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Traversing Skye’s Cuillin Ridge in A Day

Traversing Skye’s Cuillin Ridge in A Day

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The iconic Black Cuillin Ridge dominates the landscape of Skye. Its traverse involves climbing and scrambling along the 12km ridge crest from one end to the other, taking in 11 Munros (and 22 peaks total) along the way. Adding to this the 7km walk-in and the 6km walk-out, the ascent totals over 4,000m. Whilst much of the traverse falls into in the grey area between walking and climbing, a full traverse also involves pitches of rock climbing to ‘severe’ grade and…

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Mont Blanc from the Lac Blanc, Aiguilles Rouges
Climbing Mont Blanc Unguided

Climbing Mont Blanc Unguided

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A colossal white dome set amongst jagged peaks, alpine faces and dramatic glaciers. At 4,810m, Mont Blanc is the highest point in Western Europe and looms over the mountain town of Chamonix. It has been on our check-list since our first foray into alpinism last year. We wanted to climb Mont Blanc independently (without a guide or group), so spent two seasons in the Alps accumulating as much experience as we could with our trusty guide, Ben. After a particularly…

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Monchsjoch - Zermatt
Why I Do What I Do

Why I Do What I Do

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It feels like I am constantly asked by friends, family and everyone I meet why I do what I do… Most people understand the draw of the mountains to some extent. The inherently human drive to want to explore and experience is a tale as old as time. Mountains are beautiful; they represent the last bastions of untouched wilderness and are a safe-space from pollution, over-population and the everyday stresses of normal life. It’s not unusual to enjoy spending time…

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Aoife on the summit of Gran Paradiso
Climbing Gran Paradiso in June

Climbing Gran Paradiso in June

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Standing at 4,061m, Gran Paradiso is the highest mountain entirely within Italy. It is a domineering, isolated and easily recognisable peak. Sat atop a picturesque glacier, the snowy bulk of Gran Paradiso is crowned by a tower of rock and a large white statue of the Virgin Mary. We bagged this classic 4000-er early in the mountaineering season and were rewarded with a mind-blowing sunset and peaceful solitude. The Chabod Route When climbing Gran Paradiso, there are two main route…

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The Mont Blanc Massif from Chamonix
My First Time Alpine Mountaineering

My First Time Alpine Mountaineering

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My love for the mountains was born in Scotland, but it matured on the snowy slopes far above Chamonix. The Alps are the ultimate draw for mountaineers. They offer sensational vistas and a wide choice of routes for climbers of all levels, but are far more accessible than the likes of the Himalaya or Patagonia. I spent three days in the Mont Blanc Massif as I was introduced to Alpine mountaineering.      What’s the Difference Between Mountaineering and Climbing?…

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Climbing in the Alps - Dent du Geant
Climbing in the Alps

Climbing in the Alps

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Jagged high-altitude peaks, sublime saw-edged ridges and sprawling glaciers streaked with crevasses. The Alps truly are a mountaineer’s playground. We spent four incredible days climbing rock, ice and snow on some of the most spectacular Alpine routes.     Our Group As this was our first foray into Alpine Climbing and we wanted to get straight into more challenging routes, we opted for a guided experience. We had previously used Vertical Frontiers for a glacier travel/crevasse rescue course and were super impressed…

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