Category: product endorsements

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Trail Days, Damascus VA

the “largest gathering of backpackers in the United States” …

… someday …

National Parks Traveler:

… Damascus, Virginia is rightly called “Trail Town USA.” …

This year the fest runs May 18th through 20th but events start Saturday May 12th and continue through the 17th for early arrivals. …

The festival includes everything from lectures to a beauty pageant, a talent show, free gear repair and more. It’s a truly trail focused cultural convergence, and every year the schedule of events is worth a close inspection for events that any hiker would want to attend. …

… The Virginia Creeper Trail—a former logging railroad, now without the tracks and trains—starts near Mount Rogers on the lofty heights of White Top, the state’s second highest peak, and runs across scenic rolling foothills 33.4-miles to Abingdon, one of Virginia’s oldest mountain towns …

Discriminating Explorer: Get on the Road to Damascus! Trail Days 2012 Hikes in May 18th-20th

official website

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Gramicci loves the Outdoors

Gramicci was title sponsor of our Adventure Race in 2011 — Expedition Idaho.

This is a shout out for their prewashed, comfortable clothing line. A relaxed look and fit. Almost retro, it will never go out of style.

Click through to see their TREKKING clothing.

Mike Graham founded Gramicci in Southern California. Their gear has that vibe.

Support Gramicci.

ExPed Idaho and World Champion 2011 Jacky Boisset of Team Thule
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Unforgettable Walks Before You Die

Unforgettable Walks to Take Before You Die is the fifth title (2008) in an exciting series of books that will help you search out essential sights and experiences around the world.

Photographers and writers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones draw on their years of international travel experience in selecting thirty of the world’s most inspiring, spectacular and beautiful walks, each of which can be done within the space of a two-week break. …

Amazon

… not “hiking guidebooks” but certainly inspirational.

Some of the worlds best walks are included in this volume.

Yellowstone
Tour du Mont Blanc (Alps)
Tiger Leaping Gorge (China)
Amalfi Coast (Italy)
Routeburn (New Zealand)
etc.

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where to hike 2012?

by site editor Rick McCharles

Brainstorming for myself here … the highest priority hikes are in bold

Do you have any advice?

AFRICA?
• Tanzania – Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro?
• South Africa / Namibia?
• Morocco?

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND?
• Tasmania?
• Thorsborne Trail?
• Fraser Island?
… anywhere in New Zealand 🙂
• PNG – Kokoda Trail?

SOUTH AMERICA?
• Chile – Dientes Circuit?
• Bolivia?
• Argentina?
• Ecuador?

ASIA?
• Nepal – Manaslu Circuit, Kangchenjunga … or sections of the Great Himalaya Trail?
• India – Nanda Devi Sanctuary?
• Korea?

“Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off” April 27-29, Campo, CA.

EUROPE?
France – Tour of the Vanoise?
Spain – Pyranees?
Iceland – Laugavegur?
Scandinavia?
Slovenia (Ultralight Summit) … Aug?

NORTH AMERICA? … June-Sept
• CA – Sierra High Route?
• CA – Lake Tahoe Rim Trail?
• Montana – Chinese Wall Loop?
• Wyoming – Teton Crest?

• BC – North Coast Trail?
• BC – Della Falls?
• BC – Stein Valley?
• Alberta – Waterton?
• Newfoundland – Long Range Traverse?

I’m wanting to DRAFT a 2012 calendar over the next few weeks — and get a little more organized in advance than I have in the past. 🙂

Cost IS a factor.

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to Stove or not to Stove …

Hendrik Morkel waxes philosophic on a most practical matter:

… I’m convinced that it is on average lighter to go with an UL stove and dehydrated food, as I reckon it will be tastier and give more (mental) energy. …

Hiking in Finland – Food for Thought: Stoveless backpacking

I like that conclusion. I normally have 2-3 hot coffees in the morning, a cold lunch — and a big hot meal after dark.

My stove of preference is still the MSR Reactor.

Should I go to something lighter? 🙂

Hendrik links to these related posts:

• Going stoveless / Hiking no-cook PART II (PCT)

• TrailSavvy – Alternative Menu Planning (Stove-less)

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best hikes in Japan

UPDATED with information from Wes Lang, editor of Hiking in Japan.

by site editor Rick McCharles

If you were to plan a hiking vacation in Japan, here’s my advice.

First, get a copy of Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan, the best guidebook in English.

Plan your itinerary scheduling more time than you expect getting to and from trailhead. (It’s easy to miss a bus connection and get stuck overnight somewhere.)

You’ll almost always lose a day due to bad weather.

An ideal trip, in my opinion, would include these 4 routes:

1) Tate-Yama to Kamikochi (6 to 10 days)
“Hike the length of the North Alps — top hike in Japan!

2) Daisetzu-zan Grand Traverse (4-7 days)
The ultimate long hike across the roof of Hokkaido.

3) Kita-dake to Huiri-dake (2-10 days depending on route)
Rough and remote traverse the length of the South Alps

* Mt Fuji is a must too, of course.
A wise man climbs Mt Fuji …

climbing Fuji - photo by Matthieu LIENART

To do all of those you should be there July – September. … you can get away with going in June if you’ve got a pair of light crampons. May if you’ve got skis.

Questions? Suggestions?

If you’ve hiked Japan, what do you think?

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top travel destination is … ICELAND

According to Lonely Planet Best in Travel Readers’ Choice Awards.

… ‘Incredibly friendly, amazingly beautiful and one hell of a good time. Bars followed by geothermal hot springs.’

‘Iceland is the place to be in 2012 to see incredible displays of nature! The country of Iceland is currently experiencing two “maximum cycles”: One to do with increased volcano activity and another to do with the increased aurora activity for 2012.’ …

… ‘The wonders and creativity of nature at its best – untouched by humans…to this point. Geothermally heated pools to refresh the soul, literally seeing the rift valley between the American and European geological plates, visiting glaciers, seeing a real volcano, walking on terrain that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world…AND who wouldn’t want to see a puffin!!’ …

details on Lonely Planet

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Hokaido Lion Adventures, Japan

Shout out for this adventure sport company based out of Niseko, Japan.

They offer back country ski tours, shoeshoe treks, “snow rafting”, kayak trips and much more.

Even though I wasn’t a client, Lion Adventures helped me organize my transport to Mt Yotei when there was nobody else in town who could have helped.

Niseko is composed of six ski areas. It was in 2008 voted into the world’s top 10 ski resorts for the first time.

… Niseko was named as the world’s #2 snowiest resort in December 2007 with annual average snow fall of 595 inches (15.11 m) First place went to the Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington State with 641 inches (16,300 mm). …

Though still very undeveloped, Niseko has been discovered. Property values are going up.

… I shouldn’t have been surprised that the girl at the desk had lived in the ski resort of Banff, Canada and had worked at my favourite restaurant. (Coyote Deli)