Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Tristan Kennedy

Equipment matters: alpine cycling

6 minutes

Tristan Kennedy tackles the legendary Monte Bondone, where one of cycling's most brutal battles unfolded during a June blizzard Rising precipitously from the Adige Valley west of the Italian city of Trento, Monte Bondone isn't particularly high — just 2,180 metres above sea level. But try riding a bike up any one of the three approach roads that converge near the summit … [Read more...] about Equipment matters: alpine cycling

Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev on their first ascent of Lalung I

6 minutes

Bears in base camp, an unexpected storm and a freezing bivvy all threatened Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev's first Himalayan expedition. Tristan Kennedy hears how they kept going If you’re planning an expedition to summit a previously unclimbed Himalayan peak, you’ve obviously got to anticipate a certain amount of danger. Route-finding. Weather. Logistics. Climbers of … [Read more...] about Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev on their first ascent of Lalung I

Bikerafting: the new way to travel through landscapes

6 minutes

Part bikepacking, part packrafting, bikerafting is opening up new ways to travel through landscapes where roads and rivers meet In the Douglas Adams novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there’s a running joke that the one piece of equipment essential for anyone wanting to travel safely across time and space is a towel. Ford Prefect, one of Adams’ central … [Read more...] about Bikerafting: the new way to travel through landscapes

Into the unknown

6 minutes

In a valley in Pakistan's Karakoram range, three alpinists climbed a virgin north face with no fixed ropes – here is their story The Chapursan valley, in the remote northwestern Pakistani region of Gilgit-Baltistan, is not a place that sees many foreign visitors. Surrounded by the jagged, 6,000-metre-plus peaks of the Karakoram, it’s at least a three-day drive from … [Read more...] about Into the unknown

Livigno: going for gold

6 minutes

Once a sleepy, duty-free mountain village, Livigno is about to host the world’s best skiers and snowboarders – and four British medal hopefuls The Italian village of Livigno is not, ordinarily, a place that feels like the centre of the universe. Located at 1,816 metres above sea level on a remote, high-altitude plateau near the Swiss border, it’s known to locals as … [Read more...] about Livigno: going for gold