Hiking

Gear: The Best Waterproof Wide-Fitting Hiking Boots

Published October 2017 by Emma. Updated October 2022.

You would think that searching for something as simple as waterproof wide-fitting hiking boots would result in plenty of options. The shops are full of boots but once you specify your criteria the choice quickly narrows.

My criteria was simple:

Waterproof (ie GORE-TEX® or similar)
Wide-fitting hiking boots
Medium or high cut (for sturdy ankle support in alpine environments)

I searched high and low. There was not much advice online, and in the local hiking shops the huge choice on display was quickly narrowed down once I said what I was looking for. It’s definitely worth going to a reputable hiking store where they have people who can give you advice based on experience, rather than the general high street stores which are focussed more on sales.

After much research the conclusion was a choice of these brands for waterproof wide-fitting hiking boots:

Salomon: I went with model Quest Prime GTX which are fantastic. Very comfortable width-wise and they’ve been easy to wear in. Sturdy as well as lightweight. They have Contagrip soles which is their equivalent of Vibram.
- Update October 2022: after purchasing my 2nd pair of Salomons (after many years) for a particularly tough trek in Pakistan I’m happy to report that they stood up to the test – waterproof, comfy and sturdy enough to survive 2 weeks of glacier walking. Compare this to Trevor’s new Asolo boots – while they provided him with great ankle support, the stitching fell apart after a week! Luckily some of the porters on the trek were also good cobblers 🙂
Vasque: having used a pair of Vasque boots for the last 5 years I can vouch for their comfort and robustness, plus the Vibram soles are good grip. This time I tried model Breeze III GTX but unfortunately did not feel as roomy as the Salomons
Keen: American brand which is commonly known for wide-fitting boots, but I couldn’t find any to suit. I already have a pair of lower cut hiking shoes (Targhee II) which are a bit clunky but basically ok
Possibly Merrell, as these come up in internet searches for wide-fitting hiking boots but I didn’t find any available locally that met all of my criteria

There are probably other brands out there that also offer waterproof wide-fitting boots, especially American brands which do seem to cater more for wide feet compared with the European brands.

Other brands we’ve heard of that offer a wide-fit option are Zamberlan, Lowa, Oboz, One Planet and Hoka One One.

Another idea for women is to try men’s boots, which can be a wider fit.

For good advice on hiking equipment, see the hiking stores we recommend.

Check out our Amazon store HERE. You can see trekking and travel items that we use or recommend, including gift ideas. As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Happy travels!

Emma

See our Gear Lists and Calculators

Canada: Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Mountains – Go now

Published October 2017 by Trevor. Updated February 2021.

Oooooh la la – stunning, mesmerising, wilderness and wildlife. British Columbia’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Mountains are everything you’ve ever dreamed about, and more.

Canadian Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Mountains

Canada was never high on our list of countries to undertake travel adventures. Thank goodness for a couple of people with passion and enthusiasm from Yoho Adventures (www.yohoadventures.com), whom we met several years ago in Sydney. After years of urging us to come on over and saying ‘anyways, you will have fun’ – we did.

Canadian wilderness – stunning views in every direction

How to get there

So, with a small but enthusiastic group of people along with our two guides, gear and food, our seven day adventure into the Canadian Coast Mountains wilderness began. Starting from Vancouver, we flew to Anahim Lake via Bella Coola – around two hours North West.

Then hooking up with a ‘flying beaver’ (aka float plane), we headed out over a remote ice field into a pristine, lake environment where we were dropped off for four days.

Each day was both stunning and challenging at the same time. The weather tested both our gear and resolve to keep pushing our limits.

Hiking off trail in the wilderness of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Mountains

From unmarked trails, mesmerising views from atop a ridge, listening to all the bad jokes, through to waking up each morning in a log cabin to plan where to go today – only of course after we had consumed copious cups of coffee.

Wilderness lodge – a great place to call home in the middle of nowhere

This was British Columbia at its best – but wait, there was lots more.

From grizzly bear encounters, sightings of caribou and numerous wolf tracks, to hiking up to a glacier and sampling the thousand year old ice (in a glass of scotch if course) through to more hiking and glacial lakes and scenery to die for.

We can’t wait to experience more of Canada – until next time, Au revoir.

Onwards and upwards.

Trevor

Insights

Plan to visit the wilderness with a well regarded local guiding company – they know all the unmarked trails, get to arrange the logistics and that way you will have more time to relax than trying to do it all yourself. We recommend Yoho Adventures.

Having good guides and a good team make for a great hike!

Hiking poles are recommended to help keep your balance on unmarked trails, as well as to help going up or downhill. Make sure your training plan includes some walks over uneven ground to get your ankles used to it before you go. See our post on How to Prepare for a Trek.

August and September are the best months to explore and encounter the Grizzly’s during salmon spawning season on the Atnarko river, Bella Coola.

Wear layers and appropriate clothing such as wool or primaloft ie. no cotton, as cotton is rotten!

Take a ‘flying beaver’ out to a wilderness lake – it’s an experience that you will never forget.

The ‘flying beavers’ – floatplanes – are a common form of transport in British Columbia

When trekking the in the wilderness of British Columbia, don’t forget the bear spray – and know how to use it.

Malaysian Borneo: Mt Kinabalu, A New Years surprise

Published June 2017 by Trevor. Updated February 2021.

We could see Mt Kinabalu in the distance from our hotel. With New Years fast approaching and with two angsty teenage children in tow, it was a choice between party on the beach, or, climbing that mountain. Hmmmmm – no second guesses which one my two teenagers wanted to choose! Little did we know at the time, preparation was everything – and altitude something else.

A couple of days before, we went shopping at the Kota Kinabalu (KK) bustling night markets in town. As you’ve probably gathered, this was a spur of the moment decision and so our purchases of essential gear were somewhat limited – but so was our budget. To make this situation even worse, the locals just shrugged this off as ‘just a walk in the park’. Never listen to the locals!!

The ascent

Mt Kinabalu (4,095m) is not for the faint hearted. It was a 5:00AM wake up call for us on the day beginning the hike. We packed our ‘very’ limited gear, snacks (chocolate and the occasional muesli bar), and water, in our market-bought backpacks and began the bus trip from our hotel to Kinabalu Park Headquarters.

From there, we transferred to Timpohon gate (1,866m and 5.5km from the entrance to the Headquarters) and began the five-hour ascent* up to Laban Rata (3,272m) for our overnight stay.

Unfortunately, I spent the last two hours of the long ascent by myself as my two teenagers had suddenly decided that I was too slow for them. Luckily, I had all the snacks with me!. No matter how fit you are, or age, the altitude can be your biggest obstacle when it comes to getting up that hill.

Once I reached Laban Rata, I located my two teenagers, who were sprawled out on a rock, waving, and encouraging (read laughing) me as I came up the final bend. That evening, we settled in for a brief sleep before another early wake up, this time 2:00AM, to begin our hike up the summit.

The climb

With the treacherous weather and ponchos in hand, off we set. The first part of the climb, around 45-60 minutes was quite easy – up a set of long stairs.

Over the next couple of hours, we hauled ourselves up the slippery granite rocks using a sturdy rope and proceeded to a checkpoint. Not long after that, we steadily walked/scrambled to the summit of Low’s Peak. We rewarded ourselves with a well-deserved chocolate bar just in time for the sunrise.

Arriving back at the hotel that evening, I decided to jump in the pool for recovery. I couldn’t move as my muscles ached all over. I was contemplating what I had just done, when a pool attendant happened to pass by. He remarked with a wry smile, ‘ah, you climbed the mountain’. Yes, indeed I did.

Little did I know at the time, but this was the start of many adventures into the world of trekking at altitude.

*There’s a s*** load of stairs!

Onwards and Upwards

Trevor

Insights

Don’t underestimate the effort required to do the hike/climb.
While no special gear is required, sturdy hiking shoes or boots are recommended. Along with a head torch, also pack a warm jacket. You will be climbing in the dark and it gets very cold at the top before the sun rises
Hiking or climbing at altitude should not be taken lightly. See our High Altitude Trekking Tips
Enjoy the views. On a clear night, you can see down below to KK in the distance
If it’s raining when you start your climb from Laban Rata, be careful on the granite as it can get very slippery
Take a few snacks and lots of water. You can also purchase these at Laban Rata Hut, though will more expensive

Nepal: Everest Circuit and Cho La Pass – Stunning Vistas

Published June 2017 by Trevor. Updated February 2025.

Panorama from Gokyo Ri, including Everest, Lhotse and Makalu

In this post:

Introduction

The brochure promised ‘Everest Circuit and Cho La Pass. Combining Everest Base Camp (EBC) and Gokyo Lakes with a stunning crossing of the Cho La pass’. Well, the hype lived up to it and more.

Those that have followed my previous posts on the Himalayas would have noted that despite numerous visits, I have only flown into and out of Lukla only once by plane. All the rest have been by helicopter for various reasons. Well, I can now report that on this trip I successfully landed and departed Lukla by plane – whoo hoo.

Arriving in Kathmandu

We arrived in Kathmandu with days to spare before joining our team to commence the trek. Not having returned to Nepal since the devastating earthquake back in 2015, we noticed that it was a lot quieter than usual especially around Thamel, the main tourist centre of Kathmandu. While a lot of work has been undertaken to repair the infrastructure and buildings damaged in the earthquake, there are still areas that are in need of urgent repair such as Durbar Square. Even with less traffic, the pollution though was very bad. There was a fair amount of dust in the air due to the digging up of the roads to lay new water pipes and more tummy bugs than usual going around due to the warmer and incessant pollution.

By the way, if you’re looking for a good hotel points deal in Kathmandu, try this idea from our friends at Points Brotherhood.

Arriving in Lukla

After our pre-trek briefing, we departed Kathmandu early the next morning for Lukla and commenced our trek. Upon landing in Lukla, we received a nice surprise. One of our Sherpa guides named Loki, who was on our first trip to Everest Base Camp back in 2013, was there to greet us with his big warm smile. After many hugs and meeting the rest of our team of Sherpas and porters, it was time to start the short trek to Ghat and then over the next couple of days trek up to Namche Bazaar to find a decent coffee and apple pie.

Mani Stones (Prayer wall) – always walk on the left side

Heading up to Gokyo

After a couple of acclimatisation days in Namche, we broke off from the main trail heading to Everest Base Camp and trekked up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo. Cho Oyu (6th highest mountain in the world – 8,201m) was visible at the head of the valley.

After ascending Gokyo Ri (5,483m) in fine and windy conditions, we then ascended the Cho La pass (5,420m). Lucky for us, we had great weather up and over the pass, with a seven hour crossing – a record I believe for our group of 14 and our trek leader. Contrast this with another group we knew, who the previous fortnight took over 12 hours and encountered almost white out, blizzard conditions.

View of Mt Everest, Lhotse and Makalu from the top of Gokyo Ri

View from the top of Gokyo Ri – Everest, Lhotse and Makalu

It was fantastic trekking up the Gokyo valley as we hardly encountered any other trekkers or yaks. Contrast this with the main Everest Base Camp trail which we re-joined once we had dropped back down towards Lobuche after the Cho La Pass crossing. Trekkers, climbers, yaks all mixed in together – not necessarily in that order.

Everest Base Camp

As this was the peak Everest climbing season, it was great to meet some of the climbers, whom some had dropped down to other villages to rest up and put on some weight for when they got the OK to commence their summit bid. It was also a pleasure to meet the famous Ice Fall Doctors who are charged by the Government to fix the ropes to the top of Everest on the south side. What an amazing and extraordinary group of Sherpas.

Trevor with the Ice Fall Doctors, who affix the ropes to the summit

Heading back down the valley

While the trek down from Everest Base Camp was fairly uneventful other than the odd snow storm, Lukla however had other ideas and had the last laugh with the weather. There were many false hopes, planes coming and then not coming, dashing from the cafe on the other side of the airport on rumours we were going to try and fly out and then cancelled – well you catch my drift.

The next morning we tried again and lucky for us, our guide managed for us to scramble out on the last flight of the morning – there were no other flights landing or departing for another three days after we left. While it was great to revisit Everest Base Camp and the villages that we trekked through back in 2013, the highlights for us were definitely the Gokyo Valley, Gokyo Ri, Cho La Pass and above all else, the wonderful warm Sherpa people and our great trekking team.

The short runway at Lukla – weather not so good

Footnote: The Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla is rated as the of the most dangerous airports in the world. On the 27 May, 2017, this was again re-affirmed with the crash of a Goma Air plane just short of the runway coming into land at Lukla, tragically leading to two lives lost – the Captain and co-pilot.

Watch the Video!

Onwards and Upwards!

Trevor

Everest, Lhotse and the striking Ama Dablam

Insights

Allow for a contingency day in Lukla as often the weather can be unpredictable for flights (planes or helicopter)
Be resilient – change of plans can occur at a moments notice as you’re in the mountains. Weather dictates everything you do
Don’t stress about things you can’t control. See our post on mental toughness
The people dynamics side of your team is just as important if not more than the type of journey you take

There is a strict 15kg weight limit (10kg kit bag and 5kg backpack) on flights to Lukla. Take your favourite snacks such as Snickers and Pringles which were the most popular amongst our group

Hygiene factors – always take hand sanitiser gel and use it regularly. You are in a third world country and you need to stay healthy for your trek or climb
Take plenty of cough lozenges. Many people succumb to the Khumbu cough due to the dryness of the Khumbu region. Also take plenty of pain killers for altitude headaches though always inform your trek leader if the headache persists
As you trek higher, be prepared for various illnesses and loss of appetite. Ensure you keep well hydrated
Wear a buff over your mouth while walking around the streets of Kathmandu. This will help from the dust pollution and may prevent illness before you head off on your trek or expedition

Crossing the glacier on the Cho La Pass – microspikes are helpful

Wet wipes are recommended. They can be a great substitute for showering
In Namche Bazaar, check out Sherpa Barista for great coffee and cake and free WiFi
If you want to see the Everest mountaineers’ campsites at Everest Base Camp then go in the peak climbing season. This is from March-May. Otherwise all you’ll see is a glacier and lots of rocks
Read how to get to Kathmandu
You might also like our posts on trekking to Everest South Base Camp in Nepal and Everest North Base Camp in Tibet, China.

New Zealand: Tongariro Alpine Summer Crossing – A crossing like no other

Published April 2017 by Trevor. Updated August 2020.

Described as one of New Zealand’s greatest day hikes, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing can be a challenging journey, across a remarkable volcanic landscape.

Logistics

Staying in the Tongariro National Park village, we had transport provided at either end.

Requiring a good level of fitness to complete the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike, you need to cover the distance of around 19.4km (12mi) in 7-8 hours. This includes two challenging climbs, of around an hour each, carrying a day pack.

It’s not just a ‘stroll in the park’, but a serious hike over a mountain.

Highlights

Among the highlights are steaming vents and hot springs, old lava flows, beautiful water-filled craters and stunning views.

On clear days you can see Mount Taranaki in the west, Mount Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom), Kaimanawa Ranges, Lake Taupo and beyond.

Half way! View before going down the screen slope to the lakes

The best views are from the highest point, Red Crater, 1,886m (6,188ft). From here, the track descends steeply to Emerald Lakes and you can see across to the Blue Lake past the Central Crater. The Emerald Lakes’ brilliant colour is caused by minerals leaching from the adjoining thermal area.

Thermals can be seen steaming around the Red Crater and Emerald Lakes.

There is a short but narrow ridge you need to cross to reach Red Crater. In high winds, this can be quite tricky to navigate.

A very steep scree slope also awaits your descent to Emerald Lakes. At Ketetahi Hut, look out for the room where a volcanic rock fell through the roof during the 2012 volcanic eruptions.

After the hut, the trail winds down through scrub and native bush to the carpark

After the hut, there is a lengthy descent back to the car park at Ketetahi Car Park (end of the crossing).

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights

Plan and book ahead. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike is free, but it’s not a circular track, meaning you’ll need to arrange for someone to drop you off at the beginning and pick you up at the end of the track.
Transport can easily be arranged from Taupo, which serves as a great base for all sorts of North Island adventure activities, or within the Tongariro National Park.
For other transport or accommodation options, check out the Tongariro Crossing website.

Watch the weather. The weather on the Tongariro crossing can change rapidly, so be prepared to change your plans and turn back, especially when visibility is poor and there are strong winds
Check the Tongariro or National Park mountain forecasts

An easy section at the start of the track

If the Department of Conservation (DOC) advises against hiking the Crossing, heed their warnings – https://www.doc.govt.nz
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing can technically be hiked year-round. However, it’s best hiked in the summer months (December-February).
If you do want to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the winter, a guide is recommended.

Take lots of water and snacks. There isn’t anywhere to refill water bottles or buy food.

Cellphone coverage is intermittent and shouldn’t be relied upon in an emergency.

If a volcanic eruption happens, make sure you look up and see which direction the rocks are falling, then run the opposite way!