“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” ― Isak Dinesen [Karen Blixen] I’m putting a lot of hope in salt water. The Pacific Ocean, some crying. Saline infusions too. But …
The Evolution of Light Alpinism
At some point, I just had to turn away and not watch. It was all too embarrassing. We’d just run into the Jungfrau Region’s Löbhorner, a classic easy rock traverse on a limestone ridge rising …
4000er Training Summary
Sliding down with my feet in the air, I flipped over and dug the ice ax into the snow below my chest. The axe and my boots gripped and stopped me. A sigh of relief. …
Know what you don’t know: How to Improve your Mountain Skills
As a runner, rappelling down a wall of glacial ice isn’t a skill I even knew I needed. Until I did. We stopped on the Col Blanc, looking down a wall of rotting glacier and …
Climbing the Alps’ 4000 Meter Peaks in one Summer
Like many outdoor industry professionals; guides, photographers, etc… there is an annual climber’s migration each fall to Kalymnos. I’ve crossed paths with Danny there a few times and always enjoyed his spirit. Last year, when …
Why Hire a Guide?
While hand-picking our Top Tours of the Alps, one thing became clear: we can only do so much to help with mountain experiences on a website. Anyone using ALPSinsight needs to have sufficient skills to …
About tick-lists, the Way Up Vision, and Running the Üssers Barrhorn
Tick-lists. To be clear, I work with tick-lists which I constantly adapt and expand. I have lists and itineraries sorted by region and alpine discipline. My lists make me dream. When the weather is grey, …
Running in Place: Lessons from making a trail running guidebook
It’s not all about the iconic places, not always. Not usually. What’s the quickest way away from pavement? I looked around and pointed my feet towards the forest, starting with no destination other than off …
How I fight the cycling winter blues with skimo
In winter, cyclists either get fat or undergo a training regime that sounds like torture. They ride outside in absolutely miserable conditions; and when they can feel their fingers again, they post epic pictures on social …
What Makes the Alps so Much Fun
Racing the Tram, and Other Pleasures of Alps Mountain Sports It is late September. I am pushing hard up the last few meters to Croix de Culet, my sweaty hand sliding over the chain that …
Ultralight Trail Running Packing List
Nearly every time I’m on an iconic tour in the Alps I see it. A hiker, ski tourer, or trail runner laboring up some massive climb beneath too much weight and in the wrong gear. Americans, …
The Alps Vertical Reality Strategy
Whatever you do, Don’t Look Up Going light and coping with big vert in the Alps Forty miles into Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc’s “little sister,” Courmayeur-Champêx-Chamonix last year, I came across a fellow runner, sprawled out …
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