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PNG – Kokoda Trail closed to hikers

The only way to bring media attention to this great trek, I reckon:

Papua New Guinea’s historic Kokoda Trail has been closed to tourists until a dispute over a proposed copper mine is resolved, Australian media is reporting.

Local Koiari landowners have felled a tree across the track near the village of Naoro, 55km from Port Moresby. Villagers say they will stop travellers who try to pass until the PNG government allows the Australian company Frontier Resources to dig up 600m of the track to mine a $US5.9 billion copper and gold deposit.

The Koiari people have been offered a 5% stake in the mine that could deliver them more than $US100 million over the proposed 10-year life of the mine.

Australia, who is seeking a world heritage listing for the trail, is lobbying the PNG Government to kill the mine project in favour of the tourism dollar.

About 5000 tourists travel walk the 96km Kokoda Trail each year. One of the world’s great treks, it links the southern and northern coast of PNG, and was the scene of bitter fighting between Australian soldiers and Japanese troops in 1942.

Lonely Planet

related post: Kokoda Trail – Papua New Guinea

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more Kokoda Trail photos – flickr – Nomad Tales

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best hike in the Bay Area, California – Mt Tamalpais

Tom Mangan, hiking columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, and popular blogger, took me out to one of his favourite hikes.

The forecast was for rain. Tom considered a dozen options for me, finally settling on Mt Tam. Beautiful in any weather. Year round.

First, look at Tom’s trip report and photos from that glorious day:

… So here’s where we went: Straight up the hill via the Ben Johnson Trail. We caught the Dipsea Trail in an open area looking out over the Pacific, above, then we dived down into another canyon till we got to Steep Ravine Trail, which we took to the Pantoll trail head. From there it was a short jaunt on the Alpine Trail and a steep dive back downhill along the Bootjack Trail, which was glorious, and back to Muir Woods. Nine or 10 miles of the finest hiking the Bay Area has to offer. Might even make Rick’s “Best” list.

Mount Tamalpais: get thee to the south side

I’ve added Mt Tamalpais to our list of the best hikes in North America.

(There are so many good hikes in California, it’s really quite difficult to name those that are “best”.)

A few more of my own pics:

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original – flickr

I always enjoy Tom’s photos. This trip I got a chance to see the kinds of shots he looks for. And how he sets up, sometimes using his new “GorillaPod“:

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original – flickr

Adding challenge to the beautiful, appropriately named, Steep Ravine Trail, is a 10ft ladder.

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original – flickr

(Note how much superior is Tom’s photo of this ladder. I still have a lot to learn.)

more of my Mt Tam photos on flickr

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Lost City hike in Colombia – now safe(er)

I loved the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) hike when I was there in 1997. But it was somewhat dangerous.

No worries if you want to do it today. From a recent trip report:

… Darren and I took an overnight bus to Taganga, a tiny town on the Caribbean coast. We wanted to go on the famed Ciudad Perdida hike, which travelers in Colombia rave about. Ciudad Perdida (¨Lost City¨) is a series of ancient ruins nestled deep in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada mountains, accessible only by foot. You are required to go with a licensed guide, so we signed up with Turcol and ended up in a ragtag group of nine with a people from London, Los Angeles, Seattle, Bogota and France. …

The trip cost $230 for the six day hike, all food and accommodation (hammocks) included. Every day except the fourth day (which was spent wandering around the ruins) we woke up around 7am, ate breakfast, and hiked until about 2pm through steamy hot jungle and crossed the river many times. In the afternoon we would have lunch and usually jump into a pristine swimming hole. This left us with a LOT of free time. …

Ciudad Perdida itself was pretty stunning, lots of circular stone ruins set into the green, green jungle. I think we definitely appreciated the effort it took to get there. About forty soldiers patrol the area, and they are all young, friendly and very bored. We heard them shrieking as we climbed the last 1200 steps to reach Ciudad Perdida. When we got to the top we realized what was causing all the commotion – they were taking turns swinging on a vine into the trees, Tarzan style (not paying much attention to their M-16s). Since the last incidence of guerrillas kidnapping tourists in 2003, the government has stationed soldiers there around the clock and it is extremely safe now.

I loved the fact that we saw almost no other travellers during the entire hike. Generally speaking, the only people we passed were indigenous people living in the area. If Colombia continues becoming safer and safer, this hike is going to explode in popularity.

Lost in the Jungle – perpetualwanderlust

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Lost City Ruins – flickr – Gavin Rough

Lost City trek – besthike information page

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jump off the waterfall – are you crazy?

Would you jump from here?

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… With myself and 4 others gathered at the top of the fall, our guide dutifully pointed out the best angle at which to jump so as not require the services of either a stretcher or neck brace. Then, whilst waving his arms wildly and delivering something akin to an war cry by an Apache with Tourette’s Syndrome, he promptly disappeared over the edge. I stood for a moment, stunned by what I thought I had just seen. It just didn’t add up. Y’know, for a moment I could have sworn that he just jumped off the edge – but surely he can’t have, that would have been incalculable stupidity.

…

As our guide swam toward the shallows (which, I must say, took a reassuringly long time) he flipped over onto his back and shouted up to the 5 bewildered gringos AKA ‘Team Terrified’ yet to make the jump.

“You must jump out far as you can…!” he hollered, looking exceedingly chuffed with himself and wiping the spray from his hair and face. Almost as an afterthought he followed up with “…And watch out for the rocks!” as if we weren’t already well aware of their unyielding, body-busting presence.

To see if he survives, read this trip report from a trek in El Impossible National Park, El Salvador: Wetter and Wilder: Impossible Thrills in El Salvador – UberTramp

If that fall looks too dangerous, consider this leap on the Great Ocean Walk in Australia instead:

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Frank in Oz

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Daniel Ewert Nature Photography

If you love great outdoor photography, take a few minutes to check out this portfolio:

Paradise Meadow, Mt. Rainier National Park

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more like these – Ewert Nature Photography on SmugMug, the one photo sharing site which might be better than flickr.

Daniel won Photographer of the Week on All Day I Dream About Photography.

(via Modern Hiker)

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do you wear a fanny pack?

Tom Mangan started quite the lively discussion in the comments on his Two-Heel Drive blog.

Don’t use the term “fanny pack” in the UK, or “Down Under”. The word “fanny” is rude. (As is the word “root”.)

Don’t use the unfortunate term “waist pack” either, or I’ll laugh at you.

Bum bag? (That may be worse.)

Hip belt? Hip pack? Waist pack?

Fanny Pack with Cell Phone Pocket by Everest

Fanny Pack with Cell Phone Pocket by Everest

I wear one every day. And often two while hiking.

Today I’m wearing the $15 MEC Travel Pocket Waist Pack. (Don’t laugh at me.)

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Lost Coast Trail – surf, fish, hike

I was thinking of walking the Lost Coast Trail in California in February. This week!

Expert in all things “California is the center of the Outdoor Universe” Tom Mangan advises against.

Might have to return in warmer weather, though.

Two-Heel Drive linked to an interesting trip report:

“A writer for Forbes hiked in nine miles with five days’ gear — and a surfboard — to catch some of the finest waves in the West at a place called Big Flat.”

… We’d come equipped not just for camping and surfing but for fishing. This section of coast swarms with halibut and king salmon; if we could get our poles in the right place, surely we could hook ourselves a dinner or two, we figured. The problem with so much gear, however, was that our packs had grown comically large. To get mine on my back I needed the assistance of my two friends. I might as well have been an armor-laden knight being winched onto a horse. Hip-bruising would be inevitable. But visions of perfect surf and an empty lineup urged us on.

Paradise Lost – Forbes.com

Combining multi-day hiking trips with other activities (paddle, cycle, scramble) is a growning trend.

But a fishing surf trek? That’s a new one on me.

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more Lost Coast Trail photos – flickr – Zach

The Lost Coast Trail in California is one of our best hikes in North America.

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the best trip reports are on Trailspotting

This is elegant simplicity. Exactly the way the internet should work.

Clean. Succinct. But dense with the information you most need: maps, guidebooks, etc.

Check a sample hike for format: San Bruno Mountain Summit Loop, California.

Here’s a sample of the Google Maps integration:

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screenshot

I am inspired.

Well done, Trailspotting.