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new guidebook – Trekking in Ladakh

I’m pondering a trip to the Indian Himalaya, Oct/Nov 2013.

Happily, there’s a great new Cicerone guide published Dec 2012.

Known as “Little Tibet” for both its landscape and culture, Ladakh lies at the northern tip of India.

CiceroneThe region is bisected by the great River Indus and neighbours Tibet and Kashmir.

This quiet corner of the Himalayas has developed a strong trekking culture over recent years for adventurous trekkers. Trekking in this remote, high-altitude region is extremely challenging, as paths are not signed and there are only a limited number of villages. However, its magnificent landscape (a huge area full of limitless trekking possibilities), hospitable people, rich heritage and limited number of tourists make Ladakh an amazing destination.

The guide includes background information on local culture, history and religion, as well as all the planning detail you need on crucial aspects such as environmental responsibility, health and safety in the mountains, trekking practicalities and preparation for altitude.

Amazon

I’ll buy that. And consult these others:

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Ausangate Circuit, Peru

One of our top 10 hikes in the world is the Ausangate Circuit in Peru.

Best timing for 2013 is before or after Saturday May 25th to Tuesday May 28th. That’s the famous Quyllur Rit’i festival celebrated nearby.

Best book that flight right now. 🙂

13EXPLORER1_SPAN-articleLarge-v2It’s also called the Snow Star Festival.

We did both Ausangate and the festival in 2005.

You circumambulate the highest peak in southern Peru, sacred Ausangate 6372m (20,905ft).

Four high passes between 4757m – 5165m.

70km (43.5mi) plus sidetrips, most hikers tent 4-5 nights. Hotsprings at start and finish of the trek.

alpacas

Check our recently updated information page on Ausangate.

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dayhiking Pacific Rim National Park

I got a chance to hike on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island on May 14th.

6 hikes / trail runs.

Parks Canada handed me this map. And recommended a number of hikes.

park

4+5 South Beach Trail + Nuu-chah-nulth Trail (out and back)
7 Rainforest Trail A
7 Rainforest Trail B
8 Combers Beach Trail

Wild Pacific Trail (Ucluelet) – Lighthouse Loop section

lighthouse-loop-300-pixels

Trails in Canada are as well maintained as any in the world. There is a ton of boardwalk in these temperate rainforest hikes.

boardwalk

Instead of watching your boots, you’ll be looking up at the huge old-growth trees.

When Captain Cook first arrived, the old growth forests looked endless. Only 1 in 10 of those ancient trees still stands today.

pacific-rim-national-park-rainforest-trail

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada – Hiking – Long Beach Unit

HIGHLY recommended. 🙂

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long hike Olympic National Park, WA?

For multi-day wilderness adventures, Rangers told me the higher, dryer east half Olympic National Park was best. Many options depending on how many days you have.

Olympic

Just looking at a map, I’m thinking to start at Deer Park trailhead (5400ft) because it’s high. Decide where to exit based on Ranger’s advice, weather and the number of days I’ll have.

Leave a comment if you’ve hiked overnight on the East side of the Park.

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SPOT Global Phone

Stephen Regenold:

It weighs just 7 ounces and is 5 inches tall. The phone body is made rugged for the outdoors. Announced today, Spot LLC will start selling a satellite phone for $499 this week. …

The phone has an optional data kit to connect it to a computer, letting you get online to check and respond to emails, upload photos, or post to Facebook from deep in the wilderness. …

The battery will last for 4 hours of talk time (36 hours on standby) before it needs a recharge.

Calling plans start at 25 cents a minute (and $149.99 for monthly unlimited voice) when the phone goes on sale this month online and at retailers now including REI, Cabela’s, West Marine, Eastern Mountain Sports, Gander Mtn, Bass Pro Shop, and Sportman’s Warehouse.

spot phone

Call from Anywhere. SPOT launches Satellite Phone for Outdoors

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West Coast Trail 2013

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’m booked for my 4th WCT. 🙂

It’s been our #1 hike in the world since 1999.

Getting ready, I’m drafting a new WCT information page. Leave comments on that page, if you have anything to add.

If you don’t know the adventure, watch my favourite WCT video.

CBC West Coast Trail documentary 2007 (23min)
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Annapurna out, Everest in

by site editor Rick McCharles

For years the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal has been one of our top 10 hikes in the world. I loved my own trip there in the 1990s.

But, year after year, road building has degraded the experience.

Here’s one of Andrew Ostrowski’s photos from the ‘Circuit’ …

We’ve replaced Annapurna on the top 10 with …

Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes

There’s NO shortage of information on how to hike to Everest Base Camp (5,320m / 17,450ft) in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal.

But the best route is fairly new, via three high passes:

Kongma La (5,535m)
Cho La (5,380m)
Renjo La (5,388m)

You can do one, two or three of those.

If 3 Passes are not challenging enough, you can opt to side-trip 3 trekking peaks:

Gokyo Ri (5,483m) … similar vista to Renjo La
Kala Pattar (5,545m)
Chukkung Ri (5,550m)

Pokalde Peak 5806m (19,048ft) is an option, too. But requires a Climbing permit as does the much more popular Island Peak 6,189 m (20,305 ft).

The sacred Gokyo Lakes is a superb side-trip. Don’t miss it.

everest-3-passes-mapdetails – Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes

The focus of that page is the difficult 3 Passes route. For independent trekkers.

Pokhalde Base Camp on the Kongma La 5535m

related – our updated top 10 best hikes list.

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Borrego Palm Canyon, California

by site editor Rick McCharles

My second visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, I had time for a quick late afternoon day hike.

coyote

Right after I took photos of this coyote, hunting road kill.

AnzaBorregoTrailMap

If you park in the visitor center, you don’t need any kind of State Park permit. That adds a mile or so to the walk.

Borrego Palm Canyon is the most popular trail in California’s largest state park. It leads to the third-largest palm oasis in California, which was the first site sought for a desert state park back in the 1920s.

It’s a beautiful, well-watered oasis, tucked away in a rocky V-shaped gorge. If you’re lucky, you may glimpse a bighorn sheep, in a canyon vegetated by California’s only native species of palm. The park receives many visitors due to its proximity to the metropolises of Southern California, and the trail is relatively easy to access and hike (three miles round trip with 600′ elevation gain). …

EveryTrail

trail

oasis

I got lost on the “alternate” route back.

cactus

more photos

related – official website – Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

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Lake Angeles, Olympic National Park

by site editor Rick McCharles

The North Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, enjoyed some high-temperature records for early May.

Not the Vampires of Forks, Washington, of course. Instead of rain and overcast it was a blistering 88 degrees on May 5th, 2013.

Diana

My friend Diana and I drove out that day to talk to Park Rangers. The usual question:

What’s the best hike this early in the season?

First best was Lake Angeles Trail.

Lake Angeles

As promised, the trail was dry.

bridge

Moving steady, we reached the lake in 1hr 37min.

The only delay was getting lost confused on the hard packed snow just at the lake campground.

Angeles

Above the lake is Klahhane Ridge where a hiker died after being gored by a 370lb mountain goat.

One day (later in the season) I’m going to get a ride to Hurricane Ridge, hike down the 9.9mi to the Lake Angeles trailhead at the Park gates.

After leaving a Summit Stone close to the lake, we dashed back down and instead drove up to Hurricane Ridge.

Hurrican Ridge

I was told the rest of that road would not be plowed this season. Budget cuts. 😦

We finished this fine day with a soak and dinner at Sol Duc Hot Springs, first opened 1912.

see more photos of this perfect hiking day