Is there any better photographer of the John Muir Wilderness?
We don’t know of any, Ansel Adams included.
Buck Forester (Brian Ernst) is the best.
Check the rest of his fine pics on Flickr.
Via Alpina – Europe’s best long distance hike
Via Alpina, 3100mi (4989km), is Europe’s best trans-Alps trail.
In the summer of 2005 signage was completed for the entire route. Start packing.
Hikers choose from 5 main colour coded routes. The Red Trail, for example, crosses borders 44 times and traverses the Alps in 161 distinct stages.
The Via Alpina includes some of the most famous hikes in the alps: the Tour du Mont Blanc in France, the Triglav Lakes Valley Circuit in Slovenia, and the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard between Switzerland and Italy, among them.
The official website is excellent offering detailed information on trail stages, hiking distances, GPS coordinates, challenge levels, and lodging options from huts (or refuges, in Alpine parlance) to chalets. In 5 languages!
NEED TO KNOW: In June and September there’s usually ample space in the hut systems along the Via Alpina. In July and August—or if you’re traveling with a large group—it’s smart to plan ahead. The Via Alpina Web site (www.via-alpina.org) lists contact information for huts, lodges, chalets, and B&Bs along each stage of the trail.
Another good starting point is Alps Travel along the Via Alpina – National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Fundy Trail Footpath, New Brunswick
We would love to add this magnificent coastal hike to our list of the best hikes in the world. After all, the Bay of Fundy may have the highest tides in the world!
But the Fundy Trail is not ready — yet.
There is no public transport to any trailhead. Tourism New Brunswick is not promoting the trail actively.
EastLink Door-to-Door ShuttleExpress does offer private, charter transportation from Moncton to the trailhead and back. Contact them for a quote.
But if you want to get in on a future “best hike in the world” early, check the official website:
The Fundy Trail Footpath at Fundy Trail Parkway St. Martin’s New Brunswick
Trail Description:
… Big Salmon River to the boundaries of Fundy National Park, a total distance of 41km (24mi). The rugged Fundy terrain leads up and down from an elevation of 0 to 300 metres across a dozen ravines.
The recommended travel time for experienced backpackers is estimated 4 to 5 days.
We ask if you could register by calling the Interpretive Centre at Big Salmon River 506 833-2019; fax 506 833-2028 or email fundytp@nbnet.nb.ca.
Fundy Footpath Map Kits and Emergency Maps with GPS co-ordinates are available at the Interpretive Centre on the Fundy Trail or by ordering from Friends of the Fundy Footpath, 24 Cherry Court, Riverview, NB E1B 4K2 or email footpath@nbnet.nb.ca. The cost of the maps are $12.00 plus tax ($2 for shipping if ordering by mail).
… The campsites are primitive, water treatment is necessary, fires are not permitted, and a backpacker stove is recommended.
… the Goose River presently can only be crossed at low tide. This is a wilderness trail and at certain points there are no residences within 15 miles. Cellular phones will not work in all areas, …
Access Points:
> Western Portion – Big Salmon River on the Fundy Trail
> Eastern Portion – Fundy National Park
> Central – Sussex-Waterford – trail is accessed by secondary and wood roads via the Catamount Trail
protecting your knees
Hiking downhill used to really bother my knees. However, with improved mechanics, I usually descend painlessly now, but a lot slower. Especially when going downhill, I am mindful of my “heel strikeâ€. The heel strike is the motion of the foot contacting the ground with each step taken. The lighter or softer the heel strike, the less jarring, torque or force (whatever you want to call it) gets transferred up to the knee. When going downhill, I walk like I’m on hot coals or thin ice, putting my foot down very gently. I avoid like the plague what I call “galloping downhill momentumâ€. There is a natural tendency to speed up on downhills to compensate for the time it took to go uphill and just because it’s easy and feels good.
Bodywork: Your Knees – Care and Maintenance – Outside magazine
hiking 10,000mi with your dog
I subscribe to the excellent Practical Backpacking blog and podcast.
I enjoyed their on-trail interview with Justin Lichter (aka Trauma) & his dog Yoni.
The team is hiking a 10,000mi, 1-year journey. (Eastern Continental Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, & Continental Divide Trail.) <gear list>
Good dog!
Trauma’s home page sponsored by Granite Gear.
blog – Waterton Scrambling
We just discovered a cool new blog, 6-months-old, devoted to adventure in Waterton National Park. Eight contributors are participating, so far.
Good job guys!
Waterton Scrambling is a model for localized adventure sport blogs.
We have linked to you from our Blogs category (right-hand navigation) and subscribed to your RSS feed.
photo contest winner – Custer – Blair Piggot
Carthew-Alderson hike in Waterton
Kelly and Lexi love Waterton National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
They just hiked one of our best hikes in the world — the little known Carthew-Alderson Trail.
And both raved about it.
Colca, Peru: The grand, GRAND canyon
This is real adventure. Not for the faint hearted.
Colca is a 5-day trek (difficult & dangerous) over a 5100m (16,732ft) pass. It’s only 60km (37mi) but you will likely need to hire pack animals due to the rugged, remote terrain. And altitude.
Noel Wigdor posted one of the best trip reports we’ve seen in a while.
Wow what a week.
Exactly a week ago I left for Colca Canyon for what is considered one of the hardest, but most rewarding, hikes in South America. Here is the breakdown of one of the most amazing, exhausting, and trying experiences of my life. Day 1 Ohad, my Israelli hiking partner, and I woke at 2:45 to catch a 3:30 bus to Cabanaconde, the starting point for our hike. Although we were both very nervous about this hike (we had both read that it is extremely hard), I was especially nervous because I was starting the whole thing with a bad case of diarrhrea … read more
Colca Canyon: The grand, GRAND canyon
If you are up for this kind of challenge, check out the details on besthike.com Colca Canyon.
gear – Swiss Army knife 85 piece monster
planning for the Pacific Crest Trail
Most PCT thru-hikers will start from Campo on the Mexican border after the annual kickoff party in late April or early May and hike northbound to Manning Provincial Park along the U.S-Canadian border in 5 to 6 months, averaging about 20 miles a day. Some PCT thru-hikers will finish in 4.5 months–starting in mid-May and finishing in late-September, averaging about 22 miles a day with a zero (rest) day every 7-10 days. Planning to do it this quickly, however, doesn’t factor in time for contingencies like illness and other medical issues.
plan your trip on the pacific crest trail – Backpacker
besthike.com 