The nice people over at Adventure Travel Magazine have selected the Dhaulagiri Circuit as their pick of the world's top 100 trekking routes for their 100th anniversary celebration edition due out soon.
The trek - which we suspect was really selected for its annoying spelling - pipped more obvious classics like the Inca Trail, Everest Base Camp and the ascent of Kilimanjaro to the title.
“We chose the Dhaulagiri Circuit as it still offers the sense of adventure that you get from going off the beaten track,” says Adventure Travel’s editor Rosie Fuller. “The world’s most famous treks, like the Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro and the hike to Everest Base Camp, are all fabulous expeditions, and all did well in our countdown, but we felt the Dhaulagiri Circuit offers that extra bit of risk, excitement and good old-fashioned adventure.”
The trek is a circumnavigation of the 8,167m (26,795ft) mountain Dhaulagiri. It involves crossing glacial rivers on logs, scaling cliff faces on rickety old bamboo ladders, a terrifying glacial traverse and it reaches heights of up to 5,350m (17,552ft). Check out the images, all supplied by The Mountain Company and you can see why.
If you've not come across Adventure Travel, affectionately known as AT, check it out. It focuses on adventurous outdoor travel and is just about to publish it's 100th edition, with the 'World's Best 110 Treks' as a centrepiece. Choosing them was 'was a tough job, but a fun one!' says Rosie.
The issue out in early July also features interviews with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ben Fogle and Ray Mears and may possibly also mention OM's editor as a past AT staffer... More details on the magazine at www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk.
Image by The Mountain Company www.themountaincompany.co.uk
