Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Rocco sends us a link to this pic.
Leaping from Half Dome is illegal, but in Yosemite the sport of BASE jumping is soaring in popularity anyway. Climbers say it’s faster (and more fun) to parachute into the valley than to hike all the way down the back of the mountain.
… seems Dean Potter forgot his parachute on this free climb.
more photos ….
Daring. Defiant. Free
A new generation of superclimbers is pushing the limits in Yosemite.
Some say its the most dangerous hike in the world, El Camino Del Rey (also known as El Caminito Del Rey) is definitely the most thrilling hike I’ve ever done. …
The path was originally constructed in 1905 for workers of a hydro electric dam set up in the cliffs of El Choro. Since then, the path has deteriorated and is now only for the adventurous. …
The Cheap Route:
…. I just discovered that this hike is not going to be around much longer, at least not in its current “adventurous” state. If it sounds appealing, you better hurry up and get to Spain.
El Caminito Del Rey To Be Restored – €9 million over 4 years to fund the restoration
I’ve long disparaged ‘hiking canes‘, … despite evidence to the contrary. Most of the best hikers in the world use them for longer trips.
Yet I’m ready (finally) to try a pair. Here’s why my Adventure Racing team is testing them:
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Backpacker calls them the “best carbon poles we’ve ever tested“, awarding them the Editors’ Choice 2011 award.
Stephen Regenold updates the options in 2011:
In the woods, I use multiple water-purification products, from tablets to pumps. Product weight, speed of purification, and filtration type are criteria I assess to choose the right weapon against the bacteria, viruses and protozoa that may exist in a particular place.
Drop-and-dissolve tablets, including Potable Aqua iodine ($7, www.potableaqua.com) and Katadyn’s chlorine-dioxide Micropur product ($12.95, http://www.katadyn.com), are my most common defense. They are relatively inexpensive, light weight, and easy to use — just add a tablet into your water and let it fade away and do its stuff.
But tablets have a few limitations. You often have to wait 30 minutes or so for the chemicals to take effect. There is an aftertaste, too, especially with iodine. And for cryptosporidium, a nasty contaminant found in some areas, tablets will take four hours or more to neutralize, making them nearly unusable except for overnight application. …
read more on The Outside Blog
I hate second hand smoke.
So this legislation sounds good to me.
The Recreation and Parks District board in Pleasant Hill, California is planning to ban smoking on hiking trails within the district, as well as other open spaces like parks. …
If the Pleasant Hill no-smoking ordinance is passed, it will not be the first in California of it’s kind. Districts like Hayward and Livermore already have similar ordinances in place. …
Daily Hiker – California district to ban smoking on hiking trails
It’s nice to see California politicians have enough free time to work on forward thinking proposals like this. 🙂
My checklist for day hiking is the one posted by Tom Mangan. It’s a variation on the classic Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills list.
See both here – 10 essentials for day hiking
But DAVE ANDERSON posted an interesting alternative using this mnemonic: B-E – S-A-F-E
(B) Body temperature regulation and skin protection
(E) Emergency plan
(S) Sensibility – Probably the most important “essential” to pack for a day hike is something you already have with you – your brain.
(A) Active Route Finding – Don’t get lost in the first place.
(F) First-aid kit
(E) Extended Stay – What happens when the best laid plans go array? Carry some extra things to deal with adversity
Read the details on LittlePo Adventures – What are the 10 Essential Items to Pack on a Day Hike?
I’m no Gear Junkie.
I’ve got Stephen Regenold for that.
GearJunkie.com, launched in 2006, is regarded as a top blog and online publication for product reviews and news in the outdoors world. The site contains thousands of pages of content — gear reviews, news, travel and adventure stories …
Stephen already got a lot of excellent video content. But new to me was his Gear Junkie Video Show.
Episode No. 1 … was shot … at Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
related – Video: ‘What is Gear Junkie?’
Tom Mangan linked to a terrific video posted by the National Park Service.
Trails covered: Mist Trail, Panorama Trail, Upper Yosemite Fall Trail.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
See more like this on the Yosemite National Park YouTube channel.
(via Two-Heel Drive – Must-see vid: strenuous Yosemite day hikes)
Scott Cundy from The Wildand Trekking Company recommends this guided adventure for experienced hikers:
The Kanab Creek Backpacking Tour is a 7-day, 6-night North Rim hike that takes us nearly 25 miles into the Grand Canyon before we turn around and hike out.
It features spring-fed creeks, ancient pictographs, slot canyon hiking, fantastic camps, and a chance to see the Colorado River at one of its most remote points.
The trip begins with a day of hiking through the Kanab Creek Wilderness and an amazing camp with pictographs and fantastic spring water. The next day we traverse Jump Up Canyon, a 4-mile slot canyon that narrows to just 15 feet wide while towering hundreds of feet above us, and enter the Kanab Creek drainage.
The next two days we’ll continue down the Kanab Creek Drainage toward the Colorado River, passing Showerbath Spring, Whisper Falls, and other amazing desert water features along the way. After a hike to the Colorado River on day 4, we turn around and begin hiking out, soaking up the views of the famous Red Wall and the North Rim the whole way!
A final night at our first night’s camp is an opportunity to reminisce about the trip and plan our next adventure in to the world’s most famous canyon.
Details – Kanab Creek Adventure ($1495)
Sam set out in January on a 12,500mi proposed route he called the “All-In Trek”.
Many were dubious he’d be able to complete such an ambitious project without much previous experience.
He even suffered scorn and abuse on White Blaze.
On March 6th, day 64:
Today I made a very hard decision. I have chosen to leave the trail to seek medical care.
He’s currently documenting his recovery and formulating a plan.
besthike.com 