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Outdoor Adventure on Vancouver Island

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

I’d argue that the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is the best place to live in Canada — for year round outdoor recreation.

My parents live in Parksville. And — when visiting — I can cycle and hike year round.

Protected by Mt. Arrowsmith, the coast gets very little snow. And temperatures rarely drop below freezing.

Of course this is a rain forest. 😀

Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

It was designated in 2000 by UNESCO to protect a large second-growth coast Douglas fir ecosystem in the watersheds of the Little Qualicum and Englishman Rivers from being developed. …

Protected areas located within the biosphere reserve include:[5]

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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#7 Hiking Town – Grindelwald, Switzerland

I stayed in Grindelwald again in 2023. What a terrific hiking town.

Most hikers arrive by train from Interlaken. They share that journey with hundreds of thousands of camera clutching tourists all en route to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe.

Grindelwald is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at 1,034 metres (3,390 ft) above sea level in the Bernese Alps. …

Long famed as a winter tourist destination with slopes for beginners, intermediates and the challenges of the Eiger glacier for the experienced, there are activities for the non-skiers, from tobogganing to groomed winter hiking tracks. It is the usual starting point for ascents of the Eiger and the Wetterhorn. Nowadays Grindelwald is also a popular summer activity resort with many miles of hiking trails across the Alps. …

Grindelwald has a population (as of 2007) of 3,809 …

Many experienced hikers would pooh pooh Grindelwald as too touristy, basing themselves instead out of Lauterbrunnen, Mürren or even (our pick) tiny Gimmelwald, accessible only on foot or by aerial tramway.

There are no bad hikes out of Grindelwald. It is fantastic in every direction.

vista from the Grindewald hostel

But the Tour of the Jungfrau Region, a 2wk ultimate adventure, is our best recommendation.

See more “best hikes” in the Alps.

The best day hike is the Eiger Trail.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my June hike on YouTube.

Most hike June to mid-October but, surprisingly, there are trails open year round close to Grindelwald.

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Heights of Alay Mountains, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a fantastic hiking destination — BUT we wouldn’t recommend you trek there independently.

The Pamir Trail is a proposed 1000km+ route. A work in progress.

Jan Baaker, author of Cicerone Trekking in Tajikistan, hopes to connect the entire route soon.

Shorter and logistically easier to organize, is the Heights of Alay Mountains trail.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Venezuela ➙ Angel Falls

Angel Falls is the the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 metres (3,212 ft), and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft).

The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State. …

… there is still uncertainty whether Angel Falls or South Africa’s Tugela Falls is the tallest …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. Amazing.

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In Praise of Pampas Grass

Pampas grass or pampas-grass or Pap’s grass are common names for several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass.

Cortaderia selloana is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. 

It is widely distributed throughout the world as a cultivated ornamental plant. And it is common in the yards on Vancouver Island where I’m at right now.

In fact, it’s my favourite of the ornamental plants here. Tall, impressive, and pretty.

Jindai Botanical Garden, Japan, height 4 metres (13.1 ft) and diameter 7 metres (23 ft)

That said, many gardeners hate the stuff, considering it an invasive weed. It’s difficult to manage.

Click PLAY or watch a short montage on YouTube.

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Trek Paine, Patagonia, via the Brush Variant

If you’ve already hiked Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia on the Circuit or W routes, you might be interested in a new adventure called the Brush Variant.

A 7-day trek from Bernardo O’Higgins national park to Chile’s most legendary park — Paine.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (Guided)

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BestHike #10 – Overland Track, Australia

The Overland Track in Tasmania is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Overland Track

The best & most famous walk in Australia.

Overland

AT A GLANCE

  • surreal, unique Tasmanian vistas
  • pretty lakes, tarns and waterfalls
  • exiting by ferry it’s minimum 62km (38.5mi) carrying a pack plus many possible sidetrips without a pack.
    • Elevation Gain: +4,793 ft / 1,461 m
      Elevation Loss: -5,160 ft / 1,573 m
  • 8000-9000 walkers / year in the past
    • 60 walkers start / day 2018 in high season
    • Oct 1 – May 31 Overland Track Pass reservations online
  • access by public transportation
  • easy-moderate hiking IF the weather cooperates
  • add challenging sidetrip peak scrambles if the weather is good
  • Nov – early May best months
  • possible to hike year round (snow travel during the winter)
  • 7-nights recommended. Start Ronny Creek. Finish Cynthia Bay.

Read more on our Overland Information page.