Books
100 Hikes of a Lifetime Review
I read this book and I am reminded of the majesty of nature and my desire to be among beauty not made by our hands.
Book Review Date: February 12th, 2020
By: National Geographic
Cover Copy
It’s amazing to contemplate just how much of the world can be discovered on for: awe-inspiring landscapes, intimate experiences with new cultures, breathtaking encounters with wildlife. And all it takes is one hike to open your eyes to new possibilities.
That’s where this authoritative guide comes in. Filled with 100 of the greatest hikes around the globe curated by the experts at National Geographic, you’ll find plenty to add to your travel bucket list. Each destination offers a unique experience—scenic, natural, cultural, or historical—and the tips you’ll need to make the trek worthwhile. From short day hikes, like California’s Sierra High Route or Lake Agnes Tea House in Alberta, to multi-way excursions like climbing Tanzania’s Mount Meru or following Egypt’s Sinai Trail, you’ll find a route that matches your interests and skill level.
Enjoy the journey across every continent and through an array of ecosystems from deserts to oceans, jungles to tundra. And take note of what you’ll see along the way with illuminations asides about the wildlife, cultures, and histories that make each of these hikes unique.
So lace up your hiking boots and let these pages ignite your wanderlust. After all, there are so many possibilities just footsteps away.
Review
Last year I reviewed the 100 Dives of a Lifetime book, and felt that I was looking in on a world of magical places I would never travel to, because diving is in itself quite a process before even going anywhere as amazing as the ones featured in that book. But when I discovered that 100 Hikes of a Lifetime existed, I was thrilled because the accessibility of these places, for the most part, does not require intensive training with equipment that could get you killed if used incorrectly. Sure, there are dangers present and preparations and skills needed to hike anything more than Beginner and Moderate trails. But overall, it has a lot more ease to it. And I was also thrilled because hiking happens to be the number one non-creative hobby I would choose to spend my days doing. I love hiking. I love it more than visiting the beach/ocean (and we live in a coastal town with wide stretches of beach). My husband and I lived in Montana the year we got engaged, and the hiking was our favorite part of living there. It’s great exercise and the visual reward you get for your effort is unmatched.
So as I read through this book, rather than feel as though I was looking at places I could never realistically venture to, each page ignited an otherwise nearly-dormant wanderlust in me. I read those pages with a hunger to discover whether it was a hike I could do. Realistically, most of them aren’t. A lot of the featured trails are for people more skilled and outdoorsy than I actually am. But the possibility is there for a good chunk of them, should I ever want to pursue that particular adventure more avidly. In fact, as I read through this I would picture my little family of four, the girls a bit more grown than they are right now, experiencing some of these amazing trails together, and I’d exclaim to my husband, “Oh! Here’s one we could all do. Wanna go to Columbia?”
I read this book and I am reminded of the majesty of nature and my desire to be among beauty not made by our hands. I read this book and I desired to travel. I longed to get back to nature and simply walk among its bounty. And as I said before, which the stunning photos in this book prove, the reward for the effort is worth it.
