Category: health & safety

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Rees-Dart Track, New Zealand

Though not on the short list of Great Walks, Rees-Dart is epic.

One of the tougher major hikes in our #1 hiking destination worldwide.

travel2walk was there January 2020.

The Rees-Dart Track … mainly follows the Rees River drainage and the Dart River drainage circling Mount Earnslaw and the Forbes Mountains.

An optional side trip during the hike is to visit the Dart Glacier or further to Cascade Saddle. Being the major highlight of our hike, I consider this side trip as part of the hike. …

  • distance: 53.7 miles (86.5 km)
  • elevation change: 10,850 ft (3,307 m) ascent & 11,240 ft (3,426 m) descent
  • time: 5 days (24:59 hours moving)

There are 3 different DOC operated huts located along the Rees-Dart Track …

… NZD$15 per night per person (DOC).

The huts had running water, bathrooms, mattress, and a stove for heating. However we carried our own stove, gas, and sleeping bags.  …

If interested, read their detailed trip report:

New Zealand – Rees-Dart Track, January 2020

If still keen, best watch the video. There are some challenges.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

See more of our best hikes in Australasia.

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The Most Dangerous Path In Britain

Tom Scott:

The Broomway is surrounded on both sides by quicksand and deep, sucking mud. It has no markers and no guideposts.

And if you mistime your walk, you won’t outrun the tide.

Oh, and it’s in the middle of a Ministry of Defence firing range.

But most of the time, if you want to visit Foulness Island, it’s the only way.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hiking Skookumchuck Narrows, B.C.

Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park is a little known highlight of the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada.

It was established on August 25, 1957 to protect the Sechelt Rapids located in the Skookumchuck Narrows between Sechelt Inlet and Jervis Inlet.

Famous with the surf kayak crowd.

However, these waters are dangerous. People have drowned.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hikers enjoy an old-growth rainforest hiking trail leading to this powerful tidal phenomenon.

Each day, tides force large amounts of seawater through the narrows …

The difference in water levels can exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height. … It is sometimes claimed to be the fastest tidal rapids in the world.

Click for larger version.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I got to the jumping off point, Egmont, early morning.

Because Egmont is off the main highway, most people speed past. It’s got an interesting end of the world vibe.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hid my bike in the trees close to the nearby trailhead.

Enjoyed the wide, easy trail to North Point lookout.

Many turn back at North Point. But I continued on the rough trail to Roland Point.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my October hike on YouTube.

Related – Likely the world’s most powerful tidal current is not Skookumchuck, but the Saltstraumen maelstrom in Norway.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – Happiest Outdoors – SKOOKUMCHUCK NARROWS

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What to do about WILD FIRES?

Planning for future hikes often means considering the possibility of forest fires.

As global warming increases, we’re likely to have bigger and more dangerous fires. 😕

‘We already see the initial signs of climate change, and fires are part of it,” said Dr. Amber Soja, a biomass burning expert at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, Va.

And research suggests that a hotter Earth resulting from global warming will lead to more frequent and larger fires.

The fires release “particulates” — tiny particles that become airborne — and greenhouse gases that warm the planet. …

NASA

Click PLAY or watch 2020 American fires on YouTube.

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Hiking with a TRAILER rather than Backpack

– Easy transportation of luggage on bus, train or airplane

– Prevent common hiking injuries from carrying weight

– Easy to manoeuvre on a variety of terrain

– Easy to handle on steep and rocky ascents and descents

– Ergonomically designed for easy of use and hiking with an armrest

– Holds enough gear to support one, two or three hikers

– Easy to take apart and reassemble

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Radical Design made that one. Not inexpensive.

This father and son walked Camino de Santiago keeping the gear for both in one trailer. 40KG is maximum load.

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Camping in the Rain

Any idiot can tent in perfect weather.

To stay comfortable in the rain requires the right gear. And skills.

1. Plan for Rain

4. Clothing Layers

5. Bring Waterproof Bags

7. Pick a Good Tent Site

Click through for more:

Camping in the Rain: 10 Tips to Stay Warm and Dry

Photo by Sangeet Rao on Pexels.com