Friday, 23 October 2026
International edition · English
Tag
Everything about hiking on Altavia: 18 articles including news, guides, routes and features.
18 articles
Dressing for the mountains is not about fashion, but you do not need to look like you are in costume either. Six practical combinations by type of route and time of year, item by item, with ideas on where to buy them.
The mountains do not have to be expensive. We go through the options for kitting yourself out on a budget —big sports chains, online shops, sales, second-hand and rental— and the items where saving money can cost you dearly.
You do not need everything in the shop window to get started. We suggest three kits —minimal, comfortable and complete— with the buying order we recommend and what each item brings.
You do not need to be a mountaineer to walk beside glaciers, peer into a fjord or circle the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Ten routes any hiker with reasonable fitness and common sense can do.
Seeing a wild wolf is a rare privilege. Wolves avoid people, but it is worth knowing how to behave: stay calm, do not run away and never try to get closer.
Most bear encounters end with the animal walking away. But knowing what to do —and what not to do— makes all the difference. We explain it for the European brown bear and for North American species.
Rhyolite mountains in every colour, obsidian fields, fumaroles and glacial rivers to ford. The Laugavegur is short in kilometres and huge in scenery, with a climate that does not forgive improvisation.
Your phone runs out of battery, the signal disappears or the GPS goes haywire in a deep valley. These are the navigation techniques that really work when technology fails.
It is not about wearing lots of clothes, but the right clothes, and knowing when to take them off or put them on. This is how the layering system used by mountaineers all over the world works.
There is no such thing as the best mountain boot: there is the best one for your foot and the kind of routes you do. We explain what to look for, how to try them on and the most common buying mistakes.
Three countries, a dozen passes and Mont Blanc always on the horizon. The TMB is probably Europe's most famous trek: demanding for its total ascent, but with no technical sections on its classic route.
Choosing a route that suits you, estimating times properly, checking the forecast and knowing when to turn back. Everything you need so your first mountain outing is the start of something, not a bad memory.
It is one of Spain's most popular hikes and looks like a stroll, but the path runs beside unprotected drops, with rockfall and a return that doubles the distance. Here is how to do it right.
Sleeping in the mountains completely changes the experience of a route. We tell you which gear is essential, what you can leave at home and how to pack it so your backpack weighs no more than it needs to.
Summer storms in the mountains form quickly, but they give warning. We show you how to read the clouds, calculate the distance of lightning and get to the least exposed spot if it reaches you.
A wildfire can move faster than you can walk, especially uphill. Reading the wind and the terrain, raising the alarm early and choosing the right escape route can save lives.
Getting lost is not an emergency; what you do in the next few minutes can turn it into one. Stop, think, observe and plan. And do not be afraid to ask for help in time.
Running out of water ruins a hike; carrying twice what you need does too. Here is a practical guideline, how to adjust it to your situation and when you can trust natural water sources.
Our store · NMshop
Hiking footwear, jackets, backpacks, camping and climbing gear chosen for the mountains. Shipping worldwide.
NMshop is the outdoor gear store run by the publisher of Altavia.
