besthike.com

May 3, 2007

why The Adventure Blogger went to Kilimanjaro

Having never been there, I was envious reading Kraig Becker’s Kili trip reports on his Adventure Blogger site.

Now he’s been interviewed on The Outdoor Weblog:

Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this trip for four years now. I saw an IMAX film by David Breashears on Kilimanjaro and I was fascinated with the thought of trekking and climbing the mountain. I think I went home and started researching it right after seeing the movie.
The Outdoor Weblog: The Outdoor Enthusiast Next Door: Kraig Becker (Part 2)

Kraig and guides Peter and Zawadi at the Lava Tower:

photo by Colm Donohoe

My turn is coming. One day. …

I want to try for a double: Mt. Meru followed by Kilimanjaro.

May 2, 2007

check out Four Corners, USA

The Four Corners is the wild convergence of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

It’s mostly Indian land.

Last year I hiked out of Page, Arizona. This year Moab, Utah.

In Utah, the best site I’ve found on hiking is Utah.com â€” concise, well organized, easy-to-read.

If you’ve never been to the Four Corners, the best reference is Moon Handbooks Four Corners

I’m a Lonely Planet guidebook fanatic. But, for some parts of the world, Moon is better.

In the Moon guide, check their Suggested Reading section on Hiking. This will help you narrow the many choices of hiking guidebooks available.

There are dozens of good hiking guidebooks for the region. But no GREAT ones. At least none I’ve found yet. (And I write from Moab Public Library.)

Almost inevitably you’ll end up as I did with one of the Falcon Hiking Guides: Exploring Canyonlands and Arches National Parks by Schneider.

I’ll head first for Arches:

Taking its name from the hundreds of naturally formed sandstone arches scattered here, Arches National Park is the most feature-packed of southern Utahâ€™s national parks.

Ranging in size from around three feet to nearly 300 feet in span, the arches are the result of erosion over millions of years, the same agent that formed the thousands of brilliantly colored spires, pinnacles, and canyons that cover southeast Utah.

PiÃ±on pines and junipers add a splash of green to the red and brown backdrop, but mostly what you see are red stone and blue skyâ€”lots and lots of both.

Road Trip USA

May 1, 2007

first Hayduke Trail thru hike

Steve Sergeant of Wildebeat.net pointed me to a very professional trip report posted by Brian Frankle on his ULA (Ultralight Adventure) website.

Perhaps Hayduke is not so dangerous after all.

This was the first ever thru hike of the 800mi+ route. Brian seems to have handled it with ease. (Of course he is an accomplished long distance hiker.)

I tackled the Hayduke Trail in typical long-distance hiker fashion: frequent re-supplies, higher daily mileages, and with a focus towards lightweight equipment.

This presented some challenges and resulted in a longer distance hiked than the described route, but I think this strategy is critical to implement if you plan to tackle this rugged and demanding route… especially so in the context of thru-hiking the Hayduke.

ULA – Hayduke Trail 2005

Brian’s trip report (including resupply points).

Just last night in Moab, Utah I met a hiker setting out for just a short section of the Hayduke.

He was worried. Worried about water supply. Worried about getting lost.

April 30, 2007

Light Backpacking says abandon Swiss Army Knife

Sacrilege! They say:

I have two beautiful Swiss Army Knives and love them.

BUT they weigh four ounces each and I donâ€™t need all the extras they offer.

So I purchased for 99 cents a small knife with plastic handle I found in a clear plastic bin on the counter of my local hardware store. It was put there to be an impulse buy. But itâ€™s been a trusty little friend, weighing a half ounce. Great for cutting cheese, salami, or cord.

LightBackpacking.com Make Your Backpack Light in 2007 – One of the â€œTen Essentialsâ€

Personally, I can’t bear to leave behind my Swiss Champ.

In fact, I may upgrade to the Wenger Giant Collector’s Swiss Army Knife. (Let’s see a bear try to swallow this.)

Practical Travel Gear

April 30, 2007

Parks Canada Fees are too high

Many entrance fees went up April 1st for Canadian National Parks.

How do the prices for Banff National Park, Alberta compare with the National Parks near you?

(screen shot)

The best value for hikers, we feel, is the annual Family / Group pass. An entire vehicle of hikers gets into 27 participating National Parks for C$123.80 (US$110.21).

We think fees are already too high. That Parks Canada is not accountable enough for how the money is spent. Here’s the rationale:

Entry and service fees are charged at most national parks and national historic sites, where revenues are kept to support visitor services and facilities. This means that every time you visit a park or site you are investing in its future â€” and in a legacy for future generations.

Parks Canada – Banff National Park of Canada – Fees

In the past hikers have illegally swapped around “Family” passes from vehicle to vehicle as needed for each trip. This practice will increase as costs go up.

Get Outdoors even discussed illegal buying and selling of Park passes. (Especially those left behind in rental cars.)

With every politician and corporation on the green bandwagon, why can’t Parks Canada come up with some big donations?

The Gear Junkie gets it right

When columnist Stephen Regenold set out his list of Greatest Gear of 5 Years, he must have known the potential for indignant outcry was great.

Gladly, the Gear Junkie got it right:

#1 The Original Buff

Nothing else Iâ€™ve tested over the past five years has stuck with me as much as the Original Buff, a hard-to-categorize headgear piece thatâ€™s essentially a tubular hat made of a thin, stretchy, seamless synthetic fabric that hugs your head to wick sweat or keep the sun and wind at bay.

I use Buffs year-round, as headbands in the summer, hats in the spring and fall, and balaclavas during the wintertime. They are lightweight, multi-functional items that have become literally indispensable for me during outings that range from ultra-endurance races to nightly jogs through my neighborhood. (Original Buff, $18.50; www.buffusa.com)

The Gear Junkie – The Daily Dose

The lowly bandana is my #1 piece of gear. But I will get Buff.

I also like his #4 pick, the Granite Gear – Virga Ultralight .

Given to me as a gift, this is my go to pack for cycling and short walks.

For multi-day hikes I use the heavier Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude.

(via Adventure Blog)

April 28, 2007

dangerous Hayduke Trail, Colorado Plateau

Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the map.

I’m not sure I’m man enough for this monster, invented and laid out by Joe Mitchell and Mike Coronella over an 8-year span.

It starts in Arches National Park. Finishes in Zion.

Named after a character from Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Hayduke trail is an 800 mile long backcountry route that travels through some of the most scenic and remote terrain in the United States.

It showcases some of the natural wonders of the Colorado Plateau region of the American southwest, linking together six national parks, as well as national monuments and recreation areas, state parks, wilderness areas, and wilderness study areas. Exclusively on public lands in southern Utah and northern Arizona, this out-of-the-way route will lead you through deep desert canyons, over high mountains, across rivers and ridges, always revealing pieces of the personality of this unique region.

Beware! The Hayduke Trail is made up of pre-existing trails, routes, unpaved roads, cattle and game trails, ridges and drainages. The trail is not always apparent or obvious; strong navigational skills are necessary to safely and happily complete a trek in this beautiful, rugged region.

This is a backcountry trail. It is not a beaten trail like the Appalachian Trail. There are no towns ahead to find supplies in; there are no shelters. The trail involves hiking and wading through rivers, often dealing with quicksand and tight brush. It involves scrambling over or around rock falls, and climbing up, down, and across steep talus slopes. There will likely be no one around, perhaps for days at a time. This is a desolate region, and care must be taken to enjoy (and survive) trekking through this occasionally harsh land. This is not “beginner” terrain: getting in over your head in this region can easily end your life.

Deep Desert

The Hayduke Trail: A Guide to the Backcountry Hiking Trail on the Colorado Plateau

April 27, 2007

video – surviving freezing water

This clip is from a show called Man vs Wild.

Bear Grylls is surviving in the French Alps with only a water bottle, flint, and knife. In this excerpt he jumps into a frozen lake and shows how to deal with it. Hopefully this wonâ€™t ever come in handy.

This actually happened to Andrew Skurka during his 7700 mile hike across North America. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no change of clothes, Skurka stripped down and ran to keep his body heat up.

Think or Thwim

Click PLAY or watch Man vs Wild – Episode 3 European Alps Highlights on YouTube.

This is very much like Les Stroud’s Canadian reality TV show Survivorman.

April 26, 2007

Falls Trail, Ricketts Glen, Pennsylvania

Brian Burgit recommends a wet and wild day hike. Looks great.

Falls Trail: difficult hiking

The full loop of this trail is 7.2 miles if hiking both the upper and lower sections. To see most of the waterfalls, a 3.2-mile loop can be taken by going on Highland Trail and the Glen Leigh and Ganoga Glen sides of the trail.

The trails follow along 21 beautiful waterfalls ranging in heights from 11-feet to 94-feet. The scenery is well worth the effort, however, the terrain is rocky, can be slippery, and descends steeply on both the Ganoga and Glen Leigh sides.

The Falls Trail is closed in the winter except for properly equipped ice climbers and hikers.

details – Pennsylvania State Parks – Ricketts Glen Trails – PA DCNR

wallpaper

April 26, 2007

sphincter-tightening fjord vistas in Norway

Already pondering a future date to hike Besseggen, Norway â€” I found an even better destination.

Two of the best day hikes in Norway (some would say in the world) are located a couple of hours out of town on the beautiful Lysefjorden. Not too far from Stavanger …

Prekestolen (aka the Pulpit Rock) is a massive rock overhanging the fjord. It’s a 3-4 hour round trip hike with fabulous views.

larger version

more breathtaking Pulpit Rock photos – flickr

About 90,000 made the 6km scramble up to Preikestolen in summer of 2006.

Less crowded is nearby, similarly spectacular Kjerag:

Kjeragbolten is a rock wedged in the cliff 604 meters above the fjord. It’s a more strenuous 4-5 hour hike out and a longer drive, but a spectacular look down from the rock. The free fall makes Kjerag (or Kiragg) a very popular location for BASE jumping.

Stavanger tourism – Wikipedia

original – Wikipedia