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lost on a glacier in Pakistan

Ben Tubby and partner Kerry had problems on a trek to Snow Lake guided by Vertical Explorers Expeditions.

Ben’s detailed photo trip report is recommended reading for anyone — like me — considering an adventure in Pakistan.

Bad roads, cold rooms, disgusting toilets, illness, crevasses, rain, sunburn, freezing river crossings, communication problems with guides, …

Sounds like fun!

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Northern Pakistan is beautiful. Amazing mountain scenery, honest, friendly people and lots and lots of ice. We spent 18 days wandering up the biggest slab of ice outside of the polar regions and then got lost in a white-out on the top, surrounded by crevasses.

Tubby: Lost on a glacier in Pakistan

(trip report)

Snow Lake Hispar La Experience – Vertical Explorers (a longer tour than Ben’s)

(via Nothing adds up)

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Biafo Glacier

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Ogre’s Thumb

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puncture-resistant Therm-a-Rest

If you use a Therm-a-Rest long enough, you invariably wake up one night on a deflated mat. If it’s a slow leak, you’ll re-inflate it every two hours when your violent shivers wake you up. Then you’ll probably forget to patch it when you get back home making your next trip just as much fun.

But now Therm-a-Rest is selling ToughSkin mats with a layer of foam between the air pocket and face fabric that blocks thorns and broken beer bottles from poking through. What took so long?
Backcountry.com: The Goat » Puncture-Resistant Sleeping Mats – Rocky Thompson

ToughSkin by Therm-A-Rest

ToughSkin by Therm-A-Rest

On the same topic, I heard an excellent audiocast interview with Greg Garrigues, GM of award winning Pacific Outdoor Equipment. (Who knew mat technology was so sophisticated!)

Greg is quite knowledgeable about the materials and technology that goes into making comfortable sleeping mats. And he explains the season, gender, size, and genre-of-user specific features that are available in the Pacific Outdoor Equipment line of sleeping mats.

Practical Backpacking podcast #26

I’m still using the ExPed 7.

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bushwhacking Olympic Peninsula, Washington

On the Freezer Bag Cooking blog I learned of an amazing hiker named Mike.

Mike does trips I don’t even want to dream of. The thought of fording the Queets River in the Olympics multiple times in a day, to find an elusive waterfall is something I don’t think I will ever be capable of!

Mikes spent 31 days in 2004 crisscrossing rugged, remote wilderness, often solo, often off trail.

He’s put up an excellent new website called Mike’s Rain Forest Treks.

The first of a series of planned photo trip reports is already posted. Detailed and inspiring.

My big-picture plan for the next month will take me on a disjointed spiral around the west side of Olympic National Park’s million-acre wilderness. My route is varied enough to explore all the major ecosystems of the world’s most ecologically and geologically diverse slice of land.

Starting out in typical northwest spruce and fir forests, I will see the park’s high alpine playgrounds, its extensive coastline beaches, its uncannily immense glaciers, and it’s most prized treasure… the finest remnants of old-growth temperate rainforests left in the world.

The route has been split into three manageable “legs,” ending with a 16-day mega-trek through the most remote and untouched off-trail wilderness in the entire park. These first two legs (each a week-long trip) will be a fantastic “warm-up,” a way to strengthen my legs and awaken my soul before testing my limits.

2004 Olympic Solo Trip

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daunting remote trails in Fiordland, New Zealand

Fiordland (like S.W. Tasmania and Patagonia) on the S.E. corner of the South Island is astonishingly unvisited. For good reason.

200px-new_zealand_map.gif… Fiordland National Park, which has an area of 12,120 square kilometres, making it the largest national park in New Zealand and one of the larger parks in the world. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the Southern Alps and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys. Situated within Fiordland are Browne Falls and Sutherland Falls, which rank among the tallest waterfalls in the world.

The name “Fiordland” comes from the now-common variant of the Norwegian word “fjord”. Fiordland features a number of fiords often misnamed sounds, of which Milford Sound is the most famous, though Doubtful Sound is even larger and has more and longer branches.

Fiordland has few human inhabitants and is the least-populated area of New Zealand … and many areas almost inaccessible except by boat or air. Te Anau township, the only larger settlement close by, has under 2,000 permanent habitants, though it boasts around 3,000 tourist beds.

Fiordland – Wikipedia

This region is ideal for those who are looking for a real trekking challenge. (The sandflies alone were enough to drive me off.)

An article called Hidden Valleys of Fiordland, a bushwhack to George Sound, may be enough to scare you off, as well:

It all began on the shores of Lake Te Anau at a pessimistic looking information sign. The town of Te Anau is shown to sit in a rain shadow, with an average rainfall exceeding that of the legendary Milford Sound. We then knew the full extent of what to expect, as one trip member, John, put it “This is possibly the wettest trip we could attempt, except maybe a traverse of the lake bed!”

Hidden Valleys of Fiordland

Fiordland is drenched. Even the well established hikes (Hollyford, Kepler, Routeburn, Milford, etc.) are challenging in the rain.

Choose a more remote track — Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound would be our first choices — and you are up for a memorable trip.

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Te Anau area hikes – Dept. of Conservation

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Doubtful Sound – original – flickr

See our entire list of the best hikes in New Zealand.

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Google Earth adds hiking trails

Real time GPS navigation by mobile phone getting closer to reality.

Want to scout out some hikes before your next trip? Google Earth’s new layer has hundreds of them.

Specifically, the Trimble Outdoors Trips layer features GPS-marked trails for activities including hiking, biking, backpacking and running.

The info includes directions to trailheads, a difficulty ranking, and notes on interesting sights to see along the way. Some legs also include photos, audio and even video clips.

But here’s where it really gets interesting: One click sends the trip info straight to your phone–and if it’s a GPS-enabled phone, you can get the actual coordinates as well (as opposed to just the map).

Users can, of course, submit their own hike routes as well. …

Google Earth adds hiking trails – Lifehacker

Thanks Warren.

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New Zealand hiking patches

tongariro-patch.jpgBack in the 1970s I collected patches from my travels. Sewed them on to my old backpack travelling Europe.

Patches are back. At least in New Zealand. They make an ideal retro Great Walk souvenir.

The patches are inspired by New Zealand’s wonderful natural landscape and unique fauna and flora. Focusing on the National Parks, the patches feature iconic images ranging from alpine wilderness and volcanic mountain to rugged coastline; rainforest to montane forest and tussock grassland; glaciers, cascading rivers and serene lakes.

NZ Patches.com

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what’s the best backpack for a dog?

“Can I take my dog on this hike?”

That’s the critical question for many.

As an increasing number of trails disallow dogs overnight in the backcountry, it’s becomes a more important question.

One of the best hkes we know that allows dogs overnight is Paria Canyon in Utah. If you can recommend others, please leave a comment below this post.

Also leave a comment if you have a recommendation on a dog backpack. There’s some good buzz on the internet about the Kyjen models available from about US$20.


The Quick Releaseâ„¢ Dog BackPacks will give your dog maximum comfort and convenience when hiking with you. The backpack is designed with an adjustable harness and removable pack. Large storage pockets hold food, water and other gear. Made with extra-strong nylon for durability. Quick Release Dog BackPacks feature the “quick release” leash holder for use when approaching other hikers, dogs, or wildlife. Available in four sizes to fit most dogs.

The Kyjen Company :: Outdoor Gear for Pets

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Check also — HikeWithYourDog.com

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Mt. Tahan trek, Malaysia

I don’t know much about this trek to the the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia, but it sounds great. This country without question is the most underestimated adventure destination in SE Asia.

The standard route is the Kuala Tahan trail — not recommended from what I can tell.

Of the other routes, instead hike the Merapoh (Sungai Relau) trail.

Taman Negara National Park, Pahang, Malaysia
Moderately Difficult Trek

… route is through Sg Relau, Merapoh … starts almost at the foot of the mountain. It takes only three days to reach the peak 5 days return, about 44km. (27mi)

… The starting point for the hike is at the National Park Headquarters itself.

DIY Hikes & Treks

Photos on the site give you a good idea of the terrain.

Guides are manditatory.

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Mount Tahan – Wikipedia

We’ve not yet added it to our list of the best hikes in the world. Leave a comment below if you think it worthy.

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check out Florida Hikes

Guidebook author Sandra Friend runs the Florida Hikes website. We’ve linked to it under WEBSITES on the right hand navigation.

She’s just revamped the site and it looks great.

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Happily, Sandra will be advising besthike.com on the very best hikes in Florida. And will introduce us to other experts in the region.

She’s is always on the trail in Florida and networks with the SE hiking community. Sandra’s friends with Mike DeWitt of Florida Trail video fame.

Sandra got a good photo of Mike, exposing the fact that he is no ultralight walker:

Now here’s a real comparison in pack weight for long distance hikers. To the left, Mike “Smileage” DeWitt, with a pack that many of us gals could crawl into and sleep in, it’s so danged big. He won’t say but I’m guessing it tips the scales past 50 pounds. To the right, the esteemed Nimblewill Nomad and his pack, roughly 12 pounds with water. I split the difference when I’m hiking….

floridahikes.com » Pack Weight

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Florida Hikes! – website

Here’s just one of Sandra’s guidebooks:

Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition

50 Hikes in South Florida: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition

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two hiking events I WISH I could attend

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Great Southeastern Hiking Festival Conference (fee)
May 3 – 6, 2007
Montreat, North Carolina

and

FREE Public Festival
Saturday May 5
From 9 AM – 7 PM
In Downtown Black Mountain, NC

American Hiking Society: Alliance: Southern Appalachians Initiative

(Thanks Sandra. Florida Hikes)

Appalachian Trail Days
May 18-19-20 2007
Damascus, Virginia

Trail Days celebrates the Appalachian Trail and the hikers, former hikers and aspiring hikers who converge there each year.

official website

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