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From dubious first ascents to tense clashes at high altitudes, we explore 13 dramatic climbing controversies – some resolved and others less so
There was a time when climbing controversies were sportingly confined to the slopes. The petty trivialities, the robust exchanges and the heated clashes were just part of the cut and thrust of the mountaineering world.
From a faked summit photo to an ascent in less than half a day, these are the most interesting facts about Denali
I was planning and preparing for my climb of Denali for over 18 months. Between training sessions, I spent hours poring 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.
Our Q&A-style tips on how to climb Denali, gathered from the many questions asked by our readers and followers
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.
My complete Denali gear list includes everything you’ll need to summit the highest mountain in North America
Denali in Alaska, USA, stands at a lofty 6,190m (20,310ft), making it 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 exactly what others have used. As such, I thought it would be helpful to share my complete Denali gear list for future climbers to reference.
My sleeping system for Denali worked a treat and ensured I always enjoyed a good night’s sleep on North America’s highest peak
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.
Although it was the natural next step in my bid for the seven summits, climbing Denali proved to be an altogether different beast
At around 6.30pm local time on Tuesday 28 May 2024, six grown men stood on the summit of Denali, the highest peak in North America, crying their eyes out. Among us was a triathlon athlete, a veteran of the Marathon des Sables and an Everest summiteer returning to Denali for his second attempt. One of our group, a Californian who regularly climbed in the Sierras, was on his knees sobbing over his ice axe. I tried to record a video message for Instagram but couldn’t speak through my tears of relief
Britain’s best long-distance footpaths provide excellent access to the 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.
From an exposed ridge on a Colorado fourteener to a remote Hawaiian jungle trail, these are America’s most dangerous hikes
While most will – and do – complete these hikes unscathed, the trails can be perilous enough that a spot of bad luck, small mistake or slight miscalculation can leave you seriously injured, or even dead.
Exposure, crevasses, avalanches – all the usual threats can be found on America’s most dangerous hikes. But there are also a few wildcards here that can turn a walk in the park into a dice with death. Huckleberries, anyone?
The most beautiful mountains in the US are a contentious subject, for this is a land that brims with beauty. We scoured the states and whittled them down to a list of 21
Legendary climber Reinhold Messner said that there are three rules of mountaineering: “It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”
From the paths less travelled to the longest and the newest trail, we take a look at the best Kilimanjaro climbing route
The ‘roof of Africa’ was the first high-altitude mountain I ever climbed. At 5,895m (19,340ft), Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest peak and while I had some hillwalking behind me, I had no prior experience of high-altitude trekking. I opted for the cheapest and quickest route to the summit via the Marangu AKA the ‘Coca-Cola’ route.
The most beautiful mountains in the world have captivated climbers for centuries. Here, we examine their lethal appeal
“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you,” said John Muir, the renowned naturalist, author and environmental philosopher.
If our resident seven-summit hopeful is anything to go by, Muir makes a valid point. Those who spend time in the mountains seem to be driven by a deeper force.
From El Capitan in Yosemite to remote challenges in Greenland and Antarctica, we profile the world’s most stunning big wall climbs
It was five years ago that I first came across a big wall climber. A tiny speck on the side of a gigantic granite wall, the climber was bivvying in Yosemite National Park, the Holy Land of big wall climbing.
I couldn’t comprehend how someone could sleep tacked onto the side of a wall, suspended thousands of feet above the ground, sometimes in treacherous weather conditions.
Trekking the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan is an adventure through one of Central Asia’s hidden gems. Here’s how to make it happen
Tajikistan is the smallest of the Central Asian republics. Landlocked, misshapen and squished and squeezed by its neighbours, it has remained largely undiscovered by tourists even though it was at the centre of the Silk Road for much of its past.
Our resident mountaineer and would-be seven summiteer crunches the numbers on how much it will cost to climb the seven summits
How much does it cost to climb the seven summits? About $200,000 USD give or take $10k.
Climbers could significantly reduce costs by foregoing luxuries, cutting corners and taking (even more) risks to get that figure below $100,000, but I do not recommend this and certainly won’t be taking such unnecessary risks.
Our Everest base camp trek tips cover everything from permits and teahouses to where to get the best views
I trekked to Everest base camp back in 2019. It was the start of a feverish 24 months of trekking and climbing that took me to the base camps of Earth’s highest and second-highest mountains, across the remote tundra of western Greenland and ultimately to the summit of Aconcagua – the roof of the Americas which, at 6,961m (22,837ft), is the highest peak I’ve ever climbed.
Ahead of his next seven summit attempt, Peter shares expert advice on how to train for mountaineering expeditions such as Denali and Everest
I climbed my first high-altitude mountain back in 2010. At 5,895m (19,340ft), Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and while I had some hillwalking behind me, I had no prior experience of trekking at altitude, wasn’t fit enough and didn’t have the right gear. In hindsight, I was fortunate to make the summit considering I was so underprepared.
We take a look at the most dangerous mountains in the world and what it is that makes them so deadly
Whether it’s the tales of survival that bleed from their treacherous slopes or the visions of bravery mustered in the mind, the most dangerous mountains in the world continue to make headlines around the globe.
We explore seven of the best day hikes in the Blue Mountains, or the “Blueys” as they’re affectionately known to “Sydneysiders”
We were ready to head to the hills. We’d had a great time exploring Sydney and climbing the Harbour Bridge, but were keen to get back into the outdoors. And so we ventured from our comfy dwellings in Sydney for a day trip to the Blue Mountains.
We share the best things to do in Kazbegi, Georgia’s spectacular northern frontier hiding in the clouds of the Caucasus
After trekking the Highlander Svaneti, I headed for Kazbegi in northeastern Georgia. Surrounded on three sides by Russia and occupied South Ossetia, the nature-packed borderland is famed for its rich medley of deep green gorges, snow-capped summits and implausibly-placed medieval churches.
With bandits, molten lava and wild animals posing a threat, blisters are the least of your worries on the world’s most dangerous hikes
From trekking across the treacherous windswept mountains of South Georgia to picking your way along the rickety walkways of Mount Hua Shan in China, these hikes are not for the fainthearted.
