There’s nothing quite like tackling a tough trek in the blistering heat.
Sweat stings your eyes as you power up the inclines. Your feet burn and your throat feels charcoal-dry. But when you finally get to camp and drop that pack to the ground, there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing you didn’t let the heat beat you down. Not today.
It’s freakin’ scorching where I am on the Canadian west coast, which is a big reason why the first-ever edition of the S&TT Roundup is heavily focused on knee-killin’ trekking hot spots. From the under-rated Australian Outback to a crazy France stomp, check out these stories from last month that do a great job of celebrating the trails less traveled.
Go bushwalking in the Outback
Australia’s Outback is an underrated hiking destination. You rarely hear about it in North American trekking mags or blogs and yet this region offers some mighty fine hiking. (Um, I mean bushwalking).
Check out this article about hiking in Watarrk National Park from Neil Fahey over at Bushwalking Blog. The rusty, Mars-like terrain is pretty incredible.
Little-known trail from Utah to Mexico
This is one those big ol’ epic American trails…and yet few folks know about it.
The Arizona National Scenic Trail winds through 800 miles of diverse terrain connecting canyons, deserts, forests and historic sites. And yet some Arizona residents have lived in the area all their lives without even hearing about this route, according to the executive director of the Arizona Trail Association.
So if you’d like to hike from Utah to Mexico (who wouldn’t?), take a read of this article in the local East Valley Tribune.
Ditch the crowds with these Whistler treks
Whistler is home to loads of little-known trails. Photo:Ruth Hartnup_CC
Loads of hikers pound the trails around the towns of Whistler and Squamish, located in British Columbia, Canada (near my home turf). But if you know where to look, you can also find killer treks that are off the typical tourist’s radar.
This article details 5 sweet hidden routes that are less crowded but still amazing. I’m gonna give one a shot this fall I think. Check out the article on Leavetown.com.
Tackling the ‘Strange Loop’
Adam Bradley is one hardcore hiker. The Nevado man plans to walk the the Pacific Crest, Appalachian and Continental Divide trails while using a bicycle to get from one route to the next.
Bradley calls this crazy combo the ‘Strange Loop’ and it’ll take him until October, 2015 to do it all. Check out the article in the Reno Gazette-Journal to learn more.
Braving the brutal GR 20
The GR20 is one of France’s toughest treks. Photo: Jean-Baptiste Bellet_CC
Here’s a great tale about trekking the deliciously difficult GR 20 in Corsica, France. The best part: traversing the Cirque du Solitude, a 1,000-foot drop that’s so steep they’ve got chains set into the rock to keep ya from fallin’.
Read the story on the Appalachian Trails blog.
Have you read an awesome hiking article that should be featured here? Post a link to it in the comments below.
