backpacking
Tour of Monte Rosa day 2
03/09/2015 This is part of a series of blog posts live from the Tour of Monte Rosa, a 100-mile backpacking route in the Alps. The Tour of Monte Rosa trail blog series Day 1: Zermatt to Täschalp Day 2: Europaweg stage 1 Day 3: Europaweg stage 2 and
Tour of Monte Rosa day 1
02/09/2015 This is the first in a series of blog posts live from the Tour of Monte Rosa, a 100-mile backpacking route in the Alps. The Tour of Monte Rosa trail blog series Day 1: Zermatt to Täschalp Day 2: Europaweg stage 1 Day 3: Europaweg stage 2
The Tour of Monte Rosa – final preparations
On Tuesday, I’m heading off to the Alps to hike the Tour of Monte Rosa, a 100-mile thru-hike beginning and ending in Zermatt. The goal is to circumnavigate the Monte Rosa massif. Preparations are now complete, so here’s where I am in terms of readiness. In my original
Electronics on the trail – what works for me
Please note that this article is now out of date. Here’s an updated version. “Nothing that uses a battery can be relied upon in the wild.” This is something we hear from time to time, but how true is it? What level of electronic gadgetry is necessary or appropriate
Preparations for the Tour of Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa is one of the biggest and highest mountain massifs in the Western Alps. Incorporating a number of summits all well over 4,000m, it is surrounded by many miles of difficult glaciated terrain to the west, and the biggest cliff in Europe to the east. It’s the
The Cape Wrath Trail gear debrief
Please note that I wrote this piece in 2015. It doesn’t necessarily reflect my current opinions on gear for the CWT. In June 2015 I hiked the 241-mile Cape Wrath Trail between Fort William and Cape Wrath, loosely following the mountainous terrain that clings to Scotland’s west coast.
The Cape Wrath Trail days 18 – 20
The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Scotland. It links Fort William with Cape Wrath, the farthest northwest point of the British mainland. Renowned as one of the toughest long-distance walks in the UK, it is not waymarked, has no single recognised route, and there is frequently
The Cape Wrath Trail days 15 – 17
The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Scotland. It links Fort William with Cape Wrath, the farthest northwest point of the British mainland. Renowned as one of the toughest long-distance walks in the UK, it is not waymarked, has no single recognised route, and there is frequently
The Cape Wrath Trail days 11 – 14
The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Scotland. It links Fort William with Cape Wrath, the farthest northwest point of the British mainland. Renowned as one of the toughest long-distance walks in the UK, it is not waymarked, has no single recognised route, and there is frequently
The Cape Wrath Trail days 7 – 10
The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Scotland. It links Fort William with Cape Wrath, the farthest northwest point of the British mainland. Renowned as one of the toughest long-distance walks in the UK, it is not waymarked, has no single recognised route, and there is frequently