Category: guided hikes

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hiking La Gomera, Canary Islands

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’m off to Europe on Sept. 30th. Where should I hike?

Here’s one option. …

… This varied guided walking holiday lets you discover the breathtaking natural beauty of the subtropical island of La Gomera.

Together with experienced Headwater guide, Neil Flynn, in our air-conditioned minibus we take you to the starting points of the most exciting trails. The walks lead you through a bewildering variety of landscape, from the misty heights of the Garajonay peak, to fertile terraces dotted with palms, and rugged ravines. We follow goat herder’s tracks and ancient paths lined with tall palms, linking almost inaccessible villages and hermitages perched above dramatic gorges. A plantlover’s paradise, we may spot many endemic – sometimes rare – species like fleshy stonecrop, yellow jasmine or pink mallow. …

Headwater – Walking on La Gomera

more La Gomera photos

(via the the Headwater Swap Snow for Sunshine page)

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Lost City trek, Colombia

Best write-up ever. Very funny.

The Lost City is accessible via a challenging but picturesque five-day trek that can be organized in the nearby tourist towns of Santa Marta and Taganga.

Several companies operate tours to the ruins, including the highly-recommended Magic Tour and Turcol. (Incidentally, Edwin Rey, a guide for Turcol, was one of the people kidnapped by the ELN in 2003. He’s the one holding up the sign in the photo below. He’ll be happy to show you newspaper clippings about his improbable escape through the thick forest after only one day in captivity.) …

Your group could contain anywhere from six to twenty-two people; friends are easily made by all but the most awkward. …

Gadling – Ciudad Perdida: The spectacular five-day trek to Colombia’s Lost City

The Lost City is one of the best treks in South America. Check our besthike information page – Lost City.

Very inexpensive.

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Arizona – Paria Canyon guided hike

42 miles (67km) plus side trips – 5 days

Our favourite hike in the S.W. United States is Paria Canyon.

Logistics are a problem, however. Only 20 permits are issued each day, one of the most difficult to acquire anywhere.

… Also, it’s a 2hr drive between the trailheads.

… Also, there’s a slight chance of flash flood !!

You can do Paria independently, … but it’s far easier to sign on with a guiding company like Just Roughin It:

On the first morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in Phoenix or Flagstaff and drive to the trail head at White House Ruins. Once at the trail head, the group loads up and hikes along the Paria River from there.

Our goal on the first t day is to reach the Paria Narrows and eventually camp at the confluence of Buckskin Gulch and Paria River. The hike is 7.5 miles long with very little change in elevation and usually take about 5 hours to complete.

The next day we will set aside time for a 3 mile side hike up the narrow Buckskin Gulch, one of the most famous, and longest, slot canyons in the world. From here we will move further down river to one of several campsites to choose from.

From here, the itinerary is open except for the being at Lee’s Ferry on the 5th day. Along the way to Lee’s Ferry, time permitting, there are opportunities to explore other slot canyons and sites in the area – including petroglyphs, historical sites and Wrather Arch which is one of the largest spans in the world. …

The price for this trip is $1,225 per person from Flagstaff and $1,275 per person from Phoenix.

official website – Just Roughin It Adventure Company.

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horse trek Sichuan, China Sept. 2-13

My friend LittlePo, a Chinese national living in the USA, is organizing a terrific adventure.

I made a similar guided trip 13yrs ago. It was superb.

LittlePo Adventures is offering a discounted rate for Trekking Sichuan before we add this trip to our official trip database.

The cost of $1300.00 includes two nights lodging in Chengdu, one night lodging in Rilong, food, horses and horsepackers, ground transportation, park admission, some group gear (rope, protection gear, cooking stoves, fuel) and permit. Two awesome guides will be on board: one who speaks Chinese as her native language and knows the region; the other is an experienced mountain guide and photographer. Participants will get a DVD after the trip.

The trip is horse supported. Pack is light. The major challenges will be altitude (as we’ll attempt two peaks over 16,500 feet) and weather; however the weather in September is usually pleasant. Any avid day hiker will be able to finish the trek. …

Details on LittlePo.com

Consider adding on a flight to Tibet in September. Chengdu is the best airport to make that flight.

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female trekking guide – East Africa

George and I had a female guide on the Choquequirao trek in Peru. We made no special request. She simply happened to be the next experienced guide available.

Cool.

Increasingly the world’s top trails are seeing more female guides. They’re in high demand by female hikers who, understandably, feel more comfortable.

I was happy to see this post on the Women Travel blog:

Mary “Mumbi” Kariuki has been guiding on the trails of Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro, and other East African mountains for 8 years – and she’s not over the hill yet. In 2001 Mary officially became the first, and only, rated female guide serving these mountains. Before she was a guide, Mary worked her way through the ranks as all African guides should have, as a porter. …

Mumbi – female trekking guide in East Africa

Leave a comment if you’ve more stories of female guides on the world’s great treks. 

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self-guided hiking in Europe

Last summer in Europe I met many hikers on “self-guided” trips. That concept is very popular there, not so much anywhere else.

Here’s how it works.

You hire a company to do all your logistics in advance: transportation, accommodation, some meals, etc.

They choose a “best” itinerary for you. No need to plan.

One example from Bredson Outdoor Adventures:

We will be offering a special one-time, 10 night/11 day, self-guided departure from July 18 – 28, 2010 that melds the best of our two existing French Pyrenees self-guided hiking itineraries with an opportunity to view two legs of the Tour de France as it passes through the Pyrenees. During this anniversary year of the Tour de France you’ll have an opportunity to see history in the making as the Tour celebrates its 100th year in the Pyrenees. This trip is rated moderate to strenuous. …

Ten nights, half board (breakfast and dinner).

Minimum two star hotels and likely one three star hotel, all with private bath; friendly, traditional accommodations in beautiful settings with very good food

Local transport and baggage shuttle included.

Price: $2,300 USD per person double occupancy. Minimum 2 people. No single rooms available. Price reductions available for more than two people.

Deposit of $500/person by the beginning of December in order to secure hotels.

details

TOUR DE FRANCE 16

This sounds ideal for someone who’s always wanted to hike the Pyrenees. AND who loves the Tour.

Check the cost, however. About $200/day plus extras. Not everything is covered in your package.

You could do a similar trip independently cheaper, … if you’ve got the gumption and language skillz.

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Great Himalaya Trail – Nepal

AMAR DEV SINGH tried to cross the entire length of the western Himalaya with a group of friends in 2007.

… While we were able to complete large sections of the trek we were ultimately beaten by the red tape and bureaucracy of the Indian government. …

He’s recommended World Expeditions, “the first commercial trip along the Nepal section” of the longer Great Himalaya Trail.

Contact World Expeditions and be specific in a request for information on the new Great Himalaya Trail adventure, if you are interested. They’ll take care of the logistics and paperwork.

map

In fact, Sierra Blogging Post says you can sign up for a 150 day Great Himalaya Trekking Thru Hike. If that happens, I’d have to declare it the “best thru hike” in the world.

Wow!

(via The Adventure Blog)

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best hikes in the Himalaya

One World Trekking’s Andy Crisconi on ekoVenture:

In my humble opinion, these are five of the greatest trekking adventures in the world’s greatest mountain range. I call these “gourmet” treks – off the beaten path walks in the nooks and crannies of the Great Range. You won’t see Mount Everest on any of these trips (or many people for that matter), but you will have the opportunity to wander through obscure mountainous regions, visit remote villages, pitch a tent in picturesque campsites and immerse yourself in some of the world’s last enclaves of pure Buddhist culture. Go with greatness!

Bhutan: The Snowman Trek

Pakistan: The K2 Base Camp Trek

Nepal: Upper Dolpo & the Snow Leopard Trek

Nepal: The NarPhu Valleys and Annapurna Circuit

India: The Zanskar Traverse

Nepal: Humla & the Hidden Himalayas

ekoVenture – HIMALAYAN TREKKING: TOP 5 TREKKING JOURNEYS IN THE HIMALAYA

Click through to One World Trekking for details on Andy’s guided treks.

Of that list I’m personally most interested in K2 and Zanskar.

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want to hike Torngat, Labrador?

It ain’t easy …

Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador launched another ad in its already very successful ad campaign. This latest ad features Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Nunatsiavut. …

bluepeak.net – New Labrador ad

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… The park, 9,700 sq.km, is probably one of the most difficult parks in Canada to reach. Even the parks in Nunavut are easier to get to. It’s not only the remoteness, but especially the weather and ferocious winds that make getting here an adventure in itself.

If the weather is good, then the park is about 1 hours’ flying or up to two days by fishing boat north of Nain, Labrador’s northernmost community. There are no scheduled flights or boats to the park, and once you arrive, there are no facilities.

Safety is a real concern, as polar bears roam throughout the park. Since only Inuit are allowed to carry arms, visitors should always be accompanied by an Inuit guide. A good idea in any case, as the area is also infamous for its quickly changing weather and strong “ghost” winds that can appear out of nowhere. …

bluepeak

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trekking in China

Szu-ting Yi, better known online as LittlePo, just hiked Tiger Leaping Gorge in southern China. One of our best hikes in Asia.

By email:

… I’d love to wish you a merry Christmas. I am right now in Lijiang, which is located at northwest of the Yunnan province in China. Two days ago, I hiked the trail overlooking the tiger leaping gorge, it was an amazing hike: sheer cliffs along the river, constant mountain views, and raging water. …

LittlePo is more of a climber than a hiker. But she’s in China doing research:

… My primary objective is to perform reconnaissance for my adventure travel business, LittlePo Adventures (a working title), and therefore I have been actively investigating aesthetic areas in China for active exploration and ultimate adventure. In the meanwhile, I have been making connections with local businesses and proposing collaboration projects with local residents.

Developing Business Ideas

I’ll be following this venture. Having trekked in China independently and illegally, I can assure you it’s a PAIN. Much better would be to sign on with a trekking company with guides who speak Mandarin and who have connections.