Kyle FrostExplorer

Barichara is a sleepy little town outside of San Gil. Wander the cobblestone streets and walk out to the viewpoint on the top of the town for magnificent views of the valley below. A great way to spend an afternoon if you're staying in San Gil (just jump on a bus at the station or ask your hostel). 

 Rising 20,548 ft above sea level, Chimborazo is nearly 9,000 ft shorter than Everest. However, because the Earth bulges a bit around the equator, Chimborazo is actually the point on Earth furthest from the core and closest to the sun!Your climb will begin at the Whymper Refugio at the base of the mountain, around an hour and a half outside of Riobamba. You'll be surrounded by guides and other ...

Reaching the Castillo is easy. Just a short walk from the walled city (where most people stay), you can explore this fortress that protected Cartagena for centuries. You can wander the fortresses extensive tunnel system, see views of the entire city, or take an audio tour.  

You'll want to leave your hotel or hostel in Siem Reap by 5am at the latest. Don't bother pre-arranging transportation, there will be tuk tuk drivers roaming the streets looking for people headed to the temple. If you haven't bought your Angkor Wat pass yet, I'd recommend leaving even earlier. The line can be crazy.After arriving at the temples, walk across the Angkor Wat gateway into the main...

Most people opt for a day trip to Laguna 69. You'll get picked up by your tour in Huaraz early in the morning, drive 3 hours to the trailhead, hike to the laguna (which is spectacular), take pictures with dozens of other people, and then head back down to return to Huaraz. Here's a more adventurous alternative!Instead of returning with the tour, arrange beforehand to be picked up the next day. ...

Right from the entrance to the site, the ruins of Ollantaytambo climb up into the terraced heights of a temple district. It is often called a fortress, but only part of the site was dedicated to military purposes, while the very top is an unfinished temple. It was likely a Temple of the Sun, and some of the stone blocks that make up the unfinished area weight more than 50 tons! Give yourself an...

Sacsayhuaman is located  about 10 minutes from the Plaza de Armas (by car) or 45 minutes walking. Another option is to take a ‘City Tour’, which includes transportation to this archaeological site. The entrance fee is included with the "Boleto Turistico" which is a ticket that gets you into the main archeological sites around Cusco and the Sacred Valley (130 soles). The fortress is one of the l...

Rucu Pinchincha is an incredibly accessible (yet difficult) hike from Quito. If you're staying in the Old Town or Mariscal, it's a cheap cab ride to the base of the Teleferico (cable car) that will take you up to the start of the hike. The cable car opens at 9am most days, and costs 8.50 for foreigners.A 20 min ride brings you to almost 12.5k ft. There are a couple of shops and a viewpoint here...

From the main square of Puerto Villamil, head down down the road towards the docks. When you reach the docks, take the path on the left through the mangrove forest until you reach the mini pier that is the entrance to Concha de Perla. Jump on in and swim around this small cove teeming with life. You can see iguanas, sea turtles, fish, and sea lions here! Rent your snorkel gear in town at one of...

If you're staying in Nha Trang, you can book the 4 islands tour from any hostel or travel agency on the street for around $8-10 USD.The tour starts at 8:30 am with a pickup from your hostel, and then heads to the docks. You'll head out to the islands with your first stop at an island for some swimming and snorkeling. You'll hang out here for about 2 hours. Your boat will return with a full lu...

The Young Lakes trail starts from the Lembert Dome parking area and then winds up around 6 miles into the high country past alpine meadows and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Lower and Middle Young Lakes are beautiful, but you're going to want to push on to Upper Young Lake, where you'll find the best views of the lot. One of my favorite campsites can be found here, but you'll ha...

Start your trip from the Badger Pass ski area. The Glacier point road is closed past here, and you'll spend your first couple of miles skiing mostly downhill to the Bridalveil Falls trailhead.The Bridelveil Creek trail gains slightly less elevation but is less scenic and longer than the more popular Horizon Ridge trail. We went up to the hut this way and came down Horizon Ridge.If you are going...

Start your hike at the North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead. The trail begins at the end of the parking lot. You'll cross a bridge and meander along the creek, eventually reaching another bridge crossing at about 1.5 miles.After this bridge, you'll reach a trail junction. Be sure to go right (towards Horn Fork Basin and Bear Lake). Continue to gain altitude through the basin, eventually coming out ...

Start your day at the Bear Lake parking lot, and head out on the short 2-mile approach that winds uphill past Nymph and Dream Lake. After arriving at Emerald Lake, skirt around the shore on the left side to reach the bottom of the couloir, clearly visibile on the far side of the lake.The 1500 ft climb starts gradually and increases in steepness as the couloir narrows towards the top, reaching s...

This demanding, but scenic route ascends from St Anton to St Christoph. Begin in town, following the trail under the Galzigbahn to the Sennhütte. From here, the trail is a bit more gradual as it traverses the valley. Eventually, you'll take a sharp right turn and climb sharply up many switchbacks to Lake Maien. From here, you can stroll down to St Christoph for refreshments (and to catch the bu...

This 4-mile (one-way) trail is a great spot just outside of town. The trail rolls gently with the hills and the views of the Bighorns and town are spectacular. I'd highly recommend stopping by for sunrise or sunset for some incredible light. It's great for a quick walk, run, or even mountain bike -- and there's plans to continue adding to this trail system!

Start your hike at the parking lot/trailhead at the end of Maroon Creek Rd. Keep in mind that the road is closed from about 9am-8pm to traffic and is only accessible by shuttle bus during that time. You'll be wanting to get a very early start anyways, so it shouldn't be an issue. Your path begins at Maroon Lake, where you can see you destination looming above you in the distance. You'll take ...

Probably one of the best bang-for-your buck hikes I've ever been on. Starting from the trailhead, which is just on the Whittier side of the Portage tunnel, you'll hike up 800ft in one mile on a mostly wide, rocky trail. In what seems like no time at all, you'll be at Portage Pass, with views of the Passage Canal in one direction, and the incredible vista of Portage Glacier, Byron Peak, and Carp...

Starting from central St Anton, head west and follow signs for the Rossanaweg. The gravel path will pass under two tunnels, and then continues up the river. Follow signs for Verwallsee. The path climbs at a reasonable grade up the valley, alternating between singletrack trail and gravel paths. Eventually, you'll reach the beautiful Verwallsee. You can retrace your steps from here or complete a ...

Start from the McCullough gulch trailhead. If possible it would be worth having 2 cars and leaving one at the main McCullough trailhead so you don't have to walk the road on your way down. Bushwack through trees and willows up the ridge directly to the north of the trailhead. You might be lucky and find a few faint trails, but you're mostly on your own here. After ascending above treeline, veer...

After a short walk from the Fantail Falls parking lot, the trail crosses the river to reach the beginning of the track. It's unlikely you'll avoid getting your feet wet.The track heads up through the steep and rooted slopes until you break treeline after several thousand feet of elevation gain. Not gonna lie, this one is a serious grunt. The trail ends at the Brewster Hut, where more reasonabl...

After picking up your required overnight permit, start your morning with a coffee in Aspen, then drive out 15 min to the trailhead at the end of Conundrum Creek road. The trail is a straight shot 9 miles up the valley, through expansive meadows and an always incredible view of the mountains and aspens that cover the slopes. There are 16 campsites in the area of the hot springs, varying in pro...

Beginning from the Glacier Gorge trailhead, follow trail signs towards Mills Lake. At Mills, continue onward past Black Lake, and then continue hiking up into the incredible basin above Black Lake. Spearhead will be unmissable. Once in the basin, head to the north side of Spearhead. By hugging the base of Spearhead and wrapping around to this north side, you'll eventually encounter an obvious ...

Le Jardin Secret was once one of the larger riads in Marrakech. After falling into disrepair, it underwent an extensive renovation into the beautiful and peaceful gardens it contains today. The riad includes two courtyards. The larger has been restored as an Islamic garden, reflecting Koranic symbolism. The smaller garden has a wide range of trees and plants. Walk around for a bit, take a short...