Lightning Safety

I’m very relaxed out in the wilds.

One of the very few things that worries me is getting caught in a lightning storm.

I have a friend who was struck. Three of the 4 in their group survived.

  • find lower ground โž™ and get under uniform tree cover, if possible.
  • you can be struck by a storm still 10 miles away
  • lightning tends to strike the tallest object on a landscape. It’s not a good idea to stand under a tall tree.
  • lightning is not attracted to metal. Lightning is only attracted to 3 things: tall structures, isolated structures, and pointed structures.ย 
  • metal can conduct electricity, which can jump to a tent 10 to 20 feet away. So tent away from taller and/or metal structures like bear poles.
  • crouching to get lower is not recommended
  • sheltering in a cave not recommended

Backpacker has more:

Everything Hikers Know About Lightning Safety is Wrongย 

Most backcountry lightning educationโ€”including what you may have learned as a kidโ€”is antiquated. Hereโ€™s your overdue expert update.

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.com

Walking Dubrovnik’s Walled City

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Any tourist that can climb steps, walks Dubrovnik walls. 

One of the worldโ€™s best and best preserved walled cities

UNESCO World Heritage site

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Game of Thrones scenery

length ~ 2km

Itโ€™s a hot destination right now for cruise ships and Instagram influencers.  

Highest priority for me was walking the famed walls.  2kms.  I walked it twice in sequence. 

Cost is 35 EU !?

For a HIKE !!

So โ€” like almost every tourist โ€” I bought the 35EU Dubrovnik Pass which pays for the wall, the castle, Rectorโ€™s Palace, and several more interesting attractions. 

You also get a 24 hour bus ticket which costs about 5 EU by itself.   … Of course there’s no room on the buses. ๐Ÿ˜€

Unfairly, the feral cats do not have to pay. ๐Ÿ˜€ 

I walked the circuit twice in series in the morning. And returned later in the late afternoon to go again โ€” only to learn that you are only allowed to enter the Walls once on a ticket.

That’s probably a good idea. In the summer Dubrovnik is PACKED shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists. This small area really can’t handle this many visitors in high season.

SONJA NOVAK, Dubrovnik tour guide, put together the Walking Dubrovnik City Wallsโ€”2023 Guide.

TOP 10 hikes โž™ West Coast Trail, BC, Canada

West Coast Trail is our top hike in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1-minute preview on YouTube.

West Coast Trail

Challenging in many ways.

So much VARIETY in pristine Canadian coastal wilderness.

Mystic dawns and mind-blowing sunsets. Hidden pocket coves and weird coastal geology.

You’ll never forget the West Coast Trail.

WCT ladders

AT A GLANCE

  • 75 km (47 mi), 5-7 days Pachena Bay <> Gordon River
  • 3-5 day routes possible via Nitinaht Village trailhead
  • southwestern edge of Vancouver Island
  • Pacific Rim National Park
  • Permits required 
  • May 1 – September 30
  • extremely rugged, requires a high level of fitness
  • 6,000+ backpackers / year

Read more on our WCT information page.

Hiking PARQUE NACIONAL DA SERRA DOS ร“RGรƒOS, Brazil

Serra dos ร“rgรฃos National Park is about an hour from Rio.

Kraig Adams is STILL my favourite hiking videographer.

This trip is a good example of his one man video proficiency. I love how he frames shots.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

TOP 10 Hiking Towns โž™ Chamonix, France

One of our Top 10 Hiking Towns in the World.


photo – ptpotts

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix … was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics. The commune’s population … around 9800 …

… Mont Blanc, at a height of 4810 metres, is the third most visited natural site in the world …

… well known and loved by skiers and by mountain enthusiasts of all types. …

Chamonix is located 80 km southeast of Geneva, Switzerland …

Chamonix Place Balmat

More interesting photos tagged Chamonix.

You can hike out of town in any direction. And be blown away by wonderful mountain vistas. Here I am just above town on a trail run.

fit hiker in the Alps

The most famous “best hikes” in the region are:

โ€ข Chamonix to Zermatt – Walkers’ Haute Route <my trip report> (top 10)
โ€ข Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB – top 10)

More best hikes in the Alps.

Best time to hike is late June to early October.

Hiking the Hahnenkamm, Kitzbรผhel, Austria

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

You’ve head of Hahnenkamm above Kitzbรผhel as it hosts one of the top downhill ski races every January.

Theย Hahnenkammrennen is the classicย downhillย course, theย Streifย (streak, or stripe), which many regard as the most demanding on the World Cup circuit.

One section has a slope of 85 degrees!

Like many hikes in the Alp, you can catch a cable car in the summer. Hike near the top of the mountain, and either ride down โ€”ย or WALK down, as I did.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I generally followed Hahnenkamm – Seidlalm – Ganslernalm on AllTrails. But diverged a number of times if any other trail heading downhill looked more interesting.

The Seidlalm reservoirs were a highlight, slightly off that route.

With good weather I did find it an easy day. Starting at the top of the mountain (2000m) and finishing in Kitzbรผhel (762m), it IS a lot of downhill. ๐Ÿ˜€


IF headed for Austria, do some research into tourist passes.

For example, many hostels and hotels can give you a FREE tourist card.

Out of Kitzbรผhel, that means free train and bus travel.

Free transportation over this area.

With that card, next check for deals on lift tickets. Over 3 days. Over 5 days. Etc.

AllTrails+ Review 2024

I pay for the premium version of AllTrails.

I want the downloadable, offline maps.

Actually, I mostly use it for deciding what hikes I want to do in new locations.

The PREVIEW video feature is great, as well. It gives a quick overview of the entire trail.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hiking Fisherman’s Trail, Portugal โ€” SOLO

I’d hiked the best part of the Fisherman’s Trail solo in 2021 โ€”ย so was keen to see how Maudi enjoyed her adventure.

She’s mainly a long distance cyclist, so the heavy pack and sore feet were challenges.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.