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The most beautiful mountains in the US are a contentious subject, for this is a land that brims with beauty. We scoured the states and whittled them down to a list of 21
Legendary climber Reinhold Messner said that there are three rules of mountaineering: “It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”
A curated list of the best travel apps, from the latest tools that keep us connected to old favourites we’ve used for years
As travel writers who have been to over a hundred countries, we are often asked about the best travel apps that we can’t do without.
From the paths less travelled to the longest and the newest trail, we take a look at the best Kilimanjaro climbing route
The ‘roof of Africa’ was the first high-altitude mountain I ever climbed. At 5,895m (19,340ft), Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest peak and while I had some hillwalking behind me, I had no prior experience of high-altitude trekking. I opted for the cheapest and quickest route to the summit via the Marangu AKA the ‘Coca-Cola’ route.
The most beautiful mountains in the world have captivated climbers for centuries. Here, we examine their lethal appeal
“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you,” said John Muir, the renowned naturalist, author and environmental philosopher.
If our resident seven-summit hopeful is anything to go by, Muir makes a valid point. Those who spend time in the mountains seem to be driven by a deeper force.
From Katmai for brown bears to Dry Tortugas for nurse sharks, these are the best American national parks for wildlife watching
A canyon large enough to influence the weather, a hotbed of volcanic activity and an eerie desert landscape home to one of the hottest places on Earth. Yes, American national parks boast some of the most astounding natural wonders on the planet.
From megadiverse flora and fauna to the closest country to space, these are the most interesting facts about Ecuador
Despite its relatively small size compared with local giants Brazil and Argentina, Ecuador is home to an astounding array of wonders, including picturesque colonial towns, the Amazon rainforest, the spectacular peaks of the Andes and the fragile but alluring Galápagos Islands.
From El Capitan in Yosemite to remote challenges in Greenland and Antarctica, we profile the world’s most stunning big wall climbs
It was five years ago that I first came across a big wall climber. A tiny speck on the side of a gigantic granite wall, the climber was bivvying in Yosemite National Park, the Holy Land of big wall climbing.
I couldn’t comprehend how someone could sleep tacked onto the side of a wall, suspended thousands of feet above the ground, sometimes in treacherous weather conditions.
A new study suggests that using trekking poles may not conserve energy, but does “save the legs”. We dig deeper into the science
On a recent trek through the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan, one of our group completed the nine-day foot journey without poles. At some point during the trek, every one of us asked him why he didn’t have them (I’m sure he grew tired of fielding the question) and took turns to recount their many benefits.
Trekking the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan is an adventure through one of Central Asia’s hidden gems. Here’s how to make it happen
Tajikistan is the smallest of the Central Asian republics. Landlocked, misshapen and squished and squeezed by its neighbours, it has remained largely undiscovered by tourists even though it was at the centre of the Silk Road for much of its past.
Annie Worsley traded a life in academia for that of a crofter. Here, she tells us about her new life, the art of slow walking and the travel that changed her
It’s fair to say that Annie Worsley has not followed a conventional career path. She began life as a physical geographer focusing on the relationships between people, landscapes and the natural world. Her work took her to the New Guinea Highlands in 1979 where she examined the environmental history of montane rainforests and human impacts on the landscape.
The countries that eat the most meat are causing significant damage to the planet. It’s time to take responsibility and change the habits of a lifetime
There is very little left to debate on the subject. Simply put, the world must reduce the amount of meat it eats. In 2011, the world population reached seven billion and it’s now around 8.1 billion.
Our resident mountaineer and would-be seven summiteer crunches the numbers on how much it will cost to climb the seven summits
How much does it cost to climb the seven summits? About $200,000 USD give or take $10k.
Climbers could significantly reduce costs by foregoing luxuries, cutting corners and taking (even more) risks to get that figure below $100,000, but I do not recommend this and certainly won’t be taking such unnecessary risks.
Our comprehensive guide on how to choose a tent will ensure dry and comfortable nights whatever the weather
If you ask me, time in a tent is time well spent. I’m usually most content when under canvas. With the distractions of modern life left behind, I find that camping has a detoxifying effect. At the end of a day on the trail, I pitch my tent, eat, drink, sleep. In the morning I strike my tent and then repeat. It’s a simple but good life.
Trekking the Highlander Lake District offers a unique journey through the nation’s most picturesque national park
The Lake District is home to England’s most dramatic landscape. In a country known more for its tame countryside and sedate farmland, Cumbria’s exhilarating terrain of craggy peaks, deep gorges and immense lakes reveals a refreshingly wilder side of the nation. As such, nowhere else was ever really in the running to host the inaugural Highlander UK trek, one of the latest additions to the Highlander Adventure collection.
Our Everest base camp trek tips cover everything from permits and teahouses to where to get the best views
I trekked to Everest base camp back in 2019. It was the start of a feverish 24 months of trekking and climbing that took me to the base camps of Earth’s highest and second-highest mountains, across the remote tundra of western Greenland and ultimately to the summit of Aconcagua – the roof of the Americas which, at 6,961m (22,837ft), is the highest peak I’ve ever climbed.
From abandoned sets in the Sahara desert to a troglodyte hotel, here’s our guide on how to visit the Star Wars film locations in Tunisia
With over 1,000km of golden sandy beaches, non-stop sunshine and the glittering Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia has drawn flocks of tourists for decades. Beyond the beach resorts, there are superbly preserved Roman ruins, ancient towns with bustling medinas and, of course, the abandoned film sets of four of the six iconic Star Wars movies.
From picturesque ruins to cliff-face monasteries, we explore the unique appeal of the oldest cities in the world
There’s a certain aesthetic attached to the oldest cities in the world: bustling souks beneath a bright blue sky, flowing garments of whispery white, stone masonry cooked by the sun.
In reality, the oldest cities in the world have faced deep unrest throughout their long histories. Tragically, some are still in conflict. Aleppo in Syria, for example, is likely the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world but suffers ongoing conflict today. Damascus too is off limits.
We take a look at the best things to do in Bergen, the Nordic city that delivers a perfect blend of nature, culture and urban living
Known for its seven fjords, seven hills and old-world fishing wharf, Bergen in Norway enjoys a spectacular setting. Its walkable city centre and access to nature make it a perfect destination for a weekend getaway or even a day visit as the city is a popular stop for Norwegian fjord cruises and can be easily explored in a day.
In her new book, Rachel Hewitt honours the women written out of outdoor history. Here, she explains why it was important to tell their stories
Rachel Hewitt is a critic, broadcaster and the bestselling author of several books including Map of a Nation: A Biography of the Ordnance Survey and A Revolution of Feeling: The Decade that Forged the Modern Mind. She has written for the Guardian, Telegraph, Financial Times, New Statesman and Times Literary Supplement and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Beyond writing, she has appeared in the BBC’s Coast and Timeshift programmes and regularly participates in BBC Radio Three’s Free Thinking.
The Last Tourist exposes the many flaws of tourism, but these three moments struck us especially hard
The role of the modern tourist is on trial in a new documentary. The Last Tourist combines insight from travel and environmental experts with a series of first-hand accounts to highlight the harmful practices that global tourism supports and encourages.
