Mountains Archives - Page 4 of 7 - crunchy kat explores

denver day hike: chief mountain

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distance: 3.1 miles (out and back) | elevation: 984’ (10,772’ starting) | difficulty: easy/moderate

Living in Denver (hi, it’s been a while… I made the cross country move to Colorado in December), there is no shortage of gorgeous hikes within an hours drive of the city. I mean, after all, that is part of the reason I decided to call this place home. However, I think I may have found the BEST views for when you don’t have the time to hike up that 14’er.

How do you feel about relatively low effort, high reward? The perfect place to take all your out of town visitors who want beautiful views, but low on time (or not big hikers)? Or really just for you when you want to a short jaunt in nature close to Denver with allllll the views? Perfect, because Chief Mountain is the hike for you.

Chile, Mountains, South America

chilean road trip: exploring the carretera austral

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queulat national park bridge Carretera Austral

The famous Carretera Austral – otherwise known at Chile’s Route 7 which runs 1,240km/770mi from Puerto Montt in the North to Villa O’Higgins in the South. This mostly unpaved road is the jumping off point for some of the most of the beautiful parts of Patagonia.

This road trip is easiest to see with your own car, but (infrequent) public transportation (bus), hitchhiking, and biking are also options. I didn’t manage to see the entire route, only about half, but it marks some of the best times in South America (but also, some of the hardest travel wise!).

Beautiful scenery, rugged nature, wild camping, endless trekking opportunities – this Patagonia road trip is 100% full of adventure.

Chile, Mountains, South America

torres del paine, patagonia: views from the o circuit

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Torres del paine o circuit lago grey mountain

Torres-del-paine-o-circuit-Dickson-to-Los-perros-view-2

By the time I got to Santiago, it seemed everyone I met had already been to Torres del Paine, and it started to feel a little less special that I was going because it felt like the entire world had already been there. But the fact is, less than 300,000 people visit the park every year. Planning and reserving all the campsites may be a hassle, but there is a reason for all the hype surrounding Torres del Paine – it is absolutely beautiful.

After reading my previous post, it is probably clear that if you have the time, I 100% recommend doing the full O circuit in Torres del Paine. Need proof as to why? Check out the pictures below!

Chile, Mountains, South America

torres del paine, patagonia: guide to the o circuit

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Torres del paine o circuit seron to Dickson

The O circuit, Torres del Paine. Which campsites do I stay at? How do I plan when there are three different companies (YUP)? What do these names even mean? How much can I walk in a day? These were all questions I had before heading to South America. Patagonia was my number one spot to visit, but figuring out the O circuit in Torres del Paine seemed especially daunting to me.

As of the 2016 season, it is required to book all campsites in advance! Gone are the days where you can just walk however you feel like walking, show up at a site, and be able to stay there. Sure, this process is HIGHLY annoying, but it is helping preserve the park.

I don’t have some magic website that will save you from the hassle of booking, but find out below tips on trekking the O circuit in Torres del Paine.