What is the difference between hiking, and back-country backpacking? The backpack of course! Now, I’m not qualified to tell you how to physically train to survive your backpack: each body is different, and has different needs. You should go to a professional. Also, I’m barely qualified to tell you how to eat with a spork, […]
adventure
- Backpacking
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What was the Big Brown Creature?
Update You asked for it, yes you did, remember? Now behold the Monster and tremble!!! Illustrated by Maxime, I give you the Big Brown Creature, aka Hundreds of Squirrels Wearing the Skin of a Grizzly Bear. And yes, if you look carefully, they are pooping in the bushes.We will never again look at squirrels, or […]
- Backpacking
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Kananaskis Highlands
Here, dear Reader, is the story of my Kananaskis Highlands trek (still in the Canadian Rockies) in August 2018 with Yamnuska, guided by Marc. Everything went splendidly well: I was in better shape (thanks, InspireA+ 😉 I didn’t even feel my backpack! ) I slept every night, warm and cosy, like a particularly comfortable log, […]
- Backpacking
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How to choose your Thermarest mattress
I’m in no way a seasoned traveller, but it so happened that, in the course of my small adventures, I slept on a great number of different mattresses. It gave me a rare insight into Thermarest different products (they are indubitably the Kings of inflatable camping Mattresses, and no, I am in no way sponsored […]
- Backpacking
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Three ways to cross a creek
When hiking in the mountains, you will come along quite a number of streams, streamlets, brooks, brooklets, creeks, runnels, and such like. Sometimes, they are small enough that you can just jump them. We are not talking about those. Sometimes, they are so big that you’ll need either to find a bridge, or to walk […]
- Backpacking
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Alternative Banff Highline
I vividly remember that moment, where, in Yamnuska’s headquarter, Alison told us: “It’s going to be rather cold, up there. Snow, and -10.” My blue gear was scattered on the ground as I looked confidently at it. “Are you sure you’ll be ok?” asked Alison, looking doubtfully at my small layers and my very light […]
The 12 Stages of Hiking Mount Washington in Winter Conditions
1-Going up to Hermit Lake with the Tuckerman Ravine trail I think my backpack is trying to murder me. I tried a lot of different configurations, with little success. It’s poking me in the back, and not in a very nice way. Also, my legs refuse to understand they cannot go at the same speed […]
One Year Old!
The Rambling Blue Owl is 1 year old today!!! 12 months and 25 posts, both in English and French! O dear reader, all the things we’ve been through together!! We’ve been to Hell and back in the beautiful plains of Iceland… You’ve watched me adopt a pet Xenomorph. You followed me to a Single’s Party, […]