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The bodies of 31 hikers have been found near the top of Japan’s Mount Ontake a day after a sudden volcanic eruption. …
The volcano, about 200km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, erupted without warning on Saturday …
(via Kolby Kirk)
climb Misti for me
Misti at 5822m (19,101ft) is one of the easiest, most visible, most popular, most accessible high summits in the world. It is recommended for all self-sufficient hikers. If you tolerate cold & altitude symptoms, the ascent is little trouble in good weather.
Misti is one of the best trekking peaks in the world — no mountaineering skills nor gear needed if the weather is good
3 days, 25km circuit plus the climb is recommended. Most do it in 2 days, 1 night, however.
Easy access from Arequipa, our favourite city in Peru.
Click PLAY or watch a short Yeti Adventure trip report on YouTube.
Unfortunately, the freezing temperatures, high winds and an incoming storm forced us to turn back without reaching the summit.
We’ve recently moved and updated our Misti information page.
Helm Creek to Black Tusk
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver. …
Over two million people visit Whistler annually, primarily for alpine skiing and snowboarding and, in summer, mountain biking …
Very few of those 2 million visitors climb up to one of the most iconic Canadian peaks, Black Tusk.
The Black Tusk is a stratovolcano and a pinnacle of volcanic rock in Garibaldi Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. At 2,319 m (7,608 ft) above sea level, the upper spire is visible from a great distance in all directions. It is particularly noticeable from the Sea-to-Sky Highway just south of Whistler …
Most hikers approach from the Taylor Meadows campground to the south near Garibaldi Lake, although there is a second route from the north that travels by way of Helm Lake. …
Locals advised me to avoid the crowded trailhead off the highway, and hike via the Helm Creek Trail instead. That’s the Cheakamus Lake trailhead, closer to Whistler.
I bought my $10 / person / night camping permit online from BC Parks. You can pay cash at a machine only at the Diamond Head and Garibaldi Lake parking lots, not at the Cheakamus Lake parking lot.
Why doesn’t BC Parks have an office somewhere near Whistler?
Cheakamus Lake to Black Tusk Meadows via Helm Creek:
• Length, 14.5 km; suggested time, 6 to 7 hours one way;
• elevation change, 600 metres.
• 1.5 km along the Cheakamus Lake trail, drop down to a bridge across the Cheakamus River.
On the other side of the river the trail switchbacks upward steeply to the Helm Creek Campground.
I carried on to gorgeous Black Tusk Meadows.
Hikers coming down from the south summit told me it was too late in the day for me to start up.
After weighing my options (I was carrying a head lamp) I finally decided to wander the meadows, instead.
It turned out to be a leisurely night.
Next morning I turned my back on Black Tusk and headed back down to my car.
I had time for a sidetrip to pretty Cheakamus Lake via lush temperate rain forest.
Black Tusk is off limits to mountain bikes, but the ride to this lake is superb.
All in all, a wonderful 2-day hike.
If I had one more day I would have done the 34km route Helm Creek, Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk shoulder detailed in this 9min video.
Click PLAY or watch Summer hiking featuring Helm Creek, Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk on YouTube.
I might even exit from there to the highway. It’s still possible to hitchhike near Whistler. 🙂
more photos from my hike
related – BC Parks – Garibaldi Provincial Park
treking Iceland north to south
A short video showing some of the highlights of our traverse of Iceland during the summer of 2014. It took us 21 days to cross about 500km from the northern shore at Hraunhafnartangi to the southern coast at Skogar. …
We had 2 food parcels on the route – one in myvatn and another in landmannnalaugar. This meant the maximum amount of food we had to carry was 12 days giving a backpack weight of between 15 and 25kgs. We also got caught in a storm in the highlands midway through and had to use our SPOT device to get picked up by Iceland’s amazing Search and Rescue volunteers …
(via Hiking in Finland)
Villarrica Volcano, Chile
Villarrica is one of Chile’s most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name. …
Villarrica is one of the world’s most climbed stratovolcanoes. Guided hikes to the crater are offered from the town of Pucón by several enterprises, but ascent might be suspended due to cloudiness and in periods of seismic or increased volcanic activity. Helicopter sightseeing services offer flights over the crater as well. In the winter (July–September) a ski resort operates on the northern slopes. In 2007 a service guided helicopter began to offer flights over the crater. …
Check a trip report by DAMIAN HALL posted on the Merrell blog.
Turning up at the guide company office at 7 a.m. for the third morning in a row, my travel buddy Elizabeth and I had quietly given up on ever climbing the 9,340 foot Volcán Villarrica. …
The weather was calmer. We got the green light to climb the volcano. Gulp. …
It’s hard work climbing up the volcano, but the rewards are great. After a couple of hours of climbing, we gaped at the rich woodlands, discreet villages, vast lakes and hills worthy of hobbit habitation below. Indeed, the climb was about to go a bit Mt Doom …
read more – Epic Trails – VOLCAN VILLARRICA – A HOT HIKE IN THE CHILEAN LAKE DISTRICT
I once traveled to Pucón to climb this beast. My trip was canceled due to weather. It happens a lot.
Kilimanjaro – Machame route
Once again I’m looking to climb Kili.
The last thing I want to do is sleep in the Marangu huts. I much prefer tenting.
Of the options tenting, Machame is most popular. 6-7 days, 49km. Less expensive.
Kyle McLaughlin recommends it.
What guiding company should I sign on with?
Kyle likes African Walking Company and Ultimate Kilimanjaro. They charge $2,000 to $3,500 per climber. Mid-range.
Here are the Ultimate Kilimanjaro trips for autumn 2014.
African Walking Company does not seem to have an easy-to-browse calendar. I emailed them. UPDATE: They got back to me by email, a 7-day trip starting Aug 26th costs $1850. … Those dates are not likely to work for me.
More recommended Kili trek operators.
Though you can climb year round, the main dry season is July to October.
I’ve got the gear.
Leave a comment if you have any recommendations for me.
climbing Volcan Villarica, Chile
Villarrica is one of the world’s most climbed stratovolcanoes. Guided hikes to the crater are offered from the town of Pucón by several enterprises, but may ascent might be suspended due to cloudiness and in periods of seismic or increased volcanic activity. …
Mike Howarth reports on his climb – The Lake District: Autumn Leaves, Asphalt and a Volcano
People love this adventure.
Lake of Eternal Life, Iceland
HANK LEUKART:
Brian and I start by trekking two classic, connected Iceland treks: the Fimmvörðuháls and Laugavegur Trails, the first of which begins at a huge waterfall called Skógafoss on the southern coast.
We feel almost disappointed to be enveloped by the sublime, rolling, green hills and plethora of waterfalls, because it feels like we’re in the most beautiful place in Iceland already — we’re getting a fantastic payoff way too early in our trip. Soon enough, though, as we continue through the snow and glaciers near Fimmvörðuháls Hut, it becomes obvious that there’s no chance Iceland will ever disappoint us no matter where we go. …
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
In January 2014, the Icelandic government announced plans to revoke 30-year-old environmental protections, putting Mývatn Lake, the Þjórsá River, and the Highlands in danger of destruction so that new hydropower plants can be built. Three waterfalls on the Þjórsá River — Kjálkaversfoss, Dynkur, and Gljúfurleitarfoss — may be ruined. Now may be the last time in history that hikers can see all of Iceland’s natural, untouched beauty …
read more – Without Baggage – Mission Iceland: A Tale of Two Brothers
Two brothers search for eternal life in the Icelandic wilderness.
Tongariro Circuit, New Zealand
Tongariro Northern Circuit is the best hike in the best trekking region in the world — New Zealand.
How can that be?
Why do we like the circuit better than the dozens of other awesome Kiwi walks?
These videos make it clear. 🙂
Click PLAY or watch a wonderful GreatWalks.co.nz promo on YouTube.
And another. Click PLAY or watch Dave and Tim on a snowy Circuit on YouTube.
We’ve updated and moved our Tongariro Circuit information page. Click through if you might want to organize your own Tongariro Circuit.
Laugavegur trek, Iceland
James Handlon signed on with adventure travel company Arctic Adventures to finally trek Laugavegur.
After several hours of bumpy off-roading we finally arrived late in the day at the Landmannalaugar campsite, a weird mix of surreal landscape, Glastonbury Music Festival and refugee camp all thrown together creating the most bizarre of places to start a trek .…
Gorgeous.
Read his entire trip report following the links from the bottom of THE LAUGAVEGUR ICELANDIC TREK – DAY 1 page.
besthike.com 