The weather forecast wasn’t looking good, thunder and rain was forecast. Perhaps we wouldn’t get to do the Drei Schwestern, the main bit of the ridge.
Liechtenstein end to end
The Gritstone Trail
This year I wanted to complete some local long distance routes as part of training for my next big race. Having never really explore Cheshire despite it being so close to home, The Gritstone Trail was an obvious contender.
The trail guide recommends walking North to South but I wanted to finish closer to home so logistically it would be easier. So on what turned out to be a scorching hot day during a rather cold and wet British summer I set off from Kidsgrove.
Gear Review // Mac in a Sac Venture Jacket
This summer I was given the opportunity to trial Mac in a Sac’s new Venture jacket and have put it through the wonderful British summer weather to test it out.
Billed as a jacket designed specifically for runners and offering waterproofing and breathability, I was interested in whether it would live up to this.
Gear Review // Suunto Race S Watch
I am very lucky to have been given a Suunto Race S watch to review by the Ordnance Survey and Suunto, but despite it being a freebie I want to ensure I give a thorough and honest review for anyone looking to buy this sports watch.
Designed specifically for women who tend to have smaller wrists this watch has a sleeker design and a smaller face than the Race model. It’s marketed as a performance watch for racing and training. As a keen runner and hiker and already a Suunto fan, I was excited to see if this watch would provide everything I needed. Would it prove that all the additional features mean that I give up using my trusty Ambit 3?
Hiking the Coronallacs
Having wanted to hike in the Pyrenees it seemed a good opportunity to visit Andorra – a tiny country tucked in between Spain and France entirely in the mountains. I knew Andorra was a good ski destination but was intrigued to find out about summer hiking there.
Having looked at the various long distance trails in the mountains I stumbled across the Coronallacs, a new circular route utilising various existing long distance paths through the mountains.
The Coronallacs is a 92km route which we chose to do in 5 days, allowing us to stay at the 4 manned huts in the mountains. This allowed us to carry less as the huts provide dinner and breakfast as part of the fee.
Continue reading “Hiking the Coronallacs”Pichincha integral
If you’ve spent any time in Quito you will have been aware of the old volcanic peak of Pichincha as it is the highest point close to the city and marked by the cable car which takes you on to the plateau below the summit.
It is possible to catch the cable car up Pichincha and walk for a couple of hours to reach the scramble to the summit. However offered the option of the full traverse of the volcanic ridge I wasn’t going to turn that down.
Illiniza Norte
There’s always a point on a trip when people show their true colours. When they do, I’m rarely surprised anymore. The Illiniza’s was that point in our trip.
Continue reading “Illiniza Norte”Imbabura – climbing an inactive volcano
The first encounter of altitude during our trip the impressive Imbabura volcano provided an engaging scramble and epic crater to reach its two summits.
The route is largely hiking with some short sections of easy scrambling.
Lake Cuicocha
After a few days in Quito we headed out for acclimatisation walks and Lake Cuicocha was a beautiful place to have on the list.
We’d spent the night in Otavalo, a nearby town which was very friendly and laid back. After a morning wandering round the market and having coffee in a cafe we drove to Lake Cuicocha.
Lake Cuicocha is a 3 km wide caldera lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano. The name comes from the Kichwa, a variety of Quechua language and means lake of the guinea pigs – referring to the two humped islands.
Continue reading “Lake Cuicocha”Book Review // 1001 Walking Tips
For anyone new to an activity, knowing where to start with finding information can be hard. Getting into hiking is no different. There’s a myriad of information to absorb, skills to learn and gear to buy. Here’s where Paul Besley’s 1001 Walking Tips fills a much needed gap for newcomers to hiking.
Continue reading “Book Review // 1001 Walking Tips”