More European Hikes

From the YouTube channel, Kara and Nate, they discuss their adventure of doing the annual 4 day Nijmegen March in The Netherlands. Each day’s walk starts and ends in Nijmegen, and ranges from 30km to 50km depending on age/sex category. It is extremely popular with both the walkers and with the communities that they walk through. The last one had over 45,000 walkers! The next one starts July 20, 2027.

From a member of Rick Steves group, experienced hiker Pat O’Connor who has hiked all over Europe as a guide, travel consultant and advisor for many of Rick Steves’ guide books.

General tips:

• Note when using maps like Google maps that you can get a 3D view to provide a better view of the terrain.
• Look out for passes that will save you money.
• Have a paper map of the area in case the electronics fail.

Key Websites and Apps:

• wwww.rei.com
• www.climeradar.com & app
• www.alltrails.com & app - maps for trails. you can download apps to phone
• www.myfitnesspal.com

Recommended Hikes he did in 2023:

• Pulpit Rock, Norway - near Stavanger, a 50 minute flight from Oslo
• Grinda Island, Sweden - a ferry ride from Stockholm
• Fjaðrárgljúfur Gorge, Iceland - 3½ hour drive east of Reykjavik
• Grábrók, Iceland - 1½ hour drive north of Reykjavik
• Croagh Patrick, Ireland - closest town (11 min. drive) with accommodations is Westport
• Inis Mór Island, Ireland - take ferry or plane from Galway (20 min.)
• Hadrian's Wall, England - see Housesteads Roman Fort. Good accommodation in Haltwhistle
• Moselkern - Burg Eltz, Germany - accommodation in Trier, train to Moselkern
• Chamonix, France - alpine, cable left to L'Index & Lac Blanc. Accommodation in Chamonix
• Mannlichen - Kliene Scheidegg, Switzerland
• Gornergrat - Riffelsee, Switzerland - take railway from Zermatt
  
• Montserrat, Spain - accommodation in Barcelona
  
• Alpe di Siusi, Italy - cable car to monastery, hike to peak. Accommodation in Castelrotto
• La Rocca, Sicily, Italy - accommodation in Cefalu by rail from Palermo.
  
• Plitvice National Park, Croatia - accommodation in park, Zagreb is 2 hour drive away.
  
• Samaria Gorge, Crete, Greece - 14km all-day, rugged hike. He did short back & forth hike (5km) from shore then back. Stayed in Palaiochora & took ferry to Agia Roumeli, the start of the trail.
  

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Walking Equipment

The right equipment is essential for successful and comfortable walk. Here are some notes on clothing, boots and other gear.

Clothing

I have an excellent rain jacket made by The North Face. It is lightweight so it packs easily in luggage and has drawstring closures on the waist, cuffs and hood. Waterproof pants are also a necessity. These are readily available in outdoor stores and are usually nylon with elastic cuffs and waist.

Socks: Many experienced walkers praise merino wool socks as the best. Wool has the property of wicking sweat and keeping warm even when wet.

Boots

There are many brands of high quality walking boots but I chose Keen hiking boots. They are sturdy with excellent tread and, importantly, very comfortable.

Walking Poles

 The recommended height for a walking stick is to the top of your hand when you stand straight and have your elbow at your side and arm bent at 90 degrees. For me that would be 120cm (47¼ in).

I met an experienced walker who was traveling with a collapsible pole. Rather than the popular telescoping poles which typically only shorten to about half of their fully extended length, the collapsible ones are much smaller, breaking down like a white cane for the blind. He used a Gabel brand pole that collapsed to 37cm or 16" when packed. They range in price from €43 to €150, made from aluminum or carbon fiber.

A British walking supply company recommends the Leki brand of poles. Available from Leki Canada.

Leki Micro Vario

Black Diamond make high quality and very light carbon fiber poles that are highly rated, but are quite expensive. Their Black Diamond Carbon Z is US$190.

Black Diamond Carbon Z

See reviews on Switch Back Travel. Though they like Black Diamond they note that one problem with carbon fiber is that it doesn't bend—when it fails, it breaks!

European Walks

A guest on Rick Steves' podcast discussed some of her favourite walks around Europe.

1. King Ludwig's Way in Austria
2. Alsace Way in France
3. Glasgow to Fort William in Scotland
4. Levonto to Monterosa in Italy.

She also recommended the Gaia app which has downloadable maps so you have them when you're offline, as can often happen in the countryside and mountainous regions. There is a basic free version and an advanced version for a monthly prescription fee.

Trails around the Amalfi Coast

Greek Hikes

From a Telegraph article on the highlights of Greece:

Legend has it that no human could climb Mount Olympus, mythical home of the 12 Olympian gods – and it wasn’t until 1913 that a team of Swiss climbers finally managed to reach the 9,570 ft-high peak.

It’s still a challenging climb to reach Mytikas peak, but amateur hikers who’d like to experience a taste of adventure can drive to Prionia (Πριόνια) – the highest location that’s accessible by car – then make the strenuous hike to Skala (Σκάλα), one of the lower peaks, to get a glimpse of the spectacular views that once upon a time only the Gods could enjoy.

Trail Path offers small‑group two-day hiking tours, leaving from Thessaloniki, from £102 per person.

Hike Crete’s Samariá Gorge (Φαράγγι Σαμαριάς)
Stretching for 10 miles from high in the Lefka Ori (Λευκά Όρη, i.e, White Mountains) to the pebbles of Agia Roumeli’s (Αγιά Ρούμελη) peaceful beach far below, Samariá Gorge, Europe’s longest canyon, is just a short drive from the harbour of Crete’s second town, Chania (Χανιά).
But be warned – you’ll need to be fairly fit to tackle the five-hour hike through this spectacular boulder-strewn ravine; an easier alternative is to take a boat from Hora Sfakion (Χώρα Σφακίων) to Agia Roumeli and hike through the bottom end of the gorge. Entrance tickets to Samariá Gorge cost from £3.50.