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Hiking Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my June hike on YouTube.

I hiked the Jungfrau region right in 2009, wild camping 3 days, 2 nights across the face of the mountains. A surprising highlight for me on that adventure was descending down into Lauterbrunnen.

In fact, this unique U-shaped valley, (German:ย Lauterbrunnental), is what I remember most fondly. In places the cliff walls are up to 1,000ย m (3,300ย ft) high. It’s very popular with all the action sports where people jump off cliffs. ๐Ÿ˜€

On this trip I walked the valley 3 times. Back and forth in the evening. Then next day as part of my major hike. Lovely.

I tented at Camping Jungfrau near town. An excellent campground.

There are no bad hikes out of Lauterbrunnen. But I did one version of what’s probably the most popular. Lauterbrunnen โž™ Mรผrren โž™ Gimmelwald โž™ Stechelberg โž™ and back down the valley to Lauterbrunnen. A loop. You could do it in either direction.

There are many ways to do it. I took the cable car up to Grรผtschalp, to start.

There are terrific views of theย Eiger,ย Mรถnch,ย Jungfrau,ย and many other high peaks from up on those cliffs.

Tourists are all happy here. All impressed that the culture is being somewhat preserved. Farmers are working as they have been for hundreds of years.

I was surprised too that it’s quite possible to find spots with no people. Huge trees.

There are dozens of impressive waterfalls. I liked best Staubbach Falls, close to the village of Lauterbrunnen.

This area has 136 days of rain or snow per year. Be prepared. Sunny. blue sky in the morning can develop into a serious lightning storm in the afternoon.

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Badass – Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is a British explorer, writer and poet, who holds several endurance records. …

… the first person to visit both the North Pole and South Pole by surface means and the first to completely cross Antarctica on foot. In May 2009, at the age of 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records in 1984, he was the world’s greatest living explorer. …

He was a poor student. Did not advance in the military.

His wife suggested arctic exploration because he didn’t have a career job.

In this video, he tells his own story.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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#6 day hike – Alpine Circuit, Lake Oโ€™Hara, Canada

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

Many feel this is the most beautiful of the Canadian Rockies trails.

  • Yoho National Park in British Columbia near Banff, Alberta.
  • mid-June through the end of September (start and end dates vary) for example, bus operated for hikers and campers from June 19 to October 4, 2018
  • 11.6 km
  • perhaps 9 hours
  • perhaps 900 photos ๐Ÿ™‚
  • highest point 2528 m
  • elevation gain 1012 m

World โ†’ N America โ†’ Rockies โ†’ Canada โ†’ Alpine Circuit, Lake Oโ€™Hara

For details click over to our Alpine Circuit, Lake Oโ€™Hara information page.

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Hiking Val Gardena, Italy

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Val Gardena is a valley in northern Italy, in the Dolomites, one of our top 10 hiking regions of the world..

The 3 alpine towns are Urtijรซi, Sรซlva, and Santa Cristina.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my 3 days in the valley on YouTube.

There are no bad hikes out of Val Gardena. But the highlight for me was getting to the famed ridge vista of the Odles/Geisler Group from Secede (2518m).

I hiked up early, the first person to reach the ridge on this morning. I wanted to beat the cable car day hikers. That expensive lift started up at 8:30am in 2023.

Here’s that famed vista on a clear day.

Amazing views in the Dolomites mountains. Views from Seceda over the Odle mountains are spectacular.

Another good option is to stay late in the day, after the cablecar stops at 5:30pm.

Of course it’s a long steep descent. ๐Ÿ˜€

There’s heated debate in the Dolomites whether or not you should use the cable cars. Personally, I’m OK with them โ€”ย if you have the money.

But on this one I climbed down over a vertical kilometre back to the valley. Step by step.

I fuelled up with a couple of thousand calories at the Daniel Hut restaurant.

I’d started with a plan. BUT โ€”ย as usual in the Dolomites โ€”ย I ended up changing it en route. Easy to do when there are so many clearly marked alternatives.

Another day I took the cablecarย from Ortisei to the Alpe di Siusi up to what’s claimed to be the largest high altitude Alpine meadow in Europe. It is high, huge, and green.

You can’t lose hiking Val Gardena. It’s fantastic.

Be ready for afternoon thunder and lightning, however. Don’t get stuck up high in a storm.

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#5 best hiking region in the world is the …

Central Andes

Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Hiking holidays in Peru are hot right now. More popular than ever. Political stability since the leader of the Shining Path terrorist group was captured in 1992 resulted in a booming tourist industry.

The second highest mountain range on Earth is fantastic. Broad valleys and endless vistas. You are always above the tree line. Arid desert to the west, Amazon jungle to the east.

Our contributors have hiked most of the major treks in Peru the past few years. The peaks, glaciers and canyons are outrageous. Everyone is thrilled with the Andes.

Unfortunately, management of treks is atrocious, the Peruvian government seemingly bent on ruining their fantastic tourist draw. Do your homework before booking a flight to Lima. Or sign on with a trekking company with which you have had a strong, recent recommendation.

Ruminahui in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

The weather in the Andes can be deadly, of course, but sometimes you get weeks of sunny blue skies, especially in the Cordillera Blanca out of Huaraz, Peru. The best weather for the high peaks out of Huaraz (the best jumping off point for hikers in the Central Andes) is the drier “Andean summer”: May-Sept.

In fact, there are good hikes somewhere in this region year round.

More information on our new Central Andes information page.

Our favourite hike in the Central Andes is the little known Ausangate Circuit in Peru, our #4 best hike in the world. Quite a few trekkers have decided on Ausangate (instead of the over-hyped Inca Trail) based on our recommendation. And all have been happy with that decision.

See our Ausangate Circuit Information page.

The best guidebook for the Central Andes, by far, is Lonely Planet:

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes

Note that Bolivia is not nearly as popular as it should be due to lack of infrastructure for tourism, security concerns and political instability. Honestly, unless you know the language and culture well, it’s better to hike Peru. Or much neglected Ecuador.

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Cinque Terre, Italy – Porto Venere to Manarola

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

In 2010, I hiked the famed Sentiero Azzurro aka Verde Azzurro path, or “Blue trail”.

It connected the 5 main villages of the the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare.

Sadly, since 2011 sections of the classic have been closed.

Returning in 2023, I decided to do part of the most popular alternative, the Sentiero Rosso aka Cinque Terre High Path.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

A LOT of ascent and descent. But gorgeous vistas from high up.

Took the train to La Spezia. Then the local bus to Porto Venere.

A pretty town.

Starting the hike north, immediately you find the impressive Doria Castle.

EPSON DSC picture

The trail takes you high above the ocean with terrific views in each direction. There are some very narrow pathways, but no real exposure.

I found a quiet spot, just before dark, to put up my tent.

Early next morning I arrived at the impressive Santuario di Montenero. The priest came out, interested in my drone. I showed him how it worked and later sent him this video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Flowers bloom in profusion in June. You can see why everyone loves these trails.

I climbed WAY DOWN to Riomaggiore. A charming seaside town.

At tourist information, I confirmed that the original Blue trail was still closed. Got a map and directions for the best high route.

The tunnel by the railway station was a highlight for me.

Up, up, up.

More amazing vistas from up high.

Finally, I caught the train in Corniglia, a little further on from Manarola. It was nice to have the freedom to finish the day whenever I wanted.

YES, the Cinque Terre is touristy. But taking the high trails mostly gets you away from the mobs.

I highly recommend this hiking destination.

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35 Great Hikes Worldwide

Explore! posted this list of their top hikes in the world according to:

  1. Length (Distance)
  2. Elevation
  3. Duration
  4. Weather
  5. Instagrammability

I find it a strange mix of short day hikes, multi-day adventures, and even one technical mountain climb (Huayna Potosi).

#2 is the Scenic Drive, Zion National Park. Zion is beautiful โ€” but a drive is in a vehicle. I’m assuming they mean to day hike from that vehicle.

  1. Perito Moreno Glacier Trail, El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina
  2. Aoraki/Mount Cook Loop, Canterbury, New Zealand
  3. Scenic Drive, Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA
  4. Continental Divide Trail From NM 547, Grants, New Mexico, USA
  5. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite Valley, California, USA
  6. Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon Park, Queensland, Australia
  7. Colca Canyon:Cabanaconde – Llahuar, Cabanaconde, Arequipa, Peru
  8. Wineglass Bay, Tasmania, Australia
  9. B’nei Hamoshavim Ascent Loop from ืŸื™ืข ื™ื“ื’, Ein Gedi, Israel
  10. Jaffa Port โ€“ St Peter’s Church Loop from ื™ื–ื‘ืฉ, Tel Aviv, Israel
  11. World’s End โ€“ Baker’s Falls Loop from Ohiya, Horton Plains National Park & World’s End, Sri Lanka
  12. South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
  13. Okatse Canyon Loop from แƒ–แƒ”แƒ“แƒ แƒ’แƒแƒ แƒ“แƒ˜, Banchueti, Georgia
  14. Western Wall, Jerusalem ื™ื ืžืจืื” ืขื‘ื•ืจ from Loop, Jerusalem, Israel
  15. Catbells Circular, Lake District, Cumbria, UK
  16. Piatra Craiului Ridge Walk, Magura, Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania
  17. Mirador Loop, Cotapaxi, Mejia, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
  18. Path of the Gods, Bomerano, Campania, Italy
  19. Balcony Trail, Madeira, Portugal
  20. Offa’s Dyke Trail, Chepstow, Monmouthshire to Prestatyn, Denbighshire, UK
  21. Kaieteur Falls, Chenapau, Potaro-Siparuni, Guyana
  22. Birtvisi Canyon Viewpoint and Ruins Hike, Tbisi, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia
  23. El Tepozteco, Tepoztlan, Mexico
  24. Grand Canyon Track, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
  25. Shulamit-Quelle Loop ื™ื“ื’ ืŸื™ืข from, Wadi David, Israel
  26. Berber Villages, Atlas Mountains, Asni, Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco
  27. Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
  28. Montfort Castle Loop from ื”ืคืฆืž ื”ืœื™ื”, Upper Galilee, Israel
  29. Cecilia Waterfall via Cecilia Forest, Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town, South Africa
  30. Inca Trail (Mollepata), Aguas Calientes, Peru
  31. Huayna Potosi, La Paz, Bolivia
  32. Mt Rosea Loop, The Grampians, Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia
  33. Dschelada Pavian Loop from Gich, Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  34. Annapurna Circuit, Besi Sahar, Nepal
  35. Kilimanjaro, Lemosho Route, Arusha, Tanzania

Like most of these meaningless lists, it’s effective in getting me thinking about future hiking trips. I looked up the Birtvisi Canyon Viewpoint and Ruins Hike, for example, but found it’s only 1.8-km long.

Perito Moreno glacier photo
my Perito Moreno photos
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Surviving the Kalalau Trail, Hawaii

I met Blake and Eli cycling the Tuscany Trail in Italy.

World travellers, they’ve been living and working online from locations like Hawaii, Australia, Bali & Thailand.

Living the dream.

Click PLAY or watch one of their hikes on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel if you enjoy it.

Kalalau is one of our Top 10 coastal hikes in the world.

Details.

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BestHike #6 – Glacier North Circle, USA

Glacier North Circle in Montana is one of our top 10 hikes in the world. Even better if you add a side trip to Waterton National Park in Canada.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Glacier North Circle

Of the many great American Rocky Mountain hikes, this is our favourite.

Highline Trail vista

AT A GLANCE

  • 7 days, 6 nights recommended
  • 65miles (104km) plus side trips
  • best months July-Sept
  • well-signed
  • medium difficulty hiking
  • recommended for experienced multi-day hikers

Read more on our Glacier North Circle information page.