Appalachian Trail (White Mountains Section)

The 'Hardest Section' of the 3,500km Appalachian Trail. The White Mountains of New Hampshire offer a strenuous, beautiful landscape of rugged granite peaks, alpine krummholz (stunted trees), and some of often regarded as one of the most unpredictable weather. This is where the AT leaves the green tunnel and heads above the treeline for extended stretches, crossing the Franconia Ridge and the legendary Presidential Range, including Mount Washington (1917m)—the house of the world's worst weather.

Following the historic path used by the Army of the Andes in 1817, this 6-day trans-Andean expedition traverses the central cordillera from Mendoza, Argentina, to the Cajón del Maipo in Chile. The route crosses two significant high-altitude barriers—Portillo Argentino (4,330m) and Paso Piuquenes (4,030m). Hikers move through a high desert landscape of volcanic rock, vast glacial valleys, and the powerful Tunuyán River. The terrain consists primarily of rocky mountain paths, loose scree on the steeper pass approaches, and high-altitude plateaus where exposure to wind and sun is constant.