The staging point is Puerto Williams, a remote home to about 2,000 residents connected to the outside world by six prop flights a week. Your reward for the effort to reach the pass is bleakly beautiful lake Daubensee at 2205m (7234ft) and a clifftop lookout platform next to Wildstrubel Restaurant, floating 900m (2953ft) above the valley and affording top-of-the-beanstalk views of the high, perennially snow-frosted mountains of Valais, which hover around the 4000m (13,123ft) mark. Stewart Island’s kiwis (the southern brown kiwi) may be extra large, but that doesn’t mean that they’re any easier to spot.

Epic Hikes Around The World That Give Us Wanderlust 20 Epic Hikes Around The World That Give Us Wanderlust

Add to that the stellar views and natural beauty of Snowdonia and you’re in for a strenuous but memorable weekend. The sights: Trekkers can expect upwards of 32,000 feet of accumulated elevation as the circuit negotiates the rocky slopes, boulder fields and forests intermingling with perfectly preserved mountain hamlets. We also wanted to showcase some of the diverse landscape of the continent, and open your eyes to some countries you might have not considered exploring.

But unlike trekking in popular Torres del Paine, the Dientes offer an unadulterated man-on-the-moon experience that is almost unheard of these days, and any group of trekkers will likely be the only ones on the circuit. Yet lowland areas like the vineyards of Valais and the gently rolling hills of Appenzell are equally atmospheric and accessible virtually all year long. 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. Like the famed Torres del Paine, the spiky Dientes rise from the sea and reach almost 4,000 feet at the Dientes de Navarino massif. 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.

16 Best Hikes and Most Beautiful Trails in the World - Time Out

One look at this ravishing land of skyscraping peaks, glaciers, forests and lakes of piercing blue will have you itching to sling on a backpack, zip up to the heights and hit the trail. 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. You'll start off hiking through the verdant Krma Valley, before ascending up through the pine forest to a high plateau and on to Kredarica hut. There is also the option of hiring guide-led outfitters who handle all the logistics for cross-island treks.

When to go: The Pyrenees can have deep snows into the spring, so hikers doing the French Way should plan on beginning the trek in May/June or September/October, avoiding both winter conditions and mid-summer heat. At day’s end, some independent walkers use bushwalking tent camps, but most hire tour operators who help plan daily itineraries and book overnight lodging.

hikes in Switzerland - Lonely Planet Best hikes in Switzerland - Lonely Planet

The reserve is home to hundreds of species of birds, primates, reptiles and mammals (including the ‘Big Five’), so walking the trails here offer abundant opportunities to spot Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, lions and elephants.Other iconic treks include the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, Blyde River Canyon in South Africa and summiting the continent’s second-highest peak, Mt Kenya. In case you haven’t noticed, we love an epic journey, and this selection of 12 globe-spanning hikes should get you in the mood to dust off those hiking boots and hit a trail – wherever you find yourself on the globe. The pilgrimage that began in the ninth century was nearly lost to history until the past couple of decades when historians uncovered obscure literature describing the significance of the pilgrimage. But you'll also have the opportunity to experience mountain trekking in one of Europe's most underrated regions.

Epic Hikes of the World (Paperback) - Lonely Planet

Via Alpina is a proper journey into remote wilderness, with nights spent camping beneath s To get there in time for sunrise requires both an early start and a hand from the weather gods: Sri Lanka’s jungly terrain means the peak is (unfortunately) often enveloped in clouds. But the aforementioned highlights make this hike a lifetime experience that you’ll be talking about months (and years) later. The sights: The trail is considered one of the world’s most famous hikes, coursing through a vast Arctic landscape home to birch forests filled with flowers, dramatic mountain passes with lunar-like terrain, lush grass meadows and broad glacial valleys. Like little lobster claws nipping at the Arctic Circle, the northernmost peninsulas of Iceland’s Westfjords are brutally lonely – save for colonies of cawing guillemots and the occasional Arctic fox.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). Alta Via I and Alta Via II are two of the best long distance routes - II is a little longer and harder, but you can also hike a mixture of the two, selecting the most picturesque parts of each route. They lead you through the boreal forests and glaciers of Sweden, and across the windswept highlands of Scotland. The 34-mile (55km) Laugavegur Trail takes in a plethora of these landscapes and there are six huts along the route for easy camping. The history stretches back to 1901 when building began on the route for hydroelectric dam workers – so in just one day, you can walk through nearly 120 years of history.