Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Don’t get me wrong. I liked Acadia National Park in Maine. But as a hiking destination, you can do better.
Why?
On the bright side, there’s no need to hike to and from your vehicle. Using the free Park bus shuttle opens up all sorts of interesting options.
And the trails are good. The views excellent.
I spent only 2 days in Acadia. Then set off for Mt Washington, New Hampshire.
… But if I went back to Acadia, I’d plan to mountain bike the Carriage Roads rather than hike.
Section Hiker likes the Bear Boxer – Contender Model 101.
I’m still using a clear BEARVAULT BV500. An Ursack. Or no bear vault at all, depending on where I’m hiking. And for how long.
Leave a comment if you have a favourite.
Northern Alberta.
A 36-year-old Suncor worker was coming out of a washroom Wednesday afternoon when a black bear attacked and killed her, as several co-workers tried to intervene and scare the animal away.
Family have identified the worker killed at the oilsands site near Fort McMurray as Lorna Weafer, an instrument technician. …
Seven people were working in a group area when the bear attacked the woman and dragged her off …
… co-workers blasted air horns to scare the male bear away. They were not carrying bear spray, Suncor said. …
“We don’t know why this happened and that’s why it’s so important we conduct a full investigation,” Seetal said.
A bear response team made up of Fish and Wildlife officers is investigating, and Occupational Health and Safety will also complete an investigation. …
Co-workers tried to save woman during fatal bear attack at Suncor site
Bears normally do not attack groups of people. Sounds like she was alone exiting the washroom.
This is the third work fatality in four months at the Suncor site.
Bears aren’t the only problem up there. 😦
Dientes de Navarino are a mountain range in Navarino Island, Chile, located just south of Puerto Williams, along the Beagle Channel coast.
The Dientes Circuit is recommended as one of the best hikes in the world.
Also known as:
* Isla Navarino Circuit
* Circuito Dientes de Navarino
* the teeth of Navarino
Charming, entertaining and original, be sure to watch this video trip report by rlciq from Brazil before heading to Patagonia for the Teeth of the Navarino.
This is the true last trek on earth! High mountain on low altitude. Few people. Lots of beavers. Amazing landscapes. No fee. Perfect balance between challenging and fun!
Click PLAY or watch part 1 on Vimeo.
Click PLAY or watch part 2 on Vimeo.
Check out Dientes information page.
Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.
Easy day. Only 12km to finish the Giant’s Cup Trail at Bushman’s Nek Hut.
I departed Swiman hut late.
Glorious. Glorious.
Skies were clear. The landscape empty aside from me. And THIS GUY.
I later did some research … but couldn’t confirm the species. Leave a comment if you know.
Again, each time I got saw some significant shade, I cooled off.
This crude wooden bridge had obviously flooded recently.
BABOONS!
This afternoon I saw 4-5 different troops of Baboons in the distance.
This was my best photo.
DUNG BEETLE! … Actually, there are plenty of Dung beetles on this trail.
Frog.
I had great views of a big herd of Eland.
And again saw grey rhebok.
South Africa is a hot, dry country. But there’s no shortage of water in the Drakensberg during the rainy season.
Civilization.
I’d held on to a Summit Stone for the entire trip, waiting on some “highlight” of the Giant’s Cups Trail.
But there was no one highlight. The Giant’s Cup is all good. I left this one in the final cairn before dropping down to Bushman’s Nek.
I saw a sign pointing to Bushman’s Nek hut, but ignored it as the trail looked faint.
Instead I stayed on the trail more trodden.
Turned out that took me to the KZN Wildlife office. I had to backtrack about 1km in the rain.
Alone again. Bushman’s Nek hut is in a very pretty location.
It was nice to wash my dusty, hot feed in the nearby waterfall.
Rather than sleep under a roof, I again set up my tent under cover. And watched the night fall.
more photos from this day
___
Logistics
Next morning the KZN Wildlife office called a bush taxi from a local hotel. It took me to Underberg town for about $50 (expensive).
I was there for about 4hrs waiting for the mini-bus to Pietermaritzburg to fill. Though tourists are often advised not to take the local transport, in Underberg they are fairly used to shuttling hikers out from the Giant’s Cup.
You might consider starting at Bushman’s Nek and hiking to Sani Backpackers or Sani Pass Hotel. Travel logistics would be easier and cheaper if you don’t have your own vehicle.
If you wanted to hire a guide, I’d recommend booking through Drakensberg Adventures.
related:
• EKZ’s Giant’s Cup Trail page
• my hiking guidebook – Cicerone Walking in the Drakensberg
Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.
Between low clouds, the morning dawned blue, sunny, HOT.
This was the prettiest of the three days.
This day I again saw a “wild dog” with one or two young ones. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to zoom the camera in time.
Locals told me they were most likely hyena.
I covered up from the strong sun.
Arriving Winterhoek hut under the trees.
Hikers are advised to lock everything up against baboon and eland.
I had lunch here, in the shade.
My biggest problem on the Giant’s Cup was the strong January sun. Locals thought I was crazy to be hiking in the hot, rainy season. I rested at as many shady spots as possible.
I was surprised not to see more Dassie. This was one of the few I spotted.
Late afternoon I slapped at something biting me under my pants. Turned out I’d killed a tic, the first that had ever bitten me. Contrary to common wisdom, I’d kicked it. After that I was quite ‘tic vigilant’. They can carry disease.
I arrived Swiman hut at dusk, quite exhausted. Too exhausted to set up my tent, I crashed into a bunk. After I enjoyed a HOT SHOWER.
Again I was the only hiker in the hut that night.
I did see a caretaker next morning on my way out.
more photos from this day
Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.
One of Lonely Planet’s South Africa’s top five multiday hikes:
The Drakensberg Mountains, rising to 3482m (11,423ft) on the Lesotho border, are one of Africa’s greatest hiking destinations.
Numerous day and overnight walks crisscross this World Heritage Site …
Closest major city is Durban.
The famous path starts in appropriately grand fashion at the foot of Sani Pass, South Africa’s highest mountain pass. Passing through the Drakensberg foothills, the trail takes in the Bathplug Cave with San rock art, streams and pools for swimming and breathtaking mountain scenery.
The Giant’s Cup (3256m/10,682ft), from which the trail gets its name, overlooks the Cobham Nature Reserve’s shimmering expanses of grassland, upland lakes, rivers jumping with trout and slopes carpeted with pink proteas. At the southern tip of the Drakensberg, the Garden Castle Nature Reserve is overlooked by sandstone buttresses, caves and the 3051m (10,009ft) Rhino Peak.
The trail ends at Bushman’s Nek Pass, where you can continue into Lesotho on foot or horseback, or unlace your boots in nearby Underberg or Himeville.
The basic 30-person sleeping huts have bunk beds with mattresses, and waking among cairns and circling eagles is an uplifting wilderness experience. With daily distances ranging between 9km (5.6mi) and 13km (8mi), it’s not a strenuous hike and can be managed by younger walkers.
Russell Suchet, author of A Backpackers Guide to Lesotho, is owner of Sani Backpackers where I started.
Russell and staff agreed that the Giant’s Cup was relatively “tame” for someone of my experience. With a tent.
But I loved it anyway. 🙂
Inexperienced in the Drakensberg, I took every precaution. I purchased maps #5 and #6 ($5ea at Sani Backpackers). And picked up the free “Giant’s Cup Trail Visitor’s Guide” trail description at the KZN Wildlife office at Pholela Hut.
Hiking alone, it would have been nice to have a phone in case of emergencies. There is mobile service on most of the route. But I hadn’t bothered to pick up a SIM card for my Canadian phone. 😦
I paid about $8 / night to stay in the huts — even though I carried a tent.
Happy to support the KZN trail system, I wanted the OPTION to stay in the huts if necessary. If it poured rain, for example. It pours rain nearly every afternoon in January.
I carried too much food, adding home made cheese from Sani Backpackers.
I skipped the first 5km as I’d done it the previous day. Here are a few photos starting at Gxalingenwa Cave.
These two ‘mericans had camped 2 nights in the overhang under a waterfall. Later I learned that you are not actually allowed to camp in that particular “cave”.
Officially, the Giant’s Cup starts on the Sani Pass Road at Ezemvelo KZM Wildlife field ranger outpost at 2847m. I started instead by walking out the door of Sani Backpackers climbing up to intersect the route.
That’s the Backpacker’s as seen from the parkland area fence.
The trail is super well marked. You follow white footprints.
Some locals feel there is too much signage.
I missed paying for my trip & filling out the Mountain Rescue Register at the start. Russell advised me to — instead — do the paperwork at the KZN Wildlife Office near Pholela Hut. I arrived there about 1:30pm.
Pholela Hut is a converted farmhouse offering 30 bunk beds in 4 rooms. Cold showers. Empty.
I carried on to the next hut.
Close to Pholela I saw my first herd of Eland.
Close to that herd I caught a glimpse of an African dog. Most likely a jackal.
The bridges on this trail are not impressive.
On the other hand, there’s no need to treat water in the Drakensberg.
Green. Peaceful. Pretty.
I arrived Mzimkhulwana Hut late and tired.
Rather than sleep indoors, I set up my tent under protection.
Alone, I hid my passport, money and credit cards. Just in case some sneak thief arrived in the night. It was a bit spooky.
Sipped wine. Ate my local cheese. Watched the night fall. Went to sleep early.
more photos from this day
We were up early, taking advantage of the cool of the morning.
A desert garden at the White Lady Lodge.
After breakfast we made a second “mountain climb” with the kids. 🙂
The biggest “danger” of Namibian camping so far as I could tell were these deadly acacia thorns. I stepped on one. It went right through my shoe.
We saw black-backed jackals lurking around the cooking fires a couple of times. And these locals.
You must be TOUGH to survive this desert climate.
It had not rained at the White Lady lodge in 3 years — but it poured on us. Desert tents are not particularly waterproof.
Our not particularly waterproof bedding was soaked. 😦
The Ugab River rarely runs.
Here’s the river bed before the rain.
And after.
Playing in mud is a big novelty for Namibian kids.
We climbed yet another hillock.
And it was back to camp for another gigantic barbecue.
Ugab Wilderness Campground opened 2001. I can recommend it. Particularly if you want a base camp for climbing Brandburg and/or hiking Messum crater.
see ALL my photos from this long weekend trip
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to one half of the Mosi-oa-Tunya — ‘The Smoke Which Thunders‘ — known worldwide as Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River.
The river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, so the falls are shared by the two countries, and the park is ‘twin’ to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side. …
The wildlife section of the park is tiny but popular. Popular because half day walking safaris are offered.
This is rare in Africa due to the risk of tourists being injured. Or eaten.
It was very early. Very rainy when I was picked up — alone — at my hostel.
We rendezvoused with a British couple alongside the Zambezi.
Everything was about to go wrong. You had to laugh.
The husband had 2 new hips, 1 new knee. He could not walk.
Improvising, we decided to take a quick driving safari before setting out on the promised “walk”.
African guides are normally super entertaining. Very knowledgeable.
We saw baboon, vervet monkey, giraffe, zebra, warthog, sable, impala and many other antelope.
When the British couple departed, I was alone for the walking Safari with a support team of up to 4 men.
I walked with a guide and an armed guard.
There’s no shortage of wildlife in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. But the main attraction is white Rhino. Though not indigenous, they are the most talked about wildlife in Africa.
You cannot see rhino from the road. They are understandably very shy.
Already an hour or more late, we roamed far and wide in the wet mud looking for rhino sign. The guard checked his phone constantly for an update on where we might find them.
Finally, the highlight of Mosi-oa-Tunya. A mother Rhino and her new baby, less than 2 weeks old.
The rhino in Mosi-oa-Tunya were poached to extinction in 2007. 😦
I was told they are no longer worried about poaching here. The Park is now fiercely defended. 5 adult rhino and 5 youngsters, including this newborn.
On the other hand, the enforcement officer spoke longingly of Botswana where guards can (reportedly) shoot poachers on sight.
more of my photos from the day
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
One of the best day hikes in South Africa.
At Sani Lodge Backpackers in the Drakensberg you get everything you need.
Step out the back door, you’re on your way.
After about 250m you reach the perimeter fence of the KZN protected lands. Permit to hike costs about $3.
Every step is beautiful in the Drakensberg. Wide open.
Some African dung beetles are endangered. NOT the ones in these mountains. There are plenty.
Lizards are constant companions.
You see a lot of scat, many interesting prints, yet not much wildlife. Animals here have evolved to be elusive.
I was thrilled to see my first grey rhebok.
Alpha males “cough” at you from a safe distance.
Wild flowers were still in profusion, mid-summer. We’d had a lot of rain.
I left a Summit Stone for some future hiker to discover.
Here’s Gxalingenwa cave. These two spent two nights here, sheltered from the rain.
Later I learned you are not officially allowed to camp there.
From the cave I had to either backtrack … or finish a loop down the river.
I’d been warned that the water was high. That I’d most likely need to wade the creek several times.
Boulder hopping my second crossing, I fell in. 😦
And — since the shoes were wet — I waded 3 more crossings.
Russell at Sani Backpackers wants to improve the trail staying on one side of the creek. One day.
I was glad to have done Gxalingenwa as a loop. It’s very pretty coming down.
Some hike up to these waterfalls from the roadway.
The only downside of the Gxalingenwa loop from Sani Backpackers is a road walk finish.
Happily, I was picked up. Given a lift by University researchers who happened to be staying at the Backpackers.
besthike.com 