Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
The Badlands of South Dakota is one of the jewels in America’s National Park System. It combines a fauna-abundant prairie land with a moonscape of other-worldly rock formations, to form one of the country’s most unique natural environments. Last month I hiked Read More …
Click here for more details & images from the traverse of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Range. Salida to Blanca Peak. Approximately 120 miles in total. Mostly exposed, off-trail terrain. Elevation generally ranged between 10 and 14,000 ft. Throw in regular Read More …
On the afternoon of September 5, I completed an eight day traverse of Colorado’s Sangre De Cristo (i.e. “Blood of Christ”) mountains. My route began in the town of Salida and finished at the informal trailhead for Blanca Peak, just off Read More …
The second & final stage of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse, was a six day stretch between Scotts Peak Dam and Farmhouse Creek via the rugged Arthur Range. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Arthurs are notorious for their exposed Read More …
When: February 27 to March 14, 2016. First stage of the Southwest Tasmania Traverse. Terrain: A combination of rocky, gulch laden coastline, open beaches, buttongrass plains and extremely dense scrub. Weather: South West Tasmania is an area of high precipitation (it Read More …
The traverse of Southwest Tasmania consisted of two main stages – the west coast followed by the Arthurs Range. The summary below is from the first stage, a 17 day stretch from Cape Sorrell to Scotts Peak Dam. Note: For Read More …
I always opt for zip neck base layers over the non-zip variety. Why? In a word – versatility. In two words – temperature management. Over the course of a hiking day, weather conditions and exertion levels may vary considerably. A 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 …
Your hands, head, and feet constitute your body’s initial warning system when temperatures start dropping. Due to their high surface area to mass ratio, these are the places that you are likely to feel the cold first. You may be decked Read More …
Early to mid September was a great time to be hiking the Colorado Trail. Monsoon season practically over, crisp mornings, not too chilly of an evening, the Fall colours just starting to kick in. I encountered quite a bit of Read More …
The Colombian Andes. The most northern part of the world’s longest mountain range. The hiking highlight of this month’s trip to the region was a circuit of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, a sub-range of the Andes situated approximately 300 Read More …
Summer in the Colombian Andes can be a meteorological crapshoot. Dry and clear periods, mixed with torrential rain, snow and high winds. Temps often hover around freezing during the day, but subsequently drop well below zero (celsius) at night. Virtually Read More …
On my first day in Bogota, Colombia, I decided to go for a hike. Just for something different. 😉 Specifically, a relatively easy climb up to the summit of the city’s most famous mountain, Monserrate. Rising to some 3,152 metres Read More …
This is the gear list from my recent traverse of southwest Tasmania’s Arthur Range. Driving rain, high winds and temps just above freezing (dipping below at night) were the order of the day. In regards to possible tweaks I would Read More …
This is the gear list from my 2012 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. It represented the tenth hike of the 12 Long Walks series. I began at the Mexican border on May 6 and finished on July 29. In 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 …
One of the coolest things about my recent trip to Colorado, was having the opportunity to sit down and chat with the folks from Montbell and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC). The Japanese based gear company will be entering into a new and exciting Read More …
I hiked the Appalachian Trail between October 17 and December 28, 2012 (72.5 days). It was the 12th and final thru-hike of the 12 Long Walks. The lowest temps encountered were in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains (7°F / -14°C), and Read More …
The CDT represented the penultimate hike of the 12 Long Walks series. I began my journey at Waterton Lake on the US/Canadian border on August 3. I reached Mexico 74 days later on October 15. In regard to conditions, I Read More …