The Fish River Canyon 5 day trek is one of the best in the world.
But it’s very difficult to get a reservation, even a year in advance. I’ve been turned down for all dates in June 2015. 😦
But I may try to show up at the trailhead anyway. Hang out. And look to substitute for a hiker missing from a booked group. (You must have a minimum of 3 people to register, in any case.)
Ross, Jon and Guillermo get together every year for an outdoor adventure. Something they call the annual Pollard Memorial Trip.
For 2014 it was Mt. Shark trailhead near Canmore, Alberta to Assiniboine, Sunshine meadows, Egypt lake, Ball pass, Flow lake, Rockwall and finally the Ottertail river trail to exit near Field, BC.
The GDT runs as close as possible to the continental Divide (the BC/Alberta border) from the US border adjoining Waterton Park to Kakwa Lake some 1200 km north. …
For this trip we chose to hike a popular and well-travelled section in the middle running through two provincial parks and three national parks. …
I had identified this route as a possible solo hike option, but when both Jon and Ross expressed interest, we attempted it in 2013.That summer saw many trails destroyed by spring flooding and later some portions of the Rockwall were closed due to fires and bear problems. In addition, a worrying knee problem which I misdiagnosed as a torn meniscus forced us to abort our hike on the first day. Our 2014 attempt went much more smoothly …
The Theodore Solomons Trail was designed as an alternative to the more heavily traveled John Muir Trail. Sadly, the trail seems to have largely fallen off the map (so to speak). The last guidebook to the TST was published in 1992, and some of the trails appear to be no longer maintained and difficult to follow.
I’m collecting research on the trail to potentially come up with a viable route …
If you’ve got feedback on the route or suggestions for improving it, leave a comment. If I can come up with a good plan, I may organize a thru-hike in 2016.
Hiking has gone Hollywood with the film adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling backpacking memoir Wild – and the Pacific Crest Trail is its real star. If the film inspires you, here are 10 trails that explore the stunning US wilderness
Pacific Crest Trail: California, Oregon and Washington, 2,663 miles
John Muir Trail: California, 210 miles
Continental Divide Trail: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, 3,100 miles
Appalachian Trail: 14 states from Georgia to Maine, 2,185 miles
The Long Trail: Vermont, 272 miles
The Hayduke Trail: Arizona and Utah, 812 miles
The Grand Enchantment Trail: Arizona and New Mexico, 770 miles
Patagonia off season: winter hiking in Torres del Paine
Tourists flock to the Torres del Paine in the southern summer, but our writer finds hiking there in winter brings a different set of snowy rewards
Andrew Gilchrist:
It’s minus five outside. Not great conditions for roughing it. The previous night, in an unheated, near-deserted refuge covered in snow, we had bedded down in extreme-weather sleeping bags, complete with hoods. But tonight, after a thrilling 20-mile hike through some of the finest scenery on the planet, we are warm, dry and, frankly, ecstatic beneath polar blankets in a chic ecodome that feels more penthouse than campsite. Steam rises from our boots as they dry by the log-burning stove and, through the round windows in the curved ceiling, I can pick out what seems like every star in the southern sky.
“This is sublime,” I think, as I ease myself off my furry headboard and pour another glass of velvety Chilean red. “Where is everyone?” …
Do you know where the most sustainable foot bridges are? No, not in Germany, Costa Rica or the Nordic states, which are the greenest countries according to the GGEI (Global Green Economy Index) 2014, but in the Meghalaya state of northeastern India. We’ll tell you why.
These suspension bridges are built with a form of tree shaping, and have a lifespan of 500-600 years.
The handmade footways are made from the roots of Ficus elastica trees, grown through betel tree trunks. …
The Khasis still grow new bridges, so when the old ones are vanishing, there will be another spectacular and vivacious footways to get across in the next centuries.
… due to the recent success of the book and movie “Wild”, many hikers have expressed fears that the trail will become overcrowded with Oprah Winfrey fans wearing enormous backpacks and ill-fitting boots with red shoelaces. …
The 2014 hiking season saw a dramatic rise not only in the number of hikers on the PCT, but also in the number of hikers apparently carrying large pieces of furniture.
“There was a couch at Scissors Crossing, and another one outside of Big Bear,” said Renee “SheRa” Patrick, “I can only imagine that they were carried there by hikers and abandoned when they realized that couches are too heavy for a thru-hike. I mean, a section hike, sure. Maybe somewhere in Oregon. But in the desert? It’s crazy.” …
Of the two best hikes in Patagonia, which should you trek?
… you can’t decide between El Chalten (Argentina) and Torres del Paine (Chile), the self-proclaimed “trekking capitals” of their respective countries …
The good news is you can’t go wrong. Both options provide incredible access to some of the most spectacular mountain scenery you’ll ever see.
We can’t really recommend one over the other purely based on natural beauty as they are both equally stunning national parks. However, there are definitely distinct differences between the two trekking meccas that may push you toward one or the other. Here are some things to think about based on our experience in both locations that will help you decide (although the best decision is to do both!)
The High Coast (Swedish: Höga kusten) is a part of the coast of Sweden on the Gulf of Bothnia …
… since the last ice age the land has risen 800m, which accounts for the unusual landscape with tall cliff formations. The High Coast is part of the Swedish/Finnish High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago world heritage site (the High Coast was extended with Finnish Kvarken areas in 2006). …
The Höga Kustenleden is a 128 kilometer long trail along the High Coast. …
Hiking in Finland has a superb trip report of a late Autumn adventure:
The scenic trail passes through villages & towns, along the coast, through the forest and a beautiful National Park and if you have a free week makes for a great walk along the Swedish coastal hills. …
Högakustenleden – the High Coast Trail
Beautiful photos. 🙂
Click PLAY or watch a 3min clip taken during milder weather on YouTube.
besthike.com 