Backpacker – top 10 CLASSIC hikes

A pretty good list.

The Perfect Circle: Hiking the Annapurna Circuit

Chile’s Torres del Paine Circuit

Corsica’s GR 20

Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Italy’s Alta Via 1

New Zealand’s Milford Track

England’s Pennine Way

Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro

Everest Base Camp, Tibet

Tour du Mont Blanc

Compare that line-up with our own top 10 .

I’m headed for the GR20 myself this summer. Independently.

Europe’s toughest trek. That’s the reputation of the GR 20–the relentlessly rugged Grand Randonnée (Great Walk) that traverses 112 miles across Corsica, a Mediterranean island off the southern coast of France. This roller coaster of uneven pink granite will make you sweat, scramble, and curse as you grunt up 35,000 total vertical feet. …

Or go guided with Tour Aventure ( tour-aventure.com ), the only trekking company in Corsica with English-speaking guides. No permits required.