Wanderlust May issue 2013

20 years of Wanderlust, 1993-2013

See P130

May 2013 | www.wanderlust.co.uk

37

best walks in the world FEATURING: Inca Trail • Toubkal Circuit • Tour du Mont Blanc • Camino de Santiago • John Muir Trail Mount Sinai • Petra • Tongariro Crossing • Annapurna Circuit • Torres del Paine • Great Wall of China • For the full list turn to p92

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WIN!

A TRIP TO SHETLAND WORTH £2,000

Peru

From Lima to Machu Picchu, the Andes and beyond...

Maldives Discovering the REAL

paradise beyond the resorts

Switzerland Mountains, lakes and stepping back in time

+

£3.99

Wanderlust Issue 136 (May 2013) Best Walks in the World • Peru • Maldives • Switzerland • St Helena • Extreme Sleeps • Guide Awards shortlist • Pocket guides: Los Angeles, Halifax (Nova Scotia), Mount Fuji

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN TRAVEL

FREE

GUIDEBOOK FOR EVERY READER!

Nova Scotia Mount Fuji Los Angeles St Helena Extreme Sleeps

28/3/13 17:54:42

Contents MAY 2013 • ISSUE 136

360°

From the road

6 | World in pictures Whales, gorillas and a world tour for your visual pleasure...

14 | Shortcuts Global news grabbing headlines 16 | Go now! Forget the spring cleaning! We’ve found four perfect places for a quick escape 18 | World Diary Get up early for May Day and say Happy Birthday Buddha in Indonesia

41 | Snapshots Envy-inducing pics from your

travels. This month there’s highs in Sydney, jump shots and ele-blessings in India, Burmese temples and braving blizzards in Derbyshire

42 | Letters etc... Your letters, emails and tweets, plus forum news and some images from one of our online mini photo competitions. Get in touch!

20 | Departures Top trips for fantastic food 24 | Hilary Bradt talks... the Bradt Guides

46 | Just Back From… tips and advice from you our lovely myWanderlust members who’ve been exploring Iceland, Australia, Thailand and more...

founder muses over her love/hate of travel

Cover feature

Halifax p137

92 WORLD CLASS WALKS

©

© Isle of Wight p16

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Los Angeles p133

Features

Peru

26

26 | Peru

Sarah Gilbert puts Peru on a plate with a round up of the country’s culinary hotspots and best places to try the unique and tasty South American cuisine

48 | Switzerland

Step back in time to 1863 with Sarah Baxter as she follows in the footsteps of an intrepid traveller on Thomas Cook’s first escorted trip to Switzerland

©

58 | Maldives

It’s not just luxury villas and millionaires in the Indian Ocean atoll; Nick Boulos discovers the real Maldives via a traditional dhoni boat

80 | St Helena

This south-Atlantic outpost can only be reached by ship... but not for long. Mark Stratton takes the post-boat to St Helena before the airport arrives

92 | 37 Best Walks in the World

From gentle jaunts to dramatic and iconic multi-day hikes, we reveal the greatest walks the planet has to offer. Intrigued? Walk this way...

114 | Extreme Sleeps

Join Wanderlust editor Phoebe Smith as she shows you the best way to have a real adventure!

!

N I W TO

IP A TRTLAND SHE th £2,000!

114 Extreme sleeps

From Australia to Wales, learn the A to Zzzz’s of wild camping with Wanderlust’s Phoebe Smith

Wor to p122...

Turn

THE FUTURE Like this map?

MAPPING To buy a similar wall map, COMPANY visit www.futuremaps.co.uk 004-005_Contents_SO.indd 4

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Navigator

Arrivals

71 | How to... Sail, avoid (and treat) snakebites

123 | Books Sarah Wheeler’s new book O My

133 | Los Angeles What to do with your first 24hrs in Tinseltown

125 | Guides The Wanderlust team tackle three CD language courses and check out guidebooks

135 | Mt Fuji, Japan If you want to scale the far eastern icon this summer, get planning now...

and find the best ouzeria in Thessaloniki 73 | Gear What to pack between seasons 74 | Health Dr Jane answers seven key questions about keeping healthy on a big trip 76 | Photo tips Draw the eye and add drama; Steve Davey teaches you to work all the angles 78 | Q&A Campervanning in Canada, coping with altitude sickness and walking in Wales – we get the experts to answer your burning questions

Pocket Guides

America is reviewed by Jennifer Cox, plus we try out the new cookbooks and light reads

126 | Survive this! Keep safe, read this 128 | What’s on Get out and about across the

UK, with Everest anniversary talks, mountain and walking festivals and much more... Or stay in to watch our pick of TV and films

See31 p1

137 | Halifax, Canada Maritime heritage, live music, seafood and coastal exploring in the capital of Nova Scotia

FREE

GUIDEBOOK FOR EVERY READER! See p130

©

48

©

Switzerland

© ©

Mount Fuji p135

58 Maldives © Borobudur p18

©

©

80 St Helena

Awards 22 Guide Shortlist

It’s that time of year again! Back in the autumn we asked you to nominate a guide who made your travels extra special in our annual Wanderlust World Guide Awards.

You voted in your thousands, and we’ve whittled it down to nine...

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AUSTRALIA

Whale wonders Photographer Bryant Austin Seeing a whale as close as this is an experience that most of us have on our bucket list, but for photographer and conservationist Bryant Austin it’s all part of the job. Inspired by a chance encounter with a 45-ton humpback, Bryant’s new book, Beautiful Whale, showcases just some of the photos he’s taken during several years of research. This shot, captured on the Great Barrier Reef, gets an eyeful of Ella, a minke whale – one of the most hunted species on earth. Bryant spent five days floating near Ella, building up a level of trust, before being able to take images this intimate.

Beautiful Whale (Abrams & Chronicle), priced £30, is out now

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World in pictures | News | Go now | World diary | Departures | Guides | Hilary Bradt

360 1

I I I

1 1

Places jostling for our attention this month

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Snapshots | Letters etc | Experiences | Just Back From…

From The Road Letters, tips, photos & exploits from you, our endlessly adventurous readers

“On the crater lake drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.”

Karen Macnee

“Just off the boat at Mingun, Burma.” Lindsay Calder and Richard Horwell

“The whole Parry family on Sydney Harbour Bridge.”

Jen Parry

“My husband being blessed by the temple elephant at Brihadeeswarar, Tamil Nadu.”

Eileen Foxton

“The Taj Mahal was stunning, especially at dawn.”

Paul Bennett

“I walked the Monsal Trail in Derbyshire, UK, in a blizzard” Jonathan Proud

Snapshots

What have you been up to? Make us jealous!

Send your snapshots to FromTheRoad@ wanderlust.co.uk

“We climbed through beautiful but sticky rainforest to get to Volcan Arenal, Costa Rica.”

Peter and Beth Turner > Wanderlust May 2013 | 41

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Letters etc

Online at www.wanderlust.co.uk/mywanderlust

 Email letters & photos to fromtheroad@wanderlust.co.uk  Mail Wanderlust, 1 Leworth Place, Windsor SL4 1EB Twitter @wanderlustmag Facebook www.facebook.com/wanderlusttravelmagazine

Winear! s, tg grea our photoail:

ant y s – em We w nd letter ad@ a o tales romther t.co.uk f s u l r e wand

“Ballooning at dawn over Goreme, Turkey.” Suzanne Courtney >



Learning the lingo

I agree with almost everything in your How to learn a language article (Navigator, March 2013)! My Spanish comes on in leaps and bounds when travelling and birdwatching alone in South America.

However, I do think that some CDs offer a fantastic start to a language, in my case Spanish. My language school experience – in Quito – was a bit of a disaster as it was very grammar orientated and the extra activities didn’t happen. My “family” was

a strange lady from whom I discovered later, most people requested to be moved!

PennyH, posted on the Wanderlust website After this, we thought we’d give the latest language CDs a spin – find out how we fared on pg 125!



Since recently visiting the great Brazilian city, I have been inclined to write, outlining my own opinion on current safety issues in the city. We spent a month in total there staying

Winning letter The ultimate road trip?

Wanderlust is a great magazine! My daughter bought me a subscription for last year’s Christmas present.

I thought you might like to see how I travel ‘on the road’? I did a five month, 11,000 mile tour of Europe last year on my Yamaha FJR 1300; the photo is atop one of many passes I ‘bagged’ around Austria, Switzerland, Italy etc.

We are currently selling up everything, (except the bike!) and making for Thailand, Burma, Laos,

Get real abut safety in Rio

Cambodia, Vietnam, Oz, USA (I’m buying a bike in Phoenix for travelling in the States, Mexico and Canada) from December 2013. We will then return to Portugal to collect our stored bike, then away on two wheels again. Motorbikes are the only way to do a road trip, all else is bogus!

David Cunliffe, Cumbria Inspiring stuff David! Have a fantastic trip and keep us updated with pics and tales. And what about you, Wanderlust readers, what’s the best way to travel around the world: bike, car or train? – Ed

WI

N!

Wanderlust goodies!

Each issue our favourite contribution wins a haul of Wanderlust gear.

Congrats to David!

42 | Wanderlust May 2013

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Stepping back in time

In 1863, an intrepid lady joined Thomas Cook’s first escorted tour of Switzerland – an epic trip of high peaks and high adventure; 150 years later, we retrace her historic footsteps

Words Sarah Baxter Photographs Paul Bloomfield

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Switzerland Footnotes VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: Bern Population: 7.9 million Language: German, French, Italian, Romansch Time: GMT+1 (GMT+2 Mar-Oct) International dialling code: +41 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Swiss franc (CHF), currently around CHF1.5 to the UK£. ATMs are plentiful in towns and cities.

When to go Jan

Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

■ The best months for Alpine walking, with sunny days and temperatures around 18-28°C (dependent on altitude). There could still be snow on high passes, but most regions are accessible. July-August are busiest (and wettest). Some higher regions may close in September.

■ Shoulder months – not ideal for high mountain walking and too early/late for skiing but quiet; May can be lovely, especially in the south.

■ Winter season; ski resorts open. Walkers could take to snowshoes.

Health & safety: Healthcare facilities are excellent.

Pack your EHIC card and take out comprehensive travel insurance (try www.wanderlustinsurance.co.uk).

Switzerland is incredibly safe – crime rates are low. Take care in the mountains: paths are well-marked but be prepared for fast-changing weather conditions.

Further reading & information: Switzerland (Lonely Planet, 2012) Switzerland (Rough Guides, 2010) Swiss Watching: Inside the Land of Milk and Money (Nicholas Brealey, 2012) by Diccon Bewes, a fascinating journey around Europe’s most misunderstood country.

More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/136 for links to more content Archive articles

Views of the Jungfrau region – online Climbing Mont Blanc – issue 111, Apr 10

Planning guides

Switzerland guide Walking & Trekking guide

The trip The author travelled with Inntravel (01653 617000, www.inntravel.co.uk) on its 12-night self-guided Jemima Morrell’s Victorian Adventure. The trip costs from £1,740pp based on two sharing, including 12 nights’ B&B accommodation, nine dinners, a four-day Swiss Flexi Pass and walking maps and notes, but excluding flights.

Hotel Alpenrose (Wengen; www.alpenrose. ch) is friendly and charming; many rooms are wood-panelled, with jaw-dropping views.

Packages available.

Hotel Wilden Mann (Lucerne; www.wilden-mann.ch), which dates back to the 16th century, is atmospheric and well-placed for the station and city.

Doubles from around CHF270 (£191).

Getting there & around Various airlines fly from the UK to Geneva and Zürich; flight time is around 90 minutes from London. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies to both Swiss cities, with returns from around £65.

Leukerbad is around a three-hour train and bus journey from Geneva or Zürich.

Direct trains connect Lucerne to Zürich (40mins) and Geneva (3hrs).

Alternatively, take the train. LondonParis-Leukerbad takes around 12.5 hours; Lucerne-Paris-London takes 11.5 hours.

The excellent Swiss Travel System (www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk) incorporates trains and buses, plus lake steamers, historic cog railways and more. A variety of passes are available; for instance, the Swiss Flexi Pass allows unlimited rail, bus and boat travel, plus some scenic trains, trams and city buses, for a set number of days in one month (from £177); it also offers a 50% discount on additional days of travel within that month.

To hike free from luggage, use Swiss Railways’ fast baggage transfer service (CHF22 [£15] per item; www.sbb.ch). Drop your bag at the local station by 9am and it will be available for collection from your destination station after 6pm the same day.

Cost of travel Switzerland is not a budget destination, but what you get is generally of a high standard: quality food, punctual trains, efficient service. Expect to pay around CHF8 (£5.40) for a beer or wine, CHF4.5 (£3) for a coffee.

Accommodation Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria (Kandersteg; www.hotel-victoria.ch) has been an inn since 1789. Rooms are smart, the restaurant excellent. B&B doubles from CHF180 (£121).

Food & drink

6

Cheese is a big deal, while rösti (grated fried potatoes) is the national dish. Most hotels serve set menus, typically three to six courses including a salad, soup, main (often meaty), desert and cheese.

Worth special mention is the a la carte restaurant of the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria, which serves up innovative – and very tasty – Swiss ‘tapas’. ■

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND Lucerne

BERNE

5

3 Weggis Spiez Interlaken 2

4

1 Grindelwald Leukerbad

Kandersteg

0

ITALY

50km

Switzerland Highlights 1. Jungfrau region Hike the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, or ride the train up to 3,471m Jungfraujoch

2. Gastern Valley This car-free glacial gorge, trickled by the Kander, is a pristine pleasure for walkers

3. Lake ferries The Swiss Flexi Pass covers steamer trips across lakes Thun and Brienz; on the latter, disembark at Iseltwald for a lovely 90min walk along the shore to Giessbach Falls

4. Faulhornweg Views of glittering lakes on one side, the Bernese Oberland’s peaks on the other

5. Lucerne Graceful medieval city; take trips on Lake Lucerne and cross the Kapellbrücke

Wanderlust May 2013 | 55

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Details online at: www.wanderlustoffer.co.uk/WL136 Subs spread 136_thv2.indd 56

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

An offer to smile about...

Wanderlust Issue 136 (May 2013) Best Walks in the World • Peru • Maldives • Switzerland • St Helena • Extreme Sleeps • Guide Awards shortlist • Pocket guides: Los Angeles, Halifax (Nova Scotia), Mount Fuji

FREE

GUIDEBOOK FOR EVERY READER!

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN TRAVEL 20 years of Wanderlust, 1993-2013

May 2013 | www.wanderlust.co.uk

best walks 37 in the world FEATURING: Inca Trail • Toubkal Circuit • Tour du Mont Blanc • Camino de Santiago • John Muir Trail Mount Sinai • Petra • Tongariro Crossing • Annapurna Circuit • Torres del Paine • Great Wall of China • For the full list turn to p92

WIN!

A TRIP TO SHETLAND WORTH £2,000

Peru

From Lima to Machu Picchu, the Andes and beyond...

Maldives

Discovering the REAL paradise beyond the resorts

Switzerland Mountains, lakes and stepping back in time

+

Nova Scotia Mount Fuji Los Angeles St Helena Extreme Sleeps

000_Cover_SO.indd 1

28/3/13 17:17:45

+

5 issues of Wanderlust for only £5*

Receive a FREE £50 travel voucher towards your next trip.

See page 142 for more details

Call us on: Subscribe01753 online at: and quote WL136 620426

www.wanderlustoffer.co.uk/WL135

* TERMS & CONDITIONS: This offer is not available in conjunction with any other promotion. To pay by Direct Debit both the billing and postal address must be in the UK. Subscriptions are continuous; after the first payment of £5, a payment of £15.00 will be collected every six months unless cancelled. No minimum term. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery of travel voucher.

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Maldives 1

1

I I I

I Beyond the resorts you’ll fine ancient 1 culture, and demonic dance 1 I snorkelling

I

Fly UK-Male direct or via Dubai/Colombo; board a boat to explore 1 1

©

Dec-Apr, dry season

PERSPECTIVES ON PARADISE Take a fishing boat to the real Maldives – the archipelago beyond the resorts, where local culture thrives and the snorkelling is spectacular Words and photographs Nick Boulos

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Maldives Footnotes VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: Male Population: 395,000 Language: Dhivehi Time: GMT+5 International dialling code: +960 Visas: Not required by UK nationals Money: Rufiyaa (MVR), currently around MVR24 to the UK£. ATMs are available in Male.

When to go Jan

Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

■ Peak season, with higher prices and more visitors but the lowest rainfall; average temperatures of 28°C. ■ Storms roll in signalling the start of the monsoon. Days are humid and hotter (temperatures often low-30°Cs). June is the wettest month.

■ Still wet and humid, though conditions gradually start to improve.

Health & safety Maldives is a largely safe country.

Petty crime in Male, such as pickpocketing, is the biggest worry. Recent years have seen sporadic political riots in the capital.

Malaria is not a problem but mosquito repellent is advised. Take care against heatstroke and cutting yourself on sharp coral.

Further reading & information www.visitmaldives.com – Official Travel Guide of the Maldives Maldives (Bradt, 2008) is a good for detailed background info Maldives (Lonely Planet, 2012) offers practical advice Folk Tales of the Maldives (NIAS Press, 2012), a charming collection of old native stories

More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/136 for links to more content Archive articles Maldives by liveaboard – issue 89, Aug/ Sept 07 Whale-watching, Maldives – issue 73, Aug/Sept 05

Planning guides

Maldives guide

5 3

The trip The author travelled with Explore (0845 291 4541, www.explore.co.uk) on its eight-day Maldive Dhoni Cruise.

The guided trip costs from £1,453 and includes accommodation onboard a traditional dhoni vessel, all meals, snorkelling equipment and international flights. The same trip without flights costs from £795.

1 2

Fulidahoo Ambara Dhiggaru Fenboa Finolhu

4 6

Getting there & around British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com) flies Gatwick-Male direct three times a week. Flight time is around ten hours; return fares from £814. Sri Lankan Airlines (0330 808 0800, www.srilankan. com) flies Heathrow-Male via Colombo; Emirates (0844 800 2777, www.emirates. com) flies Gatwick-Male, via Dubai.

Getting around requires considerable effort and is often expensive. Maldivian Air Taxi (www.maldivianairtaxi.com) offers transfers and special photography flights across the country.

Cost of travel The remoteness of most islands makes the Maldives an expensive destination, particularly in the pricey resorts where an evening meal can easily cost £100. Male is significantly cheaper (dinner around £10) but note that restaurants outside the resorts are alcohol-free and often a little rough around the edges.

Accommodation Travellers who want to spend some time on terra firma are spoilt for choice – there are more than 100 resorts in the Maldives.

Candies Hotel (+960 331 0220) is well located in central Male. The 17 rooms are simple but cosy and there’s a lovely garden restaurant. B&B doubles from £57.

Kurumba (North Male Atoll; www. kurumba.com) was the first resort to open in the Maldives in 1972 and continues to offer luxury with a more modest price tag. B&B doubles from £153.

Splash out at luxurious Naladhu (South Male Atoll; www.naladhu.com), one of the most exclusive resorts and popular with the A-list. Each of the 19 ‘houses’ boasts a private

Best of the Maldives 1. Male Stroll among the mosques and markets in the nation’s vibrant capital

2. Maamigili Spot migrating whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean

3. Bodu Hithi Thila One of the very best dive sites, frequented by manta rays December-May

4. Isdhoo Discover ancient secrets, including the 300-year-old mosque and the ruins of Buddhist stupas

5. Baa UNESCO-protected atoll group famed for its textiles and lacquer handicrafts

infinity pool, outdoor rainforest shower and private butler. B&B rooms from £616pn.

Food & drink Maldivian cuisine is unsurprisingly seafood heavy and laden with spices.

Garudhiya (a clear fish soup sometimes served with the head) and bis riha (an egg curry in a turmeric and coconut milk sauce) are especially popular. Expect international cuisine in the resorts. ■

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Big trip: Health Q&A From malaria to big hairy arachnids, there’s lots to think about when planning an extended bout of travelling – not least your health. Dr Jane answers the seven key questions...

Q

Does the immunity duration of a vaccine run out on a set date or do you have a few extra weeks/months protection afterwards, before the vaccine leaves your system?

A

The body probably has a lifetime’s memory of any immunisation, and end-dates will not be like switching off a light. However, for you to be properly protected, that memory needs reminding – via boosters or completion of courses.

People often come to our travel clinic having had ineffective partial courses, some started years before. This is not money well spent.

That said, it is thought that courses don’t usually need starting from scratch so keeping careful note of what you have been given will make future courses shorter and cheaper. Discuss your immunisation needs with an expert well before any trip.

Q

What happens if I’m in a malaria area and I run out of tablets and then need to buy more locally – can I swap brands if I cannot source the same?

A

Yes. Swapping brands or even kinds of antimalarial is all right, although there is a problem in some regions with counterfeit and ineffective local meds. Buy them from reputable-looking clinics and take local advice on the quality of local medicines where you can.

Q

I understand that there are different types of malaria in different areas and these require different antimalarials.

Will I ever need to switch from one type of tablet to another?

And what happens in the swapover period? Can I take both tablets at the same time?

A

Competent pre-travel health advice should recommend an antimalarial that will both suit you and cover your needs throughout your trip. Generally, the big three – doxycycline, atovaquone/ proguanil (Malarone) and mefloquine (Lariam) – will protect people pretty much everywhere, whereas chloroquine and/or proguanil (Paludrine) is much less effective, although cheaper.

You shouldn’t need to take two kinds of tablets simultaneously and this isn’t necessary if changing from C&P to one of the big three. Malarone can be a good choice of antimalarial if moving in and out of malarial regions as you only need to take it for a week after leaving risk areas. Also, now that it is off patent the price has dropped.

Q

Space in my bag is limited – what are the absolute medical essentials for my year-long round the world trip?

A

Even an advanced first aid kit for use in very remote areas doesn’t

need to be huge. However, it helps to have an idea of how far you might be from a clinic and for how long. Do you need only enough paracetamol for a couple of days or will it be weeks before you can replenish your kit? Also consider what you’ve needed for medical problems in the past and pack accordingly.

I’d recommend: comprehensive travel insurance (pick a policy with a telephone helpline, and keep the number handy); repellent; sunscreen; soluble paracetamol;

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Navigator Health

bacteria get in and infection starts. Proper disinfection of skin-breaks with a good drying antiseptic such as dilute iodine will stop this happening. Iodine dries out oozy wounds, and is better for your medical kit than antiseptic creams.

One for the kit bag

Q

As I’ll be away for a year, how can I keep up to date with outbreaks and changing medical situations that might affect my plans?

A

The best source of info on current disease status by country is www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk. Should you learn of a significant outbreak (any local Englishlanguage newspapers will undoubtedly cover it), there will be good day-by-day bulletins on the World Health Organization site (www.who.int). For those travelling in the Americas, www.tripprep.com gives another perspective and is user friendly, although may not be so up to the minute.

Q

I don’t want to buy bottled water for months on end.

What is the best, most compact, most healthy way of purifying water as I travel?

Dreamstime

A

throat lozenges; melolin, micropore and a few good dressings; a little cotton wool; steristrips; a digital thermometer; Sudocrem or Anusol; an eyebath; drying antiseptic (or potassium permanganate crystals); tincture of iodine (see below).

In (mostly) sanitary and fairly bug-free Britain, knocks and grazes will most likely heal even without antiseptic or dressings.

In the tropics though, the slightest break in the skin – such as a scratched mosquito bite – will be a place for flies to snack;

I agree: bottled water is not a good option. It isn’t always safe, it’s an unnecessary expense and the plastic creates a big environmental problem.

Instead, drink tapwater that has been brought to a good rolling boil, or travel with a metal thermos flask and ask for it to be filled with boiling water: keeping water at above 60°C for 30 minutes kills most things.

Also travel with some sterilisation tablets or tincture of iodine for when boiling isn’t practicable. I still prefer iodine, though it is difficult to buy iodine tablets now – the sale of iodine for water purification purposes was prohibited in the EU in 2009. This was not due to safety concerns but simply because the profits on selling this cheap product would not cover the expense of the testing required to gain a product licence.

The alternative, iodine tincture, is messy if the bottle is broken or leaks. Also, iodine destroys plastics so, if using it, you need a sturdy waterbottle (of known volume); Sigg bottles are good.

Q

I am terrified of big hairy spiders and have nightmares about waking up in bed with a snake. How likely is it I’ll encounter scary creatures?

Portable immersion heater ] Especially if you’re travelling for several months, you might want to allow yourself a little luxury. A portable immersion heater is great for making a brew, heating water to put in your metal Sigg to create an impromptu hot waterbottle and sterilising tap water to render it safe to drink.

A

In destinations where snakes and spiders are really dangerous, locals will generally deal with them, so they stay clear of people; encounters are rare unless you’re doing a jungle trek or are sleeping on the ground.

Find out about animal hazards at your destination (guidebooks often tell you), read up on the creatures listed and you’ll likely discover most are innocuous. For example, spiders don’t attack unless you disturb them and snakes would rather flee than fight. There are some excellent courses for phobics; for example, check out London Zoo’s Friendly Spider Programme (www.zsl.org – see the What’s On section). ■

Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth tweets travel tips and more @longdropdoc; her memoir, A Glimpse of Eternal Snows, has just been launched in the US.

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world

class

walks

Whether you’ve got one day to spare or a month’s worth, like teetering on mountain ridges or prefer a gentle jaunt along the beach, want to camp under canvas or bed down in cosy hotels, we’ve found the best wanders the Earth has to offer. Get your boots on… >>

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Take a hike...

The two -day Berg Lake Trail will take you past reflective pools to the Canadian Rockies’ highest peak (p104)

world

class walks

<

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world

class walks

Time for reflection Trekkers drink in a view of the South Lake while walking the John Muir Trail

<

West Coast Trail Where? Pachena Bay-Gordon River, Vancouver Island, Canada Length: 75km Days: 5-7 Difficulty: **** Tough; tidal/ river crossings; wild camping; no shelters or facilities Independent? Yes – but permits/booking essential The walk: Don’t underestimate the WCT: it might be in lovely, well-developed Canada, but it’s a wild prospect. Along its glorious Pacific-battered route, there are no settlements, ferry ports, shelters or shops – you must be entirely self-sufficient. There are

also rivers to ford, gullies to cross, ladders to climb, bears to avoid and inclement weather to contend with.

But the rewards are many: this is North America at its most pristine, where the trail runs via old-growth forest, untouched beaches, caves, coves, cliffs and incredible sunsets.

Watch out for whales, sea lions and wolves, too.

Like that? Try this... Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, Vancouver Island – this 47km WCT alternative is still spectacular, but easier, more accessible and permit-free.

Virgin Narrows Where? Chamberlain’s Ranch-Temple of Sinawava, Zion NP, Utah, USA Length: 26km Days: 1-2 Difficulty: *** Moderate but short; camping; all waste must be packed out Independent? Possible, but guide recommended and permits required The walk: Breathe in for this squeeze down one of southwest USA’s most dramatic slot canyons. This is Indiana Jones-style stuff: sheer, twisting sandstone walls tufted by

hanging gardens soar up from the boulder-strewn riverbed – which forms your wet-n-wild walking trail through Zion’s canyons. Good water-shoes and neoprene socks are essential; you may need to swim short sections. But keep an eye on the weather before you start as flash floods are lethal here. Go with a guide for the safest trip.

Like that? Try this...

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness (Utah-Arizona) our cover star this issue. Set off from Wire Pass trailhead to check out the weird and wonderful rock formations such as The Wave. <

Alamy

north america

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world

class walks

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John Muir Trail Where? Yosemite Valley-Mt Whitney, California, USA Length: 340km Days: 20-30 Difficulty: **** Moderatetough; camping; self-sufficiency required; long Independent? Possible, but advance booking and permits are required The walk: It’s fitting that the man who spearheaded the national parks movement should have such a world-class wildernesstraversing trail named after him.

Muir loved Yosemite, where this backcountry adventure starts; the route then wends further into the Sierra Nevada, where highlights include meadows strewn with wildflowers, remote Evolution Lake and the pretty pools at Rae. En route there are

a few re-supply stops (including the hot springs at Red’s Meadows Resort), but mostly it’s just you, the mountains and the bears.

Like that? Try this... Pacific Crest Trail, USA – the John Muir forms just part of this massive 4,240km journey from the Mexican to the Canadian border.

Berg Lake Trail Where? Mount Robson, British Columbia, Canada Length: 23km Days: 1-2 Difficulty: ** Moderate but short; campsites with bear lockers and pit toilets Independent? Yes The walk: This out-and-back hike towards the Canadian Rockies’ highest peak (3,954m Mt Robson) is a stunner: gaining nearly 800m in 23km, it traverses

the Valley of a Thousand Falls – via reflective pools, suspension bridges and squeaking marmots – to Berg Lake, where ice-chunks from massive Berg Glacier calve into the aquamarine water.

Doable as a long day-hike, there are campgrounds en route for those who want to linger; for even better hiking, use the camp at the lake as a base for forays into the surrounding wilds.

Like that? Try this... Mount Assiniboine, British Columbia/ Alberta – spend six days hiking around ‘Canada’s Matterhorn’.

Appalachian Trail Where? Springer Mountain, GA-Mt Katahdin, ME, USA Length: 3,500km Days: 180 Difficulty: ***** Varied – challenging thru-hike, but some

easy sections; long; camping; basic shelters en route; intermittent access to hotels Independent? Yes The walk: First, some stats: the Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states; its total elevation gain equals 16 Mt Everests; around 2,000 people try to thru-hike the whole lot each year – one in four succeeds. Luckily, it’s easy to simply sample this backcountry behemoth – appalachiantrail.org offers suggestions, from easy two-milers to multi-day trips. In general, Maryland and West Virginia offer the gentlest hikes; New Hampshire and Maine the toughest.

Like that? Try this... Florida Trail – trace sections of this 2,250km path, which spans the state from Gulf Islands National Seashore to Big Cypress NP. <

4corners Images

Welcome to the Berg Lake Trail Drivers on the Yellowhead Highway are left in no doubt where they are

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Pitch-er perfect Take a tent on your travels and every night can offer star-studded views

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EXTREME SLEEPS

Star-filled skies, fresh air, no other people – there’s nothing quite like a night spent out in the wilds.

Unconvinced? Phoebe Smith explains why you need to bed down in the great outdoors

Photographs Neil S Price

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