About Hike Around the World
Hiking, trekking, and independent travel - based on real experience
Hi, I'm Svetlana.
I'm a hiker, traveller, and the person behind Hike Around the World.
I created this blog to share the kind of information I always look for before a trip: what the route is really like, how difficult it actually feels, where to stay, what to book, what to pack, how to get there - and all the little things you usually discover only after you've arrived.
I don't write about places I've only researched online. Most of the hiking guides on this website are based on trips I've personally taken and routes I've actually hiked.
How it all started
I grew up within easy reach of the Ural Mountains, and hiking and camping were part of my childhood. My parents introduced me to spending time outdoors from an early age, although I didn't immediately realise how much those experiences would influence me later.
Over the years, travelling gradually turned into something much more than sightseeing.
I became interested in multi-day hikes, mountain routes and independent adventures - the kind of trips where the journey itself is as important as the destination.
I've since travelled and hiked in places including Nepal, Montenegro, Albania, Italy, Patagonia and the Alps, as well as exploring many other destinations independently.
Some trips have been carefully planned months in advance. Others have involved figuring things out along the way. Both have taught me something useful.
I'm a hiker, traveller, and the person behind Hike Around the World.
I created this blog to share the kind of information I always look for before a trip: what the route is really like, how difficult it actually feels, where to stay, what to book, what to pack, how to get there - and all the little things you usually discover only after you've arrived.
I don't write about places I've only researched online. Most of the hiking guides on this website are based on trips I've personally taken and routes I've actually hiked.
How it all started
I grew up within easy reach of the Ural Mountains, and hiking and camping were part of my childhood. My parents introduced me to spending time outdoors from an early age, although I didn't immediately realise how much those experiences would influence me later.
Over the years, travelling gradually turned into something much more than sightseeing.
I became interested in multi-day hikes, mountain routes and independent adventures - the kind of trips where the journey itself is as important as the destination.
I've since travelled and hiked in places including Nepal, Montenegro, Albania, Italy, Patagonia and the Alps, as well as exploring many other destinations independently.
Some trips have been carefully planned months in advance. Others have involved figuring things out along the way. Both have taught me something useful.
The hikes behind this blog
Some of the adventures that have shaped this website include:
🏔 Tour du Mont Blanc
One of Europe's classic long-distance hikes and one of the trips that made me realise how much I enjoy multi-day trekking.
I created a detailed collection of guides covering planning, stages, accommodation, packing and practical logistics.
🇳🇵 Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
One of my first major trekking adventures, and it made me fall seriously in love with mountain travel.
🇮🇹 Dolomites, Italy
From hut-to-hut trekking to day hikes around Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Dolomites taught me that a beautiful mountain destination can require just as much logistical planning as physical preparation.
🇲🇪 Durmitor, Montenegro
Montenegro became one of the places where I spent a lot of time exploring mountains and trails. Durmitor remains one of my favourite hiking destinations in the Balkans.
🇦🇱 Albania
I've explored Albania both for its mountains and for travelling around the country, and it quickly became one of my favourite destinations for independent travel.
🇺🇸 Olympic & Yosemite National Parks, USA
I've explored two very different sides of the American outdoors in Olympic National Park and Yosemite National Park.
From the lush forests and rugged coastline of Olympic to the dramatic granite cliffs, waterfalls and mountain landscapes of Yosemite, these trips gave me a chance to experience some of the incredible variety of hiking in the United States.
🇨🇱 Torres del Paine O Circuit, Patagonia
In March 2025, I finally completed a trek that had been on my bucket list for years - the 8-day O Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park.
I documented the route day by day, including the campsites, weather, food, transport, booking process and the things I wish I had known before starting.
🏔 Tour du Mont Blanc
One of Europe's classic long-distance hikes and one of the trips that made me realise how much I enjoy multi-day trekking.
I created a detailed collection of guides covering planning, stages, accommodation, packing and practical logistics.
🇳🇵 Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
One of my first major trekking adventures, and it made me fall seriously in love with mountain travel.
🇮🇹 Dolomites, Italy
From hut-to-hut trekking to day hikes around Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Dolomites taught me that a beautiful mountain destination can require just as much logistical planning as physical preparation.
🇲🇪 Durmitor, Montenegro
Montenegro became one of the places where I spent a lot of time exploring mountains and trails. Durmitor remains one of my favourite hiking destinations in the Balkans.
🇦🇱 Albania
I've explored Albania both for its mountains and for travelling around the country, and it quickly became one of my favourite destinations for independent travel.
🇺🇸 Olympic & Yosemite National Parks, USA
I've explored two very different sides of the American outdoors in Olympic National Park and Yosemite National Park.
From the lush forests and rugged coastline of Olympic to the dramatic granite cliffs, waterfalls and mountain landscapes of Yosemite, these trips gave me a chance to experience some of the incredible variety of hiking in the United States.
🇨🇱 Torres del Paine O Circuit, Patagonia
In March 2025, I finally completed a trek that had been on my bucket list for years - the 8-day O Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park.
I documented the route day by day, including the campsites, weather, food, transport, booking process and the things I wish I had known before starting.
Why I write these guides
Before every major trip, I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching.
I look for:
That's why I started Hike Around the World.
I want my guides to save you from doing the same amount of research I had to do
I look for:
- trail distances and elevation gain
- realistic hiking times
- accommodation
- transport connections
- booking windows
- weather conditions
- food and water availability
- what equipment is actually necessary
- whether a route is harder than it looks on paper
- and, most importantly, what other hikers wish they had known beforehand
That's why I started Hike Around the World.
I want my guides to save you from doing the same amount of research I had to do
What you can expect from my guides
I try to keep the information practical, honest, and based on personal experience.
You'll find things like:
🗺 Detailed routes
Day-by-day itineraries, distances, elevation gain, and maps where useful.
🥾 Honest difficulty assessments
Not just "easy / moderate / hard", but what actually made a particular section difficult for me.
🏕 Accommodation and campsites
What I booked, where I stayed and what I thought was worth the money.
🚆 Transport information
How I actually got to the trailhead and between destinations.
🎒 Gear and packing advice
What I took with me and what I would do differently next time.
💡 Practical tips
The small details that don't always appear in official guides but can make a surprisingly big difference on the trail.
📸 My own experiences and photographs
I believe a hiking guide should tell you what a place is actually like, not just repeat information you can already find elsewhere.
You'll find things like:
🗺 Detailed routes
Day-by-day itineraries, distances, elevation gain, and maps where useful.
🥾 Honest difficulty assessments
Not just "easy / moderate / hard", but what actually made a particular section difficult for me.
🏕 Accommodation and campsites
What I booked, where I stayed and what I thought was worth the money.
🚆 Transport information
How I actually got to the trailhead and between destinations.
🎒 Gear and packing advice
What I took with me and what I would do differently next time.
💡 Practical tips
The small details that don't always appear in official guides but can make a surprisingly big difference on the trail.
📸 My own experiences and photographs
I believe a hiking guide should tell you what a place is actually like, not just repeat information you can already find elsewhere.
I don't believe in perfect itineraries
There is rarely one "best" way to hike a trail.
Your ideal itinerary depends on:
And when something wasn't worth the money, a campsite was uncomfortable, a route was harder than expected, or I made a planning mistake myself - I'll tell you that too.
I'm still exploring, still hiking, and still making mistakes that hopefully someone else can avoid.
Hike Around the World is a collection of the routes I've walked, the places I've explored, and everything I've learned along the way.
If you're planning your next adventure, I hope you find something here that helps you travel a little further, hike a little more confidently, and spend a little less time figuring out the logistics.
See you on the trail!
- Svetlana
Your ideal itinerary depends on:
- your fitness level
- how much you enjoy long hiking days
- whether you prefer refuges or hotels
- your budget
- the season
- whether you have a car
- and how much time you have
And when something wasn't worth the money, a campsite was uncomfortable, a route was harder than expected, or I made a planning mistake myself - I'll tell you that too.
I'm still exploring, still hiking, and still making mistakes that hopefully someone else can avoid.
Hike Around the World is a collection of the routes I've walked, the places I've explored, and everything I've learned along the way.
If you're planning your next adventure, I hope you find something here that helps you travel a little further, hike a little more confidently, and spend a little less time figuring out the logistics.
See you on the trail!
- Svetlana
Feel free to contact me
