El Chaltén, Patagonia, Argentina
Walkers, mountaineers and nature lovers flood to El Chaltén, the trekking capital of Argentina, close to the Chilean border. There are dozens of walks and climbs to be tackled from here, but the big one is the Chaltén Total, a six-day route taking in the Fitz Roy glacier, the valley of Monte Torre, lakes, high passes and icefields. It's strenuous, involving work with crampons, ropes and harnesses, and overnights at remote base camps, but you see the all main areas and attractions of El Chaltén. Walk Patagonia arranges guided trips from October to March with just two to four people per guide.
• walkpatagonia.com/trekking_total.asp
Appalachian Trail, US
The US is crisscrossed with long- distance trails, many of them running to thousands of miles. The first National Scenic Trail (established in 1968) and still one of the most popular, is the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail, running a mountainous course parallel to the east coast, between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It would take several months to walk the complete trail, but you can choose a section, from four miles upwards, in, say, Tennessee, New York, Vermont or New Hampshire.
• appalachiantrail.com
The High Atlas, Morocco
Exploring a series of atmospheric mountain villages – staying in basic guesthouses, or gîtes – is easy from the town of Imlil, about 90 minutes from Marrakech. While it's possible to do easy day treks from here, many people will want to tackle 4,167m Jebel Toubkal, north Africa's highest peak. This can be done in a day – either independently or with a guide from the village – or as part of the Toubkal Circuit, offered by Tourdust, among others. It costs from £392, takes six days (five nights) and includes Lake Ifni, at an altitude of 2,312m, and three passes over 3,000m, staying in campsites and traditional Berber villages.
• tourdust.com/products/1046-6-day-toubkal-circuit
Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
Taking in springs, bare plateaux and extraordinary geology – including the Hekla volcano, called the Gateway to Hell, as well as that unpronounceable, troublesome one – this famous 55km route takes you over fresh lava fields in the Landmannalaugar region, and takes about a week. It can be tackled independently between June and September, sleeping in huts or camping beside them: see fi.is/en/hiking-trails/laugavegurinn for information and route notes. Or Discover the World does a five-day (four-night) group tour from £667.
• discover-the-world.co.uk
