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Aconcagua: when returning is better in every way
Yesterday I returned to the UK again after a short visit to Argentina, and am surprised not to see any snow. Since August, when I left for Cho Oyu in Tibet, it seems that barely a week has passed when...
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7 mountainous places to escape to for Christmas
This post is for people who love the outdoors and find Christmas a tedious bore. I know there must be some of you out there, and those of you who love it, look away now. Over the years I’ve found that...
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The King of Aconcagua
Having the right guide can mean the difference between success and failure, particularly on a mountain like Aconcagua, where many guides don’t appreciate the great expense – financial, emotional and...
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First ascent of Aconcagua: a story of self-inflicted altitude sickness
When the Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen stood on the highest point in South America in 1897, as far as anyone knew it was the highest place man had ever been, but he stood there alone. His expedition...
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Adiòs Leo Rasnik, guide of Aconcagua
It’s time to say goodbye to another friend from South America who has lost his life in the mountains. The Argentine climber Leonardo Rasnik was found dead in the Peruvian Andes on Thursday with his...
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Everest’s most extraordinary false summit claim
Last week the world’s mainstream media were awash with stories about the world’s first dog to climb ‘Mount’ Everest. “Slumdog mountaineer: Former stray that was rescued from a rubbish dump becomes...
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Why would anyone spend Christmas in Patagonia?
There’s not really a good time of year to visit Chilean Patagonia, as anyone who has been there will know. Lying at the southern tip of South America between 35 and 50 degrees latitude and divided...
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Cerro San Lorenzo and the Patagonian summer
“We hiked up ready to climb our first Patagonian peak and retreated after encountering 60+ knot winds and generally bad weather. Also broke our tent in the process. Nice hut and nice view, but this...
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Climbing big mountains isn’t everyone’s cup of tea
You won’t find me partying in Ibiza any time soon, or spending a week lying on a beach improving my sun tan, or taking a city break to look around museums. That’s because I enjoy those types of holiday...
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Aconcagua and a first taste of expedition life: an extract from my book
It’s time once again to give you an update on where I am with the book I keep promising to publish, and provide you with another short excerpt to try and convince you to buy it when it comes out. Last...
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The first ascent of the South Face of Aconcagua
A day’s drive up the Trans-Andean Highway from Mendoza, in one of Argentina’s prime wine-growing regions, is the ranger station at the entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park. Here climbers on...
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5 stepping stones on the path to high altitude
Are you keen to branch out and develop the skills to climb higher peaks? Here are five objectives that should be on your to-do list. It took me ten years to progress from being a regular UK hill walker...
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