I did the JMT in 2021 so was even more interested than usual in Mac’s data from surveying 119 hikers.
Average age 39.
78.5% white.
$1679 = cost for the adventure. Average 19.6 days.
Average pre-hike backpack base weight = 22.34 pounds.
Favourite section = Evolution Basin.
Read the full report:
Stein Valley is one of the best hikes in North America.
It’s high on my personal list of hikes to do … SOON.
Wild and remote, the “route” is about 90km and has a total elevation change of at least 4300m. High elevation is about 2150m.
It’s tough. You probably want to schedule 7 days. Perhaps 9 days to enjoy some side tripping. Carry ALL your food.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Without question you should purchase the only guidebook. And perhaps maps, as well.
Watch the great David Breashears documentary from 2002.
Guide Jacob Kyungai is excellent. Everyone on the team interesting. Including supermodel Heidi Albertsen. But for me the highlight were the two kids on the 45 mile hike: Hansi Mmari and Nicole Wineland-Thomson,
Dreaming of climbing Kilimanjaro is childlike. Full of wonder.
This short documentary is 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Highly recommended for all.
Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.
You might be able to watch the entire documentary on YouTube.
related – Mark Horrell’s review
The best socks for hiking in winter should be warm and breathable. They should not be too thick or too thin, as they will cause your feet to sweat. Moreover, they should not have too many holes. They should be made of merino wool. Choose those with a high wool to synthetic ratio for better insulation.
Ensure that the fabric is made of recycled materials. And if possible, opt for those with no toe seam. These features will increase the comfort and warmth of your hike.
Depending on your preference, choose hiking socks with different levels of protection. For example, medium-pile wool hiking socks have the most protection and will limit the number of injuries caused by friction.
If you want to wear high-end footwear with thicker hiking boots, you need medium-cushioned wool socks. They are more comfortable, yet they may also restrict your toes’ range of motion.
The perfect pair of winter-weather hiking socks will keep your feet warm, wick away moisture, and keep your feet dry.
A good pair of hiking socks will be durable and comfortable. Choose the one with a lifetime warranty. Socks that are made of wool have a natural insulating ability. They are very warm and comfortable. Besides, they are very durable. You can wear them for long hours even when it is freezing outside. You can keep them on in your sleeping bag for extra protection. Just make sure to wash them once they get dirty.
Aside from being warm and comfortable, long socks also offer excellent shin protection. They are also great for hiking in cold areas. They also work well with rigid boots and provide great warmth. Their ribbed cuff prevents the shin from rubbing against the boot. In addition, long wool socks are also great for people with bunions. But if you want to avoid the risks of bunions, you should opt for waterproof ones.
When choosing hiking socks, make sure to choose a pair with the right cushioning and warmth ratio.
A good pair of wool socks will protect your feet and ankles from the cold. However, the right sock for your hiking activities will depend on the weather. A sock for winter use should be waterproof and have a high loop stitch count. If you are planning to go hiking in the colder months, the sealskinz sock is a great choice.
As far as technical performance is concerned, the best socks are made of wool. Wool socks are warm and moisture-wicking, while cotton socks don’t dry out easily and will remain wet.
Therefore, the best hiking socks are made of merino wool. They are also breathable and durable. So, if you want the best walking sock, you should choose a pair of merino hiking/walking socks.
For a warm-weather hike, you should choose a merino wool sock. If your feet are prone to blistering, you should opt for thicker socks. The Columbia Mountaineering sock is a good choice for people with delicate feet. In case you are hiking in colder climates, consider a pair of Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew.
The weight of the socks is another factor to consider. These socks should be made of merino wool as it is the most effective material in the long run. A merino wool sock will be invisible when worn. In winter, a merino sock should be warm and have antibacterial properties. Socks made from merino wool are considered the best sock for hiking in winter.
The most important factor for winter hiking socks is the type of material used. Merino wool provides greater insulation than synthetic materials, and the best option for winter hikes is a wool pair. The Merino Hiking crew is the perfect option for those who are on a long hike. With a comfortable and snug fit, the Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light Low Cushion is an excellent choice for warmer weather conditions. The price is competitive, at $17.
I’m hooked on the videos produced by World Wild Hearts.
We counted 6 lakes on our way up to the Panorama Ridge viewpoint and also saw the black tusk to our left in all its glory.
The whole route was about 32 kilometers and took us just over 10 hours to complete. …
Overall it was one of the longest day hikes we’ve done, but the views from the top were worth it!
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. SUBSCRIBE.
Kristen Bor is one of my favourite hiking bloggers.
Her site is called Bearfoot Theory. Highly recommended.
Kristen recommends an adventure in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
Is backpacking the Mineral King loop in Sequoia National Park on your bucket list? …
This was hands down one of the most incredible backpacking trips we’ve been on and is easily some of the best backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.
Our 44-mile route out of Mineral King went over Timber Gap and exited via Sawtooth Pass, with a portion of the trip following the High Sierra Trail.
It took us 6-days, but if you don’t have that much time, we also suggest a shorter alternative loop that covers a lot of the same ground.
What a life. What a life story.
Rick Ridgeway was one of the first Americans to summit K2 in 1978.
He’s climbed new routes and explored little-known regions on six continents.
Spent a total of 5 years sleeping in a tent while adventuring.
A pioneer in filming extreme outdoor pursuits.
You might have read one of his other books — Seven Summits (1988), an account of how Frank Wells and Dick Bass planned to climb the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents.
Ridgeway later had some adventures with Reinhold Messner. In this book he doesn’t mention the controversy that Canadian alpinist Pat Morrow and then Messner claim to have completed the Seven LEGITIMATE Summits. 
Ridgeway — born 1949 — has outlived most of his climbing partners. A rare survivor.
His wife of near 40 years died too before he published his life story in October 2021.
It’s a summing up.
BEST in this book are his lifelong adventures with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and Doug Tompkins, who cofounded The North Face.
In fact, it was Ridgeway who was paddling with Tompkins in southern Chile 2015 when they capsized. Rick was rescued. Tompkins died of hypothermia.
Yvon Chouinard is still alive as well. Age 83.
All three of the do boys, as the friends called themselves, eventually made environmental protection the main focus of their lives.
I highly recommend this book.
It is hard to imagine my life if I hadn’t met Rick Ridgeway. Rick invited me on my first National Geographic expedition and taught me how to film, but more importantly he shared how to tell a good story. In Life Lived Wild Rick recounts the most poignant moments of his legendary career as an explorer, climber and conservationist, but mostly, as an extraordinarily observant and compassionate human being. He captures the essence of a lifetime of storytelling. — Jimmy Chin, Adventurer and filmmaker
My own strategy to avoid friction — to reduce blisters — is to wear oversize shoes, but tied tight to the ankle. I also buy the widest hiking shoes I can get.
If you haven’t found a system that works for you, start with understanding the mechanism of how and why blisters form.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
I FINALLY hiked Fisherman’s, one of the world’s best coastal hikes.
Porto Covo to Zambujeira do Mar in NOVEMBER.
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.
Sunsets are what I remember best. Usually with wine.
Weather was perfect for me in early November, though it’s considered too late in the year for hiking. I saw only about 12 other multi-day hikers over 4 days. Most hotels and restaurants had already closed for the season.
Beach walking is lovely … for a while. There’s a LOT of sand on this adventure.
In November I had most beaches to myself.
Clifftop vistas are stunning.
Charming villages are particularly charming in November, nearly deserted in the off-season.
I’d highly recommend 3 days, 3 nights Porto Covo to Zambujeira do Mar. In either direction.
As do most, I added Zambujeira to Odeceixe. But you could certainly skip that day as it doesn’t add much. And requires quite a few kms of road walking.
If looking for MORE, however, Fisherman’s Trail (Porto Novo to Odeceixe) is only one section of the longer Rota Vicentina.
In case you’re considering hiking high season, here’s how some beaches may look on a busy day.
A 160km multi-day hiking trail running the length of the Grampians (Gariwerd) national park will open to the public on Saturday, becoming one of the longest trails in Victoria.
Connecting some of the park’s most spectacular peaks, the Grampians Peaks Trail is a 13-day/12-night journey starting at Mt Zero and travelling south over the ranges that make up Gariwerd and ending in the town of Dunkeld, 270km west of Melbourne. …
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2nd edition 2013