multi-day treks
Arctic Circle Trail packing list: all you need in one place
Our detailed Arctic Circle Trail packing list includes everything you’ll need on a trek through Greenland’s wild and remote backcountry. Having just returned from my adventure trekking the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland I thought it would be useful to share my Arctic Circle Trail packing list as a point of reference for future trekkers. The post Arctic Circle Trail packing list: all you need in one place appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Trekking the Highlander Svaneti in Georgia
Trekking the Highlander Svaneti offers an authentic taste of Georgia’s unspoilt northwest, a region as beautiful as it is remote Just 20 years ago, Svaneti was considered a danger zone. Today, with an embarrassment of snow-capped 4,000m peaks, enchanting villages dotted with tower houses and gleaming glaciers standing sentry over meadows of wildflowers, Svaneti is a paradise for hikers. Located in the remote northwest of Georgia, on the slopes of the mighty Caucasus Mountains near the border with Russia, wild and mysterious Svaneti has seen a tumultuous history including marauding Mongols and murderous blood feuds. Following independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the ensuing Georgian Civil War, the frontier region became a safe haven for criminals on the run. Atlas &a...
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....
Introducing the Highlander Olympus trek in Greece
Peter joins the Highlander Adventure team on Greece’s highest peak to scout the new Highlander Olympus trek launching next year Trekking may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of a visit to Greece. Ancient ruins steeped in mythology, island-hopping across the Aegean or feasting on the country’s delectable cuisine will all likely register first. Enter Mt. Olympus, the highest and most storied of all Greek mountains. The massif is home to a network of hiking trails and mountain huts to support trekkers on the slopes of the fabled “throne of the gods”. Legend has it that Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek mythology, lived atop the country’s highest point on the domed 2,902m (9,521ft) sub-peak of Stefani, otherwise known as Thronos Dios (Throne of Zeus). Atlas & Bo...
Coast to Coast Walk tips: all you need to know
We’ve collated all our Coast to Coast Walk tips in a detailed Q&A-style guide to help you along this classic English journey I recently hiked England’s Coast to Coast Walk which crosses northern England from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. As the route practically passes my home in Richmond, I decided to walk the footpath twice and experience the celebrated trail in both directions. My journey took me from Richmond to Robin Hood’s Bay and back, and then from Richmond to St Bees and back again. In the process, I covered over 600km (373mi) and ascended 17,760m (58,270ft) – the equivalent of climbing Everest twice. [embedded content] One of the great things about the Coast to Coast Walk is that it does not need to be completed in one go. I met walkers who were hi...
Coast to Coast kit list: what’s in my backpack
Our Coast to Coast kit list includes everything you’ll need for this classic long-distance journey across northern England I recently returned from hiking England’s Coast to Coast Walk. The 302km (188mi) unofficial footpath traverses England from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. To help other trekkers get the balance right, I’ve put together my usual post-trip kit list of everything I packed. Where possible, I’ve linked to the gear I carried for reference. [embedded content] Coast to Coast kit list As I live on the trail, I chose to walk from my home in Richmond to Robin Hood’s Bay and back (seven days), and then from Richmond to St Bees and back again (13 days). By the time I got home, I had completed the trail twice, so have a fair idea of the kit requi...
Coast to Coast: walking across England twice
I finally got around to hiking England’s Coast to Coast Walk. Only, as the trail practically runs past my house, I did things a little differently Feeling restless after months under lockdown, and loosely inspired by Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, I decided to walk across England… twice. In Lee’s memoir, he walks out from his Cotswolds home and embarks on an epic foot journey that takes him across southern England to Spain where he spends a year tramping from the north to the south coast. In my case, travel restrictions meant I wouldn’t be heading for Spain, so I picked up the Coast to Coast trail that practically runs past my house. Determined to make a sizeable journey by foot alone, I walked the route twice. England’s Coast to Coast Walk Distance: 302km (188mi)...
10 best hikes in Exmoor National Park
The best hikes in Exmoor National Park showcase one of England’s wildest and most diverse landscapes My first experience of Exmoor was in youth when I read a children’s illustrated version of Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. The historical novel of high adventure is set in the 17th century and features a lawless clan (the Doones) roaming a wild landscape (Exmoor). The novel is essentially a love story with a dash of kidnap, revenge and rebellion thrown in for good measure – everything a young boy who dreams of adventure and rescuing damsels wants in a book (especially one with pictures). Years later, I hiked the Doone Valley during a family holiday and was captivated by the higher moor’s ethereal beauty. It is an expansive landscape of moorland, woodland, valleys and farmland that, at tim...
Britain’s best long-distance footpaths
Britain’s best long-distance footpaths provide excellent access to the UK’s outdoors while showcasing the finest scenery our isles have to offer When you think of the best long-distance hiking trails from around the world, little old Britain probably wouldn’t top of your list. Hikers will more likely be drawn to the Triple Crown of the Appalachian, Continental Divide and Pacific Crest trails in the US, New Zealand’s Great Walks or the famous Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp treks in Nepal. However, the UK does have an extensive network of long-distance footpaths. Managed by the National Trails in England and Wales and Scotland’s Great Trails north of the border, the UK has thousands of miles of tramping to be discovered – and the network continues to expand....
Highlander Adventure treks: 15 unique trails to explore
The collection of Highlander Adventure treks has been expanded for 2021. We take a look at the exciting new trails on offer In 2020, I joined my first Highlander Adventure trek in Croatia and was thoroughly won over by the semi-solo style of trekking. This year, I was pleased to see the collection expand from five treks to 15 and am planning (hoping?) to join two more – in Spain and North Macedonia. Below, I take a look at every trek on this year’s calendar, from the original Highlander Velebit in Croatia to the new trails currently being mapped in the Middle East and North Africa. What is the Highlander Adventure? The Highlander Adventure is a collection of organised five-day treks through some of Europe’s premier hiking regions, home to magnificent expanses of wilderness. Initi...
England’s 100 most popular hiking trails
From the South Downs to Hadrian’s Wall, we explore England’s most popular hiking trails Whether you’re an experienced wanderer in need of some fresh ideas or a first-time hiker just looking to get outdoors more, our list of England’s most popular hiking trails offers a wealth of walking options. Home to over 100,000 trails, AllTrails is one of the world’s leading hiking apps. The app has over 20 million users globally and is widely downloaded across the UK. With reviews running in the hundreds of thousands, we believe the ‘AllTrails method’ is a great way of identifying some of the country’s finest footpaths. We’ve selected England’s most popular hiking trails from the app’s archives, but there are of course thousands more to choose from. Over 7,500 in fact, and counting. Ev...
Hiking in Latvia: where to find the best trails
Hiking in Latvia is an ideal way to explore a land of peaceful lakes, fairytale forests and exceptionally unspoilt countryside Latvia is perhaps best known for the cosmopolitan city of Riga. Beyond the clamorous capital, however, lie delightful small towns like Cēsis and Sigulda that offer hiking, cycling, canoeing and myriad other outdoor adventures. Considering its size, the little Baltic nation dedicates a surprising amount of space to outdoor pursuits. The white-sand beaches of its coast are the biggest draw, particularly during the summer. Further inland, you’ll find a range of natural landscapes including acres of ancient forests, a picturesque lake district and quaint pasturelands of grazing cattle. As always, we believe that the best way to see a country is on foot. From short-but-...
