I think I am done with winter, which is a unique position for me. I’m usually quite happy with winter activities. I live in expectation of the next season all fall and relish the first opportunity to pack up my crampons and strap my piolet onto my winter pack. Likewise, I often lament the late …
I recently returned from a trip to Morocco, primarily to visit the Atlas Mountains and climb the highest peak, Toubkal, among others. This is the first in a series of posts, which covers arriving in Marrakech and traveling to the mountains.
After three days of skiing in Andorra, I turned my attention to exploring some of the mountains surrounding Pas de la Casa: Pico dels Padrons, Pic d’Envalira, and Pic Negre d’Envalira.
Whenever I ask my partner when we will hike the Moncayo Massif, he usually replies that it is only worth doing in the winter. Well, finally, it was winter, there was snow on the mountain, and we had a free day in Zaragoza. So, we set out early driving to the mountain.
For New Year’s Day 2022, my partner selected a route to Pico Musales in the Pyrenees. I think primarily because it was new to him and also because it’s popular ski mountaineering route flagged for beginners. However, since I am so very new to ski mountaineering, it made sense to check it out before tackling it on skis.
I wouldn’t particularly call myself a resolution maker because, let’s face it, most resolutions are destined to fail. But I do like to set goals, especially goals that are both flexible and have a distinct end point or time. These are my 2022 goals.
I have heard people refer to 2020 as “the lost year,” and 2021 isn’t shaping up to be much better. In more normal times, by the beginning of the year, I usually have some sort of idea of what my goals will be because now they often revolve around a mountaineering objective, which must be …
Peñalara is the highest peak in the Guadarrama mountain range (Sierra de Guadarrama) within the Madrid region at about 7,965 feet (2,428 meters) high. It can be a quick climb depending on one’s fitness, as the most commonly used trails begin at Puerto de Cotos, which is already at about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters). It’s …