Quietest Treks Across The World
If your best remedy to counter the monotony of life is escaping to a quiet trail somewhere around the world, your options are endless – each trail providing its own views, marvels and adventures.
The mental relaxation accompanied with the physical exhaustion and rejuvenation is a grand reward, and here are some trek that will do you just that.
LAUGAVEGURRIN/FIMMVORDUHALS PASS, ICELAND
The land of fire and ice certainly does not disappoint when it comes to life-changing treks and scenery. Almost making you feel like you’re in a magical fantasy, rhyolite formations, cascading waterfalls and landscapes assure you of imagery that you have never witnessed in your life.
The 75 kilometer 4 day trek starts off at Landmannalaugar, a geothermal rainbow colored land made of obsidian fields, red and yellow rhyolite mountains and black sands, the trek winds through canyons, lakes, geysers and springs finally opening into the Thorsmork Valley – a lush green valley amidst a featureless terrain surrounding it. Yes, this is where the locals believe Thor struck down his hammer and created the valley that never stops reaping.
Nestled at the foot of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier that erupted a few years ago, this is also where you can view the two new craters formed as a result of that eruption – Magni and Modi. Hardened lava shaped as waterfalls, rainbow colored slopes and valleys sculpted with sandstone and birch trees are only some of the rather magical attractions on this trek!
LAKE BAIKAL, RUSSIA
Making a trip to visit the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume is one of those treks filled with an overwhelming view throughout the trek. The trail goes follows the water just inches away at places, as you make your way up Mount Listvyanka.
While the trek up the mountain offers panoramic views of calm waters and tufts of fresh clouds, the peak offers view of the vast body that holds approximately 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface freshwater. Another major reason why you should make this trek is because of the lack of crowd as well as the reasonable cost of the journey.
This entire trek in Russia is approximately 50 kilometers long and will not take you more than a couple of days.
MOUNT KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA
The rooftop of Africa and the world’s highest freestanding mountain has quite a lot in store for the hiker in you. The Shira route is a 5-7 day camping route that hugs the western rim of the volcano and offers for spectacular 360-degree views.
Starting off at Arusha, the trek begins with Mount Meru – Africa’s fifth highest mountain, after which you trek across the Shira plateau filled with sub-alpine forests. Once above the clouds, the sunrise and stars look extraordinary, and the ascent takes shape with the Arrow Glacier on one side and the Western Breach on the other.
Ice sculptures and ash pits within the crater are other attractions of the ascent, finally ending at the Uhuru Peak, 19,430 feet above the bedrock of human civilization! Following in the footsteps of some historic climbs, you can even become part of a tradition carried on for centuries: recording your experiences in a notebook preserved inside a wooden box atop the Uhuru Peak!
With some of the most life-changing sights of clouds rolling under your feet and the roasting plains in the morning light, this trek will certainly change how you look at life!
EL HOYO VOLCANO, NICARGUA
A trek that takes you through three volcanoes and a crater lake all within a couple of days is what best describes this challenging yet rewarding trail. The first volcano you climb is the Cerro Negro where you can perform some volcano boarding activities.
Following a steep and relentless 1.5 hour stretch of trail, you hit the spot where the massive sunken crater El Hoyo is located. This tremendous hole is the terrain is massive and certainly seems quite unnatural! The view from the campsite is spectacular and the plains underneath are scattered with villages and volcanic protrusions.
As the suns sets along the volcano, the ridge along the edge of the campsite gives you a clear and unparalleled view of Nicaragua lined with volcanoes waiting to erupt. It certainly makes for one of the more serene and calming sights that you can see, especially after the heat and tormenting incline of this short but exciting trail.