From Canada to the United States of America

     I am in Montreal, Quebec. It’s a Saturday, it’s 8pm, and it’s crazy hot outside. There’s a big festival in town and the streets are packed. My brother and I arrive at the station, which looks more like a nightclub right now. The music coming from the scene set up in the park nearby fills the air and the melody invades every corner of the station. It’s hard to think that we’ll be so far away from this place in a few hours. Around us people are chilling and dancing and laughing. Everybody’s having a good time and so are we. But something weird is happening to me. My body is here, but my mind’s already gone. And I also have this feeling, which I like, of having nothing but my daypack in my possession. I feel free, and at the same time very vulnerable. It’s just awesome.

Paragliding anecdote, French Alps

     We were in the minivan, driving up the mountain to the launching site. The group was enthusiastic and we were hoping that the incoming darkish clouds would go away.

Wandering around Tyndrum: Ben Lui and Ben Oss

     After our trek from Glencoe to Fort William, we wanted to go camping again in the Highlands, before the beginning of the winter. We found the perfect location for a two days trek: Tyndrum. Tyndrum is  a small Scottish village that lies in between three little mountains, at the end of the Strath Fillian valley and the beginning of the Valley of Glen Lochy. Not far from the village, behind the woods and the hills, an adventurous hiker will discover fascinating places. One of these places is the mysterious mountain of Ben Lui, and its surrounding munros, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig.

Hiking in the Loch Awe region : The Dalmally Horseshoe

     Until this hike, we had always chosen our hikes in the same area. So this time, we decided to explore another place. Our plan was to do the Dalmally Horseshoe. The route included the ascent of Stob Diamh, a Munro located North of Loch Awe and south of Loch Etive. We were four people on the trip: my Slovakian neighbor and friend, my hiking buddy from Sweden and my mate from the French military. We met at the Buchanan Bus Station of Glasgow, and caught the first bus to Oban, around 7am. Today was going to be a good day!

Caving trip in Lozère, France

          Caves are weird! They seem to be the opposite of the open air: dark and austere. They scare and fascinate us at the same time, and are often used in literature and cinema to evoke anguish and fear. But what are they really like? Two friends and I took a trip underground, to see what’s going on down there.

We started our journey with an early walk in the mountains. Our guide brought us to a big crag. It wasn’t raining, but we could hear rumbles of thunder now and again. We put our suits and harnesses on and rappelled the entrance shaft. We spent six hours in the cave.

Climbing Ben Nevis from the Nevis Gorge (Giubhsachan Valley)

The valley of Allt Coire Giubhsachan, southeast of Ben Nevis

The sun hadn’t risen yet but the sky was clear. The surroundings were lit up by a particularly powerful moonbeam. The frosty grass was crackling under my feet as I walked to the Giubhsachan river. The place was intensely quiet. I looked up at the mountains. The Ben Nevis wasn’t in sight, hidden by the Meall Cumhann hill. Today was going to be a long day.

A day in the Mamore mountains

Sunset from our campsite in Glen Nevis. We settled in a field of ruins. The area was so quiet, the atmosphere magical...

    This is the second day of my first trek through the Highlands. We were supposed to follow the West Highland Way from Kinlochleven to Fort William, but for some reason we chose to cut through the Mamores.  After our day on the Aonach Eagch, we stopped at Kinlochleven to buy some food at the grocery store. Then, left the village and made our way  along the Bà river until Stob a’ Chairn. From there to the Nevis valley, it took us a few hours. The path was interesting and the landscape incredible.