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BestHike loves Chamonix, France

I spent a couple of weeks hiking out of the mountain town in 2009, astonished at how down to earth and welcoming it is for outdoor sportsmen from around the world.

It’s one of our Top 10 Hiking Towns in the World.


photo – ptpotts

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix … was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics. The commune’s population … around 9800 …

… Mont Blanc, at a height of 4810 metres, is the third most visited natural site in the world …

… well known and loved by skiers and by mountain enthusiasts of all types. …

Chamonix is located 80 km southeast of Geneva, Switzerland …

Chamonix Place Balmat

More interesting photos tagged Chamonix.

You can hike out of town in any direction. And be blown away by wonderful mountain vistas. Here I am just above town on a trail run.

fit hiker in the Alps

The most famous “best hikes” in the region are:

• Chamonix to Zermatt – Walkers’ Haute Route <my trip report> (top 10)
• Tour of Mont Blanc

More best hikes in the Alps.

Best time to hike is late June to early October.

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2025 Film – The Long Walk

I saw The Long Walk in a theatre, thinking it might be hiking related.

BUT it’s simply a horror film where young people are killed for the entertainment of an audience.

The Long Walk is a 2025 American dystopian survival thriller film …

… based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Stephen King (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman).

Set in a dystopian 1970s, the film follows fifty boys (one from each state) in an annually televised competition, meant to inspire viewers.

Each boy must maintain a pace of 3 miles per hour.

Failure to do so after three warnings results in death. The boy who lasts the longest wins riches and the fulfillment of a wish of his choice. …

Cooper Hoffman as Raymond “Ray” Garraty.. An excellent role. He’s the son of actor  Philip Seymour Hoffman, and I can see similarities.

But the best performance is David Jonsson as Peter “Pete” McVries.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Of course it’s not believable that anyone walked 5 days continually, well over 300 miles. One in socks at the end.

Not recommended unless you like horror.

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BestHike – Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

 Hiking out of the small town of Göreme is one of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

Every traveller dreams of getting to  the the “fairy chimney” rock formations of Cappadocia. Göreme makes an ideal base. 

  • weird and wonderful geology
  • walk out of your Göreme accommodation directly to a trail … or take a taxi to the Rose Valley Panoramic viewpoint (15 minute drive uphill from town). There is a small entry fee.
  • most of these trails will be crowded with walkers
  • see all of the main attractions in one day: Rose Valley Panoramic viewpoint > Rose Valley > Çavuşin > Love Valley > Uchisar Castle > Pigeon Valley > Göreme

World → Asia → Turkey → Göreme

For details click over to our Göreme, Cappadocia information page.

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Top 10 Hiking Destinations ➙ New Zealand

There’s no debate.

The Land of the Long White Cloud Aotearoa is by far the single best hiking destination on Earth.

North Island? South Island? Both are great. And both much different.

New Zealand has EVERYTHING a hiker could want.

Rees-Dart Track

New Zealand is insanely great for hikers. It’s safe. It’s clean. Trails are not crowded. It’s terrific for kids.

There’s no risk of altitude sickness as the glaciated peaks are at low elevation.

Best months are mid-November through mid-April for most treks.

More information on our New Zealand information page.

Our favourite tramp in New Zealand is the volcanic Tongariro Circuit. You’ll feel like you’ve entered Mordor in Lord of the Rings.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

See our Tongariro Circuit Information page.

Start planning your New Zealand hiking vacation right now.

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‘Coasteering’ = Hiking / Swimming Rocky Coastlines

Coasteering is movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft.

Coasteering allows a person to move in the “impact zone” between a body of water and the coast where waves, tides, wind, rocks, cliffs, gullies, and caves come together.

The term was first used by Edward C Pyatt as the combination of the words “mountaineering” and “coast” and was adopted by Andy Middleton in Wales in 1985, who then made it a business idea. …

The rocky cliff coasts of western Britain provide the world’s principal location for organised guided coasteering, where it is available from over 100 activity centres. …

Coasteering may be included as one of the disciplines for a stage of an adventure race. …

Read more – UKC – Coasteering: The Wildest Way to Explore the Coast


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BestHike – Puez-Odle Altopiano, Dolomites, Italy

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

  • fantastic vistas of jagged Dolomite peaks
  • family friendly as you can get to elevation with a cablecar
  • 9 miles / 14.5 km with 500 m ascent / 1100 m descent
  • Rifugio Puez is a good destination for lunch or hot drinks
  • extend the walk if you have good weather, time and energy
  • there are many more great hikes nearby

World → Europe → Dolomites → Italy → Puez-Odle Altopiano

photo by Away On The Road

For details click over to our Puez-Odle Altopiano information page.

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Fastpacking Japan’s Hardest Hiking Route

The RAB film In the Footsteps of Banryu follows athletes Jake Baggaley, Aoi Chan, Yusuke Tannaka, and Sam Hill as they attempt to fast pack a route known as the Kamikochi, Yarigatake, and Hotaka Circuit. This path, following knife-edge ridges and climbing jagged peaks …

GearJunkie

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.