He’s an Aussie bushwalking guru at Our Hiking Blog.
I’m headed Down Under in January, mate. I’ll bring the duct tape.
Africa Trek – Alexandre & Sonia Poussin
Alexandre and Sonia Poussin are two impressive adventurers.
I’ve just finished vol. 1 of their 3yr, 14,000km, walk of the length of Africa epic. They traveled the Rift valley.
Amazon – Africa Trek I: From the Cape of Good Hope to Mount Kilimanjaro
Here are some video highlights. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Volume 1 was translated very quickly into English resulting in some interesting word usage. Most entertaining en Anglais.
I’m keen to follow up with Africa Trek II: From Mount Kilimanjaro to the Sea of Galilee. Unfortunately it’s not available as an audio book in English, so it I may never get to it. These days it’s pretty much audio or nothing, for me.
hiking Cordillera Apolobamba, Bolivia
Two places I really want to hike:
1) Bhutan
2) Bolivia
I keep waiting for Bhutan to open to independent trekkers. … sigh …
Bolivia I’ve actually hiked once, but did not have nearly as much time as I wanted.
Bolivia is Peru, but still little visited by trekkers.
… South America’s highest nation is known as the “Tibet of the Andes” for its altiplano, a plateau where valley bottoms sit at 13,000 feet. Above that, mountains are so big and buried in snow and glaciers that you really could mistake them for the Himalayas. And the best place to see it all is western Bolivia’s pristine and barely known Cordillera Apolobamba. Hard against the Peruvian border, the region is home to Andean condors, herds of vicuñas (related to alpacas), endangered speckled bears, and the 65-mile Apolobamba trek, which runs from Curva north across Apolobamba National Park to Pelechuco. The weeklong high route crosses five passes between 15,400 and 16,728 feet. …
Backpacker – CORDILLERA APOLOBAMBA, BOLIVIA
Safety is a real issue in that range. I’d likely sign on with local guides, like trek apolobamba
They are advertising a new adventure, by the way, … the Kallawaya Circuit.
amazing time lapse video – desert
… I was checking out the Sierra Trading Post blog, and stumbled up this breathtaking time lapse video of landscapes in Arizona and Utah. …
Be sure to click “Full Screen” in the lower right corner – it looks even more phenomenal!
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell.
Here’s volume 1 (VIDEO).
I try to get to the S.W. USA for hiking at least once a year.
Camino De Santiago – the movie
Do you know the Way of St. James (Camino De Santiago)?
… the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube. Martin Sheen did a great job depicting the experience.
I’m more likely to bike, than hike.
(via Gadling)
despite regs, people still die on Half Dome
When the new permit system (400/day) went in, we hoped that some of the least capable, least prepared “tourists” would be dissuaded from tackling the cables.
But it’s been a bad year at Yosemite:
… 20 people have died on Half Dome over the decades, nearly all with rain as a factor, officials say. One of the two to perish this year was a Bay Area woman who slipped in a July storm and fell 800 feet. (A total of 13 died in park mishaps this year, the most in decades — including three swept over a raging waterfall on the trail to Half Dome.) …
Surprisingly, helicopter rescues are still free at that Park. But they don’t fly in bad weather — exactly the bad weather that traps people at the top.
Here’s an update on SFgate – Half Dome survivors wish they had taken heed
Note: You can try for a walk-up permit at 7 am the day before you want to climb.
related – Take a Long Hike – Before You Hike, Leave Critical Information
Fantastic Four – Waterton-Glacier
Blast.
I’m still not on the Glory Board for Waterton’s Triple Crown.
And now they’ve launched a new challenge – the Fantastic Four:
… 4 days, 4 trails, 2 countries– challenge yourself to two of Waterton’s favourite hikes: Crypt Lake and Alderson-Carthew, followed by 2 of Montana’s most scenic treks through the Garden Wall and Siyeh Pass …
read more on – Experience Waterton
Next year for SURE.
bug headnet multiuse
I’m adding this to my standard kit. It’s a no brainer.
THOMAS W. GAUPERAA:
… Apart from keeping the mosquito hordes at bay, it is a great pillow (the mesh is surprisingly comfortable next to the skin) when stuffed with your puffy layer. It is also a very good prefilter, much better than the bandana, and a very functional stuff sack. Some of you may be worried about the durability, but it is better than expected when made out of high quality noseeum mesh. …
(via Hiking in Finland)
hiking Big Island, Brazil
Ramon Luiz da Cruz Inacio Quevedo writes to ask what we’ve got against Brazil?
We have a amazing hike, next to Rio de Janeiro / São Paulo. …
WHY YOU DO LIKE THIS HIKE
– Beaches almost wild on rain forest;
– It is not only hike: you do can just relax on beach when you want;
– If you fell tired, you can pause and relax some days on sand with a cold bear;
– You can stop your hike at any moment. If you want, there are small local boats in each place to hire and go to another place without hike;
– There are montains to view the sea and around, the major is pico do papagaio (means parrot summit);
– There is a lot kayaking and snorkeling;
– Birds, little monkeys, etc are common.CONSIDERATIONS
– The biggest problem is the language: Knowledge some words in Portuguese may help.
– The weather is predictable some days forward but it’s possible one week later your sunniest beach vacations turns to a week wettest on mud.
– Watch out with snakes and spiders
– Camp on beach is forbidden, you must camp next a local house or camp site.
– Summer (dec-mar) is hotter, but there are more rain. Winter is drier and tiny cold, but with some luck maybe hot like summer.
Summit Post:
Ilha Grande ( Big Island ) is one of the Brazilian paradises.
The Island is covered almost 90% by original Atlantic Forest, one of the last places preserved. Majestic trails, mountains, wild beaches, the perfect place to feel the Nature. Today, Ilha Grande receive more than 8.000 visitors every month. 20 years ago, the number was 600 people per month. …
Mountainous topography with several peaks. … These areas are extensively vegetated and you can also find dense forests, headlands, steeps, plains, rivers and caverns.
It’s very easy to go to Ilha Grande!
… from Rio de Janeiro.
Barcas S/A is the official company to make traverses from the Island, two times, every day. The ticket costs US$ 3 and 8 ( weekends ). The ship will go to Abraão beach, the main village. All the trails start in this place. All the trailheads are very well marked with plates and maps. It’s very easy and pleasant to hike and walk by beautiful trails close to the Atlantic Ocean. …
Summit Post – Ilha Grande
I’m convinced. No doubt we’ll hear much about ILHA GRANDE in the lead up to the 2016 Olympics.
Stephen Mather – National Parks hero
Stephen Mather (1867–1930) was manic-depressive, self-made American millionaire who took it upon himself to build the National Parks system.
… Beginning in 1913, when Mather wrote to the Secretary of the Interior, Franklin K. Lane, and deplored the state of the parks, he began building support for better management of the system by the federal government. In 1915, Lane appointed Mather as his assistant to work on the parks issues …
In fact, Lane told him that if he didn’t like the parks, to come to Washington and fix them himself.
Mather did, originally agreeing to stay only 1yr.
It became his life’s work.
Though he’s celebrated in every Park, I only learned of Mather in The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns.
That’s the book, not the DVDs.
besthike.com 