travel blog
How to look after your hiking gear: 12 kit checks | Atlas & Boots
Last spring, I spent the best part of three weeks climbing Denali, the highest peak in North America. There were few opportunities to stay clean on the mountain so by the time I got off the slopes, I – along with all my gear – was in a pretty nasty state. The post How to look after your hiking gear: 12 kit checks appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Britain’s last remaining wild places
In Britain, wilderness has largely been abolished. The abolition began millennia ago. Between 7,000 and 5,000 years ago, around 75% of the UK was covered in forest. Then large-scale forest clearance started around 3100 BC when Neolithic agriculture was introduced. Now, the UK has around 13% forest cover, making it one of Europe’s least densely forested countries. The post Britain’s last remaining wild places appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
10 red flags to look for when booking a hotel | Atlas & Boots
I’ve stayed in some ungodly hotels, from a roach-infested room in Sri Lanka to a Fiji campsite with toads in the bathroom. I have cried, despaired and quietly raged on holiday because of poor accommodation. Thankfully, after a decade of travel, I have finessed a list of pitfalls to avoid and red flags to look for when booking a hotel. The post 10 red flags to look for when booking a hotel appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
High Scardus Trail in Albania: everything you need to know | Atlas & Boots
"Welcome to Hotel Radomirë Korab,” Agron greets me with an enormous smile as I arrive at my lodgings. It's the end of my second day on the High Scardus Trail and I am in dire need of a drink. “Can I get you a beer?” he adds, clearly reading my mind. The post High Scardus Trail in Albania: everything you need to know appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
10 remarkable international borders | Atlas & Boots
From mountains to libraries, we take a look at some of the most extraordinary international borders to be found across the globe. Over the last few years, we’ve seen an impressive collection of new websites, blogs and social media accounts dedicated to ‘travel porn’. They’re filled with big, sweeping images of fairytale lands and precarious precipices. The post 10 remarkable international borders appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
5 thrilling hiking trails in Málaga, Spain | Atlas & Boots
For many visitors, Málaga is simply a gateway to the crowded seaside resorts of the Costa del Sol. Relatively few will venture far from the beach. If they do, chances are they’ll head into the city which, after decades of being ignored by the masses, has undergone something of a reinvention. The post 5 thrilling hiking trails in Málaga, Spain appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
A life lived inside: reflections on my mother’s past | Atlas & Boots
There’s a tree I sometimes notice on my way to my boxing gym. It stands on an unsightly corner near the junction of Barking Road – which has the dubious honour of the eighth unhealthiest street in London – and one of the grubby arteries that feed into it. The tree sits amid ugliness: overflowing bins from the chicken shop opposite, shards of glass from a smashed car window, a makeshift fence from unfinished building works, a fly-tipped cooker and fridge, and litter that rolls past like tumbleweed. In many ways, it’s a quintessential East London scene: a vast expanse of grime punctuated by striking beauty. The post A life lived inside: reflections on my mother’s past appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
11 best day trips from Anchorage, Alaska | Atlas & Boots
The word 'epic' does not do Alaska justice. The state is home to North America's largest mammals, national parks the size of countries and glaciers bigger than some US states. It is the least densely populated state in the USA; has 17 of North America’s highest mountains, 100 volcanoes, 3,000 rivers and over three million lakes. The post 11 best day trips from Anchorage, Alaska appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Aconcagua gear list: all you need for summit success | Atlas & Boots
Our complete Aconcagua gear list includes everything you’ll need to summit the highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres Aconcagua in Argentina, at 6,961m (22,837ft), is South America’s highest mountain and one of the seven summits: the seven peaks that make up the highest point on every continent. I recently returned from climbing Aconcagua with Acomara Aconcagua Expeditions. A good trekking company will issue you with a detailed kit list, but I always like to see what other people have used. The post Aconcagua gear list: all you need for summit success appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
10 countries that can save Earth’s most-threatened species | Atlas & Boots
As a child, I lived with cockroaches in my family home. Our entire street had an infestation and it was months before the council got rid of them. I have seven siblings and not all of us fit on the sofa, so some of us would watch TV from the floor and I remember things scuttling by right next to my hand, making me leap up and scream. Sometimes, one would scurry across my pillow right before bedtime. This, quite understandably, gave me a mortal fear of bugs. The post 10 countries that can save Earth’s most-threatened species appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
How to behave at a campsite: 12 dos and don’ts | Atlas & Boots
Some of my most unforgettable moments have taken place under canvas. From unzipping the porch to reveal the needlepoint summit of Laila Peak on the K2 base camp trek to listening to the snap, crackle and pop of Greenland’s Russell Glacier under a midnight sun, these were experiences I could not have had in a hotel. The post How to behave at a campsite: 12 dos and don’ts appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Atlas & Boots’ top 100 travel experiences – ranked
This week, it will be exactly 10 years since Peter and I packed up everything we owned, put it in storage and went off on a year-long journey around the world. It started on 11th August 2014 with a 36-hour journey from London, through Singapore and Brisbane, to our final destination of Vanuatu. The post Atlas & Boots’ top 100 travel experiences – ranked appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
