(Note: This year’s list contains many of your old favourites, along with 20 new additions. I realize that December 24 is very late for a Christmas gift post, but what the hey, this article has never really been about the Read More …
The Cordillera Blanca Traverse is a backcountry hiking route through one of South America’s highest and most beautiful mountain ranges. Measuring approximately 400 km (249 mi) in length, elevations during the hike ranged between 3,133 m (10,279 ft) and 5,201 Read More …
The Berlin High Trail (Berliner Höhenweg in German) is an ambulatory gem of the Zillertal Alps and one of Austria’s finest multi-day treks. Measuring 86 km (53 mi), and with a total elevation gain of 6,605 m (21,670 ft), I Read More …
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. Read More …
It’s been almost a year since I last posted on The Hiking Life. Even by my sporadic publishing standards that’s a long time between drinks. Indeed, it’s gotten to the point where I’m regularly receiving messages from readers asking if Read More …
The Stubai High Trail (“Stubaier Höhenweg” in German) is one of the most beautiful treks in the Austrian Alps. Linking together eight characterful mountain huts, this horseshoe-shaped route around the Stubai Valley oscillates between breathtaking passes and enchanting valleys, while Read More …
The Wonderland Trail circles Mount Rainier, the highest peak in Washington (14,411 ft / 4,392 m) and the most glaciated mountain in the contiguous United States. During its 93 mile (150 km) course, it passes through a diverse collection of Read More …
In the southwestern corner of New Zealand’s North Island lies a lonely mountain by the name of Taranaki (aka Egmont). Rising some 2,518 m (8,261 ft) above sea level, it is recognized as one of the world’s most symmetric volcanoes, Read More …
Cabin fever is beginning to set in. On your 4.30 am walks around the neighbourhood streets, you’ve started carrying a potty trowel. Upon returning home, you’re eating your morning cereal out of a reconstituted Talenti Ice Cream jar, and during Read More …
The end of 2019 saw the release of Wanderlust USA, my third book with gestalten publications. In a nutshell, it’s a 320-page coffee table book that features 30 terrific hikes from around the United States. Among the eclectic collection are Read More …
Overall I was happy with my gear selections for the Long Crossing. During the seven day trip we encountered inclement weather over the last day or two, but for the most part conditions were excellent. Nighttime temps at some of Read More …
Just off the coast of northern Norway in the Arctic Circle lies a legendary archipelago by the name of Lofoten. A combination of deep fjords, windswept beaches, jagged peaks and picture-postcard villages, its staggering beauty has long been celebrated in Read More …
In August, 2017, I hiked an approximately 600 km (373 mi) route across Bolivia’s Altiplano region. An otherworldly landscape of salt flats, volcanoes, fantastical rock formations and coloured lakes, to the best of my knowledge it was the first time Read More …
As another decade draws to a close, I look back with an appreciative smile. Over the past ten years my journeys taken me from the snow-capped peaks of Peru to the Aurora Borealis of Arctic Norway, and from the pristine Read More …
I hiked Italy’s Alta Via 1 and 2 back-to-back over 10 days in mid-September, 2019. The conditions I encountered were typical for that time of year, with temps ranging from low 20’s C to just below just below freezing. Overall Read More …
Located in northeastern Italy, the Dolomites are one of Europe’s most dramatic mountain ranges. A combination of serrated limestone peaks, sheer cliffs, shimmering alpine lakes and deep, narrow valleys, they have long been a magnet for geologists, travellers and outdoor Read More …
Until last Wednesday’s Patagonia Baggies review, I had been in the blogging and social media wilderness since June. My absence wasn’t a conscious decision at the outset of this period, but rather the result of an unexpectedly long and time-consuming Read More …
Since 2014, I’ve used three different pairs of Patagonia Baggies (both the 5″ and 7″ models), all of which are still going strong at the time of writing. During this period I’ve covered more than 5,000 hiking miles (8,047 km) Read More …
The Altiplano Traverse is an approximately 600 km (372 mi) backcountry route across Bolivia’s Altiplano region. A singular landscape of salt flats, volcanoes, fantastical rock formations and coloured lakes, I completed the journey over 16 days in August, 2017. My Read More …
In August, 2017, I hiked an approximately 600 km (373 mi) route across Bolivia’s Altiplano region. An otherworldly landscape of salt flats, volcanoes, fantastical rock formations and coloured lakes, it was a trip that had been bouncing around my noggin Read More …