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@@wilsonjimenez2867 we hired the jeep from a company called Wilderness Excursion. They charged us $265 ($300 with tip). The route was pretty straightforward (pretty frequently marked), but I recommend using a gps navigation app like Gaia GPS or AllTrails, and have everyone in the party download the maps to their phones. When visibility is poor (fog, night, etc.), the GPS map app makes it a lot easier to navigate. Though, sometimes there are washouts, so you may get a reroute along the way. Good luck, and have fun! 👍

@JB_FLYA69669 thanks so much! That’s great to hear. It’s such a beautiful place, and I highly recommend hiking that area. Good luck!

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😁

I'm 63 and in great shape.

Excellent, glad you enjoyed the video! I felt pretty safe in La Paz proper walking around alone, though I didn’t venture into El Alto much, which has a lot of open markets. I was advised to stay away from El Alto during the night. The only time I felt unsafe was when I was hitching a ride up to Laguna Ajoyan (see the video “Robbed and Coughing up Blood”). It was with a family, and one of the sons was asking me some weird questions, like was I afraid, was I carrying a knife, etc. I had a feeling if I’d stayed at that lake that night I might have been robbed in the evening…or worse, so I kept going over the ridge far away from any roads. 😬

Great, thanks for the info. By the way, have you ever tried getting oxygen treatments for the high altitude sickness? I've done it several times in the past in Quito, Cusco, and Calama. Worked like a dream!!

Awesome! I really loved Qatar airways, though their business class award availability is scarce. If you have Alaska, American, Jet Blue, or Avios, you might be able to grab 2 seats if you look far enough out and the dates match up. Otherwise I think there are other options to KTM via Korean Air, Turkish Air, and others. On the way back I flew Air India first class from DEL to YVR, but it wasn’t very good ☹️. Good luck!

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Great feedback thanks, I also saw Air India is a quick option but most reviews from them are not that positive and flying with small children it is all about the confort for a really long travel. I will look into the other options as well thanks again :)

@@chadbalen I’m glad you enjoyed it! Reviewing the video, it didn’t look to me like you were on your phone that much, just occasionally at meal times, which was typical of pretty much everyone on that trail 😉 Working on Part 3 now…🤞

Thank you! Took me forever to finish it. 🤦‍♂️

@@antifragileLiving thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

You should have made a video about that story 😉

Good luck @@matthiasschnapka9180! I hope it goes well for you. Stay safe! 👍

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Many Thanks....but I guess it will. I`m hiking the Icelandic Highlands since more then 3 Decades and the last Trip was a Solo Snowshoeing Hike from Skogar to Hrauneyjar Mountainhotel what is 20miles north of Landmannalaugar alongside the F26. Took me nearly 13 days, because of a Monster Shitload of Snow partially nearly 20 feet high and total Whiteouts on Fimmvorduhals and near Hrapntinnusker.........and with Snowshoes you will get so much slower. But it was damn fun.

@matthiasschnapka9180, that sounds epic, I wish I could join you! 🤙

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner By the way.....where exactly was this photo made......it looks a bit like the Porisvatn right away at the beginning of the F26, shortly after the tarmac road ended and the Gravel Section of the F26 started....also because the Mountain Road is so near by the Lake Shore......and only the Porisvatn will come that close to the Trackroad. And of course also this insane milky blue colour of the Water.....this is very typical for the Porisvatn. Am I right with my guessing

@@matthiasschnapka9180 yes, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly where I took it, heading north. Good eye!

Sounds like a great trip. Honestly, I enjoyed the Al Mourjan lounge more than the flight itself. 20 years ago I spent a few days in Doha for a trade show and really enjoyed the city. I’m sure there’s a lot more to see now.

Hi @@domenicclohessy9684 , we were on the trail March 17 - April 1.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! 😁

Hi Mauricio, I did this hike in January, so I think Feb would be fine. But make sure to take at least a basic avalanche course so you know how to judge terrain and weather. Also, it’s safer to go with at least one partner, with everyone carrying an avalanche beacon and a small metal snow shovel. 👍

Excellent info! 👍

@@Qui-GonJohn my base weight, including a Zpacks duplex, Thermarest XTherm, 0F down quilt, electronics, and lots of warm clothing was around 9 kg, so with food and water it was at most 11-12 kg (about 25 lbs). I think a lot of people overpack and get their packs up to 15-20 kg, which is a lot at that altitude.

Thanks @@Qui-GonJohn, I hope to do the Annapurna circuit someday. How did you like it?

Hey Neal! Always good to hear from you. I was really proud of him, and it was really transformative for him. Email me, let’s have lunch sometime. 👍

Glad you enjoyed it! I hope to get the next episode out soon. 👍

Thanks! Yea, this was a great trip, culturally rich, full of adventure! 👍

Hi Ellen, thanks for watching the video! I booked this tour directly through the Hielo Y Aventura website at hieloyaventura.com. It’s the Safari Azul tour, and yes I notice they now want to charge over $300 USD (“official” rate of 911 ARS to USD) for that tour…outrageous! 🤯 You might be able to get a slight discount if you exchange US $100 bills locally to get the “blue” rate (currently 1400 ARS to 1 USD). But you’ll have to bring a lot of cash into the country and then exchange it at a local store (unofficially).

We ran into a solo hiker going opposite our direction (North to South) who was doing just that. He said it was spectacular, but you really need to pay attention to water sources in the north. The interior of the country is very dry and can have long stretches without water sources. We used a Black Diamond I-Tent. It’s a bit heavy (5 lbs) and not very spacious, but fully waterproof and dust proof if fully zipped up. I would avoid an ultralight tent with a lot of ventilation as the winds will blow rain and/or dust into your tent. In some places, you’ll get very wet, in other places you’ll be covered with dust by morning.

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Thank you for your response. That's correct, I have been in contact with several people who have already done this hike. They brought water for several days. Can you also tell me when, which month, you made this trip?

@michaelparsival233 we left Skogar July 23 and arrived in Akureyri Aug. 5.

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Thanks. I think I want to go at the end of June. I hope to avoid the crowds. Part 2 of your adventure is truly amazing. It is the reason for me to head in that direction as well. The deserted and empty landscape. Love it!

@@michaelparsival233 excellent! It really is an amazing, primordial landscape. Have a great trip! 👍

Well, I think he was just tired. 😂

It really was great to spend that time with him. Sounds like a great trip! I really wish I’d had a Mini 4 Pro. My Air 2s was pretty heavy. 😅

Thanks! EBC videos coming soon!

Yea, unfortunately all the bloggers and points enthusiasts have gotten the word out and now the sweet spot is ruined 😂 Seriously though, I have been seeing SEA-DOH availability directly on Qatar Airways pretty far in advance, and Avios are much easier to transfer into than Alaska. 😉

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Likewise, I've had tremendous success with Avios redemptions to/from IAH and DFW. Thank you for sharing the Al Safwa quirk re: award J tickets booked through partner airlines. When the opportunity presents itself, I can't resist lounge-hopping layovers.

Absolutely, and I would say the Al Mourjan lounge was the highlight of the flight.

@@MiguelGomezMountainRunner Without a doubt. Lounge lizards at DOH have zero reason to look beyond Al Mourjan (AM) and Al Safwa (AS). AM Garden is my haunt.

Wow, so good to hear from you! I hope you and your family are doing well. Again, we’re so appreciative of you sharing your food with us on our trip. It was such a great treat. 👍

BTW, how was the rest of your trip?

The trip was amazing, to the point that we are considering doing it again in 2025 now that we are more confident with Iceland's F-roads. For 2027, we are thinking of shipping our van to Argentina to drive along the Andes. Where is your next adventure taking you?

That sounds awesome! I can’t imagine how expensive it would be to ship your van from the UK to Argentina 😬 So in March, I did the Everest base camp 3 passes trek with two friends (vids coming soon), in July taking the family to Japan, then in Feb 2025 planning on climbing Aconcagua. 🤞

Yea, my finers were so cold at the north rim that I could barely hold onto my poles. That trip tought me that even when running, you should never skimp on warm clothing! 🥶

Incredible, sounds like an awesome run! Yea, I kept trying to recruit someone to go with me, but no one was crazy enough ;) I did leave my itinerary and gps tracks with my wife and a good friend in Seattle, but if something had gone wrong, by the time they reported me missing, it probably would have been too late. This was the trip that convinced me to spend the money on an InReach Mini.

Hi Robert, there are very few trees throughout Iceland currently. The coastlines have some vegetation, but mostly grass and small shrubs. The interior highlands are very stark, dusty, and surprisingly dry (except near rivers and glaciers). The interior is very primordial and other-worldly. As I understand, the original settlers cut down almost all the birch forests that inhabited the coastal areas to burn and build houses.

Good luck and have a great trip! 🤙

Awesome! Enjoy the adventure 👍

Hi Julian, Mt. Tunupa is on the north end of the salt flats, so we were about 20 miles away.

Indeed, the landscape is unique and amazing.

It was a cool place! I really liked it, and it was cheap, too. 👌

Thanks! I agree 100% 😉

Really glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

Thanks @KenshoWE, it was really nice to see him transform over this trip.

Thanks, and I’m glad the video was helpful! Good luck on your run! 👍

Hey Nicholas! Yes, I remember all that like it was yesterday. It was great meeting you and having lunch with you, and I’m so glad you were able to get back there and do the whole trail. Good luck in the Sierras! If you’re ever in Seattle, let me know, and we can grab a drink together. 👍

Gracias María! Me alegro que lo has disfrutado!

This was my 3rd crash 🤦‍♂️. Fortunately, after my first crash, I learned to buy DJI’s replacement insurance. It’s probably saved me over $1k. But yes, I love catching those high aerial views. 👌

Ouch! Yea, travel stress and jet lag can be a killer. 😬