On Monday 14 August, when the tide is right, an antique sailing ship will manoeuvre through the lock of Plymouth’s historic Sutton harbour and point herself south-west towards the Canary Islands. It will be the start of a two-year voyage around the world taking in 32 ports and involving thousands of people in a groundbreaking geographical project, Darwin200, which aims, among other things, to inspire the environmental leaders and scientists of the future.
In Pictures: Five of the world's most remarkable treks
22.07.2023 - 22:43 / bbc.com
Every journey starts with one small step, to paraphrase Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. But some journeys contain more steps than others.
"The most remarkable treks take us to other worlds – places unfamiliar to us," said author and global trekker Colin Salter, who discovered the pleasures of hiking as a young man, escaping from the confines of boarding school to explore Scottish mountains with friends. "They're a way to discover new climates, new terrain, new altitudes and new cultures. They're physical challenges with sensory rewards – wildlife, botany, scenic grandeur, new music, old stories and shared experiences with fellow travellers on life's footpath."
Salter has compiled more than 50 of the world's best hiking routes in his new book Remarkable Treks: Plan the Walking Trip of a Lifetime on the World's Most Spectacular Trails. From the Inca Trail (Peru) to the John Muir Trail (US), the West Highland Way (Scotland) to the Milford Track (New Zealand), famous hiking routes inspire travellers to test their mettle and experience some of the most astounding natural landscapes on the planet, while lesser-known trails offer a chance to discover hidden corners of countries and cultures. Here, Salter chooses five of his favourites.
1) The Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
Length: 55kmDuration: 3-4 days Start: Landmannalaugur Finish: Thórsmörk
The Laugavegur Trail is a tough-but-rewarding introduction to the Land of Ice and Fire's wild interior. The starting point, Landmannalaugur (180km from Reykjavik), has hot rivers to bathe in. But the trek isn't always so relaxing, taking in a wilderness of black desert, mirror-like lakes, rushing waterfalls, craggy canyons and the mountain ridges of Thórsmörk (Thor's Wood).
"Iceland's oldest geology is younger than Britain's youngest," said Salter. "To walk through this raw landscape, which is still being created and shaped by fire and ice, is to get some sense of how worlds are made."
For those not yet sated at Thórsmörk, the Fimmvörðuháls trail leads an additional 26km south to Skógafoss waterfall and the coast.
2) Mount Roraima, Venezuela
Length: 64kmDuration: 6 days Start/Finish: Paraitepuy
Iconic Mount Roraima is the highest peak in the Pakaraima chain of eastern Venezuela's tabletop mountains. According to the Indigenous Pemon and Kapon cultures' folklore, the 15km-long and 5km-wide massif is the stump of a giant tree that once provided all the fruit and vegetables for the world. Here, water cascades from the towering cliffs into rainforests that contain plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth, including the Roraima bush toad.
"The sheer sides and flat summit of Mount Roraima are unlike anywhere else on the planet," said Salter. "This triangular ship of rock
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