The number of benefits hiking brings into your life is too many to count. There’s the health aspect of it, of course, since you get to move around, a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. Getting plenty of movement can also lower your stress and anxiety levels, putting your mind at ease and allowing you to leave your worries behind for a while. You don’t have to think about nagging responsibilities when you’re surrounded by pristine nature, allowing you to be present in the moment and actually enjoy the world around you.
Hiking can also lower your blood pressure and boost your mood, being uniquely suited to the well-being of your musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health. On top of that, it can also simply feel good to leave the concrete jungle behind for a while and get some fresh air. The organic, natural surroundings can fuel your creativity and help you gain a fresh perspective on your life and everything that has been happening in it.
If you’re an avid hiker and have been looking for ways to challenge yourself, here are a few trails you should add to your bucket list.
Lion’s Head Summit
Lion’s Head is a mountain in Cape Town that peaks at 669 meters above sea level, being part of the Table Mountain National Park. The city’s suburbs surround the peak on nearly all sites, but that doesn’t mean the journey is any less difficult. The hike to the top is only one hour long, and many tourists enjoy completing it during a full moon. Before you leave home, make sure you have an esim that works in the country. The one from Holafly, more info on Holafly, lets you take pictures and share them with people back home with no additional fees. The internet connection is fast and reliable, providing you with unlimited data and seamlessness.
The view from the peak is dramatic, breathtaking, and will stay with you forever. The peak is often above the clouds, so that you’ll truly feel you’re sitting at the top of the world.
The Great Himalaya Trail
The Himalayas have a unique reputation among people who love the great outdoors, and even if you don’t want to do something as intense as going all the way to Mount Everest, it’s not difficult to see why. The Great Himalaya Trail spans 4,500 kilometers across Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet and is known as the most strenuous hiking route in the world. Those who aren’t accustomed to extreme conditions shouldn’t embark on it since the weather can be severe, and altitude sickness is a real risk.
Doing it as a continuous route is currently not possible, but going by sections is achievable. For instance, in Nepal, you go through trekking areas in the Rolwaling Himal, the Makalu Barun National Park, Langtang Valley, Ganesh Himal, Rara Lake, Humla, Manaslu, Dolpa, and Annapurna to finish on the Tibetan border, at Hilsa. The only trans-Himalayan national park, the Shey Phoksundo, is included in the route as well. Many of the locations are very remote, so having a guide is a necessity. Few other trails can match it for remoteness.
The Monte Rosa tour
The Monte Rosa tour is a circular hiking trail in the Swiss and Italian Alps. It goes around Monte Rosa, a mountain massif in the eastern portion of the Pennine Alps, right at the border between Switzerland and Italy, or Valais and the Piedmont and Aosta Valley, to be more precise. The highest peak is the second-highest in western Europe after Mont Blanc. The views are stunning in this area, including the 4,596 m tall Weisshorn and the Matterhorn at 4,478 m. Snowfields and walking on glaciers are common on this trail, so you’ll definitely feel like you’ve immersed yourself in the experience.
There are several overnight stops as well. Zermatt is one of the most famous ski resorts in the Swiss Alps. Alagna Valsesia is a village and small commune with a population of just over 400, and is also well-known for its mountaineering, winter sports, and its popularity among tourists. The Europahütte, a mountain hut in the Mattertal and owned by the Swiss Alpine Club, is located on a path that is prone to rockfalls, and sections are sometimes closed, meaning that you shouldn’t count on it at all times.
Climb Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro
This is a two-week-long trek that starts with six days in Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano and the second-highest peak in all of Africa. Several alpine species can be found here exclusively, such as a subspecies of the rock hyrax, giant lobelias, and senecios. Chogoria, a town in Tharaka-Nithi, and the Sirmon route follow. The road continues into Tanzania, at which point you’ll be moving towards Kilimanjaro through the Machame, one of the most popular climbing routes.
The reason this route is so popular is that it traverses several different types of terrain, including rainforest, alpine tundra, and the glaciated rim of Kilimanjaro, which has been dormant for nearly 400,000 years. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the chance to watch the sun rise from the highest points in two countries, complete with views to the endless African plains.
Cordillera Huayhuash
The Huayhuash (whose name could derive from Quechua and mean “weasel” or “squirrel”) is a mountain range within the Andes, in Peru. As of 2002, it has been part of the Cordillera Huayhuash Reserved Zone. The range is 30 km long from north to south, with the highest peak at Yerupajá, which is 6,617 meters. This trek takes a hefty sixteen days and requires you to be an experienced trekker. You’ll get to see the Siula Grande with your own eyes, whose ascent was described by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates in the 1988 book “Touching the Void”.
Andean wildlife species, such as the majestic condor, can be spotted in the area, and you can also experience the indigenous Quechua culture. If you enjoy going off the beaten track and are accustomed to hiking for several days, you should have no problem in the Cordillera Huayhuash.
Hiking is an activity that provides unique benefits, offering both emotional enrichment and physical training. While some paths are built for relaxation, others are more intense. If you’re ready for them, you should know that few things will ever feel as rewarding.
Image provided by the client.
