WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T TRAVEL BACK IN TIME? THERE IS A WAY, AND ALL IT TAKES is a pair of boots and an open mind. Walking is as ancient as the earliest hominids, and by opting for person-power over planes, trains and automobiles, we can view the world at a soak-it-all-in pace. Granted, in some places the surroundings may have changed, but the kernel of connection remains: you’re shadowing soldiers, pioneers and pilgrims of the past. Wherever you walk, there’s history to be found. Noting the strata of crumpled cliffs, the remains of once-mighty castles or the shadows of overgrown trenches can take us back to the beginning of geological time or the horrors of past wars; it makes us question the world around us and our own tiny place in it. Next time you set off, look closely at the furrows and hummocks, the seemingly out-of-place boulders and the crumbling ruins, and question who might have stood where you stand, centuries or millennia before.
EL MIRADOR HIKE, GUATEMALA
Egyptians were not the only ancient people with a penchant for building in triangles: more than 7,000 miles away in Mesoamerica, pyramids dot the very opposite of a desert setting. Enough of the Guatemalan jungle has been cleared to reveal the temples of Tikal (pictured). Sunrise hikes in the forest here are a good way to test whether you’re ready for a greater challenge. The Maya centre of El Mirador, in remote northern Guatemala, is among the largest ever found by archaeologists. To reach it, you’ll need to trek for five or six days (return) in the dense jungle. A guide is essential, while most hikers also use a mule to transport supplies. Expect to trek more than 20 miles in a day and sleep in basic campgrounds. The view from La Danta, the largest of the pyramids at El Mirador, makes it worth all the sweat - it’s pure green as far as the eye can see.
* Trek with an authorised guide at the Comisión de Turismo Cooperativa Carmelita Agency in Flores (turismocooperativacarmelita.com). February to June is the best period to attempt it.
CHILKOOT TRAIL, USA & CANADA