travel blog
10 great deals from the REI winter sale – up to 60% off | Atlas & Boots
I’m not the sort of person who hankers after luxury items. I’m more likely to shop at Asos than I am at Harrods and I’m just as happy at Nando’s as I am at a Michelin restaurant. One arena in which I do fork out, however, is outdoor apparel and gear. The difference between a high-quality hiking boot and one that’s “good enough” is substantial – something I learnt the hard way on the slopes of Cotopaxi. High quality, of course, comes with a price tag – one not easily affordable giving the rising cost of living. I personally have had to become more strategic with my spending, so when I saw that the REI winter sale was live, naturally I took a peek. The post 10 great deals from the REI winter sale – up to 60% off appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
How to never break a zipper again | Atlas & Boots
Technical outdoor gear is not cheap. I dread to think what I’ve spent on it over the years. Backpacks, sleeping bags, Gore-Tex jackets, fleeces, waterproof trousers, tents… it all adds up. What do these items all have in common? The humble fastener, AKA the zipper. The post How to never break a zipper again appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Mountaineering calendar: when to climb the world’s great peaks
Since I first started climbing, I must have spent hours typing “when is the best time to climb…” into search engines and then crawling through websites to find the key piece of information I needed. Only when I have a date in mind can I start to think about the practicalities of actually trying to climb a mountain (i.e. booking time off work, flights, budget, gear etc). To solve this problem once and for all, Atlas & Boots has put together a mountaineering calendar of the world’s greatest mountains and the optimal time of year at which to climb them. Drawing on Adventure Consultants’ expedition calendar, we list the world’s major mountains and ranges month by month. The list is not entirely inclusive as it would take too long to list every mountain on the planet. Likewise, to avoid re...
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.
Everest base camp kit list: all you need for this classic trek | Atlas & Boots
My comprehensive Everest base camp kit list includes everything you’ll need to complete the trek to the foot of the highest mountain in the world. Having just returned from trekking to Everest base camp with G Adventures, I thought it would be useful to share my entire Everest base camp kit list as a point of reference for future trekkers. I joined a G Adventures 15-day to trek Everest base camp, which includes 12 days of trekking: eight to ascend to base camp and four to descend back to Lukla. The post Everest base camp kit list: all you need for this classic trek 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.
