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Peter Watson 
From playful puffins to daunting peaks, we share our top Instagram shots of 2020
Kia has already written about how 2020 has been, uhm, testing to say the least. The year began with great promise, as you will see below, but it wasn’t long before all our trips got cancelled or postponed.
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 remote corners of Bhutan to the lofty heights of Nepal, we profile some of the best unknown treks in Asia
When it comes to exploration, ‘too late for the seas, too soon for the stars’ may best describe our current times. Legendary explorers like Drake and Magellan charted the seas long ago while Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and their like did the same for remote lands.
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.
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 climbing legends to authors with a penchant for snowy summits, we take a look at the greatest climbing quotes ever uttered
Whether it’s the eight-thousanders of the Himalayas, the big wall climbs of California or the more modest highlands of Scotland, mountains have inspired men and women to put pen to paper and wax lyrical for centuries past.
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.
We take a look at the biggest buildings in the world, from airplane factories to royal palaces
Modern architecture has made relentless and remarkable progress over the past century, and with the construction of the world’s tallest and first 1km-high building beginning this week in Saudi Arabia, it doesn’t look to be slowing any time soon.
We explore the most common map projections of the world, how they work and which one is the best
Kia is usually described as the geek in our relationship. She’s the one with a computer science degree, she’s the one with the editor’s eye and she’s the Star Trek fan who describes herself as Seven of Nine… which is cool apparently? A friend of hers recently described her as “the one who puts the apostrophe in rock ‘n’ roll”.
The current pandemic has had a devastating effect worldwide but there are some glimmers of light
Human impact on wildlife is almost certainly to blame for the spread of Covid-19, say scientists. The virus is thought to have originated in bats with other wild animals such as pangolins also likely playing a role in its transmission to people.
Climbing the seven summits – the highest mountain on every continent – is an improbable dream of mine… but that’s the beauty of dreams
I have always loved trekking and climbing. I usually spend several weeks of any given year on the grades of the Scottish Highlands or Welsh Snowdonia or ideally further afield such as the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland or the K2 base camp trek in Pakistan.
A list of 100 outdoor films to watch online for free from the archives of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the world’s premier adventure film festival
We’re living through extraordinary times and, like most, we’re currently not hiking or travelling anywhere. As such, we’re on the hunt for as much inside-outdoor entertainment as we can find.
We share the most interesting facts about Aconcagua – from the world’s highest art gallery to mysterious mummified remains
I recently climbed Aconcagua in Argentina, the third step of my journey to climb the seven summits.
Cerro Aconcagua may not be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the ascent is certainly short on charm, but this enormous lump of Andean rock and ice is one of the most coveted mountains on the planet.
We share some of our favourite best sailing movies, from Hollywood blockbusters and indie films to illuminating documentaries
I still hang on to the rather fanciful notion of sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Until I pluck up the courage (and the funds), I’ve been busying myself with more realistic nautical escapades.
We explore Argentina’s best hiking destinations, from the highest snowbound peak in South America to the final scrape of civilisation at the end of the world
Argentina is one of the world’s best countries for hiking thanks to the 5,000km-long Andes that curve like a spine along the nation’s back. This vast landscape boasts the Patagonian steppe, hulking glaciers and the world’s highest trekking peak.
Our Q&A-style tips on how to climb Aconcagua, assembled from the many questions asked by our followers
I didn’t announce I was climbing Aconcagua on social media until the day I left for Argentina. It was part superstition (I didn’t want to jinx the climb), but more importantly, I knew that I was about to embark on the hardest and highest climb of my life.
