Category: hiking

Visiting Vestmanna, Faroe Islands

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Booking 10 months in advance, I picked a relatively inexpensive room in a Vestmanna guesthouse. About USD $54 / night.

It turned out to be an excellent choice.

There are no hotels in Vestmanna — but many people get there to take a scenic boat trip to bird cliffs.

This guy pioneered hydroelectric power in the Faroe Islands. From Vestmanna.

It is an authentic, working fishing port.

I stayed 9 days. Hiked and cycled everywhere there was to go from my town.

There is a hostel with campground close to the airport. But I’m glad I had the more comfortable guest room in Vestmanna.

One night we had great weather. I hiked up and over the mountain to see the sunset. This was 9:41pm in August. And it was setting very slowly. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Denmark to Faroe Islands

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travel3 Comments

31 hours on the boat from Hirtshals, Denmark to the Faroe Islands.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. Ominous. 😀

After cycling Germany for about 3 weeks, I took the train through Denmark up to Aarhus.

Nice city.

One highlight for me was a weird installation on the harbour called The Dome.

A public space for music, art and culture. Lectures and yoga. Cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the cozy café. Or bring your own lunch.

The Dome kinda symbolizes the benefits of Northern European socialism. There’s no profit motive. Only the public good.

Next day, another short train ride — to Aalborg.

In fact, this should be my last train with the bike in 2024.

From Aalborg I cycled 4 days through the gorgeous top of Denmark’s west coast.

The highlight here is cycling the beach.

Denmark doesn’t have full right to roam, as do many Nordic nations. BUT free camping here is even better than Norway, IMHO.

Download the Shelter app.

And look for free camping with water, toilet, fire pit, and shelters.

If the shelters are already taken, you can tent.

One night I did get a shelter. Tent is for keeping out mosquitoes, spiders, and (mainly) slugs.

Løkken was a very cool stop.

There are many WWII bunkers, built during the German occupation.

Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse on huge sand dunes was a highlight.

I’m already thinking of returning to Denmark to do the entire west coast. It is awesome.

I arrived in the port city, Hirtshals, a day early — just in case.

It’s very much a place where people are just passing through.

Hirtshals 35-metre-high lighthouse is a highlight. I hung out there.

Cost was 157 EUR for me and my bike to the Faroe Islands on Smyril Line. A very reasonable price, I thought.

You could call it a long ferry (glass half empty) … OR a short cruise (glass half full). 😀

Cost includes a couchette. Bunk way below water level. First to drown, I assume. 😀

I have 11 days to explore the Faroe Islands. A roof over my head every night but one.

related article – How to cycle to Iceland, part one: pedalling through Denmark

Off to Cycle the Rhine 🚴

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travel2 Comments

I picked up my bike in Munich. Friends had been storing it for me since LAST summer.

We had a great time. Several good meals. Plenty of wine. And one round of golf.

Claudia and her buoys 😀

I’m planning to cycle the Rhine north through Germany ➙ Continue up to Denmark ➙ Ferry to the Faroe Islands ➙ And on to Iceland.

I’ll fly out of Reykjavík.

I’ll start in July 2024 where I quit cycling summer of 2023 — in beautiful Lindau on Lake Constance, Germany.

… I want to get back to this kind of shape. 6 foot, 3 inches. 215 pounds. 😀

Summer 2023

I’ll mostly be riding the Eurovela 15 – Rhine Cycle Route.

As the Deutschland Rail ticket is still next to free in 2024, I’ll hop local trains as needed in Germany.

At some point I’ll leave the river and head for the Danish border. Likely joining the Eurovela 12, the North Sea Cycle Route

I must reach the north tip of Denmark to catch my long scheduled ferry to the Faroe Islands.

Visiting Kitzbühel, Austria

On By Rick McIn hiking, travelLeave a comment

You’ll already know the name Kitzbühel as a legendary winter sports resort, 

The famous Hahnenkamm mountain above Kitzbühel, where every January the world’s best downhill skiers race for World Cup glory. Many consider it the most challenge course on the circuit.

I went to hike down that famed slope. Over 1200m. … I took a cable car up. 😀

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Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Crazy Canucks Tod Brooker and Ken Read won here.

The town itself is not particularly gorgeous when compared against other famed ski villages.

But I still enjoyed it.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Visiting Zadar, Croatia

On By Rick McIn hiking, travelLeave a comment

Many tourists skip Zadar ➙ a mistake, I’d say.

Most of my photos are sunsets on the Adriatic coast.

I only went to Zadar as it’s the best jumping off point for Plitvice Lakes National Park.

A UNESCO World Heritage site with close to 1.5 million visitors each year.

Zadar gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built. …

There’s an interesting sea organ.

An unusual light show called Monument to the Sun.  Photovoltaic solar modules collect power during the day, producing a light show after dark.

As an important port city, a competitor to Venice, there are a lot of sunken and junky ships.

I do recommend a stopover in Zadar. Stay close to the Old City.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Keep in Mind

I found about 80% of Croatians I met as a tourist were rude. Rude by Canadian standards. There’s a good chance they weren’t intending to be rude — but it’s simply the culture here and in much of Eastern Europe.

Croatian men I found mostly macho posturing, chain smoking, or shouting into a mobile phone in public. And they all seem to have buzz cuts.

Many things do not work for the tourist in Croatia 2024. If you are promised snakes, there will be NO snakes. Also no coffee. Nor a machine. And the rental bike will be unusable. 😀

Wifi will be terrible. Use DATA instead, which is inexpensive in Europe.

Visiting Edinburgh, Scotland

On By Rick McIn hiking, travel1 Comment

I was happy to find flying Vancouver to Edinburgh was even cheaper than to London in June 2024.

I’d really enjoyed the city in the past ➙ Edinburgh FRINGE and Military Tattoo in 2009. (The Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps stole the show.)

This city is perfect for me.

I stravaig the  labyrinth of dark alleys and steep streets  through gorgeous architecture. Said to be built on seven hills. PLENTY of stone staircases.

Edinburgh now restricts motor vehicles in the city centre making it more walkable.

… On the other hand, their pedestrian lights simply don’t work. Everyone jaywalks. 😀

Highest priority is the BEST HIKE out of the city centre out along the Royal Mile past the Parliament Buildings …

Read my trip report on hillwalking to Arthur’s Seat. With a detour on the return to Calton Hill.

I stayed at a Castle Rock hostel directly under Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town.

Here’s the view of the Castle from the hostel.

Across from this impressive … Fish and Chips shop (?). 😀

The National Museum of Scotland is great. Entry by donation.

Though I didn’t visit ALL of the hundreds of thousands of exhibits, I did see Dolly — the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell 1996.

Dolly and surragate mother

Actually, my favourite single visual in town is this monument to author Sir Walter Scott. Over in the new town.

Wandering town, there’s much to see. Tesla had vehicles on display in one plaza.

On a weekend there are any number of festivals and events in progress. Plenty of street performers, some getting ready for FRINGE.

I do love Edinburgh.

BUT it’s swarming with tourists. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Planning for TRAVEL 2024

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Update May 31, 2024

Last year was excellent for cycling and hiking in Europe. I want to do more of the same in 2024.

Click PLAY or watch my 2023 hiking highlights on YouTube.

March 2024 I made my first trip. Down to Couer d’Alene, Idaho for the Great West Gym Fest, visiting friends on the way there and back.

Enjoyed my 4th year in a row downhill skiing and winter hiking in Banff.

UPDATE ➙ I landed Edinburgh, Scotland on June 1st.

Next flying to Dubrovnik to visit Croatia for the first time.

I left my bike and gear in Munich. Planning to pick it up around July 1st.

Summer 2024 I’m thinking to cycle the Rhine north ➙ Continue up to Denmark. ➙ Ferry to the Faroe Islands ➙ And on to Iceland.

I’ll fly out of Reykjavík.

I’ll start on parts of the Eurovela 15 – Rhine Cycle Route.

As the Deutschland Rail ticket is still next to free in 2024, I’d hop local trains as needed in Germany.

Click PLAY or watch the first week on YouTube.

I’m booked July 27th to Aug 8th, for the Faroe Islands. I’ve long wanted to get there.

Likely I’ll be cycling solo. No problem.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cycling Faroe Islands – generated with AI ∙Dall-E 3

Right now I’m considering flying back to Scotland late September.

And possibly Everest Base Camp in October.

Dreaming …

Hiking / Skiing Banff March 2024

On By Rick McIn food, friends, hiking, travelLeave a comment

For the 4th year in a row, I stayed at the Samesun Hostel in Banff.

Alternated days of winter hiking and downhill skiing.

I skied one day with Kelly from Canmore. Two days with Rocco.

Click PLAY or watch Rocco on YouTube. Footage from my new Insta360 Ace Pro action camera.

April 1, 2024 conditions were PERFECT for me.

I opined that this was the best ski day at Sunshine for 10,000 years. 😀

Me and Assiniboine

Kelly introduced me to happy hour at Hello Sunshine Banff Sushi. Fantastic.

I’ll be posting 2024 hiking videos on BestHike.com.

Here’s a hike from the past that gives a good idea what it’s like to get on the trails in the Spring.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

MORE videos from Banff.

related – Spring Hiking/Skiing Banff 2023

I’m already looking forward to 2025 in Banff.

Still using the Komoot app for Cycling

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

For 2024 I’m still using a paid version of Komoot for Bike Touring / Bikepacking.

Other sports included are Running, Hiking, Mountain Biking and Road Cycling.

Currently I’m still using a paid version of AllTrails for Hiking.

Komoot uses OpenStreetMap.

It has an Apple Watch app assistant.

Click PLAY or see how it works on YouTube.

What is Bikepacking?

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travel1 Comment

Any bicycle carrying enough gear to allow you to sleep overnight … somewhere.  Even a motel.

There’s a continuum between those who carry panniers. And those who use smaller bike bags.

Those who are trying to make more miles. On rougher trails. Possibly carrying their bike, … I call bikepackers.

I use panniers and call what I do bike touring. I might add a trailer, one day. … Perhaps an electric motor. 😀

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2016

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – WHY Bikepacking ?? … 🚲

For me bikepacking was a logical extension of hiking.