Cayambe and Chimborazo: Why Ecuador’s volcanoes are worth a second visit

Cayambe and Chimborazo: Why Ecuador’s volcanoes are worth a second visit

I love the open geography of Ecuador’s central highlands, a high-altitude landscape of free-standing volcanoes. Six years ago I went there and climbed five of them. This Christmas I will be making a long overdue return visit.

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Is mountaineering in Nepal becoming too expensive?

Is mountaineering in Nepal becoming too expensive?

Budget climbing on its way out, cried a headline in the Himalayan Times. Nepal has often been seen as a cheap destination for mountaineering, but this perception is changing. I look at the reasons, examine whether it’s true and make some predictions.

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7 mountainous places to escape to for Christmas

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

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5 reasons Ecuador’s mountains are great for beginners

5 reasons Ecuador’s mountains are great for beginners

When the Victorian mountaineer Edward Whymper visited Ecuador in 1879 – ostensibly to study the effects of high altitude, but in reality to polish off a few first ascents in the High Andes – he was far from impressed. In

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What’s the definition of a mountaineer?

What’s the definition of a mountaineer?

I’d been climbing for several years before I dared to call myself a mountaineer. I suddenly realised it one evening a couple of years ago when I got introduced to someone down a pub with the words, “here’s my friend

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5 great books about mountain exploration

5 great books about mountain exploration

If you like books about mountaineering, here are some of my favourites. I make no claims that these are the 5 best books about mountain exploration ever written, because I can’t claim to have read them all. They are simply

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