Smoky Mountains Grand Round

Submitted by jdavis82 on Sat, 05/20/2023 - 08:59am
Description

This is a roughly 200 mile loop with 50K of vertical gain that circles a large portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  While it is the most visited National Park in the country, several of these trails see very little traffic, so there will be more solitude than one may expect.  There are several places to start/finish the loop including Sugarland Visitor Center, Townsend, Fontana Dam, Clingman's Dome, Smokemont Campground, & Big Creek Campground.  These are also the easiest crew access points, although crew could access other areas with a little hiking.

Blaubergkopf Überschreitung

Submitted by Tomski on Sat, 05/20/2023 - 06:49am
Description

Fantastic round in the Bavarian mountains with great trails and a breathtaking view of the Austrian mountains and the Tegernsee.

The crossing of the north face of the Blaubergkopf is very steep and exposed in short passages; the rest of the tour is easy to run

 

 

Rakiura Track

Submitted by DavidZebedee on Sat, 05/20/2023 - 12:55am
Description

Based on Rakiura/Stewart island. The well marked circuit starts and finishes at Oban bay. It follows open coastline, crosses the often muddy forested interior and meanders along the sheltered shores. It passes sites of historical interest and introduces many of the common sea and forest birds of the island. If running at night/dusk/dawn you might be able to sight a kiwi.  Primarly single track with a short section along the road at the start and end to complete the loop, still with good beach scenery. Cafes/restaurants available in Oban at the start/finish.