Category: video

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Climbing Veggan from Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten, Norway

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My best campsite in Norway was at Uttakleiv beach. $20. The only time I paid for camping in a nation where you can camp almost everywhere free.

Early next morning I had to decide whether to climb Veggen or the more popular Mannen.

For no particular reason, I decided on Veggan (“the wall”) which is a bit higher at 489m. Starting early morning, I had the summit to myself.

Like many day hikes in Norway, it’s an unrelenting climb with one good photo stop at lake Vasskarvatnet.

On departing Uttakleiv, I enjoyed the walk along the coast to Haukland beach rather than try to walk through the automobile tunnel.

BONUS ➙ more footage of the beach. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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HERO Video – Reinebringen, Lofoten, Norway

The main reason to buy a drone is so you can fly to Norway and get the HERO video atop Reinebringen, likely the most popular photo op above the Arctic Circle. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click over to our Reinebringen information page for details on how YOU can climb this famous peak.

It’s one of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

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My Arctic Norway Cycling & Hiking Highlights

BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Though I had to cancel my planned 3000km bikepacking adventure after SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) left my bike box at Heathrow for over a month 🤨, I still enjoyed my 4-5 weeks above the Arctic Circle.

Check my short HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hiking Arctic Norway – Barheia, Lyngen Alps

Trip Report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Click PLAY or watch a #shorts on YouTube.

Barheia is not one of the famous hikes. In fact, I only learned of it from a hiking guidebook I found at a nearby hostel.

MOST day hikes here required a lot of vertical before getting to the great vistas.

Only 350m? Only 1 hour?

Let’s GO.

It’s about 6.8km return from the trailhead — once you find it well above the highway campground.

AND it’s very conveniently located in Svensby, close to the ferry dock. You can easily walk from the ferry.

Most tourists drive right past on their way to the most popular day hike in the area, Blåisvatnet (the Blue Lake). Personally I enjoyed Barheia much better. AND had the summit to myself. The Blue Lake trail is crowded with hikers high season.

Confusingly, there’s a trailhead sign close to the campground on the highway. But the start is actually higher up the mountain, well above the campers.

Once there, you can’t get lost as it’s blazed red. Useful when the snow falls.

related – Wild Planet trip report

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Hiking Moorecroft Park, Vancouver Island

My favourite place to fly a drone close to Nanaimo is Moorecroft Regional Park.

It’s gorgeous, yet very little known or visited.

A former youth camp, it was purchased 2011 from the BC Conference of the United Church of Canada and is now managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

It is on AllTrails.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If you get the chance, you won’t regret visiting Moorecroft.

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Hiking Valencia, Spain

trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

One of the best urban hikes anywhere is in Spain’s 3rd largest city. Home of paella. 😀

While many tourists stick to the historic centre, the best walking is on a long green space to a complex designed by local architect Santiago Calatrava — the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències), which contains an opera house/performing arts centre, a science museum, an IMAX cinema/planetarium, an oceanographic park and other structures such as a long covered walkway and restaurants. 

It’s impressive.

Cityscape of Valencia. Turia park. Aerial view

Usually called Turia Garden, the park is officially 9km long. But expect your mileage to be quite a bit longer. I was on it at least 5 hours with side trips.

To start, I caught the subway to the Zoo on the far left of this map.

click for larger version

One essential stop is the Botanical Garden of Valencia (Jardí Botànic).

You really need several hours to explore the massive City of Arts and Sciences. There is a lot to do and see.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of this urban hike on YouTube.