Lagunas Altas Loop Trail, Chile

I’m keen to hike the NEW Patagonia Park in southern Chile about a half hour taxi ride from Cochrane.

The West Winds Campground is open October to April. There are a number of new day hikes open in the park including the Lagunas Altas Loop.

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Lagunas Altas Loop Trail brochure (PDF)

It’s not easy to get to Cochrane, by the way. 🙂

If you want to know more about the new Park start at the official website – PatagoniaPark.org

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Ian Lloyd Neubauer details his visit on a BBC post – The man who spent his fortune on a Park

hiking Spittal Pond, Bermuda

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Bermuda …

It is one of 13 parks or reserves managed by the Bermuda Department of Conservation Services which protects and conserves environmentally critical areas and habitats. …

…unique characteristics such as its lagoon which is permanently brackish, ecology featuring wet grassland and mangrove forests, seasonal shorebirds, other waterbirds and European eels. …

The winter season provides one of the best vistas for visitors walking along the many small trails in the park.

I was there in November. The only visitor on the trail.

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I did see feral cats.

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Though short, I would say it’s the best hike in Bermuda.

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“Spanish Rock”, (also known as “Portuguese Rock”) a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean with inscriptions of the year 1543 AD … This rock piece has been taken out and replaced by a bronze plaque. …

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The only other wildlife I spotted were wild chickens.

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Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

official website

How to Hike the Appalachian Trail

Nick Stoyanov posted an overview on Backpacker Verse:

… Altogether, the Appalachian Trail is about 2,200 miles (or 3,500 kilometers).

… it passes through 14 states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia …

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How to Hike the Appalachian Trail

Expedition Alaska – Adventure Race

Comprised of the world’s best endurance athletes, 20 teams race through pristine wilderness using a map and compass for over 350 miles. This series features stunning scenery of racers ocean kayaking, whitewater rafting, glacier trekking, rock climbing and mountain biking across the beautiful terrain of this remote setting.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on Vimeo.

Support the indiegogo campaign to release the full documentary.

climbing Mt. Bisoke, Rwanda

In my experience there are few places with less horizontal ground than Rwanda, which truly earns its nickname of “Le Pays de Milles Collines” (the land of a thousand hills). The third-highest of those approximately thousand hills, at 3,711 meters (12,175 feet), is known alternatively as Mt. Visoke or Mt. Bisoke, and is the subject of this trip report. …

My experience in Rwanda was that a guide was always required. For everything. Car safaris, gorilla trekking, even short 2 mile hikes to see some waterfalls in the rainforest. While this goes very much against the independent, take-care-of-yourself-in-the woods attitude of myself and, I would imagine, the majority of the users of this site, there’s really not a lot you can do about it. Embrace it – even if a guide is completely unnecessary, they will certainly have more knowledge about the local plants, animals, and people than you can possibly hope to retain. So ask lots of questions, tip well, and enjoy. …

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Summit Post – Hiking in the Virungas – Mt. Bisoke

related – A journalist’s gruelling hike to the summit of mighty Mount Bisoke (2015)

Switzerland – Alpine Pass Route

Cam Honan:

Alpine Pass Route Overview Map (Cicerone Guide)
Alpine Pass Route Overview Map (Cicerone Guide)

… a 340 kilometre (211 miles) hiking trail that spans the breadth of Switzerland. Starting in Sargans on the border with Liechtenstein, it passes up and over sixteen mountain passes before reaching its western terminus at Montreux, situated on Lake Geneva.

I completed the Alpine Pass Route in August, 1997. Nineteen years and many hiking miles later, it remains one of my favourite European trails. A memorable combination of gorgeous mountain scenery, picturesque villages, great hospitality and some very cool side trips …

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It’s one of our best hikes in Europe.