Cordillera Apolobamba Traverse

The Apolobamba Traverse is a remote, high-altitude backpacking route in the northern Bolivian Andes. Spanning approximately 92km between the villages of Pelechuco and Curva, the trek crosses the ancestral territory of the Kallawaya people—traditional herbalists recognized by UNESCO. The route follows ancient stone paths and animal trails, staying almost exclusively above 4,200m. It traverses several high passes, including the 5,100m Sunchuli Pass, offering direct views of the 6,000m peaks of the northern Apolobamba range. Due to its distance from major cities, it remains one of the least-trafficked and most preserved regions of the Bolivian Andes.

Mount Skåla holds a strenuous and proud distinction: it features the longest continuously steep uphill hike in all of Norway. Starting practically at sea level next to the Nordfjord, hikers face a grueling, unrelenting ascent of 1,848 vertical meters (6,066 feet) to reach the summit. The 5-mile (8km) one-way trail begins on a tractor road, transitions into dense alpine forest, and finishes on an endless, steep, zigzagging stone staircase built by Nepalese Sherpas. The sustained physical effort is rewarded with what is arguably the most spectacular panorama in the country—a 360-degree view dominating the massive Jostedalsbreen glacier (mainland Europe's largest ice cap), deep blue fjords, and jagged alpine peaks. At the summit sits Skålatårnet, a bizarre, historic circular stone tower built in 1891.