Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Professional artist Richard Mravik asked to use one of our photos as the concept for one of his paintings. He’s just finished.
Here’s a low resolution version of that painting.
He’s sent it to Stephen Lowe art gallery. Eventually you’ll be able to see it on Richard’s page there.
If you checked out Jed Micka’s Hiker’s Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt trip report you know that they are detailed, amusing with superb photos.
Here’s one of Jed’s earlier treks, the famed Milford Track. He couldn’t get a spot for an independent hike … so signed on for one a guided adventure. … A guided adventure being the kind where you have hot chocolate waiting at the hut. And hot showers.
It’s a fixed itinerary:
Day 1: Lake Te Anau to Glade House
Day 2: Glade House to Pompolona Lodge
Day 3: Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge
Day 4: Quintin Lodge to Sandfly Point
Back in 2002 Jed was a “rookie” hiker with new untested gear. He writes his impressions at that time:
… It begins with a boat-ride from lake Te Anau to a drop-off point, from which one must traverse wetlands, temperate rainforest, suspension bridges, and an alpine pass, before finishing some 53km later, at Sandfly Point, on the edge of Milford Sound. Because of the delicate nature of the ecosystem and the inherent danger to the hikers (for some portions of the trail are routinely submersed under the very heavy rain and others traverse avalanche fields … 56 in all!) …
After arriving at Sandfly Point, weary, bitten, yet still elated, we boarded a ferry that took us to Mitre Lodge, where we had rooms, a hot meal, plenty of wine, and a dry pair of clothes waiting for us.
And although the hike was nominally finished for me, I knew that it was just a beginning: an introduction to the world of trekking that had already infected me with a desire to explore other regions of the planet. With this in mind I carefully catalogued the gear that worked well for me, and that which needed to be remedied before my next hike …
click over to Jed’s site to read more – The Milford Trek
Here’s a favourite of photographer G Dan Mitchell:
A daily photograph, news, observations, and ideas about photography
see more – G Dan Mitchell Photography
Photographer Michael Frye …
… asks you to click through to his 46 Best Photos of the past year, … and select the 10 you like best. (Leave your picks in the comments of that post.)
(via Tom Mangan on Facebook)
Lindi Horton over on the wonderful Matador Network did a recap & review of our World’s Top 10 Hiking Towns.
It’s GREAT. I learned new things about our own list.
Matador – The World’s Top 10 Hiking Towns
Lindi linked to another terrific Matador post – Photo Essay: 17 of the World’s Most Recognizable Mountain Peaks
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Tecolote … (A) is an isolated beach community located in the municipality of La Paz in the state of Baja California Sur, It is 25 km from the city of La Paz …
It is one of the most extensive of the beaches in this area with fine, white sand gentle waves and little undertow. Water skiing and jet skiing are available here as well as a boat that goes to Isla Espíritu Santo.
I’d been here several times in the past, most memorably on my kayak tour of the island (PHOTOS).
You can walk anywhere in this desert. I headed east along the shore, like Graham MacIntosh. Here’s a view looking back to Tecolote.
The highlight is sea birds. Especially Pelicans.
This little lizard is the only other beast I saw.
Seems the area has many wild burros. They were all around. But I never saw even one.
Perhaps the ATVs scare them away.
Here’s the ferry La Paz – Mazatlan.
There are plenty of ramshackle fishing shacks along the coast. Most empty.
I decided to head inland to tent.
Perfect weather, I enjoyed a peaceful sunset and sunrise. Someone had previously tented up here, already clearing a spot.
In the arms of that cactus near my tent, I left a Summit Stone.
Deserts are some of my favourite hikes. But you cannot go out long. Drinking 4 litres, I was already thirsty after 21 hours.
See the rest of my photos from this hike.
… Westwood Lake is an ultimate destination for many kinds of Nanaimo-ites, owing to its kilometres of springy pathways for runners and walkers, beaches for swimmers, fish for canoers, and its access to Mount Benson and Westwood Ridge …
I did just the 6km loop around the lake, catching some interesting photos.
The sun we hadn’t seen for many days was evaporating snow into mist.
see the rest of my pics on flickr
The best guidebook for the many local trails like this on Vancouver Island are the Hiking Trails series (3 volumes) by Vancouver Island Trails Information Society.
Can you see the face in this picture? …
How about if we flip the image… See it now?
That’s from Mighty Optical Illusions.
See our best hikes in Peru.
#Jeju #JejuOlle
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (routes 1→ 6 = 106km)
I did part of this route with the Walking Festival. And came back later by myself, to finish.
Walking in Korea and most of Asia is traditionally for the purpose of religious pilgrimage. To walk for fun and fitness is a relatively new and foreign concept.
Festival motto – be happy on the trail
Perhaps the most amazing sight on the sections I hiked was this vast area covered with Mandarin orange peels. We were told that, once dried, it would be used in tea.
The aroma was wonderful.
It was here, too, that our hiking group sampled the famous Jeju pork. Delicious.
Of the stretches along the water, I think this was my favourite.
Near the coast there are always surf cast fishermen in sight.
Most of the “beaches” are black and stony …
This one, Pyoseon, near our official Conference hotel was a rare sandy treat
We took a shortcut to the finish
Christian funeral monument.
Korea is about 40% Christian though none of the huge churches you’ve seen on TV are located on Jeju.
One of the bloggers saw some of the famous diving women of the island close to here.
It’s an interesting story, those divers.
Another saying of this island is that “rocks, wind and women are plentiful“. It’s a bit of a matriarchal society.
Haenyo are skilled divers who are known to be able to hold their breath for more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters. Diving was the first profession for women in Korea and the Haenyo are some of the best free divers in the world.
I set up a tent in a spot hidden by tall grasses. This, my only companion, didn’t reveal I was there.
Read more about route 3 on the official website.
See the rest of my route 3 photos on flickr.
The Big Picture posted 47 pics of those submitted.
Brown bear, Buskin River, Kodiak Alaska. This bear had been fishing in the river on this morning. It climbed onto the bank and laid down in the grass. This photo was taken about an hour after sunrise just as the sun was starting to clear the trees. The temperature was near the dew point and steam was rising off its body. It didn’t seem at all concerned by the fishermen in the river or the photographer on the bank. (Photo and caption by James Haskins)
Boise Sunrise. With the fog and morning light this looks like a place I’d love to be. If you look very closely, you can see a deer in a clearing in the center left area of the picture (small dot, head poking above bushes, see detail). (Photo and caption by Glen Hush)
see all 47 on my favourite photo blog – Boston.com – The Big Picture
Those are entries in National Geographic annual Photo Contest, categories People, Places and Nature. Deadline for submissions November 30th.
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
In 1809 Lord Byron wrote to his friend Francis Hodgson, “I must just observe that the village of Cintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world.”
Tourists today feel the same way. Sintra, a World Heritage Site, is a must visit side trip by train out of Lisbon.
… Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) and the castle Castelo dos Mouros (8th or 9th century, reconstructed in the 19th century) with a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the summer residence of the kings of Portugal Palácio Nacional de Sintra …
Almost everyone exiting the train hops on a bus tour. But much better is the short walk through town and up to the Castle of the Moors.
Here are a few photo of my jaunt up the mountain, starting in town.
Signage of the goal …
The walk up is evocative. You can imagine yourself hundreds of years in the past.
Gate guard at the Castle playing with a feral cat.
I played with the weird animals at Parque da Liberdade on the way down.
I can’t add it to our list of the best hikes in Europe, but a walk up from the train station is far preferable to taking the cattle tourist bus.
See more of my photos from this day hike.
More interesting photos of this destination.
besthike.com 