Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks Hardcover – Illustrated, March 17, 2005

This review is long overdue. Thanks to this book I hiked Routeburn Track in New Zealand and Buckskin Gulch in the United States. I appreciated the that the number of the hikes (twenty three) was manageable, and easy to follow. The author did not try to stick in the book lots of hikes and a kitchen sink as some of the other books do. I found some of the hints to be valuable for my travel purposes. I am planning on getting Classic Hikes of North America y Peter Potterfield next.

I started hiking in my late teens and just found it a very natural thing to do. When I had a family such indulgences ended. Now that the kids are grown up I have rediscoved the joy of being surrounded by astonishing landscapes. This book has the right balance of narrative description that captures the poetry of the landscape, practical information to begin planning and pictures to start dreaming. I have it on my coffee table and dip into it so that I am transported to remarkable places on the planet. My only issue with the book, is that it could have been ten times as long.

This is an invaluable resource for selecting and planning your dream multi-day hike. Each detailed description begins with a synopsis that includes a map, the distance and difficulty of each hike, which makes it easier to narrow down your choices. The author has actually done all of the hikes, so you feel confident the information was accurate at the time of publication. Beautiful photographs make this a coffee table-worthy book.

This book is amazing! So many great ideas, and so much useful information! I was inspired to get into backpacking by a National Geographic article on the best hikes in the world. Upon researching some of those, I came across this book. It includes a lot of the hikes I had found through National Geographic, but this book includes great photos of all the hikes, logistic information, narrative descriptions, and maps. This is a must have for backpackers!

Product was advertise as new, but it was definitely used

A fantastic and inspiring book. The hikes are well chosen and superbly described. Perhaps the best thing about this book is the discussion of the logistics of how to do these hikes, including how to arrange transportation to/from the trailhead, planning resupplies, etc. I have been working my way through these hikes and find this book a tremendous asset.

I thought that this was a great way to broaden my outlook on challenging ways to view the world. The photos are inspiring and now I am off to walk in the Himalayas!

I bought this book to get some information about a trip I'm planning with a friend. But the photos are nice enough that I'm leaving it on my coffee table. This is a great source of inspiration for many adventures, with enough practical information to help move beyond the fantasy stage to actually plan a trip.