Borneo isn’t a country. It’s an island divided among three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The northern province of Sabah, Malaysia, is really where the good stuff is. That’s the part this blog post is about.

I got to do some pretty amazing things during my trip, which I’ll mention below. The even cooler thing is that most of the stuff I didn’t do there (yet) are the things the province is most famous for.

So, this blog post is divided into three parts: 1) the stuff I did in Sabah, 2) the other stuff Sabah is famous for (that I didn’t do), and 3) the most amazing thing in Sabah that barely anybody has heard about (and which I really, really want to go back for).

Here’s why everybody needs to visit Sabah at least once.

Epic Jungles And Wildlife

Sabah is a jungle-laden province of extreme biological diversity. It’s home to some of the richest ecosystems — both on land and undersea — in the world. (I’ll talk a bit more about the undersea part later.)

Because of this, Sabah has a well-developed ecotourism trail including birding tours, animal sanctuaries, canopy walks, ziplines, river-boat excursions, and other low-impact high-enjoyment ways to explore the exotic natural surroundings.

Crazy Caves

One thing that I remember very specifically as a young man is reading in National Geographic about men who climbed narrow bamboo poles hundreds of feet up cave walls to harvest the nests of swiftlets, which are used to make the coveted Chinese delicacy, birds nest soup.

For some reason, of all the colorful cultural practices described in the magazine, this one struck me as particularly intriguing and I never forgot it. I hadn’t thought about it for years when I discovered that one of the most famous places for the harvest of these nests is Gaomantong Cave in eastern Sabah.

It’s the biggest and most majestic caves I’ve ever entered. Outside are the quarters where the bird’s nest gatherers live.

Cool Markets

Borneo as a travel destination is known pretty much exclusively for it’s natural features. Kota Kinabalu — although not the most happening city in Asia — is a pretty nice spot to hang out. One of my favorite features are the markets, where you can buy a fresh, cheap meal, pick up groceries for your travels, or just kill an afternoon walking around. The seafood is highly recommended.

Elegant Mosques

Malaysians practice many faiths, primarily Isalm, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. The most popular is Islam, a very moderate type of which is practiced by just under 20% of the population. Sabah one of the few parts of Asia where you can admire the beautiful architecture that is unique to mosques. The most famous in Sabah is the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, or ‘Floating Mosque’ pictured below.

Orangutans

Orangutans are notoriously difficult to find. They are solitary creatures that wander large territories, usually alone. Aside from a lucky sighting in the wild, the only places a person is likely to see a live Orangutan is in captivity (which, for many reasons I won’t go into here, is far from ideal) or in a special environment, such as the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, which cares for animals displaced by farming and other human activities.

From what I could tell, this facility was run in accordance with the highest of ethical standards, which is very important to me. Visitors are restricted to a few walkways and are allowed to watch feeding, which is what attracts the orangutans to the viewing area. Interaction with the animals is forbidden, though curious young orangutans have been known to venture into the viewing area (check out the photos below).

Proboscis Monkeys

Perhaps the most interestig of all primates, the proboscis monkeys in Sabah are not to be missed. These mischevious big-nosed hooligans are definitely entertaining if nothing else.

These fellas can be spotted all around the province, but the best place to get up close to them is in the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, which is actually just down the road from the orangutan sanctuary.

The monkey sanctuary is quite different from the orangutan sanctuary. The monkey sanctuary is privately-owned and engages in practices that are much more questionable. Tourists are allowed to hand-feed the monkeys and to interact with them basically any way they want to. These types of practices pretty much guarantee that the monkeys would not be able to survive in the wild.

On the other hand, it’s not a zoo. They monkeys can roam in the jungle as they like and seem to have a very good quality of life. So, while I would not give this attraction the stamp of ‘ethical tourism’, I would not necessarily avoid it because the monkeys are treated either. I think this is a case where tourists have to decide for themselves what they feel is acceptable.

It’s also worth noting that these aren’t the only animal sanctuaries in town. There’s also a sun bear sanctuary.

Pygmy Elephants

I have to be perfectly honest; you’re probably not going to see any wild pygmy elephants when you visit Sabah. These guys are even harder to track down than wild orangutans.

I was extremely lucky during my trip to Sabah that the tourism board needed photos and were willing to roll the dice and provide me with a private specialist guide to go on a wild elephant hunt in hopes that we’d be able to find some.

Some local folks had spotted a herd of elephants near a village recently and I had a specialist guide. However, pygmy elephants walk dozens of miles each day and don’t stay in one place for long. So, even with those advantages, my guide still only gave us about a 50% chance of finding them during our 3 days together.

One really cool thing I found out later was that pygmy elephants were thought to be extinct until a study in 2003 examined the heritage of the Borneo Elephants.

Below are the photos I got.

Mount Kinabalu

The only encounter that I had with Mount Kinabalu was riding a motorcycle up it at night…with no lights. That was, uh, interesting.

I’m really disappointed I didn’t get to explore it more. Mount Kinabalu is one of the tallest mountains in Southeast Asia, and is definitely among the best-known.

While climbing Mount Kinabalu is high on my to-do list, there’s something even better there I want to do: via ferrata.

There’s a company called Mountain Torq operating via ferrata tours on Mount Kinabalu that look absolutely amazing. I want so badly to go back and climb Kinabalu with them.

Photo: Lincoln SL Photography

 Photo: johnjodeery

Photo: BluËSky BlÜe

The Insane Scuba Diving At Sipian and Mabul

Tell a diver you’ve been to Sabah, and there’s no doubt they’ll be jealous. Some of the world’s best scuba diving and snorkeling spots can be found off the coast of Sabah, including world-famous Mabul, Sipadan, and Layang-Layang. Just a short distance from the shore, divers can find everything from whale sharks, sea turtles and hammerheads to a rainbow of coral reef colors.

Travelers staying in Kota Kinabalu will enjoy the 20-minute boat to the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. This is an ideal place to start your diving or snorkeling excursion. The five islands are surrounded by shallow coral reefs that appear as though they were designed for novice underwater enthusiasts. However, even the most advanced divers won’t be disappointed when spotting the rare harlequin ghost pipefish, hawksbill turtles and whale sharks

Known as one of the world’s best places to dive, the underwater ecosystem off the coast of Sipadan Island offers more than 3,000 species of coral and fish to more advanced divers. Even more exciting to avid divers is the unique underwater “turtle tomb,” a cave system that’s full of sea turtle skeletons.

Just a short distance from Sipadan is the world-renowned muck diving destination of Mabul Island. While dive permits are required in Sipadan, they are not required here. Divers travel from around the world to snap photos of the reef inhabitants, including octopi, squids and an abundance of macro life. See what waits beneath the water’s surface in the photos below.

Photo: cakeordeath
Photo:Avoini

Photo: Gingergeek

The Exotic Islands

Some of of the coolest parts of visiting Sabah are the numerous opportunities to get on the water and explore nearby islands. Mari Mari Sepanggar Island takes just 15 minutes to reach by boat, and only a few dozen people are allowed to visit each day. There’s nothing quite like being transported to an island paradise and only having to share with it a handful of people at a time. Similarly, Mantanani Island is just 45 minutes from Kota Kinabalu by boat, yet it offers ideal opportunities to snorkel and explore. Several of the islands near Kota Kinabalu also offer hotels, making it possible to turn a quick day trip into a mini vacation.

Sabah, Borneo’s northeastern coastline is home to the city of Sandakan. Just 40 kilometers off the coast, in the Sulu Sea, is the world-famous Turtle Island Park. This safe haven for hawksbill and green turtles offers adventurous travelers the ability to watch as turtles come to shore to lay their eggs and witness baby turtles being released into the sea. The boat ride from the Sabah Park Jetty in Sandakan to the the largest Turtle Island Park island of Sandakan takes just 1 hour. Check out the pictures below.

Photo: Eddie Yip

Photo: Eddie Yip

Photo: garycycles8

The Best Kept Secret In Borneo: The ‘Lost World’ – Maliau Basin

The title “Lost World” is enough to draw any avid adventurer to Sabah’s Maliau Basin. It’s discovery is something out of an Indiana Jones movie. In 1947 a British pilot was flying through thick fog. He emerged from it to find a solid wall of rock directly in front of him. He veered hard and narrowly avoided the wall, which rose 915m above the jungle floor. This was the first modern human contact with what is now called the Maliau Basin, or Lost World of Borneo. Thanks to natural barriers it’s more-or-less evolutionarily distinct from the surrounding areas and it’s never been inhabited by humans.

Home to 12 forest types, many of which are rare, and the famed seven-tiered Maliau Falls, the Lost World is every nature lover’s’ dream come true. This remote and isolated area spanning 58,840 hectares is most ideal for jungle trekking, bird watching, waterfall swimming and snapping photos of rare wildlife. See the beauty of this basin, the places that have been discovered at least (many have yet to be explored), in the photos below.

This place truly mystifies me. Next time I return to Sabah, it will be to visit the Maliau Basin.

Photo: Tianyake

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

Photo: Lee Teck Seng

Have you ever been to Borneo? Would you like to visit? What would you like to see there most?

What would you like to see there most? Let me know in the comments!

The post Why Every Traveler Needs To Visit Borneo Once appeared first on XpatMatt.

Because of my work, I have a lot of online friends — people I’ve only spoken to through chat and email and other written communications. They all know I’m Canadian. I’m fairly well-known online as one of those Canadian travel bloggers.

But when first meet people and start to talk eyes widen and jaws go slack. “You really are Canadian.” They’ll say after I let fly a monologue filled with ‘eh’s and ‘oh yeah’s.

Since I’m so well-known as a being a Canadian blogger, I think it’s about time I paid tribute to the Great White North as a travel destination. So, here are my favorite adventures from the land that of flannel, Tim Hortons, and John Candy.

My favorite so far, that is…

Maligne Canyon Icewalk

The Maligne Canyon is one of those rare geographic oddities that allows you to see nature at work in bizarre and spectacular ways that you’d never before conceived of, like Antelope Canyon in Utah or the Doorway to Hell in Turkmenistan.

Maligne Canyon sits on the seam between two tectonic plates. It’s very narrow, about 5-10 meters (15-30 feet) wide with sheer walls rising up to 45 meters (150 feet). During the summer the canyon filled with water. But in the winter, when everything is frozen, the river drops below ground, enabling visitors to walk along the canyon floor.

This is where the fun begins. Water constantly seeps into the sides of canyon through cracks and caves, so the canyon walls become covered in otherworldly ice formations from waterfalls, to inverted droplets, to long horizontal bars. There are several ice caves along the walk, including one enormous one at the end beneath a tall waterfall that’s popular with local ice climbers.

This is by far one of the most geographically interesting and visually mesmerizing hikes I’ve ever been on. I highly recommend it.

For more photos of the Maligne Canyon Icewalk and other winter adventures in Jasper, check out my post: #MyJasper: Adventurers Only

Canoeing the Manigotagan River

The Manigotagan is a long river that meanders through the wilderness of Manitoba. Several years ago, I was fortunate to have been invited on a week long canoe trip on the river.

On my arrival, I learned many things. First, I learned that there is an entire culture of paddlers who spent much of their leisure time canoe tripping around the rivers and lakes of the Canadian Shield.

I also learned canoeing is supremely hard. The paddling part is relatively easy, but when rapids make the river impassable, and you have to carry all your gear and the canoes through kilometers of bush over rocky terrain (this is called portaging), it becomes grueling.

I also learned that Manitoba mosquitoes swarm into the air the moment the sun dips beyond the horizon, which makes sunset the official bedtime. From these lessons, I concluded that paddlers — who save money and sick days all year long to blow them on these tiring, mosquito-clouded trips — are slightly insane.

I also learned that you can cook cinnamon buns using camping gear and that Manitoba has some of the most beautiful and desolate landscapes in Canada. You can see more photos of that trip here.

Climbing Fishers Peak

My hometown of Cranbrook, British Columbia sits in the valley between the Rocky Mountains and and a mountain range called the Purcells. The rockies tower over the western landscape, but among them one peak rises significantly above the others: Fishers Peak. The hike ubiquitously known in the region as one of the most challenging and rewarding.

I didn’t try the hike until I was 33-years-old. It lived up to the stories. It was a grueling steep hike, climbing 1400 meters over just 10 kilometers of trail. By the end of the 12-hour round-trip everyone’s legs were sore and tired.

But it was more than worth it. The peak offers an unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains that seem to continue endlessly into the distance for 360 degrees.

See all the pictures from that trip here.

Snowboarding Everywhere

If you read my blog you know that I love snowboarding a lot.

Like, A LOT.

That’s because I grew up on the ski hill. I had a season’s pass every winter from the time I was 3 until I was 18-years-old. Now, I’m the author of the About.com Snowboarding Guide and every winter I put my travels on hold and return to Canada to do ‘research’.

I’ve ridden in Montana, Washington, California, Colorado, and Utah. They’re all spectacular places, but I’ll always have a special reverence for the wild Canadian Rockies which have an expansiveness that creates — for me at least — a more personal and spiritual feeling.

Whether hiking the local hill in the preseason with my brother, drinking beer and ripping spring turns with friends at Lake Louise, or exploring the remote backcountry of Jasper National Park, the Canadian Rockies will always be my favorite playground.

For more of my best skiing and snowboarding photos from over the years, check out this page.

The post My 4 Favorite Canadian Adventures (So Far) appeared first on XpatMatt.

The golden spires of the Thailand’s ubiquitous Buddhist temples juxtaposed with their exotic tropical surroundings and the country’s diverse geography of emerald jungle, aqua waterfalls, white sand beaches, and craggy cliffs, have enchanted visitors tourists who travel to Thailand for decades.

Some prefer to spend their time in the popular destination taking photos of temples and markets, while others tend toward the exciting mix of outdoor adventures available in the country’s mountains, rivers, and oceans such as Thailand hiking and climbing. We, however, prefer a mix of both. The following are our favourite excursions for mixing culture and excitement in the Land of Smiles.

Trekking and Temple Hopping in the North

Chiang Mai is often referred to as the gateway to the North. The city is known for the temples and markets within, and the caves, waterfalls, and trails in the surrounding mountains, which are some of the Himalayas most distant foothills.

Many of the oldest temples were built in the Lanna Thai style, dating back to the 13th century when the Lanna Thai Kingdom existed in northern Thailand. Wat Phra Singh temple in Chiang Mai’s one of our favourites and is a must see when you’re in town and inevitably wandering through the Old City.

Chiang Mai is also a popular jumping off point for multi-day treks through the surrounding mountains, but we prefer to traverse the country’s mountains on the back of a mountain bike. Bikes are readily available in the city, reasonably-priced, and local operators offer several tours that visit waterfalls, lakes, and remote villages and temples.

Elephant tours are also quite popular, but are also considered unethical by many because it’s almost impossible to keep an elephant working all day and also allow it to eat as much as it needs to stay healthy (elephants normally eat basically the whole time they’re awake). So, if you’d like a close encounter with Thailand’s most iconic animal, we recommend heading instead to the nature park, where you get up close and help to clean the tenants.

Climb the Cliffs of Krabi

Limestone cliffs, sheltered beaches, and majestic caves have blessed Krabi with one of the most spectacular skylines in Thailand and created an ideal environment for climbers. Hop aboard a ferry or long boat from Ao Nang Beach in Krabi to Railay, and you’ll find a remote adventure-lovers paradise.

Railey is known for its powder-white beaches and limestone rock formations that attract climbers from around the world. More than 700 rock climbing routes make Railay one of the world’s most varied and picturesque climbing destinations. The deep water free-climb (climbing without ropes safely above the open ocean) is one route everyone has to try at least once.

Then sneak away from East Railay Bay, where development has begun to take over, and head to Phra Nang Bay. Fine flour-like sand, crystal-clear water, and jagged cliffs make this one of the most attractive beaches in the country. It’s also home to Phra Nang Cave and the unique phallus shrine that resides inside of it.

Nearby Tonsai Bay is like something out of a movie — a more hippy version of Railey where climbing remains unspoiled, life is simple, and attachment to civilization is minimal. Electricity is only turned on for a few hours a day, Internet access is limited, and the atmosphere is as laid-back as you’re likely to find. We love the Countryside Resort and it’s affordable tidy bungalows for affordable prices. Their Mountain View King Suite offers one of the best views in Tonsai.

Take in the Sights at Phanom Rung

If you’ve travelled to Angkor Wat, you’ll notice similarities in Thailand’s Phanom Rung Historical Park in the eastern Buriram Province, near the Cambodian border. Sitting atop a 402-metre-tall extinct volcano, the ancient khmer temple is at once remote, historical, and spectacular. The moderate hike to the temple only takes about 15 minutes, but will get your heart pumping.

Phanom Rung was constructed between the 10th and 13th centuries as a shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The structure went through a 17-year-long restoration process and officially opened as a historical park in 1988. The temple is much smaller than Angkor Wat and doesn’t get as crowded, but we recommend arriving early in the morning to experience it when the warm glow of the sunrise and hypnotic sounds of the awakening jungle create a mystical atmosphere. Plan on spending at least two to three hours exploring the park and snapping photos of the paddy fields below.

If you’re lucky enough to visit Phanom Rung in early April, be sure to attend the Phanom Rung Festival. Traditional Brahmin ceremonies and light and sound shows at the temple provide an experience unlike anywhere else in Thailand.

Visitors often don’t realize how big the country is before they travel to Thailand. While these some of our favourite highlights from the country, they are just a small sample of activities from a few corners of the jungle-covered, beach-lined nation. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll find no shortage of outdoors adventures and cultural activities.

The post Travel to Thailand: Explore Majestic Temples and Experience the Outdoors appeared first on XpatMatt.

My Favorite Clothes of the Summer

While at the Winter Outdoor Retailer retailer conference I stumbled across a brand that I’d dreamt of for a long time — a brand that is socially conscious and makes outdoors clothes that are functional and packable, but that also look stylish when you’re out on the town. That brand is called Nau.

Shirt

In this photo, only my t-shirt is by Nau, but you can expect to see more from them on my gear updates in the future. This Nau Ayre t-shirt is a blend of organic cotton and Tencel, a quick-drying fibre. It’s lightweight, breathable, packable, and looks awesome.

Shorts

The shorts are the USA-made Osmium Point Six Pant.

My Outdoor Photography Gear

If you’ve been following my blog for any period of time, you know that I spend a lot of time outdoors taking photographs and compiling photoessays. I’m constantly on the lookout for new gear to help keep my cameras safe and creating the best images in a wide variety of environments.

Favorite Camera Bag

I’ve gone through a lot of camera bags in search of the ultimate outdoors bag for my gear. his year I’ve been using a 15L LowePro Flipside Sport, which is made specifically for outdoors photography. It carries a ton of gear, has a pocket specifically for a hydration system, comes with a rain cover, and, my favourite part, it rotates from your back to front on a waistband and then drops down and opens from the rear, effectively creating a table on which you can change cameras and lenses rather than putting your gear down in the dirt, mud, snow, or whatever other nastiness may be on the ground.

Hiking Shoes

I love shopping online for cheap outdoors gear. I picked up a sweet pair of Patagonia hiking shoes that I wear for all be the must extreme hikes (the were prefect for climbing to Angel’s Landing).  I was fortunate enough to run into the folks from Boa closure systems, who added their patented closure system to the shoes, which actually makes the shoes lighter (when wet) and fit better. Now I’m loathing the day that I’ll have to replace them.

Main Camera Body

Nikon D90: I love this camera, but I’m hoping to upgrade to the D600 soon and relegate this one to backup body.

Second Camera Body

Nikon D80: Which I will hopefully soon retire to the position of backup-backup camera. Interested in this camera? Make me an offer!

Lenses

I shoot with all Nikkor lenses. I usually carry a 20mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.8, 18-105mm f/3.5 – 5.6, and 100 – 300mm f/4.5 – 5.6.

Video and Underwater 

I recently upgraded to a GoPro Hero 3 silver edition. It’s fantastic. The images are beautiful and the underwater capabilities are much better than the previous models.

My Mobile Office

Both of my jobs are remote, so I frequently work on the road. My mobile office is pretty much just a 13″ Macbook Pro (though I’m planning to upgrade soon).

Last year I also picked up an Eagle’s Nest Outfitters Reactor hammock. It packs small and light, and can be put up in about ten seconds using the company’s Slap Strap.

What’s your favorite gear for travel and work? Have any suggestions for how I can improve my collection?

The post My Favorite Travel Gear from this Summer appeared first on XpatMatt.

The Angel’s Landing Trail

The hike to Angel’s Landing (formerly known as the Temple of Aeolus) is well-known as being one of the most spectacular hikes in Zion National Park in Utah, which places it among the most beautiful hikes in the world. However, it’s also one of the most dangerous.

The trail to Angel’s Landing is only 3.9 kilometres (2.4 miles), but it rises nearly 500 meters (1500 feet), making it steep and challenging. The dangerous part comes near the end when fatigued hikers must cross a narrow spine of rock and across exposed ledges to the landing. The view from the landing, though, is definitely worth it. Then, hikers have to return the way they came.

It’s one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done (it about ties with Fisher’s Peak).

The hike takes most people around 3 – 6 hours round trip.

Our Hike to Angel’s Landing

My girlfriend Emilie and I visited Zion with our friend Danielle from Canada who had grabbed a cheap flight to the USA.

Personal vehicles are prohibited in most of Zion National Park, so we took the shuttle bus from the campsite to the sixth bus stop, the Grotto Trailhead, where we zipped into the Zion Lodge to grab a quick cup of coffee to jump start our hike.

Almost immediately we crossed the Virgin River, which had turned the colour of chocolate milk because rain further up the canyon had washed large amounts of Zion’s famous orange dirt into the river.

The Climb to Scout’s Landing

The West Rim Trail slowly climbed across a low-lying plain toward the canyon walls. After about thirty or forty minutes of walking the trail turned into switchbacks that climbed steeply toward Refrigerator Canyon. Huffing and puffing, we took several short breaks during the climb.

In the canyon we came to Walter’s Wiggles, a set of narrow switchbacks carved into an incredibly steep face of rock and held in place by retaining walls. As we rested at one of the switchbacks we heard a loud rumble.

It was falling rocks.

We couldn’t see the rocks, but the rumble was as loud as if they were on top of us because the narrow canyon contained the sound. Danielle was very scared. She’d been convinced they were falling right on us.

We waited a moment to calm our nerves before we continued.

When we got to the top of Walter’s Wiggles we were all winded, so we stopped for a minute to rest. There were several groups of people standing around just up ahead of us. We had arrived at Scout’s Landing.

The First HIker Bites the Dust

“I’m going to wait here.” Said Danielle. Danielle isn’t a fan of heights at the best of times. After being startled by the rock fall, she definitely wasn’t interested in navigating the narrow precipitous trail to Angel’s Landing.

Danielle wasn’t the only person who felt that way. Scout’s Landing was filled with people waiting for friends who had continued on.

Emilie and I left Danielle and continued down the trail. We crossed section of narrow exposed trail hundreds of feet high. The only security was a chain bolted into the cliffside to hold.

At the other side we came to a large plateau. The view was incredible, so we stopped to take a photo. It was the photo at the beginning of this post.

And Then There Was One

Then Emilie looked at the rest of the trail to Angel’s Landing and informed that she would not be joining me. I could see why.

This is what the trail looked like.

I went on alone. I didn’t blame Emilie for turning back. The trail looked had very precarious. The truth was, though, that the most exposed section of trail was the one that we had already crossed to get to the plateau. Although the trail looked sketchy from a distance, there was only one more short section that was exposed.

Finally, I arrived at Angel’s Landing. It was a long tongue of bare rock. About halfway across it was a wind-gnarled tree. And at the end, was this view.

Check out my photoessay of Angel’s Landing

The post Hiking to Angel’s Landing appeared first on XpatMatt.

Guest post by Sloan Dorr

Patrick and I had picked up a fellow wanderluster at the Canadian boarder. Ha had translucent skin and was tall and skinnier than my pinky finger with long shaggy hair and a malt liquor habit. He’d ride a skateboard everywhere if he could, carries a pen and paper for his art, and is always waiting for a bone to heal, a cut to scab, or a bruise to lose its color. One of those guys that wears a wool hat in the summertime because he’s cold, not because he’s a hipster. His hands are always stained with ink because he can’t stop drawing charicatures. They’re crude, but really good.

We lent him a down jacket, fed him and learned that he had never explored the coast — never played in the Red Woods or viewed the mountains from another mountain. This was the trip where my Gypsy Family was born. I had recently quit my jobbecause it made me unhappy, tired, and fat. I flew west from Baltimore with no plans other than to wander sunny California and explore the redwoods of Oregon with my friend Patrick.

“Sloan. Sloan.” Patrick’s voice was serious but excited. We were thinking the same thing. He has to come. Ethan is coming to Yosemite; the Gypsy family is staying together and we’re backpacking Yosemite.

It was something we had been planning on doing with Patrick’s friends from San Diego. Ethan hadn’t been considered for the trip, but why not? Why not bring a kid that runs out of breath walking from the truck to the grocery store? His summer plans consisted of having no plans. He was wandering between friends houses and his mother’s boyfriend’s house—he didn’t feel welcome anywhere. None of us really did. We wanted to let him explore what we knew was out there, show him what it’s like to spend a few days with out his skateboard and cell phone and leave behind accusation. The trees wouldn’t judge him.

With out telling Ethan we silently planned on him coming. We made room for him in the truck and borrowed gear for his wandering, broke ass. We were traveling with Patrick the sales man, so we had to follow his backwards travel schedule. We headed up to Mount Hood for him to work and to do a pre-Yosemite trial run. We had a group of seven. Jumping over snow and wading through rivers to a waterfall left my Gypsy Brother exhausted. When he discovered we had hiked 4 miles in, he realized we had to hike 4 miles out.

The nervousness on his face showed through his thin lips. He didn’t crack another smile for hours. He pulled his hat down low over his eyes and rolled his shirt sleeves up. His thin arms swam in the sleeves of the black Volcom t-shirt. Head down, arms pumping, Ethan led the group. He rounded the corners and cut the switchbacks before anyone else, no one could keep up. His only companion was Otto, who had the advantage of four legs instead of our two. Towards the end we all caught up and saw the look of accomplishment and satisfaction in Ethan’s face.

At this point Ethan still had no idea of the plans we had for him. Ethan got a taste of it at Mount Hood, but had yet to fully experience it.

It; The vastness, amazingness, hugeness, and incredibleness of looking at a mountain and hiking over it, around it, or through it. Stepping back and realizing just how small you are and how big this world is. Realizing that you can do it, you can go that far.

Fast forward to the morning we woke in Yosemite—Ethan, climbed out of the back of the truck already complaining of the cold while our two other friends made coffee and examined the cheap map the park had given us. Our daypacks were packed full of half peanut butter sandwiches, Lara Bars, not enough water, and Coors that quickly warmed as our hike began to the Ten Lakes.

12 miles, 15 tops for a round trip hike you guys. Patrick assured us he could read the map. All our trust was in the idea that this 15 mile hike would be over in time to grill our steaks, make a pot of chili, and drink cold beers when we got back. Five hours after my first swallow of water we sat on a rock ledge and sipped our warm Coors, each holding the can up to match depcition of the mountain on the can with the real thing. It didn’t matter that we weren’t looking at the Rockies that were represented on the Coors can. The mountains in front of us were spectacular.

“Fucking sick man,” Ethan said under his breath, his Canadian accent barely audible. He was feeling it. I could see him forgetting about what he’d left behind in the city. He sees the world in front of him. He turned around and looked where we had come from and he faced forward and looked where we were going, what lay ahead for the rest of the day, for the rest of the summer, the year…

Another 6 hours passed. We were drunk with dehydration and dragging our feet while silently cursing the map-reader and his poor decisions. This 15-mile hike appeared to be closer to 30 miles. The map was tattered from all of us fingering it, trying to decide which way to go. We figured it would shortest to continue in the direction we were going. We’d hit a road eventually and be able to find our campsite from there. Thirty miles from camp with very little water and no food, Ethan started singing:

O Canada!

Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command

Tired, hungry, thirsty and sick of being in the woods, Ethan did the only thing he could think of to lift our spirits, he sang. He sang a song that none of us knew and made us laugh when his voice cracked. He only knew the first few lines. Hours passed after the sun had set. We had two headlamps between five hikers. We continued singing: Christmas carols, 90’s pop, Backstreet Boys, folk songs, jingles from our favorite commercials… we began feeding off one another’s energy.

We also took turns feeling too weak to go on, too tired to care if we ever made it out, and sometimes so negative about the situation that we wanted to sit on a rock, pray we didn’t freeze to death, and sleep until the sun rose again. But then we’d remember how amazing the lakes looked and push on. Someone would bring up the fact that we had steak to grill upon return to the campsite, we had left cold beers in the cooler. Camp was near, we could taste it. We’d sing another song, a goofier, stupider song to get us around the next switch back. We were a team pushing through the night to make it out healthy and alive. Well, at least alive.

Ethan led us for many miles. His confidence from having discovered the wilderness and appreciating the beauty of nature pushed him forward. I watched him transform from a street kid with no ambition to a guy that wanted to learn about hiking shoes and why hikers wear wool socks instead of cotton.

I watched a kid begin to care about where he was in the world and what he was doing. The double miles of our hike made the beer that much colder and the steak that much more tender. After a full day day and half the night in the woods we sat down to a meal and reminisced about we had just done. We’d come full circle back to the campsite and were already laughing about what had just happened.

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Quite the opposite is true. It’s often the trips that happen spontaneously — the ones where expectations are low that are taken with good friends just for the hell of it — that turn out best.

I’m an outdoors and travel writer, so I’ve spent a lot of time hopping around the globe searching for ‘best’ experiences to write about (we journalists strangely feel that if something isn’t the biggest, best, or longest, it’s not worth writing about). I can’t claim to be hard core climber, but when I climb mountains, I try to go big. I climbed Jade Mountain in Taiwan (said to be the tallest in East Asia) and Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park and those were great experiences.

They don’t compare, however, to the time that I climbed Fisher’s Peak, near my home in Cranbrook B.C.

It was a trip planned on whim, the evening before the ascent. I was home visiting my family between trips to the Philippines and Utah. The conversation turned to Fisher’s Peak, a well-known local climb that I had, for some reason, never done. So, my girlfriend Emilie, my brother, and I decided that we would do it the next day. If we left early, we’d be able to be back before dark.

Emilie didn’t know my family well, and I hadn’t seen my brother in over a year. As we climbed toward the peak, my brother and I caught up on old news, and he got to know Emilie.

All day, we saw just one other hiker on the trail, a woman with her dogs.

That is what hiking is meant to be — quality time with people you enjoy in a beautiful place.

When I climbed Jade Mountain, we were in a rush to stay ahead of the pack of climbers we knew was behind us. We were on a one-day permit, so we didn’t have time to meander around, explore, and simply enjoy the experience.

When I climbed Angel’s Landing I was on a trail with hundreds of others, having to stop ever few minutes to edge by somebody on their way down.

Although they were great experiences, they can’t compare to what I experienced that day on Fisher’s Peak.

Don’t forget your backyard. That’s where you play the most. That’s where you don’t have to worry about planning, budgets, and time limits. That’s where you end up with friends, exploring and discovering.

And, sometimes, you end up someplace just as beautiful as those considered the ‘biggest’ and ‘best’.

If you don’t believe me, check out more of the photos I took on Fisher’s Peak.

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I used to live in Taiwan. That was where I developed a taste for taking on ridiculously difficult challenges with little or no preparation. I had a friend there named Jeremy Taws. He also liked to take on ridiculous physical challenges without considering the consequences.

Jeremy and I would meet at night to go for 20km runs and stop along the way to do pushups and sit-ups. We’d finish around midnight and then go for Chinese food at a local restaurant or get drunk.

Individually, we believed in our ability to do anything we put our minds to. When we got together we talked about epic journeys, like cycling from Hong Kong to Casa Blanca and kayaking from Taiwan to the Philippines.

We also talked about climbing Jade Mountain — which is normally a two-day trip — in a single day. When the opportunity came up, we grabbed it. Physically, we were up to the challenge.

Mentally, however, it would be a different story. Our combined intelligence, as it turned out, would not be sufficient to get us to the summit.

The Jade Mountain (Yushan) Trail

Jade Mountain is a symbol of national pride in Taiwan. Like I mentioned, it’s considered my many to be the tallest peak in East Asia. Not everyone agrees on that because there are all sorts of different ways of measuring mountains and interpretations of what area “East Asia” includes. Argumentative geographic douchebaggery aside, it’s a very popular mountain to climb.

Taiwan is densely populated. It has a population about 2/3 the size of Canada’s in an area smaller than Lake Superior. The trail to the peak of Jade Mountain is possibly the most popular hike in Taiwan — which means there are a lot of people in the country that want to hike the trail each year, and that’s before you factor in peakbaggers coming from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, and Malaysia and the rest of the world.

For safety and environmental reasons, the trail is limited to a certain number of visitors each day. To deal with the excessive demand for hiking permits, the parks department holds a lottery for permits several months in advance.

If you are lucky enough to win the lottery, you’re given a permit for dates that cannot be changed. If the weather is bad, you’re out of luck. If you can’t get the time off of work, too bad. I had twice obtained permits to climb Jade Mountain only to have the trips cancelled because of circumstances.

The hike to the peak is very steep. From trailhead to peak is only 10.9 kilometres, but it climbs nearly 1400m. The vast majority of permits given are for two-day trips, during which one night spent at the Paiyun Lodge in the park. Although it’s possible, relatively few climbers attempt to summit Jade Mountain in one day.

Last fall, however, we learned that the Paiyun Lodge was being renovated, so the park was not issuing two-day permits and, since few people try to climb the mountain in one day, there was no lottery. We would be able to get a one-day permit — and we did.

Preparation

Climbers who attempt one-day ascents of Yushan usually leave the campsite around 3:30 am. The drive from Tainan to the campsite would take about four hours. So, we decided to leave Tainan mid-afternoon on Saturday, arrive around dusk, and try to get a few hours of sleep before starting the climb on Sunday morning.

The trip required little preparation. We both brought tents, sleeping bags, headlamps, and water. On our way out of town we stopped at a large grocery store to buy provisions. I stocked up on fruit and trail mix for the following day.

“Hey, you want a luchbox for dinner?” Jeremy asked me at one point.

“Sure.” I replied.

A lunchbox is a staple of Taiwanese dining. It is a small box that usually include a piece of chicken or pork, a couple of sides of vegetables, and some rice. The quality of lunchboxes varies greatly. Some are healthy delicious packets of nutrition, and some are greasy slabs of soggy nastiness, depending on where you buy them.

The Attempt

We arrived at the campsite near dusk and set up camp. Then it was time for dinner. The lunchboxes that Jeremy had bought were greasy slabs of soggy nastiness — some of the worst I’ve ever seen. I ate a few bits of the chicken before throwing it away. Luckily, I wasn’t very hungry.

Jeremy, however, is not as picky as me. He ate his whole lunchbox and then we climbed into our tents to try and get some sleep.

I woke up around 2 a.m. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, so I went to the van to read. Jeremy heard me walking around and got up too. Since we were both awake, we decided to get an early start — but not until we had some breakfast. I ate some trail mix and fruit. Jeremy ate another one of those nasty lunchboxes (he had bought three). How he managed to force down that disgusting chicken leg covered in congealed grease is beyond me.

Jeremy is an animal.

We started up the trail at a brisk, but sustainable, pace planning to stop every couple of hours for a short snack break. Jeremy complained that his stomach was upset. I made fun of him for eating so much greasy nastiness. After a while, though, it became clear that the food was having a significant effect on his performance.

Jeremy began walking slower than me, which was definitely not normal for him. Jeremy was usually the one trying to go to fast while I’d try to slow him down.

We arrived at the Paiyun Lodge, just two kilometres short of the peak, around 10am. Jeremy was feeling awful, talking about having chills and stomach pains. We were both also exhausted and starting to slow down. We took a short break.

At the lodge the trail split. One narrow trail ran along the side of the lodge and appeared to dead end behind it. The other started uphill toward the park ranger’s cabin. We started up that trail.

As we traversed a hillside in the dawn, I began to realize that Jeremy was becoming delirious. We’d walk in silence for a while, and then he’d suddenly ask me something like, “Did you hear somebody shout?” or, “Is there somebody up on that ridge?”

Those were things that he possibly could have noticed that I had missed while lost in thought, but I was sure something was wrong when he commented, “Somebody had a good time up here.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The Taiwan Beer can.” He replied, pointing at the ground.

There was no Taiwan Beer can.

“You’re hallucinating, Jeremy.”

“Shit, really?” He squinted and stared at the spot on the ground. “Whoah,” he said, shaking his head.

We were very close to the peak, and there were no sketchy parts on the trail, so we pushed on, but I was concerned. We were on a steep hillside and would likely have to do some scrambling before we reached the summit.

The trail continued to climb and entered a forest. Suddenly, we found ourselves standing in the middle of the forest with nowhere else to go. The trail ended. We could see no ground above us. At the end of the forest was a cliff.

This was not right. I had seen photos of the peak of Jade Mountain. It’s a rocky peak with a 360-degree view (which I had been hoping to photograph).

Then I recalled the sign on the trail near the cabin. I had barely noticed it. It said, “East Peak”. It had not occurred to me that there could be more than one peak. We had climbed the wrong one.

Not that our mistake had saved us any effort. The East Peak is 3869m, which puts it less than 100m lower than the summit at 3952m.

We got all the work, and none of the view. We could hardly see anything. So, after walking around in the forest and a nice long rest, we started down.

Jeremy stopped hallucinating, though his stomach continued to bother him. We passed numerous hikers coming up the trail.

We had been on the trail for nearly twelve hours at that point. Our muscles were overflowing with lactic acid, and every step was uncomfortable. We began complaining.

“I can’t wait ’till this is over.”

“I am NEVER coming back here.”

“Yeah, fuck this place. Lets get home.”

We spent the drive home vowing along never to put ourselves through such an ordeal again.

Back to Normal

The next day Jeremy called me.

“Dude, I can’t believe we didn’t make it to the summit. We have to go back. They didn’t even check our permits. We could totally sneak up in the dark.”

“Well, it’s still a few weeks before the park closes for the winter…”

The post How We Missed the Peak of Jade Mountain by Less Than 100 Meters appeared first on XpatMatt.

Steven Gough, a 53-year-old hiker who spent most of the past six years in jail for refusing to wear clothes, was released today from Perth Prison in Scotland yesterday because of a change in police policy.

Gough is very serious about nakedness. The former Royal Marine and truck driver first made headlines in 2003 when he walked cross-country from Land’s End to John O’Groats in the buff.

Obviously, he was arrested. But, still, he refused to cover up.

Gough then attempted to repeat the feat in 2005-2006 with his girlfriend Melanie Roberts. He was arrested more than 20 times, including once in court for appearing naked in front of a judge.

Gough had been in jail pretty much ever since 2006 for wearing only his signature beard and boots, although in July 2009 he was released for about 30 seconds before being arrested, once again, for insisting on remaining ‘natural’ in public.

On Tuesday, after a change to police policy, he was finally released. He walked out of jail in his birthday suit once again. This time, however, he was allowed to go free.

“My opinion is that the police have thought, The guy’s not going to give up, so let’s have a think about it,” said Gough.

Whatever the reason, I think it’s awesome. It’s ridiculous to imprison a person just because he likes to let his johnson swing when he walks. Nudity should be a right to anyone who chooses it, though, personally, I think there’s be more support for the idea if we had a more olympians choosing it and fewer bearded old men.

Lead image is by La Tête Krançien and is for illustrative purposes only. That man is NOT Steven Gough. Gough’s picture can be seen here. 

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If you have finished school you might now be considering a gap year that involves hiking around the world with a backpack and good pair of walking boots.

If so, it’s important to be prepared beforehand: take enough money, do your paperwork, and make sure that you get travel insurance (click here to compare quotes at MoneySupermarket).

Now that you’re ready, here are some places for you to consider for a memorable experience.

Machu Picchu in Peru

Photo by szeke

Peru’s Inca trail might be considered a well-worn one, but that is for good reason, as it is definitely worth seeing.

The hike takes you through diverse habitats, from steamy jungle to crisp alpine heights. You will not only see Peru’s natural stunning beauty, but also the historical wonders of its ancient people.

For the history buffs, the trail passes three sets of Inca ruins and finishes at the famous Machu Picchu. Hikers can then climb one of the most iconic constructions on Earth.

Take a dip in Nepal

Photo by Dey

For those who want a more spiritual journey, Nepal is the perfect location. And if you are interested in something a little different to the usual destinations of Kathmandu and Everest there is the Annapurna circuit.

Hike from the sub-tropics to the mountains with plenty to see and do along the way. Meet the local people, visit temples and tea houses and, after all that hiking, have a well-deserved soak by relaxing in a hot spring.

Climb the Highest Walkable Mountain

Photo by Jorge Lascar

If you would like to climb a tall mountain but don’t feel ready for the physical and technical challenges Everest presents, then Mount Kilimanjaro is an excellent second choice.

No special climbing skills or equipment are needed, which is why Kilimanjaro has been called the world’s highest walkable mountain. That doesn’t mean the climb is easy, but it is definitely worth it.

Hike around Mount Doom

Photo by  eliduke

The Tongariro Northern Circuit, on New Zealand’s North Island, winds through active volcanic regions for dramatic views while hiking. You will pass pools of boiling mud, valleys carved by glaciers and the Emerald Lakes, which are craters filled with water.

The trail is roughly 35 kilometres across a landscape that looks out of this world. And yes, while on it you will walk around Mount Ngaurube, the active volcano used as Mount Doom in the film of Lord of the Rings.

Watery Walks in Utah

Photo by Steve Corey

Hiking doesn’t just have to be up high mountain peaks. If you don’t mind getting your feet wet, then hiking through the canyons of the Zion Narrows in America’s south-western state of Utah is an incredible experience.

As the name implies, the slot canyons are high but narrow and made of sandstone carved by water over millions of years. The walls ascend over 3000 feet and are only 22 feet across the top at their narrowest point – a two-mile area known as ‘Wall Street’.

Be aware, though, that it can be an incredibly risky hike. The area is prone to flash floods which claim hikers’ lives every year. Check the forecast carefully beforehand to make sure that there is absolutely no rain predicted.

Whatever you decide on, stay safe and try to avoid getting too many blisters!

About the Author

Chris Rowlands-Barber is an online media specialist and lover of hiking and travel. 

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