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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our detailed and easy-to follow guide on how to build a campfire will ensure you can always enjoy a satisfying and safe campfire when camping. Many a man claims to be an expert firestarter – in the same way many a man claims he does not need to ask for directions... Alpha male or not, nothing should get between a camper and a glorious night spent around a campfire beneath the stars. This step-by-step guide on how to build a campfire will have even the most reluctant urban dweller embracing this long-standing tradition of the wild. The post How to build a campfire: a step-by-step guide appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
In 2019, I was seven days into the eight-day Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland when the trail ahead began to fill with smoke. I had unwittingly walked into the middle of a wildfire during an unprecedented summer in the Arctic. The post Will the new iPhone make satellite messengers obsolete? appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
I was planning my climb of Denali, in Alaska, USA, for over 18 months. Between training sessions, I spent swathes of time pouring over maps of the route and reading reports on previous expeditions, all in an attempt to absorb as much information about the mountain as I could. The post 21 interesting facts about Denali appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Whenever I get back from a big climb, I invariably receive an array of questions about the expedition via email and social media. As usual, I’ve collated them all below in a detailed Q&A that includes all my tips on how to climb Denali. If I've missed anything, please do get in touch. The post How to climb Denali: all your questions answered appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Denali in Alaska, USA, at 6,190m (20,310ft), is North 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 Denali with American Alpine Institute (AAI). Any good guiding company will issue you a detailed kit list, but I always like to see what others have used. As such, I thought it would be helpful to share my complete Denali gear list for future climbers to reference. The post Denali gear list: the kit that got me to the top appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
The coldest I have ever been in my life was while climbing Denali – hardly surprising considering it's one of the coldest and windiest places in the USA. During the expedition, there were several times when I felt the cold intensely, so much so that I even suffered some mild frostbite on my fingers after we were delayed on the fixed ropes for several hours. That said, I was never cold when safely cocooned in my sleeping bag. The post Steep dreams: my tried and tested sleeping system for Denali appeared first on Atlas & Boots.