hike Zillertal Rucksack Route, Austria


Listed by Backpacker magazine as one of the World’s Best (Unknown) Treks.

It sounds great:

… This 50-mile, nine-day loop has it all: glaciated 11,000-foot mountains, high alpine passes, deep valleys, waterfalls, gemsbok mountain antelopes, alpine roses, and martigon lilies. The well-marked route requires no technical expertise, but expect long, strenuous days (despite the relatively short mileage) and adrenaline-fueled climbing with fixed ropes and ladders. …

new Olperer Hut - <a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45269853@N00/2754474176/sizes/o/">original</a> - flickr - Alex Bergsten
new Olperer Hut - original - flickr - Alex Bergsten

Life-list moment: Catch your breath–and savor it all–on the small terrace at the Olperer Hut, perched hundreds of feet above the Schlegeisspeicher reservoir, with a view of the serrated ridge of Grosser Moseler in front and a cold Austrian lager in hand.

Hike the loop clockwise, starting in Mayrhofen–the views get better every day, and this way you’ll start with an easy two-mile hike to Edel Hut, so you can sleep in the mountains the same day you arrive in Austria. From Edel, get your bearings by hiking the three-hour round-trip to 9,754-foot Ahornspitze, a rocky summit high above the Zillertal Valley. You’ll know you’re in the heart of the Alps on day 4, en route from Greizer Hut to Berliner Hut, when in one short section you cross a picturesque–if rickety–footbridge over a glacial stream, scramble through a field of avalanche debris, and climb fixed ropes and a 16-foot ladder bolted to sheer rock. Be sure to stop on Lake Schwarzsee’s north shore and snap a photo of the reflected peaks–visual proof of your epic trek. …

Backpacker – World’s Best (Unknown) Treks

The best guidebook is Trekking in the Zillertal Alps: Hut-To-Hut Walks (Cicerone) by Allan Hartley.

details - <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1852843705?ie=UTF8&tag=interneneedto-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1852843705">Amazon</a>
details - Amazon

Here’s one of the useful maps from the guidebook.

map

We’re sold. It’s been added to our list of the best hikes in Europe.

top 10 undiscovered treks


The Adventure Blog tipped me again to another great list:

Backpacker – THE WORLD’S BEST UNKNOWN TREKS

  • Pyrenees Traverse, France
  • Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland
  • Zillertal Alps, Austria
  • Tongariro Northern Circuit and Heaphy Track, New Zealand
  • Cordillera Apolobamba, Bolivia
  • Overland Track, Australia
  • Sarek National Park, Sweden
  • Rolwaling and Khumbu Valleys, Nepal
  • Polar Route, Greenland
  • Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
  • First, that’s 11 treks.

    Second, they would have discovered 6 of the 11 if they had checked our list of the best hikes in the world.

    Still, I’m off to research the other five. Right now.

    Thanks Backpacker!

    greenland_1_berne.jpg
    Polar Route

    france_lescun_445x260.jpg
    Pyrenees

    Trekking in the Nepal Everest Region

    A new Trailblazer guidebook by Jamie McGuinness.

    The only guidebook when I hiked up and above the north side of Everest Base Camp was Trekking in Tibet by Gary McCue. (In fact, I lost the guidebook while on that trek.)

    Hiking Everest from the Tibet side has been getting increasingly problematic.

    We recommend you hike the Nepal side, instead. Here’s the newest guidebook:

    Trek-Everest.jpg

    Amazon – Trekking in the Everest Region, 5th: includes Kathmandu City Guide

    hike or bike length of New Zealand

    Love in a Tent comments on a New Zealand government plan to draw even more outdoor enthusiasts to that fantastic country.

    tongariro

    … New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, held a “job summit” to try to find ways to save jobs during this global recession. He gathered together a bunch of business and labour leaders to see if a day of brainstorming could produce a miracle solution.

    While many ideas were bounced around, one of the ones that seems to have really caught the PM’s attention is a proposal to build a cycleway the entire length of New Zealand. This would become a major tourist draw, and help to boost falling visitor numbers. It would also create jobs building the trail, which was estimated to cost around $50 million. (Sounds low to me.) …

    Love in a Tent – Cycling to Save the NZ Economy?

    nz-hikeLove in a Tent advises that New Zealand not neglect the Te Araroa tramping trail. That’s 3,000km of gorgeous Kiwi walking. Volunteers are hoping to officially open it in late 2010. (One reason I’m planning to tramp New Zealand in 2011.)

    The Te Araroa Trust posted a response March 14th. An interesting point of view: The Pedal Corridor

    Personally, I’m happy to do the best parts of both routes. Hiking. And biking.

    top hikes in California

    Triple Blaze posted a list of the top 100 hikes in California.

    While not exactly the kind of serious hikes we are looking for, it’s still interesting. And the list will improve over time. It changes as readers vote.

    Their top 20 as of today:

    1. Muir Woods Mill Valley, California 2. John Muir Trail Curry Village, Yosemite NP, California 3. Dry Creek Trail Modesto, California 4. Peters Canyon Orange, California 5. Briones Regional Park Walnut Creek, California 6. Los Posadas Angwin, California 7. Flume Trail Tahoe, California 8. Anadel Trails Santa Rosa, California 9. Purisma Creek Woodside, California 10. Fullerton Loop Fullerton, California 11. Jughandle Ecological Trail- East Fork Fort Bragg, California 12. Pine Knot Trail Big Bear Lake, California 13. Big River Bike/hike/horse Trail Mendocino/fort Bragg, California 14. Sulphur Mountain Oak View, California 15. Tequesquite Arroyo Riverside, California 16. Redwood Regional Park Castro Valley, California 17. Old Flume Trail/south Yuba Trail Nevada City, California 18. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Sunol/Pleasanton, California 19. Downieville Downhill Downieville, California 20. De Valle Regional Park Livermore, California

    see the rest of the list – Triple Blaze – Most Popular California Hiking Trails

    The links take you to the individual hike home pages. Users can upload photos, find recommended guidebooks, read reviews.

    The site looks like it’s just getting going. But I like it already.

    Muir Woods - flickr - Darvin Atkeson
    Muir Woods - flickr - Darvin Atkeson

    Trail Life: Lightweight Backpacking

    “Ray Jardine revisits and rethinks his classic ultralight backpacking text…”

    Overview

    Ray Jardine, arguably the founding father of ultralight backpacking as we know it, wrote a book entitled Beyond Backpacking and, within its pages, presented to a backpacking community with weary backs and knees tips and techniques by which they could lighten their loads and travel easier. The book was a sellout success, and copies nowadays (if you can find one at all) fetch dozens if not hundreds of dollars on eBay and Craigslist.

    Jardine is back with a revised and revamped book in which he revisits many of the principles in Beyond Backpacking and touches on new information as well. His latest installment is entitled Trail Life: Ray Jardine’s Lightweight Backpacking; 25,000 Miles of Trail-Tested Know-How.

    With chapter titles such as Packweight, Equipment, Wilderness Skills, Trail Biology, and Long Distance Hiking, one can begin to see Jardine has a diversity of knowledge to impart to his readership. Jardine continues to preach some of the tenets of ultralight backpacking such as tarp vs. tent and lightweight shoes vs. boots. …

    Backpacking Light

    adventurelore_traillife_md

    Amazon – Trail Life: Ray Jardine’s Lightweight Backpacking

    GoLite Ultra 20° sleeping bag


    Saw a strong recommendation for this bag on Seattlepi.

    Ultra 20°

    1 lb 3 oz. | 540.0 g
    Rating: 20 deg F | -7 deg C
    $225.00

    A premium 800-fill goose down, 20º sleep system that offers superior warmth, unmatched comfort and versatility for the ultra-lite purist. Waterproof Pertex® Endurance Arid Zones™ at the head and foot of the bag protect against condensation in critical areas. The comforter-style top can be attached directly to a sleep pad at variable girths for ideal temperature regulation.

    Fill Weights: Small 257g; Medium 270g; Large 297g

    Sleeping Bag Specs

    * Rating: 20 deg F | -7 deg C

    <a href="http://www.golite.com/Product/proddetail.aspx?p=SS7500&s=1">product details</a>
    product details

    bring on the Queen of Pain

    It was just announced that World 24 hour Mountain Bike Champion Rebecca Rusch and Furnace 508 Champion Michael Emde will compete at Adventure Sports Week 2009.

    “We’re thrilled to have stars the caliber of Rebecca and Michael racing with us,” said organizer Dave Adlard.

    Rebecca, nicknamed “the Queen of Pain,” will be competing in multiple events, including the Mad Dash 8 hour mountain bike ride, the “It’s Only a Fleshwound” orienteering event, and the Crux and the Crucible Adventure race.

    RebeccaRusch.com - <a href="http://www.rebeccarusch.com/gallery.htm">more photos</a>
    RebeccaRusch.com - more photos

    Michael Emde, the defending champion of the Furnace 508 bike race will also be riding in the Mad Dash. The Furnace 508 is widely acclaimed as the world’s toughest single day event, as the racers ride 508 miles through Death Valley in the summer, with over 30,000 feet of elevation.

    <a href="http://www.emdesports.com/profiles/profile_michael_emde.htm">Emde Sports</a>
    Emde Sports

    Adventure Sports Week is a 10 day long festival of 24 outdoor races, contests, clinics and social events taking place at Farragut State Park, 30 miles north of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, June 5—14, 2009.

    official website – Adventure Sports Week

    South Coast Track, Tasmania photos


    No question. The South Coast Track is one of the best, most adventurous treks in the world.

    Anne Stockley posted a comprehensive set of photos that lay out the highlights and challenges.

    prion

    She was lucky to get some sunshine. Some blue sky!

    The weather in Tasmania is the great concern. You can get stuck in mud like this.

    mud

    To see her photos in higher resolution, click through to Pbase – Flight to Melaleuca and follow the links. Click SLIDESHOW on each page.

    Anne
    Anne

    Want to plan a trip to Tas for yourself?

    Check the besthike South Coast Track information page.