Category: websites

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South American Explorers


If you trek in South America, you spend a lot of time at the SAE clubhouses in Cuzco and Lima, Peru.

Hikers and mountain climbers rendezvous there to organize trips.

I’m a Facebook friend of the Lima Clubhouse. They offer many special events for international travelers. For example:

trek-south-americaWednesday, January 14, 2009
Location: Lima Clubhouse

Interested in trekking, but have no idea how, where, when, with whom to start? Join us on January 14th for “Trekking in Peru 101”. SAE Lima Clubhouse hosts trekking expert, Virgilio Marmanillo, to answer all your questions and concerns. Virigilio has been guiding trekking and adventure tourism travelers for over 10 years in Peru. He’s an expert in the Salkantay, Inka and Choquehuanca trails.

Stop by and learn tips from a pro, find out what you need for your route, and maybe even start prepping for a trekking adventure!

***cold cerveza for sale!!!!***

Cost: free for all

official website – South American Explorers

I highly recommend you join the SAE if you travel in Peru.

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the Lumemo Trail, Tanzania

Every once in a while I click on to The Backpacker website:

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The Backpacker – home page

It’s an old school static page that turns me off at first glance. Especially the double underlined ad links. Those infuriate me. Normally I boycott any site that was lame enough to use them.

But there is some good stuff on The Backpacker if you avoid hovering your mouse over the double underlined words.

Here’s a sample trip report, for example, by Ian Williamson.

The Lumemo Trail: A Tanzanian Wilderness Experience

There are no hotels or lodges here. This is a National Park with no roads. This park is a series of mountain rangers and interlocking valleys and only experienced hikers can mange this difficult terrain. These mountains are pristine and largely untouched by humans.

The Udzungwa Mountains National park was created primarily for the protection of flora rather than fauna. The park was registered in 1992 and is the first of its kind in Tanzania. This park is a series of mountain rangers and interlocking valleys – ranging from the top of the Kilombero Valley at 300 meters above sea level to peaks of around 2,570 meters above sea level. Only experienced hikers can mange this difficult train. Making these mountains pristine and largely untouched by humans.

The Lumeno trail is 65km long and follows the path of the Lumeno River, which is sourced in the heart of these mountains. There are three campsites along the trail that are roughly spaced at 7 to 8 hour walk intervals. They are basic campsites. Remember in Africa basic means just that, basic — simply a peace of ground cleared for your tents. It usually takes three to four days to complete this hike.

The trail passes through three types of vegetation: Miombo Woodland, Grassland and forest. Some of the wildlife you may see on this trail is the, red colobus & black and white colubus monkeys, yellow baboon, sykes monkey, sanje mangabey, bushbuck, waterbuck, bush pig, buffalo, elephant and red duikers. …

We recommend hiking of this trail to be done in the dry season — June to November — as in the rainy season the river becomes swollen and turbulent making the river dangerous to cross. The flooding can also hide crocodiles, which can be a greater danger than the swollen river.

This is not an experience for the faint hearted, however, if you love the wilderness this is an experience not to be missed.

The Lumemo Trail: A Tanzanian Wilderness Experience

Also check out their backpacking tips page. Their USA Trail Reviews by State. And much more content uploaded by their community.

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related: Lumemo River Trail – Authentic Tanzania

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check this site: mntnLIFE.com

The Adventure Blog gave a shout out to an outdoor adventure site called mntnLIFE.com.

It’s social networking where content is mostly generated by users.

I clicked through the “earth” section to see what hikes had been added so far. Here’s a sample page for the excellent Mt Katahdin, Maine scramble we posted recently:

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screenshot

See the original page.

Looks good.

I’ve joined as a member. (Free)

Check it put using the powerful search functions starting from the home page: mntnlife.com

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Welcome to Vancouver Trails

Vancouver Trails is a new site (no RSS feed) in Canadia.

Panoramic mountain top views, tranquil lakes, thick west coast rain forests, beautiful waterfalls, and breath taking alpine scenery are just a few of the many spectacular outdoor experiences along the hiking trails near Vancouver, British Columbia.

Hiking is the perfect way to enjoy the nature and beautiful scenery that Vancouver has to offer. Vancouver Trails has a range of trails from easy to difficult, from half day to full day hikes, each divided amonst several regions and each with their own unique terrain.

Start planning your outdoor adventure by viewing the list of trails or use the regional map as a reference point to where each trail is located. …

Vancouver Trails

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A good sample hike to check out is Black Tusk:

The dark, jagged edges of Black Tusk make it one of the most scenic and unique hikes in southwestern British Columbia. Located in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Black Tusk is the most spectacular mountain in the area.

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Region: Whistler
Difficulty: Difficult
Time: 11 hours
Distance: 29km
Elevation Gain: 1740 meters
Season: July – October
Camping: Yes
Transportation: Car
Estimated Driving Time from Vancouver: 1 hour 45 minutes

Black Tusk

(via BluePeak)

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Trails.com – Best Trails in North America

Wisdom of the crowd?

Trails.com is one of the very best hiking sites on the internet. I was once a member, but am no longer. I don’t like “walled garden” websites. (members only)

The results are in! After analyzing over 10 million “votes” from users over the past year, Trails.com is proud to announce its annual Top Trails list (learn more about Top Trails), based on trail popularity and usage. This list represents the most popular trails and outdoor destinations in North America. …

These are good hikes. But not at all the best hikes in North America. Popularity by members seems not to be a good way to rank hikes.

Perhaps I’m wrong. Look over the list for yourself:

. Breakneck Ridge Trail
In Hudson Highlands State Park, this trail makes a rugged ascent from river-level to roll along a knobby ridge, gathering vistas and reaching a lookout.
Beacon, NY – Hiking – 9.6 miles

. Glacier Gorge
In my opinion this is the most beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spectacular scenery, beautiful wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and beautiful alpine lakes …
Estes Park, CO – Hiking – 9.6 miles

#3. Mount Whitney
This expedition takes you to the top of the highest peak in the contiguous United States, and to unparalleled views….
Lone Pine, CA – Hiking – 22 miles

#4. Appalachian Trail: The Pinnacle
Walk the Appalachian Trail for spectacular views of Hawk Mountain, the Lehigh Valley, and Blue Rocks.
Hamburg, PA – Hiking – 8.7 miles

. Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap
The summit of Springer Mountain, a broad dome with thin oak woods and a rock outcrop, has excellent northwest views of the Cohutta Mountains.
Suches, GA – Hiking – 9 miles

#6. Appalachian National Scenic Trail – Pennsylvania Section
Rouzerville, PA – Hiking – 232 miles

. Conundrum Hot Springs
A secluded collection of pools in a beautiful wilderness location. Essentially undeveloped, wilderness location. Conundrum is one of Colorado’s most exquisite settings …
Aspen, CO – Hot Springs – 18 miles

#8. American River Confluence to Lake Clementine
Contrasting dynamics and a wild-river canyon take center stage on this hike. You’ll encounter raging rapids, soothing pools, a loud waterfall at a dam, and a tranquil lake.
Auburn, CA – Hiking – 6 miles

#9. Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop
If you like mountaintop views and camping along streams, this loop is for you. Head north on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and turn west toward Austin Mountain, with many views of your destination.
Waynesboro, VA – Hiking – 20.6 miles

. Dolly Sods Wilderness
Make this loop in the renowned Dolly Sods Wilderness. This slice of the Monongahela has nearly everything …
Petersburg, WV – Hiking – 19.4 miles

See the rest of the top 100 on Trails.com

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hiker and builder – Ron Strickland

Ron Strickland has a site dedicated to long distance trails and the National Trails System in the USA.

He’s authored a number of books including:

  • THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL GUIDE
  • SHANK’S MARE: A COMPENDIUM OF REMARKABLE WALKS

    • I’ve been writing about hiking since around 1999. Ron’s done more. And for somewhat longer than that.

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    Ron Strickland began to create the 1200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) in 1970. Seven years later he founded the non-profit Pacific Northwest Trail Association (PNTA) to locate, develop, maintain, and protect the Trail. He described its Continental Divide-to-Pacific Ocean route in The Pacific Northwest Trail Guide.

    His current project is the creation of the transcontinental Sea-To-Sea Route.

    He is excited about C2C’s (1) vast scale, (2) proximity to record numbers of potential hikers, and (3) potential to transform America’s National Trails System. He says, “Hikers know that initially a proposed long walk can seem overwhelmingly difficult. But the wiser heads among them realize that even the longest journey is accomplished one step at a time. So, too, the Sea-To-Sea Route at first glance may seem like an impossible dream. But in 2007, having already convinced many skeptics, I know that I am on the right path and that this project is the perfect way for many hikers `to give back to the trail'” …

    Keep up the good fight, Ron!

    And congratulations on your March 2007 wedding to Christine Hartmann. There’s hope for us old bachelor hikers yet.

    2006-3-24-clou-at-bas-relie.jpg

    … married him even though she’d been winter hiking with him on the Appalachian Trail and knew what she was getting into.

    It’s a great story. To learn more, start with Ron’s Biography.

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    trekking in southern Africa

    On The Adventure Blog, Kraig linked through to a terrific hiking site:

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    screenshot

    Click through to the interactive map on Adventure Zone. You will be impressed with the amount and detail of information on hiking in Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa available.

    My destination in South Africa is the Drakensberg. But clearly there are many, many more great hikes.

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    top destinations for independent HIKERS

    BootsnAll, the website for independent travelers, announces its Top 10 Destinations for Independent Travellers 2008. …

    Buenos Aires, Argentina
    Budapest, Hungary
    Morocco
    Chiang Mai, Thailand
    Imet Gogo, Ethiopia (Simien Mtns)
    Queenstown, New Zealand
    Palermo, Sicily
    Petra, Jordan
    Belize
    Nepal

    (via The Adventure Blog)

    I’m liking the three in bold for trekking:

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    Imet Gogo (3926m), Ethiopia – flickr – Paul Zizka
    best hikes in Africa

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    Queenstown, New Zealand – flickr – cheetah100
    best hikes in Australasia

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    Nepal – flickr – mckaysavage
    best hikes in Asia

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    best list of best hikes – Enrico Forte

    When I first saw an excellent post by Enrico Forte I thought, “Besthike should have written that.”

    He titled it: World’s best hiking trails and trekking tours for individuals

    Congratulations Enrico. And Happy New Year.

    It’s basically a list of lists of best hikes from around the world.

    Here are a few of the best of those included. (Those in bold are specifically included on our top 10 list.)

    Have a look and use it as inspiration to find new travel ideas for your next vacation.

    Which trail is the world’s classic hike?

    1. The Colorado Trail

    2. Buckskin Gulch, Utah
    3. John Muir Trail, California

    4. Kalalau Trail, Kaua’i, Hawai’i
    5. McGonagall Pass, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
    6. Fitz Roy Grand Tour, Patagonia, Argentina
    7. Kungsleden, Sweden
    8. Mount Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal

    9. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

    10. Routeburn Track, New Zealand
    11. Shackleton Crossing, South Georgia Island

    source

    Iexplore.com top 10 routes for exploring the world’s top adventures on foot.

    1. Hiking Annapurna Circuit, Nepal.

    2. Hiking Wildkirchli Trail Hiking, Switzerland.
    3. Hiking Havasu Canyon Trail, Arizona, U.S.A.
    4. Hiking Darién Gap, Panama.
    5. Hiking Crow Pass Trail, Alaska, U.S.A.
    6. Hiking to K2 Base Camp, Pakistan.
    7. Hiking Inca Trail, Peru.
    8. Hiking Appalachian National Scenic Trail, U.S.A.
    9. Hiking North Devon Coast Path, England.
    10. Hiking Torres del Paine Lookout, Chile.

    source

    Top Ten Treks

    1. Nepal’s Himalaya

    2. Gunung Tahan, Malaysia
    3. Ladakh Range, India

    4. California’s High Sierra

    5. Yukon-Charley Rivers, Alaska

    6. Patagonia

    7. Inca Trail, Peru
    8. Mount Kenya, Kenya
    9. South Coast Track, Tasmania

    10. Swiss Alps

    source

    The 10 ultimate treks to do before you die

    1. Mont Blanc Circuit Mont Blanc

    2. Lycian Way
    3. Pyrenees: The GR10GR10 route
    4. Mt Toubkal Climb, Morocco

    5. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro

    6. Everest Base CampMount Everest, Himalaya, Nepal
    7. Concordia and K2
    8. The Inca Trail Machu Picchu
    9. Huayhuash Circuit
    10. Fitzroy & PaineFitzroy and Paine, Patagonia, Argentina

    source

    Enrico’s site (posted in English, Italian and French) is Mandala Trek. Check it out.

    His blog is linked to that site. Here’s the original post including many more hiking lists: World’s best hiking trails and trekking tours for individuals

    Related post:

  • Enrico’s recommended hiking regions in Italy
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    motorized vehicles ruin the Utah desert

    WildeBeat audio journal did a great piece this Fall on the problems of off road vehicles in the Utah desert.

    This wild places program examines the problems of trying to designate new wilderness areas in the central Utah desert. If it gets overrun by off road vehicles, can it still become new wilderness?

    This story was provided to us by guest reporter Kurt Repanshek, creator of the National Parks Traveler web magazine. Kurt tells this story of the struggle for wilderness designations in the desert canyonlands of central Utah with the help of:

    * Heidi McIntosh, conservation director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
    * Wayne Ludington, assistant field manager for the Price district of the Bureau of Land Management
    * Liz Thomas, attorney for the Moab office of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

    (A spokesman for the Blue Ribbon Coalition, the dominant advocacy group for off road vehicle enthusiasts, didn’t respond to our e-mailed requests for an interview.)

    The WildeBeat: The audio journal about getting into the wilderness.

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    Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

    What a shame.

    We named the SW USA the #2 best region in the world for hikers. But seeing motorized vehicles welcomed into Canyonlands National Park is a huge downer.