Category: guided hikes

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trek the south Sinai Mountains in Egypt

Pierre Dehaene wrote to tell us of an EU supported local trekking company.

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Sheikh Sina offers hikes and excursions in the Deserts and High Mountains of South Sinai. With 25 different routes to choose from, there is something for all levels, from adventure seekers to leisure vacationers. Customers may enjoy 10 day, 5 day and 3 day excursions in various regions.

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Sheikh Sina, a Bedouin run trekking company, strives to offer the best hiking and trekking experience in the South Sinai Mountains. We remain sensitive to the local environment and its people by promoting responsible travel in protected areas that have been selected as World Heritage sights by UNESCO.

Start on their Treks page. It details options in the Galt Region and the Umm Shomar Region. Some are open year round.

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Sheikh Sina Bedouin Treks

I was there once in 1994 and — foolishly — went snorkeling and scuba diving instead of hiking. Friends set off to Saint Catherine’s Monastery. I went to the beach.

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I love the desert.

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IMAX Kilimanjaro

The Adventure Blogger went to Kilimanjaro, inspired by the 2002 IMAX film by David Breashears.

Kilimanjaro - To the Roof of Africa (Large Format)

Kilimanjaro – To the Roof of Africa (Large Format)

I finally saw the film myself.

Fantastic.

When can I go?

There’s a terrific, funny review of the film on Amazon posted by Archimedes Tritium:

… The narrator (mountain guide Jacob Kyungai) intones that climbers of Kilimanjaro are “ordinary people people, mostly”, then goes on to introduce a Gilligan’s Island cast of climbers, picked to reflect (or engage) the folk who might go to the science museum IMAX theater on a Saturday afternoon — as compared to those who actually climb Kili.

You have The Professor (Roger Bilham, an expert volcanologist), Ginger/Mary-Ann (Heidi Albertsen, identified on the DVD only as “Trekker: Denmark”, but in reality a New York super-model you have probably seen more often on the cover of women’s magazines at your grocery store check-out line), a couple of precocious 12-going-on-25 year old kids (self-possessed and well-behaved, every Yuppie parent’s dream-child), a writer (Audrey Salkeld), and Rick Thomson, who barely made it out of the editing room, but is the father of the 12 year old girl (and was in a bad car accident shortly before the climb and had a pin in his hip, etc.)

Basically, the film shows a sort of idealized climb. This is not a movie about man against nature, or pushing the limits of human endurance. It’s about a beautiful, diverse mountain and some “ordinary” (*cough*) people who went to the top.

Bottom line: if you are going to experience a Kilimanjaro climb, it’s hard to beat tagging along with an expert volcanologist and a super-model.

The DVD contains a “Making of” feature that is of even more interest to prospective climbers than the main film. Behind-the-scenes shots of the logistics and events provides context to the apparent effortless serenity of the main feature.

The problem with the film is this: having climbed Kilimanjaro (via Lemosho – Shira -Western Breach route), the depiction of the Western Breach is disturbingly glossy. This problem is not unique to this film; it exists in the Nova documentary and virtually all text and sales-pitches advocating the Western Breach. Basically, the pitch is that the Western Breach route is “non-technical” and suitable for anyone in good physical condition who is capable of hiking for 6-8 hours a day.

The reality is there are at least 4 spots where you will find yourself clinging to an ice-covered rock, searching for slight finger & toe-hold indentations as you skitter 20-30 feet sideways. Miss a finger or toe, have a balance problem, or slip more than one hold, and you will fall 1000 feet to the rocks below. And aside from those 4 sections, a misstep or slip on any of the rest of the breach also means falling hundreds of feet. And keep in mind you are likely wearing a 20+ pound pack with several pounds of water. Basically, anything is “non-technical” if you don’t use safety equipment.

The Western Breach is precarious and dangerous. In the film, they show the cast clambering over refrigerator-sized, step-like blocks of stone. This amounts to at most 15% of the climb. The rest is not really shown, probably because it is too precarious to get footage of. A parent allowing a 13-year old on this route is inconceivable to me, unless ropes and support equipment were used to assist.

While clinging to ice-covered rocks and seeing nothing but air beneath my feet, my initial reaction was anger at the public-relations puff-job in this movie and other sources. This was quickly subsumed by the desire to simply stay alive, repeated a couple dozen times that day.

While this movie might lead people in good shape, used to jogging around the park or hiking the local hills, into thinking it’s no big deal to climb Kilimanjaro via WB (“hey, a couple 13 year olds did it”), the reality is inexplicably different than the PR. You have been warned.

By the way, if you read the companion book to this film, there is a note at the end that mentions that a few months after filming, the cast and crew was reassembled and climbed Kilimanjaro AGAIN (a 2nd time) to obtain more shots. …

Needs some straight-talk on Western Breach

Still, everyone and everyone will love this film. Highly recommended.

Kili is one of our top 10 hikes in the world. We have a somewhat skimpy information page on the Marangu Route.

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BikeHike – best Biking Outfitter On Earth?

I’m in Phoenix, Arizona for some bike hiking. Proving unfailing dedication to my Adventure Racing Team — the Fast Farts.

Then I saw BluePeak post a shout out for BikeHike.com …

(I like the sound of that domain name.)

National Geographic Adventure Magazine named them #2 ?? (as I read it) for cycle tours. Winners were profiled in the November 2007 issue.

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Check out the site – BikeHike Adventures Inc – BEST Biking Outfitter On the Earth

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guided hikes in Israel

Israel Hiking offers guided walks “stressing landscapes, nature and historic sites.”

Sounds like a great way to visit the Holy Land.

… Israel is not a big country, but the range of landscapes is diverse. You can experience steep mountains, the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee, the Judean Desert, the Arava and the Negev, and of course, Jerusalem. The stories of the bible and the antiquities from various periods can be seen wherever you go. We will do our utmost to produce a trip filled with experiences that you will talk about long after you return home. …

Our guides are English speakers, who are certified guides and have experience in the regions of the trip. If you are interested in a tour in a language other than English, we will make every effort to find a guide who speaks the language and masters the professional terms so that you will be able to enjoy the trip.

About

I greatly enjoyed hiking in the Sinai and even more so in Jordan. But I’ve never been to Israel myself.

The first trip that jumps out at me is a 7-day section of the much longer Israel National Trail:

From Tel Hay to Meron on the The Israel National Trail crosses Israel from the very north to Eilat through the Country‘s principal, most beautiful sites. …

The hike ends at the Amoud River as it approaches Lake Kinnereth. From there, we will travel by car to the youth hostel on Lake Kinnereth.

The difficulty level of the hike on the Israel National Trail is medium. …

Full price: 600 Euro. See the map.

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Makhtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater) – Wikipedia

Other more difficult treks that appeal are Ramon Crater to the Arava valley and the Eilat Hike from Timnah.

I assume security is not much of an issue when hiking in Israel. But it might be a good idea for a first time visitor to go with experts and learn the ropes.

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homepage –hikes and trecks in israel

Leave a message if you know more about hiking in Israel.

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climb Roraima, Venezuela

High on my life list is Roraima. Some good tips from this guided trip report:

df005_345px.jpgThis mountain was one of the reasons I wanted to come to Venezuela, and it didn’t disappoint. I have plenty of gripes about the tour, even though we went with the company that is supposedly the best, and is the most expensive. Just little things like not quite having enough food and “guides” who know the way but aren’t very informative. This last complaint is a recurring theme so perhaps I am at fault. And our poor guide went way beyond what I think is required in giving up his sleeping bag for a girl who had stupidly got hers wet, and also fixed boots on the top of the mountain.

Roraima is one of a number of tepuis that rise from the Gran Sabana, or great savannah. It is pretty countryside of soft hills, with trees hugging the waterways, but not venturing far beyond . Tepuis are ancient structures, which have survived 1.8 billion years of erosion and now present sheer cliffs and eerily flat tops to the world, as the surrounding lands have eroded. The cute lethargic black frogs that live on top apparently have more in common with African frogs than their South American cousins suggesting effective isolation since Gondwana.

Roraima is not the largest of tepuis, but it still has a top covering 34 km sq and its summit is almost 2800 meters above sea level. Early accounts were the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Lost World, a preposterous account of dinosaurs and cave men.

… It rained steadily the day we made our ascent. It was not heavy but it was thorough, and everyone got soaked. This was fine during the ascent, but once we reached the exposed top a cold wind made merry with all those wet clothes. Getting wet seems likely even on a rare sunny day though as the path passes under a high but drizzly waterfall. We barely noticed a difference.

The top really is different. Up here the rock appears to be quite soft and has eroded into unusual shapes, with rounded stones, gullies, cliffs, pools of water and beautiful collections of plants. Once up, the top is not really flat at all, but has high points and depressions. The guide books typically describe it as a moonscape, but this is not really right. It is predominantly rocky and in places barren, which does give it a luna feel, but the water and plants are too plentiful to really suggest a moonscape. Really, it defies description. What struck me most though was that, due to the pools and the frequent mists, it reminded me most of the moors described in Conan Doyle’s other books (think Hound of the Baskervilles). It is like a wetland based on rock. And it floods very quickly too, as we discovered on our day exploring the top when all the paths turned to rivers.

The views from the top to the neighbouring tepui Kukenan and across the savannah are impressive, but they don’t last long before the next wave of mist rolls in. This is a land in which a pretty landscape can completely disappear while you compose a photo.

There are lots of endemic species up here, marooned in a cold wetland environment. Carniverous plants abound, as do black frogs. But there is little noticeable insect life for them all to eat.

We were finally grateful that we have packed clothing for Patagonia. Roraima was far colder than any in the group had anticipated and we were grateful for our own sleeping bags (seemingly far warmer than those provided by the company) and our hats and gloves. Unlike others, we were not reduced to wearing plastic bags on our feet because our shoes were wet, and slept very soundly (though a little guiltily) while others shivered wakefully through the night.

A land of mist and rain (in Venezuela?) – Santa Elena de Uairen, Venezuela Travel Blog

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Peter and Jackie Main – original

besthike Roraima information page

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Pindari glacier trek, India

Ajay Shah signed on with a company called KMVN for the Pindari Glacier trek southeast of Nanda Devi in India.

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at the chai shop en route to the trailhead.

I love the photos. From his trip report:

Overall, the trip had height gain from Song (1300 m) to Zero point (3660 m), i.e. 2360 metres or 7740 feet. The linear distance of the entire trip Song – Zero Point – Song is 90 km. It was a grand trip and well worth it. …

If you think of doing this trip, the following ideas will help:

* Get the Survey of India Trekking Map Series map of Kumaon.

* Dress in layers that are convenient to add and delete. The temperature can swing around by 10 degrees in a few minutes. It rains almost every day, so it’s useful to have a raincoat or a windcheater. Gore-tex would be ideal.

* There is electricity at only one place: A generator at Khati. Carry spare charged batteries.

* You don’t need the KMVN package trek. At Bageshwar, you can line up the unbundled components. The components are: Porter (can carry 30 kg, and costs Rs.200/day), beds at KMVN huts (Rs.150/night), a guide (who is voluble, unlike porters, and acts like a majordomo at the camps), transportation to and from Song, etc. This gives you more flexibility in designing your own trip, and making changes on the fly. The package treks are too restrictive; they are useful if you have never ever done a trip in the region before and have no clue about how things work.

* The maps identify all KMVN huts. You can landup at a KMVN hut without any advance warning. If they have a bed, you’ll get it. If they don’t, they’ll spring a sleeping bag and/or a mattress and accomodate you anyway. They will make dinner for you. It’s cool.

* The water is not clean when it is near human habitation.

* If you must contract with KMVN in Delhi (or anyplace other than Bageshwar), be sure to have a written definition of what you have contracted. We experienced a serious failure of communications between Delhi and Bageshwar, where the things agreed-to by KMVN staff at Delhi (verbally) were not honoured by the folks at Bageshwar.

* It is nice to have a tent, that gives choices other than the KMVN huts.

* KMVN food planning is low on trail chow and protein.

* There are leeches and flies-that-bite. Full sleeves and long pants make sense. Plan on DEET.

You don’t actually get to see Nandi Devi on this trip. But the surrounding mountains are beautiful.

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Pindari glacier trek – trip report – Ajay Shah

besthike Indian Himalaya information page.

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trek Torres del Paine with a guide – Chile Nativo

Looking for a reputable guide for Paine in Chile?

Jim Pierce had a great experience. By email:

We had two experienced, English-speaking guides, good food, and pre-arranged lodging in refugios (7 nights) and 2-man expedition tents (3 nights). The cost was $2,195 per person. Porters were hired by some at a cost of $60 per day, shared between two persons. Chile Nativo has an American administrator in their office in Puerto Natales who promptly answered all our questions. I highly recommend Chile Nativo.

Here’s their site:

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We invite you to experience, by way of daily walks, the principal attractions of Torres Del Paine, located in the heart of Patagonia; visiting glaciers, native forests, turquoise lakes and impressive views of the granite towers, sleeping in comfortable campsites, cozy mountain lodges, or modern hotels. …

Patagonia and Torres del Paine Travel Agency – Chile Nativo

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trekking 4 women – Asia and Africa

annyoung.gifAnn Young is the woman behind a New Zealand based company providing quality guided adventure trekking trips.

Uniquely, these treks are designed for women in the 40+ age group.

Tours are available both “less strenuous” and “more challenging”.

Challenging is right. Upcoming: Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary, Annapurna Circuit, Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Are you a woman who has a sense of adventure for the outdoors or wants to explore wild and wonderful places?

Are you fascinated by other cultures of the world?

Have you dreamed of trekking to far off places and seeing the highest mountain in the world or being on Safari on the African plains?

All Trekking 4 Women trips are non technical. You do not have to be a mountaineer or experienced climber, trekker, or traveller to enjoy an experience to last a lifetime with
Trekking 4 Women. If you are an absolute beginner or seasoned traveller, all you need is a sense of adventure to share with other like minded women who come from many destinations and cultures of the world. …

trekking 4 women – Home

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“Fishtail” or Machhapuchhre, Nepal

(via Women Travel the World)

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when will I hike South Africa?

… some day.

One of our contributors, George Novak, lived in South Africa and is always urging me to get there for “trekking”.

Top of my list — the Drakensberg Mountains in Kwa-Zula Natal.

img47.jpgGarth and Lee-Anne from GoVertical Mountaineering Adventures guide routes including:

  • DRAKENSBERG TRAVERSE (5-10 days)
  • AMPHITHEATRE TO CATHEDERAL PEAK OR TO GIANTS CASTLE
  • SENTINEL TO SANI (16 days)

    • The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is a World Heritage site of incredible basalt cliffs, giant peaks, dramatic pinnacles, pristine rivers and ancient San Rock Art. Join GoVertical for a guided backpacking experience along the Drakensberg Great Escarpment, a wilderness area which separates South Africa’s coastal lowlands from the highveld plateau.

    All Drakensberg Traverse Treks include:

    GoVertical Mountaineering guides, all meals & necessary restocks, Park fees, general camping gear, a celebratory dinner & B&B accommodation on the last night at a local mountain lodge

    GoVertical Trekking

    I’m tempted to sign on for a guided hike on my first trek in South Africa. Security is a bit of an issue in that country. It’s safe — but you need to know which areas to avoid. Tourists sometimes make the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Related post: Trekking the Drakensberg in South Africa (photos)

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    trek the Himalayan kingdom of Mustang

    Ever since I looked down the forbidden valley from Kagbeni while trekking the Annapurna Circuit, I’ve wanted to hike Lo Mustang in Nepal. Sadly, no independent hiking is allowed.

    Kagbeni at 2810 m, spectacularly situated atop a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and the Jhong Khola rivers, is the last village in Lower Mustang and guards the entrance into Upper Mustang, visible across the Kali Gandaki riverbed. It is the northernmost village that can be visited without a permit to continue on to Mustang.

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    Northwards into Upper Mustang – larger photo on flickr – Claudia

    Footprint Tours is one of the few companies who offer trekking trips:

    … Until 1992 less than a dozen foreigners had been to Mustang. Now, in an effort to protect this culture, access is limited with less than 800 trekkers making the journey each year. The requirement to pay high restricted-area fees, travel with an organised group and take a Liaison Officer, together with difficult access continue to make the Kingdom of Lo an uncommon destination. …

    A trek to the Himalayan kingdom of Mustang in the restricted regions of Nepal

    That same site has a nice overview of Himalayan trekking for those who have never been:

    tr02.jpgIn 1965 Colonel Jimmy Roberts introduced the world to trekking. As a former Gurkha Officer and Military Attaché at the British Embassy in Kathmandu he had spent years of his life walking the hills of Nepal. His idea, revolutionary for the time, was to provide tents together with Sherpas, to guide and cook.

    This made Nepal and the Himalaya available to a wide community and was an immediate success.

    Nowadays the formula is well established; groups travel through the hills, walking for five to six hours each day with all their equipment carried by porters or yaks; good quality meals are provided along with warm sleeping bags and comfortable tents; the trekker carries a personal pack with camera, day clothing and snacks. …

    photo – Jimmy Roberts in 1996 a year before his death.

    read more – What is Trekking?

    At this rate, I may need to wait until independent hiking is allowed.