When you tell people you’re about to head off to Pakistan the reaction is almost always the same… “Sorry, did you just say Pakistan!?” “yep” “why are you going there, isn’t that a super dangerous country!?” (accompanied by a mixture of confused, surprised and concerned looks). When I followed this by saying I was going …
The DeCaLiBron is a 7.6 mile loop trail that starts at Kite Lake Campground and brings hikers up to a ridge line where they can summit Mt Democrat, Mt Cameron, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Bross. Kite Lake Campground is located about 5.5 miles west of Alma, Colorado off of Buckskin Road. The views from this …
A few weeks ago, I survived a total anchor failure in the alpine, attached via personal to a second climber. That’s a scenario that not many people walk away from. Sam and I were both lucky in our injuries and the nature of the fall. Alpine climbing is invariably and uncontrollably dangerous, but the wheels …
Not every bikepacking endeavor need be a multi-week epic, nor does every weekend trip need to be a ho-hum ‘that was… fun’ that doesn’t get out into the boonies. There is compromise to be had! Look no further than the Butte Batholith route in southern Montana! An achievable long-weekend singletrack ride from Bozeman commands gorgeous, …
The true story of one woman’s first high-endurance self-supported adventure through one of the greatest wonders of America. The first time I ever saw the magnificent Grand Canyon I was already 4 miles down into it. Moments before sunrise, in that twilight between sleep and awake, I found myself at Indian Garden Campground, the first …
As one of the last remaining fire towers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the beautiful structure resting on the summit of Kearsarge North near North Conway, New Hampshire is certainly a hot spot for visitors and locals alike. What was once a forester’s base for fire detection has become a hiker’s sanctuary. The …
The Cordillera Blanca, or ‘white mountains’ in English, are one of the most naturally astonishing mountain ranges on Earth, and an absolute masterpiece as far as serious hikers are concerned. This gorgeous 120-mile off-shoot of the Andes mountains in northern Peru is home to Huascaran, the 22,205-foot giant and the highest mountain in Peru. And …
Mont Blanc is one of the most beautiful climbs that any mountaineer can embark on, and one of the deadliest. This past September I had the opportunity to make a solo ascent up what is one of the most heralded mountains in the sport. It was a very challenging ascent, but also one of the …
It does not matter which ‘Best Day-Hikes on the Planet’ list you consult, it will usually feature New Zealand’s other-worldly Tongariro Alpine Crossing at some point or other. And for good reason, as I have just discovered. With three active volcanoes, steaming vents, blue and emerald lakes with shimmering reflections and a desert landscape that …
This is a report on my own Bigfoot 200 training and racing experience. The important lessons learned and how I plan to tackle this beast of a race again in the future. The Bigfoot 200 is a point-to-point trail running race through the cascade mountains of southern Washington. I trained all year for this one …