Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
A year and a month after a Pacific storm battered Olympic National Park, another storm pounded the park Dec. 3, washing out portions of the Hoh Road.
Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park Closed Due to Storm Erosion | National Parks Traveler
So far, this winter is starting out like last year in terms of damage to the Pacific North West Parks. Too bad.
The man who popularized Lightweight Hiking is carrying a heavy pack.
After two days in Mendoza, we were driven 1.5 hours to a wintertime ski resort in the nearby mountains called the Cordon del Plata. There we shouldered our outrageously heavy backpacks and hiked for 1 hour up a quite steep trail to a lovely alpine meadow called Las Vegas (The Springs), and there made our first camp.
JennyWe were now at an elevation of 10,300 feet and, as we live at 1,500 feet, and Mendoza is at 2,700 feet, that was quite a sudden jump in altitude. …
read the trip report – NFT
I won’t feel so bad next time I do the same thing.
Ray and Jenny Jardine are hiking in Argentina right now. I’ve been eyeing that region, the towns of Mendoza and Bariloche, myself for some time now. Jumping off points for Aconcagua and Nahuel Huapi.
It’s inevitable that the people of the Himalaya take increasing leadership over adventure tourism there. This is a great story.
The Super Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa, have a cool website offering the gamut of great Nepali treks.
Why are these guys so super?
Apa Sherpa is the only man in history to reach the top of the world 17 times. As the world record holder of the most summits of Everest, Apa is widely recognized to be one of the greatest living mountaineers.
…
When Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set out to set an Everest speed ascent record, little did anyone know he would not only break the late Babu Chirri Sherpa’s Everest speed ascent record of 16 hrs 56, but shatter it altogether with a time of 10 hrs 56 min and 46 sec – 6 hours faster than Babu’s seemingly unbeatable record. …
See the Super Sherpa Treks.
They were included in the Outside Magazine 100 top stories of 2007.
(via The Adventure Blog)
Researching the best hikes in the Copper Canyon has turned out to be more challenging than expected. My ragged copy of Mexico’s Copper Canyon Country: A Hiking and Backpacking Guide (1994) is amusing, but badly dated.
I’ve been there before on the standard Gringo route, day hiking. Perhaps I’ll go back this winter for some serious multi-day canyon busting.
The Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barranca del Cobre) is a group of canyons consisting of 6 distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in the neighboring United States although the Grand Canyon is larger than any of the individual canyons.
The system is transversed by the Chihuahua al PacÃfico railroad, known by the nickname “Chepeâ€. It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.
Mexico established the Parque Nacional Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon National Park) to showcase this remote area.
The canyon is the traditional home of the indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) people.
I’ll order the Moon guide by Joe Cummings, the world’s best guidebook writer in my opinion.
Leave a comment if you have advice on longer treks in the canyons.
Ambition – despair.com
You know the Sierra Trading Post (love that retro name) as a good supplier of overstock and closeout outdoor gear. They also post information for hikers. For example: Down vs. Synthetic Guide
Quick Guide to Down
Pros
* Is warmer than synthetic insulation ounce for ounce. …
* Retains its shape and loft and, with proper care, can last a lifetime. …
* Wicks body moisture and allows it to evaporate. …
* Is highly compressible and lightweight. …Cons
* Loses its insulating properties when wet and is slow to dry. …
* Requires special cleaning. …
* May contain allergens. …
* Costs a pretty penny. …
If you, like me, are already decided on the Down vs Synthetic issue (buy the highest fill down you can afford) it’s still well worth checking out something new:
I saw that article linked from the very attractive Sierra Trading Post blog. We’ve linked to their blog under BLOGS in the right hand navigation as it includes much more than the usual buy-my-latest-greatest-gear promos. (e.g. Writer Raises Wild-Born Coyote in Wyoming)
Consider giving a fellow hiker or backpacker a gift membership in the American Hiking Society. A $30, one-year membership includes subscriptions to American Hiker and Backpacker magazines, along with other member benefits.
Holiday Gift Idea: American Hiking Society Membership – Trailspace.com
That’s the basic individual membership. There are many other options.
After 5-days at the Banff Mountain Festivals 2007, here’s my FINAL review:
This was my first trip to Banff for the festivals.
THE GOOD:
=====
THE BAD:
Small gripe: I could walk in and out of movies when I wanted. Except Sunday morning when suddenly I was not allowed in after the first movie had started.
My biggest complaint, though, is too much focus on mountaineering at the expense of all other Mountain activities. If you are not interested in climbing, don’t bother coming. That’s the message I get, as a hiker.
That’s amusing since the Canadian Rockies are infamous for dangerous rock climbing. The infamous “rotten Rockies”. Most of the world’s best climbers don’t come here — except for a holiday at the Banff Festival.
For Books, 2007 was not a banner year. The movies were better, I thought.
I’m not sure the Banff Centre could ever host a great festival. The venue is limited.
My advice is that you attend, instead, the superb World Tour. Or the Radical Reels tour. Check out the award winning books and award winning movies on-line. No need to spend the time and money to come to Banff.
The Kendal Mountain Festivals in the UK looks better to me at first glance.
Ask anyone else who travelled to Banff, you’ll get a more positive review, I think. I may be too critical.
Banff Mountain Festivals 2007 – official website
American Hiking Society posted a list of under appreciated hikes. Under appreciated because they are not in “Parks”, but are regulated by the Bureau of Land Management.
Many BLM lands are unique and wild, offering exceptional views, few people, and a rare opportunity to experience the “wild west” in the same way the pioneers did hundreds of years ago. But, because many of these fantastic landscapes aren’t very well known, it’s hard to find information about exceptional hikes on BLM lands. To encourage people to enjoy and steward trails on BLM lands, American Hiking Society launched a search in summer 2007 for the “Best BLM Hikes” in the west.
Winning hikes feature midnight sun, knee-deep wildflowers, petroglyphs and the opportunity to experience traditional western lifestyles. Best yet, most of these hikes are part of a new system of BLM lands known as the National Landscape Conservation System – 26 million acres of the best places to experience the history and wild beauty of the west.
Learn more about American Hiking’s work to protect and promote the Conservation System.
… some of the hidden treasures of the west.
Hike: Virgin Peak Hike (Nevada)
Hike: Continental Divide Trail
Hike: Cow Creek Wilderness Hike (Montana)
Hike: Little Blitzen Gorge Hike (Oregon)
Hike: Fisher Towers Hike (Utah)
Hike: Lost Coast Trail (California)
Hike: Kingston Range Wilderness Hike (California)
Hike: Lovell Canyon, AKA “Anniversary Narrows” (Nevada)
Hike: Calico Tank Hike (Nevada)
Hike: White Rock Loop Hike (Nevada)
Hike: Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail (Alaska)
Hike: Paria Canyon (Arizona, Utah)
Hike: Mill Creek Canyon Trail (Utah)
Hike: Main Wash Hike (Nevada)
Only those in bold are specifically included on our list of the best hikes in North America. I’ve got some research to do on the others.
(via Two-Heel Drive)
Bonus BLM hike courtesy of the Gambolin Man:
Hike: Harris Wash / Hurricane Wash to Coyote Gulch / Escalante River (Utah)
Jamie hosts a very neat database of hiking blogs:
I set up this blog as a unique way to browse through and discover new hiking, backpacking, trail running, and trekking related blogs. You can rate the quality of each blog listed on this site. The top 20 rated blogs are listed under the Top 20 Category.
Yours is a resource we will use often. The geographical categories are brilliant. Thanks Jamie.
We’ve subscribed. And added a link to Hiking blogs under BLOGS in the right hand navigation. And started browsing and rating your many sites.
(via Aushiker)
besthike.com 