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.

The Wonderland Trail is exactly what its name implies: a grueling, spectacular, 93-mile (150km) circumnavigation of Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. This premier backpacking route is notoriously difficult, rarely offering a flat section of trail. Hikers are either painfully ascending a massive, forested ridge or steeply descending into a deep, glacier-carved river valley, only to repeat the process the very next day. The trail passes through towering old-growth rainforests, crosses roaring and milky glacial rivers via demanding suspension bridges or log jams, and traverses stunning, high-alpine wildflower meadows like Summerland and Panhandle Gap where the mountain's massive ice fields feel close enough to touch.