After a glorious sunny day of exploration, I detoured to a small bump on the road for a final adventure before dinner. The sun dipped below the horizon, transforming Madeira into a magical landscape. I climbed a short flight of stairs (just 10 meters!) to a trig pillar. But the true peak, nestled amongst the…
Tag: trig
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG20240407193635-850x381.jpg)
Penha d’Águia
The setting sun ignites the sky in fiery hues as I dash towards a cool rock formation jutting out from the coast, the one I scoped earlier from Pico da Coroa and Pico do Arieiro. Penha d’Águia towers ahead, its impressive cliffs guarding all sides. But thanks to Ben’s tip on the Peakbager app, I…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240407155039-850x381.jpg)
Pico do Castanho
Looking for a peaceful alternative to Pico do Furado’s hustle and bustle? A relaxing drive on winding Madeiran roads (don’t worry, the switchbacks are manageable!) leads me to the Pico do Castanho trailhead. This cozy parking lot, sized for a small adventure crew (think 3-4 cars!), welcomes me with open asphalt. Looking back, I see…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240407103732_01-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240406195503-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240406174412-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240406165244-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240406113540_01-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240406110220-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG20240405113036-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG20240321140558-850x381.jpg)
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…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG20230623101754-850x381.jpg)
Bunchant
After reaching the top of Jargalant Khairkhan, we set our sights on yet another significant peak, with an overnight stay planned in Altai city and plenty of time on our hands. Embracing every chance for new climbs, we found an unexplored peak with a 237-meter prominence west of Mankhan city. Driven by a love for…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG20230331144949-850x383.jpg)
Picket Hill North Summit
We are sailing from the Banana Islands to the mainland and are very close to one of Sierra Leone’s three P600 peaks – Picket Hill. We are aware that the highest point may be a mile in south of where the trail ends. However, we hope to find a path between the two peaks. Hope…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG20230330170031-850x382.jpg)
Ricketts Island Highpoint
After climbing to Dublin Island Highpoint, we cross a stone causeway that connects two islands. We then walk just over a kilometre on a flat, wide path to the nearest point to the summit. From there we head straight for Ricketts Island Highpoint, the highest of the three Banana Islands. At the top we found…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG20230330124646-850x383.jpg)
Dublin Island Highpoint
Situated off the coast of Yawri Bay, south-west of the Freetown peninsula, the Banana Islands are a group of three islands. The name comes from their shape, which resembles a banana. Dublin and Ricketts are connected by a stone causeway, while Mes-Meheux is privately owned and used as an adventure tourism destination. Dublin Island is…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG20230206141111-850x382.jpg)
Cabeço Raínha
Last peak planned for today, so we drove to the lower summit of Besteiros at 1080m to check out the views and a large black and white conical trig pillar. We then drove to the highest point where we found a huge concrete trig pillar (unfortunately impossible to climb) with two smaller ones on either…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG20230206124624-850x383.jpg)
Zibreiro
Fifth of six summits today, and the fifth drive up. We reached the summit on a reasonably good road. An auto-moto-peakbagger would be excited as he or she could touch the base of the trig pillar with a car. Perhaps that is why the trig pillar has been raised by two metres. And the lookout…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG20230206114413-850x382.jpg)
Povoínha
The good news about windmills is that one could almost always find the road. It might be private, closed or bumpy, but it will be a road. This time it was a good gravel road and soon we reached the top of Povoinha, which is surrounded by windmills and has a raised trig pillar. We…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG20230206102849-850x382.jpg)
Alvaiázere
We climbed the third peak today and again had a tarmac road all the way to the top. There was a windmill farm, a lookout tower and a trig pillar on a 2m tall plinth. It was nice to be able to climb the trig pillar as there was a ladder on one side. The…
![](https://p600.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG20230206091408-850x383.jpg)
Ourém
This legend tells the story of a Christian knight, Gonçalo Hermigues, who kidnapped a Moorish princess named Fatima on St John’s Day in 1158. The knight took her to a small village in Portugal and she fell in love with him and converted to Christianity, taking the name Oureana. As a reward for her conversion,…