Karen Berger, author of 'Great Hiking Trails of the World: 80 Trails, 75,000 Miles, 38 Countries, 6 Continents' said that she has been an outdoors person at heart since she was a kid.
"Summer camp was probably my earliest experience of sleeping in tents and living outdoors, and I remember coming home and thinking that indoor air conditioning just felt wrong," said Berger.
"Since then, I've worked at summer camps and outdoor education centers, volunteered as an inner-city outings leader for the Sierra Club and honeymooned on the John Muir Trail."
She has since completed the "triple crown": Thru-hikes of the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide national scenic trails-all 7,500 miles of them.
TravelPulse: Your book is titled "Great Hiking Trails of the World." What constitutes a great hiking trail?
Karen Berger: "Great" is very much in the eye of the beholder. This book describes hiking trails that fall into different categories, such as pilgrimage, historic hikes, albinism, wilderness, diverse environments, and long-distance trails.
So, to some extent, different hikes will appeal to different hikers based on personal interest.
Nonetheless, there are some characteristics that many hikers seem to agree about when talking about their favorite trails: Natural beauty, wildlife, preservation of the surrounding environment, interesting opportunities to experience the local culture when going off trail to resupply, and good quality trail maintenance and marking are some of the things hikers look for.
TP: How should someone pick a hike to start?
KB: It might seem strange for me to say this, since I'm the writer, but one way to start is to look at the pictures and see which ones make your heart race. Then, of course, you can read up on that hike to see whether the challenges and the highpoints match what you think you might be looking for.
TP: What has been your favorite place to hike in the world?
KB: That's kind of like asking a mother who her favorite child is. But I very much enjoy hiking in France, because the food is so good, the culture is interesting and the country has a wide variety of landscapes and environments from seashore to high mountains to wine country.
I also enjoy New Zealand, which has a similar variety of outstanding natural environments, friendly people and an infrastructure that is very convenient and easy for backpackers to navigate.
For new hikers I recommend the Alta Via in Italy, and specifically Holimites guide service. This is a chance to experience high mountains in a historic setting with guides who can interpret both the landscape and history.
I also recommend hiking in New Zealand. The Tongariro Crossing is one of the nation's most popular hikes. It is part of New Zealand's country-long Te Araroa trek, but it can be done in a day. Another option is the four day Tongariro Circuit.
And of course, the Appalachian Trail is great for newcomers. It is a short drive from most major East Coast metropolitan areas. It has a shelter system, and roads cross it often enough that you can fashion a hike of almost any length. And the information available is reliable and exhaustive.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy sells a wide range of guidebooks and other information. Much of the trail is navigable year round. Because it runs through lower mountains and more populated areas, it is generally safer for newcomers than are some of the higher mountains out west.
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