Lonely Planet has been helping travellers work out where to go, what to see and how to make the most of a destination for more than 50 years. Its guidebooks have accompanied generations of Australians around the world, and there is something reassuringly familiar about opening one of its beautifully produced travel books and imagining where you might head next.
Where To Go When Hiking takes that travel-planning formula and applies it to exploring the world on foot.
Following in the footsteps of Lonely Planet’s Where To Go When and the broader series it inspired, this handsome hardback tackles an important question for keen walkers. It is not simply where should you hike, but when should you go?
A superb walk at the wrong time of year can be anything but, particularly when heat, snow, rain, seasonal closures or other conditions come into play. Rather than grouping its walks purely by country or continent, Where To Go When Hiking travels through the calendar from January to December, presenting eight recommended hikes for each month.
That makes 96 walks across six continents, ranging from short outings that can be squeezed into a trip to serious expeditions measured in weeks rather than hours.
Australian walkers are particularly well served.
The Snowies Alpine Walk in New South Wales is recommended for February, Tasmania’s spectacular Three Capes Track follows in March and Queensland receives plenty of attention through autumn and winter, with the Scenic Rim Trail, Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk and Thorsborne Trail all featured.
August shifts the spotlight to the Northern Territory, with the Dolomite Walk, Larapinta Trail and Ormiston Pound Circuit showcasing the variety of walking available in Central Australia. Western Australia’s Cape to Cape Track is featured in September, followed by South Australia’s Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail in October and Victoria’s Grampians Peaks Trail in November.
Together they form an impressive cross-section of Australian landscapes, spanning alpine country, tropical Queensland, rugged coastlines, ancient ranges, desert terrain and southern wilderness.
Importantly, these Australian inclusions do not feel like token additions to an otherwise broadly international collection. They sit comfortably alongside some of the great walks of the world and reinforce something Australian bushwalkers already know. You do not necessarily need to board an international flight to find extraordinary country to explore on foot.
Of course, dreaming about those international trips is half the fun.
Perhaps India’s Singalila Ridge appeals, with a five or six-day trek through remarkable Himalayan country. Iceland’s Laugavegur provides several days among an almost otherworldly landscape, while at the extreme end of the scale Japan’s Temple Pilgrimage can occupy 40-50 days.
Walks span Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America and the Pacific, while New Zealand naturally makes a strong showing with Lake Waikaremoana, Queen Charlotte Track, Rakiura/Stewart Island and the Routeburn among its selections.
The sheer choice could easily have become overwhelming, yet this is where the design of Where To Go When Hiking really shines.
Each month helps readers narrow down what sort of trip they actually want using a clear, easy-to-follow infographic. The hikes are divided into three straightforward categories – Micro-adventure, Week-ish Wander and Epic Trek – making it immediately obvious whether you are looking for something relatively achievable or an expedition requiring considerably more commitment.
Each hike identifies its start and finish points, distance, duration, challenge level and best time to go, along with accommodation, food, transport, planning and safety information, plus useful websites for further research.
A walking map accompanies each description, providing an immediate sense of the route and surrounding landscape.
Yet this is far more than a collection of specifications. The experience of each walk is explored too, explaining what makes the route worthwhile and what walkers can expect to encounter along the way. Interesting diversions into local culture, history, mythology, geography and other quirks add another layer without turning the entries into lengthy essays.
That balance is one of the book’s strongest qualities.
There is an enormous amount of information packed into its 328 pages, but they rarely look busy. Maps, photography, practical details and narrative are given enough room to breathe, so flicking through the book remains enjoyable rather than becoming an exercise in absorbing tables of data.
And the photography is glorious.
For anyone already inclined toward walking, some of the images are dangerous things. Turn a page and another stretch of coastline, mountain trail, tropical forest or distant ridgeline suddenly finds its way on to the ever-growing list of places you would like to visit.
The substantial index also deserves mention. Walks can be found by country or according to the type of experience they offer, including mountain routes, coastal walks, day hikes and journeys rich in history or culture. It makes the book useful even if you have absolutely no idea where you want to go when you first pick it up.
Authors Sarah Baxter and Paul Bloomfield bring plenty of experience to the task. Baxter’s previous work includes A History of the World in 500 Walks and Lonely Planet’s Where to Go When, while Bloomfield has contributed to numerous travel, walking, cycling and trekking titles.
Ultimately, the success of Where To Go When Hiking lies in how quickly it turns browsing into planning.
You might open it merely to see what Australia has to offer in October and find yourself contemplating the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Ten minutes later you could be halfway around the world considering a trek you had never previously heard of.
That has long been part of Lonely Planet’s appeal. Its best books do not simply tell you about places. They make you want to go there.
Where To Go When Hiking does exactly that while adding the particularly useful question of when you should lace up the boots and start walking.
For Australian hikers looking for inspiration at home, travellers determined to incorporate a walk into their next overseas trip or anyone who simply enjoys dreaming over maps and magnificent outdoor photography, this is a beautifully presented and genuinely useful addition to the bookshelf.
Where To Go When Hiking
Lonely Planet
328 pages
Hardback
RRP $44.99
Available from Lonely Planet and major retailers, including BIG W.
Competition
Great Australian Outdoors has four copies of Where To Go When Hiking to give away. Enter our competition for your chance to add this beautifully produced Lonely Planet guide to your bookshelf – and perhaps discover your next great walk along the way. Click here to enter.
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