Category: volcanoes

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Mt. Rainier flooded – Wonderland Trail closed?

Nearly 18in (45cm) of rain fell over 36 hours in November.

After seeing the Images of the Flood on the Mt. Ranier National Park website, I’m worried about next season. Will Wonderland open in 2007?

With millions of dollars damage to Park infrastructure, it may be some time before we know.

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photo – landslide damage to highway SR123

(Thanks Park Remark – The Great Flood at Mt Rainier National Park)

The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier near Seattle, Washington is one of the best hikes in the world. Lets repair those trails as quickly as possible.

Leave a comment below if you hear anything the Wonderland trails.

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Tramping in New Zealand

One of our favourite hiking guidebooks has been updated for 2006.

Hiking 3 months in New Zealand, this book was my bible.

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Make tracks across the spectacular range of New Zealand landscapes. The deep valleys of Fiordland and Mt Aspiring beckon, the Marlborough Sounds call, the volcanoes of Tongariro are steaming … explore on foot the natural wonders of this country from coast to Cook. … 53 detailed trail descriptions for trampers of all levels

Amazon.com: Lonely Planet Tramping in New Zealand: Books: Jim Dufresne

For variety, trailhead transport, ease of access, cost — New Zealand is the best destination in the world for most hikers.

best hikes in New Zealand – besthike.com

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Around Taranaki – New Zealand

On my one shot at Taranaki, we were turned back due to weather. Later in the day it cleared up completely. Timing is everything in New Zealand.

We tried climbing the distinct volcano.

Perhaps we should have done instead the hike around the mountain. Mountain Zone published a good trip report article:

The mountain is perfect—a beautiful cone, distinctive from all angles. Seen from many miles inland as a stunning silhouette, seen from the roaming eye of a satellite camera as a dark areola on a sea of cultivation, it’s a mountain we all know something about.

Around Taranaki – Hiking New Zealand’s Sleeping Giant

It’s the photogenic mountain used in the Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai.

Most of the great New Zealand hikes are on the South Island. But Taranaki, like Tongariro, are on the North. The circumnavigation is 55km (34mi).

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Taranaki NZ

(via The Adventure Blog)

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Colca, Peru: The grand, GRAND canyon

This is real adventure. Not for the faint hearted.

Colca is a 5-day trek (difficult & dangerous) over a 5100m (16,732ft) pass. It’s only 60km (37mi) but you will likely need to hire pack animals due to the rugged, remote terrain. And altitude.

Noel Wigdor posted one of the best trip reports we’ve seen in a while.

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Wow what a week.

Exactly a week ago I left for Colca Canyon for what is considered one of the hardest, but most rewarding, hikes in South America. Here is the breakdown of one of the most amazing, exhausting, and trying experiences of my life. Day 1 Ohad, my Israelli hiking partner, and I woke at 2:45 to catch a 3:30 bus to Cabanaconde, the starting point for our hike. Although we were both very nervous about this hike (we had both read that it is extremely hard), I was especially nervous because I was starting the whole thing with a bad case of diarrhrea … read more

Colca Canyon: The grand, GRAND canyon

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If you are up for this kind of challenge, check out the details on besthike.com Colca Canyon.