40 OFFA’S DYKE PATH
This 177-mile long-distance path closely follows the English-Welsh border and takes about 12 days to complete. The National Trail follows the 8th century Offa’s Dyke and crosses the Black Mountains, the Shropshire Hills, the Eglwyseg moors, and the Clwydian Range.
39 CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
A major pilgrimage route in the Middle Ages, the Camino de Santiago – or Way Of St James – ends at the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, northwestern Spain. There are many routes to choose from but the most popular is the the ‘Camino Francés’ – the French route.
38 HADRIAN’S WALL PATH
Hadrian’s Wall Path is a 135km long footpath in the north of England, which became a National Trail in 2003. The World Heritage Site runs from Wallsend on the east coast to Bowness-on- Solway in the west, during which hikers pass numerous Roman settlements and forts.
37 LANGTANG AND GOSAINKUND LAKES
This trek to the stunning lakes of Gosainkund is in Nepal’s Helambu region, only a day’s drive from Kathmandu but relatively isolated and predominantly inhabited by the Tamangs and Helambu Sherpas. This region affords brilliant views of the mighty peaks of Langtang (7,234m) and Ganesh (7,446m), as well as a sprawl of endless 6000m+ summits.
36 MUSTANG
Situated on the border of Nepal and Tibet, the Kingdom of Mustang preserves some of the last vestiges of traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture and is open to only a few select trekking groups each season. Treks follow established trails through villages that once served a thriving trade route between Nepal and Tibet.
35 BHUTAN HIGH TRAILS
This superb trek into the heartland of Bhutan follows forest trails with a wide variety of spring flowers as it ascends to a camp beneath the sacred peak of Chomolhari. While crossing a series of high passes and camping in alpine meadows, trekkers enjoy a constant backdrop of snow-capped peaks.
34 PEMBROKESHIRE COAST PATH
This National Trail in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales, is 299km long and is just one part of the 1,400km Wales Coast Path. Walking mostly at cliff-top level with views to the west, there are points along the trail that have coastal views in ever y direction.
33 CONCORDIA AND K2
This trek in the Karakoram follows the Baltoro Glacier to Concordia, where the Baltoro Glacier meets the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Here there are 360 degree views of the surrounding 7,000m peaks including K2, the second highest mountain in the world. An optional day hike to K2 base camp completes this amazing trek.
32 MOUNT KAILASH
Mount Kailash is revered in both Hindu and Buddhist legends, and its location, close to the sources of the four main rivers that flow across the Indian sub-continent, contributes to its mystique. Kailash is reached by trekking from Lhasa across the vast Tibetan plateau.
31 APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Running well over 2,000 miles from Mount Springer in Georgia to Mount Katadyn in Maine, the ‘AT’ was first conceived by Benton MacKaye and now forms part of the Triple Crown of US long-distance trails along with the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. It runs through 14 states and thru-hikers typically take 5-6 months to complete it, though many more hike it in sections.
30 COAST TO COAST WALK
Wainwright’s Coast To Coast Walk runs 309km from St Bees on the west coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east coast. This unofficial and mostly unsignposted trail passes through three National Parks – the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Moors.
29 CHOMOLHARI BASE CAMP
This relatively short (12 days) but rugged high altitude trek in Bhutan allows ample time for unique cultural insights. The most challenging day of the trek sees hikers crossing the 4,950m Yale Pass before descending to the Thimphu River and the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu.
28 ACONCAGUA
Aconcagua (6,961m) in Argentina has been called the ‘highest trekking peak in the world’. The walk-in is via either the Horcones Valley or Vacas Valley and there are three camps between Base Camp and the summit on the Normal Route. A massive summit day and sometimes challenging weather can make this anything but a ‘gimme’ Seven Summits peak.
27 AMA DABLAM BASE CAMP
This trek is a popular introduction to trekking in the Everest region, weaving through the famous Buddhist villages and monasteries of the Sherpa people while affording unparalleled views of some of the world’s highest peaks including Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse.
26 PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Running for over 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada, the PCT is one of America’s great long-distance trails. Following large parts of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, the PCT passes through 25 national forests and seven national parks.
25 SINGALILA RIDGE
From Darjeeling, the Singalila Ridge heads north along India’s border with Nepal towards the gigantic form of the world’s third largest mountain, Kangchenjunga (8,586m). The trek is notable for its incredible views of Kangchenjunga and, further way, Mt Everest.
24 TIAN SHAN MOUNTAINS
The Tian Shan Mountains of Central Asia dominate Kyrgyzstan with their snow-covered peaks and alpine meadows. Trekkers can enjoy the lonely but beautiful Son-Kul and Issyk-Kul Lakes, treeless mountain plateaus and ascents to the Telety pass (3,800m), Ala Kol Lake (3,532m) and Ala Kol pass (3,800m).
23 MILFORD TRACK
This well-known 53km ‘tramp’ is located in the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. Hikers traverse rainforests, wetlands and an alpine pass on their way from the start at the head of Lake Te Anau to the finish point on Milford Sound at Sandfly Point.
22 MANASLU CIRCUIT
Trekking around Manaslu, the seventh highest mountain in the world, offers awesome mountain views, remote Buddhist villages close to the Tibetan border and cultural and geographic diversity that rivals any other trek in the Himalaya. It crosses two high passes, visits the remote region of Nar and traverses the shores of Tilicho Lake.
21 SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
The Simien Mountains, located in northern Ethiopia, are part of the Ethiopian Highlands and offer a unique landscape of valleys and pinnacles. During the trek, you may see walia ibex, gelada, caracal or, if you’re lucky, the rare Ethiopian wolf.