Hiking and climbing can be exhilarating and memorable ways to spend your time.
Did you know…
The Appalachian Trail in VA, USA receives 2 million visitors each year?
It’s true. People flock to popular trails and sites to experience the unique challenges throughout the year. Some even try to break records on their visits.
For instance:
Mt Everest is the tallest mountain climbed and the Guinness World Record is held by Pemba Dorje Sherpa who climbed it in 8 hours 10 minutes on May 2004. In fact, The first person to climb Mt Everest was at 11:30am on May 29, 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay.
Pretty neat, right?
What’s more, 800 people attempt to climb Mt Everest every year, which just goes to show that no spot ever gets played out when it can present a beautiful view or challenge to the adventurous hiker and climber.
But not all trails and climbs were created equal…
The world’s longest hiking trail is 14,828 miles in Canada, and Ontario has the longest section of the trail which measures nearly 3,000 miles.
Meanwhile, the most dangerous hiking trail in the world is Angel’s Landing in Utah, because it has steep drops and narrow paths to walk along.
As for dangerous climbs:
Mt Annapurna in Nepal is the most dangerous mountain to climb with the highest fatality rate of 53 deaths.
Accidents happen, whether due to skill, poor planning, or just sheer dumb luck.
Nearly 45 million Americans hiked somewhere in the world in 2017, and this figure has increased from 29 million since 2006. 20% of all hiking and climbing accidents could be prevented by properly knotting the end of the rope and checking that it’s secure before beginning
So if you’re careful, why not challenge yourself? Just make sure you have the right gear for the climb or trek!
