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The world’s best hiking locations for avid climbers

A call to all adrenaline junkies: abseiling is quickly being recognised as one of the most well-known and well-loved extreme sports across the globe. Excitement hunters, extreme weekenders, and the like, are speedily discovering abseiling as an ideal means to test one’s strength, stamina and peace of mind. Adventures range between zip paving via the rainforest canopy to caving by miles of subterranean tunnels and caverns, to rock mountaineering on vertical rock faces encircled by vast jungle.

When you combine two of the most revered, impressive and committed adventure sports – abseiling and hiking – you can guarantee an adventure like no other, an adventure that attracts people on a  the global scale, irrespective of age and gender. People who live and breathe such sports are in good company. Considering some hiking and mountain trekking? Here are some of the most terrific locations on the planet – all-time favourites for the abseiling, trekking lovers of the world.

Inca Trail

The Inca Trail is ideal for people who love to reach a destination – a goal – and to savour the journey altogether. As one of the most recommended treks in South America, its 26 miles combines attractive mountain scenery, with rich cloud-forests, subtropical jungle landscape and an astounding blend of Inca paving stones, ruins and tunnels. Even though somewhat intense, Machu Picchu, the ultimate destination of the trek, makes it well worthy of all that hard work.

Your trip starts with a drive via the Sacred Valley, through small villages and historical ruins. The trip carries on with a breakfast halt at Ollantaytambo, an ex-getaway for Inca royals and aristocracy. Ollantaytambo was also the place of the Inca final battles versus the Spanish conquerors. You can complete the entire trek in 4 days; if you want some respite between the trekking then it may take one day more. The complete Inca Trail consists of ruins, including Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wi ay Wayna and Machu Pichhu. Every day thousands of visitors are trekking through this route so finding your best tour operator for the route is relatively easy. After crossing Patallacta Ruins, The Dead Women’s Pass, Runkurakay, you will reach The Sun Gate (also known as Intipunku) which means you are in Machu Pichhu. You’ll find two stones hanging at the narrow passage on the cranny of the mountain. The Sunrise scene at this point will be one of the most exquisite parts of your tour on the Inca Trail.

Everest Base Camp Trek

Almost every trekker, abseiling lover and climber has the dream to conquer the ‘roof of the world’, i.e. Mt. Everest. The Everest base camp trek can give you a taste of conquering Mt. Everest, as you need to trek almost 5364 meters. There are two base camps at Everest, situated opposite one another; one in Nepal (which is known as south base camp) and the other one is on the Tibet side (known as North base camp, with an altitude of 5150 meters). If you select the classic base camp trek then you need to begin from Lukla which takes almost two weeks to complete the entire journey. From upper Phakding through the Dudh Koshi Valley you have to reach the famous tourist point Namchi Bazar, also known as “trekker’s den.”

The entire trek will be a combination of excitement, adventure and fun. After the necessary acquisitions you can start your next two hours steep trekking to Tengboche Buddhist Monastery at an altitude of 3867 meters. A valley of pin-drop silence and tranquillity will surround you if you stay there for several hours. Don’t stop here for too long though; stay walking to your next destination to Imjakhola, which on a descent to the next. After a few hours of trekking you will cross the charming mountain villages called Pangboche and Pheriche, and finally on to the Khumbu Glacier. The next journey will be to the Lobuche village, on the lap of Lobuche Peak following the glacier. Here is one tip; you should take some rest to acclimatize your body as it is highly recommended and necessary while trekking to the Everest base camp. Here in Lobuche, you must experience the picturesque beauty of the peaks e.g., Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Ama Dablam, Taweche and so on. The last and final destination of Everest base camp trek will end at Gorok Shep situated at 16942 feet.  The entire journey will be accompanied by panoramic views and the quaint natural company of magnolia, giant firs and rhododendron forests.

Kilimanjaro Trekking

“Kibo”, “Mowenzi” and “Shira”-these three volcanic cones shaped Mount Kilimanjaro, the top peak of Africa, with an altitude of 5895 meters from the sea level. This peak has attracted lots of trekkers, abseilers years before. The best two trekking seasons for climbing Kilimanjaro are January to March and June to October. April to May is the rainy season in the mountain and therefore not the best time for hiking along the mountain. Nowadays some of the trekkers are targeting the December month for climbing. There are six charming and adventurous climbing routes on Kilimanjaro. These are as follows:

The Marangu Route: the only Kilimanjaro climb option that features hut accommodation

The Machame Route: the preferred climbing route up Kilimanjaro

The Rongai Route: the quickest route on Kilimanjaro

The Shira Route: this one propels you to some significant altitude on the first day

The Lemosho Route: definitely the most stunning Kilimanjaro climb route, but costly

The Umbwe Route: the most challenging and strenuous route on Kilimanjaro, and the most stunning

The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all come up to from the south of the mountain (Mweka is used only for plunge).The Lemosho, Shira and Northern Circuit routes move toward from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north.