Forum Index > Links > Walking Nature World
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
Songs2
Member
Member


Joined: 21 Mar 2016
Posts: 200 | TRs | Pics
Songs2
Member
PostMon Nov 30, 2020 11:52 pm 
The other posts by walkingnatureworld are accounts of some interesting long-distance routes (though I wish they were sequential in same thread). I don't carry dumbbells (picking up and putting down a 5-day loaded backpack is pretty good for upper body work) or Spandex but do a variety of daily stretches, joint movements, moderate body weight stuff, mostly to protect the aging (and previously injured) musculoskeletal system. Elevating and pumping the feet at night helps prevent leg cramps.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
nordique
Member
Member


Joined: 04 May 2008
Posts: 1086 | TRs | Pics
nordique
Member
PostTue Dec 01, 2020 5:49 pm 
And, since she appears to live in Spain, she probably won't be a useful source of information about our own local hiking conditions.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
asdf
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 274 | TRs | Pics
asdf
Member
PostWed Dec 02, 2020 11:23 am 
This is the M.O. of a bunch of vloggers, they just spam links to their youtube channel everywhere regardless of relevancy.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Cyclopath
Faster than light



Joined: 20 Mar 2012
Posts: 7697 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Cyclopath
Faster than light
PostWed Dec 02, 2020 3:19 pm 
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/world-health-organization-exercise-definition/amp New WHO guidelines for exercise including the importance of strength training. Won't get fooled again.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
nordique
Member
Member


Joined: 04 May 2008
Posts: 1086 | TRs | Pics
nordique
Member
PostWed Dec 02, 2020 9:37 pm 
I love it: arms and abs exercises for hiking?! I do arms and abs and other exercises for rock climbing--but not for hiking! Hiking is about lungs, heart, and quads! I also crank on my trekking poles so I do get some minor triceps benefit--but that is just incidental.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
rossb
Member
Member


Joined: 23 Sep 2002
Posts: 1679 | TRs | Pics
rossb
Member
PostThu Dec 03, 2020 3:48 pm 
walkingnatureworld wrote:
Because I find that if you do a lot of hiking especially in the mountains the legs do not necessarily need much extra toning while in the abs and arms area I feel the lack of activity.
Why do you need to tone your abs and arms? I mean, I understand why it would be practical. Maybe you need to help someone move a couch, or wrestle an alligator. But why are you concerned about upper body strength? This implies that you aren't fit unless you have strong biceps. Sorry Tadej Pogačar. Nice race and all that, buy you really should be working on your abs and arms. Good work in that marathon, Eliud Kipchoge, but you really should be lifting some weights. Wow, what a record Anish -- fastest human to go from Mexico to Canada on foot, without assistance. Still, maybe you should do some push ups. This just seems weird. I understand why folks have special exercises to get ready to hike, or cross country ski. (For the latter, what I do is set a bunch of pillows on the ground, then throw myself into it. Then I awkwardly roll over, and push myself up.) Seriously though, I don't understand the point of this at all.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist



Joined: 07 Sep 2018
Posts: 2410 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Anne Elk
BrontosaurusTheorist
PostThu Dec 03, 2020 4:39 pm 
rossb wrote:
For the latter [X-C ski], what I do is set a bunch of pillows on the ground, then throw myself into it. Then I awkwardly roll over, and push myself up.
ykm.gif up.gif
asdf wrote:
This account just posts to advertise their youtube channel. Is this allowed
It does seem gratuitous. Not the same as one of our regulars posting TRs about a foreign or out-of-state hike they've done. You could PM Tom and ask; it would be his call. With respect to this particular episode, it would be more appropriate in the saloon, or "gear". clown.gif

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Cyclopath
Faster than light



Joined: 20 Mar 2012
Posts: 7697 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Cyclopath
Faster than light
PostThu Dec 03, 2020 5:06 pm 
rossb wrote:
Why do you need to tone your abs and arms? I mean, I understand why it would be practical. Maybe you need to help someone move a couch, or wrestle an alligator. But why are you concerned about upper body strength? ... Seriously though, I don't understand the point of this at all.
Apart from any other controversy, this is a great question. I'd love to take a shot at answering it. smile.gif Full body strength is important for everyone. We all lose muscle as we age. Folks get sent to a "home" when they can't get up off the toilet anymore, that's enough to motivate me to do squats. eek.gif Everybody should be able to deadlift their partner or roommate, if they have a stroke or heart attack you don't want to wait for an ambulance. Anything that improves core muscle strength makes it less likely you'll throw your back out. Strength training also tends to improve balance because we lose that as we age too. None of this is toning your biceps or whatever, but there's something to the idea that most people in here have strong legs already. Everybody who's capable of running should do it occasionally, too. It could save your life. A junkie tried to rob a friend of mine who runs marathons, she ran, he ran after her and lost his breath 100 yards later. lol.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
coldrain108
Thundering Herd



Joined: 05 Aug 2010
Posts: 1858 | TRs | Pics
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
coldrain108
Thundering Herd
PostThu Dec 03, 2020 5:25 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
Everybody who's capable of running should do it occasionally, too. It could save your life. A junkie tried to rob a friend of mine who runs marathons, she ran, he ran after her and lost his breath 100 yards later. lol.gif
One of the things about Zombie movies is: Who keeps turning on all the lights in the businesses...

Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World



Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 255 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spain
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World
PostSat Dec 05, 2020 11:04 am 
On this one-day hike we conquered the mountain peak Cambre d'Aze (2711m) which is located in Eastern Pyrenees, France. We started the hike at the Eyne ski station (1800m) and had to do around 1000m uphill and 1000m downhill. We spent full day hiking this trail and did 26 kms in total. It was our first one-day hike in the summer season 2020 and we were very excited to do it. We've been planning of doing this particular hike for a long time looking at this beautiful mountain from aside. It is not the highest peak in the region but one of the most scenic ones for sure. Watch the full video here:
So we took our light backpacks with some food and clothes and left early in the morning. We started the hike at 8.30am and the weather was quite foggy and humid probably because of the heavy rain the day before. We haven't been able to get out for a hike until late June because of the very cold and rainy conditions we were having in the region. And now when we finally saw a warm clear day in the forecast we left immediately. First part of the trail was going mostly through the forest and mountain huts and was quite easy and flat. Then we came close to the chairlift and ski trails and were hiking alongside of them for quite a while. The trail continued to be fairly easy with a gentle uphill and sometimes was even coming out to a dirt car road. The navigation was certainly an issue though as there wasn't a clear signing of the trail and often was confusing. So we had to constantly check our GPS on the phone to make sure we stay on the right track. As there were many crossroads and little forest paths in different directions. It became even harder because of the low clouds and dense fog around us as we couldn't see 10m ahead of us. Then we saw a big uphill in front of us and it was clear that we had to conquer it. This is where more challenging trail started. It actually turned out the most difficult part of the whole trail. We think it was 2kms long but the uphill was very steep with a lot of mud and slippery rocks to step on. This is where it was about time to take out our trekking poles. Since we started hiking about 3 years ago it was our first attempt using the trekking poles. We just never felt a need of them that much. But after our TMB high mountain hike we've done last year we realized that it might be a good idea to have them especially for the downhills. So we purchased quite cheap model from sport's goods store Decathlon and our goal was to test them out and see if we need to bring them with us on a long distance hike. In the middle of this challenging uphill, the sky started to clear up and we finally saw patches of the blue sky. We were already concerned about not getting any view at the top and fortunately it wasn't the case. Anyway, we were grateful for the cloudy and chilly weather at the start. So we were at the top of this uphill and saw that this was the highest point of the cable car. Then we had to conquer the final stretch of the trail. To our surprise, it wasn't too steep nor too difficult climbing gently all the way up to the top. So while doing it we could enjoy the amazing views over the valley and surrounding mountain ranges. The thing we love the most about ascending different peaks even in the same region is the different perspectives and views you can get on the same landscape. And here we could see the beautiful Cerdanya valley with its yellow fields, green forests and blue lakes. We have even spotted the seacoast further in the distance and were absolutely fascinated by it! It was the first peak in the region from where we could see the Mediterranean Sea that was in 150 kms away from us. On the way we've spotted many little birds that were living in stones probably and they were behaving quite carelessly. Also several huge birds of prey flied very close above our heads and we could see how wide their wingspan is. The small mountain flowers were also very pretty and colorful; growing very close to the ground, the diversity of them was astonishing. The trail was quite straight directing us to the top of Cambre d'Aze. The piles of stones were helping us to stay on the right track. At one point the trail started to go alongside the abrupt mountain rock on one side and it was incredible as we could see from it the steep rocky walls up close and could feel that we are walking at the edge. Only at the end the path got quite steep and rocky and we had to make the last effort to step up to the top. From there we got the breathtaking views. On one side we saw the green Eyne Valley, on the other Cerdanya valley and in between incredible layers of rocks that reminded us a lot of Dolomites, Italy. It was amazing to see a little piece of this beauty in Pyrenees too. The weather was very quiet and there was almost no wind, which has never happened to us before on any mountain peaks. The amount of small and big low clouds was astonishing; some of them were forming right in front of our eyes. It created even more mesmerizing atmosphere and feeling that you are staying on top of the world. So we had our half an hour there, took some photos and started to descend down. There was an info board stating the restrictions of the natural reserve we were in and we were happy to learn that the bivouac (stealth camping for a night) was tolerated from 8pm to 8am. We enjoyed one more time the views on the valley that trail offered us and could even spot the Little Yellow Train moving across the fields which is one of the attractions in the area. So this way in a quiet pace we got to the same challenging part of a steep downhill we did before. And this is where we could really appreciate having our trekking poles with us. Even using one trekking pole made a huge difference being able to lean on it and take the pressure out of the legs and knees a bit. This way we avoided trembling in the legs which otherwise was inevitable. So we made our mind that we definitely need the trekking poles with us on a longer hike and there we would continue using and testing them out. After some time we got to the mountain plain with picnic tables, which was the place of crossing of many ski trails and had our lunch there. Then we peacefully enjoying the nice warm weather got to the point where we started. Concluding our impressions about this hike we can say that it is quite an easy level trail that is accessible almost to everybody. And if you take your time and won't rush you'll be able to get to the peak with little effort. The views you get from the mountain are very beautiful and sometimes you forget you are still in Pyrenees. We think it makes it a perfect one-day hike in the region if you have only few days to spare and are willing to get to know the area more. What is your experience hiking with the trekking poles?

We are a young couple who loves hiking, nature walking and camping. We choose walking over driving and other types of transportation whenever we can. Also we have a Youtube channel where we're showcasing all our hikes.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
nordique
Member
Member


Joined: 04 May 2008
Posts: 1086 | TRs | Pics
nordique
Member
PostSat Dec 05, 2020 4:20 pm 
I hike with trekking poles all the time: 118 hikes so far this year. I use them primarily so I can hike faster--and, in tricky spots, with some assist to my balance (hiking as I do on a fused right foot). I started hiking and nordic skiing decades ago. Poles are crucial to serious nordic skiers and racers--and they are just as useful for hikers with a need for speed! I also enjoy the extra arm, shoulder, and back muscle work with poles.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World



Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 255 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spain
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World
PostSun Dec 06, 2020 2:37 am 
nordique wrote:
I hike with trekking poles all the time: 118 hikes so far this year. I use them primarily so I can hike faster--and, in tricky spots, with some assist to my balance (hiking as I do on a fused right foot). I started hiking and nordic skiing decades ago. Poles are crucial to serious nordic skiers and racers--and they are just as useful for hikers with a need for speed! I also enjoy the extra arm, shoulder, and back muscle work with poles.
That's an impressive number! We think that learning how to use them properly is a key and we are still learning especially as you said for the speed matters. The extra muscle work was the discovery for us and it is actually very nice.

We are a young couple who loves hiking, nature walking and camping. We choose walking over driving and other types of transportation whenever we can. Also we have a Youtube channel where we're showcasing all our hikes.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World



Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 255 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spain
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World
PostSat Dec 12, 2020 11:00 am 
Watch the full video here:
This is a video review where we are going to share our new discovered piece of gear that we believe is great to have for any hiker – and that is a good old Lixada wood stove. We can’t believe it took us so long to discover it but here it is our review and experience with it after been using it for one hiking season. As always we’ll tell you the general specs of it, show its performance and then share our tips and overall opinion about it. What is your experience with the wood stove?

We are a young couple who loves hiking, nature walking and camping. We choose walking over driving and other types of transportation whenever we can. Also we have a Youtube channel where we're showcasing all our hikes.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World



Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 255 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spain
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World
PostSat Dec 19, 2020 12:25 pm 
In this trip report we are going to share Day 1 of our hike around the lakes of the Carlit mountain range in Bouillouses natural site, Eastern Pyrenees, France. It is a 26 kms hike with the elevation change of around 800m. This is an easy to moderate hike that is accessible to most of the people. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the region more and enjoy beautiful mountainous landscapes. Watch the full video here:
We started our hike in the town of Font Romeu Odeillo Via. It was an early July and we were excited to finally start the hiking season. The weather has been unstable during all the spring, quite cold and rainy. But that day the weather was promising to be sunny and clear. First, we were getting through the idyllic forest paths and then getting out to one of the cable car stations. In this area of Pyrenees are located many ski resorts and we were crossing one named Pyrenees 2000. This particular place is quite popular among the French sportsmen to get their training for the competitions like Olympics winter games. So we crossed the ski trail and for some time were out on the car road. From there we started to enjoy the views over Cerdanya valley and surrounding mountain ranges. Also there we could spot the people up in the sky practicing paragliding. And what's especially nice about it is that there is actually a school located in the region where you can learn how to do it by yourself. And we definitely would love to do it when we have a chance. Along the car road we've seen many parked camper vans and we supposed that there is an authorized parking for them. The road was leading to the "Roc de la Calme" cable car station that could lift us to the other side of the mountain right to the lake Bouillouses. But we were planning to hike it all by feet and started to ascend the mountain. This part wasn't too exciting nor interesting almost all the way to the lake. We just followed the dirt gravel roads along the cable car that was going through the forest. It wasn't difficult though and the uphills and downhills were quite gentle. As for the trail marking we had to constantly check out our navigation on the phone in order to stay on track as we had to draw our own trail. So when we were down at the first lake Pradeilles which was a lovely area with beautiful views over the Carlit range we had another boring several km part to do till the big lake Bouillouses. It was all in the sun and very hot. There were crowds of the people too walking on it with us and that made it less enjoyable. After we passed by Hotel des Bonnes Hommes we had to conquer a bit of an uphill in order to get to the first lake. We were a bit concerned about the amount of people hiking with us so wanted to find our camp spot as early as possible. The weather started to change suddenly to a strong, sometimes blasting wind that was blowing in our faces and made it harder to walk. So we made our way through the rocky and quite crowded uphill to the first lake Estany de Viver. There was a herd of horses pasturing at the side of it and we decided to go out of the trail in the closeby forest to search for the camp spot. One of nice things about this area and one of the reasons why we love it so much is that it is authorized to camp here from 19pm to 9am in any spot that you like but without putting up a fire. It is one of the great advantages in our opinion. So we found our camp spot close to the lake side in the forest out of the trail. The wind was blowing fiercely there but we didn't see any other spot and didn't want to wander away too much. It was our first time camping out with our new tent and we were excited to test it out in the wilderness. We had already set it up several times so it wasn't a hard task. Of course doing it in the strong wind wasn't a pleasant experience. So when our tent was in place, we started to cook our dinner and getting ready for the night. The wind was worrying us quite a bit and so we tried our luck to go further in the forest to find a potentially better spot. And we found it! We were surprised standing there and feeling just a little gusts of wind in comparison to the blasting winds in the other spot. So without further a due we took our self-standing tent (a nice feature to have in such situations) and set it up in this better spot. So happy that we can rest in the quiet place we were good to go to sleep. What is your favorite area to hike close to where you live?

We are a young couple who loves hiking, nature walking and camping. We choose walking over driving and other types of transportation whenever we can. Also we have a Youtube channel where we're showcasing all our hikes.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World



Joined: 12 Aug 2018
Posts: 255 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spain
walkingnatureworld
Walking Nature World
PostSat Dec 26, 2020 9:39 am 
Discover 12 incredible mountain lakes of Pyrenees in one day - Day 2 of Carlit Lakes Hike in Bouillouses natural site, France In this trip report we are going to share Day 2 of our hike around the lakes of the Carlit mountain range in Bouillouses natural site, Eastern Pyrenees, France. It is a 26 kms hike with the elevation change of around 800m. This is an easy to moderate hike that is accessible to most of the people. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the region more and enjoy beautiful mountainous landscapes. Watch the full video here:
The day began early in the morning with the first rays of the sun hitting our tent. At night we had a hard time battling with the cold air and trying to fall asleep. Even though there was no wind at all and it was the quietest night in the forest the air was very chilly and we had to cuddle up in the sleeping bags. We had our breakfast just heating up our food cooked from yesterday and wrapped all our things up. That day we had quite a big plan - to go over 12 lakes in the region and get back to the starting point in Font Romeu Odeillo Via. So we got out on the trail to the same Lake de Viver where we stopped yesterday and started to move along the lake side. It was quite a big lake hugged by the mountain hills from all sides. The trail was going constantly uphill through the rocks and that way we were getting close to Estany de la Duques. While hiking we were meeting many beautiful and flat places to camp. When we went out to the next lake the cold wind started to blow at us fiercely and we had to put on our jackets. From there the landscapes became more rugged and rocky with less trees and greenery around. The trail was still following a gentle uphill when we were walking by the three highest lakes here Estany del Castellar, Estany de Trebens and Estany de Sobirans. Because we started to hike the circle in reverse direction of what's adviced on the signs we met less people on the way. Most of them were just starting the hike on the other side. At one of the lakes we met a herd of horses pasturing freely with a handsome long-haired male in the middle and many cute baby horses laying around. We knew that this area is heavily used by farmers to pasture the cows and horses in summer because of the amount of wetlands. During this high part we could enjoy the constant mesmerizing views of the peak Carlit range and its massive rocky edges. It brought us to a memorable time when we were ascending the peak Carlit itself and were climbing with the hands to it and then running down from the storm. It was probably one of the epic peaks we've ever conquered in the region. So in such way we got to the middle point of the circle and highest point at the same time where the trail was turning back to the lake Bouillouses. From this point on we were going mostly downhill. There on the crossroads we met several people with big backpacks that were looking very tanned and probably were already hiking for quite a while. So we were wandering whether they were doing the long distance HRP(High Pyrenees Route) or GR 10 route (Great Pyrenees Crossing) one of which we were thinking of doing ourselves this year. So we started to hike downhill and very soon saw the other quite big lake in the distance Estany Llong and very small one Lac Bailleul. At this point it was already the middle of the day and we began to feel very hot walking in the direct sunlight without any shadow for several hours. So we were getting down skipping on the rocks (trekking poles were very helpful to get the pressure out of the legs and knees) walked by the Estany de la Comassa, Estany Sec and finally Estany Negre. These lakes were located a bit lower and thus had a more green picture with lots of pine trees and meadows around. Also throughout our hike we met plenty of fish men and we knew that there is quite a lot of fish living in lakes. On one of the lakes we met a duck mother with many little ducklings that were behaving very carelessly and funny. We had our lunch break in the shadow of the trees there and were out on the trail again to get to the last three lakes we planned to hike along. They were located on the other side of the lake Bouillouses and were forming part of the different lake group. After getting through a rocky downhill and crowded trail we were out at the lake Bouillouses again. There at the hotel we bought some cookies for the snack because we were running out of food and headed to the next part of the trail. Those 3 last lakes were named Estany del Reco, Estany Llong and Estany Negre. In order to get to the first one we had to hike uphill for some time in the shadow of the forest luckily and then a view to the lake opened to our eyes. The trail was going very close to the lakeside and reminded more of a huge rock fall than the path. So we had to use our hands to get through it. Then the way to the middle lake was mostly a steep downhill with many little rocks, roots of the trees and pinecones on the path. So we can say this part hiking along the last 3 lakes was the most challenging out of all hike. Estany Llong looked very beautiful and picturesque in the evening light and had several possible spots to camp as well. The third lake Estany Negre was situated very close to the middle one and we did not notice how we got there. Talking about the water sources, unfortunately there aren’t any in the area and you have to bring the water filter in order to use the water from the lakes or small river channels. We used this one for cooking and brought most of drinking water with us. Of course, you can resupply in the hotel as well if needed. To finish off our hike we had to come back to the Etang de Pradeilles where we started yesterday and then get back to Font Romeu following quite an easy trail. It was very tempting to stay here for one more night at the lakeside as it looked so peaceful and calm. But as we didn't have enough food supplies with us we had to keep going. In the end we were very happy that we could discover all the lakes in the region and hike this scenic trail. Overall we enjoyed this hike a lot, it was very interesting and beautiful with variety of different landscapes and different trails. So it was difficult to get bored with it. We did feel a bit exhausted at the end but that's because we didn't sleep very well and the second day around we did more than 15 kms which for the mountainous terrain and hot weather is not a short distance. We think it is accessible for all levels and is a great hike to discover the nature beauty of the region. What is the most beautiful lake you have ever visited?

We are a young couple who loves hiking, nature walking and camping. We choose walking over driving and other types of transportation whenever we can. Also we have a Youtube channel where we're showcasing all our hikes.
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Links > Walking Nature World
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum