Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Paul Talbot had some excitement:
I woke up to find a steaming pile of purple bear crap no more than 2 feet from where I had been sleeping….I can only assume that my snoring had put him off coming into our tent!
ClubTread.com – Nootka Trail Hiking Adventure
This is one of their many excellent photos. Low tide sunrise at Skuna Bay.
Nootka is a coastal hike of 35km (22mi), completely unregulated and, therefore, problematic. It’s on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island.
Nootka Trail – besthike
I am liking this new feature on flickr.
First you post a wonderful photo:
Mongolia China Kazakhstan Russia – Where four countries meet.
original – flickr
Then you add a tag to show where the photo was taken:
Awesome!
Here’s the BIG map of Kit Seeborg’s photos.
By the way, because of this photo I learned that Kit is editor of the WorldChanging website. It looks very interesting. I subscribed to her RSS feed.
This is a great example of how photo sharing can connect people.
Note to self – “remind everyone to bring along their mobile phones”
The 34-year-old had gone hiking on Dec. 24 in East Sooke Regional Park, about 25 kilometres west of Victoria. After losing his way in the heavily wooded area, he called the 911 emergency number on his cellphone. …
The hunt failed to turn up the hiker overnight but searchers continued in the morning and found him at 9:20 a.m. on Dec. 25.
…It’s not the only time in the past week that a dying cellphone has been used by someone to facilitate a rescue in British Columbia.
A man trapped by trees in Vancouver’s Stanley Park during recent storms remembered he had a cellphone in his backpack and called rescuers. He had been trapped for six days.
(via Hiking News)
The Huayhuash Circuit, Peru
Huayhuash is the best hike this blogger has ever done.
To include it in the top 10, however, is to promote it too lightly.
It’s remote and forbidding. This is where Joe Simpson & Simon Yates climbed Siula Grande in 1985. The book & film Touching the Void were based on that disastrous misadventure.
You need high alpine experience and an excellent guide. People get in trouble in the Huayhuash.
The Circuit is a minimum 140km (87mi) plus numerous sidetrips.
We spent 11 days with horses carrying our gear. A fantastic experience.
Don’t even think of booking a ticket to Peru without first checking with the experts on the Huayhuash. Start with La Cima Logistics, based in Huaraz, Peru. Then check Peaks and Places.
Details on our Huayhuash Circuit information page.
larger photo – flickr – craigass
Our highly subjective top 10 for 2006. These are the trekking adventures we feel most likely to “change your life”.
If you have any opinion (especially if you can recommend a better hike than any of these) leave a comment at the bottom of this post. In fact, we would happily post your own Top 10.
UPDATE: The “California is the Center of the Outdoor Universe” crowd want John Muir Trail to be #1. (They hint at a bias towards Canadian hikes because besthike is based out of Canadia.)
The West Coast Trail
No surprise. We’ve called the WCT the best hike in the world since 1999.
Its “a near perfect hiking experience in pristine Canadian wilderness.”
Variety is the main reason we name West Coast Trail the finest walking adventure anywhere. Many hike it every year. On the “Shipwreck Coast” of Vancouver Island, it’s a thrill ride.
We’ve never taken more photos on any other trip.
A coastal hike of 75km (47mi) between Port Renfrew (Gordon River) and Bamfield (Pachena Bay), ideally you want 7 days, 6 nights though many do it in less.
The biggest hassle is the quota system which limits the number of people starting each day to 52. You need to be organized months in advance to get your hands on a Trail Permit.
Get the details on how to organize to hike it on our West Coast Trail information page.
If you weren’t already excited enough about Kili, check this photo op on the way to the summit.
Nothing like getting above the clouds!
Thanks (and Merry Christmas) to Tom Mangan. I first saw this on Tom’s Two-Heel Drive hiking blog, one of his Flickr pic o’ the day selections.
Jeffrey Hunter, Southeast Trail Programs Director of the American Hiking Society, did the JMT August 11 – 25 this past summer.
He recommends August as biting insects are in decline, “water is still plentiful, and the days are long”.
I can do long days, myself. Having never thru-hiked it, I would try for a fast trip like this. For one thing, it reduces the amount of food I would have to carry on the challenging second half.
Thanks for the advice.
Check Jeffrey’s blog: Southern Appalachians Initiative
Kings Canyon National Park – Jeffrey Hunter
This is just one of his 2006 – The Hiking Year in Pictures series.
John Muir Trail – more information
The John Muir Trail
You can still walk for 2 or 3 weeks without crossing a road in California.
This is the best hike in the USA and is the best section of the longer Pacific Crest Trail.
Indeed, many experts rank this is the best hike in the world. It’s a pilgrimage in honour of John Muir, the man who founded the Sierra Club and helped create Yosemite National Park.
Start in Muir’s “range of light” with a thrilling scramble of Half Dome. Then hike South 223mi (360km) to Whitney Portal. If you make it, celebrate on the summit of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48.
As you must carry your own food and tent, book 21 days for an optimal experience.
The weather and conditions are usually great — but only Aug through mid-Sept. It is a very short window!
Of course there are shorter section hikes for all abilities and experience levels.
Details on our John Muir Trail information page.
Tongariro Northern Circuit
Our favourite hike in New Zealand.
A fantastic volcanic adventure!
Most trampers do only the Tongariro Crossing, one of the most popular day hikes in the world. That’s a shame. The Northern Circuit includes the Crossing and is a far richer experience.
The entire Circuit is 34+km (19+mi) mostly bizarre volcanic & desert scenery. The energetic hiker can sidetrip a volcano or two. Three days, two nights is perfect.
It’s accessible for all levels of hiking ability and fitness. (In fact, we met an elderly Kiwi couple who do the Circuit as a day hike once every year.)
The maximum elevation at Red Crater 1886m (6188ft) means there is no risk of altitude sickness. Some hike the Circuit year round, though Dec – Mar are the best months.
Happily, no reservation is required for huts! They are first-come, first-served. If you carry a tent there is no worry about the hut being full when you arrive. Tenters can still use all the hut facilities.
Details on our Tongariro Northern Circuit information page.
Photo from the excellent trip report by Benjamin Jones.
besthike.com 