beautiful Mt Sanqingshan, China

Mount Sanqingshan National Park was recently added to the World Heritage List.

The photos are beautiful.

… a unique array of forested, fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks …

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larger original – flickr – Genek´s cards

It has some crazy cliffside pathways similar to those of Mount Hua (Hua Shan).

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larger original – flickr – Vincent H P Liu

more interesting Sanqingshan photos on flickr

Mount Sanqing (Chinese: 三清山; Pinyin: SānqÄ«ng Shān) or San Qing Mountain – Wikipedia

(via The Adventure Blog)

trip report – Ausangate Circuit, Peru

Ausangate is our #4 best hike in the world.

That’s a demanding 70km (43.5mi) plus sidetrips recommended only for confident hikers acclimatized at high altitude.

The best trip report I’ve seen yet was posted on Photodiary of a Nomad. That’s a couple who have documented “4000km of walks, with detailed descriptions and over 8000 photos”.

From Ausangate Circuit (part 1):

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At 6372m, Nevado Ausangate is the highest mountain in the Cuzco Region.

The mountains were sacred to the Andean people and Apu Ausangate was considered one of the most important deities, the origin of alpacas and llamas and the source of many legends. It stands somewhat isolated from the rest of the Cordillera Vilcanota, a massif with several distinct peaks and many glaciers lining the hollows and slopes between them.

To circumnavigate this massif, you need to cross four major passes, two of which are over 5000m, while the valleys that head off in different directions are home to quechua-speaking mountain people whose daily lives have changed little in centuries. To trek the Ausangate Circuit provides not only the opportunity to experience the alpine landscapes of the high Andes, but to see how life was, and still is, like in its harsh environment. …

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The scenery is stunning.

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I highly recommend you click through to check it out: Ausangate Circuit (part 1)

What to hike Peru yourself?

Check our besthike Ausangate information page.

yet more Autumn photos

Hiking Guide author John Soares has a blog called Northern California Hiking Trails. I’ve recently subscribed.

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I liked John’s post on the Fall Colors in Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon.

One of John’s books:

Sierra Nevada/ Cascade Mountains/ Klamath Mountains/ Coast Range and North Coast/ San Francisco Bay Area (100 Classic Hikes)

100 Classic Hikes in Northern California: Sierra Nevada/ Cascade Mountains/ Klamath Mountains/ Coast Range and North Coast/ San Francisco Bay Area (100 Classic Hikes)

I really can’t get enough Fall photos.

Of all the great photo blogs I know, Batish is the best. Consistently interesting.

A couple of samples:

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A Month of Autumn – Batish

flying tents

Nothing like a good “Maytag” tent photo.

This tent belongs to the West Virginia Civil Air Patrol … All the cadets placed their day equipment into this tent, but no one noticed that it was not staked down. When all the cadets removed their equipment, a gust of wind knocked the tent over. (The top of the tent is facing down.) At the top of the tent is a screen so the tent was more like a parachute. The tent was in the air for about 15 seconds and reached an altitude of 30 feet. Photo by Rocco S. Rossetti

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(via EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 Photo Gallery)

And another:

… at Maker Faire Austin, the lights went out. All power was lost in one whole area of the fairgrounds. It turned out that a dome tent from the camping area had taken flight in a dust devil and crashed into the power lines. Fernando Rizo got a couple of great shots of the tent moments before impact.

MAKE

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(via The Piton)

Leave a comment if you’ve ever had your tent take flight.

every hiker should have a blog

If you hike, you should share your photos and trip report with the world.

Popular blogger Tom Mangan gives the pitch:

… Heck, if John Muir were alive to day, he would have a blog. How do I know? Because the only thing as voluminous as Muir’s backcountry travels was the volume of his writings documenting them. Muir was eloquent, passionate and observant, and obsessive about writing it all down. If you are any or all of these things, why not put ‘em to good use and share with the world? …

The case for starting your own hiking blog

Tom followed up with a second post: How to start a hiking blog

Read that. Or jump directly to WordPress.com.

It’s free. It’s easy. You will have your own hiking blog within 10min.

I’d recommend that blogging platform to John Muir too. It’s the same open source software running this site. And the same used by Tom.

Here’s a (somewhat dated) 4min introduction to how to start your own WordPress blog. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

trek Bahia Lapataia – Tierra del Fuego

A coastal walk between two beautiful bays on the southern shore of the Land of Fire, one of the remotest regions on earth.

Here’s a good trip report from Khan on one of the southernmost hikes in the world:

Tierra del Fuego, the Land of Fire, is an island divided between Chile and Argentina at the southern tip of South America. Ushuaia, on the south coast of the island overlooking the Beagle Channel, is the base for all the best hiking on the island. It bills itself as la Ciudad del Fin del Mundo – the City at the End of World. Indeed, there is nothing below this windswept place but 650 miles of treacherous southern seas and the icy continent of Antarctica.

Just to the west of Ushuaia is Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego. Rich in forest, lakes and jagged mountains, it is a beautiful but tough landscape, tormented by unpredictable weather. When we hiked here in March we found it surprisingly warm – even turning to ‘t-shirt’ weather after the bitter cold of early morning. But we were lucky. In January, at the height of the southern summer, it had been cold and even snowed for several days.

This hike follows the Senda Costera – Coastal Path – from Bahia (bay) Ensenada to Bahia Lapataia, with beautiful views over the Beagle Channel. …

continue reading – Bahia Lapataia – Tierra del Fuego – Hiking Trailer

I’ve been down as far as Ushuaia. Bleak and beautiful.

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larger version – flickr – lrargerich

There is another strange, confusing photo of the region on flickr. Check it out.

hiking in Lebanon?

Not once have I heard of any hiking in Lebanon.

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Yet before the Lebanese Civil War started in 1975 it was called the “Switzerland of the East”. Beirut the “Paris of the East.”

Even today Lebanon has six ski resorts. It’s a beautiful country.

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larger version – flickr – LLP

Guided walks are advertised: Hiking and Trekking – LebanonTourism.com

There’s even a long distance trek: Lebanon Mountain Trail – 44okm (275mi)

Fareed Abou-Haidar suggests that this country could be a major draw for hikers. (If only their security could be ensured.)

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larger version – flickr – LLP

See more gorgeous photos of Lebanon on the Dark Roasted Blend blog.

photos – Maroon Bells, Colorado

Mark posted photos of one of the best hiking areas in the world. And one that I’ve never visited.

The famous Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado. I’ve heard it said that this is the most photographed spot in Colorado.

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larger version

Aspen-Maroon Bells-Independence Pass 2005 photos – flickr – markwgallagher

MAROON BELLS LOOP – besthike information page