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Adventure Racing World Championship 2025

adventure-racing-world-championship-2025

The extremely harsh World Championships of Adventure Racing will be hosted by Canada in British Columbia. Host city Penticton.

Adventure Racing World Series Announces Canada as the 2025 World Championship Destination

I’d love to be involved somehow as a volunteer. Perhaps roving VIDEO crew.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s a good documentary of the 2023 Worlds in South Africa.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (41min)

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Top 10 Hiking Destinations ➙ Central Andes

top-10-hiking-destinations-➙-central-andes

Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Hiking holidays in Peru are hot right now. More popular than ever. Political stability since the leader of the Shining Path terrorist group was captured in 1992 resulted in a booming tourist industry.

The second highest mountain range on Earth is fantastic. Broad valleys and endless vistas. You are always above the tree line. Arid desert to the west, Amazon jungle to the east.

Our contributors have hiked most of the major treks in Peru. The peaks, glaciers and canyons are outrageous. Everyone is thrilled with the Andes.

Unfortunately, management of treks is atrocious, the Peruvian government seemingly bent on ruining their fantastic tourist draw. Do your homework before booking a flight to Lima. Or sign on with a trekking company with which you have had a strong, recent recommendation.

The weather in the Andes can be deadly, of course, but sometimes you get weeks of sunny blue skies, especially in the Cordillera Blanca out of Huaraz, Peru. The best weather for the high peaks out of Huaraz (the best jumping off point for hikers in the Central Andes) is the drier “Andean summer”: May-Sept.

In fact, there are good hikes somewhere in this region year round.

More information on our new Central Andes information page.

Our favourite hike in the Central Andes is the Ausangate Circuit in Peru, our #4 best hike in the world. Quite a few trekkers have decided on Ausangate (instead of the over-hyped Inca Trail) based on our recommendation. And all have been happy with that decision.

See our Ausangate Circuit Information page.

The best guidebook for the Central Andes, by far, is (the now discontinued) Lonely Planet:

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes

Note that Bolivia is not nearly as popular as it should be due to lack of infrastructure for tourism, security concerns and political instability.

Honestly, unless you know the language and culture well, it’s better to hike Peru. Or much neglected Ecuador.

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Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland

cape-wrath-trail,-scotland

I’m considering doing some hiking in Scotland, September 2024.

… But where to go?

Cape Wrath Trail is approximately 200 miles (321 km) in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK. …

The trail begins in Fort William and ends at Cape Wrath lighthouse on the northwest tip of the Scottish mainland. …

Officially the trail is not endorsed by Scottish Natural Heritage and it is not waymarked or signposted.

Facilities along the trail are also minimal and it covers some of the remotest parts of mainland Britain. …

I’d do some section(s) of the Cape Wrath, if I can nail the logistics down.

Ideally it would be late in the season — after the midges have begun to disappear.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hiking and Trekking – What’s the difference?

hiking-and-trekking-–-what’s-the-difference?

I use the terms interchangeably on this site.

Casey Fiedler:

There are different expectations of each word based upon English speaking countries around the world.

It’s pretty clear that very little is truly clear when it surrounds different subtle variations on these terms …

The Difference Between Hiking and Trekking (‘cos, it kinda matters)

Tombstone, Yukon

BUT Alex Todd on 10 Adventures did a deep dive concluding:

Hike: a long walk or walking tour.

Trek: a long arduous journey, especially one made on foot.

Click through to see his chain of thought on that:

Hiking vs Trekking: So Is There Really a Difference?

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TOP 10 hikes ➙ Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes, Nepal

top-10-hikes-➙-everest-base-camp-/-3-passes,-nepal

As I post in March 2024, it’s NOT required to hire a guide for this part of Nepal. For that reason, I’m considering returning myself April / May 2024.

Who knows how long it will remain an independent hike? ????


The Everest Base Camp via 3 Passes is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Base Camp / 3 Passes

Everyone wants to hike to Everest Base Camp (5,320m / 17,450ft). The 3 Passes route is the most epic.

Based on weather and fitness, you can do one or more passes as well as peaks like Kala Pattar (5,545m) that don’t require a permit.

base camp sign

AT A GLANCE

fairly easy to do independently.
  • guided trekkers stay in lodges, or sprawling tent encampments
    • October to November best months
    • beginning of March to mid-May next best

    Read more on our Everest Base Camp / 3 Passes information page.

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    Climbing Rinjani Volcano near Bali, Indonesia

    climbing-rinjani-volcano-near-bali,-indonesia

    Mount Rinjani (IndonesianGunung RinjaniSasakGunong Rinjani) is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok

    It rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft).

    Adjacent to the volcano is a 6-by-8.5-kilometre (3.7 by 5.3 mi) caldera, which is filled partially by the crater lake known as Segara Anak or Anak Laut (Child of the Sea), due to the color of its water.

    I’m very keen to climb it myself, perhaps with India Hikes.

    Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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    TOP 10 Hiking Towns ➙ Queenstown, New Zealand

    top-10-hiking-towns-➙-queenstown,-new-zealand

    Queenstown, New Zealand.  YES!

    The Adventure Capital of the World, a gorgeous location on Lake Wakatipu opposite the saw-toothed Remarkable range.

    If you’ve never been to New Zealand, start planning. Now. It’s our #1 hiking destination on Earth.

    Queenstown is an international resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island. …

    According to the 2006 census, the usually resident population of the Queenstown urban area … is 10,416 …

    … a centre for adventure tourism. Skiing, jet boating, whitewater rafting, bungy jumping, mountain biking, tramping and fly fishing are all strong promotional themes. …

    Queenstown is the departure point for a large number of day trips to the similarly famous Milford Sound …

    More interesting photos tagged Queenstown.

    If you find it too much of a tourist trap, move away up the lake to Te Anau (pop. about 2000). It’s got everything you need to stage for an epic Kiwi hike.

    Our favourite hike hikes out of Queenstown and Te Anau are:

    Milford Track
    • Routeburn Track
    • Kepler Track

    These are the three on the list of Great Walks. (Kiwis avoid them because they’re crowded with international tourists. Locals can take you on hikes just as good, but unknown to foreigners.)

    More “best hikes” in New Zealand and Australiasia.

    Best months for these alpine tramps are December – March.

    Start with our New Zealand information page.