Category: health & safety

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PCT day 2 – Mount Laguna back to Lake Morena

trip report by editor Rick McCharles

I knew next to nothing about PCT hiking strategy.

But it seemed a no brainer to catch one of the many available Angel rides up to Mt Laguna at mile 43. And hike downhill to Lake Morena at mile 20 … rather than uphill.

A_elev

Yet very few hikers did so.

Rick

Beautiful country.

trails

PCT

cactus

flowers

I passed hundreds of sweaty, hot thru hikers climbing. It was interesting to check their gear. And their hiking systems.

hikers

No mountain bikes are allowed. But trail riders and beasts of burden are welcome.

beasts

Several hikers had seen Rattlesnakes. I saw 3 of these guys. A gopher snake, I believe.

click for larger version
click for larger version

It seemed to take FOREVER to get back to the Kick Off campground. Yeesh.

campground

I grabbed a shower. Then enjoyed free chile provided by Trail Angels.

Feet sore. Some blisters. Confidence shaken. … I wasn’t at all sure I’d be able to hike day 3. 😦

more photos

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Nepal – Machhapuchhre trek

Most days I’d list ol’ Fishtail 6,993 m (22,943 ft) as my favorite mountain in the World.

Machapuchare or Machhapuchhre (माछापुछ्रे) Lit. “Fish Tail” in English, is a mountain in the Annapurna Himal of north central Nepal. It is revered by the local population as particularly sacred to the god Shiva, and hence is off limits to climbing. …

It’s easily seen from Pokara.

Fishtail Luc

fishtail

Here’s a 15 day lower elevation guided Himalaya Trek called Machhapuchhre Model Trek. Looks a lot easier than most in Nepal. And much safer vis-a-vis risk of altitude sickness.

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great multi-day treks low altitude

Lonely Planet:

… just want to want to enjoy a good trek without worrying about acclimatising?

Altitude sickness, which usually kicks in around 2500-3000 metres (8200-9850 feet) and higher, affects some (but not all) of us, no matter how healthy you are.

And while we love Peru’s Inca Trail and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro, both of these iconic treks hit heights that can affect your health and prevent you from summiting.

So we’ve rounded up the five best treks that feature unique terrain and boast fantastic scenery …

• W trek, Torres del Paine, Chile
• Bathali village treks, Nepal
• Milford Track, New Zealand
• GR20, Corsica, France
• Grand Canyon: rim to rim, Arizona

read more

Bathali Village Tour
Bathali Village Tour

BBC has sold Lonely Planet, by the way.

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walking 4132mi down the Nile

Stretching for 4132 miles and crossing through ten countries, the Nile is the longest river on the planet.

… During the 19th century, the river inspired explorers to go in search of its headwaters. Numerous expeditions were mounted to map its length. But none of those explorers ever managed to walk the entire length of the Nile from source to sea.

That’s exactly what two British adventurers intend to do when they launch a 12-month long expedition later this year.

Levison Wood and Simon Clarke are in the final stages of planning for what they call the Walking the Nile expedition. The two men, who met and became friends while serving in the British military, say that they were inspired to undertake this epic trek by fellow countryman Ed Stafford. In 2010, Stafford famously completed a 4000+ mile long trek along the length of the Amazon. That journey helped Wood and Clarke come up with the idea of hiking along the world’s other great river – the Nile. …

British Adventurers Announce Plans to Walk the Length of the Nile

Nile

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Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) trek

Daniel has a blog all about his year spent in the town of Soledad, Barranquilla, Colombia.

One Adventure took him on a 5-day guided trek to one of the best walks in the world.

Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) is like the Machu Picchu of Colombia: located deep in the Sierra Nevada it is an old city built by indigenous people where their Shaymans (religious leaders) lived with their wives and families. …

… Some of us bitched about the ones marching on ahead to the front, others bitched about those coming up too slowly behind- and everyone bitched about bloody Mosquitos. …

… The terrain ranged from the clay sandy trails, to riverside walks and treks into deep jungle. Colourful butterflies seemed to constantly encircle us, we spotted a (dead) snake, and lots of tropical birds.

After night 2 the novelty of sleeping in a hammock had disappeared, and the reality of an uncomfortable nights sleep in the cold was hard to deal with. The food was great- our chef Yorman made great meals and often surprised us with treats of chocolate bars and lollipops. Everyone’s dietary needs were taken into account …

read more – CIUDAD PERDIDA / THE LOST CITY

They made it.

Lost City

related – our Lost City information page

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rest in peace Mark and Rob

Lifelong friends, Rob and Mark Glaser, were killed in an avalanche on Saturday, January 15, 2011 in the area of Burstall Pass, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

The families of Mark and Rob Glaser are in deep shock at the news of their tragic passing. Both were loving husbands and fathers and will be greatly missed by their families and legions of friends. Both were seasoned back country hikers and skiers who shared a deep passion for the outdoors.

Mark lived in Calgary and was in the oil and gas industry for over 25 years including senior management positions in recent years. Rob lived in Bragg Creek and was a captain in the Calgary Fire Department.

Mark Glaser

Rob was a firefighter, expert in all things backcountry. They had left their avalanche beacons in the car making family speculate that this ski was intended to be simply a short warm-up.

Saskatchewan Glacier

Over 30 years (1978–2007), avalanches have been responsible for 329 deaths in Canada, with a recent rate of 14 deaths per year. …

Avalanche accounts for over 90% of outdoor recreation deaths, most of those in Alberta or B.C.

Be careful out there.