The Cabo São Lourenço peninsula caught my eye during a rather harrowing landing two days ago. Well, “landing” might be a bit of an understatement—let’s say I “fell,” “dropped,” or even “plummeted” onto the runway. Kudos to the pilots though, they did a stellar job—I even gave them a round of applause. After three attempts,…
Tag: hike
Pico do Arieiro
Expecting a speedy drive to the top, we hit a roadblock three kilometers out due to police intervention. We found ourselves in a bustling parking lot nestled between two hills, filling rapidly. As newcomers circled in search of spots, I changed shoes and swiftly moved ahead of the pack. As I climbed up to the…
Pico da Torre
Pico da Torre is another drive-up peak. When I arrived, there was a barbecue party at the top, complete with music, which made the climb more enjoyable. Otherwise, it’s just a parking lot with a cross and a viewpoint. The views of the urban areas below are decent. I snapped a few photos before heading…
Pico do Galo
Pico do Galo is located right next to Cabo Girão, a tourist hotspot that claims to be “one of the highest cliffs in the world.” I’ve seen at least three taller cliffs: Croaghaun on Achill Island in Ireland (688 m), Cape Enniberg in the Faroe Islands (750 m), and Preikestolen in Norway (604 m). And…
Pico Ruivo do Paul da Serra
As I drove down from the island highpoint towards Santana, I saw a lot of cars lining up for this dead-end road. No problem, though—I’d already climbed it earlier that morning. From there, I took the scenic northside route to Ponta Delgada, where the old coast road caught my eye. It’s often closed to cars…
Pico do Remal
Pico Remal wasn’t on my radar, especially since my original plan was to reach Pico Ruivo do Paul da Serra from the north. But plans have a way of changing, right? The northern route turned out to be too rough for my small rented car, so I drove all the way around and approached from…
Pico Ruivo East Peak
As I trudged with hundreds of tourists to Pico Ruivo, I kept wondering how to shake up this monotonous routine. Then, out of nowhere, I spotted a narrow trail leading to the Pico Ruivo East Peak. It was barely visible through the bushes, but it was definitely a trail—clearly used occasionally by the adventurous. The…
Pico Ruivo
La Palma’s Roque de los Muchachos was cool, but now I’m all about Pico Ruivo in Madeira, Portugal. This peak is the island’s highest, with ultra-prominence and nearly 450 km of isolation. It’s clearly captured my interest. After a bumpy landing, a good dinner, and a comfortable night’s sleep, I had a hearty breakfast before…
Montaña de Breña
On the way to the airport, a darkened dot on the map catches my attention. Dark signifies less than 100 meters of prominence. With a spare hour and few other plans, why not take a detour? I didn’t delve into the details but spotted a road at the base and headed for the peak. To…
Montaña Quemada
John shifted his flight from the afternoon to the morning, so I dropped him off at the airport. Now, with 3-4 hours to spare, I’m pondering my options. Naturally, I think of peaks. The more captivating ones like Volcán de la Deseada require more time than I have. Thus, I narrow down my search and…
Roque de los Muchachos
After a successful and memorable climb to Gran Canaria’s true high point, El Morrón de la Agujereada we stop at a restaurant chosen by Aron. After enjoying great food, we head to the airport. Our flight to La Palma is on time, and all procedures go smoothly. It takes a few minutes to disembark and…
El Morrón de la Agujereada
El Morrón de la Agujereada stands as the island’s highpoint—an ultra-prominent peak with nearly 100 km of isolation. It boasts an exposed climbing ‘trail’ that snakes its way to the true summit. This challenge is precisely why 99.99 percent of visitors park their cars, stop at the Pico de las Nieves (“touristic high point”) just…
Jiri-san
Embarking on our journey on March 24th, 2024, Ricard, Denise, and I set out on the adventure of ascending Jiri-san, locally known as Cheonwangbong. Because, really, what better way to spend a serene Sunday than challenging gravity and pushing our limits? Standing tall at 1915 meters, with a prominence of 1695 meters that dwarfs most,…
Jinjuseong
We eased off the train from Seoul into Jinju, our limbs thankful for the stillness. Ditching the station’s buzz, we hopped into a taxi that whisked us another 10 kilometers to our abode, the New Yorker Hotel. A curious fusion of luxury and kitsch greeted us with a jacuzzi and a cinema right in our…
Qixingshan
Having scaled both of Taiwan’s ultra prominent peaks, we naturally shift our focus to the next priority: the P1000. After scrutinizing the map and our calendar, it’s clear that time is tight for remote peaks. However, one peak near Taipei catches our eye: Qixingshan. Popular among locals and just a short hike for us, it…
Xueshan
Pairing Xueshan peak with another Taiwanese giant, Yushan, feels like an unwritten rule; skipping one just seems wrong. Naturally, we planned to summit both peaks. Xueshan, also known as Snow Mountain, welcomed us with some old hard snow on the trail close to the summit. Securing permits turned out smoother than expected, despite a labyrinth…
Yushan
Island highpoint, a top 100 prominence peak and one of the dozen ultra-prominent peaks starting with the letter Y, boasts over 1800km of isolation—a real monster peak for peak baggers. Here we are in Taiwan, at the Youshan trailhead, late afternoon, with reservations at the lower hut, teeming with friendly hikers eager to assist us…
Yushan – Xifeng
We arrive at Paiyun Lodge by 11 am, pondering whether to tackle Yushan today or delay it until tomorrow. Given the cloud-swathed scenery, aiming for the summit today hardly seems wise. After some thought, we agree to proceed with our original plan and explore the West Summit, saving Yushan’s peak for an early morning attempt….
Peak 2366m, Buyant
What a splendid day, in every sense imaginable—the sky’s blue hue, the successful ascent of Otgon Tenger Uul, and the overall triumph of our expedition. There’s more, of course. As we drive out of the valley, veering left just before the national park gates, our car flexes its off-road muscles in low gear. We park…
Otgon Tenger Uul
Bidding farewell to the echoes of Jargalant Khairkhan, we diverted towards the mighty Otgon Tenger Uul, a beacon for adventurers. The quaint town of Otgon served as our gateway, leading us to a picturesque valley where the Buiant-gol River shimmered like a turquoise ribbon. Bustling with tourist activity, the area was a clear indicator of…