After we drive ten or fifteen kilometres along a private road, we stop at a farm, Franco talks to the owner’s brother, and we pitch our tents in the yard. The most spectacular sight of the evening is the huge insects flying around and glowing bright green. The light is so strong that you can…
Cerros de Pereyra
For the second time, we head towards Cerros de Pereyra. The first time we came to a gravel road, due to a very heavy downpour, we turned around. Maybe we would have reached the village of El Fuerte, but we probably would not have reached the trailhead. This time the weather was good. We believe…
Cerro Bols贸n de los Cerillos
Very prominent peak, one of the world’s top 100 by prominence. No other reason was needed to climb it. We are little acclimated from the previous two mountains – Cumbres Calchaquies and Cerro Malcante; and only need a good weather window. And here we go: Sunday morning should be fine for summit. Franco arranged mules,…
Ruins of Quilmes
After Cerro Malcante, we head towards Cerros de Pereyra. However, not far from Cerros de Pereyra, we stop, turn around, and go back. In heavy rain, the chances of us coming up the river bed to the trail are slim. Our plans changed due to rain, and we rolled south towards Cerro Bols贸n de los…
Museum of the Vine and Wine of Cafayate
It would be hard to miss the Wine Museum when walking around Cafayate. Modern, inexpensive, and interesting. We saw the exhibits and found out how the grapes that make such delicious wine are grown in Cafayate’s land and climate. We learned about the history and tasted red wine at the end of the exhibition. In…
Cafayate
A cosy town at the foot of the mountains in Valles Calchaques. We even have to spend a couple of nights there. The first time was on the way from Cumbres Calchaquies to Cerro Malcante, and the second time was on our way from Cerro Malcante to Cerro Bols贸n de los Cerillos.. So I feel…
America Cultural Center
In the morning, we have a few hours, and we head to the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology. But it doesn’t open until 11 a.m.; it’s now 9 a.m., and we are not in the mood to wait. We go back, and on the way, we see an open door and, behind it, a magnificent…
Los Cardones National Park
We descend from Cerro Malcante and follow the national park road. Cactus lovers will be ecstatic; there are thousands of them here, in every conceivable size and shape. The park gets its name from Echinopsis terscheckii, also known as the Argentine saguaro or cardon grande cactus. Lovely. It’s worth coming and exploring the park vistas….
Cerro Malcante
The forbidden fruit is sweeter, and Cerro Malcante also intrigues us more than the other mountains. We arrive early in the morning, park the car on the side of the road, and a few minutes later we are climbing up the steep slope. So far, no one has stopped us, but a few hundred metres…
Cerro Altar
We stay in the tidy town of Cachi. It’s still late in the evening, and through the hotel window I can see a few small hills, also marked on the map as viewpoints. We go to visit them. Start by checking out the UFO landing strip. It’s a meticulous job; the white pebbles are arranged…
Cumbres Calchaquies
The first Cerro Pan de Az煤ca climb was great, but it didn’t help us acclimatise and get used to the higher altitude. Next, we chose the Cumbres Calchaquies, as the first night would be at 3000m, the second night at 4100m, and the summit at 4740m. Optimistically, we decided that this would be the right…
Calchaqu铆 Valleys
The Calchaqu铆 Valley stretches across several regions of Argentina, from the southern regions of Catamarca and Tucum谩n to the northern regions of Jujuy and Salta. We have driven this road several times; most of the photos were taken through the car window, but this is just the tip of the iceberg of what this valley…
Cerro Pan de Az煤car
After a coffee break in Asunci贸n, our plane lands in C贸rdoba. Through the aeroplane window, I can see a mountain range. The first question is whether there is a peak that we could reach relatively easily. The second question is how much time we have before the next flight. The third question is: what transportation…
Northwest Europe 2022
I didn’t have a specific goal for this trip, but I did want to climb two unclimbed and remote P600 peaks in southern Scotland. So, after landing in London and meeting Arunas, we were on our way north. In the morning, we climb Merrick and a few more surrounding peaks. A memorable long day and…
Ben Vorlich
On this trip, this is the last of Scotland’s four p600’s peaks. Ar奴nas decides to walk along Loch Lomond, so I get out of the car at the closed gate and walk about three kilometres to the trailhead on the tarmac road. A first-class walk with spectacular views illuminated by the morning sun. It is…
Beinn an Lochain
It’s raining, but not heavily, so it won’t scare us. We leave the car on the side of the road. The first obstacle is a stream. Of course, you can wade and cross, but I want to enjoy my dry shoes for more than a few minutes. We walk along the river and find a…
Broad Law
Today’s goal is simple and quick: a few kilometers of distance and a few hundred meters of elevation gain. In exchange, I will bag a relatively isolated P600 peak in Southern Uplands. We are leaving car at the road side and walking along the fence (start at right side). Most of the tral will go…
Merrick
Merrick is far enough away from the other mountains to be the southernmost peak of Scotland’s P600. It is the highest mountain in the Southern Uplands and southern Scotland, so I had enough arguments for visiting it. Several cars are already parked in the parking lot. We change our shoes, get dressed, and start climbing….
Barr Beacon
Just outside Birmingham, we turn off the M6 motorway, drive for a few miles, and stop in a large car park. I thought we were going to drive all the way to the top, but it turns out we have to walk a few hundred meters. Nice. There is a memorial at the top, apparently…
Malay Archipelago III 2022
The main goal of this trip is to climb ultra peaks and ribus. Indonesia has some to offer, and that’s likely the main reason why I’m coming to the Malay Archipelago a second time this year. I call this a III trip because Malay Archipelago III trip and this one had different targets and arrangements….