Star treks of the world

By LEANNE WALKER and ANDREW MARSHALL

Hiking provides a great way to absorb the atmosphere of a country and gain a first-hand appreciation of what it has to offer. It may not be everyone's idea of fun, as a reasonable level of fitness is needed to gain the most from the experience and all treks need to be planned well, but the effort put in can reap plenty of rewards.

Across country - Coast to Coast

For landscape and culture it would be difficult to get a better experience than England's 306km Coast to Coast walk. The countryside traversed is astonishingly beautiful and varied. Mountains and hills, valleys and rivers, heather-tufted moors and sea cliffs combine in an endlessly changing pageant, accompanying the walker on a roller-coaster of three spectacular national parks.

Traditionally, the walk is completed east to west, keeping the prevailing weather behind and taking about 14 days. It can easily be stretched a few weeks with generous rest stops.

The wild, scree-flanked mountains and plunging valleys of the Lake District are the most demanding parts.

Walk the wild heart - the Larapinta Trail

Leaving Alice Springs from the old Telegraph Station, the 220km Larapinta Trail climbs up the jagged parallel ridges of the western half of the ancient MacDonnell Ranges.

This world-class trail offers magnificent views, spiced by a sense of isolation and space and dramatic descents into remote valleys and gorges.

When finished, the trail will incorporate 13 sectors ranging in difficulty. Some sectors cater for those with less time and experience and all established sections can be accessed and walked individually. To be footloose on the Larapinta Trail is to experience the full magic, power and timeless presence of these ancient mountains.

The road to Santiago - Pilgrim's Way

Throughout the year but especially in the warmer, longer days of summer, people from around the globe take part in a famous Spanish journey, one made by millions of pilgrims over the past millennium.

The Pilgrim's Way (Camino de Santiago) was created after the discovery of the tomb of St James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela in AD813.

From France, the 750km route employs walking trails, farm tracks and minor roads to cross northern Spain, weaving through the provinces of Navarra with its sweeping plains of wheat, La Rioja, a land of vineyards and wine, Castilla y Leon with its ancient castles and finally to the verdant hills of Galicia.

Days merge into weeks of following the familiar yellow arrows and scallop-shell signs that point the way. Wake and eat, walk and rest, walk some more, then seek shelter in the refugios. This is travel in its purest form.

Footloose in a land of ice - Torres Del Paine circuit trail

Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's southern Patagonia is a land of harsh beauty. Great shards of rock that have been thrust skywards by monumental forces form a chain of snow-capped mountains.

The 10-day walk is best done anticlockwise, and every scenic panorama is thrown at the walker. Lake Dickson is the first big event. You then climb a ridge and ahead lies the first glacier sparkling in the afternoon light.

At its foot lies Lake Dickson, and floating in the sky-blue reflections is a peninsula of grass and woodland and the first refugio (mountain refuge hut). On day three you arrive at Glacier de los Perros to witness massive shards of ice sliding off the face to plunge into the lake below.

Hiking with volcanoes - the Tongariro Crossing

With its collection of mighty and still-active volcanoes, Tongariro National Park is one of this country's most spectacular. The 17km Tongariro Crossing traverses a surreal landscape dominated by three volcanoes: Mt Ruapehu (2797m), the highest and most active; Mt Tongariro (1968m), the oldest but still considered active; and the much younger Mt Ngauruhoe (2291m).

The crossing is understandably popular, especially at the start, but once the Mangatepopo Valley is reached, the track steepens and walkers find their own space along the trail.

Highlights include hiking through several volcanic craters, brilliantly coloured volcanic lakes, hot springs and a range of other volcanic formations, such as glacial valleys, cones and lava flows.