I know its become a bit of a cliche to mention it, but...the Camino Santiago. Some beautiful, if somewhat wet, country on both sides of the Pyrenees. Catholicism or belief in reincarnation (thank you, Shirley Maclaine) not required.

A few favourites:

In New Zealand the Cascade Saddle-Dart River route is just gorgeous. The climb up to Cascade Saddle is pretty tough but the view from the top is truly spectacular. If you really went fast you could do it in 3.5 days, but 6 or so gives you some time for side trips and a slmewhat slower pace.


In Nepal the Annapurna Circuit is just fabulous, especially if you can tack the trip up to base camp on the end. It's a looooong trip, 17-28 days but is probably my favourite hike/trek ever. The mountain scenery is probably the most awesome in the world, and the cultural experience is fabulous as well, especially near the middle of the trip.

Never done the Inca Trail, but I can definitely agree that Torres del Paine is fabulous. Also in South America, the walks in Aconcagua Provincial Park (and the other nearby natural areas) are spectacular. Himalayan scale mountains with beautiful colour to boot.


I imagine the Tasmanian trek you're thinking of is the Overland Track (though there are some other great ones there, the Overland is the best known.) It's a beautiful walk in its own right, but the side trips off of the main trail were what REALLY made it for me. The huts along the way are quite comfortable, which is probably part of whay the trip must now be booked in advance.


Wow... I could just keep going on and on, but I think I'll leave it there for now. Happy Trails!

I recently just completed the Kepler Track in New Zealand. Despite the miniblizzard I got caught in the scenery was beautiful.

I booked my spot on the Overland Track (Tasmania, Australia) just the other day, it will be my first big walk.

And here is a good free tip, you can avoid the fee by starting at the Walls of Jerusalem instead of Cradle Mountain but you need to be an experienced walker. You could also just walk out of season when it is free.

The hike on Kauai, Hawaii to see the Napali Coastline is incredible!!! Helicopters flew below us!!! This portion of Kauai can only be seen by boat, helicopter, or an all-day 16 hour hike. It's pretty treacherous at times with drops of 2000 plus feet on either side and sometimes with only a couple of feet's width on the trail. However, the view and the experience is well worth it!

I have yet to hike to the "Wettest Spot on Earth" on that island. Going down was a killer on the Napali hike as it was very slippery. I'm told that the mist is so thick that you cannot see a thing. Well, I'll have to give it a go the next time I'm on the island...meaning in January!!

The Wonderland trail around Mt. Rainier in Washington State. Takes 10 days, up and down, up and down, really lovely and tough. But it books up quick and is not really solitudinal.

I've done 250 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, which was ardous and lonely and wonderful, and the Camino, which was relaxing and perfect.

If you're looking for a multi-day hike in an unexpected place, check out the Batona Trail in South Jersey. I did a number of two-to-three-day hikes on it as a teenager and used to run on it on a daily basis back when I was into the whole marathoning thing.

Here are my favorites...

1. Everest Base Camp, Nepal: amazing views virtually the entire way. It definitely lives up to the hype. I went in the winter when the trails were uncrowded, so it didn't feel like I was on a conveyor belt.

2. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal: longer than the Everest trek, but it's also easier. The views might not be quite as consistently spectacular the entire way, but they're still pretty impressive, and the terrain and cultures along the way are more varied and diverse.

3. Tongariro Circuit, NZ: volcanoes, lava fields and crazy-colored mineral pools. It's like walking on the moon.

These aren't major wilderness hikes but still in terms of scenery and culture I rank them among my favourites:

1- The Kalasha Valleys in North West Pakistan for the unique local culture and beautiful green valleys surrounded by the stunning Hindukush Mountains.

2- The Haraz Mountains in Yemen, for mind boggling mountain fortress villages constructed in seemlingly impossible locations, and some of the toughest terrain I've hiked in in the world.

3- The Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan. Simply stunning!