Epic Treks

I’ve just subscribed to a site new to me. It lists hundreds of great treks around the world — though I was dubious after seeing the Inca Trail ranked #1. 😦

It’s not even one of the best hikes to Machu Picchu.

Here’s their top 10:

1 Inca Trail
2 Mt. Kilimanjaro
3 Tour du Mont Blanc
4 Torres del Paine Trek
5 Everest Base Camp
6 Annapurna Circuit
7 Routeburn Track
8 West Coast Trail
9 John Muir Trail
10 Tongariro Northern Circuit

full list – epictreks.com

Up front on the site is this truth:

The idea of ranking a trek is ridiculous. To claim that one trek is superior to another is complete conjecture. But everyone loves a good ranking. …

Check it out.

Epic Treks

The now defunct Get Outdoors blog called rankings like this “meaningless lists“. 🙂

top 10 hiking regions

No change in the list itself, but we’ve updated some pages, some links.

Top-10#1 New Zealand info page
#2 Southwest USAinfo page
#3 The Rockiesinfo page
#4 USA Sierra Nevadainfo page
#5 Central Andesinfo page
#6 Patagonian Andes info page
#7 Nepal info page
#8 Australiainfo page
#9 The Alps info page
T #10 Indian Himalaya info page
T #10 Dolomitesinfo page

New Zealand is #1 for us. But the wealth of options in North America make it a more compelling destination for most.

See more of our top 10 lists.

TrekkingPartners.com

Founded in October of 2010 in Kathmandu, TrekkingPartners helps people find like-minded partners for their outdoor activities.

People can post a trip for others to join or join someone else’s, whether it be hiking in the mountains or biking across the country.

TrekkingPartners helps people share costs, promotes safety, and find a companion to share the adventure with.

Trips are listed from all over the world. But Himalayan adventures are front and centre.

They have about 2000 members.

I’m #2001, having just joined. 🙂

Trekking Partners

Check out TrekkingPartners.com.

Envirofit clean-burning cook stove

Kraig Becker promotes the Himalayan Stove Project.

Check this article to see what they are doing to make the world a better place:

The problems the Project are addressing and solving are obvious. Inefficient cookstoves in the fragile high Himalayan environment (and elsewhere) cause

1.) indoor air pollution and related health issues due to smoke inhalation,

2.) personal safety hazards to families and their children,

3.) deforestation,

4.) climate change and

5.) economic and other social issues.

The Himalayan Stove Project is a U.S. public charity staffed totally by volunteers who pay all their own expenses, including travel to Nepal. In addition, a growing community of institutions, corporations and individuals supports its very pragmatic mission of making a difference now.

Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) is the planet’s 4th-largest public health threat after malaria, clean water and HIV-Aids.

Changing the World One Cookstove at a Time –

Click PLAY or watch one of the clearer technology stoves on YouTube.

Wildflowers of Banff Park

By luck we ended up camping next to outdoors author / photographer Ian Wilson. He and wife Jacinthe Lavoie self-published Wildflowers of Banff Park in 2012.

Here’s a sample photo — a Western Wood Lily.

Western Wood Lily - 3

Click through to see a SAMPLE of the entire book online.

We bought 2 copies and some Scenic Wildflowers Cards.

Best trails near Banff for wildflowers:

Johnson Lake

Spray River

Sunshine Meadows

Healy Pass

Bourgeau Lake

Eiffel Lake

The Plain of Six Glaciers / Lake Agnes trail

Molar Pass

Helen Lake

Nigel Pass

banff-bookcover

details on WildflowersOfBanff.com

Actually, we met Ian near Waterton. They had been there for months researching their next book — Wildflowers of Waterton Park.

Looking forward to that one! 🙂

If you have any questions, comments, or would like information regarding book orders or special edition books, please email hyacinthpress@gmail.com

Pacific Crest Trail Days – Sept 6-8

From September 6-8, 2013 the 7th annual Pacific Crest Trail Days will take place in Cascade Locks, Oregon!

PCT DAYS 2013 is a great time for people to check out the latest outdoor products and gear, participate in classes and activities, play in the disc golf tournament, visit with old and new friends, listen to music & watch movies, and celebrate the past, present and future of the Pacific Crest Trail.

The event site is bordered by the Columbia River and surrounded by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area; an area where the Pacific Crest Trail and other trails offer access to some of the most beautiful scenery in Pacific Northwest. …

PCTDays2013colorflyer

read more on PCTA.org