Trekking Mount Kailash

Trekking in Plateau, China

A strenuous trek which doubles as one of the classic pilgrimages of the world, the hike around Mount Kailas is a unique experience in the world of high mountains and religious beliefs. The 4-day high altitude trek clockwise around the mountain reaches its highest point at Dolma La (18,465’). The power of the pilgrims faith (Indus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon-Pos) helps ease the difficulties. In addition, most trips include a 4-day trek around crystal clear Lake Manasarovar at 14,950’, certainly one of the highest lakes on the planet. The trip usually starts from Lhasa, the ancient capital with golden roofs and magnificent monasteries, and takes you across the Tibetan plateau where you can still see the traditional ways of life in the villages and with the nomadic yak herders. May or September are the best months for this trip.

Trek across the Pyrenees

Trekking in Catalunya, Spain

A trek along this mountain range is more than just a hike; it’s part pilgrimage, part culinary and wine adventure, and certainly the best way to straddle the two countries of France and Spain from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. A 7-day moderate to strenuous trek starting in the Basque country in Spain, through high pastures and jagged rocky peaks, then traverses a lunar landscape to the highest peak, Mount Aneto, and ends in Monserrat, near Barcelona. Inhabited since Neolithic times, these mountain areas have witnesses the crossing of Moorish armies, heretic persecutions, pilgrimages, and more recently a revival of their cultural heritages and traditions. Definitely a must do trek! June to September are the best months for this trip.

John Muir Trail

Trekking in West Coast, United States

A 15-day, 146 mile-long, strenuous wilderness trail in the California’s High Sierra named after our most celebrated naturalist. It is considered the most beautiful long-distance trail in the world, with an unsurpassed panorama of 13,000-14,000-foot peaks, countless lakes, wildflower-covered meadows and huge granite walls. The trail ends with the climb of Mount Whitney at 14,495’. It is a tough and demanding trip over rugged terrain and lots of elevation changes. Mostly hiked by backpackers, special arrangements can be made for a mule-supported trip. August is the best month for this trip.

The Great Walk of Africa

Trekking in Tanzania

For those who enjoy a serious hiking trip, but want something very unusual, this is a unique trip sharing the trail with lions, elephants and other wild beasts for eleven days.

Starting in Tsavo West National Park, just below the majestic summit of Kilimanjaro, you hike along the Tsavo River, and then the Galana River all the way to the Indian Ocean across one of the largest protected wilderness areas in all of Africa.

During the day you need to hike with the escort of armed rangers. Best to go in a group and at night you meet up at a pre-decided spot where a crew has already set up camp and is ready to serve dinner around a campfire.

At the end of the hike, you can enjoy a couple of days in luxury by a sandy beach on the Indian Ocean. Certainly an unforgettable journey! Except for the rainy seasons of April/May and November, this trip can operate year round.

Trekking the Paine Circuit

Trekking in Paine Circuit, Chile

A complete circuit of the Paine Massif in Paine National Park in the Chilean Patagonia, this strenuous trek was pioneered in the early eighties. While making your way around the mountain, you can explore glacial side valleys and magnificent rock towers, cross the Patagonian Ice Cap at a mere 4,000’ elevation, and hike alongside glaciers calving in windy lakes. The weather is what makes Patagonia so memorable, with rain, sun, and wind moving through in rapid succession, if not happening all at once. The dramatic mountain scenery is framed by the amazing cloud formations, and the wildflowers, in a wild and still fairly unspoiled setting. November through March are the best months to visit this area, although the weather cannot be predicted.