How to Hike and Ramble in Snakes pass - Pennines England

How to get away and step into the silence in Hiking and Rambling

What is your definition of a special day? So special that you would make your lunch the night before, get up early (even on a weekend!), fill a thermos with tea or coffee, and ignore such temptations as lying in to read the weekend papers in bed.

For many, the anticipation of a day spent bushwalking will get them jumping out of bed. Call it bushwalking, hiking, rambling or tramping, walking in nature is the ultimate balm for fast city living. Get up and get out there as soon as you can!

Bushwalking is the ultimate pleasure sport - a fitness activity, an immersion in the beauty of nature and, more often than not, an adventure into the unknown. Whilst most bushwalkers walk on established tracks, there is often an element to the walk that is a surprise - a plant or flower that you have never seen before, a new birdcall, or the sunlight illuminating the leaves overhead.

Of course, in some countries, that surprise could be less than comforting. You may run into a grizzly bear in a Canadian forest or a red-bellied black snake in the Australian bush. In all cases, the scout motto will hold you in good stead. Be prepared! If you are prepared you will survive, enjoy and, best of all, have a story left to tell at the end.

A good day's bushwalking is the result of your preparation. You need food and water, sun, rain, and cold weather protection, a first aid kit, a map, a compass and the good sense to tell someone where you are going and when you are likely to come back. It also helps to inform yourself about the dangers of the local area.

For beginner walkers, it is wise to stick to set tracks and begin with a half-day walk to check out your fitness levels and see how your muscles feel the next morning. You will probably find that you are fitter than you think and able to walk five or six kilometres without much trouble.

Bushwalking can also be the perfect sport for those with limited mobility as many national parks and recreation areas have built short tracks for people using wheelchairs, walking frames or walking sticks. These will often be sited around areas where there is the maximum opportunity to view the flora and fauna specific to the area.

Walk options range from a day walk up to hundreds of kilometres, as bushwalking combines well with camping, canyoning, abseiling, and even skiing if you are happy to do your bushwalking through the snow.

Bushwalking can be transformative. Clean out the cobwebs of your mind and give your whole body a work-out by waking up to the possibilities of stretching, striding, climbing, jumping and relaxing in the silent beauty of a natural landscape.

Madeline Shaw writes for Mind Body & Soul; an array of natural health practices, spiritual beliefs and alternative therapies.

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Hiking and Rambling in Larvik, Norway

How to find the best places hiking in Norway

Norway is a country with a passionate national tradition of mountain hiking. This means that accommodations have been made for people to traverse large swaths of mountain terrain on foot. Hikers can walk from cabin to cabin, where they will find international crowds to regale them with stories by the fire. Thanks to the DNT, the Norwegian Trekking Association, Norway offers a network of 20,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails, one of the largest in all of Europe. Some of these routes have been developed from local footpaths and older thoroughfares. Others have been developed to meet trekkers' needs. Either way, these trails serve to guide hikers while protecting animal and plant life by limiting the path of human traffic through Norway's incredible outdoor scenery.

Even in fog and rain, you will be able to see the next waymark on your path, a "T" written in red paint on rock walls and cairns. If you'd rather journey through the Norwegian natural wonders with more of a plan set out, the DNT and Norske Bygdeopplevelser, an event supplier, both organize great rambling tours.

The Adventure Road on the eastern side of the country is the trail you'll want to explore to experience the best of Norway's unique landscape. The Adventure Road offers over one hundred well-marked trails, showcasing the beauty of the fjords and the majesty of the mountains. The proper time to hike this trail is between May and October. The high season is in July and August. During this time, the mountains abound with cloudberries and blueberries, and the fjords grow rich with juicy plums, cherries, and apples. The late season is when you'll find a dramatic explosion of color. Green becomes orange and red, and an incredible hiking experience is made even more so.

The Adventure Road offers a variety of attractions along its trail. For instance, you'll certainly want to stop at the largest national park in Norway, Hardangervidda National Park, home to the largest mountain plateau in Northern Europe. With many well-marked trails, this is a great place to explore alone or with a guide. Enjoy bathing or fishing in the rivers and lakes of the area, enjoy the many summits, like Hårteigen, Hardangerjøkulen, and Gaustatoppen, or watch a flock of several thousand wild reindeer run by you. For Fjords, you'll want to visit Nærøyfjord, voted the world's best preserved tourist destination by National Geographic magazine and granted a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Only 250 meters wide at its narrowest, Nærøyfjord is an immensely beautiful fjord that branches off Sognefjord. Between Flåm, Gudvangen, and Aurland, passenger boats run throughout the entire year. Another choice is to take your a kayak or inflatable speedboat through the waters of Nærøyfjord. If possible, try to plan your trip for May to enjoy the countless white and pink flowers that bloom during that time of year. If you're tired of hiking, consider experiencing the Flåmsbana or Flåm Railway, a fun train ride from deep in Aurlandsfjord to Myrdal, high in the mountains. Running throughout the year, one of the stops is the Kjosfossen waterfall, a place where you can hear Huldra's singing in the summer. Be sure to take a guide to hike around the stunning blue ice of glaciers like Hardangerjøkulen and Folgefonna. These areas offer challenging hikes that provide breathtaking and eye-opening images of natural spectacle. To see bears, roe deer, and elk, walk the trail through Vassfaret Park.

Whether you want to see serene fjords, astonishing mountain views, magical waterfalls, inspiring wild animals, lush plant life, or mind-blowing glaciers, Norway has it all!

Scott Amundson consistently writes compelling articles for popular blog THE ULTIMATE HIKING GUIDE, found at http://www.ultimatehikingguide.blogspot.com.

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How to enjoy hiking and Rambling in Canada

4 top trails to hike and Ramble in Canada

Cheakamus Lake - Easy
Located between Whistler Village and Squamish in Garibaldi Park, the Cheakamus Lake trail is just over a 2 hour drive from Vancouver, British Columbia. This trail circles much of Cheakamus Lake giving guests plenty of opportunities to view the unique turquoise coloured waters. At 16 kilometres in length, the primarily flat trail can be considered easy in terms of terrain but may take up to 5 hours to complete. Hikers should note, there are two campsites located along the perimeter of the lake; these campsites tend to feel much more secluded than others in the area as they do not offer direct vehicle access.

Ridge Lookout Trail - Intermediate
The Ridge Lookout Trail is located atop Whistler Mountain and can be accessed through the Peak to Peak Gondola. Coming in at the shortest of the list, the mere 0.8 kilometre Ridge Lookout Trail can be completed in around 30-35 minutes. This trail starts off from the heli-pad just uphill from the Roundhouse Lodge and finishes at the Ridge Lookout. Hikers will have to traverse an elevation of 68 metres before being rewarded with stunning cross-mountain views.

Overlord Trail - Intermediate
Once atop Blackcomb Mountain via the Peak to Peak Gondola, hikers will have access to several trails, one of which is the popular Overlord trail. This 7.4 kilometre trail serves as a transfer point for guests wanting to access Blackcomb's Marmot, Treeline, Decker, and Lakeside trails. The Overlord trail takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to complete and is recommended for intermediate hikers.

Black Tusk - Difficult
Black Tusk is a 29 kilometre trail located inside Garibaldi Provincial Park. Hikers will have to trek up an elevation of 1740 metres making this trail one of the more exhausting ones. Many experienced hikers are able to complete the Black Tusk in a day; however hikers must be prepared to turn around and head back if they don't anticipate completing it before nightfall. As this trail is very difficult it should only be attempted by experienced hikers. Prospective hikers should note, B.C. parks do not maintain the entirety of Black Tusk making the final parts beyond the border signs very dangerous.

Devon O' Malley is a staff writer for alluraDirect, a website featuring vacation rentals in many parts of Whistler. Research, review, & book Whistler accommodations direct from owners through a safe, trusted website.

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How to survive hiking in the mountains and waer the right footwear