Classic Hikes of the World

Praise for Classic Hikes of the World

What media and other writers say about Classic Hikes of the World:

Potterfield brings savvy insights, practical planning tips, detailed route info and a refreshingly stoked, conversational tone. (Classic Hikes) can be hauled at least as far as the trail head . . . but far more transportable is the inspiration Classic Hikes evokes.

"Classic Hikes of the World covers the best routes through the most scenic landscapes. Peter Potterfield has written about the world's greatest hikes, and his first-hand information is as useful as it is fun to read."

Part pretty-picture book, part trail guide, this handsome guide to 23 of the planet's best walks is . . . lavishly photo-filled. It's easy to imagine an ambitious outdoorsman paging through and using Potterfield's impressive expertise to plot out his backcountry to-do list for years to come.

There's nothing like a long walk to see nature up close. Journalist Peter Potterfield draws on his own travels to detail 23 routes, gauge the difficulty of getting there, and supply superb photographs of these far off places.

With the gorgeous new coffee-table tome, Classic Hikes of the World, getting psyched to trek to K2, Denali, Utah's Chesler Park or the Scottish Highlands won't be a problem at all.The proof is in the book's dazzling color photos of 23 varied hikes across six continents. For each hike, there are detailed route information and maps. Our advice is to photocopy those pages and the leave the actual gorgeous book safely behind at home.

Author Peter Potterfield has spent more than 30 years hiking the world's wildernesses, and the loving care he lavished on "Classic Hikes of the World" is evidence that each trip has been a pilgrimage. Big, sharp photos — from Denali National Park in Alaska to the Fitz Roy Trail in Argentine Patagonia — offer ample incentive to keep turning the pages. Readers will be glad for Potterfield's engaging descriptions and advice.

If you're looking for the trip of a lifetime, or 23 lifetimes, get this book. The coffee table-sized Classic Hikes of the World . . . is filled with splendid photographs, it's both a resource and inspiration for those who might want to try some of the best backpacking adventures on the planet. Not just a pretty book for armchair explorers, Potterfield provides information about trip planning and includes an overview map and information on shuttle services, guides, permits and logistics.

"Classic Hikes of the World is a wonderfully informative book. It has all of the necessary information to explore and enjoy [the about] some of the most beautiful and inspiring terrain on the planet."

If I could own just one guide book for hiking, Peter Potterfield's refreshingly well-written CLASSIC HIKES would be it—and it would keep me busy for the rest of my life.

Peter Potterfield is the ultimate guide; he steers us down wild trails in magic boots, lighting the hidden paths and secret sights, vividly illuminating in great detail the logistics, hazards and strategies to tramp among the wonders of the world. This is a dream book, a catalogue of classics, of all the walks to do before we die. I'm lacing up and stuffing this book in my pack to begin this delightful step down the finest paths, in the footsteps of the master.

The days are longer, the sun is warmer and more than a few Canadians will soon be hunting through their basements for backpacks, camp stoves, sleeping bags and other gear needed for an outdoor adventure. And if all that's missing is inspiration, they should pick up a copy of Classic Hikes of the World . . . An amalgam of a coffee-table beauty (the glossy colour photographs are gorgeous) and a practical guide, Classic Hikes is a book to hike by and one to dream by.

Classic Hikes of the World is a beautifully produced and illustrated book . . . but it is more than just another addition to the armchair traveler's library. By combining knowledge gleaned from a lifetime of trekking through some of the world's most beautiful natural spaces, with in-depth information on how to follow in the author's footsteps, Classic Hikes will entice many a reader out of his chair.

Written with firsthand experience and including practical tips and precise maps, the book is a bible for anyone with a sense of adventure.

Classic Hikes proves to be an antidote for those wanting to blend wanderlust with simpler activities. For outdoor lovers, the 224 page volume is a mouth-watering package of stunning photographs and descriptions of what Potterfield considers the greatest backpacking trips on the planet. . . And history would suggest that Potterfield knows his audience."

Author Peter Potterfield has been a serious hiker for most of his adult years. In this coffee-table size book, Potterfield has chosen what he considers 23 of the world's most breathtaking treks. Each chapter begins with an overview describing the hike's unique features and offering historical background. Logistics and strategy come next—how to get where you need to go—followed by a section on difficulties you might encounter, best time of year and finally a detailed route description. Practical information is featured . . . gorgeous photographs, too.

One of the charms of this book is that the majority of Potterfield's Classic Hikes require little in the way of technical climbing skills and be accomplished by people in relatively good physical condition.

The lush color photographs in Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World" (Norton) make it look like a coffee-table book, but calling it that would sell it short. Potterfield selected 23 hikes from a lifetime of walking on wilderness trails all over the world and created an oversize guidebook. And what a guidebook it is! Classic Hikes provides useful information as well as inspiration. For each hike, he includes all the pertinent information in a nutshell. . . distance, difficulty and best time to go, and ends with phone numbers for management agencies—all the nitty-gritty stuff a backpacker needs.

Classic Hikes of the World is a luscious read for hikers. Beautiful photos give a taste of the 23 trails, and Peter Potterfield tells you what you need to know — how many hours or days the hike will take, what the hazards are, and how to do them.

Besides luscious color photography and essays about each hike, Potterfield loads his book with practical information on how to do the hikes. The 224-page book belongs inside a backpack as much as on top of a coffee table.