Lonely Planet Epic Hikes of the World: Explore the Planet's Most Thrilling Treks and Trails

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You’ll spend eleven days immersed in the heart of the Annapurna range, ringed by such giants as Annapurna 1, Glacier Dome, Gangapurna, Fang and Machhapuchhare, or Fishtail Mountain). Sunrise on Poon Hill counts as one of the most treasured memories for hikers on this route, a perfect moment of peace in a hectic modern world. Start in the mountain village of Pravieux, hiking up the eastern side of the valley to Rifugio Tetras Lyre (1996m). As you climb, you'll have views of glaciers and mountains, including the north face of Gran Paradiso peak (4061m). Next up is a day of high alpine pastures and the stunning lakes of Col Nivolet Plateau. Then it's onto Col Rosset (3024m), one of the highest walkable passes in the Alps. Read more: our guide to the Selvaggio Blu trail 7. Mount Triglav, Slovenia Lake Bled in Slovenia, with the Julian Alps rising up behind it.

Best Hikes in the World Right Now - Outside Online The 25 Best Hikes in the World Right Now - Outside Online

Mighty Mont Blanc is the regal epicentre of this mountainous court, surrounded by the wealth and majesty of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.The glaciers, the climatic zones, the drama of seeing the sunrise on the rim of a volcano, the only place on dry ground you can see the curvature of the Earth – it’s all here, and too good to miss. The West Highland Way route has everything you need. Leaving from Milngavie, a small town near Glasgow, you head 95 miles north to Fort William - next to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. Along the way you'll walk on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and climb Conic Hill for beautiful views over the loch. You'll walk through Glencoe, past the famous form of Buachaille Etive Mor, through the Rannoch Moor and eventually reach Glen Nevis and Fort William. Switzerland bombards you with out-of-this-world scenery, and few places leave you speechless like the Aletsch Glacier, a moraine-streaked, deeply crevassed 23km(14-mile)-long superhighway of ice powering through some of the highest mountains in the country. You can’t quite suppress the gasp of wonder while hiking alongside the largest glacier in the Alps, particularly on a sunny day when great daggers of peaks razor 4000m (13,123ft) above the ice into a searingly blue sky. The Ring of Picos Challenge is a 58km epic around the western massif of the Picos. You'll scramble to the summits of Cotalba (2026m), Jario (1913m), Jultayu (1940m) and to the Mirador de Ordiales (1750m), and drop down into verdant valleys and forests. One of the toughest days on the trail takes you into Cares Gorge and up Canal de Trea, a steep ravine with a constant ascent. The views are spectacular and you'll barely see a soul. The full length of the Jordan Trail traverses 400 miles in a country-crossing route that runs north-south across Jordan; we’ve selected the best bit, the finest eight days of desert trekking across the Wadi Rum towards the Rose-Red City of Petra.

the Best Hikes In Europe | Best Hiking Adventures in Europe 20 of the Best Hikes In Europe | Best Hiking Adventures in Europe

The trek: Spanning 270 miles in Sweden’s far north Lapland province, The King's Trail is superlative for its remote edge-of-the-world vibe, its 24/7 midsummer daylight that reboots your Circadian rhythm, and the August/September aurora borealis that lights up the sky. Hiking the entire trail takes about a month, but because it is broken into sections, you can choose the length of your hike; the most popular section (between Abisko and Nikkaluokta) covers 65 miles and takes between 10 to 12 days. JMW Turner was so smitten by Rigi that in 1842 he painted the mountain in three different lights to reflect its changing moods. Flinging up above fjord-like Lake Lucerne, the 1797m/5896ft-high peak still has a magic touch today, especially when seen in the pink blush of sunrise or sunset. On a clear day you can see all the way to Mt Titlis, the glacier-encrusted Jungfrau Alps and Lake Zug. There’s no shortage of fine walking near the Tre Cime, but a loop walk that takes you up to the best vantage points away from the crowds, before drawing you in close to the base of the towers to see them from all perspectives? That’s the best way to see this beautiful scene. From Peru, head north to Ecuador, where you can hike around Cotopaxi Volcano or along the Quilotoa Loop, a multi-day trek through rural villages. Six high passes with views so spectacular they cross into neighbouring countries, seven idyllic valleys echoing with cowbells, and ten perfect days amongst the fine alpine landscapes that have captured the imagination of mountains and walkers for generations.With stories of 50 incredible hiking routes in 30 countries, from New Zealand to Peru, plus a further 150 suggestions, Lonely Planet’s Epic Hikes of the Worldwill inspire a lifetime of adventure on foot. From one-day jaunts and urban trails to month-long thru-hikes, cultural rambles and mountain expeditions, each journey shares one defining feature: being truly epic. The natural amphitheatre of the Annapurna Sanctuary is your goal on this eleven-day trek into the majestic Himalaya mountain range, one of the finest places on our planet to feel small. Staying in traditional Nepalese teahouses and passing Tibetan Buddhist gompas gives you a glimpse into life for the Sherpa communities who make the Himalaya their home. You may have seen some of Patagonia’s most impressive glaciers from boats or scenic viewpoints. But you get an even greater appreciation for these frozen rivers and monolithic walls of ice if you get up close and personal with them.