Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
When most people think of hiking to Machu Picchu, the first name that comes to mind is the Inca Trail. And justifiably so. For decades that classic trek was the sole focal point for anyone looking to arrive at the Read More …
On July 22, 2017, Paul “Mags” Magnanti and I became hiking guidebook authors (woohoo!). Specifically we released the first two books in the Quick and Dirty Hiking Guide series. They are titled, 12 Classic Hikes in Colorado and 12 Classic Read More …
“Thru-hiking is 90 percent mental” is one of those statements that you regularly hear in the US long-distance hiking community. Indeed, it has been repeated so often in articles, online forums, and books that it seems to be accepted as Read More …
The Bartram Trail is a 116 mile (187 km) pathway through the Appalachian mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. It was voted by readers of Backpacker Magazine to be the No.1 U.S. long distance trail for solitude. Sure enough, when Read More …
I’ve always loved the ocean. Growing up on the east coast of Australia, it has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Swimming, fishing, diving and surfing. Walking and running along its shores. Waves rolling in. Read More …
The Alpine Pass Route is a 340 kilometre (211 miles) hiking trail that spans the breadth of Switzerland. Starting in Sargans on the border with Liechtenstein, it passes up and over sixteen mountain passes before reaching its western terminus at Read More …
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things.” ~ Henry Miller Hiking abroad often means leaving your comfort zone – linguistically, socially, culinarily and culturally. The extent to which you are able to “embrace Read More …
In western countries, the majority of people backpack without the assistance of guides, porters or travel agencies. Yet when many of these same hikers journey to developing nations, they make the decision to go on guided treks. Why? Guided Trekking Read More …
Vermont’s Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States. Completed in 1930, it winds its way through the rugged Green mountains from the MA – VT state line to the border with Canada. I hiked Read More …
I’ve always been drawn to remote corners. If it’s out in the wilderness and off the beaten track, chances are you’ve got my attention. Throw in some ecological diversity, lots of solitude and the promise of a pretty vista or Read More …
It’s been a great year on the hiking front. Extended trips in southwest Tasmania, the Colombian Andes, New York’s Adirondacks and the Colorado Rockies. Throw in some shorter hikes in my beloved Mexico and my ‘ancestral’ home of Queensland, Australia. All Read More …
Note: The following story took place during my 2011 thru hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail. The Tungsten Mining cabins are situated in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness. After a long day’s walk in the rain, I arrived at the Tungsten Mining Read More …
Distance: 42 miles (68 km) Time: 5 days Note: The time needed to do this hike can vary dramatically depending on the conditions, as well as the fitness and experience of the hiker. As a general reference, John Chapman, in Read More …
Another great year on the hiking front has come and gone. Enjoyable shorter trips with friends, mixed together with memorable solo journeys. A fusion of coastal, desert and alpine environments. Below are twenty photos from my five favourite trips of Read More …
The following meeting took place during my Continental Divide Trail hike of 2012: As I descended towards Morrison Lake, I was approached by a latino man on horseback. He greeted me with an enthusiastic, “Hola Amigo!” Much to his surprise, I responded in Spanish. Read More …
Distance: 48 miles (77km) Time: 3 days (September 4 – 6) Start: Lake Queracocha Finish: Pastoruri Glacier Day 14 Setting out from Lake Queracocha just before midday, I made my way cross country over the windswept, treeless landscape. Navigation Read More …
At a Glance Distance: 46 miles (74 km) Time: 3 days Start: Pitec Finish: Chavin Stage 3 Notes Day 11 Upon arriving back at the Pitec trailhead, I met a park ranger by the name of Pedro. Pedro the Read More …
With the popularity of the Triple Crown increasing, the amount of information on the internet regarding the three long distance trails is staggering. Some of it is good; some of it not so much. That being the case, how does one separate Read More …
I hiked the CBT in August/September, which is “dry” season in the Central Andes of South America. It is also winter,however, due to the fact that the Cordillera Blanca is situated so close to the equator, temperature fluctuations are relatively Read More …
Distance: 65 miles (105 km) Time: 5 days (including a rest day in Huaraz) Start: Pompey Returned to the CBT via a colectivo minibus from the town of Chacas. Finish: Pitec From Pitec, I got a 1 hr ride down Read More …