climb-the-worlds-highest-mountains-without-leaving-your-home

Step by step: ‘climb’ the world’s highest mountains without leaving your home

With climbing and mountaineering on hold for the foreseeable future, we find an alternative way to scale the most coveted peaks on the planet

Continuing my search for inside-outdoor activities, I discovered a new way to simultaneously keep myself occupied and fit during these exceptional times: climbing the mountains of the world… using our staircase.

Cerro Torre – A Snowball’s Chance in Hell

100 outdoor films to watch online for free

A list of 100 outdoor films to watch online for free from the archives of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the world’s premier adventure film festival

We’re living through extraordinary times and, like most, we’re currently not hiking or travelling anywhere. As such, we’re on the hunt for as much inside-outdoor entertainment as we can find.

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24 interesting facts about Aconcagua

We share the most interesting facts about Aconcagua – from the world’s highest art gallery to mysterious mummified remains

I recently climbed Aconcagua in Argentina, the third step of my journey to climb the seven summits.

Cerro Aconcagua may not be one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the ascent is certainly short on charm, but this enormous lump of Andean rock and ice is one of the most coveted mountains on the planet.

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How to climb Aconcagua: all your questions answered

Our Q&A-style tips on how to climb Aconcagua, assembled from the many questions asked by our followers

I didn’t announce I was climbing Aconcagua on social media until the day I left for Argentina. It was part superstition (I didn’t want to jinx the climb), but more importantly, I knew that I was about to embark on the hardest and highest climb of my life.

expedition backpack

Aconcagua gear list: all you need for summit success

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.

how to climb Aconcagua: on the summit of Aconcagua

Climbing Aconcagua: my third seven summit

Climbing Aconcagua was the culmination of a 10-year journey and the next step towards realising my ultimate dream: climbing the seven summits

At around 2pm local time on 19th January 2020, I stretched out my hand and tapped the top of the simple aluminium crucifix that marks the summit of Aconcagua at 6,961m (22,837ft).

Looking at the winter climbs taking place at the time in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges of Asia, and given that our summit time corresponded to around 11pm in Nepal and Pakistan, it is safe to assume that for a few brief moments on that Sunday afternoon, I was the highest person stood on Earth.

Mont Blanc is one of Europe's best hikes

Europe’s best hikes for first timers

From easy city walks to harder challenges in the great outdoors, we share 10 of Europe’s best hikes for first timers

When Peter headed to Argentina in January to climb Aconcagua (his third of the seven summits), a friend of mine asked why I wasn’t joining him.

Climbing mountains is his thing, I explained. I’m perfectly comfortable below 4,000m. She frowned and said, ‘I thought you’d want to go because you’re always out hiking.’

unknown treks -sweden

Unknown treks: 10 off the beaten trail adventures

From remote deserts to polar escapes, these unknown treks will get you far off the beaten trail

I spent 10 years living in London, riding the crowded tube to work, fighting for space with those around me and standing in queues at bus stops, supermarkets, anywhere really – I am British after all.

Naturally, this inspired daydreams of escaping it all and running off to the wilderness with only my backpack, tent, camping stove and a handful of freeze-dried meals.

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Everest vs K2 base camp: which trek is right for you?

Everest vs K2 base camp – what’s the difference? We compare the two classic treks

Since the first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, followed by K2 in 1954, the Himalayas and its satellite ranges have become far more accessible to trekkers. The 4,000km crescent of mountains that stretches from Kyrgyzstan to Burma was once solely the domain of professional mountaineers.

K2 K2 base camp trek

Best treks in Pakistan: 5 great adventures

We take a look at the best treks in Pakistan, from classic base camp journeys to snowy high pass odysseys

Having just returned from the K2 base camp trek in Pakistan with my interest in the Karakoram well and truly stoked, I thought I’d explore some additional hiking itineraries for my next trip to this beautiful country.

K2 base camp trekking guide

Tips for trekking to K2 base camp: a complete guide

Our tips for trekking to K2 base camp, gathered from the many questions our readers sent in

Before, during and after my K2 base camp trek in Pakistan, Atlas & Boots received dozens of questions about the experience via email and social media. We’ve collated them below in a comprehensive Q&A which includes all our tips for trekking to K2 base camp.

K2 base camp trek

K2 base camp trek: a walk among giants in the Karakoram

The K2 base camp trek is a stunning journey to the foot of a legendary mountain in the Pakistani Karakoram

The K2 base camp trek through the mighty Karakoram mountains of Pakistan is one of the world’s finest high-altitude treks. Earlier this year an opportunity arose to join Lost Horizon Tours and Treks on a trek to K2 base camp combined with a crossing of the Gondogoro La Pass.

8 best things to do in Ilulissat, Greenland

Our selection of the best things to do in Ilulissat will help you make the most of your time in this breathtaking part of the world

Ilulissat is the Greenland of glossy brochures. Smatterings of multi-coloured houses, iceberg-strewn waters, majestic sled dogs and gigantic glinting glaciers all contribute to the region’s raw photogenic appeal. It is quite simply one of the most spectacular environments on Earth.

watching the wall while visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier

7 things to do in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Our selection of the best things to do in Kangerlussuaq will help you make the most of your time in this remote corner of the world

At first glance, the lonely settlement of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland might not seem much more than a necessary stepping-stone for travellers en route to Ilulissat, Greenland’s most popular tourist destination.

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Visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier

Visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe the country’s infamous interior

The understated and lonely settlement of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland feels like the edge of the world. Despite lying 50km north of the Arctic Circle, however, there is little evidence of the spectacular scenery that can only be found in the most extremes of the planet: the Polar Regions.

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Trekking the Arctic Circle Trail: a dream goes up in smoke

Trekking the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland has long been a dream of mine. A dream I came tantalisingly close to fulfilling but for a freak natural event

I wanted to begin this post by triumphantly announcing that I had finished trekking the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland – but I can’t, for my trek ended in bitter disappointment. It (quite literally) left a stale taste in my mouth and gave rise to a cloud of unanswerable questions; a maddening maelstrom of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ to lament and regret.

Best climbing documentaries: 25 tall stories

The best climbing documentaries showcase the world’s finest climbers pitting their skills against the world’s toughest climbs

Recently, we watched two great climbing documentaries: the acclaimed Free Solo (2018) at our local cinema and then The Dawn Wall (2018) on Netflix.

Both films focus on attempts on Yosemite’s El Capitan via different routes and using different climbing styles.

While Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan was perhaps the most vertigo-inducing film we’ve ever seen, it was the human story behind Tommy Caldwell in The Dawn Wall that we found more compelling.