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Cycling / Hiking Norway 2023

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Summers 2022 and 2023 I cycled and hiked the west coast of Norway.

Mostly on the Eurovelo 1. Perhaps half of the Norway section.

On my personal website, I posted 3 trip reports and VIDEOS. Cycling is a great (and inexpensive) way to get to the wonderful hikes in Norway. 😀

Wild camping is free by law almost everywhere in Norway.

1. Cycling Arctic Norway ➙ Lyngen Alps to Lofoten

Trip report.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

2. Cycling / Hiking Arctic Norway ➙ Lofoten

Trip report

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

3. Cycling Norway – Bodø to Trondheim

+ Kristiansund & Atlantic Road

Trip report.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Thor Pedersen 203 Nations without Flying

Trailer for the planned 2024 documentary called THE IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY.

Danish traveler and adventurer Torbjørn C. Pedersen (Thor) made history on May 23rd by becoming the first person ever to visit every country without air travel. …

Onboard a container ship, he arrived in Male, the capital of the Maldives, marking his 203rd and final country.

Thor, a Salomon ambassador, described the journey as “an incredible and challenging adventure that aimed to promote peace, understanding and cultural exchange while raising awareness about global issues”.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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#7 best hiking region in the world is …

NEPAL

UPDATE.  BAD NEWS.  As of April 1, 2023 the Nepal government required that major treks can no longer be done independently.  Hiring a guide is mandatory.  The obvious alternative is the Indian Himalaya.    

A trip to The Kingdom of Nepal may well be the best hiking holiday of your life.  IF you want to hire a guide.

It’s the abode of the Gods.

The exotic Buddhist and Hiindu culture is as fascinating as are the world’s highest peaks.

Most trekkers are set on Everest or Annapurna, but there are many other great choices, especially if you sign on with a trekking company that can get you into restricted areas like Mustang.

Tourism is important to the Nepalis. Foreign hikers feel welcome as soon as they arrive. And hiking in the world’s highest mountains can be “easy” on “tea house” treks where you stroll with just a day pack.

Or, if you want the full mountaineering experience, sidetrip up, up, up towards the clouds.

The weather and conditions are much milder than you might expect. Best months to trek are Oct-Nov (post-monsoon) and April-May (pre-monsoon).

More information on our Nepal information page.

Our favourite hike in Nepal is Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes.

Some feel Annapurna is in decline as roads and motor vehicles are degrading the Circuit. That won’t happen to the Mt. Everest region. Check out the Nov. 2009 16-day Everest trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles.

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Chris Lewis Walked 19,000 Miles, 6 Years

An ex-paratrooper has completed a 19,000 mile walk around the UK coast and raised £500,000 in the process.

Chris Lewis, 43, was joined by hundreds of cheering supporters as he finished the final mile of his journey …

He set off with just £10 in his pocket and has returned with a fiancee, a baby son named Magnus and a pet dog called Jet. …

Mr Lewis, who served with 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, struggled to cope after entering civilian life.

He decided to walk the UK coast after suffering anxiety and depression. …

BBC
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BEST Lofoten Hiking Video – Norway

Harmen Hoek was there in Arctic Norway June 2023. Got some fantastic weather.

On day 1 and 2 I hiked the Matmora ridge, day 3 to the frozen lake of Botnvatnet.

On day 4 I made it to Vestvågøya island and hiked towards Leknes via Dalstuva where I camped on top of the mountain.

On day 5 I watched the midnight sun above the clouds at 3am, and the next morning I hiked down to Konsfjordpollen to spend a night inside.

On day 6 I started hiking on Moskenesøya and hiked to Ryten peak, Kvalvika beach and Horseidvika beach.

On day 7 I hiked to Kjerkfjorden and took the ferry to Vindstad.

I finished with climbing Hermannsdalstinden.

On day 8 I got to Å, and spent the night next to Ågvatnet.

On day 9 I climbed over a tricky pass to Gjerdvika and Turtnbakkvika beach where I spent the night.

On day 10 I got back to Å.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Overrated ➙ Scotland’s West Highland Way

I was looking forward to the West Highland Way in 2009. Ended up quitting early. Now we don’t recommend that adventures.

There are MANY better hikes in Scotland.

Kraig Adams went in 2023. And his lovely drone videos make it look appealing.

Watch his entire video, however, and you’ll see he was tortured by midges.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Was Nepal right to ban solo trekking in the Himalayas?

That’s the title of a thoughtful article on National Geographic:

Part of the magic of trekking in Nepal used to be how easy it was to get started, but on 1 April 2023, the government imposed a radical shake-up of the country’s trekking rules. Whereas previously travellers could hike alone anywhere in the country, now they must hire a guide to walk through Nepal’s 12 national parks and six conservation areas, including the popular Everest Base Camp and Annapurna …

 “For less-experienced trekkers, having a good guide can definitely enhance your trekking experience, but guides aren’t trained to a consistent standard in Nepal,” says Bradley Mayhew, author of Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya guidebook. “Encouraging trekkers to hire a guide by providing better-trained guides would be a smarter approach than forcing all trekkers to take a guide, regardless of their experience.” …

Nat Geo

As an experienced hiker who’s been to Nepal more than 10 times, I’ll switch to the Indian Himalaya.

But there are certainly some advantages in requiring a guide for new trekkers.

related – Our guide to INDEPENDENT trekking in Nepal — back when it was still allowed.