Classic Treks: The 30 Most Spectacular Hikes in the World (Hardcover)

~ Bill Birkett (Author), Chuck McGrady (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's easy to argue with the selection of 30 treks chosen from around the world, but there's no arguing with the presentation. Each annotated trip is accompanied by big colorful photos of awe-inspiring scenery: the pastoral highlands of England's Coast to Coast walk; Machu Picchu rising above the ruins on Peru's Inca Trail; austere glacial cirques in Colorado's Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The images, in fact, will have any game outdoorsperson chomping at their camelback and ready to hop on the next flight to one of these far-flung and sometimes isolated locales--so it's a good thing that there's so much more than pretty pictures. Route maps, walk profiles (showing difficulty levels and altitude gains), and "factfiles" set expectations and provide essential information (e.g., climate, flora and fauna, transport, background reading), while a detailed itinerary provides a suggested breakdown of daily mileages and camping spots. Some of the classic treks include the California Sierra's John Muir Trail, Vermont's Long Trail, part of the Pyrenean High Route between France and Spain, a Nepalese loop in the shadow of Everest, Mount Kenya in Africa, and New Zealand's Ring of Fire. Even if you don't manage to wear down your Vibram soles on any of these glorious trails, just flipping the pages of Classic Treks will stir the calf muscles and probably send you out the door to your nearest trailhead.

Review

"...both a sumptuous coffee-table book and a functional travel guide...would satisfy even the most seasoned hiker..." -- Esquire, June 2000

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082122655X
• ISBN-13: 978-0821226551
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #896,972 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with great suggestions and cautions, July 31, 2000

By	"rikie" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

I greatly enjoyed this book. The pictures and advice have prooved to be accurate and timely. The only addition I would add would be alternatives to trips that last longer than 3 or 4 days. It's a great book with great and useful information. I would recommend if for anyone who likes to dream of vacation well in advance and for whom planning and anticipation is half the fun.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book... pictures and information could be better., August 22, 2002

By	RSB - See all my reviews

Having been to 5 of the 30 I have noticed that the hikes are most definitely spectacular, but the photos in this book are not. They are nice, just not spectacular and if you are a professional photographer in front of something spectacular then you should be able to take a spectacular photograph.

Do not think you can plan a trip on the infomation in this book. It gives you a basic overview and a place to start your research.

The list of 30 is great and I hope that I can finish them all. I finished the longest in the book last summer and it was truly spectacular.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful read, March 18, 2005

By	K. M Merrill "justine" (Forest Grove, OR, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a great armchair book, I am inspired to do two new walks. wish there was a sequel, thisis a great book for checking out various classic walks, and decicding if they are for you. I love the format, please, please write another one.....