Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Trailex encourages users to share information about trail safety in the Bow Valley (from Banff to Bragg Creek in Canada). The goal is to keep humans and wildlife safe.
Examples of information you should post:
* Bear, cougar, wolf, aggressive elk or moose sightings
* Dead animal carcasses that may indicate a large carnivore is in the area
* Grizzly bear diggings or other signs of large carnivores
* Recent trail closures, bear or cougar traps, or bear aversive conditioning
Good idea.
A great site edited by Jan Robertson, highly recommended. BestHike.com links to a number of Jan’s pages.
Click below to see his “top treks”.
New Zealand Backcountry Hikes-Tramping, Walking, Tracks, Trails
A really fantastic adventure is to buy a Chinese bike in Lhasa and ride the Friendship Highway to Katmandu, via Everest.
Many adventurers are doing this — but it is technically illegal. (As is most of the hiking in Tibet.)
Interested? Check Kym McConnell’s authoritative website and guidebook.
Tibet Overland – Cycling in Tibet
Every hiker wants to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5896m (19,344ft). It’s actually the highest freestanding mountain in the world, a volcano rising 4600m (15,000ft) above the giraffes and elephants roaming the plains.
No independent hiking is allowed. You must sign on with a trekking company — minimum cost in 2006 is US$800 on the Marangu Route. Over 80% of people choose Marangu often disparaged as the tourist route, or the Coca Cola route. This is the easiest, fastest and quickest line. And the only route where you have the option to sleep in huts.
If you can afford it, opt instead for one of the more challenging tent routes: Machame or Rongai.
The other major consideration is altitude sickness. Unlike the Andes and the Himalaya, it is difficult to acclimatize here. Best strategy is to climb lower Mt. Meru just before you start Kilimanjaro.
The snows of Kilimanjaro are melting. Get there soon.
Mt. Kilimanjaro on besthike.com
There’s only one cook who will be highlighted on besthike.com, my culinary travel hero Anthony Bourdain.
I recently got the chance to see Bourdain at a Vancouver book flogging event. He was irreverent, controversial and extremely entertaining. I got an autographed copy of his most travel related book — A Cook’s Tour — companion to the TV series of the same name on the Food Network.
In July 2005 his new TV show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, premiered on the Travel Channel.
During a one night stop at the luxury ski resort I took the opportunity to research the hiking opportunities in these fantastic mountains close to Vancouver.
I was shocked at how little hiking is being promoted. A visit to tourist information will get you only a list of short day walks appropriate for non-hikers.
Why? The problem is that Whistler has so much to offer besides hiking — especially skiing and mountain biking.
The tourist infrastructure is geared for the 2 million+ gift shop tourists each year.
No need for a serious hiker to plan on basecamp hiking out of Whistler. Head for the much less expensive climbing mecca of Squamish instead.
A day hike up granite Stawamus Chief looming over the town is an excellent warm-up.
To plan your hikes, grab a copy of “Don’t Waste Your Time in the B.C. Coast Mountains” and head for the hills independently.
A highlight of my recent stop at Whistler Ski Resort was being entertained by a local bear, right beside the Creekside lift.
Click play on the video below or watch it on YouTube.
Nobody called the police. No one got excited. This bear appears under the luxury hotel balconies almost every morning in the Spring.
I am impressed that official policy is to cohabit peacefully with bears. Well done Whistler!
Contrast that enlightened and brave approach with that of the Lake Louise village in the Canadian Rockies. Parks Canada put up an electric fence around the campground to protect the tourists from bears. Sad.
Of course there are Grizzlies at Lake Louise, not at Whistler.
2006 Outside Buyer’s Guide Gear of the Year | Outside Online recommends the Black Diamond Skylight — the perfect two-and-a-mutt tent. 4.2lbs (1.9kg)
We would compare it against the double wall MSR Hubba Hubba at about the same weight.
Canadian international mining company Barrick Gold wants to “relocate” three glaciers in the mountain range between Argentina and Chile to gain access to 17.6 million oz. of rich gold and silver deposits.
Chilean farmers and residents of the surrounding Huasco Valley are strongly opposed. Glacial water is used for irrigation.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics (Pascua-Lama)
click for larger image
Original article on CorpWatch.org
In the hiking mecca of Huaraz, Peru, Barrick Gold does everything they can to portrait themselves a good corporate citizen. The trash bins in town are donated by Barrick.
The history of mining in South America is very grim. We cannot get the fantastic Huayhuash range in Peru declared a National Park because of mining interests.
I say, hold Barrick’s feet to the fire on this one.
I heard Chris Townsend on a podcast recently championing wool over synthetics. Especially when worn under a garment. Especially on longer hikes.
On one of his reviews of hiking socks:
Smartwool Hiking is my first choice with the well-priced Fox River Trailmaster a very close second.
Townsend routinely wears a different sock on each foot in order to compare them.
besthike.com 