by BestHike editor Rick McCharles 

Reality Check – You can’t thru hike  the Route of Parks in Chile. Matador and many other normally responsible sites are wrong about this.

For 3 of the past 4 years I’ve been in Patagonia in January. It’s paradise for the outdoor enthusiast.

Much of the international press coverage in recent years promotes the Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia (Route of Parks),

A chain of 17 National Parks. Fantastic.

Many are connected by the Carretera Austral highway , ideal for cycling. Not great for walking.

Some Parks are quite inaccessible.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If you are looking for a long thru hike in Patagonia, check the Greater Patagonian Trail route.

It does not connect in any way with the Route of Parks because that’s a road. 😀

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La Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia va desde Puerto Montt a Cabo de Hornos, 2800 kilómetros de ruta escénica que recorre 17 Parques Nacionales. Ven a conocerla, programa tu viaje. #rutadelosparques #conservation #parquesnacionales #wildlife #conservation

A post shared by 🇨🇱 Ruta de los Parques (@rutadelosparquesdelapatagonia) on May 22, 2018 at 9:44am PDT

Alpine Circuit, Lake O’Hara 

Super popular, it’s very difficult to get a reservation to camp overnight.

AT A GLANCE

• Yoho National Park in British Columbia near Banff, Alberta.
• time zone is Alberta, not B.C.
• mid-June through the end of September (start and end dates vary)
  • for example, bus operated for hikers and campers from June 19 to October 4, 2018
• 11.6 km
• perhaps 9 hours
• perhaps 900 photos 🙂
• highest point 2528 m
• elevation gain 1012 m

Some like O’Hara best late in the season to see the larch change colour. Green to golden.

Details on our Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit information page.

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

Duration: 4 hours round trip.
Distance: 4,8 km round trip.
Return: Same route.
Difficulty: Medium-High

Parque Pumalín 

This physically challenging trail climbs through an alerce forest, once burned and now recuperating.

Excellent.

You need your own wheels to get to trailheads like this. I tried to hide my bike in the bush before heading up.

The cost to develop trails is here is high. And these workmen are superb.

I love how they use local materials to blend in to the pristine environment.

At one point they tunnelled under roots of a tree.

Though shockingly well maintained despite the climate, one railing did rip out on me. Happily I was using it for balance, not support.

The path generally climbs up near loud waterfalls.

One reason to choose this trail over others is free camping at Laguna Tronador. There are only 2 excellent spots, however.

I recommend the Laguna Tronador trail.

Kristen of Bear Foot Theory posted a nice summary.

THE BASIC RULES OF HIKING

Locations: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Dinosaur National Monument

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

Kolby Kirk is quoted. So this must be true. 🙂

… due to the recent success of the book and movie “Wild”, many hikers have expressed fears that the trail will become overcrowded with Oprah Winfrey fans wearing enormous backpacks and ill-fitting boots with red shoelaces. …

The 2014 hiking season saw a dramatic rise not only in the number of hikers on the PCT, but also in the number of hikers apparently carrying large pieces of furniture.

“There was a couch at Scissors Crossing, and another one outside of Big Bear,” said Renee “SheRa” Patrick, “I can only imagine that they were carried there by hikers and abandoned when they realized that couches are too heavy for a thru-hike. I mean, a section hike, sure. Maybe somewhere in Oregon. But in the desert? It’s crazy.” …

“Wild” Debates About PCT Overcrowding (Part One)