Choosing a Trek

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If you’re looking for a trek that fits your needs, here is my ranking for each of the ones on this site plus a couple guided ones.  Inca Trail and Kilimanjaro are guided treks - links to great guides are below but they won't have their own page on this site as they're very popular and I don't want to flood the web with redundant information.  Below I will describe what each rating means and who are the winners (in blue/green).

This combination of hikes has a lot of variety and covers what I like to call the essentials.  All of these can be accomplished in 2 weeks or less, including travel time to get there.  Google “Best treks in the world” to see what others are saying but keep in mind that if it says the W-Trek instead of the O in Patagonia, it’s probably not written by someone who has done it.  The 7 passes belongs on this list but is still on the bucket list...stay tuned for that one as well as Son Doong Cave in Vietnam. 

 This is an impressiveness ranking as well as variety.  Patagonia wins because you get panoramic mountain views, glaciers larger than I’ve ever imagined, turquoise blue (and turquoise green!) glacial lakes, icebergs, wildflowers, wild horses, jutting vertical mountain peaks, cross-cavern suspension bridges…just 360o exquisiteness for 8 days straight.

The TMB is a close second because it has incredible views too, yet it lacks in variety.  I could have two rankings – beauty and variety and it would be a 10 and 2 respectively.  It has the most amazing mountain views but rarely do you see anything other than the Mont Blanc range such as lakes, rivers, wildlife, etc.

Kalalua beach ties for second since it is beautiful in more of a “tropical paradise” way.  The ocean is immense and awe-inspiring; the tropical rainforests make you feel like you’re Forest Gump in the Vietnam War; the beach’s mountain backdrop and picturesque waterfall are dream-like.

I should mention that none of these are lacking beauty, just some stand out above the rest. 

 This is how many other people you will see on the trail.  

This is how likely you are to meet others along the trek.  You’ll meet great people on any trek, so maybe this is just my personal experience...but there are some contributing factors that increase comradery, such as availability of cooking huts, limited alternate routes, fewer options for where to stay each night, total number of people on the trail, a guided group, etc.  These factors force you to see the same people over and over again.  Seeing as I am not the most outgoing person (I am an engineer, after all) I am more likely to come out of my shell if I see someone repetitively.  

For guided tours, you’re with a group so you’re spending time with them every night and you’re very likely to make some friends.  For the O-Trek, you’re with the same 8-15 people every night since everyone is hiking the same direction and typically going to the same place.  There are a lot of opportunities for comradery on the TMB, but there are a lot of variations to the trek and people go for different lengths of time so you are less likely to line up schedules with many people.

 A 10 means there an international airport within 1 hour of your starting point.  A 1 would mean you need to combine a cross-country flight with a smaller flight, a train ride, a bus ride, a border crossing, etc. 

 This is how much the actual trekking costs; not including getting there, such as guides and permits. 

 Higher is more difficult.  A 10 might be slightly easier than summitting Everest.  A 1 would be anything under 5 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain. 

 This is what else there is to do while you are there.  For example, if you are in Tanzania climbing Kilimanjaro, you ought to also go see the Serengeti or visit Zanzibar.  If you’re in Patagonia, go see Mt. Fitz Roy.  If you are hiking the TMB, there's obviously plenty to do in Europe. 

 Kilimanjaro -  Marangu Route

I took the 5-day Marangu Route with the Kilimanjaro Brothers in 2013.  It was amazing and George is the best of the best and the food, tents, and people were all great.  We are still Facebook friends.  Highly recommend him and the group of porters.   Remember that any Kili climb is difficult because of the elevation; perhaps this one is a little harder because it's 4 days up and 1 day down instead of some that are longer.  Kilimanjaro Brothers offer a bunch of routes so take your pick.

Inca Trail - SAS Travel

We booked this through SAS Travel.  It was reasonably priced (at least it was when we went in 2014).  The porters and food service was great and the group of travelers we were grouped with were excellent.