Trail Guides, Gear Reviews, and Backpacking Tips
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 …
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 …
The first time I saw a Donate button with a “Buy Me a Meal” tagline on a hiking blog, I immediately thought of that famous line from Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. You know the one I’m talking about. When Oliver 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 …
On the morning of December 12, 2013, Justin “Trauma” Lichter and I reached the ‘Cumbres de Sinforosa’, the finishing point for our 381 mile (613 km) traverse of Mexico´s Copper Canyon region. To the best of our knowledge, it was the first Read More …
At a Glance Distance: 2181 miles (3510 km) Avg. Time: 5 – 6 months Start / Finish: Northern Terminus: Mt. Katahdin, Baxter State Park, ME Southern Terminus: Springer Mountain, GA Season: Regular hiking season for northbounders runs from March through Read More …
Recently I’ve come across various articles relating to long distance hiking on a budget. There was 18 Ways To Prepare Your Wallet For Your Thru-Hike, How to Thru Hike on a budget and The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge. Although all Read More …
To a certain degree, blisters are to hikers what carpal tunnel syndrome is to court reporters – an occupational hazard. The primary cause of these little bubbles of fun is friction. Long hours on your feet combined with ill-fitting footwear Read More …
“Never walk alone” is a refrain most commonly heard from Park Rangers, Liverpool football (soccer) fans and Rodgers and Hammerstein aficionados the world over. In so much as it relates to hiking, it can be considered sound advice for beginners Read More …
Since the early 2000s, frameless backpacks have been my rucksack model of choice for the majority of hiking trips that I have done. While by no means an ideal option for all hikers and all types of journeys (see below 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 …
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 …
A few months ago I posted about a prototype tent that I was taking to the Peruvian Andes. The ProTrail is a one-person, single wall silnylon shelter. It represents the latest offering from Henry Shires and the folks at Tarptent. Read More …
Between August 21 and September 6, 2014, I completed a traverse of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, one of the world’s highest and most beautiful mountain ranges. To the best of my knowledge, it was the first time that such a trek Read More …
In the relatively short space of 135 miles, the L2H goes from the salt flats of Death Valley (280 ft below sea level) to the summit of Mt.Whitney (14,490 ft). From a gear perspective, this means packing for everything from Read More …
At a Glance Date: December 6-12 ( 6 days) Start: Batopilas Finish: Cumbres de Sinforosa Distance: 130.5 miles (210 km) Daily Average: 21.7 miles (35 km) Total Distance: 381 miles (613 km) The Highs and Lows of the CCT We reached Read More …
At a Glance Date: December 2-5 (3.5 days) Start: Divisadero Finish: Batopilas Distance: 65.9 miles (106 km) Daily Average: 18.8 miles (30.3 km) Total Distance: 250.4 miles (403 km) Urique High Route Leaving Divisadero, our route skirted the western rim Read More …