Contributors

Alexandra Koken is a German-American writer and hiking blogger. She first discovered hiking as a way to get out of hectic London, and soon became addicted to spending days outdoors romping through fields, hiking along coastal ridges, and exploring green places pretty much anywhere the British Railway system could take her. Since then, she has followed her passion for the outdoors on a 3-month sabbatical across the West Coast of the USA and India, the West Highland Way in Scotland and the Malerweg in Germany.

Alex relocated to Berlin, Germany, in 2018, where she is mostly found swimming in lakes, writing, practicing yoga or leading group hikes for novice hikers. She blogs about her adventures on FreshAirPinkCheeks.com.

Alison is a freelance creator based in Munich, Germany who believes that to truly experience a culture is to embrace the people and nature around you. Growing up along the coastline in Massachusetts, Alison did not experience the mountains until college. Ever since her very first hike in the White Mountains, she has fallen in love with the wilderness, its beauty, and its challenges. Once longing for the sound of waves crashing, Alison now prefers to be on a trail, submerged in a forest.

Alison’s call to adventure has brought her to explore many landscapes across the world. From the National Parks in the United States to the tallest peaks in Greece and the savannahs of Tanzania, she continues to be amazed by nature.

Besides the outdoors, Alison is passionate about helping others, creating nutritious meals, and challenging the status quo. Don’t hesitate to reach out to her on social media. She would be thrilled to hear from you and help you create your best trip.

Amanda is a California Native who is always looking for her next adventure. She has been an avid rock climber for over 14 years and has been all over California to climb the best rocks she can all while pursuing a career in Software Engineering.

Her favorite climbing destinations include Yosemite, Bishop, Mammoth, Red Rocks, Joshua Tree and Castle Rock State Park. Her favorite activities include competitive rock climbing, mud races, white water rafting, ocean kayaking, hiking in the Ventana Wilderness and exploring the Big Sur coastline.

Augusto began hiking during university, where he went from newbie to president of the hiking club. Soon after, he travelled to Germany to hike the Garmisch Partenkirchen area with his wife. Feeling the call of the mountains, they relocated to Switzerland.

After taking up snowshoeing and mountain biking, Augusto decided to hike around Iceland, circling the country to find the best hidden trails and camping spots. Currently enjoying some time back in his native Phillippines, Augusto works in environmental economics research and is an NAUI open water-certified scuba diver.

Avinash Noronha, based in India, enjoys the comfort of the bicycle saddle as he has ridden in various parts of the country for a decade. His riding has taken him on multiple adventures from single tracks in a bikepacking avatar to full blown loaded touring on a road bike to ultralight multi-day adventures.

His love for two wheels extends to motorcycles as well, as he has crisscrossed the country multiple times on the back of motor powered machines. He is a happy man as long as he has a bike to ride! Besides riding, he loves writing as well and has been blogging for a decade. Avinash was formerly the Assistant Editor for a leading motorcycle magazine of India.

Barton grew up among the rolling green hills of Worcestershire, England. When the mountains were calling he decided to up sticks to New Zealand where he worked in Fiordland as a nature guide at the famous Milford Sound.

His hiking boots have since taken him all over the world including Nepal and Japan, although most recently have been stomping the national parks of California where he works as a travel consultant, based in Los Angeles.

Brandon has been hiking since he was old enough to tie his own boot laces. Growing up in Western Washington, his childhood was filled with family hikes and camping trips between the North Cascades and San Juan Islands.

In 2013 Brandon co-founded Beers at the Bottom to highlight hiking trails and craft breweries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Today he writes about trails, ales, and travel from beautiful Bellingham, WA. His first book, Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest, will be available in Spring 2018.

Brian has been hiking and climbing in the US and Canadian Rockies for 40+ years. Brian has explored trails and peaks from all across Canada, from Newfoundland to BC and south to Arizona. The more he travels, the more he realizes that the Alberta Rockies are the best place to be. Kananaskis Country is his favorite place to camp.

Charlotte has always loved exploring new countries and cultures but since lockdown, she has a newfound love of her home country - England. Charlotte and her partner love exploring their local area at the weekends to find new walking routes for her to add to her website charsweb.co.uk.

Based just outside of Vienna, Austria, Christian is a technical mathematics student with a passion for calisthenics, martial arts, and especially outdoors. When he can take a break from his studies, he heads out to the mountains – hiking, climbing, skiing – and long overnight trekking tours where he can totally be immersed in the nature.

Heading beyond the trails of Europe, Christian also enjoys traveling and exploring the hiking and training in new countries, such as China, Nepal and the Americas. Thus far he’s completed the John Muir Trail and the Annapurna Circuit.

Christine is a full-time traveler and seeker of new experiences. She and her husband met while leading adventure travel camps for teenagers, and today they are digital nomads exploring the United States with their family in a travel trailer. Christine has experience in hiking and backpacking, biking, canoeing, sailing, and more. While her current adventures are adapted to the ages and abilities of her three kids, raising them to love the outdoors is her favorite adventure so far!

David is a bilingual French/English outdoor blogger based in SW France. A few years ago, he became addicted to peak-bagging and recently decided to escape from the 9-5 routine to spend more time in the outdoors.

One of David’s favourite playgrounds is the beautiful Pyrenees, which he can admire from his home when the weather is clear. David also travels several times per year to tick off summits in the British Isles – especially Ireland. David is now aiming at exploring other European ranges and venturing on other continents.

David is an adventurer, photographer, and an outdoor enthusiast. Calling the Canadian Rockies home, his free time is filled with hiking, rock climbing, skiing and travelling to beautiful places whenever possible. His latest grand adventure was spending 6 months completing the Pacific Crest Trail and the Sierra High Route in 2018. He is passionate about inspiring others to embrace the beauty and freedom of the outdoors through his works in photography and blogging.

Emma first travelled to the Canadian Rockies from Melbourne, Australia in 2008, to work as a ski instructor. After four years of back to back winters she spent a summer in the Bow Valley, and never left.

She now works as an Interpretive Guide in Banff National Park, and when tourists ask where she goes on vacation, she says, "right here". She now is a Canadian Permanent Resident, and lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Eva is a German writer who has lived in Nepal for the last 7 years with her daughter. They love to hike, bike, climb and raft together – basically anything outside. When they are not trekking in Nepal, they explore Europe – and they have a special love for Slovenia. On her blog, Eva writes about outdoor activities with kids.

Francesco was born in Naples, Italy and has been an explorer since a young age. When he wasn’t going for long walks in the woods, Francesco could be found devouring Tolkien’s books on middle earth, or going on a wild adventure through the far corners of the world. He soon set out to explore his home region of Campania, in the south of Italy.

That was not enough however, and in 2013 he embarked on a solo bike travel from Naples to Trento, south to north Italy, describing it as one of the best experiences of his life. After falling in love with the Trentino Alto Adige region, Francesco did a complete backpacking trip around the Dolomites.

Francesco holds a Photography and Cinema degree in the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, and aside from being one of our contributors he works as a freelance photographer and video maker. In his spare time, you can find Francesco climbing, hiking, skydiving and always trying to live life to the fullest.

Originally from England and settled in the Kootenays since 2016, Georgina is a huge lover of the outdoor lifestyle. As her work is remote based, she is lucky enough to have lots of time to spend hiking, biking and exploring the mountains. You can usually find her drinking a cup of tea by the lake, hiking up to a cabin, or living in her Van in the Great White North.

Jacqui Somen is a health & wellness writer, NASM certified personal trainer, and founder of gaiactive.com. When she’s not working or working out, you can find her exploring the world with her family. Follow her at @vivamafit.

John is a retired high school teacher that loves all mountain activities including alpine climbing, ski mountaineering, backpacking and mountain ultra-distance running.  As with many teachers, the love of instruction doesn't end when the job ends, so he also spends a ridiculous amount of time and energy hoping to educated other mountain enthusiasts so that they can learn from his mistakes and experience.  Despite having climbed many of the Rockie's most engaging peaks, his most memorable trip was his daughter's first technical mountaineering trip when she was age 10, as seen in the accompanying picture.

Based in the coastal town of Victoria BC, Jonathan spends much of his time exploring the mountains of Vancouver Island and coastal BC. In the winter he is out skiing almost every week, venturing into the hills which are repeatedly dumped on by huge coastal snowfalls. After the thaw Jonathan switches to his bike and takes to the loamy trails that western BC is famous for.

Due to their lower elevation and challenging access, the Vancouver Island mountain are far less popular than their mainland counterparts. Especially in the winter, finding crowds (or any other people for that matter) at popular or scenic spots is very uncommon due to strenuous approaches through thick bush. Jonathan enjoys the adventure and solitude found in these hills, especially when travelling into not often explored territory and skiing new lines.

Karin is a doctor who in her free-time is an avid adventurer, enjoying hiking, mountain biking, trekking and travelling all over the world. Hiking has taken her on a regular basis to Canada and the USA as well as trips to Nepal, India, Europe and South America.

She has been fortunate to do many multi-day treks such as the Tour of Mont Blanc, The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, the John Muir Trail as well as trekking in the Mustang region of Nepal and to Annapurna base camp. Next up for Karin is a summer in the Rockies, travelling through Oregon and Colorado before venturing up to the Canadian Rockies. From there it’s a month-long cycling trip throughout Spain and then back to India for a couple of months to soak up the atmosphere and history.

A perfect day for Kate? The mountains, a challenging hike, clear blue skies (although this isn’t always a reality in her home country, the UK), spectacular views, good friends and quite simply the joy of being outside and active. The icing on the cake is a bonfire on a deserted beach on a calm starry evening.

Her favorite mountain is Loch Nagar, with the Loch Garten, Oldshoremore Bay and the Isle of Arran being her top choices. She’s cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, completed the 3Peaks challenge and hiked the West Highland Way. Hiking, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, running, road biking, open water swimming – it’s impossible for Kate to pick her favorite, but luckily, she can give us the inside tips as a 10hikes contributor.

Kelsey hated hiking when she was a kid. Her parents would always force her to venture up mountains with them, and she would always complain about how pointless it was to wind along a path to a "stupid view." But now, you can find Kelsey happily weaving to a collage of stunning views cloaking mountains across the globe! Her favourite outdoor adventure? When she picks a stream and follows it upward, in hopes of finding an undiscovered natural paradise. She now has no idea why she hated hiking as a kid!

Kimberley is a nature-loving explorer who has travelled and hiked extensively. Whilst most days are spent at work, the evenings are dedicated to being outside or planning the next adventure. Independent from an early age, she first travelled to the USA age 18 to find a summer job, but instead found a husband and a passion to see more. She eventually returned to complete sections of the Appalachian Trail and the Rim to River trek in the Grand Canyon, both of which were incredible.

Having been a vegan for almost 20 years, her biggest hiking obstacle is finding vegan foods that travel well. The 5-day Choquequirao hike, to one of the most remote Inca ruins in the Peruvian Andes, was a challenge conquered on a diet of mostly peanuts, popcorn and pot noodles! Thankfully options have now vastly improved.

Her favorite long-distance hike so far has been the Annapurna circuit in Nepal. It was the perfect mix of high altitude and challenging terrain with beautiful tea houses and immersion into the friendly local culture. Life for Kim is about living life to the fullest, travelling, hiking and enjoying precious time with friends and family.

Kristin lives nomadically, settling in small towns close to adventure. Outside of her day job as a writer/editor, you’ll find her hiking and backpacking in the Rockies, experimenting (and dancing) in the kitchen, and travelling to sunny places whenever she can. Having been to 42 countries so far, she's created a life rich with experiences and thrives on pushing the limits of her comfort zone.

Léa was born in the French Alps and they’re still her favorite playground throughout the year.
Hiking, climbing, skiing or building an igloo, this is what she enjoys and what she shares with her friends and her family!

Last spring Léa crossed the French Alps on the famous GR5 trail, which gave her great insight on the best dayhikes in Vanoise National Park!

When Léa’s not on the peak somewhere, she is a very passionate Graphic Designer. She’s full of energy and is always waiting for more adventure!

Lisa is a travel writer and photographer who originally comes from a small town in Australia. She quit her full-time job in 2016 (she was previously a professional Astronomer and then an eLearning/Learning Spaces expert for Universities) and has been travelling the world ever since.

She prefers to explore places that are off the beaten track and has a particular passion for Greenland – a country that is about as unknown and as far from Australia as you can get!

Although she only started hiking in 2015, she has done numerous long distance treks – the toughest being the Southern Patagonia Icefield Expedition out of El Chaltén in Argentina. She’s discovered that the hikes she enjoys most are those that are very remote, are in cooler climates, and don’t have a lot of trees to block the view. For this reason, you’ll tend to find her on lesser known trails in Greenland, Iceland (other Scandinavian and Arctic countries still pending), Patagonia and anywhere along the Andes in South America.

Luca is a self-taught ornithologist. A nature lover, he has worked in nature parks for the past twenty-two years. Luca has been lucky in the experiences in his life, and they have taught him that there are two things that interest him most of all – the emotions that only nature can offer and sharing them with people who value them. So, he decided to put his skills as an ornithologist and nature guide to their best use.

In 1993 Luca joined the staff at the Nature Reserve of the Forest and the Lakes of Palanfré. The first eleven years as a ranger gave him the chance to expand on certain aspects of meteorology, geology, ecology and, of course, botany, and zoology. He has been working as technical officer since 2004, on numerous conservation and research projects on insects, spiders, amphibians, reptiles and birds at Alpi Marittime Nature Park.

After 30 years of field work and experience, he is still convinced that to understand the mechanisms and secrets of the world that hosts us, you have to keep looking. He’s been roaming the Ligurian, Maritime and Cotian Alps for over 35 years in all seasons, on foot, mtb, skis and snow-shoes. He has undertaken countless excursions and hikes at high altitude, with a tent or staying in refuges, both in summer and winter.

In 2015, he finished training and qualified as an Accompagnateur Moyenne Montagne, in France. A qualification which is recognized in most European countries. Luca also attained the Agrément Merveilles issued by Parc National du Mercantour, allowing him to guide in areas normally closed to the public. Luca is a qualified guide, able to offer his services in several languages. These activities give him the opportunity to share his enthusiasm and to continue to explore the many aspects of nature.

Lukas picked up the travel-bug on his first trip to South East Asia. Since then he has traveled to North America, Central America, South America, and Europe. He found the passion for hiking in the UK’s beautiful Lake District, and hiking and backpacking have become the main goal of his travels ever since.

Lukas prefers a night in the tent over a night in the hotel and loves exploring the best trails on earth and sharing his experiences through writing and photography. He hopes his experiences will help more people to start their own adventures and appreciate the world surrounding them a little bit more.

Lukas’ favorite hike so far was the 4-day Machu Picchu trail. His next big dream is to do a thru-hike. Lukas has a Communication and Information Bachelor’s degree and has gained invaluable experience in marketing, media and customer relations. He can also rack a barrel and pour a perfect pint.

Mallory is a Calgary-based writer and outdoor enthusiast. Her favourite destinations so far are South Africa, the Czech Republic, and Australia. She’ll never forget playing cricket on Manly Beach on Christmas morning or skydiving over Cape Town. If you’re trying to find her, she’s probably on the trails in the Rockies, horseback riding in Kananaskis, or in the midst of a massive wipeout at Sunshine Ski Resort.

Matthew enjoys everything outdoors. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, each weekend was spent exploring the forests, waterways, and shorelines of the province – fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, rock hounding, or beachcombing. After a stopover in Ottawa where he obtained his Ph.D. in organic chemistry, he continued his westward migration, settling in Edmonton for a couple of years.

Within days of arriving he made his way to the Rockies to reacquaint himself with the outdoors, hiking the popular Bald Hills and Cavell Meadows trails in Jasper, and became hooked on hiking in the Rockies. The four-hour drive to the mountains from Edmonton was a bit too long, however, and so he eventually found work in Calgary that would not only keep him close to the Rockies but also afford him the freedom to get outdoors on a frequent basis. Since that move in 2008 he has hiked, backpacked, or snowshoed over 300 trails in the Rockies and summited nearly 200 mountains.

Melanie's love of long-distance hiking began with a trek along Spain's Camino de Santiago (the Vía de la Plata route). Later, she was floored to discover a trail twice as long – the Ice Age Trail (IAT) – in her home state of Wisconsin in the U.S. Melanie thru-hiked the IAT twice, setting the women's fastpacking record both times and becoming the only person to have thru-hiked the trail two times.

Today, Melanie is on a mission to hike all 11 of the U.S.'s National Scenic Trails. (She's completed four and started two others.) She's also a competitive runner, competes in adventure races and has hiked famous trails across the globe, including paths in Iceland, New Zealand, China, Spain and Israel.

Natascha was born just outside of Munich and discovered her passion for the outdoors, and especially for hiking, four years ago when she moved to the German Prealps. Since them Natascha gets outside as much as possible. She has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (USA) in 2017 and the Great Divide Trail (Canada) in 2018. When back home in Germany, Natascha likes climbing, skiing and hiking in the Alps. Over the coming years she will combine her love for nature with her job as a preschool teacher.

Peter comes from Slovenia, a small beautiful country on the sunny side of the Alps. He was literally born in the mountains. Based in a small town of Tržič, he has all that he loves to do at the touch of his hands. He is a passionate outdoor enthusiast, who loves to ride an endure-bike just as much as his road machine. But most of all, he spends his time exploring remote mountain ridges or breathing fresh air in one of Slovenia’s unspoiled forests.

His open mind and curiosity are always pushing him ahead, often crossing the national borders and reaching even further and higher. One of his biggest loves are the Italian Dolomites.

Usually he carries his camera with him, so he can share some of the magical moments and views with the world. Don´t hesitate to say hi to him on one of the social media channels. If you are interested in visiting his home country, he will be pleased to take you on an unforgettable trip.

Richard founded 10Adventures with a spark of inspiration and single wish. He asked himself, “Why – in this tech-first world – do hikers still need bulky guide books? Where is the app that works easily offline and looks good while doing it?” Without an answer, he made one: 10Adventures.com.

10Adventures is a website for outdoor adventurers, offering free, guidebook-quality route guides. These route guides share the 10 best hikes, bikes and skis in the most beautiful places on earth.

Richard gained his love of the outdoors by spending summers hiking all over the world, including the Alps, Rockies, Himalayas, Andes and Pyrenees. This passion is the seed of his wish – to make it easier for people to experience the most beautiful places on earth.

Prior to 10Adventures, Richard was the Chief Operating Officer of a successful consulting company that grew from 18 to over 450 staff and was named one of the 50 Best places to work in Canada for six straight years. Richard has also plied his skills at tech start-ups and NGO’s in Canada, UK and Argentina. He is an Alumni of Harvard Business School and London Business School, where he was a Sloan Fellow.

While using 10Adventures.com to plan your next outdoor trip, you might see Richard skiing in the backcountry, or road cycling; although, day to day Richard can be found adventuring with his wife and three boys in their backyard or the Rocky Mountains.

Wendy's parents clipped her into her plastic skis and pulled her along the flat, snowy roads of Falls Creek ski resort in Australia when she was three years old. It began a lifelong love of the outdoors, and she spent 20 years working in Europe as a technical writer to fund her weekend adventures on the continent. She explored the scenery through hiking, mountain biking, various snow sports and wakeboarding, fuelled mostly by French pastries and local Reblochon cheese.

Wendy returned to Australia in 2020, where she now freaks out at all those deadly snakes on the hiking trails — that turn out to be fallen branches.

Calling Golden, CO home, Whitney's working hours are split between a variety of jobs: owning a guiding business with her boyfriend, Golden Mountain Guides, marketing/race directing for a running company, coaching high school cross country and track & field, and freelance writing.

Whitney's non-working hours are split literarily between the outdoors and traveling, which is where her blog, Racing & Wandering, was born. In her free time, she can usually be found hiking, running, climbing, snowboarding or reading a good book.

Zac is a Mechanical Engineer that works full time in Boulder Colorado. He moved his family from the concrete metropolis of Dallas, Texas to the small mountain town of Nederland Colorado. He and his wife bought their dream home, an A-frame cabin in the heart of the Rocky Mountains minutes away from Indian Peaks Wilderness and Rocky Mountain National Park.

When Zac is not at work you can find him doing one of the many outdoor activities ranging from mountain biking, rock climbing, trail running, snowboarding and hiking with his family and friends. Zac is known as the 'Last General' amongst close friends for his passionate pursuit for the outdoors. When it comes to planning an epic adventure, Zac will take control of the situation and navigate the group through all "3 types of fun"!

He is also passionate about photography as a way to encourage people to experience the outdoors. He knows sometimes all it takes is one picture of some place beautiful, to inspire your next trip or adventure.