The Other London

West Highland Way, Day 4 - Inverrannen to Bridge of Orchy

2022-08-25T15:52:00.043-04:00

Distance: 30km

Leaving Inverrannen

This was a lengthy, but very easy 30km. Most of the trail was dirt paths - soft on the feet and easy on the knees.

On the trail

We passed through Tyndrum on the way, which seemed like nice town with great amenities. Our guidebook suggested stopping but as we knew we had a long walk ahead, we decided to keep going. In hindsight, I think it would have been a good idea to stop, as it would have broken up a very long day.

After Tyndrum the trail ran parallel to the train tracks, through a grassy plain. At this point we were getting super tired - and though the hiking was very easy it seemed to drag on. It was also getting late in the day and we had our first experience being surrounded by midges. Luckily the Avon Skin so Soft we were wearing seemed to do the trick as neither of us got any bites.

Arriving at the Bridge of Orchy

We were wiped out when we arrived at Bridge of Orchy so we decided to splash out on a lux cottage and big meal at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel - our other options would have been to stay at the very rustic West Highland Way Sleeper (bunks in a converted train station) .

West Highland Way, Day 3 - Rowardennan to Inverannen

2022-08-24T09:54:00.224-04:00

Distance: 22.5km

Leaving Rowardennan

The third day of the West Highland Way has a reputation for being the toughest day on the trail, and I'd have to agree. Those long stretches of navigating slippery boulders on steep terrain really did my legs in. The route also traces the shore of Loch Lommond for the entire day, which had the discouraging effect of making me feel like we weren't making much progress.

To be fair, the day did start out on a gentle note. We had two options heading out of Rowardennan - a low path that keeps close to the shore of the lake, and a high route, which follows a logging road. You might think the low route would be the easier choice. After all, the description suggests less elevation gain. Our guidebook made it pretty clear though that the route was a tough slog - it described the trail as narrow, rocky and also slippery in wet weather. With a description like that, it seemed surprising that anyone would choose the low route - but when we left the hostel I noticed most of the hikers ahead of us where going that way. Hmmmm.

On the trail

As we knew the trail would definitely be wet, we decided to take the high route and I'm glad we did. Though I expect there were less views of the lake than we would have seen on the lower route, the glimpses we did catch were very nice. Also, as I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy views of the lake over the course of the day.

There are no towns or stores on the trail, but a hotel conveniently appeared right around lunch hour. As we'd purchased yummy packed lunches

Another hiker we met took the lower route and said it was very difficult
Stopped at a hotel for lunch, ate our packed lunch that we purchased from the hostel, filled up our water bottles

After the hotel the trail was very difficult - lots of up and down, very slippery and rocky - reminded me of costal hiking in the Pacific north west

Glad I had hiking poles

Rough trail continued until we got the end of Loch Lommond at the end of the day

Climbed up and over a hill

Arriving in Inverannen

Had a delicious dinner at the West Highland Way Campsite in Inverannen
Stopped for the night Rose Cottage B&B, super comfy room and a yummy breakfast

See more photos of our third day on the West Highland Way in our album on Flickr

West Highland Way, Scotland - Day 2: Drymen to Rowadennan

2022-08-23T20:44:00.000-04:00

Distance: Book says 22km but our fitness monitor says 26km

Leaving Drymen

The entire summer the weather across Europe had been sunny and dry...except in Scotland. Everytime we checked the Doppler radar, there was wet and rainy weather over Scotland. On the plus side, this meant that, while the rest of Europe was scorched and yellow, the Scottish landscape was green and lush.

On the not so great side, we woke up to a torrential downpour on our second day on the West Highland Way. Sheets of rain slanted just slightly less than sideways rain (we'd get that kind of rain later on down the trail). In hopes that the weather would let up a little, we decided to hunker down in cozy restaurant and have a big breakfast.

We headed to Skoosh because our guidebook mentioned they made great sandwiches which we planed to take with us to eat for lunch. When we're hiking, we normally hit grocery stores and make our own lunches, but with the weather being what it was, we thought it would be best to keep things as simple.

After inspecting the menu, I decided to go with a Coronation chicken sandwich. I'd never heard of a Coronation chicken sandwich before, so I Googled it and learned that it's a sandwich filled with pieces of chicken, mixed with mayonnaise and curry powder. The description didn't appeal to Baasje, so he ordered the other option on the menu:

Baasje: “I'll have the dry chicken sandwich, please."
Scottish server: “Just dry chicken?”
Baasje: “You don’t recommend it?”
Scottish server: “Well it’s just dry chicken, so it’ll be dry.”

And so we both ended up with Coronation chicken sandwiches.

For breakfast we could pick from either 5 or 7 choices. I went for 7 choices - fried eggs (2x) bacon, tomato, mushroom, sausage, potato scone, toast - and Baasje got 5 - scrambled egg, sausage (2x) potato scone, tomato. Delish!

On the trail

We got every kind of weather on the trail that day - pouring rain, bright sun, cold, hot. I was grateful I'd bit the bullet and splashed out a new Gore-tex raincoat before we left.

We briefly hiked through the farmland surrounding Drymen before entering a forest of beautiful big trees (and lots of signs of logging). After the forest, the trail split and we took the high route up Conic Hill to check out the vista of Loch Lommond (beautiful even though the views were partially obscured by fog and rain). It was definitely worth the climb!

Ate lunch in Balahama at the foot of Conic Hill - popular spot with tourists (lots of hiking groups).

After lunch the trail traced the shores of Loch Lommond. Beautiful

Arriving in Rowadennan

We had reservations that night at Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel (a converted fishing and hunting lodge). When we arrived at sunset we were famished and we were grateful that the hostel served a delish three course dinner. We both had the tomato basil soup (amazing!), Baasje had the chile con carne for his main and I had the chicken tikka. After dinner I soaked my feet in Loch Lommond before turning in early in anticipation of the next day’s hike (we’d been warned day 3 would be the the hardest stretch of the trail).

See more photos of our second day on the West Highland Way in our album on Flickr

West Highland Way, Scotland - Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen

2022-08-22T11:24:00.196-04:00

Arrival at the trailhead in Milngavie

Distance: 19 km
Start: 10am
Arrival in Drymen: 3pm

Should we walk or take the train from Glasgow to the trailhead at Milngavie?

One of the (many) questions we asked ourselves when we were planning our West Highland Way trip was whether we should take the train from Glasgow to Milngavie - that's pronouned Mull-guy, by the way - or walk the ~12k instead. The main benefit of taking the train would of course be to save energy for the 154km hike ahead. On the other hand, after flying on a redeye from Montreal, a nice leisurely hike might be just the thing to keep us up throughout the day. This could lead to a good night's sleep starting at an appropriate hour - a strategy we usually follow to avoid jet lag.

And of course, we do love hiking.

We eventually decided to take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few hours exploring Glasgow before taking the short train ride to Milngavie. This made it possible for us to also have a leisurely evening in Milngavie. Plenty of time to pick up our WHW passport* (cost 10 pounts) and enjoy a yummy Sunday roast at the West Highland Way Beefeater, situated conveniently beside the inn we were staying in.

On the trail

As our guidebook suggested we had a easy day ahead of us, we figured 10am would be an adequate start time. We had a nice, big breakfast at the Beefeater, picked up snacks at the Tesco and subs at Subway just across from the trailhead (gluten-free buns!) and hit the trail.

The hike from Milngavie to Drymen was for, for the most part, a laid-back hike through pretty parks and rolling farmland - almost a stroll really. We passed lots of farms with sheep, goats, cows and ponies. As an added bonus we stopped at the Glencoyne Distillery, where we filled our water bottles distilled water from their outside tap and washed our lunch down with a few drams of their scotch. We both preferred the 12 year over the 18 year.

Arrival in Dryman

We arrived in Dryman around 3pm and went straight to the pub at the Clachann Inn (the oldest licensed pub in Scotland) where we were staying the night. We initially intended to check-in - and get my first stamp in my passport - before heading to our room to freshen up, but the bartender was so friendly we decided to pull up a chair at the bar and enjoy a few pints instead.

We had dinner in the restaurant at the Clachann that evening. I tried Cullen Skink for the first time (the first of many bowls I would enjoy on our journey). YUM!

Our guidebook noted that the noise from the restaurant next door can make it difficult to sleep in the rooms located next door. We didn't find this to be a problem at all.

* Purchasing a WHW passport to collect stamps along the way is not necessary. I just like doing these kinds of things. It also provides an opportunity to contribute funds that go towards the maintenance of the trail.

See more photos of our first day on the West Highland Way in our album on Flickr

Hiking the Cinque Terre

2019-05-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

Before arriving in Cinque Terre, we knew from blog posts we had read that we should expect some of the hiking trails on the Blue Path - the route that makes up Cinque Terre’s best-known hikes - would be closed. We learned these hikes, which are near sea level, are prone to landslides and are frequently shut down for maintenance and repair.

But we didn't expect that, due to an exceptionally wet spring, only one of the Blue Path trails (Vernazza to Monterosso) would be open during our stay.

But no biggie! We were more excited about the high-elevation Red Path trails anyway. On the Red Path we were able to take in pretty much the entire length of the Cinque Terre, with the exception of the distance from Riomaggiore to Manarola (which we passed on in favour of adding the hikes at the far ends, Riomaggiore to Porto Venere and Monterosso to Levanto).

The routes we took are outlined in the following blog posts. If you read the posts in the order they were published, you’ll notice we didn’t hike the trail in a linear order. This was because we chose the routes we would take each day based on the weather - longer, more strenuous hikes on nice days, and easier, more popular hikes on rainy days. I’ve rearranged the posts in the list below from north to south so that it makes more sense linearly.

Lavanto to Monterosso, Day 5
Trail: SVA
Time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 7km
Maximum elevation: 360m at College di Bagari

Vernazza to Monterosso, Day 4
Trail: SVA
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 3km

Corniglia to Vernazza via Cigolette, Day 1
Trail: 587 > AV5T > 507
Time: 3 hours
Distance: ~6km
Maximum elevation: 607m at Cigolette

Corniglia to Manarola via Volastra, Day 2
Trail: 587 > 586 > 506
Time: 3 hours
Maximum elevation: 453m

Riomaggiore to Porto Venere via Telegrafo, Day 3
Trail: 593 > AV5T
Time: 4.5 hours
Maximum elevation: 570m

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Lavanto to Monterosso

2019-05-10T13:33:00.000-04:00

Trail: SVA
Time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 7km
Maximum elevation: 360m at College di Bagari

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Vernazza to Monterosso

2019-05-09T13:32:00.000-04:00

Trail: SVA
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 3km

We woke up on our fourth day in Cinque Terre to cloudy skies. Knowing the rain was coming, we figured it would be a good day to hike from Vernazza to Monterosso - the only Blue Path trail that was open during our visit to Cinque Terre.

This was the one day - in five days of hiking the Cinque Terre - where it was worthwhile for us to purchase the Cinque Terre day pass as we rode the train twice and had to pay a fee to hike the Blue Path.

We took the train from Corniglia to Vernazza in the morning where we had brunch before hitting the trail. As we expected, even though the weather wasn't great, this ended up being the busiest trail we hiked. Upon leaving Vernazza we found ourselves in a line of hikers which was pretty much the case for most of the hike. We were also repeatedly in situations where the trail was only wide enough for one person to pass and the traffic was bottlenecked in both directions. Because the trail was so busy, the hike ended up taking a full 2 hours, even though it was fairly short. In contrast, on other days we encountered very few hikers unless we were close to the villages.

Though I'm glad we got the chance to do a section of the Blue Path - which I understand is the most popular trail in the Cinque Terre - I can't say it was my fave hike. At that elevation, I couldn't see much of the coast and I wasn't a fan of all the waiting.

That said, the day did end on a very high note with what I think was my favourite meal of our trip at L'Osteria. Delicious!!

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore to Porto Venere via Telegrafo

2019-05-08T13:05:00.000-04:00

Trails to follow: 593 > AV5T
Time: 4.5 hours
Maximum elevation: 570m

This hike ended up being our favourite of the five hikes we did along the Cinque Terre. That said, I'm not sure it technically qualifies as a Cinque Terre hike as only it starts at the southern end of the Cinque Terre (the rest of the hike is outside the park), but if you love hiking and find yourself in this region, I would encourage you not to miss it.

The route was a bit difficult to follow as the area is crisscrossed by a web of trails that lead to various small villages. Rather than than relying on the numbered trailer markers, we found it was easiest to follow the signs to the specific destinations we knew we would visit along the way - Telegrafo, Palestra nel Verde, and finally, Porto Venere.

There's a lot of variety on this trail, both in terms of views and elevation. The climb out of Riomaggiore is a bit steep in spots, but the trail levels out at Telegrafo then traverses a ridge for a bit. For most of this section of the trail, you're surrounded by trees, but don't worry, the money views are coming! After Campiglia we started to see glimpses of the long, though at times steep, descent into Porto Venere. From this point on, the sights got more and more breathtaking - beautiful sweeping views of the cliffs and glimpses of Porto Venere's lovely medieval architecture.

We took our time on this stretch to explore a number of side trails along the way and arrived in Porto Venere just in time to hop on the last boat to La Spezia where we caught the train back to our home base, Corniglia. An unforgettable day!

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Corniglia to Manarola via Volastra

2019-05-06T12:30:00.000-04:00

Trails to follow: 587 > 586 > 506
Time: 3 hours
Maximum elevation: 453m

Our two favourite hikes on the Cinque Terre were both south of Corniglia - the hike from Corniglia to Manarola, and the hike from Riomaggore to Porto Venere. What made these hikes so great, was the long stretches of unobstructed views where you can take in pretty much the full stretch of the Cinque Terre coast.

The hike starts with a not-too-strenuous climb out of Corniglia that levels out about half-way to Volastra. A fair bit of the trail is through vineyards, and we saw signs to numerous wineries along the way. Volastra is a popular spot to stop to enjoy a glass of wine and the views. Leaving Volastra, there was another short climb and then some pretty level hiking until just before Manarola where there's a very steep decent into town.

Manorola ended up being Baasje's favourite Cinque Terre village, so instead of continuing on with another hike (as we'd originally planned), we spent the rest of the day exploring it's alleyways and shops and sampling Liguria win e.

Hiking the Cinque Terre: Corniglia to Vernazza via Cigolette

2019-05-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

Trails to follow: 587 > AV5T > 507
Time: 2.5 hours
Distance: ~6km
Maximum elevation: 607m at Cigolette

We woke up on our first morning in Cinque Terre to pretty steady rain. Not exactly how we wanted to start our vacation, but we were also still a little worn out from the long flight the day before and admittedly, it was probably a pretty good day to take it easy. Over a late brunch, we decided to tackle what we figured to be the less-scenic of the 2 trails we were wanting to do starting in Corniglia - Corniglia to Vernazza via Cigolette.

Our assumptions turned out to be correct for the first half of the trail, leaving Corniglia we took the 587 up to the AV5T (the Red Path) which was a pretty lengthy climb through forest. There weren't many views. In a few spots, if we turned around we were able to get a peek at the coast, but for the most part, we were completely surrounded by trees - which, on the flip side, had the benefit of providing protection from the rain.

After reaching Cigolette we began a steep decent into Vernazza via San Bernardino. We were rewarded with some impressive views on this part of the route, but the trade-off was that the rocky, slippery trail was a bit treacherous. We had read somewhere that tackling the trail in the direction from Corniglia to Vernazza is the better choice, but when it's raining, I'd suggest going in the other direction which I believe is safer.

We spent about an hour or so, exploring the streets and sites of Vernazza before getting into line for dinner at Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre. This ended up being one of our favourite meals of the trip. We had to wait for about 45 minutes as it's one of the more popular spots in town, but it was well worth it. The staff was very friendly and the food was exceptionally delicious (especially the desserts!)

Cannoli at Il Pirata della 5 Terre

My favourite hikes close to Montreal: Mount Lafayette to Mount Lincoln, Franconia Ridge

2016-10-02T12:47:00.002-04:00

Trailhead location: Lafayette Place Campground just off Interstate-93 in Franconia Notch State Park

There is also a day use parking lot near the trailhead.

Hike length: 13km

Hike duration: 7 hours

Our first outdoor trip after moving to Montreal from Victoria, British Columbia was a winter snowshoeing trek on Sentier des Caps in Charlevoix. While on the trail, I took the opportunity to canvass other hikers for trail recommendations. I asked people to name their favourite hike in the region. The almost universal answer was Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire.

This year we hiked the Franconia Ridge Loop for the 2nd year in a row. I’m guessing we’ll probably do it again next year, too. In between our 2 visits to Franconia Ridge we also hiked the Presidential Traverse (also in New Hampshire) and a handful of hikes closer to home in Quebec, Mount Tremblant, Mont-Megantic and Mont Saint-Hillaire. Of all these hikes the one I expect we’ll continue to go back to most frequently is Franconia Ridge. Why? Well, I'd have to say it’s the winning combo of easy accessibility coupled with a decent workout and a plethora of stunning views.

Both times we’ve hiked the trail, we left Montreal on Friday afternoon to arrive at the Lafayette Place Campground in the evening. Google Maps says the drive takes 3-4 hours, but we usually find, with added time to cross the boarder and stop for groceries, the drive usually takes us 5-5.5 hours. We’ve found it best to try to get off work a bit early in order to arrive at the campground early enough to enjoy a few hours of campfire time before hitting the hay.

On our most recent Franconia Ridge hike, we started the day off with a semi-relaxing breakfast with the gang before making our way from the campground to the nearby trailhead around 10am. The climb up to the Ridge along the Falling Waters trail is a bit of a long grind - both times it has taken us 2-3 hours to reach the ridge - but the views you’ll enjoy as you eat lunch above the tree line more than make up for the effort.

In between Mount Lafayette (1600m) and Mount Lincoln (1550m), the loop also takes in Little Haystack Mountain (1450m) enjoying wonderful 360 degree views the entire way. At Mount Lincoln we began our decent via the Old Bridle Path Trail which includes a stop at the Greenleaf Hut where we took a break to fill up our water bottles. You can also usually buy a cold drink and baked goods at the hut.

We arrived back at the campground tired, happy and looking forward to a hot shower, a wienie roast dinner and a night around the campfire with friends . I should mention one of the things that makes this hike so great is that the campground is very well serviced with decent showers, a well-stocked camp store for purchasing any forgotten items, and friendly staff. The campsites are also a good size and offer a fair amount of privacy.

One final note, when going on group hikes, we like to enjoy a big brunch in town with the gang before hitting the road to head home. Our favourite brunch spot (so far) near the campground is the Littleton Diner. YUM!

Related links:

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 9 - Hotel Col de la Forclaz to Gîte le Moulin

2016-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Distance: 13km
Time: 7 hours
Cost: 39 CHF (room and board at Gîte Moulin)

On the morning of our ninth day on the Tour de Mont Blanc, we climbed 700m after leaving Hotel de la Forclaz to arrive at Col de la Balme just before noon. The bad weather the forecast had predicted never arrived, at least not until we had safely reached the gîte. That said, we were glad to enjoy lovely 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains from Col de Balme and Col des Possettes.

Le Gîte Moulin, where we stayed the night, was pretty simple, but a good deal for the price, very comfy and the owner is a fabulous cook. This was the only place we stayed on the hike that cooked a specific vegan meal for Amy - salad and mushroom lasagna and I has lucky enough to enjoy it as well. YUM!

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 8 - Relais d'Arpette to Hotel Col de la Forclaz

2016-08-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Distance: 12km, with a 1000m climb
Time: 9 hours
Cost: 63 CHF (room and board at Gîte d'alpage de La Peule)

We were told this is the hardest stretch on the Tour de Mont Blanc, and it did turn out to be pretty difficult. The gentle climb that started just after we left Relais d'Arpette became steeper and steeper until we were scrambling over loose boulders and up what felt like 45 degree banks to reach the Fenêtre d'Arpette.

Our climb was complicated by inconsistent weather conditions that in turn delivered rain, fog, wind and rare glimpses of blue sky to urge us onward. When we finally arrived at the fenêtre we were greeted by cold winds and rain. Though the view was surprisingly lovely, given the weather, we decided not to linger there long.

The 1000m descent took us 5 hours, most of it under unexpectedly sunny skies. We took our time to descend safely and stopped often to enjoy views of the impressive Trient Glacier.

We arrived at the Hotel Col de la Forclaz just before the thunderstorms started. The hotel is a sprawling maze of dorms and stairwells and seems to not have been renovated since the 70s. Though it's busier than I would prefer - it's located just up the hill from the bustling village of Trient - it seems quiet and cozy enough. And of course it feels good to be inside and out of the rain.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 7: Gîte d'alpage de La Peule to Relais d'Arpette

2016-08-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Distance: 24km
Time: 8 hours
Cost: 67 CHF (room and board at Relais d'Arpette)

After stopping short of a full leg the day before, we made up for the difference the next day. We completed the full leg for day 7 in our Tour de Mont Blanc guidebook and hiked an additional couple of kilometers to Relais d'Arpette.

Having enjoyed 6 straight days of glorious sunshine, we finally encountered our first bout of rain this day (which, happily enough, turned out to the the only rain we endured on the trail for the entire hike). It began just after we left La Peule and continued in a steady downpour until we reached la Fouly an hour and a half later. Thankfully the rain dried up just as we were hiking out of La Fouly and the sun came out. It remained fairly sunny for the rest of our extra-long hike - though it did begin raining again just after we checked into Relais d'Arpette.

As things go, it wasn't a bad day to deal with rain, most of the day we descended into the valley on wide paths, and there weren't any vistas to take in. We did pass many pretty, clear bubbling streams, shady forested stretches and picturesque Swiss Villages. We had a very nice stay at Relais d'Arpette where we were served a dinner of vegetable soup, beef stew, and dessert.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 6 - Rifugio Bonatti to Gîte d'alpage de La Peule

2016-08-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Distance: 13km
Time: 5.5 hours
Cost: 62 CHF (room and board at Gîte d'alpage de La Peule)

Our sixth day on the Tour de Mont Blanc was a pretty short day, though the 13km we covered included a bit of a grind of a climb from Val Ferret to Grand Col Ferret (1784m to 2537m) where we crossed into Switzerland.

We stayed the night at the Gîte d'alpage de La Peule. While it at first seemed comparatively small and rustic compared to the other refuges we'd encountered, it quickly found a place in my heart and became my second favourite refuge of the hike. It had the requisite lovely view, was quiet and comfortable and the dorms were roomy and airy (most of the dorms we stayed in were a bit on the stuffy side). As the gîte is located on a working dairy farm, the food, which featured their own milk and cheeses, was extra fresh and delicious. For dinner we had salad, croque madame and fruit salad and the breakfast they served in the morning was hands-down the best breakfast of the hike.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 5: Rifugio Bertone to Rifugio Bonatti (via Mont de la Saxe option)

2016-08-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Distance: ?
Time: 6 hours
Cost: 48 euros (room and board at Rifugio Bonatti)

On our fifth day on the Tour de Mont Blanc, we took one of the optional routes and gained an extra 500m of elevation so that we could take in an amazing panoramic view from Tête de la Tranche of the south wall of the Mont Blanc range from Col de la Seigne to the Grand Col Ferret.

We stayed the night at Rifugio Bonatti which had a spectacular and relatively close-up view of the mountains across the valley. They served us a humongous dinner of salad, soup with cheese and croutons, meatballs with peppers, mashed potatoes and chocolate tart.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 4: Rifugio Elisabetta to Rifugio Bertone

2016-08-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

Distance: 22km
Time: 10 hours (including a leisurely lunch in Courmeyeur)
Cost: 60 euros (room and board at Refuge de Nant Borrant)

The highlight of our fourth day on the Tour de Mont Blanc was the morning hike across Val Veni, which was stunning beautiful in the morning light. A great start to a fairly easy day, though we did tackle 2 climbs. The first was a 400m climb up from Val Veni to Mont Favre Spur which, though short, was pretty steep. The second was from the resort town of Courmeyeur up to the lovely Rifugio Bertone, my favourite refuge of the all the refuges we stayed at on the TMB.

The climb up to Bertone was very steep, but the well worth it. The views from the patio of the rifugio were out of this world. We also enjoyed having reliable wifi access for the first time on the hike and a topped off the evening with a terrific dinner of pasta, polenta, sausage, ratatouille and creme anglaise.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 3: Refuge des Mottets to Rifugio Elisabetta

2016-08-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

Distance: 9.5
Time: 4 hours
Cost: 55 euros (room and board at Rifugio Elisabetta)

Our third day on the Tour de Mont Blanc started with a 700m climb up from Des Mottets to Col de la Seigne where we crossed into Italy. It was a bit of a grind, but it was over soon enough. As it was still early in the day, we enjoyed a nice long break at Col de la Seigne, and took a short detour on our descent into Val Veni to view the neighbouring valley.

We arrived at Rifugio Elisabetta early in the day with enough time to do a bit of laundry and have a relaxing afternoon. We treated ourselves to a pasta and beer lunch - sausage and tagliatelle for me and gnocchi for Amy. It was a big lunch, but we still managed to make room for dinner that evening. Mmmmm, pasta!

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 2: Refuge de Nant Borrant to Refuge des Mottets

2016-08-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Distance: 14km, 1500m elevation gain
Time: 9 hours
Cost: 55 euros (room and board at Refuge des Mottets)

Our second day on the Tour de Mont Blanc was shorter, but man, was it a all buster! We hiked up 3 passes - Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Croix, and Col des Fours - climbed 1500m and descended 700m! The passes were covered in snow (unusual for this time of year) but the temperature still manged to climb to a balmy 30+ degrees under a hot sun. We both got nasty sunburns.

Des Mottets where we're ending our night is isolated but very comfortable and well-serviced. For dinner they served us veggie soup, tomato salad, cheese, beef stew with rice and aubergines and creme caramel for dessert.

Tour de Mont Blanc, Day 1: Les Houches to Refuge de Nant Borrant

2016-08-17T08:02:00.001-04:00

Distance: 20km
Time: 6.5 hours
Cost: 41 euros (room and board at Refuge de Nant Borrant)

We had hoped to hit the trail on our first day on the Tour de Mont Blanc much earlier, but my late arrival in Geneva - 1 day later than expected - meant that rather than waking up fresh and rested in Les Houches and starting our hike bright and early, we began the hike at 2pm in the afternoon, as soon as I arrived in Les Houches by shuttle bus after arriving on a red-eye flight that morning.

To cut ourselves some slack, we shortened what would have been a 23km hike to a 20km hike by taking the cable car from Les Houches to Col de Vozza. This also saved us a 600m elevation gain, which made for a much gentler start.

Beginning our hike around Chamonix initially gave us a false sense of what was to be expected in terms of services and amenities on the trail. For the first few kilometres it seemed like there was a restaurant and public restroom around every corner. This petered out as the day went on, by the 2nd day we found it was wise to keep track of potential spots for rest stops. What did continue was the spectacular views and the exceptional condition of the trails.

All-in-all it wasn't too difficult a start to our hike - though I might have felt different if we'd hiked out of Les Houches instead of taking the cable car. We ended the day's journey at Nant Bourrant, which has a lovely view. I was served a dinner of pea soup with cheese, potatoes au gratin, sausage and apple pie and Amy had soup, salad and rice with a piece of fruit for dessert. Delish!

Round About the Earth: My 10 Favourite Moments

2014-03-30T11:35:00.001-04:00

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post. In fact, I purposefully delayed putting pen to paper until the final leg of our journey - our return flight to Canada - knowing I might need a little pick-me-up. It's a bit of a bittersweet moment. As much as I’ve anticipated taking time to reflect on our experiences over the past months, it's an inescapable indicator that our trip has come to an end. Sigh.

Our trip around the world has been a time full of wondrous, jaw-dropping, can't-believe-this-is-happening moments. Here’s a rundown of my 10 favourites:

1. Seeing you again
Hands down the best part of the journey was the time we spent with friends and family around the globe. From catching up over delicious eats and aperitifs with friends in the Loire Valley, to celebrating Thanksgiving with family in Hong Kong, to hitting the markets with cousins in London, UK, we’ve been repeatedly awed by the warm hospitality of the people we’ve visited - far-flung loved ones we don't get to see often enough.

2. Riding into the Sahara, Erg Chebbi, Morocco
Just a small band of 6 travelers, and our friendly guide, Said, heading out into the Sahara on camel by the light of the rising moon. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to have an experience like this.

3. Arriving in León, Camino de Santiago, Spain
There are 7 countries represented in the picture above: Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, The Unites States and Canada - a group of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures who came together by chance on the Camino. Over the weeks we walked together, we developed the kind of close friendships made when sharing an extraordinary life experience, but our time together was short. We knew this might be our last opportunity to celebrate together and we went for it! Throw in some fabulous inexpensive wine and delicious tapas and you’ve got a formula for an extraordinary evening.

4. Summiting Conical Hill, Routeburn Track, Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand

Of all the summit views we enjoyed, the vista from the top of Conical Hill on New Zealand's Routeburn Track is, in my books, the most beautiful. As an added bonus, we found a very fine swimming spot in a stream approaching the summit where we took a dip after the climb. Cool, refreshing water that was clean enough to drink unfiltered and untreated. Where else in the world can you do that?

5. Kayaking at sunset in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Our 3-day trip in Halong Bay was full of magical experiences like our sunset kayak amoungst some of the bay's thousands of limestone pillar islands. Breathtaking!

6. Recharging at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland

I've never felt so good in my life as when we left the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal pool rich in silica mud and minerals. The next time you head across the Atlantic, do yourself a huge favour and stop in Reykjavik, if only to spend the afternoon at the Blue Lagoon. Did I mention that if you fly Iceland Air you can stopover in Reykjavik for up to 7 days without paying any additional airfare? Oh, yes!

7. Morning in Bangkok, Thailand

There's no where else like Bangkok. It's a chaotic, wonderful, heady mix of people, animals, automobiles, buildings, shops, street stalls and restaurants selling spicy and delicious - if unidentifiable - snacks and meals. To me, it was at its most charming in the morning when friendly, smiling food vendors would line the streets selling their delicious wares as the rest of the city slowly came to life.

8. The Medina at night, Marrakech, Morocco

For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to one day traveling to Morocco. Exotic sounding cities, medinas filled with strange treasures, perfumed breezes and starry night skies. Marrakech and it's main square, Jamaa el-Fna, with it's eclectic collection of street performers from all over Africa, met all my expectations and then some.

9. My new favourite Canadian hike, Sentinel Pass, Banff, Canada

Like many other Canadians, I love the outdoors. We've visited many of Canada's national parks and hiked a fair number of it's trails. I erroneously assumed that I had already picked my favourite Canadian hiking trail out of the bunch. Silly me! Somehow I had managed to overlook this gem of a hike near Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. I stand corrected!

10. Climbing Mount Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

I cheered when I reached the top of Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park. Numerous times during the ascent I'd considered turning back, so making it to the top felt like quite a victory. During our journey around the world, we climbed higher peaks on longer trails, but this was the most technically difficult summit we tackled. By the time we reached the rim of the active volcano, after almost four hours of climbing in high winds, I was spent! My legs were shaking with muscle fatigue, my hands and arms were scraped and bleeding (of course I'd left my gloves in my pack at the base of the volcano), and vertigo had left me feeling dizzy and light-headed. Woot! What a rush!

From time to time during our trip we would cross paths with others who, like us, were on an extended journey. One of the questions I'd always ask was, "of all the places you've visited, which are your favourites?" I learned there are plenty of extraordinary sites around the world we have yet to visit and an infinite number of ways to circumnavigate the globe. Lots of ideas to consider for upcoming adventures. If you have any suggestions to add, I'd love to hear them.

Things I’m Looking Forward to at the End of Our Around The World Journey

2014-03-25T12:10:00.002-04:00

Considering my lack of enthusiasm for the conclusion of our 9-month trip around the world, this post was surprisingly easy to write. After all, traveling isn’t exactly a bed of roses - on the contrary, it’s often a lumpy mattress in a 60-person dorm. Yes, as wonderful as it’s been to travel for an extended period of time, there were a number of creature comforts that we left behind when we hit the road. I thought this might be a good moment to reflect on all the things we have to look forward to now that we’re homeward bound.

Unpacking

I love my trusty backpack and the feeling of having everything I need on my back. I don’t love that the thing I most need is always located in the very bottom of my bag. Every morning, my clothes and my toothbrush are at the bottom of my backpack. Every evening, my sleeping bag and my toothbrush are at the bottom of my backpack. If it starts to rain, my jacket will be at the bottom of my backpack, though my swimsuit will be nice and handy at the top. Good one, universe.

Having more than 3 shirts to chose from

I pride myself on being somewhat of a minimalist and I was quite chuffed to realize I can easily get by with having very few items of clothing - 1 jacket, 1 sweater, 3 shirts, 1 skirt and 2 pairs of pants. Do I want to continue wearing my hiking clothes when I’m out for a night on the town? Not really.

Cleaning up

My apologies in advance to the heroic hair stylist that next cuts my hair, but since we left Canada I’ve been cutting my own hair with a pair of children’s craft scissors. I’m in dire need of a haircut…a real one, that is.

A door to close at the end of the day

From shower stalls without doors to making phone calls in the company of 60 fellow travellers, budget travel usually makes for very little privacy. Having an apartment or even a room with a door to close at the end of the day sounds heavenly! On a related note, no more earplugs. Yay!

Cooking in a real kitchen

Home, sweet home for the past eight months has been two backpacks. Keeping to scale, our ‘kitchen’ fits into a small bag. It includes, 1 backpacking stove, 1 pot, 1 bowl, 1 plate, 2 mugs and cutlery. For spices we've had salt and pepper. I’m very excited at the idea of being able to cook in a kitchen that isn’t balanced on a log at the edge of our campsite.

Decisions, decisions

Where are we going? How do we get there - by bus, train, plane, on foot…or camel? Where will we stay once we get there? Every day on the road seems chock-a-block with questions. Of course once we get off the road there will still be plenty of decisions to make but, if all goes well, these will be more routine decisions with familiar outcomes and less opportunity for unexpected surprises. Decisions like, which of the 200 emails in my inbox should I open first. On second thought, scratch this one from the list…

Admittedly, as much as I am looking forward to settling down for a while, I’d gladly lump any and all of these challenges for another 9 months of travel. I also know that, though I’m calling them challenges today, tomorrow they’ll feel more like benefits. All the things I’ll miss so much about about these vagabond days.

Around the World at Last, Part 2

2014-03-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

I’ve been hiding from my blog lately. The time has come in our journey to write a wrap-up post about our trip around the world and I’m finding all kinds of ways to procrastinate. We’ve even managed to drag out what was supposed to be an 8-month journey around the world into a 9-month journey by hunkering down with my cousin Rex in Texas for 3 weeks - kinda like Bonnie and Clyde. Well, not really.

We left Australia’s sun-drenched beaches almost a full month ago on a flight to Los Angeles. Our original plan, made way back when we left home in June of last year, was to end our journey with a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. It sounded like a fitting way to finish the trip. We’d bookend our journey with two quintessential North American road trips - our drive across Canada from west to east at the start, and the drive from south to north along the PCH to wrap things up.

That was then. Now that the end of our journey is at hand, we’re realizing there’s more to focus on then ensuring our unforgettable trip reaches a romantic denouement. Lots more. Namely, finding an apartment, taking stock of our belongings, starting a job search, addressing all the details that need to be attended to when one moves to a new city, et cetera, et cetera. At the beginning of our trip, I wrote a short post about the seemingly countless items we needed to take care of in preparation for the start of our journey and I’m finding that the list of things to do at the end of our trip is equally as long. We've also decided it'll be easier to get down to business if we fly to central Canada - we'll have to wait to visit Big Sur and Napa Valley another time.

So what's next? Similar to how things went at the start of our journey, I’m finding we’re looking at a future that is pretty much a blank slate. Other than a few scarce details concerning the immediate future, I’m not sure how things are about to play out - a dubious circumstance that certainly has not escaped the attention of our parents. I can only make a few open-ended assumptions: that we’re about to encounter a high-level of uncertainty, that there will be a lot we’ll have to learn, that we’ll likely make mistakes, and that the possibilities are endless.

Come to think of it, it sounds like our journey isn’t ending at all! I think that sounds like a very promising beginning.

Anyhow, I’ve resolved to be more consistent with posting in the blog now that this next stage of our trip is about to begin. I think I’ll start with all the things I am looking forward to when we get off the road and unpack our bags. You’ll have to give me a moment to think about that one.* Stay tuned!

*Of course this could be construed as an excuse to procrastinate. Meh. Onward!

“Walker, there is no path, the path is made by walking.” - Antonio Machado

Sun, Sand and Surf at the Last Stop on Our Around The World Journey: Two Weeks in Southeastern Australia

2014-02-21T03:23:00.001-05:00

One of southeastern Australia's many beaches,
Squeaky Beach at Wilson's Promotory

We're half-way through our whirlwind two-week tour of Australia. I know, I know, two weeks is not enough time to devote to such a large and diverse country but at this point in the game - eight months into our around the world journey - two weeks is all we can manage to eke out of the remains of our travel budget. And I do mean, 'eke'. Yes, there's lots of brown rice with tuna and chopped tomato on the menu these days...

But back to the more important details at hand! The vast multitude of gorgeous beaches in this limited corner of the globe have made us realize there's an obvious lack of lovely, swimmable ocean beaches in Canada. How lucky the Australians are! Every inch of this coast seems to be blessed with soft, powdery sand, good surf and an endless parade of holiday parks to ensure travelers will find all the comforts of home just a short walk across the road.

We've been here for less than a week and have been making our way along the coast from Melbourne to Brisbane. At the moment, we're in picturesque Mallacoota, just south of the Victoria/New South Wales boarder. Our travel brochures tell us that, as straight as the crow flies, we're only about 500km from Melbourne, but the odometer on our rental vehicle tells us we've actually traveled about 700km to arrive here.

Similar to other places we've stopped at along the way, we're lazing away our days soaking up the sun on the area's many beaches and hiking the trails in the nearby national park. On this stop, the nearby park is the very impressive Croajingolong National Park which, along with the adjoining Nadgee Nature Reserve, is classified as one of only 12 World Biosphere Reserves in Australia. Considering it's unique designation, it's no surprise that Croajingolong possesses some of the most photogenic beaches we've seen in a year's worth of travels. To add to the fun, we're staying in a great campsite located on a lovely stretch of the area's 320km of coastline. Needless to say, we're having a fine time in good ol' Mallacoota!

We often have the beach all to ourselves at
the campsite in Mallacoota

One of the many beautiful views along the Mallacoota Coastal Walk

Other favourite spots on our Australian journey so far were Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula, where we enjoyed the views at nearby Point Nepean National Park, and Cape Conran, which appeared to be a popular spot for young surfers to hone their skills.

Cape Conran Coastal Park

The true highlight of our trip so far though has been our visit to Wilson's Promotory, also known as 'The Prom'. We loved the stunning coastal views, great variety of trails and the well serviced campsite located right beside the oceanfront beach!

View from the summit of Mount Oberon,
Wilson's Promotory

Squeaky Beach is covered with rounded quartz sand that actually
squeaks as you walk on it!

It's a little sad to think that in just a few short weeks, our "journey of a lifetime" will come to an end. Yes, as the saying goes (and my bank account heartily agrees), all good things must come to an end. If it must end, I couldn't think of a better way to do it than savouring a laid-back road trip in a land far, far away in the southern hemisphere. Our trip may be winding down, but we've still got a lot of miles to travel before we reach home and with the majority of the wild chaos of the past eight months behind us, there seems to be plenty of time to think and reflect…and maybe even start planning for our next "journey of a lifetime".

There and Back Again: 40km on the Routeburn Track

2014-02-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

The summit of Conical Hill. We made it!

Day 1: Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats Campsite, 6.5km

Dinner: Pasta with chorizo and tomato sauce

There's heavy debate in the backpackers and holiday parks we've been staying at in Fiordland over which is the better track, the Routeburn or the Kepler. We've heard very convincing arguments on both sides, but the verdict seems to be a bit in favour of the Routeburn and on day one of our hike it was already easy to see why. We were especially impressed by the amazing blue-hued water in the stream running alongside the trail and the picture-perfect alpine setting at the Routeburn Flats campsite. But the best was yet to come!

Turquoise water!

Campsite at Routeburn Flats

Day 2: Routeburn Flats Campsite, to Lake McKenzie Campsite, 13.4km + Summit of Conical Hill

Breakfast: Oatmeal, crackers, cheese, peanut butter

Lunch: Cheese and chorizo sandwiches

Snack: Cous cous and chicken

Dinner: Mashed potatoes and savoury mince

We have a winner! The view from Conical Hill takes the cake for our favourite alpine view of our around-the-world journey (taking over from the previous reigning champion, Sentinel Pass in Banff National Park, followed closely by the views at O'Cebreiro in Spain). The stunning alpine vista was definitely worth the long climb up from Routeburn Flats which, in case you're wondering, took us about 4 hours with a snack break at the Harris Saddle shelter. We were so impressed by the view, we found it hard to tear ourselves away to continue with the rest of the day's hike--it was that spectacular! In fact, once we climbed away from the tree line and past the Routeburn Falls Hut, we were pretty much gobsmacked by the views all the way to Lake McKenzie.

The climb above Lake Harris

Looking down on the Harris Saddle shelter from Conical Hill

Lake Harris viewpoint on Conical Hill

View from the summit of Conical Hill

As we headed across the Hollyford Valley face I came to suspect that some might prefer the Kepler Track for its long chain of ridge walks which offer 360 degree views down into the valleys below, but I'd take the Routeburn over the Kepler any day!

Alpine pond near the Harris Saddle shelter

Admiring the view of the Hollyford Valley

The trail from Harris Saddle shelter to Lake McKenzie

Setting a good pace! We made it to the Lake McKenzie Campsite
from the Harris Saddle shelter in about two hours.

Heading across the Hollyford valley face

Stopping to take a break and enjoy the view

Our first glimpse of Lake McKenzie Hut, you can just
make it out on the top left edge of the lake

Day 3 & 4: Return Trip McKenzie Campsite to Routeburn Shelter, 19.9km

Breakfast: Oatmeal, crackers, cheese, peanut butter

Lunch: Pumpkin soup, chicken curry and brown rice

Dinner: Pasta with chorizo and cheese sauce

Breakfast: Peanut butter sandwiches

The rest of the tracks we've hiked have all been circuits, but the Routeburn is a linear track. If we had hiked it end-to-end we would have needed to make arrangements to take a shuttle bus from the far end back to the starting point to return to our car. Alternately, we also determined we could have paid a car transport company to relocate our car to the far end of the trail. Shockingly, both options would have cost us about $250 NZ. Yikes! The solution we ended up going with was to book an extra night of camping on the trail and return the way we came--from Lake McKenzie to Routeburn Shelter. This meant we missed out on hiking the last 12km to the end of the trail at the Divide but, as we already hiked Key Summit (the big highlight at the Divide-end of the trail) when we drove to Milford Sound, that's okay by us.

A good number of the hikers we've met on the Routeburn are taking similar approaches to get around paying the shuttle bus fees. Not a bad solution as the views on the trail are so fabulous it's definitely worthwhile to do the trail twice-over! Others are connecting from the Routeburn to the Cables Track which makes for a bit of a circuit hike, taking hikers somewhat close to the trailhead at Routeburn Shelter. Another good option that's easier on the pocketbook and, as an added bonus, results in an extra day or two of hiking in picture-perfect Fiordland.

Lake McKenzie in the morning

One last look at the Lake McKenzie campsite before we head back

The spot where we stopped for lunch

Routeburn Falls

A new friend from Denmark, sitting by a mountain stream in New Zealand at sunset playing the theme song from The Lord of the Rings on his harmonica. Oh yes, it was precious.

See more photos of our 4-day hike on The Routeburn Track on flickr.