Tag: #rivers
Glen Canyon NRA

Glen Canyon NRA

By |

Glen Canyon NRA

When you are in the area around Kanab, UT or Page, AZ, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) might be overlooked for some of the other more famous wild west landmarks in the area; however, for me, this NRA is a must-see, not only if in the area, but in your life!! Although its not much of an adventure to visit the stunning places in Glen Canyon NRA, as it is mostly done via a road trip and short hikes, the bizarre landscape that you can see here is unmatched elsewhere in the wild west.

There are a lot of places to wander around in this area; like Hanging Gardens, Horseshoe Bend, Lone Rock, Buckskin Gulch, and the Toadstools…among others. However, since I was lucky and got the permit for The Wave🙂 I only had half a day to spare in the area so I had time to visit only three of those amazing landscape features; which are: The Toadstools, Lone Rock, and the jewel in the crown:) The Horseshoe Bend, which are all located along US 89 (click to request map).  

I started with The Toadstools, as it is the furthest from Page, AZ, and the one that involves the longest hike. The Toadstools is located at MP19 on N89. The length of the hike actually depends on your schedule and how much you want to see in the area, but at least it’ll involve 2 miles each way. The start of the hike feels that you are entering through a door to the wilderness! It involves walking along a narrow canyon until it opens up.

When the trail opens up, you’ll continue your hike along a small creek that breaks the arid desert landscape around it.

Then as you venture deep into the wilderness, there will be locations where you’ll have to cross this creek multiple times to reach your destination, which is pretty fun:).

     

After hiking for 2 miles, you’ll start to see the bizarre Toadstools themselves which are rock formations that resemble the shape of a chimney! There are a lot of these shapes in the area, so you can venture as deep as you want till you get your fix of them and head back the same way.

The next stop in this NRA is Lone Rock which is located at MP3 on N84. As the name suggests, this is basically a lonely rock in the middle of the reservoir, which looks very intriguing:) You park near the road and hike for half a mile or so till you get to the river banks, but you’ll start getting a glimpse of this lonely rock along the trail and, believe me, you’ll spend some time admiring this view.

Saving the best for last is the Horseshoe Bend!! This is an amazing, one-of-a-kind, earthly feat and is one of the famous wild west landscapes. It is something that you’ll have to see with your own eyes to believe that it exists. Again, the hike from the parking lot is almost 1 mile or so, but you’ll be running along the trail from the anticipation of what awaits you:) & it is this view that awaits you:)

How did mother nature create this amazing natural feature…I really don’t know…It is the perfect bend that you’ll find anywhere. You can try to understand what created this bend as nothing can stop the mighty Colorado River from following its course, or, be more pragmatic, and interpret it as earth standing tall and strong in face of the river! Either way, it is out of this world sight, so ENJOY, ADMIRE & RELAX and take a lot of pics:) 
Grand Canyon NP (All the way to the bottom)

Grand Canyon NP (All the way to the bottom)

By |

All the Way to the Bottom

It is a place that needs no introduction! It is a world-famous natural wonder that truly earns all the rave reviews about its majestic and grandeur landscape. It is the Grand Canyon!! This stunning place is perhaps the most recognized landmark of the Wild Wild West. Even if you are not an adventurous person, you have to visit this out-of-the-world place at least once in your lifetime, and it will take your breath away.

I first visited the Grand Canyon NP, in my younger days, in 2008. At the time, I wasn’t the experienced hiker/adventure that I’m today and it didn’t even cross my mind that I can hike down the canyon, all the way to the mighty Colorado river. During that trip, I did a self-driving day trip to witness this stunning place with my own eyes, and it didn’t disappoint. In that trip, I planned a road trip along the south rim’s all viewpoints and had the time of my life, without really doing any adventurous stuff; so that is why I urge you to go visit this place even if you don’t fancy hiking down the canyon.

Fast forward 7 years, and in 2015 after a lot of hiking adventures around the World, I decided that I’m ready to tackle this seemingly impossible feat and hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and, of course, hike back up:).

When attempting such a difficult hike, preparation, both physically and logistically, is the key to its success, as any mistake might lead to serious injury or even death. So, before getting into the hikes themselves (up & down), I’ll first go through the major planning items that you need to consider before you decide to go down and you can do all On Your Own!

The first thing you need to plan is when to do this hike? There are two options here: summer, which is more popular, and winter. Although the summer heat is the number one killer when hiking up from the river, there are some advantages that come with hiking in the summer. First, there are water sources along the major trails, up and down the canyon, which means that you don’t need to carry all your water from the beginning and can be a lifesaver. Second, the weather at night is warm so no need to carry a heavy sleeping bag or even a tent as you can sleep under the stars. Yet, you have to be aware of the heat, its no joke, and time your hike up perfectly to avoid the hottest hours of the day. On the other hand, in the winter, obviously, heat becomes less of a problem and the hike becomes a bit easier. Also, as it is less popular, it’ll be easier to get the permit to spend the night down. However, there won’t be any water sources along the trails as the supply is shut down, so you have to carry all your water for 2 days with you from the beginning! Also, you’ll need a tent and a heavy sleeping bag as it gets cold at night and this adds to the weight that you are carrying. So, assess your abilities and decide which season is better for you…we did winter:)

After deciding on when to hike, now its time to get your permit. You can’t hike all the way to the Colorado river and back in the same day, its not allowed and rangers along the trails will send you back up. You can’t also camp anywhere along the river as this is a fragile environment and the number of campers allowed per night is limited and controlled by the NP. Hence, you have to get a permit which comes with a camping spot reservation. The process of getting the permit is straightforward, but its in high demand, even in the off-season. Also, you can get this permit neither online nor in advance, so you have to go to the park’s backcountry office the day before your planned hike and get your permit. The permit system is based on first come first served, so you have to go very early to be one of the first people there when the office opens at 8am.

Got your permit! Now its time to plan your supplies. This is a very strenuous and long hike up, so you’ll need plenty of food, water, and drinks to give you energy along the way i.e. both salty and sweet snacks. But remember! You’ll have to carry all this stuff on your back, so, don’t overdo it and pack food that doesn’t take much space. Fruits are also important as they are highly nutritious and gives you a much-needed psychological boost when you are tired. You can find the detailed list of my packing items here (click to request info).     

Hopefully, by now you’ve planned everything and ready for this adventure of a lifetime…so lets start:)

There are a number of trails that go all the way to the bottom of the canyon from the South Rim, so study all the trails (their length & slope) and chose yours carefully. Since I did this hike in the winter, the water sources were not a factor in my decision, and I chose to hike down via the South Kaibab Trail and up via the Bright Angel Trail.

I decided to hike down via the South Kaibab Trail as it is the shortest trail which means it is the steepest and will be tough going up; yet, going down, it is an adventurous trail as in many places you’ll be hiking around cliffs with amazing views of the river. The trail is 7 miles with an elevation difference of -1,457m and takes around 4-6 hours to reach the river. On the day of our adventure down, we took the hikers’ express shuttle from the backcountry office at 9am (latest) to the South Kaibab Trailhead. This is a dedicated shuttle bus for backcountry hikers and you’ve to show your permit before you board. Now we are at the trailhead and the adventure will begin…any last thoughts about going through with the hike have to be dealt with here:) Ready!! Take a souvenir pic & go:) 

The first part of the trail will take you in a zigzag section through some steps and you’ll lose elevation quickly.

I’ve to admit that with every step, fear starts to creep into you as, unlike mountain hikes, after a certain point, you just can’t turn back and abandon the hike! As you venture deeper into the canyon, more and more amazing views of this stunning landscape unveil themselves to you.

The trail will get steeper and windier after about an hour of hiking, so, be careful with every step you take and always take your time while hiking down.

At this point, you start to realize the grandeur of this canyon and that you are now deep into this wilderness with no people around and you’ll stop thinking about any doubts you previously had as your adrenaline will be pumping and all you care about is reaching the mighty Colorado river. Yet, at this point, you still didn’t see the river! However, the first sight of this mighty river will give you goosebumps and a feeling that can’t be described.

Here, conflicting feelings will creep into you… you are getting closer to your goal, yet you are getting further from your final destination! But keep going…you’re born for this.

Now the trail will get flatter and you’ll keep getting amazing views of the river as you go further down…so, enjoy and abandon your fears.

 

Finally, you’ll reach the river and the bottom of the Grand Canyon…it is a very surreal feeling and the degree of humbleness that you’ll feel in this grand landscape is beyond belief. When you reach the river, go to your campground and pitch your tent. Now its time to relax and enjoy.

When night falls, you’ll start realizing the extent of the task ahead of you tomorrow to get out of this canyon…its scary, and like it is written on the signs along the trail “going down is optional, up is mandatory!” My advice to you, distract yourself from these thoughts by keeping yourself entertained and have trust in your abilities and planning skills…So have a good night’s sleep and get yourself ready for the big day.

Hopefully, you’ll wake up refreshed, have a good breakfast, and pack your camping gear and get yourself ready. As I mentioned earlier, I took the Bright Angel Trail up as, although it is longer, its less steep and easier to hike up. Also, this is a popular trail for day hikers who hike down to a certain point and back, which means that near the end of the trail, when you are tired, there will be people around and help will be quicker in case you needed it. So, lets start getting out of this wilderness and my advice to you….Take Your Time…and don’t over exhaust yourself at the beginning by being too eager to go up.

The first steps on your way up, the adrenaline will be pumping as you’ll be scared of what lies ahead, but this part is easy and goes along the river.

Then, the trail will turn left, away from the river, and you’ll start your long way up. From this point, its all Up:) but not so steep. Also, this trail has some vegetation around it which is a welcome sight from the desolate desert landscape.

I know in this part, tiredness and doubt will creep into you, but keep going and always keep hydrated and charge your energy by whatever trail mix you packed with you. In the middle of all of this, don’t forget to look back as this is where the amazing views of the canyon are.

Continue going up and take as many rests as you need, but be wary of your timing as you don’t want to hike up in the dark. Also, it will help if you kept your spirits high by singing or doing whatever cheers you:)

Over the last mile, you’ll start meeting the day hikers and they will look at you in awe which will make you realize the extent of the achievement that you just did.

The last part of the trail is a zigzag section and it can be grueling especially that by now you’ll be completely drained. However, at this point, you’ll start seeing the rim above you and the end of this adventure, which will be enough to give the last needed boost to keep going. You are almost there and when you reach the final step up, savor this precious moment, enjoy, and treat yourself to a nice meal:)

  
Zion Canyon National Park

Zion Canyon National Park

By |

Zion Canyon National Park

One of the most iconic national parks in the wild wild west is Zion Canyon NP in southern Utah. Dramatic landscape and a deep canyon carved by the North Fork of the Virgin River provides scenery that is out of this world.

Of course, no trip to the wild west is complete without true adventures and no place can do adventures like Zion NP and all On Your Own! You can spend an entire lifetime here and still you wouldn’t be able to explore the entire beauty of this park. The extensive hiking trails in Zion NP, whether day hikes or backcountry ones, will take you to places that you wouldn’t have imagined that they exist.

But be warned!! This isn’t a land for the fainthearted and any hike here should be well planned in advance. In the next blog posts, I’ll first show you an introductory hike that will get you acquainted with this park before we endeavor into 2 of the wildest & most iconic hikes that you can find anywhere in our planet:)

Hike 1: Emerald Pools

Hike 2: Angels Landing

Hike 3: The Narrows
The Narrows (Zion NP)

The Narrows (Zion NP)

By |

The Narrows (Zion NP)

If you think that you’ve seen it all, wait till you hike The Narrows!! Technically, the adventure into The Narrows is more of wading in waters rather than hiking, as 60% of it will be in the Virgin River! And the landscape you’ll encounter during this adventure is truly out-of-this-world. Add to that that this adventure will take you off-the-beaten-path in one of the busiest NPs in the entire US, so the feelings and experience of exploring such a unique place, On Your Own, are priceless.

Most people will only venture to the entrance of The Narrows by hiking the easy 1-mile paved Riverside walk from the Temple of Sinawava, unaware, or not adventurous enough, that they only got a faint glimpse of what lies ahead.

This means that this adventure is not for everyone, especially if done in the springtime, as I did. There are risks of flash flooding and hypothermia that you might face. In the spring, the snow is still melting, which mixes with the Virgin River water in The Narrows, so the water is freezing and the weather can change suddenly leading to risks of rain and flash flooding. So don’t attempt to undertake this adventure unless you are very well prepared!

The first step of your preparation is that you’ve to consult with the rangers at the visitor center the day before your planned adventure about the risks of flash flooding. They’ve all the necessary information that will allow you to make an informed decision. If the risk is low, then you still have to avoid the risk of hypothermia as you’ll walk in a freezing waters, in some sections it’ll be knee-high, for more than 4 hours.

Your normal gear won’t cut the chase here, evern if you use waterproof gear, you still need something like a drysuit to insulate the cold; so, you’ll need special gear from head to toe! (for details on the gear you need click to request info). Luckily, you don’t have to buy them as there is an outfitter in Springdale, UT who rent out this gear and they are reliable (click to request info). So, prearrange your gear, and on your planned day to hike The Narrows, pick them up in the morning and get ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime!!

As I mentioned earlier, the access to this adventure is after hiking the Riverside Walk. So, park your car at the Temple of Sinawava parking lot and don’t put on your gear yet, hike this trail to the mouth of The Narrows first.

Now it is time to gear up and getting ready to venture away from the crowd On Your Own

The total length of this adventure is about 3.6 miles (1-way) of hiking, rock hopping, and wading in the water inside a narrow gorge and splendid sandstone formations, till reaching Big Spring as you are not allowed to continue further on a day hike and without a permit; however, this is, by all means, not an easy 3.6 miles to navigate.

At the start of the adventure, the water level will be very low and even some sections will be dry, but you’ll start to get an idea of this special terrain and landscape. The first section will take you to an area called Narrow Alcove. In this section, you’ll have to continuously hop on the rocks to find your way around the fast running waters. It is fun, yet not to be underestimated.

With every step, the water level will get higher, making your experience more adventurous and unique.

When you reach the Narrow Alcove, there will be a small beach on the side where you can rest and take a break.

Right after the beach, the gorge will get narrower and narrower, and you’ll feel that you are on a different planet!

This section till the Grotto Alcove is the easiest of all sections and, in some areas, it gets wider and the water will be peacefully still.

Now, and after 1.6 miles, the highlight of The Narrows begins. Right after the Grotto Alcove, the narrowest part of the entire Narrows, called Wall Street, begins. This is the section for which you saw pictures in famous websites and thought that they were photoshopped as you couldn’t imagine someone can access this area:) The gorge here becomes so narrow and, in some areas, only 20-feet wide!

At the beginning of Wall Street, there is a detour to your right to Orderville Canyon which is a scary even narrower tributary of the Virgin river that isn’t for the faint hearted. Even if it looks scary from its entrance, try to, at least, venture a couple of hundred feet inside and back to experience this wild place.

No words can describe the Wall Street section…the curvy sandstone formations, the clear water, and the narrow gorge, gives it all a feel of exclusivity and eeriness that makes you feel unique and privileged. In some sections the water is shallow.

And it gets deeper and deeper in others

But in all sections, it is a landscape that will make you appreciate the beauty of our stunning planet

The wall street section ends about half a mile before Big Spring, the gorge will get wider and you’ll feel that you are back to life:)

Continue your way to Big Spring, have your picnic and rest and get ready for heading back and more adventures:)  

Angel’s Landing (Zion NP)

Angel’s Landing (Zion NP)

By |

Angel’s Landing Hike (Zion NP)

I have to admit, this must be the scariest hike that I’ve ever did!! It needs strong courage and belief in your abilities to be able to navigate the last part of this crazy trail! but the reward is the iconic view over the entire Zion canyon that only few can reach. It is a hike that truly captures the essence of the Wild Wild west; and as always…you can do it On Your Own!

To access this hike, you’ve to first start by hiking the strenuous West Rim trail till you reach Scout lookout. If you are here for this hike only, then you can access the West Rim trail from the Grotto parking lot; however, I combined this hike with the Emerald Pools hike so it was longer but with added rewards. So, following on from the Emerald Pools hike blog, I’ll take you in this blog through this amazing and unforgettable hike.

Coming down from the Upper Emerald Pools, you’ll merge with the Kayenta trail instead of heading back to your car. This is a moderate 1-mile trail that will mark the start of your endless uphill journey to Angel’s Landing:) The trail first starts gently along the North Fork of the Virgin river.

Then will start climbing up till you reach the junction with the West Rim trail. At this point you would have gained 150ft of elevation and, looking back, the bird’s eye views of the valley will start to unfold.

Now you’ll start the real hike, or shall I call it…the battle! From here you’ll continuously hike uphill on the West Rim trail. You’ll need every breath with every step you take, so take your time and use the opportunity to admire the views along the way…Behind You!

After around half a mile, you would have gained a considerable elevation by now; and looking back towards the rive and the snaking trail, you’ll realize how high up you are! The views here are a glimpse of what awaits you during the rest of your adventure, but they are outright amazing.

Take your breath and continue hiking up! Your muscles will start to ache by now, but also the adrenaline will be pumping:) The trail will continue along the rim for another mile or so before the start of the switchbacks to Scout landing, so take a break here and admire those yet more amazing views.

The landscape here is a true reflection of the Wild West with rocky desert terrain, a deep canyon carved by a mighty river, and cactus trees dotting the landscape.

Now you are close to Scout landing, only half a mile, but it is all uphill through endless switchbacks.

The switchbacks will take you away from the river and deep into the rocky rim that will give you a feeling of a wanderer:)

Finally, you’ll reach Scout landing after gaining an elevation of almost 1,400ft. At this point, the views are magnificent enough to make you wonder wait more can possibly await you! You are now almost at the top of the west rim of the canyon and you can see all the way down to the bottom of it.

And this is the road that you drove on!!

You can also see both sides of the canyon from here which gives you a stunning 360 degrees panoramic views.

Now its time to take a long rest and have your lunch because what awaits you is a completely different animal! You only have half a mile left to hike with approximately 90ft of elevation gain till you reach Angel’s landing, but this is not what should concern you here…what should is the trail itself!!

Take a close look at this picture!

Yes, you’ll hike on that trail and On Your Own!! So, you’ve a big decision to make! You should trust your abilities, but also know your limitations as fatalities are not uncommon here! So take your time, assess the trail and the weather, and decide if you want to continue or not…and, if you need any encouragement… I spent almost an hour at Scout landing trying to make a decision! I kept peaking at the trail, hike few yards and back, and thinking will I be able to do it! But, at the end, I gathered all the courage that I have and decided to go for it…and I’m glad I did. My advice to you when doing this part of the hike is to take your time, watch every step you take, use the guardrails and chains installed, don’t get distracted by the views, forget about taking pictures here:( and above all…NEVER LOOK DOWN!! And remember you have to come back the same way!

The start of the Angel’s landing trail will be on a slippery rock face. After this initial hurdle, you’ll feel a bit secure as, although the trail gets very narrow, it is not exposed from both sides. But this is the last of such comfort feeling which explains why I was happy in these pictures (took on my way back), and why these are the last pictures that I took:) I’ve to admit, I was scared to death and being a solo hiker, self-timer pictures aren’t an option here:)

  

It took me nearly an hour to navigate this trail and, lucky me, it wasn’t that windy. At some sections, I felt that I want to go back, but I couldn’t turn as the trail is so narrow, so my only option was to go forward and gather all the courage I have and trust my abilities.

I can’t describe the feeling when I reached this magical spot and because it took me so long to come here, I was alone which is an added bonus! It is so surreal, scary, and peaceful st the same time. So enjoy this unforgettable moment and take as long as you like…you did something really tough and you deserve this reward.

One last advice… don’t get a false sense of security on your way back and say to yourself that it’ll be easy as you did it before! Yes, it will be easier, but never easy. So, take the same precautions on your way back till you reach Scout landing…at this point youcan start dancing if you want:)

 
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:)

 
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).    

 

 
Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

By |

Sacred Valley

The sacred valley of the Incas is one of the famed attractions of Peru and it is comprised of a number of small villages and towns, each with its own character and ruins. Although this part of the country is swarmed with tour companies and tour groups, you can still do it on your own. If big AC buses aren’t your thing, then look no further! It is much more rewarding, enjoyable, and cheaper to do it On Your Own, or, in other words, “Do it as the locals do.”

To do the sacred valley on your own means that you’ll depend on public transportation i.e. collectivos, tok toks, and hitchhiking. What is great about doing it on your own is that you’ll get the chance to meet the true locals, interact with them, listen to their stories (assuming you speak basic Spanish, of course:), and understand how it is like to call such a beautiful place…home!

However, from Cusco, there is a dedicated collective stop for every town in the Sacred Valley, so you’ll have to get your map (click to request info) and go to the right one, or you’ll end up somewhere else.

Not only does the sacred valley include amazing towns and ruins, it also offers the adventurer traveler great hiking opportunities to some of the off-the-beaten-path destinations. Hence, I’ll do separate blog posts for visiting the towns & ruins and for the hikes in the area.
Otter Trail

Otter Trail

By |

The Otter Trail

It is the crown jewel of South Africa’s national park system, a dream for every nature lover and the one trail on every adventurer bucket list…it is the famed OTTER TRAIL!! 45 km of coastal and forest hiking in 5 days, starting from Stormriver Mouth to Nature Valley; involving: countless uphills, steep downhills, 4 nights sleeping in wilderness huts away from civilization, and, above all, 3 river crossings! All of this can be done independently and on your own…all it requires is some careful planning…So Lets Start the Adventure:)

Without question, the first step is to book your spot on this famed trail as only 12 people are allowed to start the hike per day! Depending on your group’s size, people sometimes need to book a year in advance to secure a spot, so the smaller the group, the higher chance to find a spot. I, personally, was lucky enough to find a spot only a month & half in advance, but they were the last remaining spots in the entire month! So plan ahead and be flexible with your dates.

The booking process itself is very easy and straightforward. You can do it in person, over the phone, or online and pay instantly with your credit card (click to request info).

One final note before setting your date, check the tide chart for the 4th day of your hike to see if you can reach the river crossing at low tide or not as this will play a major role in being able to finish the entire hike and what to pack. Remember, on that day you will need approximately 4.5 hours to reach the river and 2 hours after you cross to reach the hut.

Having booked your spot, the next important thing is to book your transport to & from the trail. Some people prefer to rent a car and leave it at Nature Valley rest camp and book a transport to Stormriver, but this way you’ll be incurring a 4-day rental cost without using the car while, also, leaving the car unattended for 4 nights. So, in my opinion, its best to book a transport from your hotel/hostel to Stormriver and on the last day from Nature Valley to your next adventure. To help you with this, there are two transport companies specialized in Otter Trail transfer, and I contacted both, but found one to be more professional & reliable than the other (click to request info). Booking with them, everything went smoothly from start to end and I, even, left my extra luggage with them till I finished the trail.

Finally, what to pack?? This is the most important preparation step as this will be all the stuff you will have for 5 days. Although you will be tempted to take everything you can, remember that you will carry all this stuff on your back for 45 km, so you have to know what do you exactly need, what your body needs, and, certainly, the weather. I prepared a simple packing list of the items needed based on my experience and if you need help with that, I can send it to you for free (click to request info).

P.S.: some fellow hikers might suggest that you have to train for the Otter Trail or you will not be able to make it…you don’t!! You just need to be moderately fit with a passion for hiking and adventure travel…so enjoy:) It is a once in a lifetime adventure that captures the true spirit of adventure independent travel!

Day 1  Stormriver → Ngubu Hut
Day 2  Ngubu Hut → Scott Hut
Day 3  Scott Hut → Oakhurst Hut
Day 4  Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut
Day 5 Andre Hut → Nature Valley

Keep Informed about the New Posts

Get new posts by email
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)