Mark Horrell's Blog, page 20

Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: e-book available now to pre-order

The sharp-eyed among you may have noticed that my second full-length book, Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo, is now so close to completion that it has started to appear half price on Amazon. You can order it here.

It’s not easy writing a book while holding down a full-time job, five days a week, but I’ve somehow managed to do both of these things and keep the book on track.

It’s not quite two years since Edita and I embarked on our journey to complete a world first by climbing Chimborazo (the fu...

Why I prefer hiking to biking

Those of you who have followed my adventures on a bike around northern Scotland and across the Andes in Ecuador will know that cycle touring is an acquired taste that I’m still struggling to acquire.

You may also be wondering why I continue to torture myself with more cycling holidays. Since I don’t know the answer to that question myself, it’s sufficient to say that I do and spare you an explanation. And so, last month Edita and I found ourselves renting a pair of mountain bikes and setting...

Three lucky breaks and one unlucky one

Last Tuesday found us cycling the Great Glen Way in Scotland’s West Highlands. We were riding through forest above the village of Invermoriston when Edita’s bike chain snapped.

For many people – many of you, perhaps – this would be no big deal, but for us it was unfortunate. We are not even cyclists, let alone bike mechanics.

Cycling through forest above Invermoriston on the Great Glen Way

The first I knew of it was a voice some distance behind me.

“Help!”

If only I could. She might as well h...

Remembering Michelle Pradhan and the Courtyard Hotel, Kathmandu

Nepal has brought many wonderful memories, but it is also the place that perhaps more than anywhere has reminded me of the fragile nature of life and that all things are transitory.

This was brought home to me last month when I was shocked and saddened to learn of the early death of Michelle Pradhan.

Many visitors to Kathmandu will fondly remember Michelle and Pujan, the welcoming proprietors of the Courtyard Hotel, a tranquil palace tucked away among the bustle of Thamel, the tourist heart o...

The Helvellyn and Fairfield Horseshoe via Striding Edge

It was the early May bank holiday, and although the weather wasn’t perfect, it was good enough to head for the Lake District for some hill walking.

Choosing a route can often take an hour or two of browsing maps and guidebooks, but this time I didn’t have to do any of that. After taking Edita up Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, last year, it was a no-brainer to introduce her to a UK hill-walking classic: Helvellyn via Striding Edge.

Striding Edge from the top of Helvellyn, with the...

Putting Chulu Far East on the Nepal trekking map

There are times when a trip seems to be blessed with serendipity at every stage. Chance encounters and events seem to fall into place as you make your way around.

Ten years ago, I had just such a trip to the Annapurna region of Nepal. It was a time when the Annapurna Circuit was still very popular, but the surrounding areas which see more visitors now were only just starting to open up. These areas were rarely explored, and trekking among them gave you a feeling of pioneering adventure.

Cliff...

Pizzo di Camarda: a return to the Apennines

April in the Apennines is a time of transition. In the winter there are metres of powder snow, and climbing a mountain is hard work as you try to break a trail through. Although we have experienced enough snow in July for crampons, that was a bit freakish. In summer there is usually no snow at all and the Apennine peaks become a feast for hill walkers.

But we were going to be there in April and that provided some uncertainty. By the end of May in the central Apennines, most of the snow would...

Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: please give your feedback on my book cover

I’m reaching the final stages of writing and publishing my second book and follow up to Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest, and I’m keen to have your feedback about the book cover.

The book will be called Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo, and describes the build-up and journey that Edita and I took in 2017, when we reached the summit of Chimborazo in Ecuador after cycling from sea level, a journey that we believe may have been a world first.

The book includes my introduction to the country and...

Did Edward Whymper make the first ascent of Carihuairazo?

From the south side, it’s not easy to see which summit of Carihuairazo is the highest. Once an active volcano, there must have been a time in the distant past when this mountain was huge. It has long become extinct and has eroded so much that all that remains is a jagged outline of summits like a set of rotten teeth – not at all volcano-like.

Rising over 5,000m, it’s a substantial peak, but it is often overlooked because of its close proximity to the giant snow-capped volcano of Chimborazo (6...

Dreams of Maiella: a shepherd’s life in the Apennines

I haven’t talked much about Maiella, the high tableland on the eastern side of the Apennines in central Italy. But recently I read a book about it that brought back a few memories. I made three visits there with Edita to climb Monte Amaro and its surrounding peaks from various directions.

Maiella is dominated by Monte Amaro and its adjacent peaks and ridges, which form a network of plateaus over 2,500m in height. The plateau itself is like the surface of the moon – grey, rocky, and mostly dev...