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Seven years after we quit our jobs to travel the world, we revisit some of the riskiest things we’ve done on the road
Peter and I have a long-running joke that I have fallen off my bike in the most beautiful places in the world – among them Bora Bora in French Polynesia and Isabela in the Galápagos. I only learnt to ride at the age of 28 and my lack of experience has led to numerous falls.
After a year and a half at home, Kia finds travel a little more challenging than it used to be
There’s a certain level of hubris that comes with a travel lifestyle. I’m not talking about the curated selfies of Instagram or endless filtered sunsets but travel that predates it: the hardened journo grabbing his go-bag en route to a conflict zone, the high-powered CEO taking another red eye, or the ‘third culture kid’ who frequently flies between three cities.
The best hikes in Exmoor National Park showcase one of England’s wildest and most diverse landscapes
My first experience of Exmoor was in youth when I read a children’s illustrated version of Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. The historical novel of high adventure is set in the 17th century and features a lawless clan (the Doones) roaming a wild landscape (Exmoor).
The best hikes in New Forest National Park reveal a quintessential slice of English countryside
Despite its name, the New Forest is neither new nor much of a forest. The region was first declared a royal hunting preserve in 1079 by William the Conqueror and the landscape is more heathland (the most extensive area remaining in Europe) than contiguous woodland. The word ‘forest’ actually descends from Old French for ‘hunting ground’.
Between lockdowns, I wrapped up a challenge that started nearly two years ago: climbing every mountain in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Just over a year ago, I was stood atop Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America and the highest outside of Asia. It was my third – arguably fourth – peak of the seven summits. As I descended the scree slopes, I was in high spirits and full of optimism for the year ahead.
Crime author Nadine Matheson tells us why a last-minute trip to Portugal changed her life forever
Nadine Matheson is the author of The Jigsaw Man, a deliciously dark cat-and-mouse thriller that pits the best new detective in fiction against a truly menacing killer. Described as a ‘macabre love letter to South London’, the novel has a noirish, nightmarish quality redolent of hardboiled fiction recast for a contemporary audience.
Take a vicarious breath of fresh air by touring the best trees in Britain
Over the course of the last year, many of us have remembered just how much we depend on nature for quiet, everyday relief. Although some of us joke that when the pandemic is over, we’re “never going for a walk in the park again”, it’s undeniable that these walks have kept us sane.
As an ode to nature, we share below the 20 best trees in Britain.
As a difficult year draws to a close, we reflect on the top 10 posts that our readers most enjoyed
Well, what can we say about 2020 that hasn’t been said already? As a writer, I feel that I should be able to say something grand and stirring about the global pandemic, but to be honest, I can’t. I don’t know how to aptly describe the hopelessness and inertia that so many of us have experienced this year.
Hiking in Latvia is an ideal way to explore a land of peaceful lakes, fairytale forests and exceptionally unspoilt countryside
Latvia is perhaps best known for the cosmopolitan city of Riga. Beyond the clamorous capital, however, lie delightful small towns like Cēsis and Sigulda that offer hiking, cycling, canoeing and myriad other outdoor adventures.
From trekking in the hills of Kashmir to evading a rhino in India, author Roz Watkins tells us about the travel that changed her
Roz Watkins is the author of the critically-acclaimed DI Meg Dalton crime series. Set in the Peak District, her novels are known for their extraordinary sense of place. Think moody moors, gnarled forests and creepy local lore. Her protagonist is spirited and sensitive, but what draws me most strongly to Roz’s work is her willingness to venture into the darker corners of society.
Our Q&A-style guide to hiking the Highlander Velebit covers everything you need to know to get the most out of your first Highlander adventure
I just returned from trekking the Highlander Velebit in Croatia, an invigorating journey through a lesser-known region of Europe. The event proved to be a new way of hiking for me and has the potential to transform the future of hiking holidays.
Our Highlander Velebit gear list includes everything you’ll need for five days of hiking across Croatia’s highest mountain range
I recently completed the Highlander Velebit, a 104km 5-day trek across the Northern Velebit and Paklenica national parks in Croatia. The Velebit is one of Highlander Adventure’s collection of organised treks and therefore requires a slightly different mix of gear than what I’d pack for an independent trek.
The Highlander Velebit is an ideal introduction to multi-day trekking and offers a true taste of European wilderness
My first post-lockdown trip was to Croatia to take part in a Highlander Adventure, one of a collection of organised treks through some of Europe’s classic hiking regions, all home to magnificent expanses of wilderness.
We take a look at the world’s most urban countries and why they go hand in hand with the most stressed
City life is stressful. It presses on our weary bones, wafts through windows on pungent fumes and boxes up our personal space.
Hiking the Watzmann Traverse offers a breathtaking scramble across one of Germany’s classic Alpine ridges. Here’s how to complete the Bavarian thriller
One of my oldest and best friends lives in the Netherlands and over the course of nearly 20 years of friendship we have managed to meet up fairly regularly – usually at least once a year either in the UK or the Netherlands. Over the last few years, however, as our schedules became increasingly crowded with work, family and mortgages, we’ve struggled to find the time.
The best hikes in the North York Moors National Park are a wonderful way to explore the region’s rich and vibrant landscapes
The North York Moors might be England’s most diverse national park. Home to striking stretches of unspoilt coast and the largest area of heather moorland in England and Wales, the North York Moors is one of the country’s foremost hiking destinations.
As restrictions begin to ease around the world, Peter prepares to head out on his first post-lockdown trip: the Highlander Adventure
After 100 days in lockdown, I am itching to return to the trail. As someone who is most content outdoors, I have found the restrictions particularly claustrophobic, despite devising some rather creative ways to pass the time.
From Canada’s wild backcountry to the jungles of Brunei, we share some fantastic hikes through the cleanest air in the world
A few months after we moved to the country, some friends from London came up to visit. Stepping from the car, one commented that ‘it feels like mountain air up here’. I laughed and said, ‘it’s not that cold.’ He shook his head and said, ‘I don’t mean the temperature. I mean the quality.’
As we approach a full 100 days in lockdown, we reflect on the things we’ve learnt while largely stuck at home
I was so blasé. Ten days before lockdown, I casually said on a podcast that I was still riding the tube, still seeing friends, still keeping calm and carrying on as is the British Way (from 22m here).
The best hikes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park criss-cross one of England’s finest beauty spots
In the 18 months since our move to the market town of Richmond in North Yorkshire, we’ve spent much of our free time exploring the national park that sits on our doorstep. Whether discovering the best views or climbing the highest mountains, we’ve fallen utterly in love with the landscape of the Dales.
