I stood quietly absorbing the spectacular views; in one direction dramatically crimson coloured mountain ranges pushed up out of a vast and seemingly empty plain, above an eagle lazily soaring on the gentle thermal winds and below, a precarious trail clinging to the side of the cliff.

The persistent cawing of crows brought me back from my reflections and I visibly relaxed, knowing we’d successfully climbed to the top of Brinkley Bluff, one of the most challenging sections on the Larapinta Trail. 

The strain of the last few weeks immediately slipped away into insignificance.

Winter in the Red Centre of Australia is magical. Imagine clear dry days under an enormous blue sky, pleasant daytime temperatures and last but not least, fewer flies when compared to the hot and wet summer months. 

While it’s possible to visit the region in any season, winter’s cool drier days provide the ideal conditions to explore the Red Centre’s iconic landscapes. 

I fielded many questions from curious family and onlookers when planning to walk New Zealand’s stunning 3,000km National Walking Trail, Te Araroa.

On hearing of my extraordinary plans to walk the entire length of the country, one concerned youngster asked "but will you have to carry all your own food?" It’s a valid question which can be answered succinctly with yes and no.

Understanding and managing risk for solo women while hiking New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa.

When planning to hike Aotearoa New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa trail, I had the usual safety concerns like navigating a fast flowing river, becoming lost in the bush, suffering from hypothermia or possible injuries which were all dangers that I could anticipate and plan for.  

In this blog however, I’m not going to address those general concerns. Instead, what I will be discussing are safety concerns unique to us women hikers. Specifically, the danger that is presented by the one thing that women worldwide have learnt to fear the most, and that is men. 

As I cautiously edged my way down the Dragon's Tail, the heat intensified, volcanic steam and poisonous gases escaping wherever they could from the surrounding rubble.  Reaching the valley floor, sunlight beat down mercilessly and not satisfied, it then bounced back up from the glaringly white sand.

Assuming it was compressed, I tugged harder on my hydration tube which remained stubbornly dry. Running out of water in the midst of a desert on a hot summer’s day was clearly not my intention but it was my reality.

This Guide is aimed at those hikers who are joining a Tour and will have the support of professional guides and porters throughout their trip. I outline those items that are included with a Tour as well as explore what’s not included. 

If this is your first time travelling to Nepal, this Guide is a must read.

As the boat started to plane I settled comfortably onto the seat to take in my surroundings while the dog, with his superior balance and having completed the journey dozens of times perched casually on the boat’s stern alongside the powerful 200HP Yamaha engine.

Cloudy skies with but the tiniest glimpses of blue dulled the summer’s day and added mystery to the deep indigo waters below. A huge bluff towered menacingly above us, foreshadowing the effort that lay ahead. 

Committing to a thru hike is equal parts exciting yet at the same time, immensely daunting. Not only are you going to be away from your home, family, friends and work for an extended period of time, there’s also untold logistics to be taken into account.

Choosing to hike Te Araroa, Aotearoa New Zealand’s three thousand kilometre trail which traverses the length of the country from Cape Reinga in the Far North to Bluff in the Far South (or vice a versa) brings with it many of its own unique challenges.

Having just crested the Tongariro Alpine Crossing alongside the impressive Red Crater I gazed down the precipitous volcanic scree slope which sidled past the breathtaking Emerald Lakes. We’d planned to stop alongside the lakes and the only thing between me and my sandwich was this hair raising descent. 

I weighed up the options and was attracted most by the plan to skid down on my butt so that I’d not tumble head over heels off the narrow spur. At this height, this felt a very real possibility! 

Whenever a group of hikers gather around, the conversation soon turns to food and the Everest Base Camp trekkers are no different. One of the delights of this trek is the variety and abundance of food available particularly when you consider that nearly everything is physically carried in either by porter, yak or mule train. 

Below me the swollen river raged down the valley, dirty grey water rushing, crashing and tumbling, rolling boulders, tugging trees from flooded banks, swirling and churning every which way. 

Above, sky the same colour as the water closed in, the tops of the mountains remaining hidden in the murk. I knew what it was like up there, near horizontal rain driven by a malicious wind intent on tossing me off the narrow ridge. Behind, the perilous trail from where I’d descended was more a cascade than a track.

Having woken at 5am to the freezing cold, I reflected once more on Raju’s briefing the night before. For the first time since leaving Lukla, Raju warned that this was going to be a hard day. According to Raju, we’d already had seven easy days though with the challenging climbs, high altitudes and reduced oxygen, easy was not the description any of us would have chosen. If Raju was telling us to prepare for a hard day, we’d better take him seriously.

He took not the slightest notice of me as he continued on briskly down the path, completely intent on his own exploration of our surrounds. I noticed his big feet and short legs, seemingly out of proportion to his body, his whiskers and his small dark eyes peering shortsightedly into the ferns on either side of the trail. He was obviously looking for something and kept tap tap tapping from side to side.

The Everest Base Camp Trek is the dream of any outdoor enthusiast and every year, thousands of people achieve that dream.

Major highlights include tracing in the steps of mountaineers to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, the extraordinarily beautiful views of the Himalayan mountains, immersing yourself in the local Sherpa culture and traversing through the UNESCO listed Sagarmatha National Park.

The Everest Base Camp trek introduces hikers to the Khumbu Region, steeped in history and culture and inhabited by some of the friendliest people you’ll ever have the privilege to meet.

Are you planning to trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal? Then get ready for an unforgettable experience.

The Khumbu Region is steeped in history and culture, has extraordinarily beautiful views, the friendliest people and a range of budgets to suit even the most cost conscious traveller.

It was almost as if the Gods had flicked a switch, one moment was quiet and calm, surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the world, the huge glacier below us swathed in early morning sunshine, the next was charged with tension.