The Annapurna Circuit is a backpacking tour around one of the most imposing mountain ranges on Earth, The Annapurna Massif. This trek is part of Nepal’s history, etched as firmly in the cultural landscape as the 8,000-meter summit of Annapurna is erected on its physical one. For centuries, people have walked these valleys and slopes to visit relatives and ceremonial sites in the shadow of the mountains.

The photo-famous granite towers of Paine rise from a Southern Andes sub-range that stretches roughly east-west. It is crowned by snowy peaks and furrowed by glacier-carved gorges.

The Southern Andes of Patagonia, on the border of Chile and Argentina, make a truly adventurous place. It’s a land rippled by mountains, potholed with lakes, and ground by glaciers. Torres del Paine National Park is an especially wild and remote corner that feels very much to travelers today as it did to explorers long ago—like the edge of the world.

Built back in 1915 and taking in 22,000 feet (6,700 metres) of elevation gain, this is a tough and historic journey that most hikers complete in 2 weeks-ish. Once underway the trail is rarely flat as it climbs and descends the various flanks of Rainier (including Panhandle Gap, which at 2600 metres is the highest altitude the trail reaches) but the constant effort is rewarded by a continual change of scenery, from deep forested valleys to sub-alpine meadows.

A justly popular linear hike of 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, this trip is even better if you extend it to take in Lake St Clair (Australia's deepest lake) itself, thereby increasing the length to 82 kilometres (51 miles). Further detours include Cradle Mountain and Mount Ossa, the tallest mountain in Tasmania at 1617 metres. If you have the time, do all of the extensions and variations - the scenery will always reward your efforts.

The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as the TMB, is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in the world. The route circles the entire Mont Blanc Massif, which rises to a height of 4,808 meters above sea level—the highest point in Western Europe and the European Union.