CLIMBS ETC

Transport yourself to the chestnut forests of Southern Tuscany, on the slopes and valleys around a long-silent volcano, Monte Amiata, not far from the old pilgrim's path to Rome, the Via Francigena. Walking in the woods you will come across oddly shaped boulders, remnants of volcanic rock spewed out in a former era. And if - like me - you can't resist a bit of climbing or, in this case, bouldering, you try out some of the boulders for size. The rock is rough, trachyte, eas

Which comes first? The simple joy of the peak or the compulsion to notch up more 3,000 footers? The Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye is...

Cratcliffe Tor. Two sheer-sided prows and, on the deck above, a Zen garden of boulders.

Bosigran Ridge gives you spectacular climbing journey from the crashing sea to a succession of spiky places high above.

Throw in your crampons or spikes - you won't regret it

That is the question... Climbing La Somone and La Directe Lachenal Not a bad view of Mont Blanc from the Brévent cable car It's an easy...

A trip to the Aravis. A summer signpost to our future. No snow, no ice, no crampons. Just rock. No widening crevasses, no routes falling...

Swallow your pride. Begin again. Yes, well. Here's a place to get back into climbing after two years of lockdowns and other...

First climb of the Andean "Claw". One of the magnificent sights to enjoy on the Inca Trail is the summit of Pumasillo and the wide jumble...

The Ramsbottom Variation. Heading out over Swirral Edge. Imagine, you have a chance to fit in a climb. You are at the end of a glorious...

An unrelenting trudge. Dozens of people in front and behind. Crunching through frozen snow in the dark. Your head-torch lights up patches...

To many practised rock aficionados the Southwest Face of the Dent is a bit of a cheat because the spectacular Burgener slabs have a line...

This is a spectacular traverse which is around an hour's walk from the top of the lift, the Skyway Monte Bianco.You have to pull yourself...

Look at this for a late February day in the Lake District by Pike of Blisco and nearly 600m up. James and I are heading for Long Scar,...

On a day like this Portland is a tear-shaped gemstone set in azure and flanked by glorious coast: to the East a stretch of high chalk...

The bouquetin was not pleased to see us and had a pretty low opinion of our performance on the beautiful slabs of Les Chéserys, a...