Cannon Expeditions

Specialty · Trek

Wilderness, on foot.

Multi-day treks from Patagonia to the Yukon — with the daily mileage in writing before you say yes.

A trek is a contract between your legs and the map, and most trip listings hide the terms. We put them in the first document you see: kilometers per day, meters of gain, the altitude you'll sleep at, what's on your back versus on a mule. Then we build in the thing brochures never mention — buffer days, placed exactly where the weather risk lives — so one storm doesn't cascade through your whole route.

Where we send trekkers

Four ranges we plan constantly.

Patagonia

Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy — the best mountain scenery in the Americas, guarded by wind that can hit 100 km/h. November–March; refugio beds sell out 8–10 months ahead.

Nepal & the Himalaya

Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, and quieter valleys we like better. October–November and March–May. Altitude is the planning problem; we schedule the acclimatization before you fall in love with the dates.

The Yukon & Alaska

Genuine emptiness — routes where the trail register has more grizzly notes than names. June–September. For trekkers who think "remote" is a feature, not a warning.

Iceland & the Nordics

The Laugavegur's rhyolite hills, hut nights, river crossings that wake you up. June–September, and the summer light means the day never really ends.

The Cannon trek scale

Effort ratings in trekker units.

Four numbers: daily distance, daily gain, sleeping altitude, pack weight. Every trip we propose states all four, per day.

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Level 1. 8–12 km days, under 400 m of gain, daypack only, lodge or refugio nights. A strong walker's first trek.

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Level 2. 10–15 km days, up to 600 m of gain, daypack, some weather exposure. The classic hut-to-hut range.

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Level 3. 11–19 km days, up to 900 m of gain, back-to-back trekking days, serious weather possible. The W Trek lives here.

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Level 4. 15–20 km days with 1,000 m+ of gain, sleeping above 3,500 m, or a real pack on your back. EBC and the big circuits.

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Level 5. Remote, self-sufficient, no bailout points: the Yukon routes, technical passes, expedition trekking with full loads.

Safety, stated

The unglamorous stuff we insist on.

  • — Guides with current wilderness first-aid training on every guided route we book.
  • — A written evacuation plan in your pre-departure pack — the nearest help, how it's summoned, who pays.
  • — Altitude protocols on high routes: gradual sleeping-elevation gains and rest days built into the schedule, not offered as extras.
  • — Travel insurance with evacuation coverage required on remote itineraries. We'll tell you which policies actually cover trekking altitude — most people's don't.
  • — Self-guided is a real option on established routes (we build the route pack); truly remote country gets a guide, full stop.

Straight answers

For you / not for you.

This is for you if your best travel memories involve being tired in a beautiful place — or you suspect they would be, and you want a first trek sized so you find out gently.

It's a different trip if you want the scenery without the miles — those wonderful lodge-based journeys live on our classic-travel side, and we book them too. And if your knees say Level 2, we won't sell you the Level 4 trip. The mountain will still be there next year; we'd rather you be too.

Sample expedition

A starting point with real numbers.

Torres del Paine: the W, properly paced

9 days · from $3,900 pp + air · Effort ●●●○○ · Nov–Mar · 11–19 km/day

Five trekking days west to east — Grey Glacier, the Francés Valley, and the pre-dawn push to the towers themselves — with refugio nights and the buffer day where the wind actually lives. Full outline on the trip page.

See the full sample itinerary →

We also regularly build: Everest Base Camp with honest acclimatization, the Laugavegur with hut bookings handled, Yukon routes for people who want zero crowds, and Kilimanjaro on the longer routes that actually summit. Tell us about your longest day on foot.

What's the longest day you've done on foot?

That number, plus a range you dream about, is all we need to start.

Plan your trek →