The 20 Most Popular hikes in Arizona:

Flatiron
West Fork of Oak Creek
Peralta Trail
Humphreys Summit Trail
Brown’s Peak
Havasu Canyon
Fossil Springs Trail
Camelback Summit via Echo
Horton Creek Trail
Piestewa Peak Summit Trail
Bright Angel
Barnhardt Trail
Rogers Canyon
West Clear Creek Trail
Hunter Trail
Kaibab – South Rim
Boynton Canyon
Bell Trail
Inner Basin Trail
Tonto Narrows

This isn’t necessarily the 20 best hikes in AZ, just the 20 Most Popular hikes.

He also recommends:

Bright Angel Trail
South Kaibab Trail

Thunder River/Deer Creek (photos)
Nankoweap Trail (photos)
Ribbon Falls (photos) just west of the North Kaibab Trail
Superstition Ridgeline

Al_hikesAZ also recommends 2 other sites for AZ Hikes:

  • Arizona Hikers
  • Todd’s Desert Hiking Guide

    • I am now planning on hiking Arizona in 2008! (There is a lot of research to be done.)

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    Early morning at Carney springs – Superstition Wilderness – larger original

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    Arizona Black Rattlesnake – larger original

    See all of Al_hikesAZ photos sets on Flickr. They are excellent.

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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.

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    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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    Happy Thanksgiving from Hiking Las Vegas

    I’ve really been enjoying this frequently updated blog. Las Vegas is one of the best, least appreciated, hiking destinations in the World.

    10 hikers spent part of Thanksgiving Day on top of Shark Boulder in Red Rock Canyon. This was the first group hike to The Shark!

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    Hiking Las Vegas: Happy Thanksgiving from Shark Boulder

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    MODERN HIKER – San Antonio (Mt Baldy), California

    By far the best source of information on hiking in Southern California is Modern Hiker.

    And just possibly the best trip reports on-line anywhere. Here’s the perfect example post:

    A leg-busting ascent to the highest point in Los Angeles County, with a neighboring mountain thrown in for good measure. This is a classic hike through some incredible subalpine scenery, and is a MUST HIKE for anyone who lives in or is visiting Southern California.

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    For a 6hr scramble, they’ve posted detailed trail information, fantastic photos, video clips, highlights, specific warnings, links to other trip reports, GPS coordinates with a link to Google Earth, …

    And graphics like this:

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    Wow.

    It’s far more detailed than any hiking guidebook.

    See for yourself – Hiking Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy) and Mount Harwood at Modern Hiker

    Note that the site has a new URL: now it’s modernhiker.com

    Check you have the right bookmark and/or RSS feed.

    At besthike we are responsible for the entire world. We search out blogs that are most expert in specific geographic areas. Like Two-Heel Drive in the Bay area, California. And Modern Hiker in Southern California.

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    Alone across Australia – John Muir

    One man and his dog, 128 days and 1553mi (2500km), the first person to walk solo and unassisted across the continent of Australia.

    Adventurer of the Year Andrew Skurka just completed 6875mi on his Great Western Loop, but I reckon John Muir’s trek across Australia in 2001, on his fourth attempt, was even tougher.

    Mainly because there is no water in most of Australia.

    My favourite, the People’s Choice favourite, from the Banff Mountain Film Festival 2005 was the emotional story of Jon Muir and his Jack Russell, Seraphine.

    This is a survival epic. The psychology of pushing yourself to the brink.

    Alone Across Australia

    Alone Across Australia

    The distributor of the documentary posted a 10min trailer on YouTube. Well worth checking out. I love this film.

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    96 interesting Grand Canyon photos

    Here’s a set of the 96 most “interesting” pics on flickr tagged “Grand Canyon”. Flickr has over 2 billion photos, many of them very interesting.

    Best way to see them is to click on View as Slideshow after the link.

    Grand Canyon – All GC Sets Combined by Interestingness

    Here’s one of my favourites:

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    original – Al_HikesAZ

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    trekking the Sinai, Egypt

    Mohamed Mabrouk recommends one of his favourite hikes:

    ALGALT is a beautiful pool up the mountains in Sinai passing through some of the most beautiful wadis between Sinai mountains. Licensed Bedouin guides (obligatory by St Katherine Protectorate) and Cameleers (porters there carry with their camels) are professional and punctual.

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    The trail is just beautiful that I wonder why not many around the world are jumping on it when it has all the necessary facilities and hikers attractions. Perhaps Red Sea diving towns such as Sharm and Dahab are overshadowing it.

    I am sending two photos from the Circuit that starts and ends in St Katherine’s town (WHS by UNESCO) where the Byzantine Monastery is situated.

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    ——-

    I hate to admit it. I went to Dahab in the 1990s. Did the standard overnight camel-into-the-desert adventure. And did not hike.

    Next time …

    I like Mohamed’s email tag line too:

    I might sound like a crazy dreamer but.. only crazy dreamers can come up with ideas like the Egyptian pyramids!

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    Thunder River/Deer Creek Loop, Grand Canyon

    Graywolf likes, as one of the best hikes in the world, the Thunder River/Deer Creek Loop in the Grand Canyon:

    It is a very demanding and beautiful 26 to 43 (w/side trips) mile hike from the North Rim to the river and back. Awesome scenery, beautiful river, creeks, and falls and a wonderful play area in the Deer Creek narrows. To enjoy the fullest, plan on 5 night/6 day trip which would include a layover day in Deer Creek.

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    Start from the north rim on the Thunder River Trail, descending about 4600′ (1400m) to the Colorado.

    Return to the north rim via the Deer Creek Trail.

    This hike is strenuous and can be dangerous: severe weather, over-exertion, dehydration. Even flash flood. Desert hiking experience essential.

    No need to carry canyon climbing gear — though you can use it if you do.

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    Deer Creek Narrows – larger original – flickr

    Mike Miles posted a most entertaining trip report – Hiking Grand Canyon; an adventure on the Bill Hall, Thunder River and Deer Creek trails. They were physically challenged, injured and bothered by a marauding ring-trail cat.

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    Colorado River mile 134 beach camp

    We’ve added the Thunder River/Deer Creek Loop to our list of the best hikes in North America.

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    Trip Reports – hiking the Wave, Utah

    Backcountry Blog just posted a trip report on one of the best day hikes in the known universe:

    … I had always wanted to come here, but nothing had prepared me for what was in front of me.

    This formation is one of natures’ most spectacular. The colors were so vivid, the waves of sandstone so perfectly formed. …

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    … The beauty and vastness of this southern Utah desert always puts life in perspective for me. Out there you are one tiny person in this wilderness. Out there, you realize that you are but an infant in the sands of time. …

    For details and more photos check the Backcountry Blog Wave trip report.

    how to hike The Wave and Paria – besthike information page