One of the must do day hikes in the Canadian Rockies is Maligne Canyon close to Jasper, Alberta.
… the canyon measures over 50 metres (160 ft) deep. Popular for sightseeing and exploration, the area contains waterfalls, underground stream outlets, birds and plant life. …
Best is to start from the main parking lot close to the tea house and the Hi Maligne Canyon Lodge.
The canyon is deep here.
The canyon was named by a zealous Jesuit missionary, who called the canyon “la traverse maligne”, after his horses were swept away by the swirling waters. There are six bridges built across the canyon to help one explore this magnificent work of nature : the first bridge was built in 1914.
I’d recommend you hike at least to the point of seeing the 5th bridge. From there you could loop back on the cycling / horseback trail.
There are interesting interpretive displays en route. This hike is great for kids.
With each bridge, you get closer and closer to the water.
When the river freezes over in winter, the experience is completely different. If you are one of the brave venturing to Jasper National Park in winter, consider doing a guided ice walk in Maligne Canyon in winter. It is an out of this world experience.
The Dragon’s Back is more than a hike, it’s a “tourist attraction”.
The Dragon’s Back (Traditional Chinese: 龍脊) is a ridge in southeastern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, between Wan Cham Shan and Shek O Peak. It lies within the Shek O Country Park. In 2004 the Dragon’s Back Trail was selected by TIMEasia as the best urban hiking trail.
Who wouldn’t love a ridge walk on a tropical island?
Many start up the Hong Kong tram and hike down to Big Wave Bay, but I followed the longer and more difficult 8.5km route recommended in The Inside Guide to Hikes and Walks in Hong Kong, a free publication from Hong Kong Tourism.
If you get to Hong Kong, the Dragon’s Back is a must hike.
Friends, loved ones and unloved who don’t want to go can wait at the finish, Big Wave Bay Beach.
Known as the Araby Trail, a short day hike takes you up to the Bob Hope estate, a saucer-shaped home once owned by Hope and also at different times by Steve McQueen and William Holden.
Not far from the airport, the trail starts above a trailer park — somehow symbolic of the divide between rich and poor.
It’s about a 1,000-foot ascent over 1.6 miles one way to get to the top.
St. George’s was the first part of Bermuda to be extensively colonized, and the town of St. George’s contains many of the territory’s oldest buildings.
It’s claimed to be the oldest continuously-inhabited English town in the New World.
While visiting I walked all parts of the island many times. Here are some highlights.
I spent two half days walking the Park and visiting attractions. Easy access via MetroLink.
Earth Day 2018Jewel Box
Friedrich Ludwig JahnSt. Louis Art Museum
It’s part of the River Ring, a 600+ mile web of parklands and trails being developed by the Great Rivers Greenway. Ideal for cycling, by the looks of it.
People from the BIG CITY of Santiago love to escape to Valparaíso on the coast.
Valpo is popular with tourists who enjoy the city’s labyrinth of cobbled alleys and colorful buildings.
It has a a mild Mediterranean climate.
In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso’s unusual system of funicular lifts (steeply inclined carriages) one of the world’s 100 most endangered historical treasures.
I decided to walk to Valpo along the coast from Viña del Mar, an upscale suburb to the north famed for great beaches.
Having walked the beaches the previous evening, I started near the castle.
There were plenty of runners and cyclists, but not many walkers.
Birds are always a highlight in Chile. Pelicans have always been some of my favourites.
Originally a port and fishing centre, much of the coast has not been improved for pedestrians.
Some has.
Fishermen use mobile phones now.
There’s a lot of traffic on the coastal road. At one point you are pushed inland by train tracks.
Parts of this 3 hour walk I did enjoy.
Other sections I found annoying. Graffiti EVERYWHERE was starting to bother me.
A real highlight near Valpo is watching sea lions close up on this abandoned concrete structure. It’s amazing they can get up there. It’s entertaining to watch them negotiate who gets the prime real estate. And who gets pushed off back into the sea.
The best part was arriving in Valparaíso and joining a free (for tips) walking tour. The daughter of one of the gentlemen in our group had tons of fun sliding down a cement ramp.
As many do on this popular hike, I walked from El Bolsón, centro. Three hours of dusty, but tranquil road walking to get to the parking lot.
(Actually, I tried a trail alternative recommended on my Maps.me app. Bad idea, as it turned out. Coming down I stuck to the road.)
Taxi would cost at least $25. Drivers don’t like going up here. You MIGHT be able to join up with others to split the cost at a collectivo office near the Via Bariloche bus station.
It took me about 4 hours to reach the Piltriquitrón hut and campground.
After a brief siesta I headed over to the nearby El Bosque Tallado (carved forest). $5 entrance.
There are over 50 crude wooden sculptures with new ones being added. A fire in 1978 inspired lead artist Marcelo López to initiate this tourist attraction.
The refuge has a superb location. People can’t get enough of the vistas.
I enjoyed dinner at sunset, myself, overlooking El Bolsón.
Alpenglow was lovely this evening. I didn’t edit this photo.
I was on the summit trail by 9am next morning.
Pack horses were grazing free.
Easy going until the final scramble before the top.
There’s a 360 degree vista from the peak.
A German living in El Bolson just spend 5 days up in those craggy, intensely glaciated peaks. Because there are no alpine huts, he had that wilderness to himself.
I could clearly see Tronador volcano about 100km distant.
Rick atop Piltriquitrón
I had done the 1800m ascent over 2 days.
I was back down to the hut by Noon. Back to town, very tired, by 3pm. That’s 1800m of descent.
Supposedly it’s easy to hitchhike back down from Piltriquitrón. I had no luck.
