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NEW Scottish National Trail

Gore-Tex Scottish National Trail Launches

New Scotland End to End route is unveiled with accompanying book and BBC TV programme.

… a new long distance route linking Kirk Yetholm in the borders with Cape Wrath in the north west of the country linking various existing long distance trails to form a single 470-mile walk.

The trail is the brainchild of longstanding walking writer and broadcaster, Cameron McNeish, and, in parlour game parlance, is both a newly published book, authored by McNeish and a television programme produced by BBC Scotland and set to be broadcast over the Christmas / New Year period. …

Thus far the new route has no waymarking of its own, bar new plaques to be sited at Kirk Yetholm and Cape Wrath along with one at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre in Edinburgh and the Cape Wrath Trail stretch isn’t signposted at all.

In other words, for now at least, it’s mostly a line on a map …

Amazon

… The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail will also have its own website showing the route and GORE-TEX® Footwear plans to link key sections of the route with local and regional outdoor shops to help drive footfall into local retailing outlets. …

Gore.com

BEWARE midges.

(via Hiking in Finland)

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bike, hike, raft – Cataract Canyon

3 days, 75mi+

Mike:

I had a funny idea a few months ago: Colorado and Utah are at the low (we hope) ebb of a 10-year drought cycle, meaning our trails are desiccated and our rivers low.

… it occurred to me that this would be an *ideal* time to use fatbikes to access Cataract Canyon, taking advantage of the low flows therein to float it with packrafts.

Big Wheel Building

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

☺

Here’s another VIDEO edit from the same trip.

(via Hiking in Finland)

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cycling to the South Pole

Polar adventurer Eric Larsen next month will saddle up on the snow and pedal south. Way south. The goal of his solo expedition, which starts in December, is the geographic South Pole and a world record as the first man to do the trip on two wheels.

New gear in the world of bikes, namely fat tires and the frames to support them, allow riders to make tracks easier on snow. Larsen picked the Surly Moonlander bike, which has 5-inch-wide tires and can haul copious gear on racks and panniers. …

Man prepares to Ride special ‘Fat Bike’ to South Pole

Click PLAY or check the bike on YouTube

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World’s 100 Best Walks

I’m just digging into a terrific site posted by William Mackesy. In fact, William’s done about 40% of his top 100 already.

I like it so much that I’m including a dedicated link in the right hand navigation under RECOMMENDED SITES.

Walkopedia – World’s 100 Best Walks

One quibble …

#2 are the “Inca Trails” of Peru: Inca Trail, Silque Valley, Mollepata/Salkantay, …

Normally I discount any list including the Inca Trail. It’s much maligned by serious hikers. That choice is marked “* provisional”, however. Having been there twice, I’ll recommend to William that he downrate.

Choquequirao is mentioned, however. Choquequirao to Machu Picchu is the “best” hike to Machu Picchu, I reckon.

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MSR Hubba tent

Hendrik Morkel posted a detail review of my current tent:

If you are on the look out for a new solo tent which is 4-season worthy, quick and easy to set up, and of course light, then the MSR Hubba HP might just be what you’re looking for. The green fly allows you to go stealth camping and it is a friendly colour to wake up to, the features are well-thought out and the inner and fly set up allows you to be variable – take only the inner when its warm and sunny and you need rest from the bugs, take only the fly when you’re with a friend, and take both in winter. You will feel comfortable and safe, in rain, wind and sunshine …

Hiking in Finland – MSR Hubba HP 2010 Review

Actually, I’m on my 3rd Hubba.

Like Hendrik, I replaced the bulky stuff sacks with two separate waterproof stuff sacks — one for the fly, one for the tent. And I almost never carry any tent pegs, using natural “alternatives” — most often stones — to secure my tent from the wind.

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Swiss Alps: Andermatt on foot

Walk any which way from the centre of Andermatt and you will find yourself inundated by scenes of natural beauty and air so fresh it should be bottled.

… the Gotthard Area, in which Andermatt lies, is home to over forty lakes, both large and small, which are crystal clear and rich in fish. As such, there is a 85km long footpath in the Goschenen Valley which is dedicated to the discovery of these pools. For the ultimate water-themed trail however, the Four Sources walk, which begins by the Oberalp Lake, can take up to five days and will lead you to the sources of the Rhine, Reuss, Ticino and Rhone rivers. …

read more on THE MAKING OF ANDERMATT

There’s a nice video on that page showing off the region.

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NEW – world’s highest national park

The world’s highest national park, the Qomolangma National Park, located on the border of China and Nepal with a total area of 78,000 square kilometers has been inaugurated.

The park includes five mountain peaks with altitudes of more than 8,000 meters …

Qomolangma is Tibet’s third national park after the Namtso National Park, which was recently inaugurated near a holy lake for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims, and the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Park that opened in 2010.

The parks are part of the Tibetan efforts to turn the region into “an important world destination.” …

Press TV

Actually, not much has improved for the independent hiker in Tibet since I was there late 1990s.

Don’t go — unless you are willing to sign on to an expensive and often frustrating group tour. Or are willing to trek “illegally”, as we did.

Support Nepal instead.

(via National Parks Traveler)

related – Seven Tibetans Self-Immolate This Week

At least 62 Tibetans have lit themselves on fire since 2009 in protest of Chinese rule in Tibet.

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gear in Kathmandu

Last trip (2009) I was shocked at the variety and quality of hiking / climbing gear available to buy or rent in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Mostly knock offs — “North Farce” — but you can get real gear, as well. Full price.

Manaslu Mountain Trail:

There is a minor manufacturing industry here now for outdoor equipment. Much is copied, using quality materials from China or Korea. Several companies make their own items for export. Famously Sherpa Adventure Gear is made in Kathmandu, so fine quality items are made here, if expensive.

On the cheaper side of this, a friend Uday has a small factory nearby and produces a range of equipment that certainly does the job at low cost. Is the quality as high as you can buy at home? Probably not, but it is not bad either …

details – Equipment that you can buy in Kathmandu

Jet your own gear to Kathmandu, if you can.

If you can’t, no worry. You can buy enough gear for a trek and later donate it to the local people. Or buy whatever you need and bring it home with you.

Things have certainly changed since my first visit to Kathmandu in the 1990s. At that time there was only one bank that would accept foreign credit cards. 🙂