Hiking

Along its banks, Henry VIII honeymooned. Grand abbeys were built and destroyed. Kings were crowned and queens beheaded. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Wind in the Willows” were written. The Magna Carta was signed. Enduring landscapes were painted, world-class gardens were established, and over-the-top palaces were built. If not for the Thames, there would be no London.

On foot I traced it all, following a route that looked like a strand of yarn thrown to the wind — 184 miles of twists and squiggles.

The plan

This month’s winner is EMILY MOORE of Greenville, Illinois:

Several years ago while visiting Salzburg, Austria, my husband and I took the funicular up to Hohensalz burg Fortress and enjoyed videoing the many scenes up there. This was back in the day when video cameras were still quite large, and my husband was carrying his around his neck, letting it hang down, which made it easy to turn on accidentally, wasting a lot of footage.

11 days, 9 nights, July 20-30, 2021 & July 8-18, 2022. Led by an archaeologist. Average 5 miles a day (over 7 days). Group limit, 15. Highlights: Drive from Inverness to Brora/in Caithness, Neolithic site of Grey Cairns of Camster/ruins of 16th-century Ardvreck Castle/Clachtoll Broch/Museum nan Eilean in 19th-century castle/Standing Stones of Calla nish/Dun Carloway broch. 2021 rates: $6,745 per person, double occupancy (ppdo) (group of 12-15), or $6,945 (10-11). Single supp., $945.

10-day, 9-night “medium”-level tour. Departures June 2021-December 2022. Avg. 16 miles biked daily, over 4 days (bikes provided). Group limit, 15. Highlights: In Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels/in Hội An, biking, noodle-making demo/train to Hanoi to tour Old Quarter/Mai Châu hiking and homestay/Hạ Long Bay for islands, caves, kayaking, overnight on boat. $1,649-$1,849 ppdo (based on dates). G Adventures (Toronto, ON, Canada; 888/800-4100, www.gadventures.com).

17 days, 16 nights, including 13-day “moderate” trek in NEPAL. Avg. 5-6 hours of trekking per day. Departures Jan.-May & Sept.-Dec. 2021, Jan. 2022. Group limit, 16. Highlights: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla for trek to Ghat/cross Dudh Kosi River into Sagarmāthā National Park/in Khumjung, Sir Edmund Hillary’s “Schoolhouse in the Clouds”/hike past Khumbu Glacier/Tibetan Buddhist Tengboche Monastery/Lukla. From $2,990 ppdo. Single supp., $290. World Expeditions (Ottawa, ON, Canada; 800/567-2216, worldexpeditions.com).

On the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, visitors can hike the Elfin Trail from the town of Zion’s Hill (Hell’s Gate) to the top of the island’s highest peak, Mount Scenery (2,910 feet), in about an hour. Following footpaths that farmers took to their plantations early in Saba’s history, the trail was constructed in 2018 and features relics such as stone steps and rain catchments.

14-day, 13-night nature trek in the Caribbean. Departures ongoing in 2021 except January. Highlights: In ANTIGUA, walk through steep bush, forest to old plantation buildings, identify plants with guide, Wallings Nature Reserve/fly to ST. LUCIA, home to parrots, warblers/fly to MONTSERRAT for Montserrat Volcano Observatory, ghost town of Portsmouth. $3,995 ppdo. Hike Caribbean (London, England, UK; phone +44 333 987 4694, hikecaribbean.com).