Top Summer Hikes to Try This Year — and How to Turn Them Into Sportpadi Events - [World-Wide Edition]

Summer is the season the trail finally pays you back. Long daylight, dry switchbacks, alpine flowers waist-high, and that quiet magic of standing on a ridge while the world warms up below you. If you''ve been waiting for a sign to lace up and go — this is it.

We pulled together a shortlist of summer hikes worth building a trip around this year, mixing big-name classics with a few under-the-radar gems. Then, because nothing kills momentum like a 47-message group chat, we''ll show you how to turn any of these into a proper Sportpadi event in about two minutes.

1. Mount Longonot Crater Rim, Kenya

A 7.2 km loop along the rim of a dormant volcano in the Great Rift Valley. You start in acacia woodland, climb sharply for an hour, and pop out onto a ridge that stares straight down into the green crater floor. Zebras and giraffes are common at the base. Best done at sunrise to beat the heat — pack 2L of water minimum.

• Distance: 7.2 km loop
• Elevation gain: ~600 m
• Best months: June – September
• Difficulty: Moderate

2. Tour du Mont Blanc — Day Sections, France/Italy/Switzerland

You don''t need 11 days and a sherpa to taste the TMB. The Les Houches → Les Contamines and Courmayeur → Refuge Bonatti sections are doable as standalone day hikes and reward you with that full alpine balcony view of the Mont Blanc massif. Trains and buses link almost every refuge, so you can bail out without ruining the trip.

3. Drakensberg Amphitheatre, South Africa

The Sentinel Peak hike up to the top of the Tugela Falls is a bucket-list day out — chain ladders, sandstone cliffs, and a flat plateau at the top where you can walk to the edge and watch the second-tallest waterfall on earth disappear into the valley. It''s shorter than people expect (about 11 km return) but the altitude (3,000 m+) sneaks up on you.

4. Laugavegur Trail, Iceland

Four to six days through neon-coloured rhyolite mountains, black sand deserts, glacial rivers you have to wade through, and steaming geothermal valleys. Iceland''s most iconic trek and surprisingly approachable thanks to the hut system. Book huts months ahead — they sell out by March.

5. Obudu Mountain Loop, Nigeria

Often skipped in favour of beach trips, Obudu in Cross River State has lush highland trails, hanging waterfalls and grasslands at 1,500 m. The classic loop links Becheve Nature Reserve with the resort plateau — ideal weekend trip out of Calabar, and the cable car ride up gives you a soft start before the legs get serious.

6. Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

Yes, it''s the famous "best one-day hike in the world" cliché — and yes, it earns it. Lava fields, a screaming red crater, three impossibly turquoise emerald lakes. New Zealand''s summer is the northern hemisphere''s winter (Dec–Feb), so file this one for off-season but start planning now.

7. Kilimanjaro — Shira Plateau Day Hike, Tanzania

You don''t have to summit Kili to enjoy it. The Shira Plateau day hike from Londorossi Gate gives you that lunar-volcanic feel at 3,500 m without committing to a 7-day ascent. Great training hike if you''re building toward a bigger summit later in the year.

8. Cinque Terre High Trail (Sentiero Rosso), Italy

Skip the crowded coastal Sentiero Azzurro. The high trail above the five villages is longer, quieter, mostly shaded, and gives you photo ops looking down on Vernazza and Manarola without 600 selfie sticks in your way. Pair it with a 2 EUR focaccia at the bottom and you''ve had a perfect day.

What every summer hike actually needs

Doesn''t matter if it''s 4 km or 40 — these are the things people most often forget:

• Water + electrolytes — heat exhaustion is the #1 reason summer hikes get cut short.
• Sun protection — hat, SPF 50, sunglasses. Reflected light off granite or snow is brutal.
• Layers — even in July, ridgelines and alpine refuges get cold fast at sunset.
• An offline map — download the route in OsmAnd, Gaia GPS, or AllTrails Pro. Cell service lies.
• A buddy who knows the plan — start time, expected return, trailhead.

Turn any of these into a Sportpadi event in 2 minutes

Hikes are 80% logistics. Who''s coming, what time you''re leaving, who''s driving, who''s bringing the first-aid kit, did Tunde reply yet — you know the drill.

That''s exactly why Sportpadi exists. Once you''ve picked a hike, you can:

1. Open Sportpadi and tap Create event.
2. Pick the Hiking category, name it ("Longonot Sunrise Loop"), drop the trailhead pin.
3. Set the meet-up time, max group size, and an optional kit list in the description.
4. Share the public event link in your group chat — people RSVP with one tap.
5. On the day, scan everyone in at the trailhead with the QR check-in. No more head-counting in the car park.

If you''re running a hiking club or guiding company, create a Group first on Sportpadi, then attach every hike to it. Followers get notified automatically when a new trip drops, and you build a real public page over time — proof of activity that actually helps you grow.

The best hike of the summer isn''t the most famous one. It''s the one you actually showed up for, with people you like, on a clear morning, with the right snacks.

Your move

Pick one hike from this list. Block a Saturday. Create the event on Sportpadi tonight. Send the link. The mountain will still be there in three weeks — make sure your crew is, too.

See you on the trail. 🥾