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If you’re looking for a beautiful, fun and diverse trek, the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal is one to consider. The area is well developed for trekkers and has comfortable and friendly guesthouses all along the way, many with electricity, so you can now charge your MP3 or eReader! I was surprised that a few even feature Euro-style bakeries, complete with Dutch apple pie and lattes! Despite a new road being cut into the area, which will benefit locals, roughly 50% of the old Salt Route is still intact. Yet the beauty of the area remains unmarred. I’ve trekked the Annapurna region twice, this time during the autumn when leaves were turning and fields were golden and nearing harvest. What I enjoy most about the Annapurna Circuit is the wide variety of landscape, everything from rain forests and desertscapes to glaciated peaks. In the same day, you can cross an 18,000 foot pass and end up that afternoon in a valley sipping fresh-squeezed orange or apple juice from local orchards. It’s tough to beat that!

She took us through disaster to the summit of Alaska’s Mount McKinley in her book, Facing the Extreme. In her newest book, Walking the War Zones of Pakistan, Ruth Anne Kocour takes us to K2, and Pakistan’s tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, Kashmir, Tajikistan, and China. Readers will experience the topography that has led to isolation–physical and cultural–of people who for centuries have been kept in the dark by natural barriers, lack of infrastructure, lack of communication, and illiteracy. This simple tale of travel and adversity lends a face to news we hear every day and a glimpse into what we all have in common—our humanity.

Kocour’s adventures have been featured on CNN’s International Hour and the Discovery Channel. Her photos and stories have appeared in People, Harper’s Bazaar, Health, Sunset, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle. Ruth Anne has summited the highest peaks on four continents. She has climbed and trekked throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Her background in art, science, and photography enables Kocour to bring to life battlegrounds of nature and cultures for her readers and speaking audiences.

Don’t bring too much! When packing, I make a pile then eliminate, and I always discard any packaging at home rather than carrying trash into areas where it could pose a problem. I also consider the locals and what they need in their remote high-altitude world where weather and environment are challenging.

My pack always contains adequate clothing for fast-changing conditions. I also carry hard candy to ward off the coughing that leads to high-altitude pulmonary edema–enough candy to share with porters who do double duty carrying huge loads. I do not distribute candy (or pens) randomly in villages, a practice which can cultivate begging and worse, a riot if you run out before everyone receives something.

Pens and candy are not what villagers need. Clothing, hats, gloves and socks help them survive and perform physically-demanding jobs. Water bottles that tolerate high temperatures are another thing I leave behind because they allow locals to have and carry their own supply of water purified by boiling. Whatever keep everyone well can ensure the success of any trip.

The extreme light at high altitude and on snow can cause temporary blindness, as in snow blindness, or lead to long-term damage. For the past twenty years I’ve given high-quality sun glasses to village elders and porters, guides and animal herders. They are always appreciated.