1. Everest Base Camp, Nepal
- Duration: 10 – 20 days
- Difficulty: 9/10
The hike to the Base Camp of the Everest is without a doubt the most beautiful, the most rewarding and one of the most insane things we have ever done in our lives. Hiking through mountain villages, high-altitude turquoise lakes and spectacular views on the Himalayan peaks are just a taste of what this hike is about. At the beginning of the hike, you walk through insanely beautiful little Sherpa villages, where you get to meet the locals and their children and are introduced to the warm Sherpa culture. When you get higher, the villages become scarcer but are replaced by breath taking views on white snowy peaks and turquoise altitude lakes (Gokyo lakes).
We did this hike in 14 days but it can be done in as little as 10 days if you do not take any detour. We slept in little (very basic) lodges along the way where you can also get a home cooked hot meal in the evening. Contrary to what many people think, you do not need to train for this hike and anyone who is in decent physical shape can do this as there is no technical mountaineering involved. On most days we walked half a day to the next lodge, so there’s plenty of time to relax and explore the surroundings in between. We did rate it at 9 out of 10 difficulty level because some days are extremely hard (7 to 8 hours walking) but especially because the nights were the toughest as it gets very very very cold at these high altitudes, with temperatures dropping below zero even inside the lodges.
More info and tips about this hike in a longer post here.
2. Inca Trail, Peru
- Duration: 4 days
- Difficulty: 6/10
This is probably the most popular hike in Latin America and for a reason… For four days we hiked through the Andes Mountains being immersed into the fascinating Inca culture. We walked from one ancient Inca site to the other, learning about their sophisticated way of life whilst admiring gorgeous panoramic views over the Andes mountains. After 4 days we reached the highlight of the hike, the spectacular Machu Pichu site, whose former use remains a mystery but whose beauty and sophistication is simply mind blowing.
Even though this is one of the most popular hikes in Latin America, it does not really feel as such when you are on the trail as there is a daily limit of around 200 tourists. You have to go through an agency to book this hike, who will take care of all your hiking material (e.g. carrying tents, mattrasses, food, water etc.). So it’s basically a 5-star camping trip with suuuper comfortable sleeping tents and some of the best food we had in all of Peru. Some days are pretty long and you have to walk many hours so we still rate it at a 6 for difficulty level, but overall it is not a very difficult hike, and the views are sooooo rewarding.
More info and tips about this hike in a longer post here.
3. W Hike, Patagonia, Chile
- Duration: 5 days
- Difficulty: 7/10
If you are looking for a beautiful hike though the jaw dropping Patagonian landscape, the is THE hike to choose. Endless glaciers, huge deep blue lakes covered with icebergs, mysterious pine forests and spectacular rock formations are the key ingredients of this hike. We literally had the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere for 5 days, miles away from any type of civilisation. We loved being thrown back into nature, where landscapes were completely untouched and the water of the rivers so pure that you could just drink from them!
The great thing about this hike is that you don’t necessarily have to camp out as there are a handful ‘refugio’s’ along the way where you can get a room and meet up with fellow hikers around a beer and a game of Jenga. You stay at a low altitude most of the time so the conditions are soft, however some the days are quite long (up to 25km per day) which is why we rated it at a difficulty level of 7.
More info and tips about this hike in a longer post here.