Archive

Month: January 2016

Mountain conquered by teenager

Calum Macintyre is the youngest person to have climbed Ama Dablam, which at 22,525ft (6812m) is five times the height of Ben Nevis. The young mountaineer was raising money for the Teenager Cancer Trust. Calum’s father and sister have both…

The mother of all climbs

Every time I stepped outside my hotel in Zermatt there would be a gaggle of tourists holding up their phones to take a photo. Not of me, annoyingly, but of the big pointy peak rearing up into the heavens. The…

The Faces of Fishtail

I think I was already in love with Machapuchare before I ever visited Nepal. My parents went to Pokhara in 2002, and at the time I was most put out. Since I was a teenager I had had a fascination…

A Guide to Trekking Mount Fitz Roy

With glaciers wrapped around tall dark mountain peaks, and continual wind blowing through fields and forests, Patagonia’s wild landscape may seem daunting and unconquerable. However, trekking Mount Fitz Roy proves to be an exhilarating and perfectly achievable experience for any…

Central Andes Alpine Climbs

One of our favorite trips is our Central Andes Alpine Climbs, a fun, shorter duration 10-day trip on which we climb three classic high altitude peaks in the heart of the Chilean Central Andes. This trip is perfect for those…

Exploring the Cadini di Misurina

After such an epic, wildly-successful first day, we were a little adrift as to what to do for a follow-up. Michele had suggested the Cadini di Misurina — a dense maze of improbably-pointy mountain peaks looming east of town —…

Snow Climbing Mount Fuji

Climbing Mount Fuji (3776 meters), Japan’s highest and most prominent mountain, can make for lifelong memories. The mountain itself may look more attractive from afar than from close up, but the views on clear days and the experience of climbing…

The Dolomites – Via Ferrata

Located in northern Italy and with a unique mix of Italian and Austrian culture the Dolomites has the highest concentration of via ferrata in the world, boasting some 170 historic routes. The metal wires intespersed with ladders and unlikely suspension…

Climbing in Greece

Once the island of Kalymnos in Greece’s Dodecanese cursed the hand nature had dealt it. Huge rock escarpments line its western coast, overlooking the Aegean. The slopes below, covered in wild oregano, thyme and mint, were good only for goats…

Snow wonder

While your friends head to Spanish beaches and Italian hills, Chile – with its numerous ski resorts – is an adventurous alternative to the typical summer holiday. Andean skiing offers an unforgettable combination of beach-style weather, great snow and exotic…

Head for the hills, the snow’s finally here

This season, Europe’s slopes have been so barren there were practically tumbleweeds blowing across them, until thankfully a deep covering of snow finally dropped over the Alps last weekend. But those who’ve been holding out for thigh-deep powder before bagging…

Athens holidays

If the thought of exploring Greece’s ancient world makes your skin tingle with anticipation, you’ll struggle to contain your excitement on a holiday to Athens. The historical capital of Europe, Athens’ landmarks and old ruins are known the world over,…

Insider secrets of Rome

Heaping plates of light-as-air pasta. Art by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini. Some of the most entertaining people-watching on the planet. Rome is a city like no other. But as welcoming as it can be, to the first-time visitor Rome can…

Autumn in Venice

Although there are days when tourists outnumber locals by two to one, Venice never loses its capacity to enchant. Summer brings some of the most daunting crowds, but there’s a reason why they come: the sheer loveliness of an exquisite…

Walking in Moscow’s winter wonderland

The best way to discover Moscow is on foot. It may seem unrelentingly urban, dominated by cars and towering skyscrapers, but to find the flowering courtyards, icon-filled churches and house-museums, you need to walk through the back streets and pathways….