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hiking Paria Canyon solo

Benjamin Burner stumbled accidentally on to one of the best hikes in the world, Paria Canyon on the Arizona – Utah border. It’s the best slot canyon hike anywhere.

His photos are excellent. His trip report philosophic:

Advantages of Traveling Alone

Flexibility. This is a nice euphemism for selfishness. Going solo means you set your own pace, your own agenda, meal plan, lodging arrangements etc. In day to day life I find I constantly interact with people who I must accommodate. I need a vacation from this as much as anything.

Nature. With nature as my sole companion I am free from the distractions of society. I find I experience the beauty and purity of nature not as a spectator but as a participant.

Solitude. It is often only through solitude that I truly know myself. I find these times of solitude necessary for deep introspection.

Independence. I have been blessed with a few great friends who have always been there for me, but I believe it is important for me to survive on my own from time to time. As a man, I use this independence to take risks, test my strength, and assert my silly inner boy. However, regardless of your sex or what independence means to you, I believe the confidence gained from this independence is vital in shaping us and who we will be around others.

Spiritual Growth. Perhaps it is partly because I am religious, but I often feel the presence of god more keenly when I am alone in the wilderness. God speaks to me through the mountains and the trees, and sometimes I only hear it when I am alone and free from distractions.

paria.jpg

Read the rest of the post on Burner Photography – Traveling Alone through the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Besthike information page – PARIA CANYON

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The Great Eastern Trail

From Section Hiker:

I love the Appalachian Trail, but on weekends and in the summer time, it can feel really crowded.

In fact, the ATC estimates that 4 million people hike on the AT each year, and a lot of their trail maintenance and stewardship efforts go toward mitigating their impact on the surrounding environment and other visitors’ experiences. Repairing overuse damage, building privies, and adding more campsites is necessary to contain an ever increasing number of visitors each year.

So when I learned about the Great Eastern Trail (GET), I was intrigued. It’s a new 2000 mile, long distance trail that will lie west of the AT and pass through Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virgina, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, linking the Florida Trail to the North Country Trail. …

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larger version

click through for more information on this terrific under construction thru hiking adventure – The Great Eastern Trail

It will (eventually) link the Florida National Scenic Trail in the south to the North Country National Scenic Trail in New York.

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TOP 7 THOUSAND-MILE TREKS

A headline in ALL CAPS ??

Am I CRAZY !!

A list this over-the-top deserves them.

Adventure Journey — The Extreme Traveler’s Handbook — makes 7 bold picks … DESERVING OF ALL CAPS.

7) Heysen Trail – Cape Jervis to the Parachilna Gorge, South Australia
6) Pacific Northwest Trail – Cape Alava, WA to Glacier National Park
5) Tarifa, Spain to the border of Switzerland
4) Nouakchott, Mauritania to Timbukto, Mali
3) San Carlos de Bariloche to Rio Gallegos, Argentina
2) Jammu > Srinagar > Leh > Shimla, India
1) North-south full traverse of Madagascar

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details – TOP 7 THOUSAND-MILE TREKS

Actually, I am quite impressed with their list. It’s gutsy and informed. That walk in Argentina would be FANTASTIC.

I’d like to subscribe to Adventure Journey … but they have no RSS feed. Ah ha, Google Reader could not discover an RSS feed … BUT, it’s right there on the top of the page. (if I had only looked.)

Thanks MadMardigan.

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Survivorman – publish, not perish

… how do you like that headline, Tom?

From the sun-scorched sands of the Kalahari to the snake-infested jungles of the Amazon, Les Stroud has survived it all. Now, the creator, producer, and host of the hit television show Survivorman shares his field-tested expertise and gives you a no-nonsense look at the real world of survival. …

Survivorman.ca

Now he’s an author. I’m adding his new book to my Christmas wish list:

Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive

Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive

I’ll add my thanks to the many others who love the reality TV show that Les Stroud did SOLO for three season. That’s impressive.

The first two seasons are available on DVD:

  • Survivorman
  • Survivorman: Collection 2

    • (via The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog)

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    Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Peru

    When I was there, I was immensely reminded of the Mediterranean.

    I’m thinking of South America now as it’s Spring in Patagonia.

    titicaca.jpg
    Lake Titicaca south of Yampupata

    Gorgeous.

    The best trip report is found on Photodiary of a Nomad:

    Our walk started from the Hostal Imperio del Sol, our accommodation on the island with views across the Isla de la Luna to the snow-capped 6000m plus mountains of the Cordillera Real. This magnificent range, crowned by the 6429m peak of Cerro Jankhouma, was a constant companion on our wanderings up and down the island. …

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    read more – Lake Titicaca and the Isla del Sol

    Isla del Sol is one of our best hikes in South America.

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    America’s 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

    New on Backpacker:

    From a slippery Sierra catwalk to a treacherous Hawaiian paradise, we name the country’s 10 most hazardous hikes.

    The Maze, UT

    Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

    Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO

    Mt. Washington, NH

    Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier, WA

    Huckleberry Mtn., Apgar Range, MT

    Kalalau Trail, Kauai, HI

    Buckskin Gulch, UT

    Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mtns., TN

    Mist Trail, Half Dome, CA

    America’s 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

    Buckskin Gulch looked very dangerous, I thought, when I took a sidetrip hike part way in from Paria Canyon. No one has yet died there, though.

    The Maze really appeals to me. But rather than do the long, difficult drive to get there … I’m thinking of rafting across the river from the Needles. (I’m not sure that’s actually allowed.)

    cany_map.jpg

    The Maze is huge and sprawling. It would be difficult to see many of the rarely visited arches in one trip.

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    Tibbett Arch – NaturalArches.org

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    hiking the Galápagos Islands

    The Galápagos is a protected enclave.

    Right?

    Actually, 40,000 people live there!

    galapagos_islands_-_overview.PNG

    Some of those were lucky enough to join in on a trek to Sierra Negra crater on Isabela Island, the largest of the chain.

    From a trip report by Ruth Holliday:

    … Looming over the island is Sierra Negra, a vast and active crater volcano. Its last eruption in 2005 churned out enough ash and lava to threaten several species of giant tortoise, not known for their powers of speedy escape.

    I am one of 12 volunteers living in this uncanny and exquisite setting. We are mostly British, share a single house and divide into two groups – one helping at the island’s tortoise sanctuary and the other teaching basic English at a local school.

    Together, we decide to tackle the trek to the crater. …

    Telegraph – The grown-up gapper: trekking the Sierra Negra crater

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    larger version – flickr – massulo

    The caldera of Sierra Negra has a diameter of 10 kilometers and is one of the largest in the world. The crater walls and bottom are covered by low growing plants and only a few small animals inhabit this environment.

    more interesting Sierra Negra photos on flickr

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    5 best day hikes in the Alps

    As selected by Greg Witt, adventure guide. He is the author of The Rough Guide to Ultimate Adventures 1 .

    His adventure travel company, Alpenwild, specializes in hiking, trekking, and photographic adventures in the Alps.

    alps.jpg

    1. Höhenweg Höhbalmen

    Where: Zermatt Length: 11miles/18km Duration: 5-7 hours Zermatt is touristy, to be sure, but within five minutes of the center of town you’re already leaving wildflower-spangled meadows to ascend through larch forests. …

    2. Riffelsee to Sunnegga

    Where: Zermatt Length: 8 miles/13km Duration: 3-5 hours Once again, the Matterhorn is the showstopper here, but you access the postcard views quickly by taking the cog-wheeled Gornergrat train to Riffelsee, where you’ll have mirror-reflections of the Matterhorn in the small glacial lakes. …

    3. Lac de Louvie

    Where: Verbier Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours Make a quick escape from the ski-resort bustle of Verbier by taking the gondola to Les Ruinettes and continuing on a short stroll to the Cabane du Mont Fort for views of the Mont Blanc massif. …

    4. The Faulhornweg

    Where: Grindelwald (Jungfrau) Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours For high-level panoramic views of the Jungfrau, the Faulhornweg is a hiker’s dream. …

    5. Mürren

    Where: Lauterbrunnen (Jungfrau) Length: 6 miles/10km Duration: 3-4 hours The Lauterbrunnental is the world’s largest glacial valley (it’s hard to imagine someplace that outshines Yosemite) and it’s ringed by 72 waterfalls, including some of the highest in Europe.

    read more – Adventure Travel – About.com

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    Lauterbrunnen valley – larger original – Wikipedia

    They sound great. We’ve added all 5 to our list of the best hikes in Europe.

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    LittlePo climbing Aconcagua

    Having already played enough in Alaska, climbing blogger Szu-ting has announced a trip to the highest mountain outside Asia over New Year’s Eve.

    … its elevation is 22,841 feet (6,962 m). My biggest worry is therefore altitude sickness. Right now I can still remember the tears I dropped on Denali; I had to turn around from the summit at 19,400 feet because my body couldn’t receive well executed commands from an oxygen-deprived brain. Aconcagua is higher than Denali and much higher. I know that Denali might have higher physiological altitude, due to its higher latitude (see reference 1) and I know that previous high attitude experience does not necessarily imply how my body will react upon my next encounter; however, every time I think about this climb, I can’t help but keep telling myself “remember to drink water, breathe more, and you can always turn around.” …

    LittlePo

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    larger size – flickr – winkyintheuk

    She’s NOT planning to descend with the 2700m south face in 5min on skis with parachute like this guy.

    I’d much rather hike Aconcagua.

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    National Outdoor Book Awards 2008

    The winners were just announced.
    Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes was — predictably — chosen. It’s been nominated for a Pulitzer, as well.

    The second most interesting book to me was in the History/Biography Category, as well:

    Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of Grand Canyon

    Winner. Grand Obsession: Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of Grand Canyon. By Elias Butler and Tom Myers.

    Harvey Butchart was the legendary hiker and canyoneer who explored more of the Grand Canyon than any other person. He was largely known through his sparse and somewhat cryptic hiking guidebooks. But even more cryptic was Butchart himself. Who was this man, and why did his interest in the canyon become an obsession that consumed his life? You’ll find out in this uncommonly well researched, well-structured and well-written biography.

    See the rest of the Winners – National Outdoor Book Awards