International travels, expeditions, hiking and trekking exploits overseas.
My TGOC (The Great Outdoor Challenge) 2023 started in Mallaig and ended 14 days later in Portlethen. It was approximately 300Km with a climb of +6,000 meters. A low level and easy route. I plotted an easy route as the memories of the aborted crossing of TGOC 2018 were fresh when I made it. This …
The Great Outdoor Challenge 2023: Mallaig to Portlethen Read More »
After two years of Covid I finally was able to return to Cuba. Getting there via Trinidad and Panama, with lengthy stop overs in both airports, was a long and tiring journey. This time I re-visited some familiar places and some new ones. At first it did not appear that much had changed in the …
It’s time for another coast to coast walk. In November 2019 the world heard about a virus in China that was causing great concern to some doctors who spoke out. At first little was known as the Chinese Authorities were giving the impression that they had it under control and it was nothing to worry …
St. Bees to Robin Hood Bay – In the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright Read More »
Cuba is a country that is misrepresented and misunderstood by the rest of the world. I have a very different view from that portrayed in the press and internet. Cubans are very proud of their heritage and history. Their education and health care systems are much better than most countries. There are many Colectivos (shared …
The Great Outdoor Challenge celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019. It was conceived by Hamish Brown as a self-supported backpacking crossing of Scotland. Roger Smith was the editor of the TGO Magazine and he supported the idea when Hamish approached him. There are no categories or prizes. Everyone gets the same T-shirt, thanks to Berghaus …
The Panama canal was an idea that took a long time to come to fruition. The idea of creating a water passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea was first considered as far back as the early 1500’s. Charles 1st of Spain wanted a faster and safer route from the west coast of …
Mendoza in northern Argentina is famous for two things. One is the very good Malbec wine that the region produces. Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya region, is in the Parque Provincial Aconcagua. I choose the hike to Plaza de Mulas which is the base camp for anyone wishing to climb the mountain. …
The Palatinate Region in the South West of Germany is designated a Nature Park, and along with an adjacent area of Vosges Mountains in France was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 1998. When Maria and Mike invited me to visit and hike in the area I gladly accepted. We camped in Dahn and spent three …
