UKC

This could go in Alpine, or Hilltalk, or...it's very generic.

I've just been planning a summer adventure: a haute route on steroids, going over as many of the pointy bits as is sensible rather than around them. About eleven days fully self-sufficiently and bivying the entire way,120km, 10000m of ascent and six major summits (as things currently stand). I'm really driven by having 'human-powered' adventures and going places. I get a huge kick out of challenging myself in ways other than in the vertical.

https://fatmap.com/routeid/2720579/haute-route++

Another option that I like the idea of is doing a traverse of Mont Blanc valley-to-valley: taking the 'royal traverse' across the Domes de Miage, Bionassay and to the summit, descending the Trois Monts, then continuing along the Midi Plan traverse and dropping off the Plan to the Mer de Glace.

Which leads us to the point of this post: tell us all about your big adventures in the mountains — past or planned. I'm sure we can get a good thread of mountain positivity going.

Great thread and great plan for the summer!  Exactly my sort of adventure that you're planning.  Carrying all 11 days of food with you or got a resupply point?  Look forward to hearing more.

I'll be head out on my own adventure in... 1 day!  Monday morning I'll be setting out from the cosy cabin I'm currently staying in Kvikkjokk, Sweden, for 12 (+2 contingency) days solo through Sarek National Park with my pulk.

Plan is to do a 200km route with 35kg of fuel, food, tent and whatnot in my pulk.  I'm a lover of solo winter trips, but this will be my first ski touring with a pulk.  Its the start of a long term plan to get into Polar adventures (crossing Antarctica solo, unsupported via Dome Argus would be my dream), and this is my first self-training step before other trips to Iceland and Greenland etc in the years to come.

Unfortunately, its looking like it will get a bit warmer and mostly cloudly next week (-15 to -20 predicted), which is a pity as was hoping for colder and clearer, but I shouldn't complain as its actually happening, which was no certainty for a long time.  Really looking forward to seeing the beauty of Sarek alone!

If anyone is interested, you can PM me for the link to my website and mapshare page (tracked via my Garmin 66i).

Even I'm not masochistic enough to be enthusiastic about carrying eleven days of food up so many hills. The idea is that we would resupply when passing through civilisation — Champex, Arolla. I like the idea because, as many of my partners would note, I'm actually a pretty terrible alpine climber. I like the idea of taking a route through entirely moderate terrain, and the challenge lying elsewhere than in the technicality of the climbing. And the idea of existing for an extended period of time in the mountains without recourse to outside help.

Your ski tour plan sounds fantastic! Let us know how you get on; would be really interested to hear about it after the fact.

Did that the other way, starting at the old observertory on the col de midi, the one that burnt down. That was back in 1983.

A more wintry Scottish-focused one: I'd like to take the train to Dalwhinnie and walk in the direction of Ben Alder. Up the Lancet Edge and traverse the ridge to its logical conclusion at Meall Glas Choire. Drop in to the valley, up the subsidiary valley and up the Bealach Breabag, up Alderwand or either of the Leachas, across the summit plateau and back down the west face, up the other side of the valley to Beinn a' Chumhainn, across the ridge, dropping off to head in the direction of Corrour station. Bivis as required: three days, maybe? Seems like a good little winter plan well away from the crowds.

I did almost exactly that as my first solo outting about 10 years ago nearly.  Was a fantastic trip and the weather was pretty damn cold but blue skys the whole time.  Bivied at the base of Lancet Edge, a col between Ben Alder and the mountain to the north (a picture of it on my profile actually), and then on the way back to Dalwhinnie station.  I saw 2 people the entire time!  Wonderful.

did something similar on skis many years ago with nights in Culra & Ben Alder Cottage. Got to Courrour station just as the train was arriving & remember running the last 100 metres to not miss it (we had left a car at Tulloch station). An eventful trip where we were all but avalanced on Ben Alder & I fell through a cornice but luckily stopped after a few metres - getting off my skis & putting my crampons on wasn't easy

Also really enjoy 'human powered' adventures, guess biggest to date is either walking the west Highland way or cycling round part of the west coast, Harris, Lewis, and Skye depending on how you measure them, which where both great adventures. I really enjoy the feeling of being connected to the landscapes I'm travelling through, and it's so refreshing just becoming absorbed by the task away from the world of normal life and work etc.

I had been planning on doing the Cape Wrath trail last year, and once covid happened this spring instead, but I think that's not going to happen either at this point. Apart from not being sure about being 'allowed' I'm unprepared in terms of training as it's not been possible to get out on the hills enough for fitness and kit-testing etc, and not been disciplined enough to do alternative fitness like running up and down my stairs hundreds of times.

As an alternative I'm hoping to have 5 or so days walking round *somewhere* in the Highlands once allowed, maybe Knoydart. Who knows, if that goes well and outdoor exercise isn't limited again then I might be able to think about the Cape Wrath by Autumn - we'll see! Whenever the next big adventure is I'm looking forward to it and hoping the weather is good! 

15 days in Kyrgyzstan in 2019 was my most recent big adventure (God I'm glad I didn't have it planned for last, or this year). Amazing weather and conditions meant we summitted 4 virgin peaks on the Chinese border. And for the full experience we got a bucket load of snow on the last day making everything seem much more alpine-like. That was about 2 years worth of sporadic planning (meaning any time I could bunk off a bit of work and look  at Google Earth). 
Thus, this lockdown I've been looking at some possibilities elsewhere, possibly in Tajikistan as soon as its feasible to fly. Although my partner probably still wants our (covid cancelled) wedding to happen first. Boooorrring. 
Great thread btw!

The longest completely self-contained trip I've personally done is 11 days. And I enjoyed the experience.

But, if you can carry the load, and are tough enough - and/or if you are prepared to really pare things down - longer trips are possible.

These guys have interesting stories: https://www.thehikinglife.com/ and https://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com/

Just do it, if you're not fit at the start keep the days short, you'll be fit by the end.

Not really climbing or hillwalking based but this lockdown has been the impetus to my wife and I deciding to look to move to Canada.  One of our daughters lives in Vancouver and my second daughter is currently in the U.K. looking to get a further qualification to allow her to move back to B.C. where she wants to live. As we have been at our current address for over 30 years and have only moved house a couple of times in total a move to another continent is rather daunting. Planning has started but it’s work in progress.

Great reading seeing members plans for this year, very inspiring.

Nothing planned in the greater ranges but we're planning to do the Cuillin ridge this year if things calm down. OK, so what. Well we've added on a paddle in from the mainland in sea kayaks just to add another thing to go wrong.  We've estimated the whole lot as 6 days with the plan we have. Heavy loads paddling in, fast and light on the ridge and heavy loads paddling out. Floating the kit in a boat sure takes the weight off your back.

Hadn't thought about doing it on skis...interesting thought! Should probably ask the doctor first whether skiing is advisable. Should probably ask myself whether skiing is advisable too, really!

Also a big fan of human-powered trips! I left home on a round the world cycling trip in 2015 which has slowly morphed into a hiking, packrafting and climbing journey. My main plan now is to continue cycling towards Africa then South America and climb as much possible en route. I have stayed in Georgia during the pandemic so my big goal this summer is a route on Ushba before finally leaving the Caucasus. 

Your haute route sounds epic, I like the look of the Royal Traverse as a scenic route up Mont Blanc. Also like the idea of a bookending the traditional ski haute route with ascents of MB and the Matterhorn, although it would be a bit of a logistical nightmare!

Inspiration - read Whymper's 'Scrambles in the alps' and the walks he did to get from valley to valley. Phenomenal pace.

My only big adventure on foot was 8/9 days hiking and camping in the Rondane national park with my missus. Unfortunately we only managed 2 nights camping before injury forced a slower pace and hut stays.  I like the idea of the Lechtaler Hohenweg, that's about 8 days of high alpine walking and VF.

I've been seriously considering at visiting  one of the local bouldering walls today. Originally I was aiming at one that is about 35 mins by bus, or if I could have hitched a ride from a friend... then like 10 mins.

But that is going to be way too big undertaking, so I guess it's back another wall that is easier to get to (less than  25 mins door to door). It is going to be a proper adventure, with a few mins of walking on snow to the train... and the commutertrain ride for 2 stops until again some walking on snow... not sure if I'll be up to the task, but I'll try my best... not to call the MRT (ok, we don't have mountains, so no MRT...) due to strain an exposure to the elements... 

Fantastic thread, really enjoying reading about everyone's planned adventures. Welcome tonic to the never-shifting horizons we are currently experiencing. I'd love to do something powered by paddleboards. Perhaps Scotland's west coast? Any trip ideas welcome! 

Would it be possible (and actually fun) to paddleboard the Great Glen Way/Caledonian Canal? I have no idea, I only really do watersports on top of frozen water, but I always fancied doing that by canoe.

Not mountain or hill walking but human powered.

We cycled from John O’Groats to LandsEnd in 14 days carrying everything we’d need, unsupported. 

We also kayaked across the country from Portishead to the Isle of sheppey via the River Severn, Avon, Kennet and Avon canal, Thames and the Thames estuary. Completely unsupported carrying all our food and bivvied by the river each night. 8 days in total. That was a great trip.

Jordan Wylie did it recently, on his round Britain Paddle (unfortunately stopped due to Covid). Paddled with him for a while when he passed Kent, not long after he started, at which point I had my doubts, but he did an incredible job to get as far as he did.

https://www.thegreatbritishpaddle.com/episodes/

That sounds really interesting. Is there any portaging or does using canals means you can actually go the whole way on water? Well, ok, I'm sure you have to get out at locks and so on. I knew a bloke at uni who had crewed a viking long ship (or viking style long ship I guess as this was the late 20th century!) from Helsinki, across the Baltic to Estonia and then up and down rivers all the way through to the Black Sea and down to Istanbul - the vikings were doing this regularly back in the day! But I was surprised at how small the portage was over the watershed!

The only portaging is around locks. The worst being at Devizes! In the Thames they operated the locks for us.

I wrote a blog from my bivvy every night, you’ll have to scroll all the way to the bottom and work your way up if you want to read it though. 

https://coast2coastkayak.wordpress.com/

I suspect that portage around Devizes would be far more pleasant than having to lock your boat up or down the flight though...

Nice idea for a thread, its good to take the mind away to the hills and wild country, reminiscing on past escapades, and planning future ones.

Most of my bigger adventures have been with the canoe in the last few years.

Perhaps the most memorable was a 2 week trip from Rogen, a wonderful nature reserve about half way up Sweden, over into Norway at Femunden and then on to the town of Roros. This was an unsupported trip of about 110km linking small and large lakes, and a couple of longish river sections. There were lots of portages, some of them pretty mad, either in terms of difficulty (boulderfields), or time carrying (day and a half for one). Travelling through that wild landscape with a canoe, sometimes even in it, was a memorable experience. We would probably have done another last summer or this, but all thoughts are on just getting anywhere we can for a bit, not on planning a big trip! 

In the long term, Sarek is on the radar. Paddling in the heart of the park isn't permitted, but there are lake and river systems that come out of the area that look excellent.

Almost as adventurous and just as memorable was our 2019 Easter trip "paddling" across Assynt/Inverpolly from Cam Loch to the sea, which there's an article here on UKH about https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/destinations/across_inverpolly_by_ca.... Lots of time carrying as well as paddling, true, but it was a whole week before we met another person and we had some wonderful camp spots along the way. This was with "The Pirates" youngsters with a track record of half a dozen such paddling adventures under their belt before the age of 12. We've tackled the Loch Shiel circuit, other Inverpolly trips, Loch Maree, Morar and Nevis, Glencoul and others. 

Hopefully, we'll get one of The Pirate trips in this year, somehow. Our current plans involve possibly Loch Maree, portage to Fionn Loch and maybe even get up to Gorm Loch Mor, just so we can put a canoe on the water where probably hardly anybody else has. Then back by another portage. Why not?

To be honest though, anything, anywhere will do me. Anywhere the evenings are spent wild camping after a day paddling or walking, as long as its not in Woking.

Traversed Mont Blanc from Italy to France via the Miage Face and down the Gouter route. Was a good experience. No beta on the way up, just took a line that looked good. Made for a pretty grand adventure. More wild than anywhere else I've been in the massif. Was a bit disorienting when we got to the top of the face and didn't know which way to go. Eventually found the summit by walking vaguely in the direction of France, but it's pretty flat and expansive up there, and the summit is just a little bump with a pole of some kind in it... Can't remember exactly, except that it was so anticlimactic that we barely even noticed it, and then had to discuss for a moment if it was even worth walking over to tap. In the end we each gave it a whack with our axes before moving on. The Gouter ridge afterwards was very nice though. Rock couloir is a bit insane. Couldn't believe our eyes when we saw it. Looked like an arcade scroller (mario, donkey kong, etc) where you have to jump at the right time to avoid the stream of boulders being tossed at you without interruption... Probably wise to descend via a different route, or spend a night at a hut and descend in the morning when stuff's still frozen together.

Not sure about future adventures. Hard enough to plan these things without covid making this uncertain and interfering with training opportunities. Was flirting with the idea of AK or something in the greater ranges, but I've had no chance to actually train with my alpine partners this year due to covid, and we're going to be a bit rusty as a result. Seems like maybe I'll skip this year and save time and money for next winter/spring or something.

The royal traverse is spectacular---you're treated to some truly Himalayan views on the way, and it doesn't see much traffic until the Dome du Gouter.  How about modifying it to do an Italy-to-France crossing, ascending the Kuffner or Innominata and coming back down along the royal traverse, which is easily done in that direction? You keep all parts of the route nice and wild that way (in contrast to the Midi Plan traverse). Be sure to wait for the Italian routes to be in good nick though---I have seen them in optimal condition on my various trips, and the rockfall is brutal if it isn't cold.

One epic traverse I still have pending is from the Breithorn to Monte Moro. I'd have to revisit old plans to know how long I budgeted for that, but something over a week rings a bell.

I'd have to man up. I do also fancy the Tournette Spur and the Brenva, so either of those could be bent into a similar plan. Great idea, actually, and it'd be more 'organic' than forcing a traverse to the Plan and tromping down the Mer de Glace for the sake of it too.

I like the Brenva idea, which could absolutely work as you mention (and then you could pass by the Bivouac de la Fourche, which is such a wonderful place to spend a night—although if you want to sleep under the stars, you can do that too!). That whole cirque is magical.

The Brenva spur seems to be much more rarely in safe condition than it used to be, much like the Kuffner and Innominata, and I believe the classic entry point changed after a rockfall a few years ago.

P.S. Related to the K and I routes, my post above should have read "I haven't seen them in optimal condition on my various trips".

I always fancied a traverse of the Jorasses, starting from the Col des Hirondelles and finishing at the Col du Geant, with an overnight at the Canzio bivi. Probably a bit beyond me now but it would be a cool route.  

I just came across the reverse of this in In Monte Viso's Horizon the other night. Some spectacular and dramatic positions; looks like it'd be a great 'proper' (ie multiday) adventure.

Is the Hirondelles as awfully chossy as I've been led to believe from reading?

I don't know, no worse than most Alpine rock I'd have thought but I've not been close enough to say. 

I have only done the top section ( above the shroud exit ) but your comment is probably accurate. At least its Chamonix and not Matterhorn type rock.

My big adventure's going to happen in the UK. 

Me: grew up in Bakewell, started in the Peak in my teens in the mid-70's, was just cracking the occasional Grit HVS on lead when I moved to Germany in 1981. I'm a musician, and the alternative possibilities of adrenaline/chemical highs in this profession kept me very happy and progressively unfit for about a decade. Around 1990 I started seriously climbing and (for the first time in my life) training again; I did some good moderately hard stuff in the Alps and on Elbsandstein, and on visits back home I found myself leading the occasional E1. Then family, and even more consuming work. 

So now, at 61 and thanks to my new partner and various hangboarding lockdowns climbing-fitter as never before, it's time to fill in a few gaps. I dream of a kind of road trip, maybe 6 weeks with a tent. A week or more each in Scotland, the Lakes, the Peak, Wales, Cornwall, Avon Gorge/Cheddar, maybe Ireland. I want to do big classics, and I want to meet new partners who are as immersed in climbing as I have been since starting for the third time again five years ago. Hard to plan, with things as they are, but maybe next year...

I've done the bottom third or so (bailed due to time - slow approach). Average sort of rock.

I 'have a friend' who is arranging a trip from the second highest to the second lowest points on terra firma without mechanical propulsion between the two points (but does use boats & animals). 

That sounds epic! Where, out of curiosity, is the second lowest point on terra firma? And is he allowed engines in his boats or do they have to be biologically-propelled?

In this case it's been called as the Turpan depression (though apparently the actual second lowest is connected to the same place as the lowest, in Jordan) as it fits the concept. So the trips the summit of K2 via the north side, then picking up the rivers eventually to the Hotan river to cross part of the Taklamakan, then a few hundred kms across desert.

Boats are rafts (so camels can carry them - very cool if you ask me).

A lot of moving parts, it's been years in the planning.

Again, that sounds epic - and bonus kudos for planning K2 from the north (though it'd hardly make sense to do anything else I guess, given where the Turpan depression is). I've often looked at photos of the north side and thought that the north ridge would be a brilliant life goal and achievement - but I'm sure that it will remain permanently outside my pay grade. Such an obvious and attractive line though!

Yeah, a plan with no shortage of audaciousness about it. Some very remote areas. Still some parts to be hammered out with the authorities yet, especially around descending the Shaksgam River. The whole north side of the Karakoram is far removed from crowds the flock to the Baltoro these days, some thoughts on it here http://feedingtheratexpeditions.com/visiting-k2-wilderness-can-save-it

So if they fail to get up K2 (not exactly unlikely), do they bin the whole thing

That seems like a cop-out. What they should do is recalculate in the field what ranking their high point achieves, and then arrange a trip to the reciprocal low point. So, for example, if they bail from 8007m, they rearrange a trip to the fifteenth lowest point on Earth. Bail from 6997m and visit the...134th...lowest point. Bail from base camp and take a trip to Amsterdam...you get the idea.

This hopefully, for the amusement of all, will turn out to be on the other side of the planet.

It would depend on the circumstances - there's much more to the whole thing than just the K2 part. 

That's actually a really good idea. Beyond the scope of this thing though - the second highest/lowest stuff are just arbitrary bookends for an interesting trip. As mentioned before - a lot of moving parts with K2 just being one of them (and actually the more knowable part).

Ben Alder is fab - we've done a couple of winter trips into the area now, once on a route from Corrour to Dalwhinnie and once starting at Rannoch and ending up back at Corrour. Only actually got to the summit of Alder on the second trip, thanks to Scottish weather.

That said, the best big Scottish trip we've done - not in winter, this time - was Achnashellach to the Cluanie Inn via the top ends of Monar, Mullardoch and Affric, taking in a whole series of remote hills on the way. I'd properly recommend a leisurely meander through that area to anyone with a few days to spare.

Future trips are a bit of a different kettle of fish - we had a tiny belay buddy arrive last Autumn, so it'll be a bit harder to just drop off the radar for a week. I'm sure we'll keep doing some sort of stuff, but it's going to be a bit more about the challenge of getting a small person out into the wild at all, rather than anything objectively epic...

I assume it'd be impossible to manage though? Let's say you only attained 6500m...I'd be surprised if you could find out what the corresponding lowest point would be? They seem to be less well-documented than 6000+m mountains.

And yes - arbitrary 'goals' are good for inspiration, but utterly meaningless in the context of the adventure you'll go on to have trying to achieve them. Unless of course you're one of 'those people' and you've already planned out your motivational speaking tour.

You're going to want a couple of good sandbags to add to your rack...

It could be like an 'XYZ near me' finder in google maps. Aside from summits, a high point will be along a contour, so the app could simply find the nearest point along a contour in ratio below SL - though by the ratio the below SL stuff will be very compressed, so the difference between 6000 and 6500m altitude above SL would be in cms below.

I think the thing here is north of the Himalayan divide the drop from high to low is much different to that south of it - Everest to the Dead Sea is half way round the planet despite the rapid descent to the lowlands of Nepal, whereas from the north it's hundreds of horizontal kms still quite high (the road head for the north side of K2 is about 3500m).

Ah yes the speaking tour....where to start with that...?

My human powered adventures (not in the mountains) including some OLD ONES:

-  72 days in the company of the italo brasilian adventurer and artist Franco Masotto on a self built outrigger "canoe" travelling form Cuyaba across the brasilian Pantanal Matogrossense then along the paraguayan Gran Chaco all the way to Argentina for a total of 2700 Km of self sufficient and unsupported paddling (1993)

- 1200 km biking in Sumatra on unpaved roads and with a local bike (no gears). Solo and unsupported (1994)

- solo trip walking along the nort west coast of Brasil, at that time one of the least populated stretches, with only a few small and remote fishermen villages disseminated along the route (1996)

MORE RECENTLY and in the UK ( with fundraisinf purposes):

- On foot traverse of the Exmoor national park in the widest point and through the highest point, solo and usupported (3 days, approx 60 miles)

- Mountain bike traverse of the New Forest national park, solo and unsupported (2 days, approx 95 miles)

- Kayak traverse from southernest point to northernest point, also the widest point, of the Norfolk Broads national park, solo and unsupported, (6 days, 150 approx)

PLANNED for beginnign of May (fundraising for Cancer Research UK):

- solo and unsupported hiking traverse of the Peak District national park in the widest part and through the highest point (approx 120 Km.)

I take the opportunity to include my fundraising page link in case anyone would like to support me and join the fight to make all type of cancer curable asap:

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/peak-district-national-park-tra...

All donations, small or big, will be received with immense gratitude and will represent a step forward in the fight against cancer!

Thanks to All!