I’ve always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. The ruins of the Inca empire captured my imagination. How did the Incas live? What did the city mean to them during the centuries before they abandoned it? And why did they abandon it? Continue reading “The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu”
2021 was a year of staying at home in Canada, a place that many people dream of visiting. Even though I really wanted to travel, staying at home gave me the opportunity to foster kittens and to welcome a wonderful dog into our home. I reconnected with the mountains at the BMC climbing camp and got together with good friends to explore a rarely visited park, hidden in northern BC. With the cooler temperatures of autumn, I began exploring many more of the beautiful trails that the Kootenays have to offer and set myself a goal of hiking every one of them in my guidebook. Finally, at the end the year, I got to travel again. We picked Chile, one of the safest but most complicated countries to visit, where both the capital and the amazingly scenic Patagonia left a lasting impression.
En 2021 me tocó permanecer en casa en Canadá, un lugar al que mucha gente sueña con ir. Pero, qué sitio tan bonito. A pesar de tener muchas ganas de viajar, me hice amigo de muchas gatitas, a las que cuido como dueño de paso, y una perra cariñosísima. Volví a las montañas rocosas de Columbia Británica a hacer alpinismo y me reuní con buenos amigos para explorar un rincón escondido en el norte del país. Descubrí muchos nuevos senderos y me propuse terminarlos todos, lo cual será un meta a largo plazo. Por fin, a finales del año, me tocó viajar de nuevo. Me fui a Chile para conocer la capital y para desafiarme en los caminos patagónicos. Que el año entrante sea muy especial y lleno de aventuras.
– Enero – Después de muchos años viajando, es maravilloso disfrutar del invierno canadiense.
2020 hasn’t been the best year for travelling, which has been my main theme and focus for the last ten years. Despite that, I did manage to visit five new countries at the beginning of the year before the coronavirus turned into a pandemic and I’ve also learned a new language – español. While I couldn’t travel during most of the year, staying put in Canada gave me the opportunity to explore my own backyard and to spend time with my loved ones.
El 2020 no ha sido el mejor año para viajar, lo que a mí más me gusta hacer. Sin embargo, logré visitar cinco nuevos países y he aprendido a hablar un nuevo idioma – el hermoso español. No pude viajar durante gran parte del año pero eso me permitió conocer mejor mi propia tierra y pasar más tiempo valioso con mis queridos familiares.
2019 was a great year, full of adventure. I met my goal of walking a long-distance hiking trail (two in fact), returned to one of my absolute favourite countries, and spent lots of time with family. I visited 11 countries, including 4 new ones. That brings me to a total of 54.
Continue reading “A Year In Review 2019”
As I look back over photos from the past 12 months, my year looks a little inside-out. I spent the winter in nice warm New Zealand walking the 1200-km long Te Araroa. It was a great year for long-distance hiking. In the spring I returned to Canada to hike the Great Divide Trail – which looked a lot more like winter even though it was summer! I spent the second half of the year travelling around the world – my first ever circumnavigation of the earth. Cycling in the Netherlands, exploring the ever mysterious North Korea, celebrating China’s 70th anniversary in Beijing, learning yoga in Sri Lanka, scuba diving with sharks in the Maldives, and eating everything possible in Singapore.
I remember being four years old and gazing out toward the mountains, imagining what it would be like to visit such an incredible place. Hiking became a big part of my life years later and I’ve had the opportunity to explore many parts of the Canadian Rockies. I even walked most of the popular sections of the Great Divide Trail over the years but never thought of hiking the entire trail. One day I woke up and that child-like fascination returned. What would it be like to hike the whole GDT? What secret, hidden places might it reveal? I had to find out. Continue reading “Great Divide Trail – A Walk Through the Canadian Rockies”
Blueberry Lake to Kakwa Lake – 130km
July 27 – Back to Blueberry Lake
After a brief break in McBride and Valemount I hitched a ride back to Blueberry Lake. It started raining not long after I arrived but I found the best little tree grove to hide my tent from the cold wet wind. Continue reading “GDT – Grand Finale”
Miette River to Blueberry Lake – 135km
July 19 – A Wet Walk in the Woods
I awoke to a wet world in Jasper. The trail starts off quite gently as it follows the Miette River up toward its headwaters. I knew I was in for a soggy few days when even the initial bit of road was saturated with water and muddy. Continue reading “GDT – Crossing Glacial Rivers”
Maligne Lake to Miette River – 87km
July 11 – Jasper Skyline Trail
I have great memories of hiking the Jasper Skyline Trail with good friends a few years ago. We did it the hard way, starting at the low end of the trail and then dipping down into the Watchtower Basin for a night. Now, as part of my GDT hike, I managed to snag a last-minute spot at Curator Campground. Such good luck. Continue reading “GDT – Jasper Skyline Trail”
Saskatchewan Crossing to Maligne Lake – 135km
June 2 – Washout
I left Saskatchewan Crossing on a crisp morning. It felt like September, not the beginning of July. The walk along the highway was actually quite enjoyable. There was no traffic at all. Continue reading “GDT – Christmas in July”
Eating Snow Around the World 