Bagmati Province
DifficultFriendship Highway — Lhasa to Kathmandu via Gyantse, Shigatse, and Tingri (Classic Full Traverse)
Earth's highest international highway.
Feature: High Altitude
China
DifficultSichuan–Tibet Highway — Litang to Batang via the Tibetan Plateau High Spine and Haizi Mountain Divide (G318 High Plateau Segment)
Yak country, prayer flags, and 4,700m passes.
California
ExpertRubicon Trail — Georgetown to Loon Lake via Rubicon Springs and Buck Island Lake (Classic West-to-East Full Traverse)
California's hardest trail. No exceptions.
Møre og Romsdal
ModerateTrollstigen — Åndalsnes to Valldal via the Troll’s Ladder Mountain Road
Eleven hairpins above a waterfall. Norway's best.
Gilgit-Baltistan
ExpertDeosai National Park High Crossing — Skardu to Astore via Sheosar Lake and Bara Pani Ford (Summer Traverse)
4,000 metres of nothing but sky and brown bears.
Drâa-Tafilalet
ModeratePiste de Tichka — Marrakech to Ouarzazate via Tizi n’Tichka High Atlas Pass
Morocco's roof road to the edge of the Sahara.
Japan
ModerateTateyama Kurobe Alpine Route — Murodo to Ogizawa via the Northern Japan Alps Snow Corridor
Snow walls 20m high. Japan's alpine impossible.
Libya
ExtremePiste de l’Erg Murzuq — Ubari to Germa via the Fezzan Oasis Lakes and Mandara Shore
Saharan oasis lakes, zero tourists, real Sahara.
Oregon
ModerateOregon Backcountry Discovery Route — Burns to Lakeview via the Alvord Desert and Steens Mountain High Desert (Southern Segment)
Oregon's high desert with nothing between you and the sky.
Algeria
DifficultPiste de l’Assekrem — Tamanrasset to Assekrem Hermitage via the Atakor Volcanic Core (Northern Hoggar Circuit)
The Hoggar's volcanic crown at dawn.