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These two privately owned self-catering lodges are in a private estate right on the shores of Loch Lomond at Rowardennan. Stunning area beneath Ben Lomond with wonderful walking and, if you climb the Ben, you are rewarded with magnificent views.
Rowardennan Hotel is very handy too. Great for launching your own boats which can be moored on guest moorings (for a fee). Jetty and shallow beaches.
Casa Tío Juan is a self-catering rental house that sleeps up to 12. It's a traditional village house in the centre of Hoyos del Espino in the heart of the Sierra de Gredos. We had a great time there and will definitely be returning! Great mountains, stunning scenery and so much to do. The village has bars and restaurants, shops, a bank - everything that you could want within a few minutes walk. By car you can vistit Ávila, Toledo, Salamanca. The Sierra de Gredos is an undiscovered gem. Go before everyone else does!
Kalymnos is located in the Dodecanese between the islands of Leros and Kos. Mountains ideal for rock climbing, crystal blue waters for swimming, fishing and scuba diving.
The capital of the island is Pothia, worth seeing are the villages of Vathy, Masouri and the small island of Telendos. You can get there by ferry from Piraeus or by plane via Kos or Rhodes.
South of Bideford on the other side of Clovelly is this dramatic coastal location with its lighthouse, beautiful cliff-top paths and a small shipwreck museum!
Join the A39 from Bideford heading south until you see the turning for Hartland Point
The Sierra de Gredos, which forms part of Spain's Sistema Central, is approximately 140 kms in length running from Cerro de Guisando in the east to the Sierra de Bejar in the west, and boasts glacial cirques, mountain rivers and falls, and peaks reaching nearly 2600m.
Every season has something to offer in Gredos – from winter snow and ice, through the verdant and flower-rich spring to the pleasant temperatures of summer and the beautiful colours of autumn.
For those who like to be active, the Sierra offers walking for all abilities, climbing and scrambling on both rock and ice, cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, horse riding and both cross country and extreme skiing.
For others, there are rivers to swim in, historical sites and cities to visit and many beautiful natural spaces rich with an abundance of wildlife and nature to discover and explore.
These people teach recreational tree climbing - It's a great way to spend a morning - hanging in a harness off a rope, 30 ft above the ground. It made me feel like a kid again! Can't recommend it highly enough, it's so much more fun that you might imagine.
www.goodleaf.co.uk
01983 563573
Possibly the best thing to do in New Zealand! Its spectacular, tiring and surprisingly warm - try and get a guided tour because they know better and also they can show you a lot more that if you hiked alone. The pictures will really impress your friends!
Great to look at from low level and even better to get up close and personal with - although not so much at this time of year!
Tamatert guesthouse is about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Imlil. From the roof and the balcony of the guesthouse you have great views of the valley and Atlas mountains (www.petraroest.nl/images/index0.jpg - made me drool.
The guesthouse has double rooms, rooms with multiple beds, big living room, toilets, showers and medical facilities. Dinner and breakfast are included for the guests.
The guesthouse is run by three brothers (Mohamed, Jamal and Rachid Imerhane). They also helped people plan their treks in the mountains.
If you would like further information you can contact Jamal Imerhane by phone: 00212-7115-7636 or by email: jamaltrek@yahoo.fr.
Climb Mt Ngauruhoe while you do the Tongariro crossing. Awesome views.
Tongariro is NZ's first national park and one of the first in the world. Ski on another active volcano - Ruapehu - also the inspiration for Mt Doom in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings.
I have just spent the most amazing week at this house. It is directly across from Blaven (one of the black cuillins) and a one-minute walk from the loch. The house is fantastic with a large decking area to sit and admire the view. There is so much walking and climbing to be done from the house.
The crossing is a day-trip across the extinct volcano of Mt. Tongariro. It requires some effort, but the rewards are worth it once you reach the moon-landscape and startling colours of the upper crater. To the south lies the still active cone Ngauruhoe, and to the north lake Taupo, which is a caldera resulting from one of the largest ever supervolcanic eruptions. The descent through tussock and native bush rounds off the trip nicely.
They do whole-Peru guided tours or also couples - every detail arranged. Group travel or individual packages. Specialise in adventure tourism such as trekking and climbing expeditions.
Some really good bars, especially the Alice May, and restaurants and the perfect place to set off and climb a glacier - save the carbon footprint by not using the chopper - it's much more satisfying to get to the top by your own power, helped of course by very good guides. Don't forget to buy the T-shirt.
A really good buzzing little town on the West coast of S.Island.
Avalanche Peak can be climbed from the road at Arthurs Pass in just a few hours. There's some scrambling involved but it's not difficult. Report to the rangers station before you leave especially if there's snow. And unlike some of the great walks, such as the Queen Charlotte Track, you're above the tree line so the views are great.
Half way between Greymouth and Christchurch, South Island.
Walk up Mount Kenya from the north, starting at Timau. It is a longer route than the popular one starting from Naro Moru, in the west, but one avoids the horror of the vertical bog.
It is through moorland and steady slopes. The views are superb and few other walkers are seen. It took us three days to go up and two to come down, sleeping in bunkhouses.
One ends up at the Lenana summit if a walker, however proper mountaineers can go a little higher to Batian or Nelion summits.
For variety, one can descend via the eastern side of the mountain on the Chogoria route through moorland then grassland and finally forest. Watch out for buffalo.
Most of the reputable tour operators could organise this safari. In the ten years living in Kenya this was the most memorable safari - although there were many others almost as good. It is a wonderful country.
Most backpackers in east Africa want to bag Kilimanjaro, so Mount Kenya feels more off the beaten path, and is cheaper to climb too.
As it’s on the equator but rises to 5,199m in effect you go through several climate zones in a couple of days and see plants straight out of Day of the Triffids that only exist here, like the “water-holding cabbage”. From the top you can see for miles over much of Kenya. Take all your hiking gear with you as it can be hard to find there and take plenty of warm clothes and a good sleeping bag — it’s freezing at night.
Climbing Mont Blanc is a great website where you can post your own experiences of climbing Mont Blanc.
What is it? Three guys (Matt, Simon & Jack), who provide an absolutely cracking time edging along boulders and cliffs over the sea, swimming through sea caves, then jumping off ledges and cliffs into the Atlantic.
Great fun, well instructed, good value for money and superb scenery.
Polzeath beach, Cornwall. www.cornishrocktors.com/
Although Mount Rysy is not as high or spectacular as, say, Mont Blanc or the French Pyrenées, it is Poland's highest peak and a national symbol.
At 2503m, the hike up from Morskie Oko and Czarny Staw is arduous but is well worth it for peering across into Slovakia and back across Poland. The sunset over the peak is
awe inspiring.
Mount Rysy lies within the Tatra National Park and on the border between Poland and Slovakia.
Note:
If you want to cross the Polish/Slovakian border after climbing Mt. Rysy, keep in mind that this is only allowed until the 30th of September due to the high risk of avalanches.
A bus from Zakopane to the Slovakian border at Łysa Polana will get you to Polana Palenica car park, from there it's a good half days trek up to Mount Rysy via Morskie Oko and Czarny Staw.
Note that there is a 2 złoty entrance fee to enter the national park.
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