The Wonderland Trail makes a complete circuit around Mount Rainier in 90 miles of alpine splendor, but calls for 20,000 feet of elevation gain. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Dropping into the Grand Canyon via the South Kaibab Trail to begin a rim-to-rim-to-rim route to the Colorado, the North Rim and back again. Photo by Jim Nelson

Sunrise on the stupendous Fitz Roy massif—Exupery, Poincenot, and Fitz itself—is reason enough to come for a walk through the beech covered meseta at its base. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Luli, of Buenos Aires, enjoys the view down into Laguna Sucia and one of the wildest mountain cirques in Argentine Patagonia. Photo by Peter Potterfield

An iconic landform to all Swedes, the dramatic Lapporten—portal into the wilds of Lapland—is dusted in early snow, the buildings of Abisko Mountain Station just visible. Photo by Peter Potterfield

The wilds of the Swedish Arctic make for interesting travel as the Kungsleden penetrates 450 kilometers into the pristine landscape of Lapland. Photo by Peter Potterfield

A backpacker's camp at Chesler Park, a thousand-acre meadow in the middle of the red rock wilderness of Canyonlands. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Mount Everest, shyly hiding behind the long ridge of Nuptse, is given away by its snow plume in this view from above Thyangboche, four to five days from base camp. Photo by Peter Potterfield

James Martin gets a good view of the Merced Range from Columbia Finger, above the John Muir Trail near Cathedral Pass. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Hikers nearing Key Summit on the incomparable Routeburn Track enjoy the view down the Hollyford Valley into the Darran Range, where Hillary trained for Everest. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Denali looms above Wonder Lake, the starting point for the hike out to McGonagall Pass, a notch in the low mountains at the foot of Mount McKinley. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon together create a labrynth of red rock defiles and a backcountry route of endless fascination. Photo by Peter Potterfield

The rugged Kalalau Trail climbs through the cliffs of Kauai's Na Pali Coast to reach secluded Kalalau Beach. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Approaching Palisade Lakes on the John Muir Trail, a week's walk from Whitney Portal. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Bob Farrington moves across the slick-rock wilderness of Canyonland's Needles district. Photo by Peter Potterfield