Category: hiking

Canadian campground reservation service

On By Rick McIn good news, hikingLeave a comment

If you are looking for good examples of how government bureaucratic monopolies do not work, try booking a campground at a National Park.

Websites are out-of-date, or URLs have changed. Telephone numbers changed. Emai ignored.

What incentive does an over-worked, under-paid seasonal employee have to help you get your campsite booked?

Well, the good news is that Parks Canada is finally trying to implement an on-line booking service.

Campground Reservation Service

So far, it mostly doesn’t work. It’s clumsy and inconsistent. But it’s a start!

hiking – Abbot Pass hut

On By Rick McIn hikingLeave a comment

Alpine Club of Canada – Abbot Pass Hut

At 9,598 feet, it is the second highest permanent structure in Canada. Built in 1922, how is it that I still haven’t been there. It’s just up the hill from Lake O’Hara.

Might be the extreme scree gully / avalanche shoot approach.

mountain and hut

More Alpine Club of Canada huts.

want to hike South America?

On By Rick McIn hiking, photos, travelLeave a comment

Next week I will announce the besthike.com South America page. A resource for any hiker wanting to get started organizing a trek.

Best hikes & treks in South America.

My favourite photo on it was professionally published by Radek Tezaur. This is the Dientes Circuit in Patagonia, perhaps the world’s most southern major hike.

tent and peaks

Bolivia

On By Rick McIn hiking, travelLeave a comment

I was twice so far frustrated trying to hike Bolivia, the poorest and most problematic of South American countries.

map of Bolivia

But I vow one day to do the long Transcordillera trek through the Royal Mountains. And return to the great salt flats.

cycling and hiking – Beat Heim’s amazing website

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, photos, travelLeave a comment

I’ve seen most of the popular hiking website / blogs on internet.

Beat’s Heim’s site is the best.

Great maps, great photos. Extreme travels!

You need a high speed connection as his stuff is graphic intensive.

Beat Heim

More pics like this at betzgi.ch

travelogue – Xela, Guatemala

On By Rick McIn hiking, photos, travel, travelogues1 Comment

The most dramatic region of Guatemala is the Western Highlands: towering stands of pine, and every town and village tells a story.

Xela (shay-la) is the jumping off point for Highland adventures. It is also the home of the most important trekking organization in Central America, Quetzaltrekkers — a charity which raises funds by leading hikes.

Cool!

More than that, Xela is a unique, unforgettable city with a surprise on every street.

town
vegetables Argentina hostel

See more photos of fascinating Xela by jumping to flickr.

I did get in some hiking. 🙂

cloud view

 

extreme hiking – the triple crown

On By Rick McIn hikingLeave a comment

TGO FEB 2006

Matt Squeeky Hazley, a Brit, is the first person to thru’ hike America’s 3 foremost long distance trails within a calendar year – and in the process set new speed records for two of them. This despite bungling the logistics & suffering some of the worst weather in history.

Matt, 25, hiked the trails known collectively as the Triple Crown – the Pacific Crest (2650 miles), the Continental Divide (around 2800 miles) and the Appalachian Trail (2170 miles) – between May 4 and December 29.

That’s more than 7600 miles in 260 days, at average of around 30 miles a day; take rest days into account and his average walking day was more like 40 miles.

Matt’s achievement is all the more remarkable because he deliberately hiked the trails “out of season” to reduce his chances of success.

Tiime for a rest?

Nope. He plans more long distance record breaking hikes. Walking he expects to average well over 50mi / day which would put him faster than trail runners.

Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die – kayak Baja

On By Rick McIn books, hiking, kayaking, photos, travel, travel Mexico, traveloguesLeave a comment

paradise

The highlight of my 4-day trip was snorkeling with sea lions at Los Islotes. They hugged & kissed us. Wow!

I wasn’t too worried when one took a love bite at my knee cap. (Rangers told us they have only had to evacuate one bleeding tourist back to La Paz, so far.)

White sand beach camps, desert canyons adorned with hanging fig trees, snorkelling with tropical fish, towering rock cliffs, sea caves, ringtail cats, leaping manta rays. That’s what I’m talking about.

Writing the travel adventure book Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die (2005) authors Steve Watkins & Clare Jones were personally guided by Manuel — also my guide in 2006. I should write a book too! Or at least post a website on how to kayak Isla Espiritu Santo. …

Rick\'s shadow

For the full travelogue in 60 annotated photos jump to the permanent webpage in Rick’s travelogue archive. OPEN icon

Next travelogue on this trip >> La Paz, Baja

hiking – gas cartridge stoves

On By Rick McIn hiking, product endorsementsLeave a comment

stoveAround the campfire, hikers frequent debate the pros & cons of different cooking systems.

After a disaster or two, I became a fervent booster of the gas cartridge stove. (Even encouraging F. W. Linqvist to patent the idea in late 1880s.)

Super-hiker Chris Townsend almost always uses gas cartridges because over-all they are a lighter system. A 3oz stove cooks grub. Townsend would only use a multi-fuel stove in really cold weather or in some God-forsaken 3rd world backwater.

For example, La Paz, Mexico.

This isn’t the first time travelling abroad that I wished I did have a dirty multi-fuel stove needing constant maintenance. You cannot buy canisters in La Paz.

More than you ever wanted to know about camping stoves on Wikipedia.com