hiking & trekking
Non-technical mountain climbs: 13 trekking peaks
There are no ‘death zones’ on these non-technical mountain climbs but they offer plenty of challenges for mere mortals like me As a climber, I have completed several indoor climbing and winter mountaineering courses but my technical climbing skills still leave a lot to be desired. I have mastered basic rope, ice axe and crampon skills but don’t practise them as often as I’d like. All too often I only find time for some wilderness backpacking in Europe or low-altitude scrambling in the UK. Regardless, I still have high hopes of climbing the seven summits (three down, four to go). I’m aware that I’ll never be a Reinhold Messner or Chris Bonington (I’ll settle for reading their books instead) but I still long to pitch myself against tall mountains with imposing names....
When nature calls: why going to the toilet in the outdoors may be about to change
Burying your waste may no longer be the most sustainable way to go to the toilet in the outdoors, according to new research The number of people using public lands in the US has been steadily increasing for years. The pandemic accelerated the trend as lockdown-weary Americans flocked to outdoor spaces in record numbers. The increase in visitors saw several parks and landmarks introduce reservation systems to counteract the unsustainable rise in visitor numbers. From 2019 to 2021, a study found that there was an increase of 8.1 million hikers and 7.9 million campers in the US. In 2021, the National Park System (NPS) announced that 44 US national parks had set new records for recreational visits that year. Numbers across the NPS are forecast to rise even further in 2022 as international...
Fitz Roy day hike: an essential guide
A Q&A guide to the Fitz Roy day hike, telling you exactly what you need to know to reach this iconic peak We had unfinished business with Fitz Roy. We first visited in 2015 after a disappointing trip to Torres del Paine in Chile. It was winter in Patagonia and thanks to awful weather we saw absolutely nothing. A local guide told us to try El Chaltén in Argentina where one of the most beautiful mountains in the world looms over the village itself. In an effort to redeem the journey south, we followed his advice and headed to El Chaltén. Alas, it was not to be. After hiking 18km (11mi) to Laguna Torre, we suffered the same fate: a complete and utter whiteout. Peter was especially crushed. As a mountain junkie, he couldn’t believe that he had missed seeing these iconic peaks. ...
Best things to do in Ushuaia, the capital of the end of the world
Seven years after our first visit, we return to Tierra del Fuego to rediscover the best things to do in Ushuaia, the capital of the end of the world There are few places left in the world that still evoke the romance of old-world exploration. They inspire nostalgia for a time we never knew; places to which we’ve never been. We know their names in the same way we know Neverland and Narnia: shrouded in legend and lore. Cartagena, Antarctica, the Northwest Passage and Vinson Massif. Even men sounded greater then: Drake, Amundsen, Livingstone and Shackleton. Amid these legendary places surely lies space for Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of Argentina and the famed “end of the world”, the last huddle of humanity before the wilderness of Antarctica. It’s with this sense of awe that we set fo...
Training for Kilimanjaro: 7 tips for a successful summit
Completing some basic training for Kilimanjaro will make your climb easier, safer and ultimately more enjoyable I climbed Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, back in 2010. At 5,895m (19,340ft), it was my first high-altitude trek and even though I had some hillwalking behind me, I had no experience of trekking at altitude, wasn’t fit enough and didn’t have the right gear. In hindsight, I was fortunate to make the summit considering I was so underprepared. Fast forward 12 years and I’ve climbed four of the seven summits including Elbrus and Aconcagua, and completed several high-altitude treks including Everest base camp and K2 base camp. I have backpacks full of outdoor gear and am fitter now at 38 years old than I ever was in my twenties. Atlas & Boots Peter on the summit of Kilimanjaro...
Arctic or Antarctic: how to pick your polar adventure
Can’t decide between the Arctic or Antarctic for your polar adventure? Our guide will help you choose between 66° north or south The North and South Poles were only “conquered” in relatively recent history. The South Pole was first attained in 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen after his epic race with the ill-fated Robert Falcon Scott. The conquest of the North Pole is a little murkier thanks to its location in the middle of the Arctic Ocean among waters that are almost always covered with shifting sea ice. It’s possible that Frederick Cook was the first to reach the North Pole in 1908 or perhaps it was Robert Peary in 1911 or maybe Richard E. Byrd who was the first to fly over it in 1926… But it wasn’t until Roald Amundsen’s definitive flight over the Pole...
How to choose hiking boots: a beginners guide
Our simple guide on how to choose hiking boots will ensure you enjoy every step of the trail. Here’s how to pick the perfect pair Footwear is a hiker’s most critical piece of gear. Inappropriate or poorly fitted boots or shoes can spoil a day on the trail and have you gritting your teeth with every step. But with a dizzying array of choices, from lightweight trail running shoes to double-layered plastic mountaineering boots and everything in between, knowing where to start can be bewildering. how to choose hiking boots To make the decision easier, we’ve put together a beginners guide on how to choose hiking boots. Know your requirements Before you consider the following points, first give some thought to when and where you’re going to be hiking and what the conditions and terrain will be l...
7 US national parks that require a reservation in 2022
America’s outdoor spaces are becoming increasingly congested, so more US National Parks will require a reservation in 2022 In 1872, the US established Yellowstone National Park, the country’s first and the world’s second national park (after Bogd Khan Uul in Mongolia). The park became an international model for the preservation of biodiversity and cultural history; a model that has been replicated around the globe. In 2021, Yellowstone received a staggering 4,860,537 recreation visits, up 28% from 2020 (3,806,306 visits), making it the busiest year on record. May, June, July, August, and September were the busiest months on record with July also the most-visited month on record in Yellowstone’s history and the first time visitation exceeded one million visits in a single month. Although Ye...
Atlas & Boots’ top 10 posts of 2021
As we come to the end of another difficult year, we reflect on our highs and lows – on and off the blog I thought that things would be different this year. We ended 2020 on a low but hopeful note and I really thought the world would be back to normal this year. Instead, travel continues to limp on. Here in the UK, lockdown hangs like the sword of Damocles, yet again threatening our trip to Antarctica. There is a sense of time ticking by, especially for Peter who has lost two years of climbing in his prime, which has impacted his lifelong dream to climb the seven summits. As ever, we’re trying to focus on the good things. Peter managed to get away to Switzerland and Greece, and we had our first trip together in nearly two years: a beach and diving holiday in Cyprus. He walked th...
20 most beautiful mountains in the US
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 20 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.” Messner was the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousander mountains and has undoubtedly seen the ugly side of the world’s most beautiful mountains. Thankfully, those of us less alpine inclined can observe these peaks from afar. Most of us might content ourselves with the most beautiful mountains in the US instead. To help get you started, we’ve whittled our favourites to a list of 20. Most beautiful mountains in t...
Eight-thousanders: the 14 highest peaks in the world
The eight-thousanders are so ferocious that only 44 people have summited them all. We explain why they bewitch climbers all across the globe Most boys grow out of their fascination with mountains and the great outdoors. Those that do not usually end up on the side of a mountain, asking ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ But, as the saying goes, the best alpinists have the worst memories and so they venture once again into the ether. My fascination with mountains was piqued as a child when I visited the Glen Coe region in the Highlands of Scotland and eyed the gullies of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. This fascination has only grown through the years. My bookcase continues to expand with mountaineering books, from thrilling first-person accounts of difficult first ascents to thick bio...
Ice maidens: 10 first ascents by female mountaineers
In a world dominated by men, a select group of women have shattered the ice ceiling. Here we review some daring first ascents by female mountaineers I’ll be honest: it rankles to write the words ‘the first female’ to do such and such. It feels patronising, as if to say you weren’t good enough to play with the big boys but I’ll pat you on the head anyway. The truth is, of course, that being the first female to do something great is and should be an achievement. We in the western world have lived under a patriarchy for centuries; one that has undermined and undervalued women at every turn. The select few that have broken through deserve to be hailed as great. Today, we pay homage to 10 daring first ascents by female mountaineers. first ascents by female mountaineers: Specific pea...
