Photo: Alaskan Dude

I’m driving into the sun.

Orange light streams onto the straight, flat, black-tar ribbon rolled out in front of me. I’ve got my $5 clip-on shades engaged and the visor down, but I’m blinded to the point that I can’t tell whether the dark mass uplifting the horizon 10-11 o’clock is another butte or the front end of the next thunderstorm blowing in from the southwest.

This is what I came for. The tightness in my stomach as I look side to side at unbroken plain, the grays and dull reds of earth flickering beneath the muted turquoise of desert sage. This is roadtrip.

Leg #1 took me from home and the hot Texas Hill Country, to the mesas and Apache and Navajo reservations of New Mexico, to Monument Valley, Glen Canyon, and Utah’s Zion NP, across Nevada wasteland, into the mountains and giant conifer forests of California, all the way to the Bay.

I camped on the way, discovered wifi-ed coffeeshops where I thought there’d be none, hiked where I could, and gathered a couple pieces of local travel advice. Here’s what I learned:

Photo: Author

Campgrounds I Liked

Bottomless Lakes State Park, Roswell, NM

Just 15 miles outside of town, but completely hidden in a dip in the landscape. Tent sites are $10. Not much hiking, but the chain of little sinkhole lakes and the park’s “secret-feeling” location beneath the southern New Mexico plain are novel.

Riana Campground, Abiquiu Lake, NM

This is a private joint used mainly by boaters/fishers, but its spot on a bluff overlooking the reservoir and surrounded by buttes and cliffs is very cool.

Caveats: July and August are “monsoon season,” according to the camp host. Make sure your tent fly is sealed. Also, the campground has a strict no-alcohol policy.

Snow Canyon State Park, St. George, UT

Sprawl is butting in from the south and east, but I definitely felt “away” once I got in here. Summer afternoons bake, so it’s good that the dozen or so tent sites ($16) have some shade. Several trails run across the sand dunes and volcanic pumice fields of a very “geologic” landscape.

Photo: xJasonRogersx

Quality Coffeeshops

As a freelancer, I’m only free to travel if there’s wifi. With motels out and camping in, the hunt for coffeeshops with a reliable connection and enough atmosphere to justify a few hours’ stop becomes a daily routine. Here’s what I found:

Baker Street Coffee House, San Angelo, TX – Don’t let the strip-mall location turn you away. Good sandwiches, coffee, and wifi here.

Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse, Santa Fe, NM – Looks a lot like a Borders cafe, but this place is local. Nice folks working the counter. Finding parking can be a pain.

Andrea Kristina’s Bookstore and Kafe, Farmington, NM – This is really the only place I’d want to stop in Farmington. Gets busy at lunch. Menu is decent.

Oscar’s Cafe, Springdale, UT – Right outside of Zion, this is a restaurant, not a coffeeshop. But they don’t mind you hanging out, sipping local brews and getting some work done. Just remember to be considerate and pack it up during peak meal times.

Stellar Brew, Mammoth Lakes, CA – One of probably many places in town, this is where I happened to land. They open at 5:30am(!). Coffee is supercharged and the music grooves.

Photo: Paraflyer

Local Travel Secrets

Glen Canyon, Page, AZ

After seeing my itinerary, a reader named Audrey commented on my personal blog, WayWorded:

…if you happen to drive thru Page, AZ I recommend to cliff jump at “the chains” and order a “rainbow” at RD’s Drive Thru! Have Fun!

I was actually in Page when I saw the comment, and went to follow up on her tip the next day. “Chains” is a park area accessed off Highway 89 just east of the Glen Canyon Dam.

Despite it being a hot as hell Saturday noon, only a few locals were enjoying the water. There are cliffs from 5 to around 30 feet, just a five-minute walk from the parking area. Confirm the safety of the higher ones with someone in the know, as water levels fluctuate. Watch out for boats.

Gas station gourmet, Lee Vining, CA

Meeting up with Trips intern Sarah Park was a bonus on this leg of the trip. She mandates a stop at the Mobil Mart at the eastern terminus of Tioga Pass Rd., where it hits 395. It’s no ordinary gas station restaurant:

Photo: wilbanks

So, maybe it’s true that the Mobil Mart’s Whoa Nellie Deli exists in a gaping culinary black hole. I could pull up to a gas station, buy a corndog and probably be pretty excited about the experience considering how sparse the options are for real, fresh, actual delicious food. And yes, maybe when I say that this is the best meal I have ever eaten inside a gas station, it doesn’t sound like much of an endorsement.

But while the Mobil Mart could still rake it in by peddling over-priced gasoline and 96-day-old Lunchables, instead they serve lobster taquitos to burly fishermen in flannel. It’s the best food you’ll eat within a 300-mile radius, plus a view of Mono Lake, a full schedule of live outdoor concerts all summer, and mango margaritas by the pitcher.

The lobster taquitos are LEGENDARY, the fish tacos are also a favorite, and if you feel like eating man-food, try the buffalo meatloaf.

Stay tuned for update #2, which is going to be packed with insider travel tips for enjoying the Bay Area.

Community Connection

Hal’s not the only Matador staffer fond of the roadtrip. Check out Joshywashington in Montana Road Trip: Yellowstone and Ian MacKenzie in The Great Matador Roadtrip: Vancouver to San Francisco.

Robin Esrock is a guy who knows opportunity when he sees it (or is hit with it). Five years ago, his career in the music industry crashed to a halt when his scooter was hit by a car, shattering his knee cap. After a modest settlement, he packed up his bags and took off for a year around the world.

Along the way, Robin discovered he was pretty good at travel writing, and “Modern Gonzo” was born. After he returned home, the stars aligned and Robin found himself hosting the TV show “Word Travels” for three seasons, shown on National Geographic and Travel Channel worldwide.

Now, Robin’s latest adventure is on the horizon: a 3 week trek to Everest Base Camp. And he’s looking for recruits.

TRIPS: Your style of travel is self-proclaimed “modern gonzo.” Can you describe what that means?

ROBIN: Modern Gonzo is any travel that takes you out your comfort zone. It challenges you mentally, physically (sometimes both), and teaches you as much about yourself as the world around you. It’s not for everyone.

Some people prefer tour buses and cruise ships, and others like hitchhiking and sleeping in airports. Actually nobody likes sleeping in airports. There’s no wrong or right way to travel and everyone should do what works for them, but for me, throwing in a little modern gonzo makes travel more rewarding and meaningful.

What’s the craziest adventure trek you’ve done so far? What was memorable about it?

When I did the Inca Trail in Peru, I was still recovering from a broken knee cap. It was the first major trek I’d ever done, at altitude, and were it not for the mind-blowing beauty of the Andes, I think I would have crumbled like a stale biscuit (by the way, the best Everest blogger wins a free trip to do the Inca Trail).

My most memorable trek was the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. It’s a 7-day hike through spectacular rugged terrain, and the only wildlife you might encounter are bears, wolves, and cougars. The challenge was being resourceful and carrying everything.

With Everest, we’ll be able to enjoy the trek while making silent blessings for the strength of our porters.

Now you’re headed to Everest. What makes you most excited about this trip?

Trekking in Nepal is a lifetime achievement award. Surrounded by the highest mountains in the world, if you like nature, mountains, fresh air — it doesn’t come better. Three weeks is enough time to adjust to a life on the move, with great companionship, and in a rich foreign culture. And you’ve got the ultimate goal — Everest itself. This trip pretty much has it all, the once-in-a-lifetime, the modern gonzo, and at the same time, the professional organization to make everything run smoothly.

Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. How does that serve as a metaphor for “triumphing” (if that’s even a word)?

Everest is as much a verb as a place. To Everest, it means you’re peaking (ahem), you’ve got somewhere very few people get to, both mentally and physically. That’s why it’s such an incredible adventure, and why writing about it is going to be so much fun.

It’s not just a trek, but also an opportunity to learn about travel writing. What do you hope to teach participants?

There’s a lot of myths about travel writing, which I intend to pop along the way. It’s a profession as vital as any, since we’re responsible for how people view the world around them. But it’s no holiday, so I’ll be giving practical advice about crafting stories, and getting your stories published.

The industry is in a complete state of flux, so there’s much to weigh in on there too. Ultimately, it’s not a class so much as a chance for everyone to pick each others’ brains, and learn something useful in the process. Nobody’s going to get in trouble if they’re caught day dreaming at the Himalayas.

Famous last words…

When you look back on your life one day, are you going to remember the few extra weeks of work, the few extra thousand bucks in your bank account, or the time you trekked through the Himalayas to Mount Everest, made lifelong friends, and discovered a passion for writing, photography, and video?

I’ve been living my life that way for five years, and after visiting nearly 100 countries, I often wonder where I would be if I had allowed the “But” to butt in the way. Not on my way to Mount Everest.

To learn more about the trip, visit World Expeditions.

A journey that began with an innocent conversation about possible honeymoon destinations resulted in a 2,700km cycle journey up Patagonia. Beginning in Punta Arenas, Chile, we quickly crossed into Argentina and spent two months along the Ruta 40. The deserted highway follows the Andes northward, zigzagging between the tiny towns that dot the Patagonian Steppe. Although a popular motorcycle route, venturing by bike allows the senses to absorb every sound, taste, and view that makes up this legendary region.

1. The Strait of Magellan marks the end of the South American mainland in Punta Arenas, Chile.

2. Wooden fences and thick vegetation are often the only protection from relentless westerly winds in southern Patagonia.

3. Pedaling away from the Andes and onto the Patagonian Steppe outside El Calafate, Argentina.

4. A small borrowing owl lingers during the sunrise in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

5. Perito Moreno is one of three Patagonian glaciers that continues to advance despite global climate change.

6. The arid Patagonian Steppe is often interrupted by lush valleys and trout-filled rivers.

7. Rugged and isolated conditions proved too taxing for the now abandoned Austral Felix Aguilar Observatory in Santa Cruz.

8. Unpredictable Patagonian weather results in sporadic snowstorms in both winter and summer.

9. A lone horse grazes freely along the Rio de las Vueltas in El Chalten, Santa Cruz.

10. Wind-protected camping is a huge find, but it isn’t always pretty.

11. Lush green forests replaced dry campo in Parque Nacional Los Alerces.

12. Luxury B&Bs and teahouses introduce visitors to the Welsh heritage near Trevelin, Chubut.

13. A hawk soars above Lago Futalaufquen in Parque Nacional Los Alerces.

14. The gigantic Magellanic woodpecker is a special sight in the Patagonian forest.

15. Autumn arrived early in northern Patagonia after an unusually short summer.

16. Another way to give a horse its much needed exercise.

17. Red volcanic rock and conical peaks mark the end of Patagonia and the beginning of Argentina’s Cuyo region.

18. After one last descent into the Cañon del Atuel, the journey ended in San Rafael, Mendoza.

Community Connection

Blog and post pictures from your own cycle tour on the new and improved MatadorTravel 2.0!

Photo: loufi

1. No more travel advisory

The U.S. State Department issues travel advisories that many, including myself, feel are too conservative (the issue is discussed by JoAnna Haugen in depth in Should You Listen To Travel Warnings About Honduras?).

So if they’re willing to lift the advisory on Syria, that goes far to assuaging any safety concerns I may have had.

The NYT article linked above states that Syria is “crucial to peace in the region.” Time to get out the passport, meet the people, and promote world peace.

Photo: seier+seier+seier

2. The Dead Cities

In northern Syria, not too far north of the little pocket where the last communities of Aramaic speakers live, lie Syria’s mysterious Dead Cities, “780 abandoned settlements dating back to between the fifth and eighth centuries.”

There are also remnants of an Iron Age temple from around 1200 BC.

Several of the Dead Cities have been dug by archaeologists and are laid out for visitors with useful signs and information; others lie within modern villages: strange stone towers sprouting from gardens, fragments of carved lintels lying under the pistachio trees.

There’s so much history in Syria — Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, the Silk Road, the Crusades. But this region — probably the entire country — is seriously under-touristed. Seeing these lesser-known ruins would certainly be on my itinerary.

3. Aleppo’s rise

The Dead Cities are an easy drive south of Aleppo, one of the oldest cities in the world and a great place to see the synthesis of all the cultures mentioned above. Plus the souks, hammams, and other attractions familiar to Middle East travelers.

Photo: seier+seier+seier

As The New York Times reports, the city’s tourism industry is growing. They quote Karam Artin, a 20-year-old interior design student:

In a few years, this city will be swarming with tourists, and, hopefully, even more American visitors.

Now is the time to go.

4. Reading Matador Network content

As a Matador editor, it’s my pleasure to read (or, on a bad day, at the very least skim) every article published across the Network. I could plan an entire trip based on this content.

Matador Abroad has my back with Useful Arabic Phrases For Travelers. I’d of course check in with dwb, our destination expert for Syria.

And Matador’s other regional experts could help me out if I decided to scope 6 Under-the-Radar Destinations In The Middle East.

Where are you dying to travel to RIGHT NOW, and which online content inspired you to go? Share your stoke in the comments.

Community Connection

If you’ve traveled to Syria and blogged the experience, I’d love to read your work. Leave a link in the comments. Or better yet, post a Matador blog about it.

1. This was the day I had been waiting for. Girdwood had been getting hammered with big low pressure systems for over a week, but on my last day in AK there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

2. Chugach Powder Guides, out of Girdwood, AK, is one of the most respected heli skiing outfits in the world.

3. The snow was perfect. The landings we were skiing from had gotten over 100 inches of snow in the last 72 hours; we couldn’t have asked for better conditions, for both the flying and the skiing.

4. Most heli pilots in AK will chew you out for getting this close to one of their rotors but this guy was cool.

5. This girl in the green was a ripper.

6. Later in the day was saw a massive ice-fall avalanche tear down this mountain, Bryon’s Peak, and cover those pillowy lumps at the bottom with a violent cloud of debris.

7. Most of the ridges are covered in a thick wind crust, making for some pretty spectacular patterns in the snow.

8. We would ski all the way down to the middle of the glacier where the pilot could land safely, out of range of any major avalanches on either side of the valley.

9. To put things in perspective, that cornice on the summit is about 200 feet thick.

10. As the afternoon sun starts to sink, the mountains cast shadows that go for miles across the valley floor.

11. And when the sun is gone, the temperature plummets. More than a couple times it was almost too cold to take my gloves off to get a shot.

12. The scenery in the Chugach can just about knock the wind out of you.

13. The group we shared the heli with for the day coming into a landing above us.

14. On this run we were told not to stray far from our guide’s tracks due to hidden crevasse danger.

15. Going up to AK made me want to quit my job and head to flight school so I can become a helicopter pilot. The birds they fly at CPG cost $1.8M new (!)

16. Our guide, Rob Durnell, checking out the snow conditions before waving us on.

17. I plan on watching the sun disappear behind these mountains again. Soon.

18. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Alaska will make you feel very small. This tiny dot is a group of 7 skiers.

Community Connection:

Yeah. You like that? Well then check out Ross in video Heli-Skiing in the Ruby Mountains, Nevada.

Photo: Ellen Passage

Albania

Not long ago Albania was strictly off limits for independent travel; the only way to visit was through a costly organized tour. Sailors from nearby Corfu were terrified of being forced to land along the Albanian coast, in case they were arrested as foreign spies and carted off to some kind of gulag.

It was considered to be the last great bastion of European hard-line communism.

That’s all over now. Westerners no longer need a visa, and hostels and budget accommodation are starting to sprout up all over the place.

Albania is still great value and offers everything from elegant Ottoman mansions in snow capped mountains, to ancient Greek ruins and near-deserted Mediterranean beaches. The last couple of years have seen dramatic improvements in the capital city of Tirana, as the once notoriously potholed streets have been repaired.

The country still retains its flavour and remains several steps removed from most of Eastern Europe. McDonalds and KFC have yet to invade, although you can find a “MacDonalds” — golden arches and all — and a kebab version of the colonel.

Photo: albatros11

Algeria

During the ten-year civil war — in which around 100,000 Algerians were killed — Algeria was strictly off limits for tourism. Even until very recently you could only visit if you went on an expensive tour escorted by an official guide.

It might be an exaggeration to say everything has now changed and all of Algeria is completely safe, but independent travel is now possible.

You need to have a booking with a hotel and provide plenty of support evidence to get a tourist visa, but it can be done. The easiest and cheapest option is probably to get a cheap flight into Tunisia and then cross over from there — the border with Morocco is closed.

Algeria is a vast country with everything from ancient Roman ruins and undeveloped Mediterranean beaches, to colonial architecture and the emptiness of the Saharan desert. Sooner or later, the people in power are going to realise that tourism could earn them a lot of money and greatly contribute to solving their chronic unemployment problems.

For more details on backpacking independently in Algeria, read my article To Camels from Cows — Algeria Overland.

Photo: Pudpuduk

Macedonia

You can find medieval walled cities, great lakes, and lots of architecturally distinct churches and monasteries in Macedeonia.

The people are friendly and even popular tourist destinations such as Lake Ohrid are incredibly cheap for Europe (ten euros a night for a pleasant double room with cable TV).

It’s easy enough to travel overland into Macedonia from Kosovo or Albania, but the lack of cheap international flights means it can only practically be visited as part of a longer trip through other parts of Eastern Europe.

Oman

Oman is becoming increasingly popular as a stopover between Europe and Asia.

Photo: Panorama

Even if you’re laying over in Dubai, it’s easy to get a bus down to Oman’s capital, Muscat — Western nationals can get an inexpensive visa at the Omani border.

If you’re flying to somewhere else with Oman airlines, you could also pay a small surcharge to stop in Muscat for a few days. Muscat may not be as well set up for tourism as Dubai, but I think it’s cheaper, friendlier, and more interesting.

As well as the usual desert and rocky mountain scenery, Oman has castles, mosques, and heaving, atmospheric bazaars. There’s not yet much in the way of budget accommodation, but sooner or later somebody will decide to open up a backpackers hostel.

Ukraine

Unlike in Russia or Belarus, Western nationals no longer need a visa to visit Ukraine. You can get a cheap www.easyjet.com“>EasyJet flight into Krakow, Poland, and then get the train to the nearby Ukranian border. From there it’s a short bus ride to Ukraine’s third largest — and arguably most popular — city, Lviv. You could also get EasyJet flights into Budapest and then hop the overnight train.

Photo: MariyaZ

Ukraine still seems very “Soviet.” The cities have state-sponsored circuses and puppet shows in crumbling but permanent buildings. Outside of the cities, many people grow their own turnips in their front gardens. Headscarves are the norm for the aging ladies and the apparently bad dye jobs for the middle aged.

The young people are different, though — more like the teens in Poland or Hungary. It’s the differences, however, that make Ukraine worth visiting. As with Macedonia, there’s still a lack of cheap, direct flights, and language can be a problem, but Ukraine has something different to offer the curious traveler.

Given that it’s so close to the more popular parts of Eastern Europe and that decent hostels can easily be booked online, its popularity is bound to rise.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For another far-off-the-beaten-track idea, don’t miss How to Travel to Socotra, Yemen.

Photo: acaben

1. Go tandem hang gliding in Queenstown

Arguably the best way to see New Zealand’s adventure capital is hang gliding. If you’re not enough of an expert to run off the nearest mountain by yourself, don’t worry. Like skydiving, tandem options (flying with a seasoned instructor) are available.

Check out SkyTrek for a good tour.

2. Jump from an airplane in Taupo

Taupo is famous for its hot pools, views of Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom in Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth), and having the largest yearly influx of skydivers. More than 30,000 visitors fly here just to get back on a plane and see it from above: clear blue skies, a snow-capped Mt. Ngauruhoe, and a huge lake.

Skydive Taupo offers limousine service from the town.

3. Take a morning hike to Cathedral Cove

As much touted as the South Island is, I found the Coromandel Peninsula near the town of Whitianga one of the most undisturbed places in New Zealand.

The Tongariro Track / Photo: anoldent

It might not be the same thrill as base jumping, but it most definitely is a race. Who is willing to get up earlier and make the 45-minute hike to enjoy the cove to themselves? You.

4. Eat the biggest burgers in New Plymouth

So what do you really know about New Zealand’s cuisine? Baked beans on toast, fish and chips…and burgers. Insurmountable burgers.

Most travelers come away from the Fergburger in Queenstown thinking they’ve seen one of the biggest beef patties to have ever been grilled. Amateurs.

The Naki Burger (named for the Taranaki region) in New Plymouth is about 25% bigger, and features two patties, one boiled egg, bacon, pickles, tomatoes, mayonnaise, lettuce, and onions. Want a challenge that doesn’t involve leaping from tall buildings?

5. Dodge magma on White Island

Few Aucklanders, or “Jaffas” as they call them in Otago, are aware of the imminent threat of destruction by the active White Island volcano. Ash, tremors, small eruptions, and bursts of sulfur are not uncommon, and many experts believe a major eruption is just around the corner.

If you need a thrill, pit yourself against the possibility of having to outrun a hot pool of magma while hiking on this island.

Photo: hmalsch

6. Try Zorbing in Rotorua

This might be hard to believe, but people actually pay to be strapped into a giant plastic ball and tossed down a hillside.

Just a few kilometers outside of Rotorua, is Zorb.

According to Zorb’s website,

Rotorua is the place said to smell like rotten eggs and enhance male sex drive.

You have a couple of choices: the Zorbit (aka the ‘astronaut-in-training’ ride) which will have you tumbling head over heels, and the Zydro, a wet version of the Zorbit. With Zydro you can choose a straight track or a crazier zig-zag track.

7. Surf a sand dune on Ninety Mile Beach

As far as I know, there are three kinds of surfing in New Zealand: the traditional water kind, the type that involves sleeping on strangers’ couches, and lastly, sliding down golden sand dunes on Ninety Mile Beach.

Photo: empty007

Dune surfing gives one a little more time to enjoy the ride, not to mention a gentler landing in the event of an accident.

8. Take a (big) hike

Some of the best hiking in the world is done right here in New Zealand. Most famous, the Milford Track is the way to go, but it’s next to impossible to go solo or without the protection of the Department of Conservation (DOC) huts at night; the trek is booked months in advance, so be prepared.

The Tongariro Track in the middle of the North Island is my personal favorite, with great views of Mt. Ngauruhoe and volcanic craters along the walk, and hot pools a short distance away once you finish up.

9. Drive a Tank

I’m all for conservation, eliminating unnecessary waste, and cutting down on weapons of mass destruction. But, let’s face it, driving a tank across the New Zealand countryside is sweet as. Go with the company Tanks for Everything, and you too can be in command of a 52-tonne battle tank.

Community Connection

Want to learn to speak like a Kiwi? Check out Vera Alves’ advice on essential tips and phrases.

Photo: RuckSackKruemel

The route

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) officially starts just north of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, an uninspiring, planned concrete city.

The best thing to see here is on the outskirts — the Indo-Greek ruins of Taxila, the easternmost conquest of Alexander the Great. Much of the site has been excavated, and it makes for a good mid-morning break on your way to the KKH.

You know you’re on the right road when you see this sign: “Turn right for China; Straight on for the Khyber Pass.” The KKH winds through the corridor between Afghanistan and Kashmir but, fortunately, doesn’t suffer from the same security problems as its neighbors.

The Northern Areas state, which comprises most of the region, is semi-autonomous and the governor, though democratically elected, comes from a royal family that’s ruled here for the past 800 years.

Photo: Umair Mohsin

Over 20,000 petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings) have been found in the Karakoram mountains, and the best examples are near the town of Chilas.

The oldest, showing human figures, animals, and religious symbols, date from 3,000 years ago and are a short scramble from the road.

They were left by Buddhist pilgrims, traders, and travelers, a reminder that although the KKH is a 1970s construction, the road from China down to the Indian subcontinent was an important offshoot of the ancient Silk Road.

Gilgit, the Northern Areas’ provincial capital, is the place to watch horse sports. Gilgit’s polo team is famous nationwide, and matches against arch-rivals Chittral at Shandur Pass, the world’s highest polo ground, draw spectators from around the world.

Just out of town, a 7th-century standing Buddha is carved into a sheer rock face.

In northernmost Pakistan is the former Kingdom of Hunza, where people purportedly maintained a life expectancy of 130 years throughout the 20th century. They credit strong genes (inherited from Alexander the Great’s troops) and a lack of spices in their diet for their longevity.

Photo: Author

The kingdom’s old capital, Baltit, has a fort that saw visits from major players in the Great Game, including the legendary British spy Francis Younghusband.

Last stop on the KKH before the Chinese border is Khunjerab National Park, one of the few places in the world where snow leopards still run wild.

Khunjerab Pass, at 4,690m (15,400ft), is the highest international border crossing in the world. Whether you’re continuing on or turning back, take time to survey the incredible landscape, the absolute quiet, and the blissful isolation — you are, quite literally, on top of the world.

How to travel

This will be largely dependent on your budget.

The Northern Areas Transport Company (NATCO) operates a regular bus service up and down the KKH, but the buses are uncomfortable and, judging from the way they drive, this is probably your least safe option.

Baltit fort / Photo: mariachily

One step up is a private bus or small minibus: they don’t run as frequently and generally leave town only when they’re full, but your chance of reaching journey’s end in one piece is much better.

The best method, if you can afford it, is to go by car. Karakoram Jeep Treks International (a UK company) can provide a 4×4 and a driver-cum-guide, or you can always hire a car in Islamabad. Four-wheel drive makes the journey more pleasant but is not 100% essential.

Things to watch out for while driving are rock falls, which can take out large sections of road, the dramatic but deadly hairpin bends, and, of course, other drivers.

As stated, NATCO bus drivers have homicidal tendencies, as do some of the truckers, and many locals (two-legged and four-legged) wander along the KKH at dusk, seemingly oblivious to the presence of vehicles.

Where to stay

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation runs a chain of rest houses with good quality, reasonably priced accommodation in many of the towns along the KKH.

Photo: Umair Mohsin

The houses usually have an attached restaurant and are good places to meet other travelers and NGO and government workers who can tell you what to expect ahead.

The Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili Muslims who dominate the Northern Areas, owns the up-market Serena Hotel chain, which has 4-star pads in Gilgit and Hunza. Both have English-speaking staff.

In Hunza, the Darbar Hotel, owned by the Emir (king) of Hunza, is another good option and has a view across town and up towards the fort.

Keeping safe

Before traveling to Pakistan, get the latest travel advice from the embassies in Islamabad. The U.S. embassy (+92-51-208-0000) has a tendency to exaggerate security concerns, so compare their assessment with those of the British (+92-51-201-2000) or Canadian embassies to get a balanced view.

Inform your embassy’s consular department of your planned itinerary and contact details on arrival, and keep them updated of any changes so they can find you in an emergency.

Once in Pakistan, common sense and cultural sensitivity are the best protection. Avoid large crowds, particularly religious celebrations and political demonstrations, as these events are most likely to be the targets of terrorist attacks.

Photo: RuckSackKruemel

Keep your distance from uniformed officials, notably the police and army, as they too may be targeted by militants.

Although you don’t need to wear Pakistani dress, be aware of cultural norms and adhere to them to avoid drawing unwanted attention to yourself. Both men and women should wear long, loose trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and women should cover their heads with scarves when visiting religious sites.

You may also feel more comfortable covering your head when traveling through traditional areas. The best advice is to observe those around you and do as they do.

Women should not worry about traveling alone in Pakistan. Crime is relatively low and a bigger problem than sexual harassment is simply being ignored.

Although not widely spoken in rural areas, many educated Pakistanis and those who have regular dealings with tourists do speak a little English. Culturally ingrained hospitality means that people always do their utmost to help a visitor, and friendly advice is usually accompanied by an invitation to tea.

Other considerations

• You will need to get a tourist visa before traveling to Pakistan. Apply to the Pakistani embassy in your home country at least one month before you want to go. For U.S. nationals, the cost of a single-entry Pakistani visa is $120, obtainable through the offices in D.C.
• If you plan to bring your own car to Pakistan, it will need to be imported on a carnet issued by your country’s automobile club. This will ensure you don’t have to pay import duty.
• Pakistanis theoretically drive on the left side of the road, but this is treated more as a suggestion than a rule.
• If you want to drive the full length of the KKH, which finishes in Kashgar, you’ll need a Chinese visa too. You can apply for this in your home country or from the very efficient Chinese embassy in Islamabad.
• The Khunjerab Pass closes Dec 31st – May 1st. These dates can be extended depending on snowfall, so plan your trip accordingly.

Community Connection

For more on-the-ground stories from Pakistan, check out Tales From The Frontier Of Expat Life: A Memsahib In Pakistan. Or, another mountain road trip guide is Himalayan Motorcycle Diaries: Guide to the Road from Manali to Leh.

Photo: a4gpa

Itinerary #1

From Bozeman, drive Highway 191 along the Gallatin River and through the valley of the same name. This will take you to the town of West Yellowstone and is a good route for downhill skiers, as it passes Big Sky Resort, Montana’s premier downhill skiing destination.

West Yellowstone is the busiest of the park’s gateway towns. Several accommodations operate year-round and provide lodging from $60 to $300+. West, as it’s known locally, is popular among snowmobilers. Trails run right through town, and it’s common to see snowmobiles parked at bars and restaurants.

West has incredible skiing too, both in and near the park. Freeheel and Wheel is the local cross-country headquarters. Staff can rent you equipment, sell you the right wax for the conditions, and tell you where to ski.

Just outside of town is the Rendezvous Trail network, a 25-mile system of groomed trails that cruise through the Gallatin National Forest and are easily accessible from town.

Photo: a4gpa

Riverside Trail skirts the Madison River through the park and offers beginners and families a great option for a mellow ski and possible wildlife viewing.

Just north of West Yellowstone, Highway 191 dips into the park for roughly 20 miles and has numerous access points for touring. These include Telemark Meadows (mile post 18), Bighorn Pass Trail (mile post 20), Fawn Pass Trail (mile post 22), and Specimen Creek Trail (mile post 27).

Be sure to check with the staff at Freeheel and Wheel for conditions and safety information before heading out on any trails from West Yellowstone.

Itinerary #2

If downhill skiing and snowmobiles don’t do anything for you, skip West Yellowstone and head to Gardiner instead. From Bozeman, go east on Highway 90 to Livingston, and then take Highway 89 south along the Yellowstone River to Gardiner, passing through Paradise Valley.

Look for the turnoff to Chico Hot Springs Lodge. This uniquely Montanan hot springs resort is nationally recognized for its delicious gourmet food and fun lodging options. It’s worth an extra night’s stay on your way back to Bozeman for the trip home.

Photo: kjell

Gardiner is the gateway to the North Entrance of Yellowstone and is 45 minutes from the Lamar Valley, where the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction program started.

You can’t ski out directly from town like in West Yellowstone, but a short drive from Gardiner and into the park gets you to Mammoth Hot Springs and its geothermal attractions.

The Mammoth Hotel is open year-round and has quality, if pricey, lodging inside the park. There’s plenty of free parking if you’re staying in Gardiner and driving in for the day.

The park concessionaire, Xanterra, operates a small ski rental and retail shop right next to the hotel. Be sure to check in for condition and safety information before you head out.

The skiing from Mammoth is incredible. Two intermediate trails begin right at the hotel: Snowy Pass Trail and Brunson Mountain Trail. Or, for $16/person, the hotel will shuttle skiers up the unplowed road for a deeper start.

From Norris Junction, skiers can head back to Mammoth on either of the previously mentioned trails, or continue farther into the park along Sheepeater Trail, which cuts for five miles to the Indian Creek Warming Hut, where the shuttle picks you up for the twenty-minute ride back to Mammoth.

Expect to see lots of bison, some elk, and coyotes on all of these trails.

If you don’t want to shell out for the shuttle ride, a plowed road from Mammoth to Tower Junction is a good option. From the junction, a groomed trail climbs for 2.5 miles towards Tower Falls.

Photo: Author

The falls are frozen blue in winter and make a great destination and picnic spot, while the views from the trail into the Yellowstone River canyon are spectacular.

Additional loops run from the Tower Falls area for skiers who want to extend their tour.

The plowed road continues from Tower Junction to Cooke City, bisecting the Lamar Valley, Yellowstone’s wolf-watching region.

While few marked ski options exist in Lamar, snowshoers and hardy cross-country skiers with the right equipment and knowledge can head off in any direction for a self-designed tour.

A few miles before Cooke City, there are some signed trails that head into and through the forested peaks of the Absaroka Mountains in the northeastern corner of the park.

On your way back to Gardiner from Mammoth, keep an eye out for a small, unmarked parking lot on the right-hand (eastern) side of the road, just before you cross the Gardiner River. A half-mile trek following the water brings you to the Boiling River and one of the few natural hot springs sanctioned for use in the park.

More options and tips

You don’t have to go independent. There are guided wildlife tours, natural history tours, snow coach rides, and snowmobile tours that can be arranged from vendors in both Gardiner and West Yellowstone.

Photo: Author

However and wherever you go, entrance to the park costs $25 for a seven-day pass, except from Highway 191 north of West Yellowstone, where you can ski into the park for free.

Weather can be extreme in this part of the country. West Yellowstone is one of the coldest places in the U.S. and snow can fall for days.

Be prepared, use reliable equipment, and carry extra food and clothing, a map, a compass, extra water, and let a friend know your plans before you go.

Still, there are plenty of options for both beginners and experts, ranging from a couple miles of groomed track skiing to fifteen-mile-long tours in Yellowstone’s backcountry. Be sure to inquire locally for conditions and trip suggestions.

Community Connection

Eric Warren is one of Matador’s experts on Montana, and more can be found on the community’s destination expert page. Hit them up with your questions.

Photo: paul bridgewater – www.londonmusicphotographer.com

SAUL HANDS US the fermented sugarcane drink guarapo, waves at me making clear his desire not to be photographed, then sits back at his roost, a farmer’s shack in the southern Amazonian Colombian department of Guaviare some 400km from Bogota.

“Sometimes we see the army come through, they keep to the road and don’t meddle in our affairs,” he says, maintaining his gaze over the untended plantations and new yucca growths. “The guerrilla mainly pass at nighttime with their faces painted and don’t want to be seen.”

My stomach knots. Despite being told I’m in safe hands, we appear to be in a no-man’s-land between government-controlled territory and that of the FARC guerrillas.

At the last military checkpoint upon leaving San Jose del Guaviare, Gustavo Garzon, head of National Parks for the region, pulled me aside, leaving the motorcycles idling:

“Leave your helmet on at all times. You look too gringo for these parts. And don’t speak to anyone. I’ll do the talking.”

And now here we are stranded as one of the motorcycles flat-tired on the rutted track past Saul’s smallholding. A replacement is needed — preferably before nightfall.

All about us are the remnants of Saul’s recently fumigated coca fields and a topographically featureless jungle stretched out as far as I can see.

“No more kidnappings” / Photo: Moskitom

Pioneering Tourism in Drug Land

The idea had been to trek it to Cerro Azul, a 10mx10m rock formation daubed with indigenous paintings and seen by very few given its location in this hotly disputed region of banditry, gasoline smuggling, and coca cultivation.

In July 2008, Guaviare made the headlines — it was from here that former presidential hopeful Ingrid Betancourt and the three American contractors were rescued after being held hostage for over six years.

The department’s cash crop is coca, and the petrol smuggling industry evolved because gasoline is an accelerant in cocaine production.

But despite the fact that Cerro Azul is infrequently visited, it’s at the heart of most tourist literature aimed at bringing visitors to this region of Colombia.

Pointing to a statue of the Virgin Maria on top of a natural rock formation near the Ciudad de Piedra (“Stone City”) — another area designated a tourist attraction for its labyrinthine tunnels and crystalline bathing pools — Jairo Bueno, secretary of tourism for Guaviare, recounts this story:

This pathway here used to be the route by which those smuggling gasoline would transport it from the petrol station to the guerrilla and coca growers to be used in the production of cocaine.

The smugglers, deciding they needed protection, brought a priest up here for the blessing and then placed the Virgin atop that rock. So here we have La Virgen de Los Traquetos (“The Virgin of the Smugglers”).

In November 2008, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office revised their warnings regarding Colombia but continued to advise against all but essential travel to San Jose del Guaviare.

So an important issue remains: Can Guaviare alter its image and become a successful ecotourism destination?

The question echoes in my head as I find myself stranded, possibly at the mercy of Colombia’s conflicting factions, next to two large and recently fumigated coca plantations.

Photo: urban_data

Slow but Steady Progress

Speaking with Bueno, I candidly share my opinion that, despite the region’s obvious charms and attractions, it’s unlikely tourism will take off rapidly here given the reputation, the coca plantations that until recently grew right up to the city limits, and the fact that nearby National Nukak Natural Reserve — from where Ingrid Betancourt was rescued — has been dubbed Parque de los Secuestrados (“Park of the Kidnapped”).

Some believe many Colombians that remain in captivity are being held in this park.

Bueno is realistic and maintains that tourism, while important, will be established in a measured and careful manner.

In 2009 we aim to be setting up the infrastructure here in Guaviare, focusing on key areas like the Ciudad de Piedra, Los Tuneles, and the Laguna Negra. We want to make sure we get it right. We have an advantage in that we are starting from scratch here in Guaviare.

Whatever Bueno pulls together, he has an uphill struggle on his hands and he knows it. But as he stated while we wandered through the pasture of Paephalantus Moldenkeanus (“Flower of Guaviare”), a peculiar, almost otherworldly growth:

“You have to put it all into context. Four years ago we couldn’t be here.”

Despite not reaching Cerro Azul, I feel I’ll get back to Guaviare again. I expect not to be in a mob of tourists but in a small group intent on seeing the curious scenery, and that we’ll be far from the wreckage of fumigated coca fields.

Have you been to a place on the edge of tourism? Share your story in the comments below.

Community Connection

Richard runs a guesthouse, La Casa Amarilla, in Mompos, Colombia. Learn more at his Matador profile.

Photo: ristok

1. Niseko Village (Japan)

The northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido gets some of the deepest, fluffiest powder on Earth. Niseko Village, located in the western part of Hokkaido, is a good place to shred it.

Terrain is mild by most standards (in-bounds runs don’t really exceed 32 degrees), but more challenging slopes are a short hike from the main ski area.

Shuttles and trains bring in skiers and riders from the island’s airports. A two-day lift ticket costs about $160, pension rooms with breakfast start at $60. The resort rents ski and snowboard setups.

2. La Grave (France)

Perhaps best known as the place where ski legend Doug Coombs died, La Grave is for advanced skiers only. It’s not really a resort — just a low-key Alps ski town with a couple lifts that access you-fall-you-die terrain.

No ski patrol. No ropes. La Grave offers the best lift-accessed couloir skiing in the world. If you can master the La Grave steeps, you can ski anywhere.

Photo: TAYLOR149

3. Murren-Schilthorn (Switzerland)

Not all Alpine slopes are as intense. Murren-Schilthorn has runs that are much more manageable for the non-crazy.

The area is at the top of the Bernese Oberland glacial mountains outside Interlaken, with plenty of glades, steeps, bowls, and manicured groomers, plus several stuck-in-time Swiss villages linked by an extensive rail system.

Also cool: No cars allowed.

A pension room starts at $20 and lift tickets are $59.

4. Breuil-Cervinia (Italy)

One of the best parts of skiing in Italy is skiing in Switzerland. Yeah, international boundaries don’t mean much when you’re ripping Tyrolean powder at Breuil-Cervinia. The Italian side has 24 lifts, but you can hop on one to Zermatt, Switzerland, which gives you access to 35 more.

Breuil-Cervinia also has what may be the best après-scene in the world. Bars pour tangy Italian reds and smooth craft beers while the restaurants serve pasta, lamb, goat, and various cheeses.

A dormitory room is about 450 Euros a week.

Photo: Taras Kalapun

5. Mzaar (Lebanon)

Skiing in Lebanon is surprisingly good, and with almost 6,000 vertical feet of varied skiing for all abilities, Mzaar the largest and most challenging resort. On a clear day, you can see Beirut.

Weekday ski passes are $33 and rooms start at $25.

6. Ski Krasnaya Polyana (Russia)

The Russian ski industry is young. There are only a few resorts with very limited lift and snowmaking capabilities.

That said, the country, having poached a Vail Resorts executive a few years back and scored the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, is quickly catching up to Western standards.

The only worthwhile destination skiing is in the Krasnaya Polyana valley. The Games will be held at Rosa Khutor, which as of now is little more than a construction site, so hit the six lifts and ~6,000 vertical at Ski Krasnaya Polyana.

7. Beidahu (China)

Like Russia, the Chinese ski world is tiny and fairly banal compared to what Westerners are used to, but there’s good stuff out there.

Terrain at Beidahu is primarily beginner and intermediate with some advanced, but regular snowmaking and consistent natural snow means its 2,500 vertical feet are ready to ride.

Expect big things — expanded terrain and après — from this resort in the near future. Rooms at the base-area hotel are $60 with $30 lift tickets. Quality rentals are available.

Photo: tokarcik.tomas

8. Grandvalira (Andorra)

Andorra, that speck of a country high in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, is pretty much one big ski mountain.

Grandvalira calls itself the largest ski area in the Pyrenees, with almost 5,000 skiable acres. It’s also got several parks full of pipes, kickers, and rails. But the most impressive stat may be its 40 restaurants.

Try out one of Andorra’s few hostels for $42 a night.

9. Valle Nevado (Chile)

Outside of Europe and North America, Chile might be the best there is. Valle Nevado’s 11 lifts and 23,000 skiable acres makes it the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Groomers, steeps, and tons of off-piste terrain. Catch one of the Bell helicopters that ferries skiers to the big mountains daily.

Rooms at the base are expensive with 6-person apartments starting at $600 a night, and lift tickets run about $30.

Photo: AB.freeskier

10. Revelstoke Mountain Resort (Canada)

Once an exclusive hideout for helicopter and snow-cat skiers, 3-year-old Revelstoke is now a full-blown, lift-access resort with 3,000+ acres.

Get their before development, which calls for over 20 lifts and expanded accommodation, is finished and the secret is out.

You can rent a basic cabin 6 miles from the slopes for $95US a night. Lift tickets are $70.

Community Connection

For more, there’s How To Get On the Ski Patrol and Olympic Skiers Face Last-Minute Drama.

Photo: alexindigo

TWO DOLLARS is the main unit of currency in Chile. The luka (1,000 pesos) is our smallest bill, and as of January, 2010, a luka is worth just about two bucks. It’s what Chileans consider cheap-but-fair for an event, and pricing one at 1,000 pesos or less is a great way to draw folks in.

A successful new program called Yoga a Luka hosts yoga classes all over the city (and in other regions) for 1,000 pesos, and there’s also the summertime arts program of Santiago a Mil (Santiago for 1,000 pesos).

Anyway, one luka is about what it costs to get out of the oven of the Santiago summer and up into the city’s cool backyard — the Andean foothills. With some basic camping gear, a pair of decent walking shoes, and the highest SPF you can find, 1,000 pesos buys a mountain getaway.

Photo: author

Saltos de Apoquindo: Getting There

There’s Parque Mahuida and its access to Cerro San Ramón, the peaks of Provincia or Pochoco, or even Manquehuito and its big brother, the ill-advised-to-climb-alone Manquehue (assaults are an ongoing problem there). But in the dry heat of summer, my friends and I went with the waterfall — Saltos de Apoquindo.

You start out, BIP (like a fast pass) card in hand, at your closest metro and take the red line (línea 1) to the brand-new terminal station, Los Dominicos. This is also home to a craft market whose artisans set up in an old cloister, selling carvings, leather, and Pomaire terra cotta.

Bypass the market and take your free transfer to the 421 bus (or the C02 or C02c), which after another ten to fifteen minutes will drop you at San Carlos de Apoquindo.

From there, sign in with the guards (you need to leave your passport or ID number with them, and they’ll ask you for a phone number as well), and tell them you’re going to the sendero (trail), should they ask.

It’s then about a ten-minute paved walk uphill to the trail head, labeled Reserva Ecológica Contrafuertes Cordillerano, where there’s a basic map of the area (might want to snap a picture here in case you get lost, as the trail is marked but still possible to lose).

Photo: author

The Hike

It’s not just the watefall that attracted me to this trail. Having grown up hiking in New England, I’m not a “straight up the mountain” kind of trekker, as many of the hikes in the central region of Chile tend to demand.

This one meanders, following the folds of the mountain, and has significant downhill portions even on the way “up.” There’s shade, but no water until you get to the falls, which are potable, though you might still want to treat the water before drinking if you’re antsy (we didn’t).

Depending on your pace, expect 3-5 hours to reach the falls. The trail is in pretty good shape, has few areas of loose rocks, and can absolutely be hiked in a pair of running shoes, if that’s what you’ve got.

Warning: the litre tree causes a poison-ivy-like reaction in some unfortunate hikers, so you’ll want to keep clear. Or at least greet the tree (a hearty “Hola Señor Litre” will suffice) as tradition dictates.

Towards the end you’ll need to rockhop across the water’s downward flow, and this will get you close to the bottom of the falls. It looks its best in the morning, with the sun climbing up the notch in the mountain where it pours through.

Photo: author

Staying or Leaving

While camping isn’t technically permitted, there are established fire circles and a few signs that other humans have spent the night. Packing out all your trash and proper disposal of waste are a must, as there are no facilities.

You can follow the trail back the way you came, or ask a passing huaso (Chile’s version of the Argentine gaucho) for directions. We met one up top, who lip-pointed us down towards another path, across the flat site people use as a campsite.

This trail had views falling to the right, along the Precordillera, of numerous other waterfalls, and a little stand of trees where we cooked and ate lunch before continuing out.

Several hours later (again, 3-5 is a good range), we came out past terraced plantings and finally to a different trail head, this time at an area called Aguas de San Ramón.

Here you can slip through the gate, walk five long blocks downhill to the Plaza La Reina, catch the D08 bus to the metro at Bilbao on the blue line, and do the whole thing in reverse. Sneers at your dusty backpack and air of self-satisfaction should be expected.

That’s my best $2 travel tip. What’s yours?

Community Connection

For another Santiago sidetrip, check out our guide to Cajón del Maipo.

Other hiking tips: Where to Hike After You’ve Finished the Appalachian Trail and the travel video Notes on Hiking up Mount Rainier.

Photo above: heiwa4126, All others: Author

GOOGLE HAS PUT images of the entire world online, for free. Think about how amazing that is.

Last year, in “Virtual Traveling for the Rooted Hobo,” Marc Latham talked about using this technology to explore the far corners of the world from the comfort of your office chair. The Street View feature even allows you to virtually tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

But what happens when you’re already in the far corners? Can Google Maps be used as an actual travel tool?

Getting off the beaten path can be difficult when you’re carrying the same guidebook as everyone else, and though wandering aimlessly has an undeniable allure, the world is so huge that worthwhile adventures sometimes need objectives.

Serious missions require preparation, and thanks to Google Maps a few hours on the Internet can be more productive than weeks worth of wingin’ it.

I’ve used Google Maps to mount expeditions to an abandoned mental asylum, forgotten tropical beaches, and, most recently, find bomb craters in Laos for a photo essay at Matador Change.

That last piece inspired a few questions about the logistics of capturing the shots, so I’ll be using Google Maps screenshots from around the area they were taken to show how to effectively utilize satellite photos, Panoramio, and other features to plan your adventure.

If you combine these tactics with a rented car, bicycle, or motorbike, the potential for discovery during your next trip will be wide open.

Satellite View

Google is constantly adding higher resolution images to their satellite photo database, so by now almost every city in the world is covered. Really, try it — pick a town in Kyrgyzstan you’ve never heard of, zoom in, and you can probably make out individual cars.

Even with high-res satellite photos it’s hard to tell exactly what’s on the ground, but large features like craters are easy to pick out. Satellite view is also useful for planning how to get there — the map overlays aren’t always accurate and don’t give any idea of road conditions, so it’s helpful to be able to spot the route yourself.

Photos

Picasa and Panoramio allow users to assign coordinates to their uploaded photos and overlay them onto Google Maps. This gives a level of detail you can’t get from satellite photos, but the real adventure utility is spotting worthwhile destinations in the middle of large expanses of nothing.

In the example above you can see there are a lot of photos tagged on the Plain of Jars, but there’s a separate cluster on the bottom right as well. That’s a town that’s home to a ruined temple, bombed hospital, and other interesting relics, but it’s rarely mentioned in any tourist literature and seldom visited.

Wikimapia

Though Google does integrate with Wikipedia, Wikimapia takes the idea a step further and allows anyone to outline, tag, and describe any feature in the world.

This is invaluable in large cities, where something awesome could be hiding just around the block.

Street View

Street view is only available for a few countries, but it’s probably the most useful thing Google’s ever come up with.

The most practical aspect is that you’re able to see the front of buildings from street level, which saves a lot of number-hunting when you’re trying to find that perfect little coffeeshop you heard about with nothing but an address.

If you’re traveling by bicycle or motorcycle, it’s also a great tool for finding the best route to take.

There are plenty of other non-travel-specific resources on the Web that can come in handy, like Flickr and Wikipedia. With a bit of fooling around, you can find the sites that work best for you and the methods of use that contribute most positively to your adventure style.

Community Connection

For more on how modern technology is changing the ways we travel, check out iPad Revealed: One More Thing From Apple, Fund my Story: New Economic Models for Writers, and New Wave of Social Media: Tweeting and Blogging from the Amazon.

Photo: Author

Bishkek

Unless you’re driving in from China or a neighboring ‘Stan, every Kyrgyz trip starts and ends in the capital, Bishkek. The surrounding mountains may call out, especially once you’ve eyed up the Soviet concrete and rush-hour traffic, but they’re not going anywhere. Take a day or so to explore the city.

It’s been 20 years since independence, but entertaining reminders of Communism and the Cold War are easy to spot.

Photo: Irene2005

The fresco of an American cowboy, complete with stars ‘n’ stripes t-shirt, riding high on a Pershing missile, is a highlight of the State Historical Museum. Then there’s the statue of Marx and Engels, glaring across at the American University.

Other things to look out for are the former home of the Soviet military leader Mikhail Frunze, an unusually high number of karaoke stalls, and pictures of Santa Claus, a latter-day Kyrgyz hero after a Swedish logistics company informed the Kyrgyz government they were the best-located country for the speedy delivery of Christmas presents.

Issyk Kul

The warm-water lake of Issyk Kul is only half a day’s drive from Bishkek and after Titicaca is the largest alpine lake in the world. The Soviet navy used part of it for testing torpedoes.

Today, you’re unlikely to get caught in the middle of a military exercise, but unless you want to be overwhelmed by Russian families holidaying in resorts and health spas, avoid the lake’s northern shore. Far fewer people (and less development) mar the south.

Photo: Author

This is also the region to check out the Kyrgyz pastime of eagle hunting. We met up with our eagle hunter and his golden eagle, Tamara, in the village of Bokonbaeva. Over the course of an afternoon, Tamara caught us three rabbits and an unidentified rodent — the former were more than enough for supper.

You can also watch the eagle fly without bringing back something formerly cute and fluffy — just take your own bait meat with you. The eagle hunter won’t understand your reasoning, but Tamara doesn’t mind either way.

Chong Kemin

From Issyk Kul, you can trek on foot or horseback to Chong Kemin, which literally means “big valley” in the Kyrgyz language.

Local companies, including the popular Community Based Tourism (CBT) co-operative, can organize both horses and guides, and this is really the best way to get to know the country, climbing passes and peaks well over 4,000m high.

We based ourselves in the village of Ashu, in the bottom of the valley, at the recommended Ashu Guesthouse (ashu@knet.kg). Their wood-constructed chalets have fires and the walls are hung with local rugs and embroideries. There’s also a sauna and meals are made with local ingredients like wild berry jam and roasted mountain yak.

Photo: Author

In Ashu, you can also watch a match of Kok Boru, or ‘Dead Goat Polo.’ Local teams compete each weekend on a long, thin pitch by the river, galloping from one end to the other with high screams and, at times, hysterical laughter.

The 60lb goat — dead, gutted, and with its head and legs removed before the game begins — is thrown from one player to the next with surprising speed and accuracy.

As each goal is scored, a cheer erupts from the small crowd of spectators who, a minute later, are forced to dive for cover as a horse tramples over the sideline at full pelt. Keep your eyes on the game.

Song Kol

The Kyrgyz people have followed a nomadic lifestyle for thousands of years, and the best way to experience it is to join a family in their yurt on the high pastures. We hiked three days to Song Kol Lake, where CBT has 10+ yurts for tourist lodging in the summer months.

Horse riding, yak milking, and goat herding make up the days. The yurts themselves, insulated by the felt and other textiles that line the walls, are fairly warm, but it’s worth bringing your thermals as the toilet huts are a far enough walk in the middle of the night.

One of the novelties of yurt stay is you never know who you’re going to be sleeping with. Beds are laid out each night and made from a stack of blankets and rugs. If there are six guests, the bed will be six people wide. It’s cozy but takes a little getting used to.

Photo: Irene2005

Things to Consider

* Currently there are no direct flights to Kyrgyzstan from either Europe or the USA. You’ll need to fly to a regional hub such as Moscow or Almaty (Kazakhstan) and travel on from there.

* Tourist visas are available on arrival at the airport in Bishkek and cost £50 for 30 days. If you overstay your visa (as I did), you’ll be fined and the officials will get quite stroppy.

* Few people speak anything other than Kyrgyz and Russian. Take a phrasebook…and your charades skills.

* If the mountain yak gets old, head to the British Consulate in downtown Bishkek. It doubles as a greasy spoon café called Fat Boys and serves mean hash browns.

Community Connection

There aren’t many, but the Matador community blog posts on Central Asia are worth a read.

Also, find out which Matador editors have Central Asia on their 2010 destination wish lists.

Photo above: gregw66; All others: Author

MORAG IS A LOCH MONSTER with a terrible publicist. Although slightly famous in Scotland, tales of Morag have not spilled into coloring books or Hollywood films. A bit of a sensation in the late sixties, the beast’s home of Loch Morar has shied away from publicizing sightings and remains quite disinterested in a tourist trade that involves humped aquatic creatures.

Author’s hoax photo. Not convincing. Yes, that’s basil.

The case for a monster in Morar, though, is compelling and arguably stronger than discussion of what might be living in neighboring Loch Ness.

For starters, Loch Morar is the deepest body of fresh water in Europe, reaching depths of over 1,000 feet.

It is largely uninhabited, flanked by a road that only covers one quarter of its perimeter — this allows for hardly any traffic around the lake, which would explain the lack of tourist sightings.

More importantly, it is the setting for sightings as sensational as any that have come out of Nessietown.

Tales of a monster have permeated the Morar area for centuries, first spun as tales during “silly season,” the terrible winters when Scottish highlanders hole up, tell tales and get a little juiced up.

According to early stories, “Mhorag” was the spirit of the loch, only appearing in the form of a mermaid when a member of the Gilles clan was about to kick. Later, tales spun of a waterhorse (or “kelpie”) that would lure riders onto its back, then drown them and snack on their remains.

If you’re laughing, you probably weren’t born in the 1700s, when it was completely reasonable to treat most of these tales as fact.

The Golden Age

Monster hunting in the Harry Potter Age has got to be difficult. Nearly eighty years after the first reported sighting in Loch Ness, the creature has started to lose its sex appeal, out-imagined by Pixar and the like.

The romance of a loch monster just might be dead and buried, even if the animal is still alive and swimming.

Still, I wanted to find out if what I’d been hearing was true; if another loch was a more likely candidate for some kind of beastie than the infamous one near Inverness. I went straight to Scotland’s loch monster expert, Adrienne Shine, in hopes of learning a bit more before I set off to Morar myself.

Nobody would know better than Shine, who began his own Morar investigation in 1974. He was sparked by the loch’s most famous account, which made papers around the world. Says Shine

It was the encounter in 1969 that aroused my interest. I thought if Loch Ness wasn’t the only place where there were these traditions, perhaps there’s more chance of it being real.

He hired a rowboat and drifted at night with a powerful light fixed to a camera, in hopes of repeating the encounter. After this turned up nothing but a false sighting in the form of a rock (“It taught me not to believe the evidence of my own eyes.”), Shine decided to head below water. By 1975 he was manning missions into the depths of a loch in a homemade submersible, during what he calls “the underwater phase of my work.”

Shine is difficult to pin when asked the ultimate question about what’s out there, mostly because he has no definitive evidence either way. He says,”I have no one theory because many animals and physical effects have contributed to sightings.” When asked about his favorite explanation, he offers

I am accused of the Shine Theory. The occasional migration of sturgeon into fresh water might have started the water horses tradition.

While many argue that such a fish couldn’t live in these lochs, it is quite arguable that no fish has ever looked like a horse more than a sturgeon.

Shine is honest about why he first started hunting the now-famous beast, seeing it first as “a soft option for fame and glory.”

Thirty-five years later, it has become much more than this to him. He’s manned countless expeditions in Loch Ness, most famously with 1987’s Operation Deepscan, during which dozens of sonar-armed boats scanned and mapped the whole of Loch Ness. It proved inconclusive.

If a man like Shine couldn’t find a monster, how would I? There was one thing that Shine said that kept me going.

Wherever these traditions seem to come to the surface now, there’s always a perception that they’re copying Loch Ness.

It was his way of saying that Morar had been written off as a copycat.

Could Morar just be a place that had been overlooked? Digging a little deeper into the history of the area, it seemed entirely possible.

Morar and the Monster

I’d been reading The Search For Morag, a history of all known accounts of the monster. Hardly a bestseller, I’d had to order this discontinued title from a collector’s shop and paid dearly for it. Written by Elizabeth Montgomery Campbell in 1972, the hardback documents everything known about Morar, recalling over 100 years of sightings and probing that ultimate question.

The book doesn’t disappoint, recounting sightings that were, in the words of one subject, “beyond explanation or definition”. Reports generally describe a humped, “eel-like or snake-like” creature, with “black and shiny” skin. It is generally seen on sunny and calm days, when the waters are less choppy and Scotland’s rain isn’t pissing down.

The most famous sighting — the one that grabbed Shine’s attention in 1969 — involved two men, Duncan McDonell and William Simpson. In the account, they describe a creature that accidentally ran into their boat while breaching the surface. Their initial fear was that it might capsize the boat. After attempting to fend it off with an oar, Simpson fired his rifle in the animal’s direction. He claims,

I then watched it slowly sink away and that was the last I’ve seen of it.

The whole thing would have been easy to write off were there not scores of other sightings before and after.

Morar is exactly the same as Campbell described it in 1972. The town is comprised of a hotel, a train platform and about ten houses.

The Morar Hotel is one of those terrifying old white houses, the kind with squeaky floors, a mysterious staff, and wall-to-wall carpet. I was given an umbrella at check-in and warned that rain came when it pleased, and often.

I made my way down to the water under careful directions from the hotel (“Turn left at the house with the satellite that’s pointed towards God.”) and took a look. It was ominous, moody and unfathomably quiet. The skies had gone dark and threatened to spill buckets. Nothing living moved on or around the lake. The opposing shore was at least a mile away and not one boat could be seen on the water. The loch was desolate.

The water had a wake that day, mostly because of the coming and going weather. I could see quite easily why there were so many false sightings in these parts — every rock or wave looked like something. One of the most common monster mistakes has been the misinterpretation of a boat wake. I could see why — a number of them caught my eye, tricking me too.

Rocks make a deceptive wake.

The rain finally started to fall as I tried my best to walk the path around the loch. It would have been impossible to circle in one day, so my plan was to make it halfway around, about another hour out from where the road ended.

In the course of six hours I saw three people, seven cars, and about ten houses. There just wasn’t much life on the loch, other than the occasional lamb or sheep.

My eyes remained on the water. It wasn’t so much that I was hoping to spot a giant serpent but more that the loch had some kind of draw, a quiet power that demanded attention. There was no doubt in my mind that if there is ever to be something discovered, it could be found here, rather than in a populated place like Loch Ness.

Half a day later, I was back at the hotel, sans monster story and waterlogged.

But Is There Something?

Nobody would talk to me.

I’d been warned about this from a few people but it was surprisingly true — the town has zero interest in kicking up a story and attracting tourists. It would seem that the fame of the 1969 sighting was enough of a taste for everyone.

I did speak with one woman who wished to remain anonymous. She said that the area was largely run by one of the older families and that they wanted nothing more than for the world to leave them (and their sheep) alone.

The mandate was that if you spoke, there’d be hell to pay. She herself has seen something in the water but brushed it off as quick as it was out of her mouth. “It was probably nothing.”

The sightings in The Search For Morag are all that really remains of the hunt in this loch and may serve as the end of any formal investigation. But they’re still compelling to this day. There is the story of John MacVarish:

What I saw was a long neck five or six feet out of the water with a small head on it, coming quite slowly down the loch.

And Charles Fishburne:

It passed within thirty-fifty yards to port…three large, black hump-shaped objects moving quickly through the water.

Or Kate MacKinnon:

It was rather like a huge eel…the neck was about one foot in diameter and was black in color.

All of these tales have to make you wonder if there is something out there and, if so, what it might be. There’s plenty of exploring left to be done in these waters and plenty of stories to be fished out.

If you’re interested in trying your hand then you couldn’t find a better place than Loch Morar. Just turn left at the satellite aimed towards God and keep walking.

Community Connection

If your own search for the Loch Morar monster comes up short, drown your sorrows by Boozing Through 5 Whisky Distillery Tours In Scotland.

Photo: b e l e n

I don’t normally give props for this kind of stuff. I don’t like country collectors. I don’t like goals to “visit 100 countries before I’m 35.” To me, this isn’t what travel is about. But this guy, Kashi Samaddar, doesn’t pretend to be a traveler.

And besides, he had a real goal: to bust into the Guinness Book of World Records for shortest amount of time to visit every country in the world. And he did it. He traveled to 194 countries in six years, 10 months, and seven days. That’s just under two weeks per country.

While the article at the Daily Mail slags him for his photography skills — taking shots in bizarre locations instead of “top tourist sights” — this is actually what endears him to me.

We know what it looks like / Photo: g-hat

They berate him for not getting in Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, or the white sand beaches of the Cook Islands. But everyone’s seen all that stuff.

Show me the inside of a London office while standing beside some random guy, or a self-portrait in Greenland with a pram arbitrarily placed to your left, and I’m all over it.

Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

An ulterior motive

The idea to travel to every country on the planet occurred to Mr. Samaddar after getting stuck in Johannesburg due to visa issues. He wanted to highlight the difficulties of some nationalities obtaining visas — Indians, for one.

And even though he had opportunities to become a Canadian or Australian citizen — which would have made things much easier — he chose to keep his Indian citizenship. He wanted to prove that someone from India could travel anywhere in the world.

Even though he had major problems getting some visas — it took him almost three years to get one for Moldova — he got it done in the end.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

What do you think of Mr. Samaddar’s record? Share your comments below!

Photo: William A. Franklin

[Editor's note: This post is sponsored by our friends at REI.]

Last winter a pair of blizzards came through Seattle one right after the other. Since nobody could get to work, everyone in our neighborhood seemed to gravitate toward Green Lake. People brought their families on sleds and cross country skis. They let their dogs off the leash. Kids built trails and jumps. I strapped on my snowboard and carved a few turns down 80th St.

For that short time it was like everyone was having spontaneous adventures. All you had to do was go outside. It was one of the best moments we’ve had so far as a family.

Normally though, once you have kids, it usually takes a lot work and planning to get everyone “out there.” With babies and toddlers especially, all the extra preparation and gear can make a trip seem more difficult than it’s worth.

Once you’re there though, seeing your kids excited about the outdoors, watching them play in the snow or see new wildlife for the first time, you remember: it’s always worth it.

Photo: Josephers

The following 8 winter adventures cover a broad geography. They can either be set up as destinations in and of themselves, or simply used as ideas / inspiration for adventures if you have access to similar terrain nearby.

Overall they’re meant to get people started on adventures not just for fun, but as ways to build skills which, as you progress, will allow deeper and more exciting access to wilderness over time.

Remember to stay safe, warm, hydrated, and don’t let not having all the gear stop you from a new adventure or activity. It’s easy and surprisingly affordable to just rent extra gear at REI or a local gear shop.

Snowshoeing in the Front Range, Rocky Mountains

Snowshoeing is the easiest way to get off-trail and have the woods to yourself, even when you pull into a popular recreation area with a full parking lot.

My family and I love snowshoeing in the Front Range of Colorado (basically any National Forest Area along the Peak to Peak Hwy). Part of it is because of the quality of the snow itself. It’s so light and fluffy it feels like you’re walking through clouds.

Tips: Don’t forget to bring goggles (winds can kick up anytime); pack a thermos full of hot chocolate; always bring a map and compass and /or GPS. Sudden snowstorms can bury your tracks — don’t rely on them alone to make it back. Stay on marked trails until you’re familiar with an area. Here’s a great article on snowshoeing tips.

Canoe Camping in Everglades

After the wet season ends in November, winter months are the ideal time for exploring Everglades National Park.

Families with school-age children might consider renting or bringing a canoe for a backcountry adventure through water trails. This allows you to explore the mangrove tunnels, bright sawgrass prairies, and coastlines, then camp at night on safe, elevated platforms.

If this sounds like something you need to transition into, or if you have young kids, there are plenty of other options including dry-land camping, hiking trails, and excellent guided wildlife tours by boat. When we went there were a pair of dolphins surfing the boat wake, launching four and five feet out of the water.

Check out the paddling vid at right for a solid 3-minute guide to paddling with kids. There’s also a good link for camping by water here.

Winter Hiking in the Southern Appalachians

Early winter is actually one of the most overlooked times for exploring and camping in the Southeastern U.S. There are no insects, the forest floor is still piled with heavy, sweet-smelling leaf cover, and you’ll have trails, campgrounds, and shelters (along the Appalachian Trail) to yourself.

Temperatures in the day can be surprisingly mild, but if you’re camping, make sure everyone in your crew has a really good winter sleeping bag and that you’re in solid tents.

Photo: OakleyOriginals

A good introductory option, or option for families with young children, would be car-camping in places such as Linville Gorge, or basing your adventure around day hikes, but sleeping at night in a cabin such as Peaks of Otter Lodge in Virginia.

If your family already has experience hiking and camping together, the next step is a backpacking adventure. My favorite choice in the Eastern U.S. is Linville Gorge. A less strenuous option (the trails into the gorge are extremely steep) would be backpacking along the Chatooga River trail.

Winter hiking, and especially camping, really centers around staying warm and comfortable. Even if you’re not camping, simply hiking with a lightweight stove and cookset, so you can quickly boil up some hot chocolate in the middle of a hike, makes a huge difference. Overall, if planned and done well, winter exploration in this part of world can the give you and your family a total sense of accomplishment, of working together as a team.

Rails to Trails Rides (nationwide)

In many ways, bicycling with your kids is the single easiest way to get them excited about the outdoors. One reason is simply the amount of great gear that allows you to transition your kids from passengers to riders, to let them essentially grow up on a bike. A second is that you can have lots of adventures riding right at home, exploring the city or surrounding areas, seeing them in new ways. After everyone feels comfortable having ‘trained’ locally, you can then, as a family, plan special rides everyone can look forward to.

Photo: MoBikeFed

Where my parents live in Florida is a recently opened Legacy Trail. It’s a little over a dozen miles with several rest stops (parking, shade, bathroom facilities) along the way. This is part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy, a nationwide network of trails created from former rail lines.

As the rail lines were exceptionally flat and straight, they make fantastic family bike rides, often passing through wilderness corridors in unexpected places, often just on the edge of major urban areas. Some trails pass over long trestles or traverse deep tunnels (bring a headlamp). Your kids will be stoked. Click here here for trails around the country.

Bouldering in Hueco Tanks

Bouldering is another easy and inexpensive way to get the whole family fired up about exploring outside in the winter. Gear requirements are really only climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and a crash pad.

Even with winter temperatures, as long as it’s a dry day, you can still get good bouldering all around the country. Stone Crusade details spots nationwide. If your family really gets into it, a natural progression would be to plan out a trip to a classic spot like Hueco Tanks.

Tubing in Snoqualmie (or your local hill)

This is the winter family classic. Just get an innertube and/or other sliding craft — boards, skis, sleds — find a good sliding hill, and go for it.

Some ski areas like The Summit at Snoqualmie have tubing areas set up with rentals and perfect terrain. But probably the most fun of all is just finding your own local hill.

Photo: lepiaf.geo

This is also a gentle way to introduce snow and sliding sports to really young children, even babies. The only real problem is keeping babies’ hands warm. Suits like these, with overflaps that cover hands and feet, work really well with a breathable shell and pants (or snowsuit) over top.

Snowboarding / Skiing Your Local Mountain

Becoming a “ski-family” gives you a lifelong activity to center trips around during the winter. The key is for everyone to have a good experience. Budget and time depending, there are two different options.

The first is starting small, finding your closest hill, then progressing from there. If you don’t live near skiable terrain, this doesn’t have to begin with a big trip to the Rockies. There are a surprising number of small local ski areas all over the country, from Wisconsin to New York to Georgia. Try out the place closest to you this winter and see how it goes, then progress from there.

Or, if you’re ready for everyone to get stoked (and spoiled) right away on incredible terrain and winter conditions, head towards the center of the country, to one of the major ski areas such as Keystone or Steamboat.

For people ready to follow fresh snow in different places around the country, check out this free REI Snow Report iPhone App, which makes it easy to check snow conditions, the weather, and lift status at up to 12 of your favorite resorts.

Photo: Tara Kelly Photography

Backcountry Hut Trip in New Hampshire

Hut trips are probably the single most fun kind of winter trip. There’s just something incredibly satisfying about not going to a parking lot at the end of the day, but continuing staying out in the wilderness.

Huts enable you to do this comfortably and safely with the whole family in the winter.

There are various hut trips you can set up around the country, but for those looking for a great ‘out of the box’ winter adventure, this hut to hut trip in the White Mountains is among the most affordable ($300 per person for 3 days, 2 nights food / lodging + all equipment) for people who don’t already have equipment and live close to hut systems.

REI has an extensive catalog of winter adventures definitely worth checking out.

Community Connection

For more on getting your family fired up this winter, please check out the 10 Fundamentals when Packing for a Fun Family Ski Trip.

Photo: douglemoine

Dirtbagging is travel stripped down to its essentials. All you need is a tent, a backpack, and your favorite pair of boots. Learn to scrape by on less by scoring free campsites and taking advantage of no-cost sights like natural hot springs and hiking/biking trails.

With more public lands than any other U.S. region and loads of fee-less recreation areas and wild scenery, the West was made for all species of dirtbaggers — mountain bikers, climbers, kayakers…whatever turns you on.

Here are 5 destinations that are better than the rest:

Hiking the Wind River Range / Photo: douglemoine

Lander, Wyoming

The dirtbag friendliest city in the Western U.S., Lander is located in the Wind River Range in Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park and the Tetons. There’s rock climbing at Wild Iris and Sinks Canyon and amazing hiking and backpacking in the Winds.

Free camping can be found in Lander City Park just blocks from Main Street. For cheap drinks, head to the Lander Bar at happy hour, 5-6pm Monday through Friday. Take your brew outside and enjoy a Hungry Hippie (yummy pita featuring avocado and melted swiss) on the patio.

Downtown, the Maverick Motel serves $3.95 breakfast specials, $0.99 coffee, and pancakes twice the size of your head.

Bishop, California

Photo: tornatore

Bishop is well known in climbing circles for its world-class bouldering on both granite (Buttermilk Boulders) and volcanic tuff (Happy Boulders). Often overlooked, the Owens River Gorge also has some incredible sport lines.

For those seeking some geothermal activity, plenty of hippie pots grace the side of Highway 395. The area gets a good rep for mountain biking too, but the sand and Sierra “moon dust” — a product of the eroded volcanic rock — can easily spoil a ride.

Buttermilk Country, Clark Canyon, and the Pines have free camping. With better facilities (like toilets), “the Pit” charges $2 per vehicle per night and has easy access to water and more opportunities to meet fellow travelers — not to mention a generous 60-day stay limit.

On a rest day, chill at the Looney Bean on Main, browse the books at the Inyo County Library, and shower up at Keough Hot Springs.

Carbondale, Colorado

From this Western Colorado town, grab your mountain bike and head to Red Hill Recreation Area or wander through the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area.

You can kayak the Colorado and Crystal Rivers and then relax with a soak in Penny Hot Springs, a natural springs in the Crystal River.

The Carbondale area also makes a great base camp for climbers.

Romancing the pass / Photo: justalexanders

The limestone crags of Rifle Mountain Park, Independence Pass bouldering and climbing areas, and the riverside Redstone Boulders are all an easy drive from town.

There’s plenty of free camping on the BLM land just south of Carbondale — take the Prince Creek Road until the pavement ends and pick your spot. Several more developed, fee campgrounds can be found in White River National Forest.

Grab a killer breakfast at the Village Smithy and live music and a cheap pint of Fat Tire at White House Pizza. The Novel Tea Shop on Main Street has plenty of tent reading material, and the Carbondale Community Food Co-op can set you up with local produce.

Elko, Nevada

Elko is located just off I-80 near the halfway between Reno and Salt Lake City and is home to a burgeoning outdoors community. It’s practically surrounded by recreation areas, including the Ruby Mountains, affectionately known as the Alps of Nevada.

Photo: adie reed

Cedar Creek Clothing in downtown Elko is a good place to pick up a guidebook on the region and get trail recommendations.

Lamoille Canyon — the Rubys’ most stunning valley — has challenging and scenic mountain biking, rock climbing, backpacking, and backcountry skiing.

Serious off-road, route-finding adventure can be had by trekking out to one of the primitive hot springs in the area.

Find free camping along the creek just down-canyon from the forest service campground and along the dirt road heading to Camp Lamoille. For beers and a taste of the local cowboy culture, stop by O’Carrolls in the tiny village of Lamoille.

Moab, Utah

Moab still deserves a spot on the list, though perhaps not for long.

Photo: Tim Brink

This corner of southeastern Utah is world famous for its slickrock mountain bike trails, endless hiking and backpacking opportunities, and sandstone climbing, but also for its ever-increasing summer crowds.

Free camping is slowly being pushed farther from Moab proper, but primitive options still exist near Onion Creek, Kane Creek Canyon, Indian Creek, and off the road to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.

With the closure of the legendary Matrimony Springs, dirtbaggers looking for a free water fill-up should go to the GearHeads store in downtown Moab. Outside, water is scarce and the air is dry, so make sure to carry at least a gallon per person per day.

For nighttime hydration, grab a growler of Black Raven Stout from the Moab Brewery before heading out to the BLM land to set up camp. Organic and local foods are sold at the Moonflower Market; for a good book, the Edward Abbey collection at Back of Beyond Books is worth a browse.

Community Connection

Check out our picks for Top 15 Adventure Towns Worldwide.

Photo: NASA/Sandra Joseph, Kevin O’Connell

You’ve been to remote jungle villages in Papua New Guinea, the desert expanses of the Sahara, even the frozen wasteland of Antarctica. Next, the stars?

To really experience the final frontier — today — you only have one option:

The International Space Station

Since November of 2000, the ISS has been continually occupied by rotating multinational “Expedition” crews. These men and women carry out scientific experiments and assist in the ongoing construction of the station, due to be completed by 2011.

Photo: FlyingSinger

For the most determined civilian space travelers, this is currently the ultimate goal — to journey to and live for a short time aboard the International Space Station.

In 2001, American Dennis Tito became the first true space tourist by doing just that.

He was shuttled to the ISS by the Russian Space Agency, on board a Soyuz spacecraft and with a small Russian crew, and spent seven days on the station.

A handful of other fee-paying space travelers have followed Tito, most recently Canadian Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.

Logistics

Russia is still the only game in town for getting to the ISS. But you can’t just call the Kremlin and ask for a ride. All Soyuz trips are brokered by the American company Space Adventures.

Its space tourist program includes intensive astronaut/cosmonaut training — think zero-gravity jet flights, underwater spacewalk simulations, and spins in a high-g centrifuge — in addition to the flight and an average of 10 days on the station.

Cost

Photo: The U.S. Army

The exact amount paid by each Space Adventures client is not readily disclosed, but figures ranging from $20 to $30 million USD are most often tossed around.

For just $3 million, you can sit in on all the training, only to watch the Soyuz blast off without you.

Individual training exercises, “launch tours,” and other opportunities are available for much less.

ISS visitors are now able to participate in a spacewalk for an additional $15 million — so far, no one has accepted the challenge.

Sub-Orbital Flights

If you aren’t a dot-com billionaire or haven’t started your own interpretative circus troupe, there might still be hope for you.

Sub-orbital flights are the up-and-coming trend in space tourism, transporting passengers in small, airplane-like craft beyond the internationally recognized boundary of space (100km straight up).

Richard Branson is looking to take the lead in this. His Virgin Galactic has already pre-sold over 250 $200,000 tickets for flights that will begin at an as-of-yet-unspecified date.

Photo: Mike Miley

Virgin is the only company with the rights to SpaceShipTwo, successor to the Scaled Composites craft that won the Ansari X PRIZE back in 2004.

Weekly flights will launch from California’s Mojave Spaceport and carry six passengers to an altitude of 109km (68 miles), where they will experience several minutes of weightlessness and have views of twinkle-free stars and the curvature of Earth.

And Virgin’s not alone. Companies like Space Adventures and Armadillo Aerospace are also developing sub-orbital tourist flights to launch from spaceports around the world.

For a less elevated expedition, Incredible Adventures runs flights to what they refer to as “the edge of space” (21km/68,000ft) in a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet. While certainly not an extraterrestrial voyage, passengers do get a glimpse of black sky. Cost: $10,000+

What the Future Holds

The space tourism industry is advancing faster than most people realize. Within a decade or two, the well-heeled (and perhaps even you and I) will enjoy a variety of options for experiencing outer space. Detailed analysis of potential space tourism markets can be found here.

Photo: .Martin.

Resorts in space

One avenue being explored by several outfits, including Bigelow Aerospace and Galactic Suite, is the construction of space hotels. Bigelow already has two prototype modules in orbit.

By the time any orbiting resorts are ready for use, it’s estimated transport will cost around $20,000 per guest, plus tens of thousands more per night’s stay.

The Space Island Group takes things a step further, advertising plans to construct multiple independent orbiting “islands.” The islands will house

factories, hotels, medical centers, laboratories, zero-gravity sports arenas and satellite repair centers, along with dozens of other uses which can’t be imagined today.

They make the rather bold claim that 20,000 people will be inhabiting and working within their islands by the year 2020.

Photo: woodleywonderworks

Beyond Earth orbit

Space Adventures is stepping it up in this category as well. For a mere $100 million, you can sign up to be one of the first to take part in their circumlunar mission.

Following six to eight months of training, you’ll launch aboard a specially designed Soyuz craft and, depending on whether you make a pitstop at the ISS or not, spend 10 to 21 days in space.

The climax will come as you swing round the far side of the moon and experience the allegedly spiritual sight of earthrise.

Sound like a pipe dream? National Geographic reports this voyage could be ready to launch in three years.

The farther space tourism reaches, the cheaper the close-at-hand options will become. Here’s to adding Earth orbit to our travel itineraries within our lifetime.

Community Connection

Matador’s covered the concept of space travel in the past. For more, check out 6 Predictions For The Future Of Travel and Room for You…in Space.

Photo: orcmid

The Big Boys

1. TransAmerica Trail

It doesn’t get much bigger than this.

The TransAmerica was inaugurated during the 1976 “Bikecentennial,” a bicycle-based celebration of America’s 200th Independence Day. The route runs 4,262 miles from Virginia’s Atlantic coast, through the heartland of the USA, over the Rockies, and terminates at the Pacific in Oregon.

It was the success of the Bikecentennial that strengthened the popularity of cycle touring and led to the creation of many more American trails, some of which are profiled below.

Photo: billaday

2. Pacific Coast Route

Delivering what it promises, the Pacific Coast Route takes you from Washington’s border with Canada all the way down to San Diego, hugging the water practically the whole way.

Much of the 1,853-mile route is on shared roads, though there are some bicycle-dedicated stretches. Services — including top-notch campgrounds — are never far away.

For the super determined, the route can be extended beyond U.S. borders: north into British Columbia and south into Mexico…and beyond.

3. East Coast Greenway

Though currently only 23% complete, the East Coast Greenway will one day link Calais, Maine, and Key West, Florida, with a 3,000-mile, firm-surface, non-motorized trail system.

If you want to help the Greenway folks get this done just a little bit quicker, check out the details on their Close the Gaps Campaign.

The route is definitely ridable today, with the remaining 77% comprised of low-traffic roads.

4. Great Divide Trail

Challenge-seekers, this one’s for you. I’ll throw out some stats to get the blood pumping: 2,493 miles long. Mixes gravel, single-track, and converted railroad beds. Crosses the Continental Divide 50+ times. Gains more than 200,000 feet of elevation!

One of the founders of the Great Divide Trail has this to say:

People who’ve ridden this trail laugh when they hear others say the Tour de France is tough.

Photo: Jeremy & Taylor

The record time for cycling the whole thing? 15 days.

5. Mississippi River Trail

Get to know America’s Big River by cycling its length. The Mississippi River Trail follows it for 2,000 miles from its source in Minnesota, down through steamboat country, to the delta in New Orleans.

The trail includes bike-friendly roads as well as off-road paths and winds through 10 states.

Historic Trails

6. Underground Railroad

The escape of Southern slaves to the freedom of the North is one of the most tragic and heroic stories in American history. With the newly unveiled Underground Railroad Trail, you can see firsthand the routes that were taken by these fugitives.

Only, picture yourself traveling at night. Pursued. Oh yeah, and on foot.

For more info on the 2,028-mile trail, check out the four-part documentary playing on Adventure Cycling Association’s YouTube channel.

Photo: Jason Pratt

7. Lewis & Clark Trail

These were the explorers charged with mapping the land acquired in Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase, and this route traces their journey through the Great Plains and into the Pacific Northwest.

Of course, the original voyage was made largely by boat on the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, so the bike route follows the water whenever possible. It extends for 3,252 miles on a mix of paved roads and multi-use trails and gives easy access to many museums dedicated to the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Short(er) and Sweet

8. C&O Canal and Towpath + Great Allegheny Passage

Though created and maintained as two separate paths, these non-motorized trails link up to connect Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, PA, running a total of 330 miles. Cycling the two takes a few days and is popular in autumn, when the leaves turn.

The C&O Towpath is the same one that was used to drag boats along the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal until the waterway’s closure in 1924. Its route is now preserved as a park.

Photo: Ken_Mayer

In Cumberland, MD, the Great Allegheny Passage takes over. The rail trail has yet to be extended into Pittsburgh proper, but work is underway to complete this last phase of construction.

9. Green Mountains Loop

If you’re not up for driving the Green Mountain State, why not cycle it? The 376-mile Green Mountains Loop starts and ends in Burlington and threads through the small New England towns and forests that make VT so special.

Most of the route is on shoulder-less roads, though traffic is generally light. While you won’t actually be climbing any mountains, expect hills.

10. Denali Highway

The Denali Highway was once a supply route for miners during Alaska’s Gold Rush, and later the main road for visitors to Denali National Park. Those days are over, and now the highway is a prime destination for cyclers.

Though a fairly short ride at just 133 miles, there are plenty of opportunities for off-the-saddle exploration — you don’t have to look far to find a chance to hike, paddle, or camp.

The highway runs from Paxson to Cantwell and is mostly gravel.

More

A map showing several of these routes and many more is provided by the Adventure Cycling Association.

Community Connection

New to cycle touring? Make sure to check out these Matador resources:

How to Train and Prepare For Your First Multi-Day Ride

How to Choose a Touring Bicycle

Bicycle Touring: A Solid Setup

8 Steps for Successful Self-Supported Bicycle Tours

All photos by author

Most travelers who make their way to the Australian state of Victoria (most commonly Melbourne) eventually find themselves heading to the Great Ocean Road. It’s a stretch of coastline in Victoria’s south that runs around 155 mi/250 km from Torquay to Warrnambool, and which includes the famous 12 Apostles.

What many visitors don’t bother to do though, is to hike any part of the 56 mi/91 km trail that hugs the coastline and gets you right down to the beaches. This is where Mother Nature is, away from the cars and buses, and into the bush with the kangaroos, wallabies, and echidnas.

Lots of options

You don’t have to hike the whole thing. You don’t even have to hike half of it. There are many points of entry and exit which facilitate short and long day hikes, and which many visitors explore while using a B&B or hotel for accommodation.

Shuttles can be hired to drop you off and pick you up at agreed-upon spots and times, and they’ll even do bag drop-off and food delivery (although, many purist hikers take major exception to this practice). We used GOR Shuttle to get taxied back to our van — I personally recommend them.

Tours are also available, if that’s your cup of tea.

For the overnight hikers

The Great Ocean Walk (GOW) starts at the Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centre and ends 90+ kms later at Glenample — within viewing distance of the 12 Apostles. For the hardest of the hardcore, this is a suggested 7-night, 8-day walk.

All the campsites on the walk are hike-in only. To minimise the environmental impact, Parks Victoria keeps the number of overnight hikers low, so each campsite has only eight spots for pitching a tent.

The campgrounds are very basic and have composting toilets, one or two untreated rainwater tanks, and a small 3-sided shelter. Open fires are not allowed and if the fire hazard is extreme, you may not even be allowed to cook with an open flame.

Pick and choose your itinerary

Overnight hikers can opt to do one-night/two-day hikes, two-night/three-day hikes, and so on. There are many starting and ending points but you must obtain a camping permit before spending the night.

For a detailed list of possible itineraries, read this very helpful PDF of FAQs.

A popular itinerary

Probably the most popular stretch of the walk is from Johanna Beach to the end at Glenample. This takes in roughly half of the trail — but from all accounts this is the better half. It is three nights, so is doable over a long weekend, which explains why it was booked solid when my wife and I tried to reserve sites over the Labour Day long weekend (early March in Australia).

Johanna Beach hike-in campsite

But you’re a traveler, and you don’t even know what a weekend is, right? Perfect. We backed it up for one night (starting Thursday instead of Friday) and found ourselves almost completely alone for the whole walk, sharing each campground with only one other couple.

Johanna Beach to Glenample

If you’re driving in, you have two options: park at Johanna Beach and arrange a shuttle at the end to drive you back to your car, or park at the end and get shuttled to Johanna Beach to begin. The latter is better in my opinion, but we were forced to do the former due to time constraints.

The Johanna Beach hike-in campground is around one kilometer from the carpark, although it is all uphill. This is good though as it puts you at the top of the cliff overlooking Joahanna Beach and the coastline beyond. Brilliant view to wake up to the next morning.

Note: the drive-in campground here is free, so if you want to save yourself one night’s costs, keep this in mind.

The remaining two campsites you would use are Ryan’s Den and Devil’s Kitchen, in that order. The campgrounds are spaced around 9 mi/15 km apart from each other, so it is an honest day’s hike, especially packing full gear (including your trash — carry out what you carry in).

It’s an undulating trail as you follow the topography of fingers of land that reach into the sea. The vegetation is colourful and varied, and you’ll even pass some blackberry bushes — make sure to pause and fill up on some berry goodness.

When sunny, the ocean to your left is a rich blue, reminiscent of the Mediterranean but with the wildness of the Oregon Coast.

Things to consider

*There are some stretches of beach walking (e.g. Milanesia and Wreck Beach) that are inaccessible at high tide. Check tide times before you start, otherwise you will have to take the less scenic high routes.

*You must reserve your campsite at least two weeks in advance, and you are only allowed to stay a single night in each one.

The 12 Apostles come into view

*It pays to reserve early. As we were the first to book, we were awarded with site #8 at each campsite. The sites are numbered 1-8 from the entrance, with 8 being the closest to the cliff’s edge, meaning the best views.

*When planning your itinerary, keep in mind that you are only permitted to walk in one direction: from Apollo Bay to Glenample. Booking campsites in the reverse direction is not allowed.

*As stated previously, each campground has rainwater tanks, but they are untreated. Make sure to pack some sort of filtration system or purification tablets. At the very minimum, if you don’t have these, boil the water for 10 minutes.

*I’m a big fan of telescopic hiking sticks as they help to distribute the weight of your pack to your arms too. They can also be extremely handy on tricky downhill sections. Highly recommended.

*The toilet houses are quite nice and one of them even has an ocean view. Toilet paper is provided, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to bring a bit extra, just in case.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

To read my personal account of the walk, check out 4 Nights on the Great Ocean Walk. If you’re just interested in pictures, pop over to my Flickr set.

Trips co-editor Hal Amen witnesses our changing world while Hiking the Chacaltaya Glacier. If you want to get philosophical about the ethics of hiking, read Nature for Sale: The Growing Trend of Wilderness Consumption.

Photo: dbking

See an Active Volcano

The Big Island is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea, which has erupted a total of 40 times since 1924.

The current ongoing eruption began on January 3, 1983, and wiped out several housing developments. It shows no signs of stopping.

By air

The best viewpoint to appreciate the true power and size of Kilauea is from above. Helicopter tours fly directly over the mouth of the crater itself, allowing you peer down into the violence of steam, sulfur, and lava.

A helicopter tour also affords views of Hawaii’s other natural attractions, such as cliffs, waterfalls, macadamia nut and coffee farms, and rolling green hillsides.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers first-class tours and the highest ratings for safety, employing some of the most experienced pilots. The company’s been featured in National Geographic, and Hollywood film productions like Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Pearl Harbor have hired its services.

By sea

Photo: PlassPhoto

The lava itself is best seen from the sea, as day turns to night and the newest land in the world begins to glow with an inner fire. The lava flows from the caldera more than 3,700 feet to the coast, where it drops into a steaming ocean.

Just before twilight, spectators gather in the dozens and sometimes hundreds on a nearby cliff to watch the spectacle. But nothing gets you as up close and personal as an ocean-bound vessel.

Captain “Lava Roy” Carvalho is an experienced boat tour operator who has been in business since 2005. He’ll expertly navigate you to within a hundred yards of shore, where you can clearly watch the liquid lavafalls meet the surging sea.

By land

The expense of a helicopter or boat tour isn’t necessary, however, to have a volcano experience. At Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, visitors can view the Kilauea crater from a prime overlook, as well as tour the adjacent Thomas A. Jaggar Museum with its geologic displays, working seismic equipment, and videos of previous eruptions.

Excellent hiking trails run throughout the park, one of which leads through the Thurston Lava Tube, an extinct lava tunnel created by flow from Kilauea.

For the car-equipped, the Chain of Craters Road is a forty-mile drive taking about three hours round-trip, with spectacular vistas of both the volcano and the surrounding rainforest.

Guests can stay overnight at Volcano House Hotel, and campgrounds are also available within the park.

Get on the Water

From its unique selection of beaches — with sand of the white, black, and even green varieties — to its diverse range of water sport activities — surfing, kayaking, sailing, diving, snorkeling, and more — the Big Island delivers for ocean fans.

Photo: Mr.Thomas

Combining some of these into a multi-sport adventure makes for an incredible day.

A popular trip is to kayak the mile and a half across Kealakekua Bay to the Captain Cook Monument, which marks the spot where the first European visitor to the Hawaiian Islands died.

With its sheltered waters, extensive coral reef, and abundance of underwater life, the bay provides superior snorkeling and diving year round. It’s also inaccessible by car, so the only people you’re likely to encounter will be your fellow kayakers. Spinner dolphins and green sea turtles like to hang out here too.

Just off the Kona Coast, a community of the giant manta rays feeds on plankton each night, drawn by the lights that spill over the water from the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort. The Travel Channel has called a night dive/snorkel with these creatures one of the “Top 10 Things to Do in Your Lifetime.”

The rays are gentle and non-territorial, with no barbs or teeth, simply gliding silently through the waves as if flying (their wingspans can measure up to twelve feet).

The phosphorescence of the plankton gives an eerie bluish-white glow to the graceful rays, their whale-like mouths open wide as they filter feed.

Experience Hawaiian Culture

You don’t come to Hawaii and miss a luau, so head to the above-mentioned Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort, just meters from the manta rays’ feeding spot. It offers dinner and a show called Firenesia every Monday night.

Photo: Paul Kehrer

With great drama and exhilarating dance, the performers demonstrate their skill and grace as you dine on traditional luau dishes at the water’s edge on Keauhou Bay.

The birthplace of Hawaii’s great King Kamehameha III, Keauhou Bay is rich with historical sites.

Just a few miles south, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park — meaning “place of refuge” — protects 180 acres of ancient homes of the chiefs, royal palaces, and temples. Beautiful at sunset, this sacred place gives visitors an important glimpse into Hawaiian culture.

Further north in Kohala, you can hike through the Valley of the Kings, known as Waipio, where waterfalls rush over the edge of steep green cliffs and drop into the ocean.

Or, walk the 1.5-mile Malama Trail to view the 1,200 petroglyphs found at Puakõ Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve. A total of 3,000 designs have been identified, including paddlers, dancers, animals, and deity symbols, providing a fascinating view into the lives of pre-colonial Hawaiians.

For more, visit Hawaii’s official tourism site, gohawaii.com.

Community Connection

Surfer? Don’t miss Top 10 Surf Spots (for Mortals) in Hawaii. Stargazer? Find out which Hawaii locale made our list of World’s Best Stargazing Destinations.

BNT also has the scoop on Hawaii Car Rentals: How To Score Wheels In Paradise.

Photo: Ai@ce

Photo: Brad Marshall

1. White Mountains of New Hampshire

A premier destination for summer backpacking and autumn leaf peeping, the White Mountains of New Hampshire transform into an arena for serious mountaineering in the winter.

From the steep gullies of Huntington’s Ravine to the wind-ripped summit of Mount Washington, the White Mountains provide an excellent venue for learning and refining your mountaineering skills.

2. Rocky Mountains in Colorado

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are an ideal place to build experience at altitude and traveling over exposed terrain. Though it doesn’t require a rope or technical climbing, the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak is a serious objective with severe exposure. It is certainly a test for any budding alpinist.

Photo: papalars

3. Cascade Range in Washington State

Mount Rainier is a classic destination for mountaineers for obvious reasons: It’s one of the best mountains in the US to climb for big adventure.

But Rainier is only one of hundreds of mountains in the Cascade range. Offering everything from glacier travel to alpine rock climbing, and serving as the home for several of the world’s best guiding companies, the range is an excellent classroom for the mountaineering student.

4. Volcanoes of Ecuador

The Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Oriental in Ecuador feature very high, but relatively accessible, summits.

The highest peaks, Chimborazo (20,561 feet) and Cotopaxi (19,347 feet), require only basic glacier travel and general mountain experience, making them ideal for novice mountaineers looking to experience extreme elevation.

5. Southern Alps of New Zealand

Though the altitude is relatively low, the Southern Alps of New Zealand provide an excellent opportunity to build confidence on more technical terrain.

Involving steep couloirs, heavily crevassed glaciers, and extreme coastal weather, the mountains of the Southern Alps allow beginners to stretch their abilities under the supervision of a guide.

Photo: mer de glace

6. French Alps

The French Alps, and specifically Mont Blanc, have been an alpine proving ground since the birth of the sport. What better place to test your skills than on one of the classic routes up the original mountaineering objective?

Mont Blanc offers a whole range of routes, but even the easiest requires basic mountaineering skills and experience with glacier travel. The area, of course, is serviced by some of the best mountain guides in the world.

Community Connection

More tips for the beginning mountaineer can be found in 7 Mountaineering Essentials and How to Get Started Mountaineering.

Photographer: monterd

Community Connection

Like what you see? Stay on theme with The World’s Most Spectacular Roads and Matador’s Top 7 Summer Road Trips in the US/Canada.

Photo: André Brugiroux

Somewhere between 189 and 217 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen (depending on your source of information), and some 130 off the coast of Somalia, like a tiny, glittering tongue-stud in the gaping maw of the Gulf of Aden, lies the legendary island of Socotra (Suquṭra), ancient source of ambergris, dragon’s blood, frankincense, and myrrh.

Now an International Biosphere Reserve, it’s been called a Wonder Land, the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, and one of The Most Alien Landscapes on Earth.

“It is one of those unique places in the world,” says Spanish toptrotter Jorge Sanchez, founder of the well-respected Travelers Exploits Club.

And it has a long and distinguished history of being very hard to get to.

By Sea

With two annual monsoons (southwest from June-October and northeast from April-May), no natural harbor, not much anchorage to speak of, and a flourishing offshore piracy business, arrival by sea has always been problematic.

Photo: NASA

Thomas the Apostle is said to have been shipwrecked here sometime in the first century A.D., on his way to or from India. They say he built a church from the wreckage.

Marco Polo managed a safe landing, apparently, but noted the abundance of corsairs selling booty to the locals. For the generally uncooperative weather he squarely blamed the latter: a naked people he described as “the most skilful enchanters in the world.” He continues,

[I]f a ship is proceeding full sail with a favourable wind, they raise a contrary one, and oblige it to return. They can make it blow from any quarter they please, and cause either a dead calm or a violent tempest.

According to The Arabian Nights, Sinbad the Sailor made a brief call here on his fifth voyage, only to have his ship destroyed not by Socotran witchcraft but by a pair of huge, angry, possibly not entirely mythical birds-of-prey dropping boulders on it.

Birds of such description no longer factor among the 211 species on the Socotra Bird Checklist. And the last Socotran witchcraft trials are said to have been held in the 1970s. But the corsairs, as always well-equipped with the latest in contemporary weaponry and chutzpah, are still very much in business.

According to Alan Lucas’ classic Red Sea and Indian Ocean Cruising Guide, “vessels have been grappled and towed into shore for looting.” Yachtsmen are advised to give the archipelago as wide a berth as possible.

Several local fishermen have been murdered in the last seven months, or have had their boats or engines taken out from under them at gunpoint. A freighter bound for Socotra with 2,000 tons of diesel fuel was taken by Somali pirates and held for ransom between January and April of this year, causing a shortage of electricity on the island.

The silver lining, for diving enthusiasts, is an unparalleled underwater landscape of sunken vessels waiting to be explored.

By Air

Bill Altaffer, of Expedition Photo Travel in San Diego, was among the first tourists to Socotra after a new airstrip was built in 1999. It almost didn’t happen for him.

“We got on a plane in Sana’a,” he recalls.

It was a crummy plane, a Yemen Air piece of shit, and as we’re about to lift off there’s this big bang and flames shoot out of the engine.

Photo: Sotti

Altaffer’s been to every country in the world, plus 300 island groups, disputed areas, territories, and colonies. He’s been to both poles. He’s surfed off every continent and skied on six. The dude was the first American to surf the legendary Queenscliff bombora off Manly Beach in Sydney (in 1962).

He wasn’t about to let a little equipment failure get in the way of his pioneering visit to what he describes as “an island full of blond people who are descendants of Alexander the Great.”

If it had come to it, he’d have gone through Aden, where weeks earlier the USS Cole had docked to a warm welcome of Al Qaeda-brand C-4 explosives. As it turned out, Yemenia found another plane in somewhat better condition.

“The easiest way from the U.S. is through Dubai on Emirates,” says Charles Veley, of San Francisco, who by his own count is The World’s Most Traveled Man.

If you don’t want to stop in Dubai, you should continue on to Sana’a on Emirates. Transiting to Yemenia (last time I did it) involves a terminal change and isn’t fun.

At age 44, Veley has been to 710 “countries, territories, autonomous regions, enclaves, geographically separated island groups, and major states and provinces.” When he gets to 762 he figures he’ll have been “everywhere” — that is, unless the number goes up before he gets there.

Charles Veley on Socotra

He hit Socotra early on December 31, 2004, back when there was only one flight a week, “so the choice was whether to turn around the same day or stay 7 days.”

Veley stayed for a couple of hours, found the landscape “remarkable and otherworldly,” and the people “super-friendly — much friendlier than on the mainland,” then got back on the plane in time to make a giant New Year’s Eve party and Sean Paul concert at the Sheraton in Addis Ababa.

When he goes back to Socotra, he says, he’ll spend 3-5 days and treat it “like a camping trip, because the hotels are basic and in the only town [Hadibo], and the scenery is far out of town.”

Until recently, Yemenia (Yemen National Airways) was the only airline with semi-regular service to Socotra (SCT). For a while it was almost daily, out of both Sana’a and Aden, through Riyan (RIY) at Al Mukalla.

Then, what with one of its dozen or so planes dropping into the ocean, and all attendant and ongoing international scrutiny of maintenance habits and such, Yemenia seems to have cancelled some of its domestic schedule.

Photo: Sotti

For now anyway, local upstart Felix Airways has stepped into the void, with its four Canadian Bombardier CRJ700s (and four more on order) and five scheduled round-trip flights weekly between Riyan and Socotra (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).

Connect to Riyan via Sana’a (SAH) or Aden (ADE). Online booking is “coming soon.”

In the meantime, try contacting their office at the Sana’a airport on 967-1-565656, or by email at callcenter@felixairways.com.

And let us know how it goes!

Rules, Regs & Red Flags

For the latest travel advisories, piracy and terrorism updates, and general visa information, check the U.S. State Department’s oft-updated Yemen Page.

Get your visa beforehand in Washington, says Veley: “Supposedly they are available on arrival, but they’re not very forthcoming at the window in the Sana’a airport.”

General Notes/Tips from Jorge Sanchez

You can hitch hike from the airport to Hadibo: the first car will give you a ride. In Hadibo there are several hotels, you can bargain for the price. The first one is where all tourists meet, Germans, Italians, and the rest. They organize trips, excursions, rent Land Rovers, etc. I went further downtown and found a nice hotel, cheap, with shower. But several nights I slept à la belle etoile, on the beach. People brought us mattresses to sleep on the sand.

Photo: Boris Khvostichenko

Fish is good and cheap, as well as goats.

Transport is easy: just stop any pick-up and negotiate a price for the highlights of the island, especially the dragon’s blood trees and the oasis in the middle of the island, it’s all very cheap.

Learn some Arabic, it’s very useful in negotiating prices.

The only inconvenience is that beers are forbidden, and all alcohol, so it’s water or Coca Cola. Still, you will not regret visiting Socotra!

Community Connection

Have you been to Socotra? We would LOVE to hear from you. Share your experiences in the comments!

For more otherworldly scenes, be sure to check out Photo Essay: The Most Alien Landscapes on Earth.

It usually starts out as a boast. Your friend, a drink in hand, will speak of another friend who just returned from the West Coast Trail — a daunting 75km hike along the southern edge of Vancouver Island.

“75km?” you’ll say. “That doesn’t sound too difficult.” To which your friend will reply, “I could totally do it. Easy.”

If you’re like most people, the next time you see your friend you’ll both politely refrain from mentioning the promise again. You’ll think you’re too busy to take 5-7 days to conquer the trail. “Maybe next year,” you’ll think.

But sometimes that promise is kept — as in the case of myself and two other buddies who found ourselves standing on the threshhold of the trail in early July.

We’d just completed our orientiation session, which promised the following: torrential rain, slippery boulders, cougar babies, rickety ladders, cable cars, beaver fever, broken ankles, raging bears, and surging tides.

“You ready?” I ask my friends as we hitch up our bulging packs and steel ourselves to hit the trail.

“Doesn’t matter,” they answer. And we step out onto the beach.

1. The author sets out on the journey. I wish I could tap this guy on the shoulder and say, “75 km, buddy. Seriously.”

2. Buoys hanging from the trees notify the hikers where to get on and off the beach trail.

3. Sean Aiken snaps a photo of one of the many waterfalls along the coast.

4. At Pachena Lighthouse, a cluster of signs point the distances to various countries around the world.

5. The wreckage of the Varsity, a 1940s fishing vessel, sits rusting in the ocean air.

6. Depending on how close you look, you can find a universe in unexpected places.

7. Sean awaits the ferry at Nitnat Narrows. The crossing is operated by a local First Nations tribe.

8. Sea lions dot the rocks off the coast, barking incessantly. / Photo: Bryan Jackson

9. Along the trail, the constant rain nourishes an innumerable amount of fungi and plantlife.

10. Water doesn’t come easy. All rivers and creeks must be filtered before drinking.

11. If you’re lucky, each night you’ll be greeted with a stunning sunset rarely matched elsewhere. / Photo: Bryan Jackson

12. The author enjoys a campfire and a shot of Fireball whiskey (a crucial addition to any successful wilderness trek).

13. Ben and Sean walk along the rocky shelf at low tide.

14. The stunning beauty of Owen Point resembles a Dr. Seuss storybook.

15. The intrepid hikers pause for a moment of reflection, and a nicely framed photo.

16. Leave nothing but footsteps…take nothing but memories. / Photo: Ben Felch

17. At the end of the trail, our water taxi awaits to whisk us back to the beginning.

Community Connection

Ian isn’t the only Matador editor that’s taken to the trail recently. Over at the Traveler’s Notebook, Josh Johnson shares his experiences day hiking Mt. Rainier in Photo Essay: Day Hike to Camp Muir, Mt. Rainier.

For the lowdown on a different kind of epic trail, check out How To Trek The Inca Trail.

Photo above: gudi&cris, Feature photo: discosour

Most people have likely only heard of one Inca road, the Inca Trail that passes over mountains, through the Sun Gate, and into the Wonder of the World that is Machu Picchu.

But Peru and other Andean countries are riddled with the remains of hundreds, if not thousands, of Inca roads. One secret of the empire’s success was exactly this degree of connection between its distant and diverse territories.

The local Quechua people, the Incas’ direct descendants, retain knowledge about these routes. In fact, they still use them to travel from one mountain-trapped town to another, to transport goods to weekly markets, maybe even to go to school each morning.

Just this past week, news emerged that a team of Peruvian and Spanish archaeologists have uncovered yet another track, which appears to have provided an alternative point of access to Machu Picchu.

In typical Inca fashion, it is “paved” with stones and reinforced with walls that in some places stand as high as 16ft.

Photo: Lee Coursey

Information is scant, but you can read more about the discovery in the Latin American Herald Tribune.

Experts think the reason the road may have gone so long without being found is that it was sacred, used only by Inca priests, and so awareness of it was limited.

What lies in store for the road now that it’s seen the light of day again? I’m sure it can kiss its former sacredness adios.

Give it five years, then look for the signs in Cuzco’s tour agency windows: “Why hike the commoner’s Inca Trail when you can follow in the footsteps of priests?”

Community Connection

Of course, you don’t have to trail it at all to get to Machu Picchu, and in forgoing the trek you can save some real dough. Find out how in Machu Picchu on the Cheap.

Think the whole thing is overhyped and overrated? Why not Discover Your Own Machu Picchu at Choquequirao, Peru?

Photo above: Martin St-Amant, Feature photo: Rick McCharles

Restoration to this small Incan city only began in the ’90s. The first visitors had to cross the Apurímac River via a rope bridge to reach it.

During a typical afternoon at Machu Picchu, you’ll be one among hundreds (if not thousands). At Choquequirao, you might see six or seven other visitors, if any.

While the ruins currently sit under the radar, their recent addition to the tour rosters in Cuzco means they won’t stay there forever. There’s also talk of building a highway to the site within the next 10 years. Consider yourself warned — get there now.

Practicalities

Choquequirao lies northwest of Cuzco, on the opposite side of snowy Mt. Salkantay from Machu Picchu. Access is via the highway to Abancay.

Photo: Rick McCharles

The trek has become standard fare among tour operators in Cuzco, running around $200 per person, all-inclusive (minus tip, of course). Remember the general rule: the farther you wander from the main plaza, the less you’ll pay.

Of course, it’s possible to visit the ruins on your own. Knowing some Spanish is helpful, but the destination is popular enough now that most people will know what you’re doing and be able to help.

Hop an Abancay-bound bus and ask the driver to let you off at the turnoff to Cachora, just after the Saihuite archeological site. From there, flag down one of the frequent taxis that make the short journey to Cachora. There’s basic accommodation in the village if you need it.

From the plaza, follow the main road downhill, continuing after it turns to dirt. Soon, you’ll see a blue entrance sign pointing you towards the path to the ruins. Once on it, it’s nearly impossible to get lost.

Independent hikers will need to pay two different access fees along the trail, as it runs through Apurímac and Cuzco Departments. Each is around $12 per person.

Come prepared — you’ll be experiencing vastly different elevations and ecosystems, so both mosquito repellant and a warm sleeping bag are advisable.

The Trek

This is no saunter down the Inca Trail.

Photo: Nelo

From the village to the ruins and back, you’re looking at 74 km (46 miles). But it’s the elevation changes that really kill.

On the first day, the trail drops 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) to the floor of the Apurímac River valley, only to climb even higher on day 2. Then, you do the whole thing again when it’s time to leave.

Don’t let your guide — carefully trained in “exhausted-tourist encouragement” — fool you. This is tough stuff.

Most tours run 4 days/3 nights, but duration depends largely on your ability. Some people take 5 or even 6 days. I did mine in 3…barely. True speed demons (and the clinically insane) have been known to make the round trip in 2.

As with any tour in Peru, the more time you can spare, the more you’ll explore and discover. And in this case, the more your body will thank you when you’re done.

Photo: author

Speaking of sore bodies, a better option for independent trekkers than lugging a 30-40 lb. pack is to hire a mule in Cachora. This is how gear is hauled if you go with a guide — there are no porters.

Campgrounds are plentiful, with three near the river on the Cachora side, a few at varying heights on the mountain opposite, and at least one at Choquequirao itself. They charge a dollar or two per tent, per night.

The best is at Maranpata, at the end of day 2’s long, steep climb. The open views are tremendous, though this makes it a bit chillier.

Bonus adventure

For those who truly want to immerse themselves in the land of the Inca, you can turn this into a 9-day trek that ends in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town). From Choquequirao, the trail drops and climbs a few more times, passing other minor archeological sites en route.

My guide told me the Choquequirao-Machu Picchu trek is incredibly strenuous, but he also called it the best trek in Peru. Only a couple hundred people do it each year. Compare that to the 2,500 descending on Machu Picchu every day, and you’ve got yourself some serious isolation.

Photo: author

The Ruins

Some ads claim that Choquequirao is “bigger than Machu Picchu,” but this refers to the mountain itself, not the ruins.

Choquequirao was a small city, about 20 families strong, and has nowhere near the number of structures as its famous cousin.

However, because restoration began only recently, there’s likely much more still hidden by jungle.

Though your legs may be resisting at this point, make sure to follow the path that drops steeply on the far side of the ruins, which will lead you to a series of terraces. These original stone walls are decorated with white rocks that create the figures of llamas.

Photo: andyinsouthamerica

You won’t find these at Machu Picchu, or anywhere else for that matter.

But the real attraction of Choquequirao is simple: there’s no one there.

Apart from a few teams of restoration workers and one or two other small tourist groups, you’ll have the quiet, magnificent ruins all to yourself — almost as if you were discovering your own Machu Picchu.

Community Connection

Regardless of how many Choquequiraos become available to tourists, the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu trek will remain the biggest draw. Trips has what you need for this itinerary too. Make sure to check out How to Trek the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu on the Cheap.

Photo: aaronbflickr

Most visitors to northern Chile make a beeline to the small inland town of San Pedro de Atacama and never look back. Yet, the best combination of the region’s two most rewarding natural resources — the desert and the coast — is found a few hundred miles to the southwest.

Natural diversity: from desert, to beaches, to penguins

Pan de Azucar National Park occupies over 43,000 hectares, straddling the border of Chile’s Regions II and III. There’s a thin strip of coastal paradise, flanked by miles and miles of desert stretching away from the shore.

Photo: ^riza^

Beach camping is what’s on tap. Wake up to an ocean sunrise, join the seagulls and sandpipers for a quick dip in the sea, and then relax on the sand.

Once you’ve had your fill of beach soccer, surfing, and sunbathing, take a hike to the top of the Mirador for an excellent view of the stark Atacama landscape. Ask the park rangers for more information on the Mirador walk, along with other hiking opportunities.

And don’t forget the penguins! Boats depart from Caleta for tours around Isla Pan de Azucar. There you’ll see sealions laze and bark and Humboldt penguins chatter amongst themselves on the shore.

How to get there

The park lies 800 km north of Santiago and just 30 km from Chañaral. Renting a car, which can be done in Antofagasta or Copiapó, is the most convenient way to reach Pan de Azucar. Hitchhiking is also possible, helped by the fact that Chile is probably South America’s safest country.

A third option is to take a bus to Chañaral, conveniently located on the Pan-American Highway, and then hop a minibus or collectivo to the park.

Where to stay

The four campgrounds (Caleta Pan de Azucar, Piqueros, Soldado, and Piqueros Norte) sit on long strips of white-sand beach, ten minutes from the park entrance.

Photo: ~chicchun~

Soldado and Piqueros Norte are group areas — Soldado mainly sees families, while Piqueros Norte is where young singles flock.

These two campgrounds are the best; the sites are located farther apart from each other for more privacy, and they offer the best views of the ocean. They come with a canopy, campfire ring, and table and chairs. Nearby are bathrooms and cold-water showers, plus sinks for washing dishes.

Also available are a few “fully equipped” beach cabanas, each sleeping six.

Caleta and Piqueros are less expensive but sites are cramped — your view may very well consist of the back of another tent.

Sign up for a campsite at the administration station, which is open from 8:30-12:30am and 2-6pm.

Costs

Photo: law_keven

Beach cabanas: $20,000-$40,000 CLP per night, depending on the season
Campsite at Piqueros Norte or Soldado: $3500 CLP per person, per night
Campsite at Caleta or Piqueros: $2000 CLP per person, per night
Park entrance fee: $3500 CLP per person ($1500 CLP for children)
Boatride to Isla Pan de Azucar: $5000 CLP per person

Special tip: The budget-conscious can try talking to the rangers about a “servicio.” Depending on their mood, you might be able to convince them to let you pick up litter on the beach or empty the garbage bins in the bathrooms in exchange for a night’s stay.

Additional tips

* Though Caleta has a small store, its prices are exorbitant and its selection meager. Buy food and supplies before arriving. There are also vendors who come through in the afternoon with empanadas and sweets, but you shouldn’t rely on them either.

* Pack a flashlight, matches, a knife, plastic bags for trash, sunblock, and sunglasses. These are must-haves for camping in Pan de Azucar.

* A visit in spring (October, November, and December) will give you a look at the blossoming of exotic desert plants and families of guanacos (related to llamas).

* Despite the ocean’s tempering influence, this is still the desert — it gets cold at night, so bring a good jacket and a hat to stay warm.

*If you love the night sky, you’ll love Pan de Azucar. Pack your star map for some serious star gazing.

Community Connection

Matador is the place to read up on Chile! Relevant titles include:

Destinations

Community Connection to Chile

Chile’s Best Coast Towns (which, incidentally, happens to feature Pan de Azucar)

8 Natural Wonders of Chile

10 Reasons to Base Your Study Abroad Experience in Chile

7 Reasons to Learn Spanish in Chile

What People Are Listening to in Chile

Trekking Torres Del Paines, Patagonia, Chile

1.A view from the “Going to the Sun” road. Photo by .Bala.

2.Bits of glacier dotting the mountains. Photo by fddi1.

3.Birthplace of the watershed. Photo by fddi1.

4.The path to Hidden Lake at Logan Pass. Photo by fddi1.

5.Bear in early summer. Feature photo and photo above by Gregg Treinish.

6.Sunset over Glacier National Park. Photo by backpackphotography.

7.A cloudy day at Glacier. Photo by mtsrs.

8.A mountain goat lingering in the shadows. Photo by Gregg Treinish.

9.A lone house in the wilderness. Photo by .Bala.

10.Bluebird day at Glacier. Photo by celebdu.

11.Upper headwaters in Glacier. Photo by celebdu.

12.Lake Josephine. Photo by Navin75.

13.Grinnell Lake. Photo by Navin75.

Community Connection

Interested in visiting Glacier or elsewhere in Montana? Matador has put together one of the most comprehensive resources for Big Sky you’ll find anywhere, including locals’ recommendations for trails, rivers, mountains, restaurants, and bars.

All photos by author

Montana’s Beartooth Scenic Highway (Hwy 212) winds its way over the spine of the Rocky Mountains at 10,970 feet, linking Red Lodge to Cooke City at Yellowstone National Park’s Northeast Entrance. But this byway is more than tight switchbacks and sharp, snowy granite mountains.

Here are six ways to explore this route’s unique terrain and local culture:

1. Spring Skiing on Beartooth Pass

For expert skiers and snowboarders wanting to get a few more turns this summer: bring your skis or board. The couloirs at Beartooth Pass are skiable or ridable until early July and sometimes later, and there’s chairlift access until July 4.

Beartooth Pass has been a historic late-season training area. In 1966, the U.S. Olympic team used the bowl just below the road’s highpoint for training, leaving their equipment behind for the public.

There are plenty of other places along the highway where late-season snowfields are accessible if you don’t mind hiking or hitching rides with tourists traveling up the highway. There is no terrain there for beginners, however. Everything is steep and avalanches are common, especially in the non-lift-accessed areas.

2. National Ski Jouring Finals, Red Lodge

Ski Jouring is like water skiing on snow, where the skier is pulled by sled dogs or horses. Competitors weave through an obstacle course of slalom gates and jumps, sometimes reaching 25 mph. The second day of the Finals includes a big air competition with jumps lofting skiers up to 60 feet.

3. Ride at the Bear Tooth Rally

2009’s Bear Tooth Rally runs from July 17-19. Thousands of riders will be converging on Red Lodge for a series of events including a ride from Red Lodge up and through Beartooth Pass into Cooke City, then looping back to Red Lodge along the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. It’s a round trip of approximately 120 miles, covered in a single day.

There’s also a ‘poker ride’ up the pass, and the Iron Horse Rodeo, where bikers show off their skills piloting their 700 lb steeds on loose dirt around a series of barrels.

4. Snowmobiling in Cooke City

Sledding in this Beartooth region is world class; just ask the development teams of both Arctic Cat and Yamaha. Both companies use the area as testing grounds for their newest equipment. Cooke City has one of the longest winter-sports seasons in the lower 48, with plenty of varied terrain.

5. Festivals and events in Red Lodge and Cooke City

Red Lodge and Cooke City both have rich local histories they celebrate each summer. Red Lodge has the infamous Mountain Man Rendezvous, where participants reenact the old days when trappers gathered to trade supplies, gamble, tell tall tales, fight, and get roaring drunk.

In contrast, the Festival of Nations, held the third week in August, is a much tamer but equally interesting festival. It began as a yearly gathering of immigrant laborers, working in mines and on farms, who would show off the dances and cuisine of their homelands.

Be ready to eat worldly food, watch traditionally dressed performers, and participate in various workshops showcasing skills brought from the Old Country.

Cooke City upholds their less eclectic traditions with their Spring Fling celebration, complete with live music, hog roast, and charity auction hocking everything from arts and crafts to snowmobile parts. The Cooke City Fish Fry has been a town-wide shindig since the 1920s, starting as a last hurrah to get people together before the heavy snow plunged the town into isolation.

In the early days, the Fry included boxing, horse racing, and gambling. Though it’s more sedate now, it’s still worth checking out if you’re in the area on the first weekend in August.

Beartooth Falls

6. The Great Outdoors (hiking, fishing, and mountaineering)

While it’s possible to take in the scenery from the road, being truly immersed in the Beartooth Wilderness is what being here is all about. There are over 700 miles of trails in the region, as well 300 lakes, some of them so remote they have yet to be named. The fish here see so few hooks that they grow to. . . mythical proportions.

Beartooth Plateau has the distinction of being the largest true high-elevation plateau in the continental U.S. There are heaps of climbing options with 25 over-12,000ft peaks, including Granite Peak at 12,807 — Montana’s highest.

While the elevation may seems low by western standards, the harsh conditions lead to a treeline that’s thousands of feet lower, exposing the craggy, vertical rock.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Experience Montana this summer! Matador has spent the spring creating a one-stop resource for planning great Montana roadtrips, whether you want to go backpacking, paddling, or just hit up some of the local bars, restaurants, and breweries.

Photo above: tanvach / Feature photo: René Ehrhardt

Tired of endless hassling from tour companies in northern Thailand’s overtouristed regions like Chiang Mai, the ones promising unique trekking experiences that are anything but? Leave them behind and check out the small province of Nan instead.

Base of Operations: Nan Town

The provincial capital of the same name is a small hub of urbanization tucked into a corner of Thailand’s northwestern bulge. Its main feature is that it doesn’t feature much of anything, just friendly people, straightforward service, and beautiful countryside at its doorstep.

Destinations

Community Connection to Thailand

Nan’s population of 24,000 sees just enough travelers to maintain a few well-run guesthouses and a solid travel agency. There are no guided tours here, no overpriced Western food, no feeling of walking on paths well worn.

One of Nan’s biggest pluses is its accommodations.

The Amazing Guesthouse, situated down a back alley a few blocks from the bus station, is a tiny, quaint place, but its management will embrace you as family.

The wooden floors and walls in the rooms give it a warm and inviting feel while the rates encourage a long stay.

Two older Thai women do all the cooking, cleaning, and advice-giving. Your new-found Thai grandmothers will hook you up with a bike (motored or otherwise), fix a mean omelet for breakfast, and always ask you how your day went.

Now that you’re settled in nice and cozy, take the map they provided and plan your day trips into unexplored territory.

Provincial Exploration

With a motorbike as your trusty steed, there are no limits to what you can see and do in Nan Province.

Photo: apes_abroad

Journey along any of the roads radiating out of town and civilization quickly falls away. The region features the rough and rugged terrain northern Thailand is known for, but it also has flat agrarian stretches ideal for sunset cruising.

Several national parks are within a few hours’ drive of town and offer great venues for exploration. Directly north of Nan lies Tham Pha Tup Forest Park, filled with trails that scramble over and around the lush, rocky landscape.

On a sunny day, the area is a dazzling array of vivid greens and grays. Numerous caves dot the park, giving cool relief after a strenuous climb.

Waterfalls are also scattered throughout the region. The Sila Phet Waterfall, near the northern village of Pua, may not rival Niagara in terms of scale, but it makes up for it with charm.

The stream that feeds the waterfall follows a rocky route, where it often collects in small, clear pools. These watering holes are a favorite for local families, who flock to the area on warm afternoons for picnics and swimming.

Northern Thai Village Life

In between swaths of mountainous terrain, the land runs flat and level, flush with rice fields and villages caught halfway between modernization and tradition.

The houses in these tiny townships are constructed from both wood or bamboo and more modern materials. They line the roads that pass through them, alongside broad-leafed palm trees.

Photo: Hanumann

Relaxing adults populate the open storefronts and porches while packs of children walk along the road’s shoulders and teenagers on motorbikes of their own speed by you.

Just watch for the lazy dogs soaking up the sun on the pavement.

Any of the numerous villages you’ll cruise through are perfect for a stop at a local market. Find familiar items like ice cream and fried chicken along with strange vegetables and ripe, smelly fish spread out on long tables.

Those few words of Thai you may have learned are a good way to earn warm smiles from the various merchants.

South of Nan, the road twists and turns up a mountain pass for a ride that alternates between exhilarating and terrifying. On the other side, it smoothes out and coasts until hitting the fishing village of Pak Nai.

Here, you can try out local flavors or take in the surrounding green mountains on a leisurely raft ride.

Such day trips can be planned and executed for the cost of a few liters of gas — no expensive tour necessary. Ride slow or fast; walk through markets or hike up hills; buy handcrafted souvenirs or eat local specialties. Nan offers travelers the freedom to truly get lost and explore.

Community Connection

If you like what you’ve read here, you may want to continue with our Backpacker’s Secret Guides to Muang Ngoi Neua, Laos; Cabo Polonio, Uruguay; the islands of Trang, Thailand; and Champasak, Laos.

You also might enjoy our tips for How to Get off the Tourist Trail in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Lola Akinmade

Let’s face it: Peru hasn’t done much to make Machu Picchu a budget travel destination.

You’ll drop at least a few hundred on a trek along the Inca Trail. Longer routes can run up to four digits a person, if you book with an agency that actually pays their guides and porters well and cares something for the environment.

Or you have the train. For a seat in the lowest class (Backpacker), British-owned PeruRail charges $50 for the three-hour one-way journey from Poroy (Cuzco). If this is sold out—as it often is in the high season—you’ll need to upgrade to Vistadome class for $70.

And that’s just the transportation. Once you get to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town), you’ll be faced with inflated hostel rates and food prices. And finally, the unavoidable 124 soles (~$40) for entry to the site itself.

Photo: foxtwo

All told, you’re looking at around $200/person as a minimum.

Fortunately, within the last couple years a new option has popped up, one that hasn’t yet made it into most guidebooks: Machu Picchu by car.

By avoiding the overpriced train, this route cuts transportation costs by two thirds.

All-inclusive tours are actually a pretty good deal, while diehard budget travelers can go independently to save even more.

The Tour

This relatively new tour is offered by most agencies clustered around the Plaza de Armas and other tourist areas in Cuzco. Just look for the telltale sign: “Machu Picchu by car.” One online agent even seems to specialize in it.

A good pricing rule to remember: the farther from the plaza you wander, the cheaper the prices you’ll find.

I got mine from an agent on Cuesta San Blas (just below the boutique hotel Casa San Blas) for $115.

All-inclusive is the standard:

* hotel pick-up
* bus or van transport to the hydroelectric station outside Santa Teresa
* tickets for the 45-minute train ride from there to Aguas Calientes
* a night’s accommodation in town
* two full meals plus snacks
* entrance to Machu Picchu
* a two-hour guided tour of the site

Lunch on the last day isn’t provided. Neither are tickets for the shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes to the ruins ($7 one way; many people walk).

Even better, for an additional $10 per person you can add an extra night to the tour. This is highly recommended. The standard 2-day/1-night schedule only allows you five hours at the ruins (6am–11am). Stay another night and you’ll get the entire day at the site.

Not only does this give you the opportunity to spend more time climbing Wayna Picchu, visiting the Inca Bridge, and exploring other remote corners of the ruins, but it also enables you to outlast the thick fog that sometimes blows up in the morning.

Destinations

Community Connection to Peru

Tour rates higher than those listed above indicate one of two things:
1. You’ll be staying in more luxurious accommodations in Aguas Calientes and your guide will likely speak more intelligible English, or
2. You’re getting ripped off.

Remember, it pays to haggle and shop around.

One final note: as with most budget travel, you’re sacrificing comfort for cost. The bus ride takes 6 hours, the last 2–3 on dirt roads with some rough spots and a couple cliffside sections that’ll make you regret nabbing the window seat.

If prone to motion sickness, pick up a few Gravol tablets at any pharmacy before heading out.

Go Independent

“More savings!” you say.

Most agencies will happily book you the van ride only, for around 85 soles (~$30) round trip, leaving you to figure out the rest on your own.

If you go this route, here’s how to make sure you stick to the savings:

* Don’t take the $8 train from the hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes. You can easily walk the tracks in an hour and a half (many people do this).

* If possible, bring all your own food. There are no cheap “local haunts” in Aguas Calientes, and most restaurants will tack a “local tax” ranging anywhere from 10 to 20+ percent onto your bill.

* Camp! Instead of blowing $20 or more on a forgettable hostel bed, pitch a tent ($5 per tent, per night) at the little riverside campground just south of the Puente Ruinas bridges. It’s a 15-minute walk from town, but there’s a little store with necessities on-site.

Plus, you have a great view of Machu Picchu up the mountain (no one back in town does), and you’re in a better position to begin the hour-long climb up the Inca stairs in the early morning to snag a front spot in the entrance line.

The polished Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum is also nearby (though unfortunately they’ve started charging admission; 21 soles/11 for students).

Remember that you’ll need to buy your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu at the INC office in Aguas Calientes, as they’re not sold at the site itself.

Follow these tips and you could be looking at a grand total of $80 for your Machu Picchu experience.

Community Connection

Some people are against visiting Machu Picchu, no matter how cheap they can do it. Read why in 9 Places to Experience Now Before They Literally Vanish.

The latest edition of Lonely Planet: Peru was published too long ago to have info on the Machu Picchu by car tour. On that note, check out Trips’ 9 Ways to Outdo the Guidebooks in Peru.

Plenty of Matador community blogs cover Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and the surrounding region. Find out what local Peruvian farmers think of PeruRail’s train service in Struck by Strike in Peru. Matador member jgbrandt shares A Short Video on Lima, Cuzco, and the Sacred Valley, and you can also read 5 Things You Should Know about the Typical Sacred Valley Tour out of Cuzco.

1. Preikestolen, Norway
Photographer: claudiomoderini

2. Gozo Cliffs, Malta
Photographer: ino paap

3. Mystery spot: Let us know in the comments below where this photograph was taken. To the first person that gets it right we’ll send a new Laken water bottle.
Photographer: ?–contact us

4. The Eiger, Switzerland
Photographer: Ai@ce

5. Gordon’s Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa
Photographer: danflo

6. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, USA
Photographer: jurvetson

7. Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
Photographer: Mister M•

8. White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA
Photographer: BurningQuestion

9. The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Photographer: w00kie

10. Kjerag, Lysefjorden, Norway
Photographer: hakonthingstad

11. Mont Margeriaz, Rhone-Alpes, France
Photographer: *pascal*

12. Zion National Park, USA
Photographer: pawpaw67

13. Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA
Photographer: ishrona

Community Connection

Heart racing? Palms sweaty? Keep the rush going with 6 American Mountains to Climb for Big Adventure, 8 Massive Mountains That Mortals Can Summit, and 11 Most Dangerous Mountains in the World for Climbers.

Also, what did we miss? Please leave any other EDGE’s you know in the comments!

To enter, Matadorians submitted photos from their trekking and climbing experiences. We here at Trips selected our 6 favorites, including one standout shot that earned its photographer the grand prize.

Without further ado, here they are:

1. Atop Gokyo Ri (17,575ft/5357m), a trekking peak in the Khumbu Himalaya. On the summit, we were rewarded with stellar views of Cho Oyu, the eighth highest mountain in the world, as well as these frozen prayer flags. Deciding to do an unconventional Nepal trek was one of the most rewarding choices I made during my academic semester there back in 2006. Photographer: Alan

2. Zazen on Mt. Rishiri, Hokkaido. Photographer: Matador’s own Tim Patterson!

3. A man walks alone along a ridge beneath Batian, Mount Kenya’s highest peak (17057 ft). Photographer: Jonny

4. Trekking in Pisac, Peru. Photographer: Lola Akinmade (No, of course she wasn’t eligible to win, but we had to include this great shot anyway!)

5. Six days walking to Annapurna base camp in Nepal only to have the view covered by low level clouds. Once they started clearing though the views were unforgetable. And well woth a picture of course. Photographer: Matt Scott

And the winner…

6. Forget favorite mountain, this has to be one of my favorite spots on the planet: period. Khopara ridge is within a day or two’s trek of the popular Annapurna circuit in Nepal, but only sees 10s of visitors a year. A single rocky trekker’s hut graces the top of the ridge, and lets you sit and contemplate life high above the clouds. Photographer: Andris Bjornson

Congratulations to Andris, and thanks to everyone who entered!

Community Connection:

Feel like you missed your chance? Fear not — there’s another contest on at Goods right now!

Iraqi Army soldier, Sab al Bors, Iraq. Photo and feature by jamesdale10

Travel is a powerful force for peace. An engaged, open-minded traveler can be an ambassador of empathy and an antidote to terror.

The day American and Iraqi travelers can travel freely in each others country will be a great day. On that day, we will know for certain that war has at long last given way to peace.

Is it reasonable for you to consider traveling to Iraq now?

I don’t know. It depends on who you are and when you read this. If you do go to Iraq, however, keep these tips in mind – and tell us about your travels when you come home!

Do Your Research

Produce stand, East Baghdad, Iraq. Photo by jamesdale10

You can’t book a trip to Iraq in the same way you might book a Caribbean cruise. Do not even consider visiting Iraq until you have thoroughly researched the country, including recent political events.

Stay abreast of current news for months before your trip and while you are in Iraq. The best source of quality English-language journalism in Iraq is probably the Baghdad Bureau of the New York Times.

Other excellent sources of Iraq news include the BBC News Iraq Page and Al Jazeera English.

For general information and a range of helpful links, visit the website Another Iraq.

Stick To Safe Zones

Last year, an Italian tourist named Luca Marchio was found wandering around Falluja.

“I am a tourist. I want to see the most important cities in the country. That is the reason why I am here now,” he was quoted as saying.

“I want to see and understand the reality because I have never been here before, and I think every country in the world must be seen.”

As admirable as Luca’s sentiment might have been, he was lucky to get out of Falluja alive.

The truth is that some regions of Iraq are much safer than others. I would have no qualms about visiting much of Iraqi Kurdistan, for example, which Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler explored way back in 2006.

Generally speaking, southern Iraq is safer than the Sunni Triangle, and a traveler must be particularly careful in Baghdad, where the line between relatively safe and highly dangerous neighborhoods is sometimes unclear.

Iraqi Kurdish boy, Iraqi Kurdistan. Photo by jamesdale10

Don’t Go Gonzo

Iraq is the sort of destination that can attract adrenaline seekers with a talent for getting into trouble. Especially in the heady days of early occupation, Iraq was a green playground for dangerously naive foreigners drawn by money and war.

Most of these Quiet Americans are either jaded or gone. Some of them are dead.

You are advised to be extraordinarily cautious, respectful, and unobtrusive while in Iraq. The idea of going gonzo in a slow-burning war-zone might be exhilarating, but it can get very real very fast in this part of the world.

Baghdad, Iraq. Photo by jamesdale10

Consider A Guided Tour

A handful of specialty tour companies offer itineraries in Iraq. Hinterland Travel is a well regarded company with regularly scheduled tours in Iraqi Kurdistan.

A pioneering 17-day Hinterland of Baghdad, Babylon, and Basra was recently written up in the New York Times under the headline “Travelers, Your Tour Bus For Basra Is Boarding.”

Go Through Amman, Jordan

Amman is a safe, modern, vibrant city only 500 miles from Baghdad and linked by frequent buses and flights. Many Iraqi refugees live in Amman or travel there for health care.

Amman is a good place to cool your heels for a few days while absorbing all the latest information about current events in Iraq.

There are hundreds of Couchsurfers in Amman who can host you, in addition to all sorts of guesthouses and hotels.

Try To Blend In

Iraqi man and son. Photo by jamesdale10

There are basically two ways to stay safe in Iraq. The American Way, brought to you by Blackwater and Halliburton, is to drive fast, surrounded by soldiers and bodyguards.

If you aren’t traveling on the taxpayer’s dime, a better strategy is to blend in as much as possible. Women should dress in local fashion and men should grow out their facial hair.

Learning a bit of Arabic before you go couldn’t hurt.

Join The Army?

Many of the American soldiers in Iraq are trying hard to build peace, and joining up with this effort can be a noble decision.

US soldiers dine with Iraqi leaders. Photo by jamesdale10

Practically speaking, the army pays fairly well, offering good benefits and a route out of poverty for some Americans.

However, life as a soldier can be difficult and risky, and there are moral questions inherent in being part of a violent occupation.

For more information check out:

Official U.S. Army recruiting website

Iraq Veterans Against The War

Talk To Someone Who Has Been To Iraq

Iraq might seem as distant as another planet, but chances are you know someone who has been there recently. A trickle of Iraqi refugees are starting to settle in the states, and thousands of soldiers are coming home from deployment.

Reach out to these people. Invite them in and listen to their stories.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Matador members who have been to Iraq include:

Canoe:

Dustin is a native Texan who loves his canoe and his camera. Dustin studied at Texas State University and graduated with a BS in digital imaging. He also served 4 years in the US Army and is currently deployed to Iraq with the National Guard in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Slinky:

I have always enjoyed traveling around the U.S. but now have a job and money to travel internationally. I plan to use this to explore the world. I have dabbled in a lot of different sports, but plan to get back into para-gliding, kiting, dirt-biking, four-wheeling, and fun when I return from Iraq.

Andy-J:

I’m a U.S. Marine…and a hippy.

All photos: jamesdale10

A few days ago, NPR reported on one of the world’s newest tourist attractions…in one of the world’s most unlikely places.

That’s right — one of Saddam Hussein’s many palaces, this one located near the site of ancient Babylon and the modern city of Hilla, is now open to the public.

A quick tour goes for around a buck, while a night in one of the complex’s swanky guesthouses will run you $180.

Reactions

Iraqis have so far exhibited mixed reactions to their country’s newest tourist draw.

For some, setting foot in the palace, which still features murals depicting the ex-dictator, conjures up too many bad memories.

Others, though, relish the symbolism: Saddam is gone, and his once-exclusive realm is now open to ordinary Iraqis.

It’s unclear how many international visitors will be lured by the opening of the palace. Apart from the poorly preserved ruins of Babylon, the region doesn’t offer much in the way of tourist infrastructure.

Oh yeah, and there’s still a war going on.

Yet, some folks are set on making the journey to Iraq to see the situation for themselves. If you’re one of them, make sure to check out today’s companion piece, “How To Travel To Iraq Without Getting Killed.”

Community Connection:

I’d love to hear what any Iraqis think of this development. Would you visit Saddam’s Babylon palace?

What about the rest of you? Is this a legitimate attraction, or does it strike you as just a little bit…off?

Photo above: jurvetson, Feature photo: tarotastic

The Kokoda Trail in Papa New Guinea (PNG) has been getting quite a bit of news as of late. Last month, two trekkers died while trying to complete it. Last week, Kovelo villagers, who felt they hadn’t seen the materialization of financial benefits promised by the Australian and PNG governments, blocked the trail. They were demanding $100 from each trekking group to pass.

As reported in this story from the Herald Sun, an agreement was reached which satisfied the villagers, and they have since ended their protest.

Some history about the trail

The Kokoda Trail was made famous during World War II, when the Australian army (the Diggers), eventually aided by the Americans, held off an invading Japanese army. Although the Japanese had the man and weaponry advantage, they weren’t prepared for the harsh conditions along this trail, the only route of escape for them.

In the end, the Japanese lost 13,000 out of 20,000 soldiers (contrast that with 6000 casualties on the Australian side).

An account of the trail as it was during WWII can be found at the Digger History website.

The trail today

Photo: panvorax

These days a number of companies operate trekking excursions on the trail. Local guides and porters can also be hired.

It’s possible to do the trek independently, but parts of the trail are unmarked and with the extreme temperatures that can be experienced there it’s not advisable to go on your own. Depending on your condition, it can take anywhere between five and 12 days.

If you’re a glutton for punishment, there’s the Kokoda Challenge, where teams of four compete to complete the 96 km course within the unbelievable time limit of 39 hours. All I can say is, good luck with that.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

For more treks, make sure to check out these two in Nepal: the Annapurna Sanctuary and the Mt. Kangchenjunga Circuit. Matador editor Tim Patterson also has some great tips for Trekking Central Laos.

Photo above: hermanusbackpackers, Feature photo: Iggy.

“Shark! SHARK! Get down, now!”

We each took a healthy breath and disappeared beneath the Indian Ocean. Two Great Whites sashayed just inches in front of us in rapid succession. Minutes later, another sprinted past in search of a morning snack.

Despite the fact that our guide’s instructions to head into the water when a shark was coming seemed a bit, well, counterintuitive, we’d obeyed without question. After all, we’d paid money to get close to Great Whites…in their natural environment.

Diving with sharks is often considered an extreme adventure activity. But instead I found it to be an educational — and yes, thrilling — way to gain an understanding of the creatures that have stricken fear in millions due to movies like Jaws and media reports of shark attacks.

Great Whites 101

Photo: Erik Charlton

My outing with Shark Lady Adventures (launching from Gansbaai, two hours east of Cape Town) began with an educational lesson about Great Whites. This included what kind of behavior to expect and a discussion about common myths.

Yes, they are carnivores. No, they’re not particularly interested in eating people.

Still, that assurance didn’t do much to ease the tension when our guide offered up this factoid: “Sharks can pick up heart vibrations easily. So if you get scared while you’re out there today, the sharks will know.”

Preparing to Get Intimate

Our boat jetted out to Shark Alley, which boasts the densest population of Great Whites in the world.

We opted for the “breath hold,” at our guide’s suggestion. It’s exactly what you’d expect — you hold your breath, dunk beneath the surface, and view the sharks swimming by — no diving certification necessary. The sharks we saw didn’t hang out in one spot anyway, so SCUBA gear wouldn’t have helped.

After anchoring, the cage was slowly lowered into the water. Our group watched in fascination.

“Does that thing look safe?” someone muttered to no one in particular.

It seemed sturdy, and of course we knew it was designed to protect shark-gazers like us. Still, it was hard not to imagine some minor flaw that would turn us into shark food.

The staff member we’d dubbed the “chum master” set to work creating a lovely chum soup to attract the sharks, while another chopped off a fish head to use as bait.

We slipped into full-body wetsuits, booties, and goggles. Once the bait was cast, the first group of four hopped into the cage — after a final reminder from the guide that we should “keep all of our limbs inside.”

Photo: Deon Maritz

Face to Face with the Ocean’s Top Predator

To save our breath, we were instructed to keep our heads above the surface until the guide gave the signal. It didn’t take long.

“SHARK COMING FROM THE LEFT…WAIT, WAIT…NOW! GO DOWN NOW!”

We gulped a breath and went down. The shark zipped by to say hi, a race of gray a finger’s length from our eyes.

When we came up again, we were all smiles, despite a few initial underwater shrieks. Another shark coasted by just moments later. And then another — this one body-checked the cage while going for the tuna bait. We were treated to a lovely view of his rows of sharp, not-so-pearly whites in the process.

Photo: hermanusbackpackers

It’s fascinating to see how different each animal is, and we soon started to recognize them. You can see their distinctive eyes, how their scars differ. Each one has its own personality.

Everyone had two 30-minute sessions in the cage, although our guides said the time can vary based on a variety of factors. You can also join a trip as a surface viewer, but I strongly suggest getting in the water.

I found it to be more of a fascination sport than an adrenaline one. Sure, it’s a tad scary when that first shark comes at you. But soon you realize the experience is simply about watching these creatures in their natural habitat and the fear dissipates.

Practicalities

The best months for shark sightings are April to August, while early January to mid-March tend to be the worst. When planning a shark diving adventure, keep in mind that inclement weather may prevent the boats from going out, so it’s best to allocate an extra day in case your original outing is postponed.

Most participants either do a day trip to Gansbaai from Cape Town or stay in nearby Hermanus.

Shark Lady Adventures charges R1500 (~$170) per person for the experience. For more information, visit their website. Cage Diver is another option.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Sharks, elephants, and bears, oh my! Find out how to come face to face with these and other perilous species in “8 Trips for Getting Close to the World’s Deadliest Animals.”

For something a bit tamer but equally unforgettable, read the Matador travel article “Diving with Whale Sharks.”

Photo: saltyseadog

You can, of course, take the gondola up — but we both know how much more you’ll appreciate the panoramic views over Vancouver when you feel like you’ve earned them. But don’t get too cocky; it’s not as easy as you think.

The base of Grouse Mountain is easily reachable from Vancouver by public transit or car. Once there you can decide if you want to give the Grouse Grind a go, or if you’d be more comfortable skimming over the tree tops in the Skyride.

If you choose the former, be prepared. Wear sturdy footwear and bring water. I’ve seen unprepared hikers being carried back down when they couldn’t continue (with a look on their face like they’d just spent a week in the desert). I’ve also seen countless visitors wearing jeans, flips-flops, and Gucci handbags. This is not a walk in the park, so give it the respect it deserves.

The hike is a steep one, and is mostly up steps. If you’re in decent shape, expect to complete it within one to one and a half hours. If you’re fitter than a fiddle, you can try to break the official men’s record of 26:19 or the women’s of 31:04.

Plenty to do and see in the summer

Sure enough, in the wintertime you can shush your way down the ski runs, ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, ice skate and snowshoe. But there is also plenty to do during the summer months.

Photo: unwritten

No matter how you decide to get to the top, you face a variety of entertaining summer activities. Some of the things on offer: scenic chairlift rides, ziplines, paragliding, and helijet rides. You can also visit the grizzly bears at the wildlife refuge, watch the lumberjack show, or take in a flick at the Theatre in the Sky.

On a clear day, Grouse has some of the best views over Vancouver, the surrounding areas, and Burrard Inlet, so don’t forget your camera.

It’s not advisable to hike down the Grind, but for just a few bucks you can descend in the Skyride. Make sure you hold on as it passes the towers — it can get a bit bumpy!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For more in our mountains series, click here for posts on peaks like Volcan Licancabur in Bolivia, Tai Shan in China, Mt. Etna in Sicily, and Katahdin in Maine.

All photos: Carl Montgomery

Near-continuous violence since the Soviets invaded in 1979 has been effective at erasing Afghanistan from most tourists’ maps.

But it seems the government is hoping for a change with the creation last week of the country’s first national park. In addition to attracting visitors, the park should provide vital protection to a region where it’s been lacking in the past.

Band-e-Amir National Park is located in central Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains and includes five high-altitude lakes. Nearby Bamyan Valley made headlines in 2001 when its massive, 1,500-year-old Buddha statues where dynamited by the Taliban.

The park’s establishment could also tip the scales in the region’s favor regarding its pending candidacy for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Visitors will still have difficulties to contend with — ongoing military actions being the first that comes to mind, as well as a local fishing method utilizing hand grenades. But the park also offers much in the way of pristine nature, according to BBC reporter Alan Johnston:

“In the stillness of the high, thin air, the blue and turquoise waters are often like glass, perfectly reflecting the slopes around them.”

For more on this fresh travel destination, check out the BBC’s take here.

Community Connection:

Alan Johnston isn’t the only one reporting from the ground in Afghanistan. Matador members YoLeven and moshdeh are currently in-country, and they’ve posted a couple killer blogs about their experiences.

Other ideas on travel to protected natural areas, including some as unexpected as this one, can be found in 13 of the World’s Richest National Parks.

Photo above: NeilsPhotography, Feature photo: juanete

Psychedelic desert: the Southwest Circuit

You’re in the middle of Bolivian nowhere.

In front of you is a shallow bowled depression, its center carpeted in a bright green lake filled with flamingos. Over your shoulder rise twin volcanic peaks, capped with ice. Just beyond the next ridge stretches a snow-white salt flat, rippling with heat from the midday sun…

Few travelers to Bolivia miss the “Southwest Circuit.” The Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, is its star attraction. Standing in the center of its 4,000-square-mile expanse, horizons vanish, leaving nothing but blinding white below and rich, unblemished blue above.

Those lucky enough to visit during the wet summer, when the entire plain is covered in an inches-thick pool of water that reflects the cloudy sky, can convince themselves their Land Cruiser has taken flight.

But the salar fills only one day of the circuit tour. The rest are spent tearing through some of the most inhospitable desert terrain on the planet.

Brilliantly colored chemical lakes, peak after peak of snowy volcanoes, and Andean wildlife (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, flamingos, and ostrich, for starters) all compete with the salar for your camera’s memory card megabytes.

Photo: zaturno

I doubt anyone regrets the trip—that said, all tours are not created equal.

The salar and deserts of Los Lípez see more visitors every year. Caravans of jeeps depart daily from the town of Uyuni, the traditional starting point. After four days stuck in the middle of the globular tourist amoeba, many are left asking, “Is there a better way to do this?”

The answer is yes.

Turn the tables: start in Tupiza

Your best option for escaping the crowds is to traverse the circuit in reverse. Make the town of Tupiza your point of origin, with a tour that loops through the sights and ends in Uyuni.

Photo: zaturno

In addition to having the Lípez to yourself, you’ll be saving the best for last. Why knock out the salar on the first day, as the typical Uyuni tours do? They also require a long, backtracking drive on the last day.

By ditching the masses, you’ll avoid the sketchier agencies operating out of Uyuni. Companies there pop up and disappear again without notice, making it close to impossible to get reliable recommendations.

For the most part, Tupiza-based agencies are more established. They have a smaller customer base, and therefore more to prove.

Regardless of who you go with, your tour from Tupiza will look something like this:

Day 1

Bust out of town around 9am and drive till sunset through canyon-cut, cactus-covered terrain. Though lacking “big-name” sights, the day exposes you to the desolation of Los Lípez and gives you a glimpse of what life is like for the few communities living here. Other jeeps = scarce to nonexistent.

Day 2

The mountainous, llama-filled desert continues, transforming mile by mile into the surreal vistas that make it onto the postcards. Once you enter Eduardo Avaroa National Wildlife Refuge, it’s on: colored lakes, hot springs, flamingo flocks, geysers, crazy rock formations, and painted volcanoes.

At some point, you’ll hit Laguna Verde and Volcán Licancabur in the country’s southwest corner. From here, you can tack on an extra day and climb the 19,400 ft (5900 m) Licancabur or other peaks. It’s also possible to hop over the border, connecting to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

Photo: wili_hybrid

Day 3

After two days of solitude, the Land Cruisers start to multiply around the eerily red Laguna Colorada. Pulling up at the sculpted rocks that surround Árbol de Piedra, only to find them covered with sunburned, North-Faced climbers, comes as quite a shock.

More lakes await, and the end of the day will bring you to the edge of the salar itself.

Day 4

Photo: hillsieboy

This is really a long half day. Wake before dawn to catch the sunrise on the salt.

A visit to the cactus-infested Isla del Pescado is followed by a group photo shoot in the middle of the salar, where the lack of distance perspective makes all kinds of crazy camera illusions possible.

After checking out a hotel made entirely of salt and a stop at a tourist market, you should pull into Uyuni around 1pm.

Practicalities

Tupiza is roughly 11 hours by train from Oruro, and a handful more from La Paz. Hop the train if you can; the buses running the route are old and drafty. Breakdowns are common.

Solo travelers and couples should schedule at least one extra day in Tupiza — longer in the low season — to find a group to hook up with. Standard tours won’t leave with fewer than four passengers; five or six means less legroom but bigger savings.

Photo: Naturaleza

Killing time in town isn’t difficult. This is Butch and Sundance country (the outlaws were gunned down in a village less than an hour away), with scenery rivaling the best of the American West.

Horseback riding, canyon hiking, and rock climbing will keep you occupied till your tour leaves.

Operators running out of Tupiza are scarce compared to the hordes of Uyuni-based agencies. Tupiza Tours is one of the originals and has managed to maintain a solid reputation through the years. Yet even with them, it’s essential to double check the contract—triple check if your group is doing anything other than the standard 4-day tour.

Other options include Valle Hermoso and El Grano de Oro Tours.

One last note: it gets cold in the desert. Damn cold. Accommodations are basic and unheated. Bring a sleeping bag or rent one from your company — even in the summer. During the winter, if you’re lucky your guide will give you a hot water bottle each night to stuff into the bottom of your bag. Yeah…daaaamn cold.

Photo: jaytkendall

Community Connection:

Check out today’s companion post, “Summiting Mount Doom in Bolivia,” for further details on climbing Volcán Licancabur.

For more on Bolivia’s spectacular sights, read about photographer Ron Dubin’s assignment in the country in “Big Bolivian Sunsets.”

If you’re looking to mix a little philanthropy with your visit to the country, Matador member org Sustainable Bolivia offers a range of rewarding volunteer opportunities.

Feature photo: kiki-bolivien, Others: author

Images of Tolkien’s volcano come to mind. Perfectly coned slopes loom over a stretch of desert so sinister it could be taken for Mordor itself.

I always thought Frodo was a chump, but after climbing the 19,423 ft (5,920 m) Licancabur, I’m willing to cut him some slack.

Backdrop: Desolation

This peak lives in the extreme southwestern corner of Bolivia, straddling the border with Chile.

The nearest town, San Pedro de Atacama, is on the Chilean side, but the trail to the summit is in Bolivian territory.

Lagunas Verde and Blanca (named for the colors of their naturally chemical-rich waters) lie at Licancabur’s base, and this pocket of surreal scenery is visited on most tours of Bolivia’s Southwest Circuit.

Getting to the mountain independently is possible, but it’s more conveniently done as an add-on day to the tour. Either way, a guide is mandatory for the climb.

The Ascent

After a short sleep in one of the little refugios on the shore of Laguna Blanca, the trek begins an hour before sunrise. With its silhouette blacking out the stars, Licancabur is even more ominous.

You’ll start shedding layers once the sun crests the horizon and soaks everything in golden warmth. The new light will also have you throwing glances over your shoulder after each deliberate step to gawk at the desert plain, dotted with volcanic humps, stretching away behind you.

The going is slow — your guide wisely sees to that. Even towards the bottom, the elevation can cripple. If you get the soroche headache before the halfway point, you’re done. You won’t be allowed to summit.

The last 500 meters of climb blur — step, gasp, head rush…over and over. No one speaks; no one can. Eventually you hit snow, then the false peak, and 30 minutes later the pile of sticks and stones that marks the top.

The Summit

Your guide will give you no more than 10 minutes topside; you should be ready to descend before that anyway.

Remind yourself to take at least a short break from the camera so you can enjoy the experience LCD-free.

Check out the little lake in the volcano’s crater (some say it’s the highest in the world), and with dizzy eyes try to make out the remains of Incan temple foundations — that’s right, people have been climbing this rock for centuries.

If you’ve been chewing your coca, the descent should be no problem. Each meter dropped is a deeper inhale of O2. By the time you hit bottom, you’ll feel like an Incan mountaineer yourself.

For advice on getting to Licancabur, click over to today’s companion post, “Bolivia’s Southwest Circuit. Backwards.”

Community Connection:

Along with Mount Doom, China’s Tai Shan is another peak heavy with legend. Read how to summit it — and ensure you’ll live to see your 100th birthday — here.

If you prefer your mountains extra spicy, consider these 11 that David DeFranza singled out as the world’s most dangerous.

Where to stay

Taghazoute is 45 minutes from Agadir’s international airport and home to the famous righthand point breaks of Anchors and Killers that come alive in the winter months.

It’s not the prettiest of towns with its surf ghetto vibe, but it does offer accommodation for all budgets: from small, bare rooms for $10/night to luxury apartments with pools.

Many people choose to stay with one of the numerous surf camps in the area that offer accommodation, meals, and transport to the surf. Prices start at around $300 with surfboard hire and lessons extra.

Get mobile

You can walk to most of the surf breaks around Taghazoute, but the you’ll be sharing the waves with a crowd. Renting a car with a few friends opens up miles of coastline, much of it rarely surfed.

The area around Cap Rihr, 30 minutes north of Taghazoute, has a variety of reefs for experienced surfers.

For a day trip, try Imessouane, a small fishing village home to a long righthander. Or to the south, the former Spanish outpost of Sidi Ifni has a fun beach break in small swells.

The roads between Moroccan towns are mostly good and traffic outside the big cities is relatively light. Just keep an eye out for the occasional mountain goat, donkey, or camel.

And whatever you do, don’t drive at night. Potholes, livestock, and erratic drivers make it a risky proposition.

Post-surf refuel

After a long day of surfing, there’s no better feeling than tucking into fresh and tasty Moroccan cuisine.

The country’s most recognizable dish has to be the tagine, where meat (usually lamb, chicken, or fish) and vegetables are cooked for a couple hours in a clay pot. Follow the locals and eat it with your hands, using big chunks of Moroccan flat bread to mop up the gravy.

Kefta brochettes (spicy minced meat formed over metal skewers) are also a great option and are available from food carts and restaurants.

The seafood in Morocco is fresh and very cheap. For a post-surf snack you can pick up a bag of steamed mussels from a local fisherman for a few dollars or dine in style at Chez Brahim on the beach at Devil’s Rock, where they do wicked fish skewers with fries and salad for $8.

After, enjoy a super-sweet mint tea or, for a less sugary beverage, try the avoca au lait — an avocado milkshake that should taste weird but is strangely delicious.

Night life

Alcohol can be scarce and expensive in Morocco. Taghazoute itself doesn’t have any bars or liquor stores and the closest nightclubs are in Agadir. Apart from the slightly cheesy British Pub (the name says it all) most Agadir nightclubs are attached to luxury hotels and charge practically London or New York prices for entry and drinks.

An alternative is to stock up at a supermarket (look for the Marjane sign) and have a party in your apartment or hostel. Budget about $1 per small can of Flag Speciale beer.

Four great waves

Anchor Point
Named after the now disused anchor factory on the point, this wave ranges from a gentle, peeling longboard wave when small to a world-class righthander breaking up to 15 feet in big swells.

There’s usually a crowd as Anchors is walking distance from Taghazoute, but if you get a good wave here you won’t forget it in a hurry. Entry is from the rocks on the point or around the front at Mysteries Beach.

Boilers
Another righthand point, this wave breaks close to the rocks and leaves little margin for error. Getting in and out of the water is best done beside the submerged ship’s boiler. The wave is a fast, high performance wall with the occasional barrel. Just don’t get stuck behind the section or you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place, literally.

Imessouane
Swells break down a long, perfectly groomed sandbar in the middle of the bay. Surfers from the various surf camps and guesthouses convene en masse to surf it the few hours either side of low tide. Consequently, it can be a busy break with longboarders, shortboarders, wave skis, and stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) all competing for the set waves.

Tamri
After tricky rock jumps, shallow reef bottoms, and urchin dodging, it can make for a nice change to surf a beach break. Tamri Plage, 45 minutes north of Taghazoute, often has fun waves in small, clean swells.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

For more waves, give Matador’s surf guides to Vietnam, Hawaii, Portugal, and Argentina a go.

If you’re just starting out, you might want to visit our “Newbie’s Guide to Surfing,” or take a look at the “World’s Best Surf Spots for Beginners.” Experts can head straight for the “Top 10 Most Dangerous Waves in the World.”

Photo: worldwidewandering

“Amazing scenery is a given, no matter which ride you do,” says Alex Gallego about group tours in Montana. He is the owner of Missoula Bicycle Works in Missoula and veteran of several of these epic rides. “For me, the highlights of these [types] of rides are the people involved.”

Cycling tours like RATPOD, ToSRoV West, STOKR and the Double Divide Ride will let you experience Montana in real time as only a trip by bicycle can. Here are several of the most famous tours as well as a few DIY options:

RATPOD Ride Around The Pioneers in One Day

Date: June 27

Riders: 550

Miles: 130

RATPOD is the biggest ride in Montana, with five-hundred-fifty riders covering one-hundred-thirty mile loop through the heart of the rugged Pioneer Mountains. “The festivities that go along with the ride are one of the best parties around,” Gallego says.

One of the “festivities” is the food served along the way. “It’s not the usual rest stop with Power Bars and Gatorade,” Says Jeff Handlin, veteran RATPOD rider. “You roll into the breakfast stop and it’s like stepping into Golden Corral.”

Then, at mile one-hundred-seven, is the famous “pie stop” in the town of Glen. “There are homemade pies just lined up,” Handlin says. “What bike tour has a pie stop?”

Photo: TouringCyclist

ToSRV West Tour of the Swan River Valley

Dates: May 30-31

Riders: 300

Miles: 85 each day

Socializing is a key draw of these tours. The layover in Big Fork during the two-day ToSRV West is one of the greatest aspects of the ride. “Lots of the folks that you rode with that day will be found in the bars around Big Fork that evening,” Gallego says. “It’s a great opportunity to relive the entire day. The long climbs and the amazing scenery.”

Double Divide Ride

Dates: June 13-14

Miles: 88 day 1, 51 day 2

While all of the rides include great food and scenery, the Double Divide also provides the challenge of two mountain passes. Also, with fewer riders, this ride offers a more intimate setting than the other tours.

This tour explores a less visited area of Montana, leading to a less crowded feeling on the road in terms of lumbering RV’s.

STOKR Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River

Dates: May 9-10

Riders: 400

Miles: 98 day 1, 37 day 2

The scenery of western Montana is hard to beat and the STOKR ride has some of the best, including both natural wonders like renowned Kootenai Falls, and man-made, such as The Dirty Shame Saloon.

This ride has a shorter option that cuts fifty-three miles off of the first day, yet isn’t short on the views. The tour provides an altruistic bent as well, donating the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. They have seven houses built exclusively by STOKR donations. Riders are not required to pick up hammers, but they are certainly welcome to.

Kootenai Falls. Photo: Brian French

DIY Montana Touring

Of course, if soul searching is what you’re after, a do-it-yourself tour may be the prescription. To get the perfect blend of beauty, solitude, and challenge, one has only to get a little creative. With no organized tour going into the Beartooth Mountains, Handlin created a tour that is equal parts scenic and grueling.

He started his loop in Red Lodge, along the grassy plains and foothills to Chief Joseph Scenic Highway outside of Cody, Wyoming. From there, the road climbs over Dead Indian Pass then just shy of 11,000 feet to Beartooth Pass before dropping 5,000 feet of switchbacks to return to Red Lodge.

“I don’t know exactly how many miles it is, but it took me ten or eleven hours,” Handlin said. He ran out of water, got hammered by a thunderstorm, and had his hands so numbed by the cold that he couldn’t shift. So, was this epic the cure for the common ride?

“I’ll do it again,” Handlin says, “maybe every year. Next time, I’m going to ride it backwards.”

Community Connection

Interested in other cycling options this summer in Montana apart from a group ride? Talk to Eric Warren. He’s one of the Montana Experts at Matador who can help you find exactly the right places and logistics for any adventure you can think of in Big Sky country.

Photo: Winky in the UK

One of the first mentions of a national park came from William Wordsworth in 1810. Looking out over England’s Lake District, he commented that it should be a “national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy.”

It wasn’t until 1872 that Yellowstone — widely considered the world’s first national park — was officially established in the United States. Today, there are an estimated 6,555 national parks worldwide. Here are 13 to get you started.

1. Sagarmatha (Nepal)

Covering 1,148 square kilometers and four climatic zones, the UNESCO-listed Sagarmatha National Park is more than mountain views. The hiking route through the park in the direction of Mount Everest is one of Nepal’s best treks.

Photo: cotaro70s

2. Grand Canyon (USA)

A U.S. classic, Grand Canyon National Park contains one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Beyond staring wide-eyed from the South Rim and riding a mule to the bottom, the park has plenty of terrain for extended backpacking, cultural exploration, and Colorado River trips.

Photo: B Rosen

3. Sundarbans (India)

The dense mangrove forests of Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal make an ideal home for tigers, among other animals. Floating safaris are the most common activity, but travelers can also visit the animal rehabilitation projects in the area.

Photo: joiseyshowaa

4. Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, another Natural Wonder of the World, has divers polishing their goggles with excitement. Angling is also doable here in the largest reef system on the planet, but be wary of the no-fishing zone that covers one-third of the park.

Photo: Leonard Low

5. Bwindi Impenetrable (Uganda)

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park might not have the friendliest name, but get beyond that and you’ll find one of the most diverse ecosystems in Africa, home to animals like the mountain gorilla. Though the park is remote and permits are required, organized tours offer a chance to see the gorillas and other wildlife.

Photo: Chrissy Olson

6. Manuel Antonio (Costa Rica)

Even though Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest in Costa Rica, it still receives more than 150,000 visitors every year, making it the second most visited in the country. The setting is unbeatable — visitors can take their pick between beaches and hiking trails.

Photo: Alpha Tango Bravo / Adam Taylor

7. Banff (Canada)

Established in 1885, Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest. Like many of the popular national parks in North America, development hasn’t been held back, but the tourist shops and RV parks can’t take away from the towering mountains. Kick back in a hot spring, paddle across Lake Louise, or hike one of the imposing peaks.

Photo: lazlo-photo

8. Chitwan (Nepal)

Nepal’s oldest national park, Chitwan was established in 1973 and is famous for the Bengal tigers and single-horned Indian rhinoceros that call it home. Elephant and walking safaris allow travelers to view the wildlife.

Photo: wonker

9. Yosemite (USA)

Yosemite National Park receives more than 3.5 million visitors every year, but most stay within the seven-square-mile Yosemite Valley. Once you’ve glimpsed the intimidating mass of El Capitan and Half Dome, escape the crowds and explore one of the park’s wilderness areas.

Photo: Alaskan Dude

10. Gobi Gurvansaikhan (Mongolia)

At over 27,000 square kilometers, Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park is the largest in Mongolia. It contains part of the Gobi Desert, a large area of steppe, and one of the country’s mountain ranges.

Photo: xfce

11. Triglav (Slovenia)

Slovenia’s Triglav National Park protects a variety of terrain, including the peaks and crags of the Julian Alps, lush alpine meadows, and the broad forested valleys of the Soča and Sava rivers. The Triglav itself — Slovenia’s tallest peak — stands near the center of the park.

Photo: 29cm

12. Mikumi (Tanzania)

What would a trip to Africa be without a safari? Tanzania’s Mikumi National Park is one of the country’s lesser-visited parks, meaning fewer crowds and more feasible protection of the animals and environment. Visit in the dry season and you’ll likely have it all to yourself.

Photo: paulshaffner

13. Torres del Paine (Chile)

Torres del Paine National Park, located on the southern tip of Argentina, is a prime spot for climbing and trekking. Though the weather can be severe, the views of the Cordillera del Paine, Fitzroy, and other mountains are unmatched. Travelers can explore the rivers, glaciers, and mountains of the park while staying in basic refugios.

Photo: magical-world

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Of course, these are only drops in the bucket. If old-growth forest is what you’re looking for, check out this post by Ellen Wilson.

Have a read here for some thought-provoking words by Fiona Murray, who wonders if “nature is for sale.”

Photo above: sebastian ceriani, Feature photo: Army.mil

Central Laos does not get many travelers, and the tourism office in the provincial capital of Tha Khaek has done a good job of designing treks that alleviate poverty in isolated villages without disrupting local culture.

Travelers get a chance to experience a beautiful part of rural Laos where the locals take pride in hosting foreign guests – a happy balance that does not always exist in more heavily touristed regions of Southeast Asia.

Basics

The 2-day trek costs about $65 per person for a group of at least 3 people — more for couples or single travelers. This is a fair price, and much of the money goes to local villagers who guide groups through the mountains and cook delicious meals.

Travelers start out in Tha Khaek, a medium-sized town on the Mekong River that’s about halfway between Vientiane and Pakse.

There’s a wonderful guesthouse in Tha Khaek called The Travel Lodge that has a range of inexpensive rooms, a good restaurant, and friendly, competent staff. If you’re on your own, this is also a good place to meet other travelers who can join you on the trek.

Destinations

Community Connection to Laos

Phu Hin Bun NPA

The trek explores the Phu Hin Bun National Protected Area, an isolated region of jagged peaks and clear, turquoise streams that looks like a classical Chinese landscape painting. The sheer mountainsides are refuges for several species of endangered primates, and tigers stalk the deepest parts of the jungle.

The villagers who live in the Phu Hin Bun NPA are largely self-sufficient, growing rice, fruit and vegetables, and raising water buffalo, pigs, chickens, and cows. While many treks in Laos visit ethnic minorities, the villagers here are mostly lowland Lao.

Eat, Walk, Swim

I LOVED the food on this trek. Fresh catfish grilled with garlic over a campfire on the banks of a stream was served alongside sticky rice, mountain vegetables, eggplant, and traditional pastes of herbs and chili.

For dinner we ate water buffalo laap, a Lao dish of minced meat with herbs and spices. Vegetarian options were limited but available.

The walks through the forest were broken up by frequent stops at spectacular swimming holes, including a sacred wellspring of turquoise water called Khoun Kong Leng.

Other highlights included a cave that links two valleys by cutting straight through a mountain, and an old temple where the prayer bell was made from the shell of a 500-pound bomb. This bombshell was a poignant reminder of the massive U.S. bombing campaign of rural Laos — a war that the White House kept secret from both Congress and the American people.

Cultural Respect

Visiting this part of Central Laos is a privilege, and travelers should take care to respect Lao customs. Understand that Lao people are extremely non-confrontational and place a premium on smooth social interactions.

Be gentle, kind, patient, and appreciative. Showing any sign of frustration or anger is extremely rude in Laos, so if you don’t like something it’s better just to smile and, if you must, gently inquire about alternatives. The head guide will speak reasonable English, but speak slowly and try to learn some Lao words. Everyone will be thrilled to hear you make the effort.

Photo: Mat Honan

Community Connection:

Other Matador articles on Laos include travel guides to Champasak and Muang Ngoi Neua, and an excellent article that gives the low-down on a unique two-week itinerary in Northern Laos.

You can also read the uncensored version of my San Francisco Chronicle feature on Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of Laos. The Matador version is called “Lusty Luang Prabang.”

One final resource is the excellent website Ecotourism Laos.

If you have other helpful links, questions, or advice for travelers, please leave a comment below. For those without a Matador profile, please take a moment to join the community. You won’t regret it!

Photo above: abkfenris, Feature photo: a song under the sugar sugar

Its rough bulk rises from the pine forest, northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and highest point in Maine at 5,267 feet above sea level.

Mount Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park. Governor Percival Baxter created this 150,000-acre tract in 1931 with the intention that it “forever be kept and remain in the Natural Wild State.” In doing so, he gave Katahdin the illustrious title of “mountain of the people of Maine.”

With over 200 miles of trail in the park, summit-bound climbers have options. Cathedral is a fun scramble, but Knife Edge, a razor-thin ridgeline route with thousand-foot drops on either side, earns top props. If you’re all outta juice for the return, the longer but gentler Saddle is a good pick.

Even in summer, Katahdin’s stiff winds and frequent rains can chill. Check current conditions before committing to a climb, pack cold-weather gear, and register at the ranger station before heading up.

Access to Baxter trailheads is limited daily; those serving Katahdin (Roaring Brook, Abol, and Katahdin Stream) are most popular. Maine residents can reserve parking spots in advance, but for everyone else it’s best to camp the night before or arrive wicked early in the morning.

Community Connection:

Got a thing for mountains? Hit up past posts in this series on Quandary Peak and the Zugsptize. For a sweet collection of Matador mountain climbing blogs, visit this page.

Photo above: nophun201, Feature photo: clspeace

Haines, Alaska

There’s no American wilderness more spectacular than that of “the last frontier,” and Haines is an ideal gateway. From the town there is relatively easy access to the Davidson Glacier, and super easy access to the paddling / rafting on the Chilkat River and hiking in the Takshanuk Mountains. In winter, the Chilkat Pass has limitless snowsports options.

Ithaca, NY

Western New York State is vast and overlooked. A great starting point to explore this region is the hilly town of Ithaca, overflowing with all the wining, dining, and partying that defines college culture.

“Ithaca is Gorges,” reads the popular t-shirt sported by Cornell students, referencing the area’s abundance of dramatic landscapes. Hiking, biking, fishing, and cross country skiing—yes, in addition to gorge jumping—are all on offer here by the Finger Lakes.

Photo: nancycallahan

Fayetteville, West Virginia

Fayetteville is nicknamed, “Gateway to the New River Gorge.” This tiny town is famous for its annual Bridge Day, where BASE jumpers from around the world jump off the bridge spanning the New River. Fayetteville has a tight community of paddlers who stoke on the nearly year-round access to the New and Gauley Rivers.

Whitefish, Montana

The Northern Rockies are home to true wilderness, and Whitefish is your #1 gateway. Whatever you’re fired up on—mountain biking, fishing, paddling, camping, skiing—the town has “out your backdoor” access to rivers, lakes, Whitefish Mountain Resort, and Glacier National Park.

Photo: .Bala

Asheville, North Carolina

Though the center of a metropolitan area of nearly 400,000, Asheville retains a small-town feel and represents a great launching point for western North Carolina’s wild spaces.

This college town provides a mix of culture (live music, arts festivals, and watering holes) and nature. The French Broad river flows right through the town, and you can also hop right on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an hour’s drive to the west.

Marathon, Texas

The tiny dot of Marathon stands out on the big, empty map of west Texas. An old railroad and livestock town, it now features arts and crafts galleries, atmospheric diners, and eccentric lodging options.

Wild is a description that applies to the entire region, but the main draw lies an hour down Highway 385 in Big Bend National Park for desert exploration and climbing.

Photo: (Bill and Mavis) – B&M Photography

Orono, ME

A true college town, Orono packs a lot into a small package. Outdoors shops, pizza joints, and pub life collide in the tiny village center, surrounded by parks, forest, and the sprawling UMO campus.

You can head south for the heavily touristed but stunning coastal scenery of Acadia National Park, but for real wilderness, head towards Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin.

Salida, Colorado

Sitting right between two great sections of the Arkansas River, Salida is a community of rec-heads. It’s a quick drive from Monarch, one of the state’s best under-the-radar ski areas, and when the snow melts it pumps up the Arkansas, giving paddling and rafting options for the whole family.

There are almost limitless camping and hiking options along the entire Arkansas from Salida to Buena Vista. If you’re in the area this June, make sure to check out the FIBArk boating festival.

Moab, Utah

Moab is unique in the world for the spectacular formations in its high desert terrain. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are at its doorstep. A mountain biking mecca, two-wheelers come here from around the world for the of the area’s trails, ranging from beginner peddles to the super-intense Slickrock Trail.

Photo: ooOJasonOoo

Truckee, CA

For easy access to the year-round outdoors adventures of the Lake Tahoe region, minus the casino culture of nearby towns, Truckee’s where you want to be.

Whether you’re gearing up for some epic fly fishing or a trek through Eldorado National Forest, Truckee has everything you’ll need in a base of operations.

Port Angeles, Washington

The largest town on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is also your gateway to one of the Pacific Northwest’s best, but least frequently visited wilderness areas: Olympic National Park. Port Angeles is also one of the few places in the world where you can snowboard and surf in the same day.

Port Angeles is an interesting city as well, with wineries, art galleries, and good camping (Elwha River) as well as hostel accommodations.

Photo: anneh632

Rapid City, South Dakota

Perhaps best known as the gateway to Mount Rushmore, Rapid City also sits at the doorstep of some incredible wild terrain. The Black Hills, home of the highest point east of the Rockies, rise just west of town, while the rugged backcountry and bizarre formations of Badlands National Park lie to the east.

Community Connection:

Good news! America’s wilderness is set to get a little wilder, as explained in the recent Pulse post “President Obama Signs Wilderness Bill.”

To learn more about any of the destinations featured above, why not ask a Matador expert?

Photo: Jeff Handlin

There is something about waking up deep in the backcountry, having carried all of your gear in to camp near a quiet lake or alpine cirque with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks.

You can find dozens of places like this in the Big Sky State. These are nine of my favorites, the ones I consider the “ultra-classic” Montana experiences.

Montana has incredibly varied terrain, so I’ve included different regions as well as different levels of difficulty and distance.

East Rosebud Trail (aka The Beaten Path)

Location: Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Arguably one of the best hiking experiences the Rocky Mountains has to offer in any state, the East Rosebud trail between Red Lodge and Cooke City has something for everyone, from wildlife that walks right up to you, to incredible fishing in lakes surrounded by craggy peaks, to trailside berries to munch on.

A strong hiker could make this 26 mile hike in one day, but if you want to get the most out of the trip, expect to spend three or more days out there. Though the trail gets its nickname from the mid-summer throngs of people, it’s far from crowded. Take any of dozens of side trails and you’ll find yourself in complete solitude.

Cottonwood Creek, Crazy Mountains

Location: Gallatin National Forest

Unlike many backpacking routes, this hike offers great mountain views right from the start. The trail follows Cottonwood Creek through prime moose habitat before climbing to excellent camping in the beautiful glacial tarn that embraces Cottonwood Lake.

Fishing is good at Cottonwood Lake, but another unnamed pond just below Cottonwood has water so clear you can watch the foot-long trout strike your line. Make sure you bring a stove to cook your catch as firewood is scarce.

Photo: Jeff Handlin

Boulder Pass

Location: Glacier National Park

If you’re looking for a variety of interesting geological features Boulder Pass won’t disappoint. The beginning of the hike is marked by ample huckleberries along alpine lakes, lovely expanses of prairie and spectacular views of Harris Glacier. Waterfalls line the mountainsides as you make your way up to Boulder Pass.

Here, the geology gets more interesting. The terrain resembles a moonscape with lava pools and other reminders of the area’s volcanic past. The trail goes through Hole-in-the-Wall campground, said to be the most remote campsite in Glacier Park, and along narrow cliff-side trails Glacier is famous for.

Bechler River Trail

Location: Yellowstone National Park

Bechler River Trail has everything people come to Yellowstone Park for: wildlife, waterfalls, hot springs, picturesque river canyons, and great fishing. It is also one of the least visited areas of the park. That said, don’t leave getting your backcountry permits until the last second.

Camping is limited to established campsites and there aren’t many. It is also one of the least strenuous trails in the Rockies, being flat or a slight decline for most of its substantial length. Its flat grade turns boggy in some areas, making it almost impassable until early August.

Photo: Jeff Handlin

Big Creek to Bear Creek Traverse

Location: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

The first several miles of the Big Creek Trail wander along the bottom of a forested canyon and belie the rugged nature of the Bitterroot range. Stepping out of the trees near Big Lake, however, will introduce you to the jagged peaks that characterize most of the hike, twice crossing the spine of the Bitterroot divide between Montana and Idaho.

The stunning views and complete solitude make the considerable trek in well worth it.

Moose Lake Trail

Rehydrating. Photo: Mike Willis.

Location: Bob Marshall-Great Bear Wilderness

This trail, located just south of Glacier Park’s southern boundary, offers what’s best about the Bob Marshall Wilderness: options. Studying the map for a few minutes will reveal almost infinite possibilities from lake-to-lake angling excursions to alpine summit expeditions.

The trail to Moose Lake begins in dense woods but soon opens up into spectacular views north into Glacier and south/east into the Great Bear Wilderness.

From there, drop into Moose Lake, or change your mind and climb to Tranquil Basin, descend into Elk Lake or hook up with the Twenty-five Mile Creek Trail.

From there, choose between heading for the Middle Fork of the Flathead River or climbing Vinegar Mountain. You get the idea.

Hyalite Creek to Hyalite Peak

Location: Gallatin National Forest

This trail is short but sweet, and considered by many to be the premier hike of the Bozeman area. In the first five miles to Hyalite Lake, the trail passes eleven seperate waterfalls cascading from Hyalite Basin’s red rock bowl. At Apex Falls, just below Hyalite Lake, the trail branches toward Apex Crest and Hyalite Peak.

Hyalite Peak may not be the highest peak in the Gallatins, but it may be the most beautiful, looking down on one of the most unique drainages in Montana.

Crystal Lake-West Peak

Photo: Jeff Handlin

Location: Lewis and Clark National Forest

Starting at Crystal Lake, the trail leads in a long loop to the top of the Snowy Mountains, connecting with several side trails that lead to peak-bagging opportunities—notably Promontory and Grandview Peaks. At least two cave entrances along the trail will entice spelunkers to light up and explore.

Upper Potosi Hot Springs

Location: Tobacco Root Mountains

The Tobacco Root Mountains are often overlooked when it comes to backcountry adventures. Big mistake. The landscape is more arid than most in Montana, which makes for open, panoramic views. Hot springs on the trail bubble into primitive backcountry soaking pools. A just reward for the hike in.

More Information:

Gallatin National Forest Headquarters
Federal Building
P.O. Box 130
Bozeman, MT 59771
(406) 587 – 6701

Glacier National Park
Off Hwy. 2
P.O. Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936
406-888-5441

Bob Marshall Wilderness hike

Lewis & Clark National Forest
Augusta Information Station
Augusta, MT 59410
Phone: (406) 562-3247

Custer National Forest
Beartooth District, Rt 2, Box 3420, Red Lodge, MT 59068
406/446-2103

Crystal Lake hike

Lewis & Clark National Forest, Judith Basin Ranger District
PO Box 869
Great Falls, Montana 59403
(406) 791-7700

Bechler River Trail

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
phone: 307-344-7381
fax: 307-344-2005

Visit the backcountry planner on Yellowstone’s website — the backcountry office can be reached at 307-344-2160.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

If you’re looking for even more reasons to visit Montana, here are four more .

Feature photo and photo above by Brian French.

As the last snowstorms leave their mark on the western Montana landscape, thoughts of rivers and boating begin to dominate my mind. Soon the enormous accumulation of snow nestled in the high country will find its way to area creeks and rivers, creating the opportunity for something truly remarkable – exploring the northern Rocky Mountains by boat.

I have been exploring the waters of western Montana for seven years now. I typically paddle well over 100 days in any given year and I try to commit to exploring at least a few new rivers or creeks every season.

I am a kayaker at heart, so I tend to prefer stretches that are a little more difficult in terms of whitewater. There is plenty of difficult water in Montana and plenty of opportunities for first descents. There are also plenty of opportunities for rafters, canoeists, touring kayakers, tubers, and pretty much all manner of folks who enjoy days on the water.

Whether you are looking for a full-on Class V nightmare with arduous portages or a crystal-clear, slow moving mountain stream with fishing that can only be described as “blue ribbon,” Montana has something for everyone.

Following are brief accounts of some of my favorite river trips in the state of Montana. I have included very basic logistics for planning trips on these stretches. For more detailed information on boating opportunities in Montana and the surrounding area, visit my blog, Montana eddy hop.

Have fun out there and remember: safety first!

Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Montana (Wilderness Section)

Photo by Brian French.

Originating in the heart of the Great Bear Wilderness, the Upper Middle Fork flows north through one of the most pristine canyons around and then forms the southern boundary of Glacier National Park.

Needless to say, the scenery on this river is unimaginable, and the water is perhaps the most crystalline blue water in the country. There is also great whitewater on this stretch, and difficulties vary dramatically with flows.

In order to run this stretch, you have to get yourself to Schaffer Meadows, either by plane, backpacking or horse packing. I highly recommend taking the flight from Kalispell with Red Eagle Aviation – although somewhat costly (about $350 per plane, enough for about two people plus gear), the folks who fly you in are super friendly and the flight is out of this world.

The flight to Middle Fork of the Flathead. Photo by Brian French.

You fly over the Flathead Valley, through a notch in the mountain crest, and then through the middle of the Great Bear Wilderness, looking south into the Bob Marshall Wilderness and north into Glacier.

When combined, these wilderness areas comprise the second largest roadless area in the lower 48 – take the flight, it’s worth every penny.

If you haven’t yet made this journey, you should really find a way to do so – the flight into Schaffer and float out on the Middle Fork is an ultra-classic Montana experience.

There’s no other feeling in the world like a multi-day float trip. Middle Fork of the Flathead. Photo by Brian French.

M.F. Flathead logistics: Class IV (IV- at low flows – below 6000 cfs at West Glacier, but solid IV at all others).

The water never really stops moving on this stretch, making it really fun and continuous. Rafters in your crew need to be pretty experienced as the upper part of the stretch can be very tight and technical.

The Spruce Park series contains the best and most difficult whitewater, and is towards the end of the trip. The put in is Schaffer Meadows, where the river is but a small mountain stream, and the standard takeout is Bear Creek access east of Essex on U.S. Highway 2.

You can also keep paddling past Bear Creek and take out at Essex in order to pass the Goat Lick – a popular gathering area for mountain goats.

Blackfoot River, Montana

Canoeing the Blackfoot. Photo by Brian French.

The Blackfoot River was the first stretch of water I really got to know in Montana. Made famous by Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It, this river is in Missoula’s back yard and is a wonderful place to spend a lazy day on the river.

I personally prefer to canoe the Blackfoot. It has a great, 18-mile Class II stretch of water that is perfectly suited for canoeing. Rafters, kayakers, and even tubers in the summer enjoy this stretch as well.

Just like the majority of other large rivers in Montana, there are numerous potential stretches to run on the Blackfoot, and the majority of the water is Class II or lower.

The fishing on the Blackfoot is outstanding, and I have encountered more wildlife on the Blackfoot than on any river anywhere. Bear, elk, mule and whitetail deer, moose, mountain lion, bald and golden eagle, numerous species of waterfowl, river otter, and countless other critters call the Blackfoot corridor home. Having this river so close is one of my favorite things about living in Missoula.

Blackfoot logistics: Class II (III- at high flows).

Multiple stretches are possible, but the standard put in is located at Roundup off Highway 200 northeast of Missoula. The take out is at Johnsrud Park, or you can easily take out at the Ledge just upstream to avoid the Johnsrud mayhem (take 200 towards Great Falls from Bonner east of Missoula, you can’t miss the Blackfoot corridor).

Roundup to Johnsrud is about 18 miles, or you can easily put in at the Whitaker Bridge to cut the distance in half and access most good whitewater. This river is well worth exploring.

Montana’s Northwest Corner Classic Duo: Kootenai River and Yaak River

Kootenai Falls. Photo by Brian French.

The northwest corner of Montana contains one of the most unique ecosystems and incredible watersheds in the state. The Yaak River corridor is a mini-rainforest that contains a remote canyon with one of the best stretches of whitewater around that rafters and kayakers both enjoy.

The Yaak flows into the Kootenai River, which is a beautiful large volume river that is slow-moving and mellow in all places but Kootenai Falls, an amazing canyon that contains arguably the rowdiest big water in the state of Montana.

With simple, roadside logistics and a wilderness feel, the Yaak River winds its way down a canyon filled with old-growth western cedars and lichen-covered rock formations. The water is continuous, fun Class III/IV with a couple solid Class IV rapids thrown in the mix.

This is a classic Montana adventure that is always worth the drive. You are almost guaranteed to have this stretch to yourself, and there is excellent camping at Yaak Falls – an impressive waterfall that is the put-in for the run.

Stomping at Kootenai Falls. Photo by Brian French.

The Kootenai Falls section of the Kootenai River is less than 30 minutes from the Yaak and is a stomping stretch of Class IV+ big-water that is basically a playboater’s pipedream.

Beginning with a very straightforward 18-foot waterfall, the Kootenai drops more than 100 vertical feet in the next mile, which is a gradient more common of low volume creeks than rivers with over 15,000 cubic feet per second of volume.

Superwave. Photo by Brian French.

This stretch has enormous waves and holes. Right after the falls is Superwave, probably the rowdiest wave in Montana that is truly huge and very intimidating. As is said in the Montana Surf guidebook, the Kootenai River is as close to the Zambezi as you’re going to get in Montana, and is an incredible boating experience.

Yaak River Logistics: Class IV-V.

To find the put-in, look for Yaak River Road west of the town of Troy on U.S. Highway 2. Follow this road up to Yaak Falls campground and put-in at the base of the Falls (you can run the Falls at lower flows, but you better stick your line or you’re slamming directly into a rock wall).

There is a parking area at the Highway 2 bridge over the Yaak, right above the confluence with the Kootenai.

Kootenai River Logistics: Class IV+ (big, pushy water).

Located on U.S. Highway 2 just east of the town of Troy. There is a nice rest area and trail to the river at Kootenai Falls (clearly marked), or paddlers may want to find the road that drops in about a half-mile to the east of the rest area that follows the tracks.

If you park here, it’s a much shorter walk to the river and you can put-in and take about three paddle strokes before getting launched over the Falls…good way to lively up yourself!

Once a paddler you can never look at water the same; you’re always scouting. Photo by Brian French.

Yellowstone River, Montana

The Yellowstone River originates in Yellowstone National Park and is America’s longest free-flowing river. The Yellowstone watershed contains runoff from the Beartooth Mountain Range, which contains Granite Peak, Montana’s highest point at over 12,000 feet.

The Yellowstone River flows through some of the most spectacular scenery in Big Sky country, and has some of the best fishing in the state as well.

From the Paradise Valley north of Gardiner to the confluence with the Missouri River, the Yellowstone has countless stretches of enjoyable water that draw rafters, drift-boaters, kayakers, and canoeists.

Putting on or taking out, a good river trip = joy. Photo by Brian French.

It is hard to imagine a more beautiful river than the Yellowstone – this is the old favorite of many water enthusiasts in the state and for good reason. It is hard to focus on anything but peace and serenity when floating past the cottonwoods and amongst the white pelicans of the Yellowstone River.

Yellowstone River logistics: Countless stretches are possible on this river.

Starting at Gardiner north of Yellowstone Park, the upper Yellowstone generally has more difficult whitewater than the lower reaches. There are two world-class canyons within Yellowstone Park, the Grand Canyon and the Black Canyon, that are fabled to be incredible runs and are unfortunately illegal because of Park Service policies prohibiting paddling in Yellowstone Park.

The middle and lower Yellowstone reaches, from around Livingston down, contain very scenic, mellow stretches with great fishing and amazing playboating features at higher flows. Rafters and drift boaters from all over the country flock to the Yellowstone during the warm months of the year.

Community Connection

Interested in learning more about Montana? Check in with our local Montana experts, including Montana Expert N. Christine Olson, who has put together an Angler’s Guide to Spring Fly Fishing in Montana.

Always been interested in learning how to paddle but never tried? Check out our Step by Step Guide to Getting into Whitewater Paddling. Learn how there is a whole new world out there when you see it from the river.

Photos: author

At 14,265 feet, Quandary is the highest peak in the Tenmile Range. There’s straightforward, all-season access via Highway 9, with the trail head just eight miles south of cushy Breckenridge.

Quandary’s wide, mild East Ridge slopes make for an excellent introduction to hiking above treeline in the summer and backcountry skiing when the snow falls.

Consequently, you’ll never have Quandary Peak to yourself. The weekday I climbed, I set out at a laughable 11:00 AM and passed other hikers—though not frequently, fairly consistently—even on the way down.

But regardless of whether reading this makes you want to book it to Breck or jot a mental note to stay clear, let me assure you the views from the top can be enjoyed by visitors of all levels of expertise.

A word of warning: approaching the summit from directions other than east yields technical slopes. These are prone to avalanches in winter and can be dangerous any time of year. Don’t underestimate.

Community Connection

Planning to hit up Quandary while the snow’s still on the ground? Before you go, brush up on our First Timer’s Guide to Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding and 8 Pieces of Gear to Keep You Warm and Safe in the Backcountry.

Photo: Christian Nawroth

So much for legacies. Josef Naus, a Bavarian surveyor thought to be the first to climb Germany’s tallest peak in 1820, had the rug pulled out from under him a few years ago when it became evident that locals had actually scaled the Zugspitze, a mountain that straddles the Austria-Germany border, 50 years before him.

Nowadays, reaching the top at 2962 meters above sea level is much easier. You have a few choices: a cog railway from the German tourist town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, or cable cars from the base–one on the Austrian side and one on the German side.

Why not hike it?

Of course, if you want the bragging rights you’d best be climbing it on your own over one or two days. There are numerous routes to the top, a couple on which you can plan an overnight stay in an alpine hut.

Visitors looking for European ski bunnies should schedule in a trip to the Zugspitzplatt in the wintertime, the highest ski resort in Germany.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Inspired to conquer a massive mountain? Check out these eight that David DeFranza says “yes, you can!”

1. Tuvalu

Photo above by mrlins

This Polynesian island nation is only 10 square miles and 4.5 meters above sea level… at its highest point. Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world and is slowly disappearing into the Pacific Ocean. It is poised to be one of the first nations to experience the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change- a real-life Atlantis in the making.

2. The Columbia Glacier, Alaska

Photo above by Wikimedia Commons

The Columbia Glacier in Alaska’s Prince William Sound is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world. It has been estimated that this 54 km wide chunk of ice may well be transformed into a large fjord within 50 years and perhaps in less than a decade.

3. Rainforests of Papua New Guinea

Photo above by ajvhan

Papua New Guinea is home to the world’s third largest rainforest, with many microclimates and endemic species. Unfortunately, this area is being logged and cleared with little regard for the environmental consequences. Satellite imagery reveals destruction on such a large scale that within 12 years nearly all accessible forest is predicted to be destroyed or degraded.

4. Indo-Pacific Coral Reef

Photo above by kimberlyfaye

The Indo-Pacific contains 75% of the world’s coral reefs and has the greatest coral diversity in the world. An estimated 600 square miles of reef has been disappearing per year since the late 1960s, due to various causes, including deforestation and climate change. See it now before it’s gone.

5.The Maldive Islands

Photo above by Wikimedia Commons

A group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives hold the record for being the lowest country, averaging just 1.5 meters above sea level. They are being threatened as the sea level continues to rise as a result of global warming, and may be totally submerged within 50 years.

6. Himalayan Glaciers

Photo above by ilkerender

These glaciers crown the highest mountain range in the world, and are the source of the seven largest rivers in Asia. If you’ve been gearing up to plan your Himalayan glacier trek, you might want to go soon: if the present rate of melting continues, a large number of them may disappear by 2035.

7. Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail

Photo above by kudumomo

The remains of this ancient Incan city are one of the most beautiful and enigmatic sites in the world. The ruins are rapidly being worn down by the thousands of tourists treading across its stones, and this unbridled growth in tourism is irrevocably damaging the site- including the Inca Trail which leads to Machu Picchu itself.

8. The Pyramids of Giza

Photo above by Wikimedia Commons

The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are some of the greatest marvels of ancient Egyptian architecture. Yet, unrestricted development and urban sprawl from nearby Cairo threaten the ancient pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Air pollution eats away at the magnificent structures, and sewage from adjacent slums weakens the plateau upon which they stand.

9. Amazon Rainforest

Photo above by vaka0627

The Amazon rainforest alone produces more than 40% of the world’s oxygen and is the largest and most species-rich, diverse ecosystem on earth. It is estimated that the Amazon is vanishing at a rate of 20,000 square miles per year. If nothing is done, the entire Amazon could well be gone within 50 years.

Community Connection

The question remains: How can we visit these places without contributing to the very factors that accelerate their destruction? A good starting point is to find volunteer programs that align you with locals in everything from habitat restoration to education. Another consideration: choose alternatives to flying.

Photo above by bobtravis

While some of the world’s highest and most dangerous mountains lie in the Himalaya, Andes, Karakorum, and other high ranges, climbers hoping for big adventure need look no further than the United States.

Here are six American mountains to climb for big adventure:

1. Mount Washington, NH

New Hampshire’s highest point may only reach an elevation of 6,288 feet, but it is home to some of the world’s worst weather. In fact, the highest wind gust ever recorded on Earth’s surface, an incredible 231 mph blast, occurred on the summit of Mount Washington.

Its close proximity to the coast makes Mount Washington’s weather changeable and unpredictable. This is especially true in the winter, when temperatures frequently approach -40 degrees Fahrenheit and even exceed -100 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill.

In both winter and summer, climbers can choose to reach the summit via a strenuous hike or a technical alpine route. If you visit on one of the 110 average days per year in which wind gusts exceed hurricane force levels, an adventure is guaranteed.

You can read more about climbing Mount Washington in the Boston Globe and the Mount Washington Observatory forums.

Photo above by masterjack.roger

2. Mount Katahdin, ME

At 5,267 feet, Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, is lower than Mount Washington. Still, the airy views from the “Knife Edge” trail, which narrows to only two feet in width in some places and is flanked by thousand foot drops on either side, makes climbing Katahdin one of the most unique experiences in the Eastern United States.

For more information on the various routes up Katahdin, check out the Katahdin Regional Wiki.

Photo above by mandj98

3. Mount Rainier, WA

14,411 foot-high Mount Rainier is visible from Seattle, but climbing it is no easy undertaking. It requires travel on the largest glacier in the Lower 48 and advanced technical knowledge.

Still, there is probably no better place in America to get a “big mountain” experience with such a short approach.

For more information on climbing Mount Rainier, try the National Park Service trail descriptions or the Summit Post.

Photo above by david.evenson

4. Longs Peak, CO

The only “fourteener” in Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs Peak is an iconic mountain and considered to be the most difficult 3rd class fourteener in Colorado.

Though it’s officially non-technical in the summer, the popular Keyhole Route still offers steep rock scrambles and lots of exposure. When combined with the intense physical demands of the route, these features make Longs Peak an excellent objective for those looking for a mountain adventure.

If you want to plan an ascent of Longs Peak, the best first place to go is Paul Nesbit’s Longs Peak: Its Story and a Climbing Guide.

Photo above by glennwilliamspdx

5. Mount Shasta, CA

Considered one of the best treks in California, Mount Shasta is also one of America’s most adventurous mountain destinations. Popular routes to the 14,179 foot summit rise more that 7,000 feet from the trailhead and traverse rock moraine, snowfields, and glacial features.

For a classic account of adventure on Mount Shasta, read John Muir’s essay “Snow-storm on Mount Shasta.”

Photo above by exfordy

6. Mount Haleakala, HI

Forming more than 75% of the island of Maui, Haleakala is one of the best places to explore Hawaii’s unique volcanic landscape.

Though the summit is accessible by road and home to astrological observatories, hiking through the national park puts you in touch with the austere and dramatic terrain and provides an opportunity to get close to an active volcano.

Like Mount Kea, Haleakala is considered a sacred mountain by native Hawaiians. Also like Mount Kea, its summit is considered one of the best places on earth for viewing the cosmos.

Spending the night on Mount Haleakala is the perfect opportunity to sit back in a sleeping bag, sip some tea, and dream of all the adventures waiting for you under that star-studded mantle.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For more big-time adventures, check out the Top 15 Adventure Towns Worldwide, or learn about 7 Classic Adventure Spots in Asia.

Photo by Josh Sommers. Feature photo by Larry Miller.

Covering up to 25,000 square miles of Californian terrain, the Mojave and the Colorado deserts present a rich diversity in landscape, ecology, and climate, and provide an important preservation of natural and human history. The following are some of the most spectacular of the national and state parks.

Joshua Tree National Park

Popular for its Joshua tree forests and climbable hills of bare boulders, Joshua Tree National Park has a uniquely alien and prehistoric landscape.

Slow growers, Joshua trees can live up to several hundred years with some making it to a thousand. Photo by Tobias.

Arch Rock. Photo by Yogi.

Sometimes after particularly wet winters desert dandelions grow. Photo by Dawn Endico.

Death Valley National Park

Its rich geologic and cultural history, and extreme environment and isolation (having some of the clearest skies in North America for stargazing) make Death Valley an attractive destination for nature lovers.

A sliding rock making its way across Racetrack Playa. Photo by Mike.

Badwater, the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Photo by PhillipC.

Zabriskie Point. Photo by Larry Miller.

Red Rock Canyon State Park

The result of erosion exposing the colorful sandstone stratas and creating hoodoos and other dramatic rock formations, Red Rock Canyon State Park has served as the backdrop of many films, including Jurassic Park.

Red cliffs such as these have helped geologists and paleontologists understand the region’s history for the past 500 million years. Photo by Tobin.

Desert tortoises are endemic to the western part of North America. Photo by Chris Selvig.

Photo by Tom Hilton.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

The largest state park in California and the second largest in the continental United States, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers a varied sample of the Colorado Desert with broad vistas, dry river beds, and diverse ecology, such as palm groves, iguanas, foxes, golden eagles, roadrunners, and rattlesnakes.

The Borrego Badlands. Photo by Jurek Durczak.

Desert flora looks on as the desert sunrise paints a neon view. Photo by Florian Boyd.

Photo by Florian Boyd.

Mojave National Preserve

Seemingly barren compared to other Californian deserts, many make their way to this newly designated park for its booming sand dunes, volcanic formations, and Joshua tree forests.

Kelso Dunes, famous for “singing” or creating a low rumble when one slides down from the top. Photo by Lin Mei.

Photo by Chuck Abbe.

A chuckwalla soaks in some desert sun. Photo by Chris Selvig.

Facial Bling

Cleopatra apparently slept in a gold mask every night to maintain youthful looking skin, inspiring the latest in Japan’s pursuit of glowing, wrinkle-free skin.

Paper-thin squares of 24-karat gold are applied on the face along with hydrating compounds. The result includes firmer, more supple skin, and not surprisingly, a noticeable dent in your wallet.

Soup Soak

The Japanese have a penchant for the bizarre, and the ramen soup bath is no exception. Offered seasonally by the Yunessun Spa in Hakone, south of Tokyo, bathers lounge in a bowl-shaped tub filled with a steaming broth of pepper, garlic extract, and collagen, purported to boost metabolism and nourish the skin.

Photo by alles-schlumpf

The kid-friendly spa also features a variety of themed baths, including green tea, red wine, and sake.

Oil Drip

There was a time when you had to go to India or Sri Lanka for Ayurveda, an ancient method of healing that focuses on detoxification and restoration of the body’s natural balance.

These days, many spas offer Shirodhara, an Ayurvedic treatment that involves slowly dripping warm oil or buttermilk over the forehead in the area known as the “third eye.” Originally intended to treat conditions ranging from neurological disorders to skin ailments, the rhythmic drip is also used for its relaxing, meditative properties.

Slithering Spa

Ada Barak’s Carnivorous Plant Farm in Northern Israel doubles as a spa, boasting a waiting list for massages given by snakes (yes, those limbless elongated animals, but the non-venomous varieties). The writhing of such reptiles on the skin is said to be quite therapeutic.

Larger snakes are heavy enough to produce a deep kneading massage, while the smaller ones flutter over the skin, creating a calming, caressing sensation.

Bovine Secretions

Touted as “Viagra for Hair,” Hari’s Bull Sperm Hair Treatment promises to transform over-processed hair into healthy, flowing tresses at its London salon.

The protein-rich treatment is a combination of organic Aberdeen Angus bull semen and Katera, a plant root from Iran. Once it is massaged into wet hair, this unusual concoction is left to work its magic.

Hay Bath

Photo by Matthew Boyle

For over a hundred years, travelers have been trekking to the foothills of the Italian Dolomites for a therapy that eases aches and pains. Pioneered by Hotel Heubad, the treatment involves being tightly wrapped in a sheet filled with damp fermenting hay and soaking in a water bed heated to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat opens the pores to receive the healing qualities of the Alpine grasses.

Fire Cupping

Spas have proliferated in China’s megacities, drawing upon traditional regimens such as cupping. In this procedure, small glass or bamboo cups are lit and applied on the skin, usually the back. When the air inside the cup cools, a vacuum is created, stimulating blood flow and rebalancing inner energy.

While painless, dark red circular welts– an effect stranger than the process itself– remain.

Beer Bath

Spas in the Czech Republic offer an unconventional remedy for the weary: a soak in warmed lager. Yeast and hops contain health-inducing chemicals said to boost complexion and relieve muscle tension.

You probably shouldn’t sample the tepid, murky bathwater; at the Prave Pivni Lazni, or original beer spa, run by the Chodovar brewery in the town of Chodova Plana, you’re given cool pints to drink during your stint in “Beer Wellness Land.”

Chocolate Wrap

In the hills of Hershey, Pennsylvania, the spa at the Hotel Hershey offers a plethora of delicious-sounding treats. Based on the premise that chocolate’s vitamins and antioxidants fight aging and accelerate cellular rejuvenation, one such regimen, the Chocolate Fondue Wrap, involves being slathered with warmed Moor mud and essence of cocoa and then wrapped in a blanket.

Exfoliating Fish

Originally from Turkey, the garra rufa is more commonly known as “Doctor Fish” throughout Japan and parts of Southeast Asia. These toothless relatives of the carp feed on dead, flaky skin, attacking whichever body part is offered as a snack.

While these hard-working fish have been known to treat skin ailments such as psoriasis and eczema, they are more likely to be doing full body exfoliations or prepping the feet for a pedicure.

And these days learning to surf doesn’t have to be the fearful, difficult proposition it once was. Forgiving foam surfboards and qualified surf instructors mean standing up and riding a wave in your first session is very likely — and then you’re hooked.

Read on for Matador’s list of the best surf spots to start your new addiction…

Byron Bay, Australia

This onetime sleepy dairy town turned hippie-surfer-stockbroker enclave is quite possibly the best place in the country, maybe the world, to learn to surf. There’s a variety of waves to suit different levels, from gentle rollers off Watego Beach to the beach breaks of Tallows and The Wreck (in small swells).

Byron Bay Surf School offers both lessons and accommodation. Or stay at the Byron Bay YHA (formerly J’s Bay), complete with pool.

Best time to go: March to May for warm weather and consistent swell .

Kuta, Bali

On an island famous for its grinding left hand reef breaks, Bali still offers great options for learners. The long sandy stretch of sand in front of the famous Kuta and Legian tourist strip can turn on fun waves for beginners in small swells – but watch the currents when its bigger.

Various beach huts rent old surfboards for about 20,000 rupiah per hour. For complete novices try the School of Surf.When the wind picks up in the afternoon there’s a bunch of options to keep you busy, from practising yoga in Ubud to partying late at Ku De Ta in Seminyak.

Best time to go: May to September for offshore winds and a party atmosphere.

Photo by mikebaird

Lagos, Portugal

While there are rarely waves in Lagos itself, this picturesque Algarve town is the base for many surf schools in the region, and it’s not hard to see why. A variety of great waves are within a 30 minute drive, including the protected break at Arrifana – a favourite for learners at low tide.

Among the surf schools based in Lagos, Surf Experience is the longest established and one of the best.

After a day spent learning to surf, refuel at one of Lagos’ cheap but delicious restaurants, from cook-your-own €8 steaks at Retiro da Trinidade to fiery hot piri piri chicken at O Franguinho. After 10 PM, the clubs come alive, the clientèle spurred on by cheap cocktails and refreshing bottles of Sagres beer for just €2.

Best time to go: Northern hemisphere spring and autumn to avoid the summer crowds and higher prices.

Surfer’s Point, Barbados

Located on Barbados’s more protected southern coast, Surfer’s Point in Inch Marlowe is the perfect location to learn to surf in an idyllic, tropical setting. Former competitive surfer and Barbadian local Zed Layson runs the popular Zed’s Surfing Adventures. Zed offers two hour lessons on easy-to-ride foam surfboards, plus a range of accommodation options near the point.

Best time to go: Anytime, although the rainy season from June to October may limit your tanning time.

Photo by marcodede

Waikiki, Hawaii

What better place to learn to surf than the home of surfing itself? Hawaii’s ancient kings rode the surf on crude wooden boards before missionaries in the 19th century frowned on the sport for being a godless activity.

Thankfully, surfing is back bigger than ever. The gentle rolling waves of Waikiki are perfect for beginners, offering long rides and a (mostly) fun, easy going atmosphere. Canoe’s is the most popular, and consequently most crowded, break but you’ll be among beginners so catching waves is relatively easy.

Boards can be rented from the shacks on the beach by the hour or take a lesson from one of the many surf schools in the area.

Best time to go: There’s waves year round although the Hawaiian summer from June to August sees consistent south swells.

Taghazoute, Morocco

Thanks to its long, righthand point breaks, Morocco has been a popular winter destination for European surfers since the 1970s, with convoys of VW campervans parked beside the various breaks.

These days, you don’t need to be a hardcore surfer to enjoy the waves, with a variety of surf schools to choose from. Pure Blue Water, between Casablanca and Rabat in the north of Morocco, offers a range of beach and point break waves.

In the south, Taghazoute almost has more surf camps than surf spots, so you’re bound to find one that suits your budget. Hash Point and the beaches around Agadir can throw up an easy wave for learners. If it’s flat, the chilled port town of Essaouira is just three hours north by bus and makes a great day trip.

Best time to go: The big swells roll in from November to February, but early autumn has smaller waves and warmer weather.

Photo by sub_lime79

Newquay, UK

For a country known for its crap weather, the British sure love their surfing. Newquay’s Fistral Beach is surfing ground zero in Britain, with a variety of backpacker hostels, surf cafes and surf schools in and around the town.

Newquay’s headlands mean there are surfable waves in most conditions, from the swell-exposed Fistral to the protected Watergate Bay just around the corner. If you have access to a car, the crystal clear peaks at Sennen Cove an hour south are worth the drive in clean swells.

Best time to go: September to October are the most consistent months. You’ll need a 4/3 or even a thick 5/4 wetsuit to brave the chilly water in winter and spring.

Bundoran, Ireland

Ireland is the new surfing hot spot in Europe; its world class, uncrowded waves now lure surfers from around the world.

Bundoran in County Donegal on Ireland’s west coast is a great place to learn the basics, with a variety of beach breaks on offer. If the swell is small, try Tullan Beach in town. If it’s too big, head 10 km. north to the more mellow Rossnowlagh Beach. The respected Bundoran Surf Co. offers lessons as well surf-and-stay packages.

And five places to avoid

• North Shore, Hawaii: With waves regularly reaching above 10 feet in winter, this coast is no place for the novice. Hell, even experienced surfers regularly come to grief here.
• Coolangatta, Australia: Home of the Superbank. When it’s on it’s so crowded you can almost walk out to the surf on the back of paddling surfers.
• Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Would you surf in the same waters where tourists flock to go swimming in shark-proof cages?
• Fuerte Ventura, Canary Islands: Sharp lava reefs, sea urchins, strong winds, localism and thumping Atlantic swells. Experienced surfers only.
• Puerto Escondido, Mexico: Has a reputation as one of the heaviest beach breaks in the world. The waves here are consistently above head high and routinely snap surfboards like twigs.

Community Connection

Keen to catch a wave on your next trip? Here are a few of Matador’s destination surf guides: Surfer’s Guide to the Algarve Coast, Portugal, Surf Vietnam: China Beach and Beyond, Surfer’s Guide to Asturias, Spain, or Surfing Argentina: An Insider’s Guide to the Breaks of Mar del Plata.

Landlocked? You can still take a look at our 5 Best Surf Films of All Time.

Photo above by darkroomillusions

There’s no slower, more connected way to travel than trekking. Overcoming obstacles binds walkers together and mobile trail communities flourish. Here are some of the most spectacular treks from around the world.

Kruger National Park — South Africa

Several trails weave through the 20,000 km Kruger National Park in the northeast of South Africa. Combine big cats with giant reptiles and you’ll understand why hiking is tightly controlled. Walking set routes with gun-toting guides will allow you relative safety.

Photo above by jhull

Mt. Kenya National Park — Kenya

As Africa’s second highest peak, Mt. Kenya might be better known as a technical climbing destination. But eight hiking trails also run through the park, each with caretakers and huts. No climbing is required.

Four of the eight walks are staffed and accessible, but the remaining four require special permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service. This is a chance to move from fertile slopes through forest into the rare African alpine environment, then watch the sun rise over Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Photo above by malfageme

Camino de Santiago de Compostela

If there’s one European walk to wander, it’s the rolling Way of St. James, a.k.a. “the Camino.” Pilgrims walk from wherever they want, finishing in Catholicism’s third most holy city (and scoring a free meal in the back of the five-star Parador Restaurant). The most popular route starts in the French Pyrenees, progressing through Pamplona, Burgos, and Lyon, plus countless friendly Spanish villages. Learn 4 Lessons from the Camino.

Photo above by Phillie Casablanca

Inca Trail – Peru

Macchu Pichu is an iconic and powerful image of South America and the once-powerful Inca Empire. What better way to discover it than approaching on a multi-day hike through forest valleys and steep ascents?

Once carefully guarded by Inca checkpoints, the path is now protected by government officials who check passports to ensure regulation numbers are kept and the environment isn’t further endangered. Like many of these treks, it’s imperative to book in advance. If you miss out or are looking for a lesser known alternative, try the Salkantay trail instead.

Photo above by Hiro008

Torres del Paine National Park — Chile

Torres del Paine is home to spectacular multi-day walks through alpine terrain, including the popular four-day “W” track and 9 day circle route. The Patagonia webcam project will have you strapping your boots on before you know what hit you.

Photo above by i am indisposed

Pacific Crest Trail — Mexico, USA, Canada

Approximately 300 hikers a year attempt to through-hike this massive trek, starting in Mexico and hitting Canada before the winter snows make progress impossible. Countless more attempt anything from a day walk to several weeks of camping through harsh desert and snow-flaked mountains. Thank God for those trail angels!

Photo above by Lawlesco

Appalachian Trail — USA

Running some 2,000 miles through 11 states, the Appalachian trail traverses not only the last pockets of wilderness in the Eastern US, but many historic sites and towns along the way. Shelters and a well-developed infrastructure exist along the entire route.

Most surprising is the entire subculture of AT through hikers that spills over into the surrounding towns. Hostels, restaurants, locals–oftentimes it seems like your through-hike (or section hike) is a ticket to this ongoing party.

Photo above by Lucy Crabapple

Annapurna Sanctuary — Nepal

Like most popular routes in Nepal, the Annapurna Sanctuary is a “teahouse trek.” Trails pass through villages, each with its own lodging. Camping gear like heavy sleeping bags, tents, and cook stoves are not required on this trail. As a result, trekkers can get by with fairly light loads. Check here for a complete guide.

Photo above by jenniferphoon

Mt. Fuji — Japan

Forget the expat slogan “Don’t climb Mt. Fuji.” There’s nothing more iconic than watching the sun rise from its slopes, and thousands attempt it each year. It’s not a difficult walk. Visible from parts of Tokyo, Mt. Fuji almost seems to be taunting travelers, challenging them to escape the neon jungle.

Photo above by hadriaswad

Gunung Tahan – Malaysia

When I return to Malaysia, walking Gunung Tahan is high on my list. Malaysia’s highest mountain sits snugly in a forest-clad national park and is surrounded by several trails. The walk to the top takes approximately five days, but is considered the toughest trek in the region with steep climbs and tropical temperatures taking their toll on walkers.

Photo above by Timmy Toucan

Milford Track – New Zealand

You can’t round up the world’s best treks without mentioning the Milford Track deep in the South Island of New Zealand. Described as the finest walk in the world, this strictly-controlled hike is best done in the southern summer as winter rains make it dangerous to attempt.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Keen on doing some serious walking? Check out a few of Matador’s trekking guides: Trekking Torres del Paine, Trekking the Annapurna Sanctuary, Sarawak: Trekking in the Kelabit Highlands or How To Trek the Inca Trail.

GOODS:

Feature photo by Tony. Above photo by Nidcha Injai.

From the early mountaineers who came to the Himalayas, travelers and adventurers have always sought out new places to explore in Asia. The following roundup outlines some of the recent Asian “classics” for ideas and inspiration on your next trip.

1. Paddling / Rafting on the Pai River, Thailand

The Pai River flows 62 miles through various class IV gorges and long stretches of flatwater through a remote, wilderness section of the Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. Season runs June – January. Mulit-day trips are run out of Pai.

2. Kite-surfing on the Filipino Island of Boracay

Bulabog Lagoon stretching over three bays, with an extended shallow and consistent cross-shore winds perfect for both kite-surfing. Various kite-surfing schools offer courses.

Photo by David Eng.

3. Mountain Trekking in Nepal

Among the numerous trekking routes in Nepal, the most popular is the Annapurna Base Camp Trail. Like most popular routes in Nepal, the Annapurna Sanctuary is a “teahouse trek.” Trails pass through villages, each with its own lodging.

4. Caving and Wildlife Viewing in Borneo

The site of continued international caving expeditions, Gunung Mulu National Park contains over 300 km of mapped caves system, including the largest single cave chamber in the world. It has a well established infrastructure and daily tours.

5. Surfing in Okinawa, Japan

Okinawa is well-known among surfers. The ‘Hawaii of the East’ is blessed with white sandy beaches, huge waves, and an established surf culture. You get to enjoy Japanese culture without the hectic rush of Tokyo or other big cities.

The best waves are found at the North of Nago, but beware of the southern end of the harbor, but this is a hollow reef break, not for novice surfers.

Photo by Oscar López.

6. Sandboarding at Mui Ne, Vietnam

Sunrise is a good time to head up into the White Sand dunes. One of the most fun ways to spend a couple hours exploring the dunes: sandboarding. You can rent a board for 100,000 Dong.

7. Trekking and Climbing in Bhutan

With some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes and trekking routes, and a government that measures the country’s progress in GNH, or Gross National Happiness, Bhutan is good to go. Remember that independent traveling is not allowed by the Bhutanese government; you need to arrange your trip through a local travel agency.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Looking for more in depth guides on the places mentioned above?

Check out this Comprehensive guide to trekking Bhutan. Want to check out surf in Japan Hit up our crew here.

If you’re just getting started in adventure sports, check out David Miller’s guide to paddling or N. Chrystine Olson’s beginner’s guide to telemark skiing.

Although it was built more than a millennium after his time, Lao-Tzu may as well have been referring to the Trans-Siberian rail when he said, “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

That’s the perfect attitude to keep in mind as you board the Rossiya to begin your journey.

Reason #1: You’ll experience a sense of accomplishment.

Don’t listen to them. I’m talking about the Internet forum posters and naysayers on the road, the ones who tell you how hard it is to buy train tickets if you don’t speak Russian.

Admittedly, it is a bit daunting when you’re face to face with a large, surly babushka, but here’s a secret to break the ice: pass her a hand-written note in your best Cyrillic and chances are she will crack a smile. It will look like children’s writing to her. It works every time.

Once you get that out of the way, your confidence will soar. Then, you’ll wonder what the big fuss was all about.

Tip: Make sure you go armed with a few choices in case your preferred train is sold out. Use the CIS Railway Timetable for a reliable schedule of trains. Note that all train schedules are based on Moscow time, something to keep in mind as you traverse up to eight time zones.

Reason #2: You’ll cut your costs.

Buying tickets at the window will save you a stack of rubles. Savings are amplified if you get adventurous and choose platzkartny, the open carriage in which most locals travel and your best bet for cultural submersion. These tickets can be 25% of the cost of a kupe fare.

Sure, the open carriage also offers 0% of the privacy of a closed berth, but how else are you going to observe the local behaviors and customs? A British couple we met along the way shared a cart with a group of soldiers. By the time they said dasvidanya to the young men, they were plus one set of dog tags, an army ration pack, and a drawing.

Tip: To save even more cash, consider contacting hosts through websites like Hospitality Club and Couch Surfing, especially in Moscow where you can blow a big portion of your budget on accommodation.

Reason #3: You can roam if you want to.

Imagine meeting up with other travelers who are in the midst of organizing an amazing week-long off-road adventure. You’re welcome to join them, they tell you. Problem is, your train tickets have a departure date for tomorrow.

This does happen. In Ulan Bator, a six-day excursion to White Lake was planned with some Aussies we met on the road. While my wife and I leisurely explored the city, our new friends spent most of the day re-booking their onward tickets, and of course coughed up a few thousand togrog for the privilege.

Avoid this by not having a rigid plan. Opportunities will always arise and you won’t know all the options until you arrive at your destination. Once you figure out what you want to do, go ahead and purchase your onward fares.

Visas: A minor detail

Train tickets are one issue, visas another.

Assuming Moscow as the start, depending what your final destination is – Vladivostok or Beijing – and what route you decide on – Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Manchurian – you will need a visa for Russia, Mongolia or China, or all three.

While it is possible to acquire the necessary papers on your own, the Russian visa is not straightforward.

Russia also requires that you register your visa within three business days upon arrival. The hotel or hostel should do this on your behalf or, if you’re staying with friends, they can register you at a post office.

If you have the time and patience, there’s no reason you can’t obtain the visas on your own. But there isn’t much to be gained other than saving a few bucks.

It might be worthwhile having an agent do this for you, freeing you up to practice your spaseebas and pazhalstas and memorizing the Cyrillic alphabet.

Other helpful resources

Two of the more popular Trans-Siberian websites are Way to Russia and The Man in Seat 61.

Both have a plethora of priceless information that explores the minutiae of this exciting trip. Don’t overlook Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree for up-to-the-minute information from travelers.

The most useful guidebook ever is the Trailblazer Trans-Siberian Handbookby Bryn Thomas. This invaluable tool not only discusses history and places of interest, but also includes timetables and critical information for preparing your trip. There are even templates you can use, with Russian translations, to help you buy your train fares.

Remember, flexibility is your friend.

Timing is everything. If you’re traveling in the May to September peak season you need to be very flexible as you probably won’t get the tickets you want. In fact, on some of the more popular trains you might be forced to use an agent as they pre-buy seats in bulk, leaving crumbs for the scavengers.

At other times, you’ll have the pick of the crop. We traveled in October with no problems catching our desired trains.

Don’t rush the trip. Remember, travel isn’t about the destination but the experience of getting there.

Community Connection

Love riding the rails? Check out our list of 10 Spectacular Train Rides or take a look at Matador member anne137’s blog and video from her ride on the Trans-Siberian.

If you’re unsure where to stop along the journey, check out Carlo’s companion piece, Trans Siberian Sidetrips: How To Break Your Train Ride.

All photos by author.

Photo by orphanjones.Feature photo by Darcy McCarthy.

Whether you seek towering mountains or sweltering desert, pastoral idyll or urban jungle, California has a range of options for your trekking adventure.

8. Death Valley

Death Valley is a landscape of sublime desolation. While it is difficult to take extended hiking trips in Death Valley—you must bring in all of your own water—a number of sights can be visited by 4-wheel drive.

Death Valley is home to stunning natural phenomena. Take a day trip across the Badwater salt flat, the lowest point in North America, and visit Furnace Creek, which boasts the hottest recorded temperature in the Western Hemisphere.

Explore Racetrack Playa and its mysterious sailing stones, the Mesquite Sand Dunes (the desert planet Tatooine of Star Wars fame), and the Devil’s Golf Course with its enormous fingerlike salt crystals. January is a great time to visit to avoid the valley’s staggering summertime heat.

7. The Coastal Trail and the Lost Coast

Photo by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker.

Highway One veers inland away from the dramatic coastal cliffs of the King Range, leaving a stretch of wilderness between Mendocino and Eureka in Northern California.

Trekkers on the Coastal Trail will encounter seals and sea lions, gigantic waves, and virgin redwoods stands in the hollows of Sinkyone Wilderness preserve.

Bring your rain gear. The Lost Coast is the wettest region of the state, and some parts get up to 100 inches of annual rainfall.

6. Garnet Lake

The arduous trek to Garnet Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness is a photographer’s dream. Environmentalist John Muir considered this alpine lake framed by snowy mountains his church.

Because of its location in the high Sierras, the trailhead that begins at Devil’s Postpile is only open from June to early December, depending on the snowfall.

The area is known for its many bears, so be sure to bring bear canisters to protect your food or face a long, hungry walk back to civilization. Ambitious climbers might consider ascents of Mount Ritter and Banner Peak.

5. Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy

Of the 750 trail miles in Yosemite, the loop through Beehive Meadows to Lake Vernon from Hetch Hetchy Valley might be the most rewarding. Contemplate the park’s famous granite domes and swim the crystal waters of Lake Vernon.

Late May to early June is the best season to visit when indigenous wildflowers are in full bloom and snowmelt is still cascading down Rancheria Falls into the reservoir.

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik.

4. Point Reyes National Seashore

Just an hour north of San Francisco, Point Reyes provides 150 miles of excellent hiking trails and camping opportunities within easy reach of the city.

A trail near the visitor’s center runs along the San Andreas fault, where the power of the 1906 earthquake that leveled San Francisco is illustrated by a 15-foot separation in an old wooden fence.

Because Point Reyes juts out several miles into the Pacific, its quiet beaches are perfect for whale watching in April and November.

3. San Francisco

San Francisco is a walker’s paradise. Traverse the city from the bayside to the ocean and explore dozens of neighborhoods and hilltop parks along the way. Even on a sunny day you’ll notice San Franciscans carrying their jackets.

Do the same: temperatures plummet under the rolling banks of fog.

2. Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a walker’s hell. To live in Los Angeles without a car is akin to living anywhere else without legs. Angelenos will think you are crazy when you mention your urban trek from downtown to the Pacific. However, the 20-mile jaunt passes many of LA’s best attractions, and amazingly, there are sidewalks.

Start at Union Station and take Sunset Boulevard northwest into the hipster village of Silver Lake. Continue on Sunset until you reach Hollywood Boulevard and its grimy tattoo parlors. Take pictures with the buskers outside the Chinese Theater.

Go south back to Sunset and head west for Sunset Strip’s nightclubs and rock venues where West Coast bands dream of hitting the big time. Skirt ritzy Beverly Hills and take Venice Boulevard all the way to the boardwalk at Venice Beach where you will be treated to some of LA’s finest characters.

1. Mount Shasta

Like her Cascade Range cousins further north, glacier-peaked Mount Shasta is visible from 100 miles away. Shasta is popular with mountain climbers in the summer and backcountry skiers in the winter.

The popular Avalanche Gulch Trail starts at the tree line and rises 6,300 feet over rocky moraines and snowfields to the summit.

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