Tag: #hiking
Beach Mountain Loop (Acadia NP)

Beach Mountain Loop (Acadia NP)

By |

Beach Mountain Loop (Acadia NP)

The Beach Mountain Loop is a short hike, yet it offers unparalleled views of the unspoiled landscape of New England, especially at sunset. The total length of this loop is 1.3 miles and takes you up Beach mountain at 839 ft in an hour.

The access to the trailhead is not via the Park Loop Road, but you’ve to enter the park via road 233 and drive on Beach Hill Road till you reach the parking lot (click to request info).

The trailhead is right across the parking lot and the trail itself starts in the forest on the trademark rocky terrain of Acadia NP.

After 0.1mi, the trail will fork to form the loop, so it is recommended to take the south trail (on your left) while ascending as it is less steep. After 0.8mi, around 30 minutes, you’ll get above treeline and the panoramic 360 views will unfold all around you! Try to time your ascent to the summit around the sunset for unforgettable experience. So, sit back and enjoy the views and take lots of pictures and try to capture the perfect sunset.

Don’t forget yourself in this serene beautiful landscape as you still want to hike down before dark. This time, take the north trail and it’ll be only 0.5mi till the parking lot.
Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park

By |

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is the only national park in Maine and entire the New England region. Although it is one of the smallest parks in the US, Acadia NP boasts stunning natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the US Atlantic coastline.

With 158 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads, Acadia NP offers an abundance of adventure opportunities that will take you to stunning coastlines and picturesque lakes through some of the toughest hiking trails in the country.

You can spend months here without getting enough of this amazing park; however, during my adventure, I did two day hike loops and a bike tour, On My Own, that captivated me and made me fall in love with this park. So get ready and explore with me these amazing adventures.

 

Hike 1: The Bowl loop via Beehive trail

Hike 2: Beach Mountain loop

Biking the Carriage Roads
The Bowl Loop via Beehive Trail (Acadia NP)

The Bowl Loop via Beehive Trail (Acadia NP)

By |

The Bowl Loop via Beehive Trail (Acadia NP)

Before I visited Acadia NP I read about how scary and tough the Beehive trail is and how some hikers are not able to do it, not because it is tough as much as it is scary, but I said to myself…how scary can it be…it is not a high elevation park! Guess what…It is absolutely scary!

This loop is one of the must-do hikes in Acadia NP as it combines beautiful coastline hiking with forests, cliffs and mountain hiking; and rewards you with stunning views and picturesque lakes. The hike, as most in the US, can be easily done On Your Own, but before venturing into this adventure, you’ve to be armed with a good map, not necessarily a topographic one though (click to request info).

To make this a loop hike, drive on the Park Loop Road and park your car at (click to request info) as you’ll return back to the same spot. This loop combines sections of several trails in an amazing adventure, so let us begin!

In the first part of this loop you’ll hike on the Ocean Path Trail from the parking lot. The trailhead itself is 0.3mi from the parking lot and you’ll walk a bit along the road so be careful. The Ocean Path Trail is a flat rocky trail that hugs the rugged Main coastline. It’ll be a nice introduction to this park as it gives you a glimpse of the views here and an idea about the terrain. Part of the path is shaded in the forests while on some sections you’ll rock scramble along the coast.

After 2.1 miles you’ll reach Sand Beach. At this point, to continue your loop, you’ll have to cross the road again and walk 0.2 miles till you reach The Bowl Trail trailhead. Starting from this point you’ll be hiking up the cliffs and the stunning views will start unveiling themselves to you.

You can take this trail all the way to The Bowl pond, but this isn’t the adventurous way! After only 0.2 miles you’ll find a junction with the Beehive Trail on your right, so follow this trail & be ready for what is coming next:)

For me the Beehive Trail isn’t a hiking trail, it is almost a climbing one! There are even ladders and iron rings installed in some sections to help you to navigate your way up.

From here, my advice to you… “Don’t Look Down” because it is scary! The trail becomes really physically challenging and it’ll take its toll on you, but you’ve to stay strong and take your time because any slip could be fatal.

I’ve to admit, I hiked a lot of trails across the country and some are famous for their difficulty, but the Beehive Trail is a different animal!! It is tough, narrow, high, slippery, and scary; and the views around you will not do you any favors as they’ll continuously distract you. At some sections I couldn’t believe that I’ve to hike that path!! It becomes very narrow and right on the edge with nothing to hold on to!! Yes, it is scary but doable and, believe me, fun. I tried my best to take a picture of myself on this section, but as you can see, I failed because the trail is so narrow and my body is hiding it.

After this hair-rising adventure, the trail will start to widen and in 0.4mi you’ll reach the Beehive rock and be rewarded with amazing views.

 

So time for a well-deserved rest, recharge and take lots of amazing pictures.

After taking your rest continue of the Beehive Trail for 0.2mi till you reach The Bowl pond. This is a very picturesque little pond on the top of the hills and in the middle of the lush green forest…Stunning! 

What tops these stunning views is that you can swim in the pond; however, beware that the water might be very cold; I was there in May and it was freezing, but honestly the adrenaline from the Beehive Trail was still pumping so I had a blast:) Yes, I did feel cold after I was done swimming and you can tell from the next picture as I started layering up:)

When you are ready to continue, take the Bowl South Ridge Trail for 0.2mi after which you’ll connect with the Gorham Mountain Trail. This is a rocky trail (all of the are actually) that will take you to the summit of Gorham mountain at 525ft. It is an easy climb with stunning views in a very peaceful environment.

From here, the rest of the loop will be downhill and start descending via the Gorham Mountain trail for 0.4mi. At this point there is a detour to Cadillac Cliffs Trail. This trail venture away from the Gorham Mountain Trail cutting into the rocks; and then rejoins it after 0.3mi. I highly recommend taking this detour as this trail is an adventure in itself and doesn’t add mileage to the loop. The Cadillac Cliffs Trail will take you through rock tunnels and high cliffs and it is a nice last adrenaline kick before you finish your hike.

 

After rejoining Gorham Mountain trail, it’ll only be 0.2mi till you reach your car…so Congrats, You Made It!!!

This has been one of my most memorable hikes and is a must-do in Acadia NP; and in total it is 5.4mi and should take you around 3-4 hours with stops.
Soca Trail

Soca Trail

By |

Soca Trail

When you first see this majestic river, you won’t believe your eyes…its turquoise blue color is something out of this world and like no other river I’ve seen before! You’ll want to walk along this river forever to satisfy your eyes with its magnificent color & the best way to do so and discover its magnificent waterfalls and narrow deep gorges is to hike the 25 km Soca trail.

The Soca trail is the oldest hiking trail in the Triglav NP, and although it is long, it is an easy hike as you’ll always hike downstream. However, since this is a one-way hike, you’ll need to take care of some logistical steps first.

The trail starts at Soca river source, known in Slovenian language as Izvir Soca, and continues all the way to the town of Bovec and will take you around 8-10 hours to complete. Yet, arranging the logistics of this hike On Your Own is not easy, especially in low season, as most outfitters in the area offer transportation only as a part of a guided hike which the independent adventurer in you doesn’t want! When doing this hike in low season (April), the public bus that takes you from Bovec to Izvir Soca won’t be running so you need to arrange your own transport. After a lot of research, I found only one tour company that offered to transfer us (1-way) to the parking lot at the top of the trail & let me acknowledge this…their service was great and I highly recommend them (click to request info)  

Now to the hike itself. The first part of the hike will be from the parking lot where you’ll be dropped to the source of the river. This is actually a detour of the trail and the only upstream part, but the seeing the source of this majestic river with the background of the towering Julian Alps mountains is an amazing experience. It’ll only take 20 minutes to hike from the parking lot to the source and 10 minutes back. You’ll hike up in the forest next to the river and after about 10 minutes you’ll start getting the stunning views of the mountains at your back 

Continue hiking up, but be careful as the last part of the trail is along a narrow edge with sheer drops on your side! Luckily, it is easily manageable part and there are ropes that can assist you, but don’t forget to look back or you’ll miss this view:)

The source of the river is a spring in the rocks which really exemplifies the stunning meticulous order of nature as a tiny crack leads to a roaring river!! So admire & enjoy.

Now that you are back at the parking lot, you’ll start hiking the Soca trail proper which is a well-marked and easy to follow trail. From here it’ll be all downstream and easy and the beauty surrounding you will make you stop many times for pictures:) As this is the widest part of the river, the color isn’t as turquoise as further downstream, but still unique. This entire section of this trail to Alpinium Juliana will be in the shade of the forest next to the river with a nice refreshing breeze.

The next section stretches to Markov most and in this section you’ll start crossing the river through the famous Soca river hanging bridges

This will be a long section so a picnic along the river will be well deserved 

At the end of this section, you’ll cross the Markov most and walk briefly along the side of the road.

The next section continues along the river till you find a sign pointing towards 2 directions: “easy way” & “hard way”…so take your pick:) We chose the hard one as we still had some adventurous spirit in us and also we found out that the easy one will take you back along the road. The start of this way was really nice walk very close to the river

Then it took us uphill which was really tough and slippery…but you are here for the adventure:)

After around 5 km you’ll start approaching the crown jewel of the entire trail…The Soca Gorge!! Starting from here you’ll have to walk along the road as the river becomes really narrow and the gorge starts. This is nature at its best which demonstrates how forceful the water flow is and here the turquoise color of the water becomes very vivid and beautiful. 

There are many hanging bridges that cross the gorge to all you to enjoy the views and experience the force of the soca river, firsthand.

After the gorge, you’ll now enjoy a leisurely walk in the valley towards Bovec, but you’ll be tired and the grass is so green so don’t resist taking a break:)

 
Lake Bled

Lake Bled

By |

Lake Bled

Lake Bled is one of the famous touristic destinations in Slovenia & rightly so! It is a very picturesque lake with crystal clear water with towering mountains surrounding it and, above all, the small little church in the middle of the lake!!

Although you’ll find lots of organized tours offering a trip to lake Bled, it can be easily done on your own. The lake is located in the northern part of the country, near the Austrian border, and is only 40-minute drive from Ljubljana via E61. If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the area easily through one of the many regular buses from Ljubljana to Bled. Although you can visit lake Bled as a day trip, I recommend that you spend one night there and allow yourself one complete day to explore and enjoy the beauty of the area at your leisure.

Without a question, the main attraction here is the lake and you should plan your day to do as many activities as you like to explore this majestic lake and enjoy its beauty. The first must do activity is to hike the entire recreational trail around the lake; and believe me when I tell you, that you can’t get enough of this lake:) Start the hike from the far end to the church and walk counter-clockwise. This way you’ll be constantly excited with every step as you are getting closer to the church and with unobstructed views. Throughout the trail you’ll find yourself taking a multitude of pictures with every step you take, like I did:) Some from the furthest point to the church

Some when you get closer…

& some when you get to the closest point:)

However, to get the best views for the entire lake with the church in the middle, you’ve to head into the forest and up the mountains where there is a short trail that will give you the best views ever!

The Ojstrica trail will lead you uphill in the forest and after 30 minutes of hiking from the trailhead (click to request info), you’ll reach a viewpoint with the same name; and OH MY!! What a view!! 

There is also a bench at the top, so if you are lucky (like I was:), you sit, enjoy a stunning view and have an amazing picnic

When, and if, you were able to leave this view and head back down, there are some more activities that you can do and enjoy. If you want to visit the church itself, there are two ways of doing so: the adventurous way, and the relaxed one. So depending on your mood you can either rent a kayak and paddle your way to the church (will be a tough paddle if windy), or take a touristy boat ride with one of the many touristy outfitters around the lake…so make your pick:)
Sacred Valley (Hikes)

Sacred Valley (Hikes)

By |

Salineras de Maras & Moray

Not only is it full of magnificent Inca ruins, the sacred valley of Peru boasts a stunning nature which can be enjoyed through a number of hiking trails. The hike that I did and will be described in this post will take you, not only, through unspoiled nature away from mass tourism, but also will pass by two of the must-see ruins/sights in the sacred valley; and as always…All On Your Own…So let us begin:)

Urubamba → Salineras de Maras → Moray:

This hike is fairly easy and suitable for the average hiker; albeit, it is a bit long. So, based in Cusco, you’ll need to start your day early to take your time and enjoy all it has to offer.

To get to the start of the hike from Cusco, again the collective is your savior:) As you now became an expert with how to navigate your way in the sacred valley through collectivos, there is a designated stop in Cusco for the collectivos heading directly to Urubamba, or you can take a collective to Pisac then Urubamaba (click to request info).

Urubamaba is in the middle of the sacred valley and when you arrive there, the collective will drop you on the main sacred valley’s road adjacent to the river. Don’t enter Urubamaba itself, instead head across the street towards the river to reach the trailhead (click to request info).

Immediately when you start hiking you’ll cross a wooden bridge over the river and then you’ll find a small gate and a little boy selling tickets to Salineras. Don’t be alarmed, it is not a scam!! But because you took the road less-traveled to reach Salineras, this is not the main gate that all tourists use to reach the salt mines. Buy your ticket and be ready to reach Salineras like no other tourist:)

The hike from the gate to the salt terraces of Salineras is an uphill hike, yet it is fairly moderate and will take you around 40 minutes to reach your destination.

The trail digs itself in the pass between the hills and along the way you’ll get amazing views of the valley behind you…so enjoy.

 

Since you took the road less-traveled, you’ll reach Salineras from the bottom, unlike the tour groups’ tourists, so you’ll have this section of the mines to yourself:) 

The way these mines are engineered from ancient times and the fact that they are still operational till today is fascinating. You can walk on the terraces themselves but be careful not to slip…so enjoy and admire this marvelous engineering feat. When you are ready, head your way up the terraces to the main gate from which tour groups arrive and say a final goodbye to those amazing mines.

Now that you finished the first leg of the hike, take a break and rest because the next leg is very long and it is the true definition of “off-the-beaten-pass”!

There is a road connecting Salineras to Moray, but few people know that there is also a hiking trail along the ridge of the mountains that takes you directly there. First, you’ll start walking on the main road and after few meters you’ll venture into a side road away from the tour buses. On this road, you’ll be totally alone…Only you, some wildlife, and stunning nature! 

It is a serene and a very satisfying feeling to be so immersed in nature with no civilization around you to spoil the views! But don’t let the serenity take you along this road for too long because very shortly you’ll take a detour to the hiking trails (click to request info).

Once you find the trail, it’ll be a straightforward hike to Moray on a mostly flat terrain; however, it is a long trail which will take you around 3 hours to complete.

Congratulations!!! You’ve arrived at Moray On Your Own and via a route that few people take; and, above all, this isn’t one of the main ruins on the tourists’ trail so there will be few people around. Enjoy this ancient amphitheater; and then you’ll need to arrange your ride back to Cusco.

There are no collectivos or public transportation from Moray to Cusco, so the best way to go back is to find a local taxi (I’ve to admit, not many stop there), or hitchhike a ride and pay a small fee to a local guy. It might sound alarming that you might get stuck in Moray, but don’t worry you’ll find your way back and actually this is part of the fun of doing it On Your Own…SO ENJOY:)
Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

By |

Towns & Ruins

I explored the magnificent towns of the sacred valley on two different routes which I recommend to every independent traveler and they both can be done On Your Own:

  • Cusco → Tipon → Cusco:

Tipon is not in the sacred valley proper, yet it lies at a high elevation to the south of the valley; yet there are some beautiful ruins here that are worth the trip.

It is really easy and straight-forward to go to Tipon on your own, you don’t need to join a cramped organized tour for that. From Cusco, you’ll take a collective directly to Tipon which takes around 30 minutes and for only 5 soles; however, as there are different collectivo stops in Cusco, depending on your destination, you’ll need to head to the right one for Tipon (click to request info).

Arriving at Tipon, you’ll start hiking to the ruins. Since the ruins are outside of town, which makes them more magical, you’ll hike around 3 hours (each way) to visit them on a well-marked trail. From the collective stop, you’ll see signs to the ruins or you can ask any local about “el camino” to the ruins and they will point which direction to you. The hike is about 1-1:30 hours of an uphill climb to the first terraces of the ruins. The first section of the trail consists of a dirt road passing through some local houses which will then be followed by a trail in the mountains with some beautiful scenery.

These ruins are off-the-beaten-path of the sacred valley and few tour groups go there which makes them much more special. When you arrive at the ruins, you’ll find yourself almost alone there and you be free to explore as much as you want of these ruins, take lots of pictures of your, almost private, Inca ruins; and if you still have an appetite for more ruins, you’ll see signs for “Pucara” which is another ruin’s site close-by. After getting your ruins’ fix:) you can head back to Cusco, same way as you came, or you can try the “cuy” in Tipon (click to request info).

  • Cusco → Pisac → Ollantaytambo → Cusco:

This tour is about visiting the small towns of the sacred valley and their ruins, on your own, and soak in the cultural and historic highlights of this special spot of our planet. In order to be able to optimize your time and be able to visit all the highlights on a day-trip from Cusco, you’ll have to get a grasp of the sacred valley’s geography and have a good map with you (click to request info).

The first stop in this tour will be Pisac. Apart from its ruins, Pisac is famous for its bustling market and a trip to visit this market should be on each explorer’s itinerary. To reach Pisac from Cusco, take a collective from its designated stop (click to request info) which will take you directly to Pisac’s main street. Get out here and walk in the direction away from the river and you’ll find the famous market.

You’ll be tempted to explore the market now, but I recommend to wait till you visit the ruins and explore it on your way back. The ruins are up in the hills, so continue walking through the market away from the river till you reach a dirt road which you’ll follow easily to the ruins. But be warned, the hike up to the ruins is fairly steep and if this is your rest day:) then you can take a taxi or hitchhike your way directly to the ruins. After exploring the ruins, the hike back is downhill and easy and takes you directly to the market. So now its shopping time:) Explore the market at your leisure, there are some hidden gems here and true bargains; however, expect to haggle the prices down with the merchants who are mostly friendly and smiling.

Exploring Pisac should take you around 3-4 hours after which you’ll ride all the way along the river to your next stop…Ollantaytambo. Again, from the main road in Pisac where the collective dropped you, you can take another collective to Ollantaytambo or hitchhike your way, but expect to pay a little fee.

Ollantaytambo is a little charming village famous for its Inca ruins. These ruins were used as defensive structures against the Spaniards and they are, in my opinion, the best ruins outside Machu Picchu. You can visit the ruins easily on your own or you can hire a local guide to give you a brief history about the ruins and the village. After visiting the ruins, don’t miss strolling around the old town and have the famous local drink at one of the village’s watering holes:) (click to request info).

Finally, when you are ready to head back to Cusco, there is a direct collective from here, but be aware that this collectivo will drop you at a different stop than the one you started your tour from (click to request info).    

 

 
Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

By |

Villarica Volcano Trek

Pucon is a small city located deep into the Chilean Andes that is best known for its adventure tourism. The major attraction here is the Villarica volcano, which is a perfect conical-shaped volcano, that imposes itself in the city’s backyard. It is a picture-perfect volcano, the one you always imagined when you were a kid: perfectly conical-shaped crater, standing alone, 2,840 meters high, and snow-capped!!

There are many activities and adventures that can be done in Pucon, but this blog is dedicated to the mother of all adventures here…the volcano trek!!

This volcano is one of the many active volcanos in Chile’s ring of fire region (last eruption: March 2015), yet it is the only one that you can hike up all the way to the volcano’s crater! However, to hike-up the volcano, you have to do it with a certified guide i.e. tour company. I know that this might sound not as independent as we all wish, but still there are a lot of planning and preparation you need to do, On Your Own, for this tough adventure. SO LETS START!!

Going to Pucon from Santiago is easy; but, as a budget traveler, I opted for the bus option. There are several buses operating along this route that are very comfortable and modern (click to request info). The journey takes around 10 hours from Santiago! But don’t be discouraged, there are night buses with sleepers that are very comfortable and saves a lot of time and, above all, money:)

If you are going to Pucon only for the volcano trek, it is recommended to spend, at least, a complete full day in the city before your ascent to enjoy the city, rest, and relax before this tough adventure.

Arriving at Pucon in the early morning, check in at your hostel and grab a good breakfast, then it’ll be time to pick your tour company. I assume by now you already did most of your homework on this and, at least, narrowed-down the many available companies to a couple of options. Basically, all the companies offer the same services, same timings, and equipment; they only differ in the size of the group, some luxury amenities that you can do without, flexible logistics, and of course…price! I, personally, narrowed-down my options to two companies before arriving which I can both recommend (click to request info). I waited to chose when I arrive because I wanted to meet the people and inspect the equipment, myself.

Hopefully, you’ll be done with selecting your tour company early-on to relax and stroll around the city (I don’t recommend to do another activity on the day before the hike as the hike will be very tough so you’ll need to take it easy and sleep early). So now to the hike itself:)

The day will start very early, normally you meet your guides and the rest of the group at dawn in front of the company’s office and then they’ll transport you, by a mini-bus, to the national park and the base of the volcano. At this point the guides have to make a decision about whether it’ll be possible to ascend the volcano or not, depending on the weather, which will hopefully be favorable. If not, they will transport you back to the city and you won’t pay anything, but once you started hiking…you’ll pay! In my case, the weather was not that favorable and the guides told us: it is a 50-50 chance of being able to reach the crater…so some decided to do it, obviously me:) while others went back.

Since I did this hike in the off-season (May), the cable cars at the base to the first stop were not operational so we started the hike from the base. The entire hike is very steep, but the first part was the least of them and with no snow on the ground, so it was moderately difficult till reaching the upper cable car’s station. By this point, the weather cleared and it was sunny:) 

From here you’ll start walking in deep snow which will make this hike much much tougher. Our pace got slower and slower, and I was getting tired but the reward waiting for me kept me going.

Unfortunately, it won’t get easier from here and the weather up at the top of the volcano was very different from the base…It was cloudy and windy. Here the guides told us that we won’t be able to see anything from the top, but we can continue if we wanted. So we decided to do it and the last section was as steep and strenuous as a hike I’ve ever did in my life and with the snow…100 times tougher!!

As the guides said, we reached the top and could see nothing from the clouds; moreover, we couldn’t stay up because of the wind… so, yes, we didn’t get a clear view of the crater, but the sense of achievement and the views while going down made it up, somehow, for us!  

The way down is much more fun. The guides will give you slides to sit on and you’ll slide your way back to the base, very fun and lively activity! Clearly I was enjoying it in this picture:)

When reaching the base, you’ll be transported back to the city and depending on your plans, you can have time to shower and eat. All in all, Pucon is a touristy city, but going in the shoulder season was pretty and peaceful; and the volcano trek is a must do for any adventurer.

N.B: There are some other adventure activities that you can do in the area surrounding Pucon as a day trip, but I, personally, didn’t have enough time to do any; albeit I planned for them in case the volcano trek was a no-go. So if you need any suggestions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to assist (click to request info)
Otter Trail (Day 5)

Otter Trail (Day 5)

By |

[Andre Hut → Nature Valley] (10.8 km)

The final day of this amazing adventure; the day you’ll be back in civilization:) Depending on your transport arrangements and timing, plan your start for this day bearing in mind that this is an easy short day that will take you only 3 hours to finish, with stops.

The first section will be along the pebble beach you spent the previous night on and it’ll involve some challenging boulder hopping.

Then the final uphill of this entire trail will start immediately after you hike along the beach for less than a kilometer. The uphill will be inside the forest and by now you’ll be expert in this terrain so it won’t be tough for you.

After this last uphill you’ll reach the top of the plateau with amazing final views of the towering cliffs above the ocean. You’ll continue hiking on the top and will have this amazing feeling that you almost finished this thrilling adventure.

It is all flat from here, so take your time, enjoy, take your last pictures, and keep going till you reach the metal gate marking the end of the trail!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT

From this point you’ll have an amazing view of Nature Valley beach 

and the trail will take you down all the way to the beach and civilization.

Now you’ll start meeting people: day trippers and beach goers and they’ll all congratulate you:) so enjoy your glory moment and don’t forget to stop by the rest camp to sign-out from the trail and collect your Otter Trail Certificate…YOU ARE OFFICIALLY AN ADVENTURER!!

 
Otter Trail (Day 4)

Otter Trail (Day 4)

By |

[Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut] (13.8 km)

This is the longest, toughest, and most dangerous day of the entire trail! But don’t be discouraged as, since you reached this point already, then you are fit enough to do it, and the rewards along the entire trail are stunning!    

This is the day when the tidal chart you got at the reception on day 1 becomes very very important. Check the low tide and try to plan to reach the Balkrans river half an hour before that for the easiest of crossings, yet you’ll be able to cross at other times but it’ll be more difficult!

The river, itself, is after 10 km from the hut you slept in and 4 km from your next hut, so accordingly plan to start your day which might, sometimes, be at dawn. However, the trail is well-marked and has km markers every 1 km so it’ll be easy to follow even in the dark. Done with all the planning, then let’s start the adventure:)

The first part of the trail will be along the ocean with stunning views and nice sea breeze. This section is fairly easy, so you should be able to hike at a faster pace.

After km 6, the trail will get wilder and tougher. From km 6 to 8, it will be the toughest section before the crossing. In addition to rock scrambling and boulder hopping, it will involve lots of uphills and downhills and you’ll be amazed by the mere fact that such a trail was even built!

The trail will continue inside the forest, and if the weather is hot, beware of where you put your feet because there might be snakes on the trail!

At this point you have done almost 3 hours of hiking today, so take a break and recharge. The final part before the crossing is fairly easy inside the forest and should take you around 1 hour (you’ll be tired by now, so you’ll hike at a much slower pace).

Then the mighty Balkrans river will come into view!!! This is, maybe, the moment you mostly anticipated when you decided to hike the Otter trail…so take a deep breath and enjoy the view.

When you arrive at the river mouth there will be a map showing the crossing routes based on the tide situation. Since we reached the river at low tide, we chose route “A” which is the easiest, yet the longest in which you’ll have to walk in the water.

If you timed it right and had time before the low tide, then this will be an ideal spot for lunch before you cross. In our case, we arrived an hour before the low tide, so we rested, swam and enjoyed the stunning views around us.

Again since we had time, I put on my aqua shoes and decided to test the crossing without the bags and it was really easy as the water was waist level at max.

So when the time came, we decided to cross with our bags on our backs with the rain covers on as we didn’t need neither survival bags nor ropes (didn’t have them anyways since we knew we are going to cross at low tide and had the much cheaper alternative…garbage bags and small dry bags for our valuables… in case we needed them). We crossed 15 minutes before low tide and only the bottom of our bags got a bit wet…nothing more!

The feeling that you crossed and passed the most dangerous part is very refreshing, and since we had time, we celebrated by swimming again; but it is also advisable to relax a bit because the next 4 kilometers are the toughest in terms of hiking.

Immediately after the crossing, you will walk on a very narrow ledge which can be a bit scary, but there are fixed ropes to hold on to if you needed

In this section the adrenaline will be pumping in your veins and you’ll feel like a conqueror who was able to conquer the famous Otter trail, almost:)

After this ledge-walking section, you’ll reach a pebble beach which is very wild and remote.

Then, the first of the two big uphills will start. It wasn’t as bad as previously thought, but after all your effort, the trail will take you down again to another pebble beach:) so take a break here because the next uphill is really grueling. It is the toughest uphill in the entire 5-day trek, so take it slowly and keep going as you know you are almost there.

Finally, you’ll reach the top of the plateau with stunning views and it’ll be all flat and downhills from here to the huts:) 

These last 2 kilometers are really fun and the final steep downhill will take you right to Andre huts which are located on a wild pebble beach 

Keep Informed about the New Posts

Get new posts by email
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)