Here I publish reports from my frequent hiking trips to the world’s mountains and other natural terrains. These vary from long camping expeditions into utter wilderness to short day walks of cities’ limits. Below you can view the most popular ones or the complete collection under the “recents” tab.
Climbing Iraq’s Highest Mountain was an Unusual Hiking Adventure
Disclaimer: Although you may find some practical information about the route in it, this story is principally intended for a creative travelogue, and not a reliable route description. One attempting to climb Mount Halgurd independently must recognize that it entails ...
Trekking in Kamchatka: Avachinsky Volcano & Nalychevo National Park
Day #1: From Yelizovo to Avachinsky Base Camp A serene, blue sky had made its appearance by dawn time today over the southern part of the Kamchatkan Peninsula. This beautiful summer morning found me and my friends Kristina, Tatyana, and ...
The Annapurna Circuit + Tilicho Lake in Ten Days without a guide
Preparation The gravest difficulty of planning a trekking trip in Nepal lies in choosing an itinerary. In a country hosting eight of the world's fourteen eight-thousander peaks and so great a number of immense mountain ranges, the possibilities are virtually ...
Trekking Alone in the Altai Mountains – From Chibit to Maashey Bashi
Day #1 Late yesterday evening, my friends Ekaterina and Sergey dropped me off at Novosibirsk Central Bus Station. We bid each other goodbye and agreed to meet after 5-6 days. I was just about to catch a bus to the ...
A Trip to Jebel Akhdar – Trekking alone the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman
Check out my YouTube channel for more The Al Hajar Mountains, meaning The Rocky Mountains in Arabic, also known as Oman Mountains, is the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian peninsula. The range is a continuation of the Zagros ...
Through the Armenian Wilderness to Azhdahak Volcano
A morning at the shore of Sevan Lake Armenia is a landlocked country. Lying at a mean elevation of 1,800 meters in the heart of the barren Lesser Caucasus Range, hundreds of km separate it from the coasts of the ...
Celaque National Park: Trekking the Highest Mountain of Honduras
Celaque National Park is located in southwest Honduras, near the historic town of Gracias. It contains the country's highest peak, Cerro Las Minas, which reaches 2,849 meters AMSL of elevation. The entire mountain, including the summit, is covered by dense, ...
A Winter Hike in Albania: From Delvina to Gjirokaster over Mount Gjere
The day after our hike in Butrint National Park, we found ourselves in the town of Delvina. We spent leisurely hours, strolling along the town's cobbled streets and around its picturesque neighborhoods. We were in bed early. It would be ...
When I Climbed Mount Kerinci Alone
Since that very first moment I set my foot on the fascinating land of Sumatra, the anticipation of one oncoming juncture was constantly prevailing in my wild fantasies. And that's so, only as far as it concerns anticipation. When it ...
Hiking across Mount Taygetos and Vyros Gorge in 3 days
In this post, I narrate my 3-day trip hiking across Mount Taygetos and Vyros Gorge in Peloponnese, southern Greece. If you are looking for information and inspiration for planning your hiking adventures throughout Greece, check out this resources page. Having ...
Trekking alone in Himachal Pradesh – From Kasol to Manali via Malana and Chandrakhani Pass
"Not lucky enough", was the first thought I made as soon as I opened my eyes early that morning. I was bearing a hope that a fair day might have been reserved for me, but the only thing I peered ...
Hiking and Wild-Camping on Huang Shan: China’s Yellow Mountain
China's yellow mountain (Huang Shan - 黄山), situated in Anhui province, is one of China's most celebrated mountains. Its fame was sparkled in 747 AD, when, by an imperial decree, it was renamed from what it was previously known, Yi ...
Cocora Valley: Our Hike in Colombia’s Coffee Region
Cocora Valley sits just outside the town of Salento in Colombia’s Coffee Region and is best known for its towering wax palms—the tallest palm trees on Earth, reaching up to around 60 meters. These slender giants grow scattered across steep ...
Climbing El Peñón de Guatapé: Colombia’s Most Famous Rock
Rising abruptly from the rolling hills of eastern Guatapé, El Peñón de Guatapé is a 220-meter (around 720-foot) granite monolith that dominates the landscape for miles. You’ll also hear it called La Piedra del Peñol or simply El Peñol. The ...
Mirador San José: a Scenic Hike in Guatapé, Colombia
Besides El Peñón de Guatapé, Mirador San José is one of the best viewpoints in Guatapé, offering a stunning panorama of the Guatapé Reservoir and the town itself. In contrast to the rock’s commotion, however, Mirador San José is relatively ...
Hiking the Camino Real from Barichara to Guane & Villanueva
The Camino Real is a historic stone trail system in Colombia’s Santander region, originally built by the Indigenous Guane people and later restored and expanded in the 19th century by German engineer Geo von Lengerke. The most famous stretch connects ...
A Hike in Iguaque National Park, Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Iguaque National Park (Santuario de Fauna y Flora Iguaque) is a protected natural reserve in the Colombian Andes, located in the department of Boyacá, near the town of Villa de Leyva. Managed by Colombia’s national parks agency (Parques Nacionales Naturales), ...
Mount Tymfi, Greece: A Hike in the Majestic Pindus Mountains
Mount Tymfi is a massif in the Pindus Mountains of northwestern Greece, located within the Zagori region of Epirus. It forms part of the Vikos–Aoös National Park and is known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, alpine meadows, and deep gorges—including ...
Laguna Chicabal: Hiking Guatemala’s Sacred Maya Lake
Laguna Chicabal (Lake Chicabal) is a crater lake located within the inactive Chicabal Volcano in the Quetzaltenango Department of Guatemala, at an elevation of about 2,900 meters (9,500 feet). It's considered a sacred site by the local Mam Maya people, ...
Santa María Volcano, Guatemala: our Hike without a Guide
Santa María Volcano is a massive stratovolcano located in the western highlands of Guatemala, near the city of Quetzaltenango (or Xela, as locals call it). Standing at about 3,772 meters (12,375 feet), it's one of the highest volcanoes in Central ...
Mount Olympus: Hike from Litochoro to Mytikas Peak
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, rising to 2,917 meters (9,570 feet) and located near the border between Thessaly and Macedonia. In ancient Greek mythology, it was believed to be the home of the twelve Olympian gods, ruling ...
Hiking Acatenango & Volcán del Fuego, Guatemala without a Guide
Acatenango and Volcán de Fuego are two neighboring stratovolcanoes located in southern Guatemala, just outside the colonial city of Antigua. Acatenango, standing at around 3,976 meters (13,045 feet), is a dormant volcano popular with trekkers who often camp near its ...
My Solo Hike to the Top of Volcán San Pedro, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
It is an exquisite feeling to rise at dawn on a mystical lakeshore, slip on your shoes, grab a daypack, and embark on a 1,400-meter jungle ascent to a volcano's summit straight from your doorstep. The shore belonged to Lake ...
A Sunrise Hike to Indian Nose (Rostro Maya) at Lake Atitlán
The Indian Nose, known locally as Rostro Maya (the Maya Face), is a popular ridge near the town of San Juan La Laguna in Guatemala, offering panoramic views of Lake Atitlán and the surrounding volcanoes. Its name comes from the ...
