Author: Administration

by site editor Rick McCharles

The BEST thing about coastal Vancouver Island ➙ we can hike and cycle year round.

As I post in January, we’ve yet to have any snow in Parksville.

This YouTube #short was shot on iPhone 16 Pro in vertical. In and around Qualicum Beach.

Most of the clips were shot in the Heritage Forest, a 50-acre pocket of old growth coastal Douglas fir, western red cedar, grand fir, Sitka spruce, and hemlock.

Personally, the many wildly varied stumps I found most photogenic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One of the best hikes in South America is the W Trek in Patagonian Chile.

Unforgettable.

The better alternative — in our opinion — is the longer Paine Circuit. It includes the W Trek.

If you can’t do the Circuit, do the W !

Zac and Ine had good weather — but typical high speed winds near the glacier.

They booked everything in advance.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The West Coast Trail ALTERNATIVE.

The most famous hiking adventure in Canada is the West Coast Trail out of Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

Port Renfrew is also the trailhead for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail — yet no reservation is required. It’s the best back-up plan if you can’t get a reservation for the WCT.

And it’s open year round, unlike the WCT which closes in winter.

Be prepared for serious mud and rain.

Vancouver Island experts MB Guiding have a Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Guide online.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

IF you plan to hike Juan de Fuca, be sure to read our Juan de Fuca Information page. Especially details on the tides.

This is one of our best hikes in North America.

The longest, highest, most diverse mountain range in the continental United States is not the Rockies. It’s the Sierra Nevada range in California.

Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite … everyone loves these mountains.

In the summer of 2007 we met a hiker there who enjoyed 41 days in a row of perfect weather. Where else in the mountains can you get that? (Starting day 42 he had pounding hail and was at risk of death by lightning.)

The range is about the same size as the Alps, 430mi long, 40-80mi wide. It’s all great.

Many come here specifically to climb Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous States. Others come to see astonishing Yosemite Valley. And to scramble Half Dome.

Lower elevation hikes are accessible year-round. The Parks are within easy driving distance of major urban areas and, unusual for the USA, have good public transportation. Kids love this region.

In fact, everyone leaves John Muir’s “Range of Light” elated.

More information on our new Sierra Nevada information page.

Our favourite hike in the Sierra Nevada is the John Muir Trail, our #2 hike in the world. (Every photo of the JMT is a postcard.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

See our JMT Information page.

Every year it gets more difficult to get a reservation for hikes and front country campgrounds in Canadian National Parks.

Here’s HOW to make a booking for 2025.

The window is January 17 to February 12, 2025

Know that Parks Canada has already had problems with their online booking systems.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s a list of some of the established hikes known to have caused deaths and injuries in the past.  

Of course if you are experienced and cautious, I’d call most of them ‘safe’.

Of the list, I’ve done these myself and would recommend them. 

• El Caminito del Rey, Spain
• Drakensberg Traverse, South Africa
• Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
• Huayna Picchu, Peru
• Mount Washington, USA

El Caminito I’d call SUPER safe in 2025.

Huayna Picchu is a bit sketchy.  A couple of days before I climbed, a tourist from Russia was killed by lightning. 

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

BestHike.com is a starting point for deciding where to do a multi-day hike.

BEST starting point is our top 10 lists.

If that doesn’t work, click on one of our Continent lists ➙ North America, for example.

Once inspired to do some planning, check this list on Backpacker.com.

Lastly, try to convince one or more of your friends to join you.

Thorsborne is one of our top 10 coastal hikes in the world.

Why?

• between Cairns and Townsville in North Queensland
• in Hinchinbrook Island National Park
• part of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• 32km (20mi) 
• 4 days, 3 nights recommended
• April – October best months
• reserve permits months in advance. A year in advance if possible. Ask about cancellations if you have no booking.

Click PLAY or watch an Australian Geographic promo on YouTube.

A recent study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that increased physical activity (PA)—specifically daily walks—can increase life expectancy ….

“If all individuals were as active as the top 25% of the population, Americans over the age of 40 could live an extra 5.3 years […] on average,” the study reads.

And if the least active individuals in the study spent an additional 111 minutes walking each day, they could extend their life expectancy by up to 11 years. …

Real Simple

USD $129.00 right now.

Your hat as a solar panel?

MIGHT work well if hiking many hours in a very sunny location.

EcoFlow says it’ll output a maximum of 5V / 2.4A, so you can expect it to keep your phone or tablet topped up rather than producing anything too life-saving. There’s no battery on board, naturally, so you’ll need to keep a long wire handy to run from your cap down to whichever pocket you keep your devices near.

Engadget

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.