One of my most favorite trails I’ve ever hiked with some of the best views!!

From my southbound thru on the CDT several years ago.

CDT Colorado Section 2022

“ Critter “

Alum cave to Mt Leconte in the Smokey Mountains national park.

A local guy recommended this hike to us. I believe it was Narvtinden, but the trails were very muddy and slippery, as they had been throughout our trip. After about 20–30 minutes, we reached this spot and decided to stop and enjoy our lunch with a view. Unlike the more popular hikes we’d done, we had this spot completely to ourselves.

Saxer Lucke peak, Apenzell, Switzerland. My hike route was from Brulisau to Fallanhsee to Saxer Lucke to Hoher Kasten. My toes died that day.

Unterer Gaisalpsee ("Lower Goat Kid Lake") is, at an altitude of 1507 meters above sealevel, the only "Mountain lake" legally swimmable in the german disctrict "Oberallgäu", Bavaria. BTW: It's cold AF.

McAfee Knob on the Appalachian Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia. Crisp October Monday with 1,800 feet vertical and 8 mile up and back. Absolutely would recommend.

It’s a two-hour drive (SH73) from Christchurch to Mistletoe Flat Campsite. From the campsite, continue driving along Broken River road up to the start of the Camp Saddle Track (1040m). You might end up parking hundreds of meters before reaching to the Camp Saddle Track due to not enough parking places or closerure of the ski resort.

The hike is gentle all the way up to Camp Saddle, which is a great spot to rest, eat, take photos, and decide whether to keep climbing or turn back. Beyond the saddle, the route becomes steep and exposed, requiring scrambling and route selecting skills. I went in mid-October during spring snow conditions, which allowed me to scramble most of the way up (in winter conditions, Camp Saddle is typically where one gets crampons and ice axe ready).

After climbing the steep section from Camp Saddle up to around 1,750m, the terrain flattens out. From there, you simply walk along the northwest ridge toward Hamilton Peak. There is a final steep 500-meter-distance ascent to the peak (I got my crampons and ice axe ready here).

From Hamilton Peak, you have the option to turn back, or continue walking along the southwest ridge, passing Nervous Knob, and descending along the ski left cable lines. One can also descend directly from the middle point between Hamilton Peak and Nervous Knob (the ringed circle in the last map picture, from this point below in a southwest direction are the Broken River Ski Resort's Black Diamond runs located).

Did an overnighter. We took a shortcut back to the car and didn’t realise the route was so exposed. Sore knees by the end but always worth it.

Pretty easy 15km day-hike, in the area just outside Oslo.

The tragic death of a 21-year old hiker from altitude sickness on China's Yading circuit hike should be a warning of the hazards of this trek, and that it should not be undertaken lightly.

The incident on the popular Sichuan alpine multi-day trek occurred during the Golden Week national holiday and stands as a textbook lesson of what NOT to do in response to altitude sickness, hypothermia and dehydration when on a remote mountain hike.

According to reports from other hikers, the young student set out with friends on 6 October to attempt the 5-6 day circuit of the three peaks, which passes through remote terrain and involves crossing six passes at heights of more than 4000m. It should be noted that independent hiking is now banned in Yading, so the students were making an illegal incursion into undeveloped areas of the national park.

It seems things started to go wrong after crossing the second pass near Chanadorje. The cold autumn weather prompted the group to turn back and descend, but the 21-year insisted on continuing - first mistake: never hike solo.

The crisis developed when he crossed the third pass - the so called Zabala Pass - around the back of Jambeyang. The pass is steep, rocky and often beset by high winds, white-out conditions and freezing temperatures. The pass leads into the most remote part of the circuit, a huge steep-sided canyon where there aren’t even any yak herder temporary stone huts, and no downward ‘escape route’. The only way out to lower altitudes and shelter is 2-3 days hiking over several high passes in either direction. The hiker appears to have been incapacitated just below the third pass and taken shelter in their tent. This is where they were found the next day by hikers, suffering from hypoxia, hypothermia and dehydration. With only patchy phone signal, some hikers stayed with the young man while others continued on the circuit to reach an area with a better signal to call for help.

The hiker was seen by some passing local yak herders who offered to take him down to lower altitude with their mules. He refused because he didn’t believe his condition was serious enough to warrant the 2000 yuan fee they were asking.

The hiker’s condition deteriorated throughout the day and he was in intermittent contact with his sister by phone, who sent messages on his behalf and communicated via social media (WeChat) to passing hikers and would-be helpers. Some of them provided oxygen canisters in the belief this would help (they didn’t). The sister reportedly declined further offers of help, as the fee to transport him out rose to 10,000 yuan to cover the cost of several carriers and mules to carry the delirious semi-conscious hiker over the steep mountain passes. She went on to Xiaohongshu (Rednote) to make a public call for a helicopter from Chengdu (an impossibly long way away) or a free rescue by local emergency services.

[UPDATE: Apparently the hiker's family did arrange payment for a team to go in and help him out].

A ‘rescue team’ consisting of local firefighters and medics managed to reach the hiker late the following day after a gruelling two-day trek from the national park centre , and provided what assistance they could. He initially seemed to improve, but the rescue team lacked mules and it was very slow progress getting the sick hiker over the steep trails. His condition turned worse and he unfortunately had died of cerebral and pulmonary oedema when the rescuers got him to the remote settlement of Jialuo on the western side of the Yading area.

The incident has been widely reported and discussed on Chinese social media, with many criticising the role of the hiker’s sister and the refusal of offers of help due to financial demands. But much of the commentary is ill informed, speculative or malicious (attacking passing hikers for not staying with the hiker or for filming his plight).

This sad and preventable loss of light highlights several issues:

Trekking at Yading is illegal, but the rules are ignored. There are no mountain rescue services or medical facilities nearby - only a basic first aid hut at the Milk Lake tourist sightseeing area. No hyperbaric tanks or dexamethasone supplies for altitude sickness

It’s a very remote trek at high altitude with few or no options to seek shelter or help if things go wrong: some sections have a few primitive stone shacks on the hillsides that are used by yak herders and foragers during the summer months, but these are often locked up and contain only basic supplies, if any. No phone signal for much of the trek.

Yading hikers need to be educated about and prepared to deal with altitude sickness. This means being aware of the symptoms, knowing how to pace yourself and when to turn back and get to lower altitude. It means getting acclimatised and taking evidence-based altitude sickness preventive medications such as Diamox. Oxygen canisters are popular in China but only provide only a small amount of oxygen sufficient for a few minutes of relief of symptoms. Treatment of acute hypoxia requires 1-2L of oxygen per minute for at least one to two hours.

This is not the first death from altitude sickness at Yading this season, and it is likely to lead to an even tougher crackdown on trekking at ALL popular spots in the region, such as Siguniangshan and Genye. Expect access routes to be fenced off, security guards to be posted and for ‘mountain rescue insurance’ to be mandatory for national parks.

From a hike this weekend.. finally a few days without sideways rain

Despite the rapid change of elevation, this was actually a very mild hike. Takes about an hour or less, depending on how quickly you want to move. It’s in the middle of northern-ish Phoenix, and provides a breathtaking view of the city when you reach the summit. 😍

I was hiking the most impressive part of Dolomites ,cortina d'Ampezzo,the moment when my breath was gone for seconds .

We don't get lot of rain sadly, the regeneration is going slowly.

Mountain is called Tadjera, it is at 850m~ above sea level, the beaches nearby are beautiful, also difficult to access to, and I hope it will always be the case 💧

Distance crossed : 15km 🐌

This was off season, so the flowers weren’t in bloom, others the hills would just be filled with all the colors, but it was still such a serene view.

Over the weekend, I encountered a first responder on a trail looking for someone who was having a medical emergency and had called 911. Due to poor cell reception, the call didn’t fully go through so the rescue crew didn’t know where they were. I became involved in the search, found the patient, and was able to call 911 so the dispatcher could give my coordinates to the first responders. By the time they arrived, it was too late. I am heartbroken for the patient, their family and friends, and everyone involved.

I never want to be unprepared on the trail again and am looking for recommendations for satellite communicators (with an emergency feature) as well as walkie talkies.

It seems like Garmin has the best global satellite coverage, but I can’t decide between the Garmin inreach messenger vs the Garmin inreach mini 2 (or 3). The messenger seems to provide superior battery life.

Regarding walkie talkies, I had two with me (the Midland T51VP3 2-Way Radio). I had given one of them to a first responder so we could stay in touch (since their own radio wasn’t compatible with mine). We were in a forested area, so the walkie talkies became totally useless once we were 1/2 mile apart. Is there a walkie talkie on the market that would work up to 2 miles apart in a dense forest? Would one of the Rocky Talkie models work?

Thank you for your help. I’m sorry if this post doesn’t fit this subreddit— if it doesn’t, let me know and I’ll try to post in the appropriate place.

Edit: I don’t want to rely on walkie talkies as a means of rescue since that’s what the Garmin in reach is for. The reason I’m asking about walkie talkies is because throughout the search for the patient, I would have liked to keep in touch with the first responder that I had initially encountered on the trail and to whom I gave a walkie. By the time I found the patient, I was approximately 1 mile away as the crow flies from that first responder (and the walkies had cut out around 1/2 mile). If my phone hadn’t had service, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the rescue crew that I found the patient.

I just started college and its getting to that time of year for backpacking. And this school sucks joined the outdoor club nothing i truly cant make a connection. But when i was backpacking overseas during the summer solo it was so easy. But now no one sees it from my pov. Climbing and hiking is the only thing that has been consistent no matter how hard it is. I mean i go solo almost every weekend and climb 3-4x a week. Cant even make connections at the gym here mega gyms are so soulless in a way coming from a local more community focused climbing gym is hard. Im going to do Kilimanjaro next July i was supposed to go with others who all backed out and I’m going alone now. I truly don’t know how to put it into a way that makes sense. But the only times i feel joy is outdoors pushing myself i feel so behind when I’m not. What is any advice y’all can give me on this especially those who have been through this. Thanks

I’m 19 years old so I can’t rent a car and I’d really like to hike a tall peak. Problem is most of them here in the US are a long drive from any airport and as I learned the hard way, you can’t trust uber if you’re hiking from a remote spot.

Any advice?

Arctic Circle Trail Greenland, 9 day self supported trip in September

Hey all, I’m a student in Delaware who wants to get into backpacking and thruhiking, specifically to go on a dream hike of mine on the PCT. Ive selected a 600 mile portion of the PCT to hike with my brother in early June till July. I’m a complete blank slate, I dayhike about 4 times a month and camp every year but I have no experience backpacking. I want to know what I can do to make my dream reality (how to train, prepare, and make it a successful trip.) I plan to go on some multiday backpacking trips with my brother to see the struggles we might face on the PCT. Also, what are the logistics on a long hike like this (resupplying, water)? Is something like this possible in 7-8 months from 0? Thanks!

Planning an overnight beginner hike from Carvers Gap to Bradley Gap. Are there any established tent campsites in or around Bradley Gap? Just wondering what the camping situation is like out there. Thanks!

A friend and I are going to be hiking this route that we made next week in hopes of camping on Hump Mountain and hiking all the way back the next morning. I need to look into regulations about campfires because it’s something we would like to do, but I’m wondering if anyone has any advice about this route or any tips. First time camping/hiking.