In 1970, six women made the first all-female ascent of Denali. Alaskan mountaineer Grace Hoemen led the team, which included talented climber and chemist Arlene Blum, New Zealand geologist Margaret Clark, and pilot (and Forbes family pariah) Margaret Young.

Last week, the story of this historic achievement came into full focus with the March 4 release of , written by award-winning adventure writer . In her new book, Randall recounts the tale of the Denali climb, as well as the many challenges the female alpinists faced, from extreme winds and storm conditions, to a high-risk self-rescue, to the many insults of their male compatriots, like 鈥渘o way dames could ever make it up that bitch.鈥�

Yet the women succeeded in summiting the West Buttress route. While Hoeman and Blum were skilled enough to take on a more technical line on , they also knew that the stakes were high. 鈥淎n all-women鈥檚 ascent had never been done before,鈥� Randall explains. 鈥淭hey were鈥攁s are many boundary breakers who bear the burden of proving not just their own capability, but the capability of the entire demographic to which they belong鈥攔epresenting all women on this climb.鈥�

Furthermore, Randall emphasizes that this 鈥渓ess technical鈥� line was anything but easy鈥攅specially back in the day, with heavy loads of unwieldy equipment. 鈥淭he route still presented hidden crevasses big enough to swallow a bus, icefall, avalanches, and steep ridges that dropped off thousands of feet,鈥� Randall says.

We caught up with Randall to find out why this story hasn鈥檛 been told until now and what surprised her in her research. Below the Q&A, we also include an excerpt from Thirty Below.听

Q&A: Thirty Below Author Cassidy Randall

Climbing: What inspired you to tell the story of the first all-female ascent of Denali in book form?

Cassidy Randall: One morning in February of 2022, snow fell outside my window in Montana as I opened an email from my agent with a link to a National Park Service blog post. 鈥淚s there a good story here?鈥� she鈥檇 written. Clicking on it transported me to a different snowy world half a century ago: 1970 on the slopes of Denali. That year, six women made for its wind-hammered summit in the first all-female ascent of North America鈥檚 tallest peak.

This was no small thing. By 1970, we had sent men to the moon, but women had yet to stand on top of the world鈥檚 highest mountains. Popular belief held that they were incapable of withstanding high altitudes, savage elements, and carrying heavy loads up storm-ravaged slopes. I鈥檇 been writing about adventure and women鈥檚 issues in the outdoors for several years by then. Yet I鈥檇 never heard of this audacious, boundary-breaking climb.

Who were these women? And had enough accounts survived to tell the tale? In my research, it became clear that not only was this Denali climb the first all-women鈥檚 summit of any of the world鈥檚 high peaks鈥攊t was an improbable tale of survival. And yet it had escaped widespread notice and thus disappeared from our collective consciousness.

鈥淗istoric firsts are important as they set the bar for what is possible,鈥� the NPS post read. 鈥淭he stories of these firsts sometimes become common knowledge in certain communities, or grow into legend, while some feats fade as time passes.鈥�

I considered it past time this historic first, and the people who were part of it, received their due.

Climbing: Why is this an important story to tell right now?

Randall: Female figures in mainstream adventure and exploration literature, in the vein of Touching the Void and Into Thin Air, are shockingly slim. There remains a void of strong and complex women in the canon: stories of female mettle, bravery, curiosity, and impact鈥攐n how we see the world, what we know of the world, and what we are capable of in it. These six are some of those women that history unjustly forgot, though they deserved a lasting place in the annals of adventure. There are no doubt many more stories like theirs, perhaps waiting for the one that opens the floodgates to all the rest.

Also, we鈥檙e still in an era where women sometimes aren鈥檛 allowed to be complex. Too often, we鈥檙e only meant to play the roles we鈥檝e been historically assigned: lone heroine, damsel in distress, princess, witch. We鈥檙e supposed to be likable, or villainized for being unlikable. Far from a fairy tale exploit with clear-cut saints and sinners, Thirty Below explores the complicated dynamics of real and complex individuals on their own arcs of development: the stakes each were facing, what emotional weight they were carrying up the mountain, the pressures they were under.

And regardless of the timeliness of gender equality鈥攊t鈥檚 just a damn good story, one that reminds us that it鈥檚 possible to do the things that everyone else believes are impossible.

Climbing: What鈥檚 your own experience on Denali or in the mountains?

Randall: I鈥檓 not an alpinist. For Thirty Below, I didn鈥檛 climb Denali. I already know from other mountain climbing that my body doesn鈥檛 do well at altitude. But I am a backcountry skier who dabbles in ski mountaineering, so I understand the call of the mountains. I鈥檝e been on multi-day expeditions with a small team of people, and I鈥檝e been in wilderness situations where I thought I might die, including in Alaska鈥檚 Brooks Range. I spent several days at the end of the road at Wonder Lake in Denali鈥檚 shadow, flew around it in a bush plane, hung out in Talkeetna with famed bush pilot Don Sheldon鈥檚 daughter Holly, and, obviously, spoke with and spent time with so many people who climbed the mountain in that era.

I have imposter syndrome around not being a true mountaineer myself. But then I think it allows me to hit the sweet spot between carrying the same kind of awe that average people do when they think of accomplishments like this, and the almost blas茅 attitude that those of us who are steeped in these pursuits tend to inevitably adopt.

Climbing: What surprised you about women climbers when researching and writing this story?

Randall: It鈥檚 wild to me that still in 1970, people truly thought women were incapable of climbing mountains without men鈥檚 help. The outrageous things women had to deal with in trying to break into the climbing world are appalling. I wrote about some of those incidents in Thirty Below to illustrate what an audacious idea this Denali ascent was at the time. And stories about the few women who had broken into mountaineering weren鈥檛 widely told, so even women immersed in that world, like Grace and Arlene, knew of few role models who鈥檇 come before them.

Climbing: Is there one unforgettable quote that you found from your research?

Randall: There are some great ones from the insults these women faced leading up to the climb, including 鈥渘o way dames could ever make it up that bitch,鈥� they had 鈥渋llusions and grandeur鈥� and 鈥渓ight experience,鈥� 鈥渨omen climbers either aren鈥檛 good climbers or they aren鈥檛 real women,鈥� and 鈥渨omen should be able to climb McKinley more readily than men鈥攁fter all, they have all that extra insulation.鈥�

Thirty Below Excerpt

Below is an excerpt from Chapter Two of Thirty Below, courtesy of Abrams Press.

In 1967, Alaskan mountaineer and doctor Grace Hoeman was the only woman on an Alaskan expedition to summit Denali. By this time, we were racing to send men to the moon, and women still hadn鈥檛 stood on the highest points on Earth. Popular belief held that they were incapable of withstanding high altitudes, savage elements, and carrying heavy loads without men鈥檚 help. On that expedition, the team leader turned Grace back midway up the mountain claiming he suspected she was suffering from altitude sickness鈥攅ven though a nightmare storm had broken over the summit, several mountaineers from another party above had disappeared in it, and a doctor might be critically needed for those men. That incident, along with the one below to recover the bodies of the climbers who ended up dying in that storm, would help spur Grace to develop a bold idea: to lead the first all-women鈥檚 team up the great mountain.

That fateful summer of 1967, Grace鈥檚 husband Vin returned to civilization from Mount Logan on July 31 to news of the tragedy on Denali鈥攁ll seven climbers at the top dead in a savage storm鈥攁nd the relief that his wife was not among them. She was safe. But the mysteries left as to the decisions that led to those men鈥檚 deaths spurred Vin, a member of the Alaska Rescue Group, to organize a climb to the summit to learn what he could, and try to identify and bury the bodies. He pulled together a six-person expedition that included Grace, who was again the only woman. It was a humanitarian expedition. It was also Grace鈥檚 second chance at Denali.听

On August 19, after climbers and supplies had been organized and a weather window opened up, Alaskan bush pilot Don Sheldon flew the team straight into the Kahiltna Glacier at 9,800 feet to start climbing鈥攏early three thousand feet above the usual base camp elevation. The group climbed to Windy Corner at over thirteen thousand feet the following day.听

Grace again felt sick. Her pack was too heavy, she thought. She popped medications to sleep. She went back down to base camp with Vin and another teammate for a gear carry. Vin encouraged her to climb Mount Capps with them as a side trip, a 10,790-foot peak at the head of the Kahiltna Glacier. She did. And then was too weak to accompany the men back up to Windy Corner. In a nightmarish repetition of her ill-fated expedition the month before, the men refused to wait for her to recover enough to continue. Although there was no urgency this time鈥攖he men at the summit had already perished鈥擵in left her in a leaky tent on the glacier at the base camp, alone, with only the wind and heavy snow for company.

鈥淚鈥檒l have to tell the world again of my failure,鈥� she wrote in her journal, shivering in the bleak tent. 鈥淚t would have meant the world to me to go up that mountain again and DO it. And my husband knew it鈥he park will never give me permission to climb again.鈥�

Sheldon flew in the next day to the base camp to collect Grace and the boxes left there for a higher supply drop. As the plane circled above, Grace noted that the team hadn鈥檛, in fact, made much progress without her. She dropped the boxes from the sky for them, and then was flown back to Anchorage, to be alone in her home once more.

So much new snow had fallen over the last month that Vin鈥檚 team could not locate any trace of the men who鈥檇 died. It remains the worst disaster ever to occur on Denali. In the months and years following, the Wilcox expedition would be would be excoriated for its choices, personal dynamics, and infighting as possible contributors to the tragedy, and rescuers and the park service would re-evaluate everything they knew about rescue on the mountain.听

The incident also no doubt caused many outside the climbing community to question: why would anyone climb mountains at all? Why, through the ache of cold and hunger and exhaustion, when avalanches and storms and falls claim companions and lovers, wreak injury on bodies and sometimes minds from the trauma of disasters like the one Grace lived through, when chances of even making it to the top are slim鈥攚hy leave the comfort of home to risk all that? Why risk their lives at the hands of such a great and powerful wild?

Some would say it鈥檚 because, at its simplest, it鈥檚 in our genes. More specifically, it鈥檚 in one particular variant of a dopamine receptor gene, called DRD4-7R, carried by an estimated twenty percent of all humans. Studies have isolated 7R as the driver behind what makes people more likely to take risks, seek novelty like exploring new places and experiences, and pursue adventure. But if you ask those devoted to mountains鈥攆rom rock climbers to backcountry skiers to mountaineers鈥攎any will tell you it鈥檚 more ephemeral, more foundational, more beatific than some biological mechanism. That it鈥檚 not science.听

It鈥檚 magic.

Some climb mountains to test themselves, to prove their strength and skill鈥攖o themselves or others. Some, in attempting more dangerous routes, are after the quicksilver rush of adrenaline. With the lungs rinsed with the high clear air and burning with the work of movement, the blood brims with endorphins. Perhaps there鈥檚 a kind of addiction involved in going back, over and over, for the high, the rush, the rapture.听

Some will say it鈥檚 bigger than that. That the feeling of true awe that mountains provide transcends the self, so that even our perception of time changes and we feel part of something bigger. Absent the distractions of cities and obligations, ringing phones and jobs, when life is pared down to the simplicity of waking, sustaining oneself, and moving forward and upward, the human-made veil between us and the natural world begins, magnificently, to dissolve.听

Some scale mountains because there鈥檚 a kind of meditation in moving鈥攁nd in the presence of risk. The proximity to the thin line between life and death at the hands of the volatile elements of this Earth demands an ultimate presence: the kind of presence that some meditate for hours and lifetimes to achieve. Walking that teetering edge of mortality鈥攚here our own decisions and will and capability determine our fate鈥攊s where we feel the most alive. And at the end of it all, riding the tail of the experience before inevitable re-entry into the 鈥渞eal鈥� world, is the closest we come to grace.听

Once we鈥檝e had a taste of it, we often make sacrifices to return to the mountains. What others might see as a kind of madness, true believers see as a quest for an elusive peace in the devotion to the vertical wall, the towering mountain, to the terrible, beautiful wild.

On clear days from Anchorage, Denali is visible towering impossibly above the horizon: a regular reminder to Grace of her failure, at the same time it was a constant reminder of the mountain鈥檚 spectacular presence. Of a summit that, after everything, still beckoned from its impossible heights.

The post The Untold Story of the First All-Women Team Who Summited Denali 55 Years Ago appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On Monday, January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump to rename Alaska鈥檚 20,310-foot Denali, the highest peak in North America. The mountain鈥檚 name will revert to Mount McKinley, named for William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was assassinated on September 14, 1901.

The decree undoes the work of former President Barack Obama, who, in 2015 officially changed the name from Mount McKinley to Denali, the peak鈥檚 traditional name from the Koyukon Athabascan language, which is spoken by Alaska’s Native inhabitants. Denali translates as 鈥渢he high one鈥� or 鈥渢he great one.鈥�

The name change will take effect within 30 days. The name of Denali National Park and Preserve, where the mountain sits, will not change.

Policy wonks (and ) know that there has been infighting in Congress about the name of North America鈥檚 highest peak since at least 1975. That was the first year the state of Alaska petitioned to use the local name Denali instead of McKinley. Lawmakers from Ohio, McKinley鈥檚 home state, pushed back.

But how do the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on the mountain feel about Denali鈥檚 name change? We asked some of Denali鈥檚, er McKinley鈥檚, most prominent athletes, guides, and rangers.

Why Alaskans Prefer the Name Denali

The guides and mountaineers who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 for this story expressed dismay at the name change.

鈥淚t鈥檚 worth mentioning that the President suggested doing this about six years ago,鈥� says Mark Westman, an Alaska resident and former ranger on the mountain. 鈥淎nd he was told by Alaska’s two senators鈥攂oth of whom are Republicans and both who are still the current senators鈥攏ot to do that.鈥�

Indeed, on Monday, January 21, Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, : 鈥淥ur nation鈥檚 tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial.鈥�

Guides and climbers echoed Murkowski鈥檚 sentiment鈥攖he importance of the name Denali lies in its connection to Alaska鈥檚 precolonial听history, they said.

鈥淭he name Denali reflects a local cultural heritage here that predates the United States,鈥� Westman says. 鈥淭he name McKinley was an arbitrary name given for someone who had never even set foot here. He was from Ohio.鈥�

Conrad Anker, who began climbing in the Alaska Range in 1987, said he was overjoyed when the peak鈥檚 Indigenous name was officially restored in 2015. Changing the name back, he said, makes no sense to outdoor enthusiasts, local Alaskans, or the region鈥檚 Indigenous population.

鈥淚t was fitting to honor the people of Alaska with the rightful name,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 worth noting that the vast majority of peaks in the Himalayas have local names.”

Guide Melissa Arnot Reid, the first American woman to ascend and descend Everest without supplemental oxygen, said that precolonial names such as Denali enhance a visitor鈥檚 connection to a place. That鈥檚 why she encourages her climbing clients to refer to peaks and regions by traditional names.

鈥淒iscovering what the local people call a place, and why, enhances our connection to that place,鈥� she says.

Does Anyone Even Use the Name Mount McKinley?

Even before the 2015 name change, climbers and guides frequently used the peak’s Native name, guides told us. Westman, who first came to the peak in 1994, said that while the names were used interchangeably by locals back then, the preference was to call it Denali.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been a difference in the name Denali for, well, forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ative Alaskans were calling it Denali for thousands of years before anybody else came here. In the climbing community, it鈥檚 almost universal鈥擨 almost never hear anybody call it McKinley.鈥�

In the days following the announcement, many Alaskan residents appear to agree. On Tuesday, January 21, the group asked 1,816 adults in Alaska about the proposed name change. The survey found that 54 percent opposed it, while just 26 percent supported the change.

Ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers, the first person to hike and then ski the Seven Summits, pointed out that even Alaska鈥檚 political leaders have used the name Denali publicly for decades. 鈥淲ith Denali, the traditional name has been the choice not only of Alaskan Native people, but also of the entire state including its political leadership since at least 1975,鈥� she says.

Dave Hahn of RMI Mountain Guides, who has ascended the peak 25 times, said that the mountain is 鈥渂ig enough to handle however many names you want to throw at it.鈥�

But he stressed that Denali felt like it was always the appropriate title within the climbing community. 鈥淚 never felt that McKinley was wrong鈥攊t honored a president that was assassinated while in office,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I think that Denali is truer to where the mountain is, and who the people around the mountain are, recognizing that it鈥檚 an Alaskan mountain and not a Washington D.C. mountain.鈥�

Most People Will Still Say Denali

The sources who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 for this story agreed on one thing: they will continue to call the peak by its Native name going forward.

鈥淚 intend to continue to refer to the great mountain as Denali for as long as I鈥檓 alive, and I encourage every other climber to do the same,鈥� wrote author听Jon Krakauer听in an email. 鈥淭rump might be able to officially rename it, but he will never be able to force me to call it anything except Denali.鈥�

Ultrarunner Jack Kuenzle, who in 2023 set the fastest known time for ascending the peak, echoed the sentiment.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine anybody will be actually utilizing McKinley,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never heard it called that.鈥�

Keith Sidle, who teaches mountaineering courses with the Alaska Mountaineering School, said the only thing he expects to see change is how the mountain is named on maps and signs. Sidle said his climbing buddies are already saying online that they will continue to use the Native name.

鈥淚t鈥檚 changing a name on a piece of paper, it鈥檚 not changing the mountain,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o the people that it really matters to, it鈥檚 not changing anything.鈥�

The post Trump Just Renamed North America鈥檚 Highest Peak. These Climbers Will Still Call It 鈥淒enali.鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails don鈥檛 always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike, and on my adventures to all 63 U.S. national parks, I discovered that you don鈥檛 always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So I鈥檝e compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Trail name:

Distance: 2.1 miles

I鈥檝e raved about the Bar Island Trail for 国产吃瓜黑料 before, naming it one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in the country. I still maintain that this gravel strip north of downtown Bar Harbor is one Acadia鈥檚 most unique hikes, because it鈥檚 an utterly accessible stroll that鈥檚 technically off-trail. Grab a , because the pathway trail is only water-free for 90 minutes before and after low tide, and say goodbye to those storybook cottages in favor of Bar Island鈥檚 rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: 听1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bend鈥檚 Santa Elena Canyon in 2020, I rushed to get there just as the sun was setting, so I could watch that big fireball in the sky paint the limestone walls of the canyon in hushed, warm hues. But take your time driving the 30-mile to the trailhead, too. It鈥檚 home to the aptly named Mule Ears rock formations, as well as impressive Chihuahuan Desert vistas.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails I鈥檝e hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah, this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. Start from Grand View Point Overlook and, if you鈥檙e not afraid of heights and cliff edges, meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail, with views stretching into a maw of the earth, where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name:

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldn鈥檛 create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor center鈥檚 elevator, which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth, or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level). Then get ready to marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

July is my favorite month to summit 7,881-foot Watchman Peak, when the high-elevation wildflowers鈥攑urple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtongues鈥攁re in full bloom. Not only will you glean better views of Wizard Island as you climb, but from the top, you can check out a .

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Trail name:

Distance: 2 miles

There aren鈥檛 many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if you鈥檙e on one of the park鈥檚 famous hop-on, hop-off green transit buses that run between the entrance and the deep interior. In summer, enjoy the verdant tundra and views of the Alaska Range鈥檚 foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if you鈥檙e hiking in Denali鈥搕his trail was closed to hikers when I visited in 2020, due to a surly mama bear.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular in Glacier鈥搃t鈥檚 shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfalls鈥攖he scene is like one from middle-earth. You can extend your trip into a six-mile journey if you stroll along the shoreline to escape the throngs at the turnaround point. Pro tip: if you plan to picnic at the lake, be sure to hide your food from crafty marmots out for a free lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to

Distance: 1.8 miles

When I first laid eyes on Ooh Aah Point, I chuckled鈥攈ere was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that I鈥檇 ever seen inside a national park. From this drop-dead gorgeous spot, located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead, you鈥檒l be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Trail name: (also known as String Lake Loop)

Distance: 3.6 miles

For easy hikes in Grand Teton, I鈥檇 stay near the park鈥檚 shimmering , which boast impressive views of the immense, pointed mountains and but are home to trails that are relatively flat. This particular loop circumnavigates String Lake, with scene-stealing vistas of Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John along the way. Bring your SUP along and ply the lake鈥檚 cool waters after your jaunt.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

When I hiked this path with my partner in late May 2020, we ended up breaking trail in thigh-deep snow, but from June through September, this is an easy trek to many of the oldest trees on earth. Meditate among these gnarled beauties in the shadow of Wheeler Peak鈥攖he state鈥檚 second highest, at 13,065 feet鈥攁nd its myriad boulders. Want a longer variation? Continue along the same path to the Wheeler Peak Glacier for a 4.4-mile trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Trail name:

Distance: 2.6 miles

Beat the heat in America鈥檚 most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. You鈥檒l likely spot salamanders near the cool creek as you stroll through an old-growth hemlock forest and end up at the 25-foot-high Grotto Falls. Dip your feet into the refreshing water before turning back the way you came.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island

Trail name:

Distance: 2.9 miles

It鈥檚 rare to walk through a tropical rainforest, check out hissing steam vents, and witness an active volcano all in a single trail, but Hawaii Volcanoes is not your average national park. For the best experience, park near the visitor center, hike this well-maintained path at sunset, and try to spot the otherworldly pink glow of lava from the as it gets dark.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Trail name:

Distance: 4.3 miles

If you鈥檝e only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main island鈥檚 eastern edge, the trail travels in and out of boreal forest and across dark gray volcanic rocks until it reaches Scoville Point, with its sweeping views of Lake Superior. When you鈥檝e had enough of feeling like you鈥檙e standing at the edge of the known world, return via the north side of the peninsula for even better forest bathing.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Trail name: Brooks Falls Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles

Yes, getting to Katmai is a long adventure that involves a floatplane from Anchorage. I鈥檝e had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, it鈥檚 a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means it鈥檚 one of the best places in the state to watch hungry grizzly bears fattening themselves up on the spawning fish. Stow your food at , then cross the Brooks River on an elevated boardwalk trail. Once you reach the falls, have that camera ready to snap photo after photo of the ornery beasts feeding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features, but don鈥檛 want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell, apart from having an amazing name, is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. After stretching your legs on the trail, take a dip in Lake Helen, just across Lassen National Park Highway, and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Trail name:

Distance: 4.7 miles

The Paradise area is my favorite section of this gorgeous park, and while I trekked along this moderate hike, I saw a huge, fluffy mountain goat and had terrific views of Rainier鈥檚 serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because it鈥檚 perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If you鈥檇 prefer an ever mellower day out, you can turn this trek into a simple stroll via the Golden Gate Trail.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Trail name:

Distance: 3.2 miles

Though New River Gorge is perhaps best known for its rock climbing and whitewater rafting, I thoroughly enjoyed hiking its many forested trails when I visited in 2021. This out-and-back to Long Point meanders through a forest of spruce and hemlock before popping you out onto a rocky ledge with one of the best New River Bridge photo ops in the park.

Redwood National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

You鈥檒l need to to hike this lollipop loop, which meanders through some of the tallest trees on the planet, but any hassle is well worth it. Drive down a washboard road just east of Orick for roughly 6 miles and park in the designated dirt lot before descending 700 feet to the Tall Trees Grove, keeping your eyes peeled for epic oyster mushrooms and sword ferns along the way. I鈥檇 plan on spending at least an hour quietly perusing these ancient redwoods. This is forest bathing at its finest.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Technically, the Ute Trail is an eight-mile round-trip hike, but the best thing about one-way hikes is that you can make them as short as your heart desires. Beginning at the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at a lofty 11,796 feet, this trail winds along moderately graded tundra slopes and offers awesome views of the Never Summer Mountain Range. Hike it in the morning to avoid the dangerous afternoon lightning storms鈥攎y partner and I once had to jam to find shelter on a too thrilling post-lunch trek.

Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

If you鈥檙e in Sequoia and planning on visiting the , which is the largest by volume on earth), I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop, it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. Best of all? A few hundred feet past General Sherman, you鈥檒l escape the lion鈥檚 share of the crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Trail name:

Distance: 2.7 miles

Though this trail starts from an unassuming trailhead, right behind the park鈥檚 Cruz Bay Visitor Center, it quickly redeems itself with incredible views of aquamarine water, following a brief climb to 160-foot-high Lind Point. From there, you鈥檒l curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beach鈥攂ut none of the crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

After taking obligatory pictures of the and its roaring waterfall, I made a random left turn onto an uncrowded trail and quickly uncovered one of my favorite hikes in the National Park System. This trip out to Point Sublime showcases the churning Yellowstone River, hundreds of feet below, while following a forested edge of the canyon whose crimson-and-marigold-colored slopes plunge toward the current for the entirety of the hike.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 1.5 miles

This is the trail that most people think of when they picture Yellowstone鈥檚 most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, it鈥檚 pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the world鈥檚 largest assortments of hydrothermal features on this flat, wheelchair-accessible loop. Be sure to download the app, which offers info on the predicted eruption times. My personal favorite geyser is Castle, which gushes up to 75 feet high and for as long as 20 minutes.

Yosemite National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 4.4 miles

Sure, this trek might not routinely crack the top ten听Yosemite trail listicles, but it鈥檚 the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. You鈥檒l set off from the iconic Glacier Point viewing area and then enjoy second-to-none panoramas of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and 594-foot-high Nevada Fall for nearly the entirety of the hike. It鈥檚 also an ideal way to remove yourself from the Glacier Point parking-lot crowds and fully immerse yourself in the surrounds.

Zion National Park, Utah

Trail name:

顿颈蝉迟补苍肠别:听1 mile

Move over, Angel鈥檚 Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zion鈥揗ount Carmel Tunnel, on the less traveled eastern side of the park; from there this path climbs 163 feet, past vermillion layer-cake-like hoodoos and scrubby pin帽on pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: you鈥檙e greeted with jaw-dropping views of the craggy Temples and Towers of the Virgin, sandstone monoliths that appear on park postcards. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep.

Emily Pennington is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Her book came out in 2023. This year she鈥檚 tackling loads of short hikes in the Rocky Mountains to get ready for a trip to remote East Greenland.

The post 25 Easy, Scenic National-Park Hikes Under 5 Miles appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

At 10 A.M. on Tuesday, May 28, climbing guides Keith Sidle and Chad Ray stood at 18,400 feet, near a striated rocky outcrop called Zebra Rocks on Denali. The two were leading an expedition of four clients up the famed West Buttress route with the Alaska Mountaineering School, and they marveled at the clear skies and favorable conditions.

“That day was about as good as conditions get on Denali,” Sidle told 国产吃瓜黑料.

Up ahead, the two saw a figure walking towards. The man was Muhammad Illaham “Pak Am” Ishak, 47, one of three members of a climbing team from Malaysia. Sidle quickly noticed that something was wrong with Ishak.

“His right hand was ungloved, with what appeared to be full-thickness frostbite,” Sidle said. “He was carrying a dead SAT phone.”

Ishak asked the two to call rangers and request a helicopter rescue, and he then described a harrowing scene unfolding further up the mountain. His two climbing partners were hunkered just below the summit on a section of the mountain called the Football Field, he said, and both were exhausted, hypothermic, and unable to descend. After a brief conversation, Ishak continued downward. Sidle and Ray got on a radio and communicated the SOS. Then they and their clients continued their ascent, eyes peeled for Ishak鈥檚 two partners.

The interaction marked the beginning of a dramatic stretch on Denali during which rangers and guides attempted to rescue the trapped Malaysian climbers.

A Series of Miscalculations

Every spring, Denali’s West Buttress route attracts hundreds of mountaineers from around the globe. Some are chasing the “Seven Summits” challenge鈥攁scending the highest mountains on each of the continents. Denali is among of the toughest of the seven, due to its vertical rise from base camp and position on the 63rd parallel, just a few degrees shy of the Arctic Circle. Temperatures near the 20,310-foot summit can plunge well below zero, and it鈥檚 often buffeted by extreme winds.

Ishak was climbing Denali alongside Zulkifili “Ajoy” Bin Yusof, 37, and Zainudin “Deeno” Lot, 47. The three were members of Alpine Club Malaysia, a climbing organization based outside of Kuala Lumpur, with a focus on helping its members ascend the Seven Summits, in addition to reaching the North and South Pole, a challenge collectively known as the Explorer鈥檚 Grand Slam. A club spokesperson told 国产吃瓜黑料 that the organization is dedicated to “aspiring climbers in general, but obviously the biggest prize is the Seven Summits.鈥�

After the Denali mission, Lot and Ishak planned to ascend 16,050-foot Mount Vinson in Antarctica to complete the seven. Both Lot and Ishak had been to Denali twice before, once guided and once unguided, but neither had reached the top. Lot told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he has been a mountaineer for 30 years and has coached climbing since 2012, and he believes the group had enough experience for the expedition.

鈥淢y training in Malaysia also climbing many other peaks like the Seven Summits gave me confidence to survive on Denali, he said. 鈥淚 used all my knowledge and experience to stay alive.鈥�

But rangers and guides say the Malaysians made several errors that led to their dire situation. According to Tucker Chenoweth, Denali National Park’s South District ranger, the trio pushed for the summit from a campsite on a ridge at 16,000 feet. Normally, groups stay in high camp at 17,200 feet before climbing to the summit. “It’s uncommon to leave from this camp for a summit push because it makes for a very long, tiring day,” Chenoweth said.

Lot told 国产吃瓜黑料 that his party left their high camp at 5:00 A.M. and reached the summit shortly before midnight on Monday, May 27鈥攁 summit push of 19 hours. Shortly after reaching the top, Bin Yusof became hypothermic, he said, and his two companions attempted to warm him up, hugging the man and wrapping him in emergency blankets. The trio spent nearly an hour on the summit ridge, before Bin Yusof asked the others to call for an evacuation.

NPS received an SOS from the team at 1 A.M. on Tuesday. Two hours later, another SOS message came in: the trio would descend to a section of the mountain called the Football Field鈥攁 relatively flat swathe of glacier at 19,600 feet鈥攁nd await an air rescue.

At noon on Tuesday, the Alaska Air National Guard flew a HC-130 airplane over the area, and spotters saw two figures in the snow.

A Bad Scene at 19,000 Feet

Sidle and Ray found the two stricken climbers on Pig Hill, a steep incline just below the summit, at 1:30 P.M. The scene looked grim: Lot was laying face down on his pack, with his head pointed uphill. He wasn’t moving. “A rope was attached to him extending for about 50 feet, ending in a figure-eight,” Sidle said.

Further uphill was Bin Yusof, who was standing, but appeared to be in worse shape. Bin Yusof was disoriented and acting erratically. Sidle believes he was suffering from high-altitude cerebral edema鈥攂rain swelling due to lack of oxygen鈥攚hich can be fatal. “He was stumbling around, and his hands were very frostbitten,” Sidle said. “He was just in his liner gloves with his mittens dangling from his wrists.鈥�

As the party approached, Lot sat up and was coherent, rattling off basic information on request: the date, his name, nationality, and location on the mountain.听Sidle and Ray carried several doses of the corticosteroid dexamethasone, and they administered the drug to both men鈥攊t is a common treatment for altitude sickness. They radioed rangers down the mountain, and then placed the two Malaysians in a two-man bivouac sack. They gave them hot water and food.

Ray and Sidle, who have 15 years of collective guiding experience, believed that the men were incapable of descending under their own power. The downward climb from Denali includes a sheer and icy slope called “the Autobahn,” where fatal falls are common.

“Trying to move non-ambulatory patients in semi-technical terrain when you have clients, at that elevation, it鈥檚 not really an option,” Sidle said.

Lot told听国产吃瓜黑料 that Ray and Sidle did everything within their power to help him and Bin Yusof. 鈥淎bove 5,000 meters [16,404ft], you鈥檙e on your own,鈥� he said

After staying with the Malaysian climbers for approximately an hour, Sidle and Ray knew they had to move. One client was suffering from the altitude鈥擲idle took the climber and another in their party back down. Ray proceeded to the summit with the others. They stopped with the Malaysians again on their way down, giving the men a puffy parka.

As Ray departed around 5:00 P.M. another party approached. Matt Park of Mountain Trip Guides, one of two guides helping a solo climber, stopped with the Malaysians to care for them. Down below, rangers attempted to get a helicopter into the air. But as evening grew late and temperatures began to drop, Park knew that he was also going to have to leave them. He dug a snow trench to provide them with shelter from the wind, and then climbed back down to the high camp.

鈥淗e said, 鈥榊ou wait here, tomorrow morning the rescue will come and fetch you guys,” Lot said. “Take care and hold on until then.鈥欌��

Three Days of Wind

Conditions on the top of the peak were ideal on Tuesday, May 28, but further down, a dense layer of clouds kept helicopters from punching through to higher elevations. Chenoweth said NPS rangers launched multiple attempts to fly above high camp that afternoon, but failed each time. “The upper mountain was in good shape,” Chenoweth said. “But everything below was socked in with a solid cloud ceiling.鈥� Eventually, the rescue helicopter flew off the mountain to evacuate two frostbitten climbers鈥攎embers of a different party鈥攆rom Camp IV at 14,200 feet.

On Wednesday, rescuers awoke to dense clouds and violent winds鈥攃onditions that again grounded helicopters. Attempts to contact the Malaysians failed until 10 P.M. that night, when five messages came to rangers in rapid succession. The communications said both men were fighting for their lives, and their inReach battery was nearly dead.

Another day of foul weather grounded flights, but late on Thursday night, a helicopter was able to fly to the Football Field at 10:30 P.M. It was too windy to stage a rescue, but the crew dropped a duffel bag of gear and provisions 100 yards from the trench Park had dug. The pilot saw a lone person鈥攍ater identified as Lot鈥攚aving.

Finally, after three days attempting to reach them, a rescue helicopter was able to fly to the Football Field at 7 A.M. on Friday, May 31. Rangers plucked Lot from the mountain with a short-haul rope. But by then Bin Yusof was dead. Rangers believe he succumbed to the elements on Wednesday, May 29. Officials have yet to reveal his cause of death, but officials told 国产吃瓜黑料 that it was likely a combination of high-altitude cerebral edema and hypothermia.

鈥淚 used all my knowledge and experiences for the past 30 years to survive,鈥� Lot said. 鈥淏ut to be honest, if the rescue did not come on Friday, I would have followed Bin Yusof into death.鈥�

Lessons to Be Learned

Lot and Ishak were both treated for frostbite and released from a hospital in Anchorage. When 国产吃瓜黑料 spoke with Lot on Tuesday, June 11, he was still in the United States, preparing Bin Yusof鈥檚 body for transport home.

Sidle told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he helped Lot from the helicopter on Friday morning after his rescue, and that Lot replayed scenes from the ordeal and answered questions with ease.

鈥淭he fact that he survived at 19,600 feet for four nights and was still all there, coherent, that鈥檚 pretty incredible,鈥� Sidle said.

Lot said he was still proud of his team’s achievement on the peak.

鈥淲e are the first team from Malaysia to do a self-guided climb on Denali,鈥� he said. 鈥淒oing this remarkable adventure, we can proudly say Malaysia also has potential climbers that can stand tall with other world class mountaineers.

He still plans to take on Mount Vinson to complete his Seven Summits, and believes that his ordeal on Denali should count toward his goal. 鈥淚 consider staying for five days and four nights up there as replacement for my descent,鈥� he said.

In the wake of the incident, both rangers and guides believe there are lessons climbers can learn from the rescue. Sidle said the gear the Malaysians had was below standards for the extreme environment. Their pants and jackets were pockmarked with duct tape to fix tears. Their boots, he said, were “totally fubar,” with one sole delaminating entirely when the guides removed their crampons to bundle them into the bivy sack. One climber had a pair of crampons with a homemade toe-bail. “They didn’t have any contingency gear between them either, like a sleeping bag or bivy sack,” Sidle said.

The Malaysians were climbing without a guide, which would have earned them an accolade in the Malaysian Book of Records. This was a key motivation for the team, Alpine Club Malaysia鈥檚 spokesperson said. But guides often push climbers to adhere to strict timetables on ascents, to limit their exposure to extreme altitude and cold.

Lot acknowledged the team’s mistakes, but also attributed the tragedy to elements beyond his control鈥攍uck and weather. 鈥淎s a Muslim, I believe in God,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing can change His plans for us.鈥�

On Denali, small miscalculations can quickly add up to a disaster, Sidle said. “Whether you woke up a little later, you moved a little slower, the weather was a little worse, your equipment wasn鈥檛 as good as you thought. You can almost never trace an accident to a one-off mistake,” he said.

Chenoweth said the tragedy and rescue is another reminder of the dangers on Denali. Rescues on the peak place the lives of others in danger, and climbers hoping to reach the summit should not be driven by that singular goal. Getting up and down safely is more important. 鈥淐limbing a mountain like Denali, you鈥檙e spending 15 to 22 days in this amazing, remote wilderness,鈥� Chenoweth said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not here for that, and you just want to get to the top, it really shows in your decision-making.鈥�

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One of the first ascents of 20,310-foot Denali in 2024 was completed in truly eccentric style.

When a Belgian climber named Jelle Veyt reached the summit on May 12, he completed a human-powered trek that had begun 18 months earlier. Veyt left his home in Belgium during the first week of October, 2022, and rode his bicycle to coastal France, where he then boarded a sailboat and crossed the Atlantic to the East Coast of the United States. After reaching port, Veyt then biked to Alaska, where he traded his bicycle for skis and began schlussing across the frozen countryside to North America’s highest peak.

If you thought that was tough, Veyt faced even greater obstacles on the mountain. Since he and his climbing partner, countryman Julien Roels, arrived early in the season, they had to break trail on the West Buttress route.

“If you follow the steps from another team, or see tents in a camp you know where to go,” Veyt told 国产吃瓜黑料. “We had to find out where to go, navigate around crevasses, and find a good spot to camp鈥攁 very nice adventure.”

Veyt, 38, climbed Denali as part of a decade-plus attempt to link the tallest mountains on all seven continents entirely under human power. He started the expedition in 2013, and has already ascended five of the peaks: Russia’s Mount Elbrus, Mount Everest, Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, Kilimanjaro, and now Denali.

Veyt is not completing the expedition simultaneously鈥攈e is taking breaks to work his day job as a climbing guide and to be with his family. Instead, he’s completing the massive journey in different legs, with trips back to Belgium scheduled during each one. He is Since launching the massive expedition, he has covered more than 40,000 total miles.

Veyt told听国产吃瓜黑料 that the idea stemmed from his passion for outdoor adventure and his lack of resources. In his early twenties he was a penniless adventurer looking to save cash between his expeditions.

“Twelve years ago I was already cycling to different mountains in Europe,” he said. “My lack of money and my desire to have adventures drove me to use human-powered transport, that way I could do a longer trip with less budget.”

He landed a job in Nepal and decided to ride his bike there from Belgium. During the trip he made a detour to climb 18,510-foot Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. Along the route, he formed the idea for a grand adventure linking all of the peaks. “I met someone who climbed the seven summits,” he said. “It made me think that I could climb them too, but going there by bike.”

He’s had to navigate a litany of hurdles and headaches over the last decade. Veyt attempted Everest in 2014 but the deadly avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall kept him from the summit; a year later he was in Base Camp during the tragic earthquake that killed 18 people. Veyt finally summited Everest in 2016.

Veyt also had to adjust his plans for Denali, not once but twice. Originally he planned to ride his bicycle across Siberia and then cross the Bering Sea into Alaska. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 prevented him from entering the country. His backup voyage involved biking to Portugal and then crossing the Atlantic in a rowboat. But seasickness forced him to abandon the trans-Atlantic voyage at the Canary Islands. After retreating once more, Veyt settled on a sailing voyage across the Atlantic.

Sailing forced him to adjust his goal of a completely human-powered voyage, but Veyt says he wants to someday complete the crossing under his own strength. 鈥淚鈥檇 like one day to have linked them all completely human-powered,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 have the time or resources鈥攁fter the Russian invasion鈥攖o come up with a different plan. It鈥檚 still a work in progress, but after 11 years on [this project], I know I have time.鈥�

Ascending Denali was the hardest climb of the expedition鈥攖hus far, anyway. Veyt has climbed with multiple partners during his journey, and Denali marked his first ascent with Roels. His normal climbing partner was injured during Veyt’s biking trek, and Roels was a late addition. “鈥淚 had to find a partner quickly, and with a Facebook message I got in touch with Julien,” he said. “It was a guess, but I couldn鈥檛 have imagined a better partner for the job.”

The two broke trail on the peak and assisted in opening the route to the top. They spent two days on the dangerous Denali Headwall section at 15,000 feet attempting to chip the safety lines out of ice with a sledgehammer. When harsh weather blew in, they two retreated to Base Camp to wait for calmer conditions. When the returned to higher elevations, the two helped Denali rangers complete the route above the highest camp at 17,000 feet. “We were still a bit nervous about the conditions on the upper mountain and it was still hard from time to time,” he said. “We were happy and proud that the rangers acknowledged our work on the mountain鈥攖hey wrote us some kind words in their blog and gave us a Denali Pro Badge.”

Veyt has two summits remaining on his trek: Argentina’s 22,840-foot Aconcagua, and then the 16,050-foot Vinson Massif in Antarctica. He will fly to Panama鈥攕ite of a previous leg of his journey鈥攁nd begin biking to South America. After completing Aconcagua and cycling to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, Veyt will either sail or row to Antarctica.

But those legs of the journey are still months away.

“First, some rest and recovery,” Veyt said.

The post This Belgian Climber Reached the Top of Denali by Boat, Bike, and Foot appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Here鈥檚 the dream: Quit your job and hit all 64 national parks in one huge multi-month road trip where you live mostly in a van and finally see all of these iconic landscapes for yourself. To call that dream unrealistic is an understatement, at least for me, for a variety of reasons (see 鈥渜uit job,鈥� above), though it鈥檚 been accomplished by an 国产吃瓜黑料 writer.

The closest I鈥檝e ever come was in my 20s, spending a month driving around the Rocky Mountains and American Southwest in my VW Jetta during summer break from graduate school. A decade or so later, I re-created that trip with my wife and our then four-year-old twins. Both experiences were awesome. One of them had more tantrums.

You can plan a great park trip that captures the open-road spirit on a smaller scale. Below, I鈥檝e outlined five itineraries that take in multiple parks, all within a week. I picked a variety of terrain鈥攍onely desert basins, ice-cold swimming holes, perfect hikes, and cultural wonders. There are one or two classic routes.

But mostly, I chose these because they go to parks that don鈥檛 get the massive amount of attention some of their cousins receive. So gas or charge up and go.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway, from Shenandoah to Great Smoky Mountains

Virginia/North Carolina

Distance: 470 miles

Duration: Four-plus days

This trip is in my backyard, so I鈥檓 biased, but it鈥檚 also awesome, because the entire 470-plus-mile route is within a national-park unit. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles along the peaks and valleys of the Southern Appalachian mountain range, connecting two of the country鈥檚 most-visited national parks, Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina/Tennessee and Shenandoah in Virginia.

Driving the entire length of the parkway is slow (speed limit is between 25 and 45 miles per hour) and full of curves in the road, and also overlooks,听 side hikes to swimming holes, and mountain hikes through a lush landscape with elevations that top 6,000 feet. And that鈥檚 just the road between the two great national parks.

Heading south on the parkway, you will find picnic areas, trailheads, and scenic views. Give yourself at least a couple of days to complete the road alone, making sure to hike the three-mile out-and-back in the Peaks of Otter area near Bedford, Virginia, which leads to a panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley and the Allegheny Mountains. When you get to North Carolina, hit Grandfather Mountain State Park, where you can climb the 7.6-mile out-and-back , scrambling along outcroppings and climbing ladders to the summit of the 5,964-foot Callaway Peak.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Shenandoah: Located just 70 miles west of Washington, D.C, Shenandoah National Park is home to 200,000 acres of 4,000-foot peaks, dense hardwood forest, waterfalls, and historic farmland. The most popular hike is also one of the park鈥檚 toughest; is a 9.2-mile loop that requires rock scrambling with some use of your hands to reach Old Rag Mountain, which offers 360-degree views of the park and surrounding farmland. You need a permit to hike the mountain between March 1 and November 30. It鈥檚 only $2, but permits are limited to 800 a day, so get them up to .

If you鈥檙e looking to cool off, hike the , an 8.1-mile loop that gains 3,000 feet while traversing two tight gorges packed with waterfalls and swimming holes. Lower and Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls are the highlights, as Upper Falls drops 86 feet between narrow canyon walls, and Lower Falls has a primo plunge pool.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Great Smoky Mountains: The Smokies comprise a mix of rocky streams stacked with waterfalls and swimming holes, and steep slopes thick with vegetation. It鈥檚 hard to get across just how green this park is. On the northern end, you鈥檒l find Midnight Hole, a deep, cold swimming hole at the base of a small waterfall. The pool is lined with 15-foot boulders, and locals like to jump from them into the deep part. Access is via the easy three-mile out-and-back . If you want to ditch the crowds (GSMNP gets 14 million visitors a year), hike deeper into the park. Ramsey Cascades Trail is an eight-mile round trip through stands of old-growth tulip poplars to the 100-foot Ramsey Cascade, the tallest waterfall inside the park.

A few historic fire lookout towers still stand inside the park, but the most scenic is Mount Cammerer, a circular wooden building perched on a rocky outcropping, nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, offering views of 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks as well as the Pigeon River Gorge. from Big Creek Parking Area, and you will do a piece of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying scenic stretches along Big Creek before climbing to the ridgeline.

Stay: In Shenandoah, Big Meadows is a historic stone-and-chestnut lodge in the middle of the park. Choose from lodge rooms or rustic cabins (from ), and wander the mile to Big Meadow after dark for stargazing. Lodges and campgrounds are spaced all along the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, so it鈥檚 easy to break the journey up into chunks if you鈥檙e not in a hurry. is one of the most popular overnights ($20 per night, reserve six months in advance). The 190-site facility sits next to Julian Price Lake, where you can . has a glamping resort on 182 acres of hardwood forest near the Gatlinburg entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each fully furnished safari-style tent has a private bathroom, and the place features live music, campfires at night, and yoga in the morning, not to mention an on-site restaurant with seasonal dishes and craft beer.

2. Joshua Tree to Death Valley, California

California

Distance: 250 miles

Duration: At least three days

This route will take you to an underappreciated gem.

Is it weird to spend several days in Southern California and not go to the beach? Well, this desert romp is packed with so much wild terrain you won鈥檛 miss the Pacific Ocean. Joshua Tree National Park is 800,000 acres of sandstone boulders, crusty desert floor, and stands of the eponymous trees, while 250 miles north, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48, at 3.5 million acres. Inside are 14,000-foot peaks, expansive craters, dunes, and slot canyons.

Weather is a factor with this itinerary because both parks are in the desert and hot as hell in the middle of summer (temps can reach 120 degrees). So consider this a late-spring or early-fall trip. (If you ever go in summer, do all of your adventures at dawn, take a ton of water, and be back at your place or camp before lunch. Also tell someone exactly where you are going.)

The 250-mile drive is mostly two-lane highway that offers a mix of desolate beauty (you鈥檒l drive between Leghorn Lakes Wilderness and Sheephole Valley Wilderness) and California weirdness (the World鈥檚 Largest Thermometer is on this route). Want more adventure? As you drive between these two standout parks, try a pitstop at Mojave National Preserve, which has the largest grove of Joshua Trees in the world, natural springs, and towering dunes.

You can fly into Las Vegas or Los Angeles. L.A. to Joshua Tree is about 150 miles and not terribly interesting, so let’s just go straight to the park.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Joshua Tree: J-Tree is a bucket-list rock-climbing destination, but the hiking is easily as good, and just being in the place is amazing. The 2.5-mile gives hikers a chance to see and scramble on some of the park’s signature boulders, including Split Rock, a 20-foot-tall formation with a fissure in the middle, and to explore a few small caves. If you want to see a lot of Joshua Trees (who doesn鈥檛?), hike the in Black Rock Canyon, a 6.5-mile lollipop that traverses one of the densest groves of Joshua Trees in the park, or sections of ridgeline trail, with long-range views of the 11,000-foot peaks inside the nearby Sand to Snow National Monument.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Mojave National Preserve: Just 70 miles north of Joshua Tree, Mojave NP offers a convenient diversion on your way to Death Valley. Stretch your legs by hiking the three-mile out-and-back trail into , a 45-square-mile field with mounds of sand that rise 650 feet from the valley floor. The Kelso Dunes actually produce 鈥渂ooming,鈥� which is a deep, rumbling vibration that you can hear and feel from the crest of one. Be aware that hiking in dunes is tough, as the sand shifts below your feet with every step.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Death Valley: You hiked dunes in Mojave, so in Death Valley National Park, let鈥檚 focus on the canyons and peaks. is a six-mile out and back through a slot canyon so narrow that at points you can touch both sides from the middle.

If it鈥檚 your first time to the park, you鈥檙e obligated to visit Badwater Salt Flats, the lowest and hottest point in the U.S. There鈥檚 no designated trail through the flats, so wander at will through the flat, crispy valley, flanked by the Panamint Mountains and Black Mountains.

Stay: The is a historic lodge located inside the park, with five-star accommodations. Consider this an oasis in the desert, complete with a spring-fed swimming pool (from $359 a night). At Joshua Tree, try to reserve a spot at , which has sites tucked between massive boulders. There are no hookups, but RVs are allowed ($25 a night). If you can鈥檛 score an advance reservation there, has first come/first serve sites ($15 a night). Also, is opening a new location outside of Joshua Tree in May, with campsites for van-lifers and private rooms, all of which have access to the property’s gear shop, coffee shop and communal spaces (rooms from $127 a night).

3. White Sands National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park

New Mexico and Texas

Distance: 300 miles

Duration: Four to five days

Want variety? This trip has a trio of national parks that are close geographically, but a world apart in terms of terrain. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is all about the subterranean, protecting 119 caves, the biggest of which are open to exploration. Guadalupe Mountains National Park covers a swath of 8,000-foot peaks in West Texas, and those include eight of the 10 tallest in the entire state. White Sand Dunes National Park is home to a 275-square-mile gypsum dune field that rolls towards the horizon in a series of white tidal waves.

All three parks are within a couple hundred miles of each other, and El Paso serves as an ideal starting point to fly into the area and rent a car. These parks don鈥檛 see the crowds that some of the big-ticket units draw in summer, so there鈥檚 a better chance for quiet and good campsites. The three also have totally different climates. White Sand Dunes is hot (but not like J-Tree or Death Valley), Carlsbad is underground, and Guadalupe is chilly.

Other than a brief period where you skirt around the edge of El Paso, you鈥檙e driving mostly two-lane highways with a real 鈥渕iddle of nowhere鈥� vibe between the parks. Think sand and scrub brush for as far as the eye can see.

国产吃瓜黑料s in White Sand Dunes: is a five-mile loop through the heart of the sand dunes, following red trail markers. You鈥檙e climbing and descending 60-foot dunes the entire time, so pace yourself and expect your legs to be worked at the end. Bring a sled (sold at the visitors鈥� center if you don鈥檛 have your own), as you鈥檙e allowed to slide down the steepest slopes along the route.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Guadalupe Mountains National Park: The signature adventure is hiking the 8,751-foot , with a craggy, treeless summit, the tallest in the state of Texas. The views stretching east over the plains are endless, but to earn them you will climb 3,000 feet in just over four miles. Bring a jacket, as the summit is notoriously windy. But the real treat of Guadalupe Mountains is , a four-mile out-and-back that鈥檚 rocky with mandatory scrambling to traverse a dry river wash. Towards the end, you鈥檒l climb Hiker鈥檚 Staircase, an easy hand-over-hand natural rock ladder out of the wash and into a narrow slot canyon.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Carlsbad Caverns: Start with a self-guided tour of the Big Room, the largest single-cave chamber in the U.S., loaded with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. An elevator could deliver you into the cave, but instead walk the switchbacks down via the Natural Entrance, and feel what it鈥檚 like to go from the surface into the cold, dark underground. The full hike down the Natural Entrance and into the Big Room is 2.5 miles and should take a few hours; without the walk in, the hike is 1.25 miles, with a .6-mile shortcut also possible, and parts of the Big Room are . If you want something spicier, sign up for a ranger-led tour of , which requires descending 60 feet of ladders and ropes to a series of smaller rooms with crazy rock features, like the skinny, tall 鈥淭exas Toothpick鈥� or 鈥渃ave pearls,鈥� which look like clusters of eggs ($20, reservations required).

Where to Stay: Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns are close enough that one campground works as a base camp to explore both. Check out in Guadalupe Mountains, which has 20 tent sites and 13 RV sites you can reserve in advance ($20 a night). A number of hiking trails (including Devil鈥檚 Hall) begin here. The closest campground to White Sands is in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, which has private desert sites ($10 per night). The backcountry campsites in White Sands are closed indefinitely, but nearby Alamogordo has a variety of chain hotels.

4. Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska

Distance: 400 miles

Duration: Five-plus days, but if you鈥檙e flying all the way to Alaska, take your time

Alaska is an awe-inspiring collection of giant mountains, permanent ice fields, and jagged coast, and Denali and Kenai Fjords national parks encapsulate choice slices of that unique topography. Denali National Park covers more than 6 million acres of Alaska鈥檚 interior, including the 20,310-foot Denali, but also the tundra and spruce forest that surround it and attract big-time wildlife like caribou and brown bears. Kenai Fjords National Park couldn鈥檛 be more different; instead of forest and towering peaks, it鈥檚 home to 600,000 acres of glaciers, inlets, bays, and islands. More than half of the park is covered in snow and ice year round, and the majority is accessed by water. While much of Alaska isn鈥檛 conducive to road trips because of a lack of roads, these two parks are less than 400 miles apart and connected by highways.

The two-lane blacktop between the main destinations rolls out like a highlight reel of Alaska, offering views of Denali鈥檚 snow-capped peaks at one point and the Cook Inlet at another. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales, which live and breed in the inlet. Chugach State Park, with its 3,000-foot mountains, is also on the route.

A visitor can fly into Anchorage, halfway between the two parks. You鈥檒l basically have to ditch the car at each destination, as car travel is limited in both parks. There are few roads in Kenai, and the main road through Denali is limited to shuttle traffic to minimize impact on the landscape. But that鈥檚 part of the charm here.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Denali: Denali isn鈥檛 a 鈥渄rive through鈥� park. In fact, private vehicles aren鈥檛 allowed past mile 15 of the scenic Denali Park Road, though bikes get the green light. To ride in, start at the Savage River Visitor Center (mile 15) and bike to Sable Pass between miles 37 and 42, where the final 1,500-foot climb to the pass is rewarded by views that stretch all the way to Denali itself. But Sable Pass is best known for its wildlife. Mostly treeless and full of berry bushes, it attracts brown bears, caribou, and Dall sheep, which often graze in the tundra near the road. From the top of the pass, you can turn around and bike back, or, if you pre-arrange it, hop on the free , which has bike racks. offers rentals (starting at $75 per day).

Or consider a guided rafting trip on the Nenana River, a glacier-fed stream that forms the eastern border of Denali. Book a mild or wild day trip with . The 11-mile canyon run is packed with class IV rapids with names like 鈥淐offee Grinder,鈥� and the full ride, for ages 12 and up, is a brisk two hours. A different short option, the two-hour-long Wilderness Run, is ideal for young families, as it contains mostly class I-II rapids and offers a good chance to see wildlife like moose and caribou. (From $130 a person, May through September).

国产吃瓜黑料s in Kenai: Kenai is a coastal park with most of its goods accessed via boat, but land lovers have options, too. Hike on the edge of the Harding Ice Field, the largest permanent ice field in the U.S., stretching for 700 square miles and feeding Exit Glacier, which forms a half-mile-wide river of ice that melts into Exit Creek. Start at the Exit Glacier Nature Center and hike the 8.2-mile out-and-back , which climbs a total of 3,000 feet through the surrounding forest to gigantic views of the icefield. If you really want to throw yourself into the landscape, book an intro-to-ice climbing trip with , exploring crevasses and climbing pitches of vertical ice with use of rope, crampons, and axes ($249 per person).

For a water-borne adventure, head to Bear Glacier Lagoon, 12 miles south of Seward, where a thin beach separates a glacier-fed lake from the Gulf of Alaska. The lake sits in a deep bowl rising to green ridges, and the water is littered with house-sized icebergs. offers fully outfitted day trips to the lagoon ($550 per person).

Where to Stay: In Denali, book a spot at , which has 32 sites tucked into a spruce forest ($49 a night). Located on mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, it鈥檚 easy to reach with a car (some campgrounds in Denali are only accessible by shuttle bus), but the real prize is access to Savage River and incredible views of Denali via a short gravel-road walk. Reservations are recommended, but not required. In Kenai, has 12 walk-in tent sites, first-come, first-served. They鈥檙e free, but fill up most nights during July and August. The , in the middle of downtown Seward, is a seven-room mid-century-era motel with renovated rooms located just minutes from the edge of Kenai ($190 per night, two night minimum).

5. Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks

Colorado

Distance: 160 miles

Duration: Three days

Rocky Mountain National Park gets most of the love in Colorado, and while it鈥檚 incredible, the Centennial State has other unforgettable national-park units. Mesa Verde National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are nestled into the southwest corner of the state, proximal enough to make for an ideal weekend road trip. Mesa Verde is a cultural treasure, containing more than 5,000 archaeological sites, including the early cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is altogether different, enveloping a nearly 2,500-foot-deep gorge surrounding the Gunnison River. It鈥檚 a deep, dark chasm with sheer vertical walls, rugged hiking and climbing, boating, and world-class trout fishing.

You can fly into Durango to kick the trip off, and Telluride is smack dab in the middle of the route between parks if you want to throw in a visit to a classic mountain town. The , a locals’ favorite and handy but fantastic afternoon outing, offers views of the ski area and entire valley on varied and forested terrain.

The majority of this road trip cruises through San Juan National Forest on a highway with views of some of Colorado鈥檚 tallest and most iconic peaks, including the 14,158-foot Mount Sneffels and 14,023-foot Wilson Peak. You鈥檒l pass right through Telluride, but you can also make a 22-mile roundtrip detour to Ouray to soak in the hot springs.

国产吃瓜黑料s in Mesa Verde: Get your bearings by driving the six-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, which winds along past excavated mesa-top villages, with overlooks to see cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which archaeologists believe could house up to 100 people. There are 30 miles of hiking trails inside the park, so you can see a lot of the area in a day. If you鈥檙e limited on time, hike the 2.4-mile , which will have you squeezing through boulder passages and traversing cliffside singletrack to a large petroglyph panel. To see the cliff dwellings up close, reserve a spot on a ranger-led ($8 per person, reservations possible 14 days in advance). The Balcony House Tour is the most adventurous: you ascend a cliff face into the 700-year-old dwelling via a series of ladders, then worm through a narrow tunnel that connects rooms.

国产吃瓜黑料s in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: The BCOG is a tough canyon to navigate, as there are no bridges connecting the North Rim and South Rim, so it鈥檚 a circuitous two-hour drive between the two sides of the park. The South Rim is the more developed, with a dozen overlooks, a visitors鈥� center, and an 88-site campground. The North Rim is more primitive, with a gravel road providing access to a few developed trails and a handful of overlooks. Both sides are stunning, but I鈥檓 pointing you to the South Rim for its hiking and scrambling routes. If you want to stretch your legs and enjoy the view, stroll the two-mile for shots of the canyon and river below. But you鈥檙e here for the scramble to the bottom of the gorge via the unmarked , which drops 1,960 feet in just one mile (the park allows use of the trail and offers a about it). There鈥檚 a lot of down climbing and loose rock, but at the bottom you鈥檒l have the Gunnison River all to yourself. Bring a fly rod; the Gunnison is a gold-medal trout stream. This is a full-day adventure, and you鈥檒l need a permit (free) to descend into the canyon. Get one at the South Rim Visitor Center.

Where to Stay: Both parks have large campgrounds, if you want to keep it simple and budget friendly. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison鈥檚 is convenient (only a mile from the visitors’ center), but don鈥檛 expect a ton of privacy ($20 a night, reservations recommended). The North Rim has a smaller , with 13 sites separated by pi帽on and juniper trees ($20 a night, first-come, first-served). , in Mesa Verde, is large, with 267 sites within a broad, grassy canyon ($38 a night, reserve in advance).

If you want to spend a night in Telluride, check out , an upscale hostel with private or shared rooms that caters to road trippers (from $40 per night).

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 currently trying to convince his 15-year-old twins to re-create the national parks road trip they undertook a decade ago. It鈥檚 not going well.

For more by this writer:

The 9 Most Fun 国产吃瓜黑料 Lodges in North America

The 9 Best Gateway Towns to U.S. National Parks

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is 鈥�

11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

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Since the shift to remote work that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing percentage of employees are in the position to work and live wherever they want. For some, that has meant relocating to a place with better outdoor access. Hordes of geographically-liberated professionals have made their way to mountain towns听across the country, exacerbating pre-existing issues of housing affordability, cost of living, and overcrowding in popular wilderness areas.

Some towns and counties, on the other hand, found themselves with a dearth of younger adult residents, and are offering incentives to remote workers willing to relocate. Many of these under-the-radar communities have ample trails, mountains, and waterways for active people to explore. In all of these cases, another benefit is the offer of cold hard cash if you move. Who would say no to that?

I selected the states listed below for their outdoor access. And new places are offering incentives all the time. Rochester, New York and the surrounding county, in the state鈥檚 beautiful Finger Lakes region, is definitely on my radar. They recently suspended their popular , which offered remote workers cash to move to the area and an extra bonus to buy a home. But they’re planning on relaunching it sometime this year with revised incentives.

West Virginia

The initiative pays remote workers to move to one of five participating communities, with some extra perks aimed at attracting outdoor enthusiasts in particular. Over 100 people have taken advantage of the program, which started in 2022, and the goal is to bring 1,000 remote workers to the state in the next several years.

The Deal: $10,000 received in your first year, paid in monthly installments, and an additional $2,000 at the end of your second consecutive year. Plus, a one-year outdoor recreation package valued at $2,500 that includes guided outings and free gear rentals.

How to Enter: Interested parties can . Promising applicants鈥攕howing a love of the outdoors and a desire to be a part of new community helps鈥攃ontinue on to an interview.

Why Move: The aptly-named Mountain State is home to some of the best whitewater and rock climbing in the Eastern U.S., and plenty of opportunities for a wide range of outdoor sports. In winter, skiers and snowboarders get in turns on the slopes of . In New River Gorge, the newest national park in the U.S., there鈥檚 camping, hiking, fishing, and whitewater rafting. There鈥檚 even lift-served downhill mountain biking on the Snowshoe resort鈥檚 ski trails. And in August 2023, Governor Justice signed a bill to designate the first new state park in West Virginia in 30 years鈥�. It sits on the northern shore of the state’s largest lake and has hiking and biking trails, climbing access, and climbing education programs as well.

Owensboro, Kentucky

The Bluegrass State isn鈥檛 offering as large of a cash incentive for remote workers to relocate to counties in the eastern part of the state in the Appalachian foothills as others on this list. But some of the small-dollar add-ons are quite charming. Over 1,000 for the program, known as (Shaping Our Appalachian Region), and stipend since it was launched in 2022.

The Deal: A $5,000 cash stipend paid in two installments plus a few other perks, like concert tickets, a health and fitness club membership, free banjo, fiddle, or mandolin lessons with a local instructor, and a year of free donuts and coffee from a local coffee shop. Only remote workers who earn at least $60,000 a year, are U.S. citizens, and are moving to Owensboro or surrounding counties from outside the state are eligible.

How to Apply: There鈥檚 currently a waitlist to apply for the incentive, which you .

Why Move: Owensboro is in Western Kentucky, not quite in the heart of the Bluegrass State鈥檚 best-known outdoor recreation areas. The , a world-famous sport climbing destination, is four hours away鈥攚ithin reach for a weekend trip, if not a quick one-day outing. Closer to home: Mammoth Cave National Park, containing over 400 mapped miles of (kinda spooky caves), plus singletrack mountain biking trails and access to the Green River.

Topeka, Kansas

Unlike some of the other options on this list, the Choose Topeka relocation incentive, which started in 2019, is geared towards incentivizing people to move to the city to accept jobs with local employers.

The Deal: Up to $10,000 for rent in the first year, or up to $15,000 towards buying a house.

How to Enter: The has information about participating employers鈥攐nce you have the job, you can apply through them.

Why Move: Skiers and downhill mountain bikers might not want to live in the middle of the Great Plains, but other outdoor athletes and nature lovers will find plenty to do in and around Kansas鈥� capital city. Several large parks and a lake with boating, fishing, and swimming are within city limits. The state is known for cycling, particularly gravel biking鈥�, the sport鈥檚 premier event, is held in Emporia. And there鈥檚 unique, beautiful nature right in Topeka鈥檚 backyard, like the 40 miles of hiking trails through some of the last remaining old-growth grassland at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Alaska

听is actually more of a universal basic income than a relocation incentive. Oil and mining revenues go into the state-run fund, which distributes an annual sum (usually between $1,000 and $1,500) to all Alaska residents. It鈥檚 a smaller check than the others on this list, but you鈥檒l continue to receive it for as long as you live in the state.

The Deal: The exact dollar amount varies year-to-year. In 2023, Alaskans received $1,312.

How to Enter: After living in Alaska for one year, full-time permanent residents are eligible to .

Why Move: Where to start? Alaska鈥檚 not called the last frontier for nothing鈥攖here鈥檚 over 322 million acres of public lands in the state, full of bucket list destinations and adventures 听for mountaineers, skiers, hikers, hunters, anglers, and kayakers. If it鈥檚 wild and rugged, Alaska鈥檚 probably got it. The tallest mountain in North America? Check. Denali stands at 20,310 feet. Massive glaciers? Sure, right outside of many towns. National parks? Undeveloped wilderness? You bet. The on the continent? That鈥檇 be , an hour from Anchorage with an average snowfall of 669 inches. Absolutely gigantic wildlife? Look no further.

Miyo McGinn is an assistant editor at听国产吃瓜黑料.听She鈥檚 happily living in Bozeman, Montana, but is seriously considering Alaska for her next move鈥攆or the wilderness, of course, but the annual cash payments do sweeten the deal.

The post These States Will Pay You to Move There鈥擲ome Over $10,000 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In my early 20s, I zigzagged across Europe by train. Fresh out of college and pinching pennies on a month-long backpacking trip in Italy and Switzerland, I went by overnight rail, combining the cost of a room with travel to wake up in a new country each morning. It was amazing.

Traveling long distance by train is on the rise again, as adventurers look for an eco-friendly and engaging alternative to flying. In Western Europe, night trains are seeing a post-Covid resurgence, with the new Nightjet network connecting major cities. Here in the United States, Amtrak has purchased 125 new diesel-electric locomotives, most for long-distance use. In the past several years, the company spent $580 million in station upgrades and put $28 million toward upgrading its overnight railcars鈥� seating, lighting, tables, and bedding, as well as reintroducing dining cars after a pandemic-forced hiatus.

Going by train isn鈥檛 about getting somewhere fast, or cheaply either: Amtrak and other operators in the U.S. and Canada can鈥檛 compete with the budget airlines. But train travel is more eco-friendly than flying, especially with the new diesel-electric locomotives. Trains, writes Andres Eskenazi of the , 鈥減ollute much less than airplanes, sometimes by as much as 73 percent, and they are more easily electrified than planes.鈥�

You can customize a train trip with layover days in any stop along the route, to explore an interim park or town. (Arrange the stops upfront when you book.)

Traveling by train听is fun and relaxing; you can read a book, stare out the window, walk around, play cards, or see a film. Just ask Hartwell Carson, who has ridden the rails with his daughter, 13-year-old Evan, multiple times since she was eight.

鈥淚t鈥檚 everything that is great about traveling,鈥� Carson says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e forced to slow down and spend quality time with your companions. My daughter and I read books, drew pictures, and went to the dining car. There is nowhere to go, so you slowly watch the landscape change. It takes you back to a time when the journey was as important as the destination.鈥�

We鈥檙e all about that. So here are six of the most scenic rail journeys in North America, and great things to do along the way, including in our national parks. (Note that costs given are for one-way trips.)

1. The Vermonter

The Route: Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, Vermont
Duration: 611 miles, 13 hours

Want variety? How about a train that travels through nine states, some of the largest cities in the country, lush farming valleys, and rugged mountains? The connects Washington, D.C., with the villages of Vermont right up to the Canadian border, and stops in Philadelphia and New York City along the way. The trip begins among towering skyscrapers, but once you pass New York City, you hit the estuary of Long Island Sound, with its islands and tall seagrass and the occasional lighthouse. Next come the hills and vineyards of the Hudson River Valley. As you reach New England proper, the scenery cedes to a mix of quaint villages (all those steeples), dense hardwood forests, and the lush Green Mountains of Vermont. The final stop is St. Albans, near Lake Champlain and the Canadian border, but you can end your journey anywhere.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Stop at the Waterbury-Stowe station, which is within walking distance of historic downtown Waterbury, a lovely place to stay the night. Stowe, home of the massive ski resort of the same name, is 10 miles away and reachable by bus or bike. Bring your skis in winter or your bike in summer (if a bike is under 50 pounds, with tires under 2鈥�, you can carry it on, but check bigger bikes at $20 per rig). The Stowe Recreation Path is five miles long, connecting various trail systems and more than 50 miles of singletrack from town. Check out the nearby , and opt for the super flowy .

The Fares: This isn鈥檛 an overnight route, so there are no sleeper cars. Choose coach (from $81) or go for business class (from $253), with its increased leg room and free non-alcoholic drinks. Amtrak鈥檚 Caf茅 has breakfast sandwiches, burgers, salads, and snacks. The food is tasty but pricey. Regular travelers may want to bring your own.

2. The Coast Starlight

The Route: Los Angeles to Seattle
Duration: 1377 miles, 35 hours

If Amtrak has a superstar route, it鈥檚 the , which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle along the western edge of the United States, hitting Portland, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. The train runs daily in both directions, with many adventure-prime stops along the way. If you begin in L.A. and travel north, the journey starts among the rocky outcroppings and farms of the San Fernando Valley before hugging the coast with its constant breakers and tall, rocky bluffs. You sleep through Northern California, and the next day gaze out on the dense evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest and views of the Cascade Mountain Range, including鈥攊f you wake up early enough鈥擟alifornia’s Mount Shasta, as seen from Oregon.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Just north of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo is the first stop after the train leaves L.A. (or, if you鈥檙e traveling south, the last stop before L.A.), and an ideal spot for a surf break. (Again, schedule any stops ahead of time). There鈥檚 no shortage of rental shops, but you can check your own surfboard on the Coast Starlight for just $10. Pismo Beach, 13 miles west and accessible from the station by an hourly bus, has one of the most consistent breaks on California鈥檚 Central Coast. The Pismo Beach Pier attracts the most surfers, and hosts a steady clip of contests, but there are several miles of quieter stretches to explore. Pismo鈥檚 sloping beach also means a softer wave鈥攂etter for beginner surfers鈥攖han those at some other California places.

The Fares: You can get coach tickets (from $100) or private sleeper cars (from $674). It’s a one-night trip, so you could save some money by roughing it in a seat just for the night. All passengers may use the observation car, with its glass dome ceiling.

3. The Canadian

The Route: Toronto to Vancouver
Duration: 2,775 miles, four days, four nights

VIA Rail, Canada鈥檚 national rail service, operates a number of incredibly scenic train routes throughout the country (you can take a train to Churchill, the polar-bear capital of the world), but the is the crown jewel, sampling diverse landscapes from Toronto to Vancouver. The first two days of the trip pass through eastern Canada, known as 鈥渢he Great Canadian Shield,鈥� a sparsely populated area loaded with thousands of natural lakes and forests full of spruce and pine. East of Winnipeg, the terrain shifts to vast prairie for a day before hitting the jagged, ice-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies and crossing the Athabasca River amid a dense fir forest. In Jasper National Park, you’ll see the blocky-topped 7,500-foot Roche Miette mountain on the horizon, as well as Mount Yellowhead, Mount Robinson, and Pyramid Falls. Make your way early to one of the glass-dome viewing cars to get a spot.

The train runs twice a week, hitting the towns of Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Jasper. The regularly scheduled stops are short (only a couple of hours at each town), but you can arrange for a multi-day itinerary through VIA Rail.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The town of Kamloops sits in the Thompson River Valley, known for its sandstone canyons, rolling hills, and a vast , comprised of both the largest municipal bike park in North America (the Bike Ranch) and lift-served downhill trails at Harper Mountain, a ski and snowboard resort. The trails are fast, flowy, and technical. Start with the Bike Ranch, which has a mix of downhill trails, a massive jump park, and a few intermediate and beginner lines for good measure.

The Fares: Prices for the full trip start at $514 for economy class, but you鈥檒l be sleeping in a reclining seat and eating from a take-out counter. The Sleeper Plus fare (from $1,387) gets you a private cabin, access to the dining car, and community showers. Splurge for the Prestige class (from $6,261) and you get your own shower as well as a concierge, who changes your bedding and helps you with any requests during the trip.

4. The Denali Star

The Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks
Duration: 356 miles, 12 hours

Alaska Railroad operates a handful of train routes throughout the Last Frontier, but the is the flagship, running daily during the summer (May 9 to September 19), connecting Alaska鈥檚 two biggest cities and hitting Denali National Park along the way. The scenery couldn鈥檛 get more Alaskan: the train crosses the Knik River, which forms a broad valley full of alpine meadows that stretch to the bases of glaciers and the Chugach Mountains, then picks up views of Denali above the Susitna River before dipping into the roadless backcountry, where you look out on the Alaska Range and Healy Canyon. The route stops for 30 minutes at Denali National Park and Talkeetna, but if you really want time to explore around the tallest mountain in the U.S., turn this into a multi-day trip with overnights along the way.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Sure, you might want to climb the 20,310-foot mountain for which Denali National Park is named, but that adventure isn鈥檛 for everyone, especially on a whim during a train trip. Instead, you can hike up 4,400-foot Sugarloaf Mountain. The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail begins behind the Grande Denali Lodge and ascends 2,700 feet in two miles to the above-tree line summit with views of Mount Fellows and Mount Dora, two peaks in the Alaska Range. You could also sign up for a , a full-day adventure led by a park ranger. The location changes daily, but a Discovery Hike day is typically eight to ten hours and includes off-trail trekking.

The Fare: Choose from 国产吃瓜黑料 class (from $215) and Goldstar class (from $432). If you opt for Goldstar, you ride in glass-dome cars and have access to an outdoor viewing platform. The price also includes meals in the dining car and two free cocktails per day.

5. Rocky Mountaineer: Rockies to the Red Rocks

The Route: Denver to Moab
Duration: 375 miles, two days with an overnight in Glenwood Springs

Amtrak isn鈥檛 the only company running trains in the U.S. The Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train service formerly used for scenic routes through the Canadian Rockies, debuted its first U.S.-based trip in 2022. The connects Moab with Denver in a two-day journey along the Colorado River, passing remote, roadless canyons only visible from the train. You see the 25-mile-long Ruby Canyon, winding through towering sandstone cliffs on the Utah-Colorado border, and watch the lights flicker off the rock walls in the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel as the train cuts through the Continental Divide. The trip takes two days, but instead of offering sleeper cars, the Rockies to Red Rocks puts you in a two- to three-star hotel (the specific hotels change) within walking distance of the Glenwood Springs station. On board, you receive a three-course breakfast and lunch each day.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: You鈥檙e staying over in Glenwood Springs, so soak in one of the town鈥檚 developed hot springs; Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has a big lap- and crowd-sized pool kept at 90-93 degrees, and a smaller pool that stays at 104 degrees (day passes start at $32). Iron Mountain Hot Springs has 16 geothermal pools of varying temperatures (passes start at $40). Further, in Moab, Arches National Park is a must. Hike to Landscape Arch, at 306 feet the longest natural arch in the country, on the 7.6-mile . This trail is a gem even among great hikes in our national parks.

The Fares: Prices start at $1599 per person, and include on-board meals and your hotel room in Glenwood.

6. The Empire Builder

Route: Chicago to Seattle
Duration: 2,206 miles, 48 hours

Think two full days on a train is too much? Not when you鈥檙e traveling through eight different states, tracing the U.S./Canadian border, and hitting Glacier National Park. The begins with views of Chicago鈥檚 skyline, and then crosses the Mississippi River, which is surprisingly wide (several hundred feet) even though you鈥檙e close to the headwaters. You鈥檒l see the bright lights of Minneapolis and St. Paul, enter the Great Plains at night, and wake up in North Dakota looking out on pastures of wheat shimmering gold in the sun. Make sure to be in the glass-domed lounge car as you approach Glacier National Park, the train winding along the Flathead River with views of snowfields clinging to the steep granite peaks of the Lewis Ranges. Before the final destination of Seattle, you can detour into Spokane and head south into Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge, where you鈥檒l get views of Mount Hood.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The climax of this trip is Glacier National Park. If you time a spring trip perfectly, you can pedal Going-to-the-Sun Road after it鈥檚 plowed but before it opens to vehicles. offers rental bikes and shuttles to the start of the ride (from $45). Your other best bet is to hike. Check out the 10.6-mile out and back , which passes waterfalls and backcountry lakes before delivering you to the glacier of that name, one of the few in the park you can actually walk across.

The Fares: This train has a number of options. Coach (from $160) will get you a doss in a reclining chair, while First Class fares with private rooms start at $979 and include all meals on board and access to the lounge and communal showers. For $3,405, the First Class Superliner Bedroom Suite includes a full bedroom with its own bathroom. Amtrak also offers a comprehensive, 10-day package deal ($3499 per person) with multiple days in Chicago, Glacier, and Seattle, and activities and lodging planned for you.

Onboard with all of that? Pick your route, plan your stops, and ride the rails to adventure.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He loves the idea of being able to drink a beer, eat snacks, and play poker while traveling from point A to point B.

For more by the same author, see:

The 10 Best Backpacking Trails in Our National Parks

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines鈥攁nd 国产吃瓜黑料 Locales They Go To

The post The 6 Most Adventurous Train Trips in North America appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

At 20,310 feet, Denali is the tallest peak in North America鈥攌nown as 鈥渢he high one鈥� by Athabascan tribes. The summit success rate up the standard West Buttress route usually hovers around 50 percent, although last year鈥檚 unprecedented dry spring created many weather windows, availing a 70 percent success rate (the 2023 season was around 31 percent due to challenging weather).

One of those ascents was completed by Mountain Trip ski guide, Jed Porter, assistant guide, Jake Skeen, and guided guest, Dave Riggs, in June 2022. 鈥淒enali is extremely hard in every single way,鈥� said Porter, a full-time IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) guide since 2005. While the challenges to summit may be vast, the glory comes in the experience and the knowledge gained along the way. Here鈥檚 the gear that Porter relied on to get himself up and down Denali safely.

Boots

Denali records some of the coldest temperatures of all the high peaks in North America. Throughout the spring and summer, temperatures between high camp and the summit dip well below freezing, oftentimes lingering around minus 20 to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and comfortable extremities are an absolute necessity. Keeping this in mind, Porter chose to go with the lightweight boot ($899). 鈥淐old temperatures at high endeavors meant a need for thicker foam liners,鈥� says Porter, who opted to go with a shell two sizes larger than his usual size to accommodate a thicker boot liner.

Skis

Ski mountaineering objectives tend to be more enjoyable with a lighter ski setup because they require less effort on the ascent. However, lightweight setups do compromise stability while traveling downhill, which Porter wasn鈥檛 willing to risk. With this insight he used the , a versatile and reliable option that weighs 1300 grams per ski with a hybrid Paulownia and PU core. In general, Porter recommends choosing a ski that weighs around 1400 grams per ski with a width of 90 to 100 millimeters and provides a good amount of agility and precision.听

Ski Sleds

Denali requires a lot of equipment, which means guides often rely on a durable sled to transport gear between camps. Typically, groups will carry at least 60 pounds worth of gear in their backpack (sometimes even more), with a little less in the sled. Porter鈥檚 team climbed with sleds up to 14 Camp, and advanced without sleds from there to the summit. Skiing with a sled can present some challenges (for example, it can be difficult to stay balanced and keep the sled from rolling over on tricky terrain while the sled is pushing on the skier from behind). Porter went with ($260) and the ($145). 鈥淚t took ten minutes to set up and helped a ton with the downhill,鈥� he remarked.

Tent

Deciding between tents on Denali can be somewhat of a gamble. Some teams choose to haul up one tent for sleeping and another for a kitchen鈥攚hile others may just elect to bring one group tent. Porter and his group decided on one tent鈥攖he ($1,535), because the team didn鈥檛 want to be weighed down with any unnecessary gear. The Keron is quite strong thanks to the tent鈥檚 Kerlon 1800 outer fabric and 10-millimeter poles. Plus, the spacious vestibule provides enough room to dig out a kitchen for three people (which is great when the forecast is predicting dry weather). While the team lucked out on the weather, Porter said if they did catch a surprise storm, they would have been confined to one tent all day, which would have been a tight squeeze.

Crampons and Ice Axes

On a route like the West Buttress, crampons matter most on the upper mountain above 14 Camp. Porter and his crew down-climbed and belayed a section of the Rescue Gully from around 17,000 feet to just below 16,000 feet when conditions turned icy, with a fair bit of consequence below鈥攐pen crevasses, rocks, steep slopes, and slide for life conditions. Because of situations like these, the crampons, ice axe, and pickets to bring up 鈥渢he high one鈥� has to be a calculated decision. Guides need to consider weight and the ski mountaineering objectives. If you opt for lightweight crampons, you may compromise on security on unpredictable slopes. 12-point steel crampons, while heavy, are more durable and secure.

Porter chose to go with a modified, all-steel ($280) and the 45 cm ($120) aluminum ice axe. He picked lighter-weight options because he knew his team was experienced and wouldn鈥檛 need to use their axes for the majority of the climb given the current conditions. While Porter thought the ice axe was the right decision, he wish he had brought the ($170) instead, a more stable, lightweight steel crampon that holds 10 points (the Skimo Pure Nanotech crampon is 596 grams per pair, and the Ascent Universal is 776 grams per pair). According to Porter, the Skimo Pure Nanotech crampon was a little too light, with points that are too short (he described the Nanotech crampons as 鈥渟quirrely鈥�).听

Porter also decided not to take any pickets, which he admitted was a slightly aggressive decision. A picket is an aluminum T beam with a pointed end that can be hammered into snow or ice to add extra protection on a climb or serve as an anchor for crevasse rescue. Bringing pickets is widely debated in the ski mountaineering community鈥攕ome argue that they鈥檙e always worth the extra weight. In this case, Porter figured his team could use a combination of the ice axes, screws, and skis if they needed to administer a rescue haul.听

Rope

Deciding which ropes to bring up Denali requires a good amount of planning. Bring excess rope, and you could be carrying too much weight. Bring too little, and you could jeopardize your team in a dangerous situation. Ultimately, Porter and his team went with the ($195) at 46 meters for their ascent and descent below 14,000 feet, where navigating bigger crevasses is more prominent. They selected two 6-millimeter, 30-meter ($240) ropes tied together in the middle for the upper mountain. This allowed the front and the back person to drop an extra 10-18 meters of rope at the top, which helped lighten the load for the summit push.

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On June 5, Jack Kuenzle, a 27-year-old former Navy SEAL, set a new fastest known time (FKT) on Alaska’s 20,310-foot Denali, going airstrip to airstrip in a stout ten hours and 14 minutes. His effort bested the existing FKT held by Swiss-Ecuadorian climber Karl Egloff by an hour and a half. Kuenzle has been steadily picking off FKTs on popular snowy peaks in the lower 48 over the last year: Hood (1:31:31), Rainier (3:04:31), and Shasta (2:30:48). This year, he set his sights听on Denali.

鈥淚t鈥檚 Denali, it鈥檚 the highest peak in the U.S., it鈥檚 ultra-prominent, and it鈥檚 skied a lot from the summit,鈥� said Kuenzle, while hiding from a thunderstorm in the bathrooms at Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado, after finishing a run on Green Mountain, a week after he set the record. 鈥淗aving a competitive record was also a really big motivation鈥t鈥檚 a couple steps up from what I鈥檇 been doing.鈥� To Kuenzle, due to the peak鈥檚 scale and high altitude, Denali felt like much more of an alpinism record and made his other records听look more like 鈥�skimo racing in a resort.鈥�

The Seven Summits, the highest peak on every continent, each have their own individual challenges and require different skills, but they do share one element that sets them apart from most other objectives鈥攈igh altitude. The shortest peak is Puncak Jaya/Carstensz Pyramid at 16,023 feet. (We鈥檙e including both 7,310-foot听Kosciuszko and Puncak Jaya on this list because both count for Seven Summits records, but the latter has emerged as the consensus summit as it鈥檚 the highest peak on the continent of Oceania while the former is the highest on mainland Australia).

A few athletes best known for trail running are now concentrating on making bids for speed records across all Seven Summits, like Tyler Andrews and Fernanda Maciel. Kuenzle, who on trails before getting bored and deciding to develop his skills on more technical, mountainous terrain, says he has no interest in attempting FKTs on any of the other Seven Summits after Denali. Nor is he planning to defend his new Denali record. 鈥淚 just don’t know if I’ll ever get that lucky on weather again,鈥� he said on the phone.

As far as FKTs go, the variability of conditions and other factors often make the records difficult to compare cleanly. Kuenzle would rate his weather as a 10/10. He basically wore the same outfit the entire time (tights and a sun hoody), which is indicative of how favorable conditions were. On , Kuenzle wrote that while his effort was 90 minutes faster than Kilian Jornet鈥檚, he is 鈥渋n no way 90 minutes faster than him on this terrain.鈥� Given all of these variables, says Kuenzle, it鈥檚 important that style between attempts is matched. Meaning things like whether an effort is unsupported (no outside help) or supported (help allowed), but mainly that the location of the start and finish are the same. On Denali, the airstrip structures at basecamp move every year, which is why Egloff, Jornet,听and Kuenzle all started in slightly different spots. Additionally, while Jornet and Kuenzle attempted the record in the same style and both used skis, Egloff听employed a different style and did the whole thing on foot.

The website FastestKnownTimes.com (owned by 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 parent company 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc.) verifies and chronicles FKT attempts in the U.S. and many around the world. The most popular ones (including California鈥檚 211-mile听John Muir Trail and the 42- or 48-mile听Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim route in the Grand Canyon) are running/hiking paths on well-marked dirt trails, but many of the routes on the Seven Summits are far more difficult or have unique challenges that set them apart and require specific skills.

Below, we break down the FKTs on these peaks as they stand and dig into the challenges each one poses. While most of these FKTs were done on foot, a few of them were done on touring skis鈥攍ike Denali and Elbrus. Over the years, as gear gets better and lighter and streamlined tactics continue to be honed, it鈥檚 likely that the times will continue to get faster. 鈥淭he worst case scenario is 50 years from now, all these records still stand because nobody ever attempted them again,鈥� says Kuenzle.

Denali

Continent: North America

Height: 20,310

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length: 21 days

Route: West Buttress

FKTs: Jack Kuenzle (); Katie Bono ()

Kuenzle, who cut his FKT teeth on gnarly long-distance routes like the 66-mile Bob Graham Round in the UK (beating Kilian Jornet鈥檚 time by just shy of 30 minutes), had never climbed Denali before. On the day of his record attempt this year, the highest he鈥檇 been on the peak was 17,000 feet. While guided parties climb the mountain on foot, Kuenzle鈥檚 attempt was on skis. Kuenzle took Karl Egloff鈥檚 2019 record, and Egloff had bested Jornet鈥檚 2014 record by only four minutes. Katie Bono, the female record-holder, set her FKT in June 2017.

That鈥檚 not to say that Denali isn鈥檛 a huge challenge. It鈥檚 a serious peak that has fatalities every year from its various hazards: crevasses, high altitude, icy conditions, and severe weather. Guided parties typically spend at least two weeks on the peak dragging heavy sleds, ferrying loads, acclimatizing, and waiting for a weather window. 鈥淚t鈥檚 intimidating. The terrain is just so huge,鈥� says Kuenzle, adding that given the breadth of the route (spanning 33.61 miles round trip from around 7,000 feet to over 20,000 feet), it鈥檚 almost a given that you鈥檒l encounter challenging conditions somewhere on the route.

Everest

Continent: Asia

Height: 29,035 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length: 65 days

Route: South side ascent (Base Camp to summit)

FKT: Lakpa Gelu Sherpa (10h 56m); Ada Tsang Yin-Hung (25h 50m)

Everest is the world鈥檚 highest peak and the only summit that requires spending time in the so-called 鈥渄eath zone,鈥� or above 26,000 feet where the oxygen level is too low to sustain human life (climbers typically try to minimize the time spent above that altitude). Everest is also tall enough to contend with the jet stream, which means that the top of the peak can be subject to winds as high as 70 miles per hour.

Lakpa Gelu Sherpa holds the record for the fastest ascent of Everest, with a time of 10 hours and 56 minutes, climbing from Base Camp to the summit via the South side in Nepal on May 25, 2003. In 2004, Pemba Dorje Sherpa claimed that he completed the same route in 8 hours and 10 minutes鈥攅arning a Guinness World Record title that stood for 13 years. But Lakpa Gelu challenged the veracity of Pemba Dorje鈥檚 claim, and ultimately a Nepalese court sided with Lakpa Gelu. Pemba Dorje was stripped of his record and Lakpa Gelu鈥檚 speed record is now acknowledged as the FKT on the mountain鈥檚 South side. Ada Tsang Yin-Hung notched the women鈥檚 FKT on this route in May 2021.

Kilian Jornet holds the record on the North side, which is accessed via China and sometimes poses bureaucratic hurdles. On May 22, 2017, he went up the North Face from Base Camp without fixed ropes or supplemental oxygen (both of which Lakpa Gelu and Pemba Dorje used), and then returned to Advanced Base Camp in 26 hours, setting an FKT on a route that previously had no speed record. 听There鈥檚 been some dispute over Jornet鈥檚 feat, however, due to what some call inadequate verification.

Aconcagua

Continent: South America

Height: 22,841 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length: 21 days

Route: Most have been on the route from the Horcones trailhead to the summit and back

FKT: Tyler Andrews (11h 24m 46s); Dani Sandoval (20h 17m 0s)

Aconcagua is not a technical summit, but its high altitude and frequent harsh weather make it a difficult undertaking. The climb is pretty straightforward, but it鈥檚 not a gimme. There鈥檚 no guarantee that commercial parties, who spend a few weeks on the mountain, will get a weather window. It is often cold, dusty and windy, but you could also get snow.

Tyler Andrews set his FKT this February, breaking Karl Egloff鈥檚 record by about 27 minutes. Dani Sandoval set hers in January 2018.

Kilimanjaro

Continent: Africa

Height: 19,340 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length: 15 days

Route: Any round trip

FKT: Tyler Andrews (6h 37m 57s); Fernanda Maciel (10h 6m 0s)

Kilimanjaro, a non-technical climb with a slightly lower elevation, is often considered the easiest of the Seven Summits. requires athletes to run a little over a听marathon (26.4 miles) with almost 14,000 feet of elevation gain at altitude, but one of the biggest hurdles is logistical. Climbers have to have a local guide and a permit to climb. When Tyler Andrews set the FKT in March he wrote about a 鈥渂ureaucratic nightmare鈥� with his guiding company that required him to leave the park and re-enter it, which 鈥渘early cost us the opportunity to even attempt this record.鈥�

Female FKT-holder Fernanda Maciel set her record in September 2017.

Elbrus

Continent: Europe

Height: 18,510 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length:听 14 days

Route: Round trip from Azau Valley

FKT: Karl Egloff ()

Elbrus is a snow-covered peak that鈥檚 moderately technical. The route is about 15 miles with almost 11,000 feet of elevation gain. Egloff set his record while he was racing the Elbrus Skymarathon, in which 500 athletes run to the summit of the peak and back every year, in May 2017.

Vinson

Continent: Antarctica

Height: 16,050 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length: 20 days

Route: Round trip from base camp to the summit and back via the Branscomb Shoulder

FKT: Fernanda Maciel ()

Of the Seven Summits, Vinson is the most remote. Getting to Antarctica typically requires flying to Punta Arenas, Chile, and then taking another weather-dependent flight to the snowy runway at Union Glacier. Vinson is not particularly tall, but it鈥檚 snowy and steep in places, and requires crampons, an ice axe, and roped travel. One of the most difficult parts of the climb is contending with the extreme cold (as chilly as negative forty degrees) and harsh weather conditions on the continent. Self-care is crucial as errors, like exposing bare skin for too long (or at all), can result in frostbite.

Fernanda Maciel set her FKT, the only known speed record on Vinson, in December 2022.

Carstensz Pyramid (Punta Jaya)

Continent: Oceania

Height: 16,023 feet

Average Guided Commercial Trip Length:听 11 days

FKT: none

Carstensz Pyramid, on the south coast of New Guinea in Indonesia, is a high-altitude rock climb and the most technical of all the summits. It entails scrambling, fifth class rock climbing up to 5.6, an airy Tyrolean traverse, and a series of rappels to descend. In addition to the physical difficulties, there are other challenges that have nothing to do with climbing. There鈥檚 the fickle equatorial weather to deal with, and political and bureaucratic problems. When he climbed it, mountaineer Alan Arnette wrote that he heard of climbers being 鈥渟tranded at remote airports, porters abandoning teams, malaria and more.鈥� We haven鈥檛 found any records of the FKT on this peak. (Note: if you have this record, please reach out and we will update this piece.)

Kosciuszko

Continent: Oceania

Height: 7,310 feet

Done Easily Without Guides

FKT: Ben Plunkett (10h 55m 42s)

We鈥檙e including Kosciuszko because it鈥檚 traditionally been counted as one of the Seven Summits鈥攊t鈥檚 the highest peak on mainland Australia鈥攖hough mountaineers are increasingly considering Carstensz Pyramid as the true highest point on the continent of Oceania. Kosciuszko only takes four to five听hours to hike on an easy-to-follow path. On the main route you can take a 15-minute chairlift to get to the start of the climb. On the other side, hikers can follow an old road that goes almost all the way to the summit. The FKT we have listed here is actually for 15 peaks in the area (Kosciusko was the 11th peak on the attempt) so we include it given the absence of a straight Kosciuszko FKT. (Note: if you have this record, please reach out and we will update this piece.)

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