Trailing Around the World
The 1419km Baltic Coastal Hiking Route forms part of the E9, one of Europe’s long-distance paths, which runs for 9880 km from Tarifa, Spain to Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia. The Baltic Route begins at the Kaliningrad/Lithuanian border on the Curonian Spit, heads north through Lithuania and Latvia and finishes at Tallin in Estonia. It takes around 70 days to complete.
BTF members and End-to-Enders Michael Schulze and Veronika Winkler set out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the USA. The PCT is a wilderness trail stretching 4246km from the Mexican border to the Canadian border through Californian desert, the high alpine regions of the Sierra in California, over the hills of Oregon and the Cascade Ranges of Washington. These are some of the highlights of their trek, told by Veronika:
Jim Baker, WA The Way is mainly ridge-top walking with soft grass underfoot, interspersed with leafy country lanes, farm tracks through patchworks of fields and pastures and quiet trails through ancient beech forests. Countryside like this is best enjoyed in fair weather and fortunately I was blessed with the kind of benign conditions that only […]
Alan Pitman and Denise Hilsz, WA At the completion of the Three Capes Track this quotation from the Track guide book captured the four-day experience. “This is a world-class and innovative track which connects breathtaking coastal scenery with the nature and spirit of the land.” The walk takes four days and covers 45 kilometres. For […]
Su Becket, WA A typical temple At mid-day, late in March 2016, I embarked on my pilgrimage at temple number one, following in the footsteps of Kobai Daishi (aka Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. My plan was to walk each day and stay wherever I could find somewhere to sleep. I knew some temples […]
Barry and Daphne Bastow, WA Lake Silvaplana We all know how picturesque the Alps in Europe are but when seen through the eyes of the local group leader (John Iacomella) you get not only the views but a lot about the culture, food and local experiences of the area as well. We joined John and […]
Jim Baker, WA Some time around about 750AD, Offa, King of Mercia and overlord of the greater part of England, decided to dig a ditch, or dyke, some 180 miles long marking the border of his kingdom with Wales. Exactly why Offa wanted to construct such a huge earthwork, which in places measured six meters […]
Sophie Giles, WA The Heysen Trail marker The prevalence of rock was the single constant in our recent five-day walk from the northern trail-head of the Heysen Trail in South Australia. At the end of the trek we learned about the beliefs of the local Adnyamathanha (the rock people) from Ringo Coultard at Wilpena Pound. […]
Jim Baker, WA Hadrian’s Wall is possibly the best known example of a border of the Roman Empire, which dominated what is now Europe for five centuries. The wall was built at the behest of Emperor Hadrian (AD117-138), and stretched 117 kilometres from the north-west coast of England, to Wallsend, on the banks of the […]
Katie Stevens, Perth, WA In 2018, my partner and I ended a wonderful chapter of our lives living in Melbourne and moved back to Perth to get married. The planning of this relocation, wedding and resignation led us to the realization that this may be the perfect and possibly only time that we would have […]
Alana Reid, Perth, WA In March of 2015 the three of us were on a plane bound for Atlanta, Georgia. Fate had made it so we could all take off the six months required to hike the entire Appalachian Trail (AT). Mum was almost 60, Lindsey had decided maybe she did enjoy walking again, and […]
Steve Sertis, Perth WA After completing the section of the Camino between Sarria and Santiago de Compostela, most of the group headed, via Barcelona, toward the first village in the Spanish Pyrenees— Setcases. Setcases is a small secluded village nestled in a valley below the picturesque mountains. Its history dates back to 965 A.D. and […]
Hiker on the Bruce Trail in Canada The Bruce Trail runs along the escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory, with more than 890 kilometres of main track and over 400 kilometres of associated side trails. Like the Bibbulmun Track, the Bruce Trail is for walkers only, except for limited sections that pass along public roads or […]
Jeju is a volcanic island located off the southern tip of South Korea. Its sub-tropical climate has always made it a popular venue for Koreans, especially honeymooners, over decades. It is a place of great beauty, with picturesque lava rock scenery, ocean cliff views and beautiful groves of tangerine trees. Located in the centre is […]
Barry and Margaret Bryan, UK Since we retired in 2000 Margaret and I have embarked on many adventures and have managed to celebrate our wedding anniversary on three occasions on the Bibbulmun Track; in 2003 at Dookanelly, in 2006 at Swamp Oak and in 2009 at Chadoora—all on end-to-end walks. Travel is infectious and the […]
Claire Brittain, Perth, WA Mount Kilimanjaro or “I’m not dead yet” (with apologies to Monty Python) To climb to the Roof of Africa was never going to be a stroll in the park. We went into training with the realization that it isn’t easy to train for high altitude trekking at sea level, but we […]
Mike Wood, Perth, WA There is something about all the world’s long distance trails that implies pilgrimage, whether or not they include churches or religious sites. A long trail involves introspection and contemplation, promotes meditation and forces you to commit to the completion of the journey. You become immersed in that journey and the destination […]
Edith Thomas, Perth, WA The mountains of Austria are surely one of the world’s loveliest places to make you want to pick up your walking poles, put on your trusty boots and explore the well-marked tracks. It is hard to decide between walks as the choice is endless, from an easy stroll to an adventurous […]
Peter Campbell For most West Australians, ski touring, or cross country skiing is not something that would rank high in their list of things to do on holiday. The Australian Alps are not particularly high by any standard; Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mainland peak at 2228 metres would be regarded as a mere foothill compared […]
Jim Baker, Perth, WA The concept of a walk across the top of England was the brainchild of the late Alfred Wainwright, possibly England’s best known writer of walking guides. Wainwright was a complex personality; he who would disappear for days on end into the countryside, re-emerge to write up his notes of his walks, […]
Charlie and Sue Soord, Perth, WA View from Conic Hill. When planning a trip to the UK earlier this year my wife Sue and I thought it would be a good opportunity to complete a hike in Scotland. After some research on the internet, we came up with the West Highland Way (WHW). The WHW […]
Adrian Cazalet, Perth, WA The Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) is a trail in its infancy. The LMT winds up, or down, the spine of Lebanon in the Mount Lebanon range for some 440 km. It was conceived in 2004/5 and the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA) was formed in the same year, with its major […]
Te Araroa is Maori for The Long Pathway. The Te Araroa is the world’s newest long trail with a route that takes walkers from the sub-tropical forests and the volcanic plateau of the North Island to the sub-alpine tussock and the passes through the Southern Alps in the South Island. “It’s open for walking, and […]
Linda Daniels, Perth, WA The tour commenced in Queenstown, where we walked the Moonlight Track. Starting from Arthur’s Point, the trail gradually winds its way around the back of Ben Lomond providing excellent views of the Shotover River, where people were rafting and others dared the world as they bungee jumped from a platform on […]
Jim Baker, Perth, WA Phu, Nar and Tilicho are in the Annapurna region of Nepal. Phu and Nar are remote villages, and Tilicho is the highest glacial lake in the world. Reaching them involves some strenuous walking up to an altitude of 5300 metres. The group assembled in Kathmandu and was transported by bus to […]