Cycling Around the World: Lessons from Living a Nomad Life

Feb 22, 2024

Oscar Wilde said, “If you want to be a grocer, or a general, or a politician, or a judge, you will invariably become it; that is your punishment.” Long before living a nomad life, I had wanted to be a software engineer. But when I became one, it felt like a punishment. It is not to say that a Ph.D. in computer science and a software development career in Germany were not dreams that came true. But those dreams were no longer mine. Now, I have no career, permanent address, fixed phone number, bank balance, spouse or kids. Everything I own fits inside my bicycle panniers. Every day is a new adventure. Despite all the uncertainties and difficulties I face on the road, I find a new home, a new…

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10 Amazing Places to Snowshoe in North America

Oct 16, 2023

Your favorite hiking trails may be under snow until spring, but snowshoeing is an affordable, accessible way to keep winter fun. The solitude of snowshoeing is also a bonus: there are no crowds, heavy machinery, or endless lift lines. The following destinations are some of the best places to snowshoe in North America, from groomed Nordic tracks and valley floors, to lakeshore forest glades and rugged ascents. 10 Best Places to Snowshoe in North America 1. Ashcroft, Colorado: Ghost town turned dining destination Eleven miles from Aspen, this ghost town has been turned into an ungroomed, unmaintained Nordic playground. Explore the miles of trails that traverse meadows, creeks and evergreen forest dotted with the remnants of the mining boom town of Ashcroft. Your destination should be the famed Pine Creek…

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Baffin Island Exploration: A Trip to the Edge of the World  

Oct 11, 2023

Baffin Island is the world’s fifth-largest island. It lies mostly north of the Arctic Circle in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago. It is absolutely wild, perched on the fringes of our global, Westernized society. Baffin Island is the indigenous land of the Inuit, who have lived and thrived there for thousands of years. We were incredibly fortunate to travel on these lands, and to receive advice and guidance from a local Inuk outfitter. Today, Baffin Island is part of Nunavut, the most northern territory in Canada. Baffin Island is cold. The average annual temperature is well below freezing, and summers are cool and brief. Baffin exists north of the arctic treeline, with only barren arctic tundra or ice cap and glaciers covering every inch of this immense island. Traveling in Baffin varies…

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Attempting the Seven Summits: An Aconcagua Trip Report

Feb 27, 2023

After climbing the six great north faces of the Alps, I was on the lookout for my next big project. The Seven Summits is the collective name for the seven largest mountains, one on each continent—I decided this would be a good goal. More remote and higher altitude but less technical than the six north faces, the Seven would test me in different ways. My wife Ewa and I ticked the African peak Kilimanjaro off the list in 2022 via a lesser-known route. Next on the list for us would be Aconcagua in Argentina, which at 22,838 feet (6,961 meters) would be the highest summit we have attempted so far. Here is the trip report of our Aconcagua summit attempt. Day 1  The town of Penitentes is a sleepy ski…

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How to Choose Ultralight Backpacking Gear (Tips & Tricks from a Thru-Hiker)

Feb 8, 2023

When I started planning my 2015 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, I knew I wanted ultralight backpacking gear. I wasn’t aiming for sub-10 pounds or any particular ‘goal weight’, but I wanted to make intentional gear choices that kept my base weight low without going completely barebones. (Base weight is the total weight of your pack, fully loaded, not including anything you wear, hold or consume, ie. trekking poles, food, fuel, sunscreen etc.) I ended up around 13.5 pounds, including some luxury items I decided were worth the weight. Some purists might say that to be truly ‘ultralight’ your base weight should be under 10 pounds. In my opinion, ‘ultralight’ is more of a mentality and a style, and anyone willing to debate whether you can be accurately labeled based on…

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Shoulder Season Bikepacking in Europe

Sep 15, 2022

Spring and autumn should not be ignored for cycle travel. There’s a real joy and satisfaction that you can find with “out-of-season” travel that you’ll never get if you think of summer as your only option for cycling and adventure. However, the moods of the weather and route choice need thought, so I compiled a few ideas and tips to maximize the enjoyment of shoulder season cycle travel. I’m Andy Cox, creator of the European Divide Trail bikepacking route, and I’ve been bikepacking mostly around Europe for the last five years. Before I started out on this Grand Adventure I’d done quite a few shorter trips around the UK and into Europe, but I was always focused on the summer as my main travel season. While I don’t often travel…

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Flying with a Camping Stove

Jul 19, 2022

Flying with a camping stove takes some preparation. Don’t waste time, fuel, or lose your stove to TSA. Here are the steps to take.

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Great Climbs & Worthy Causes: Rock Climbing in Eastern Europe

Jul 14, 2022

Nina and Jeremy’s Big Idea Summer, 2020 Beranger, Savoie, France The choice of vehicle wasn’t simple. It had to be more than a camper van—reliable off-road and in remote parts of the world, and tough enough to transport a climbing wall (yes, you read that right), all of our rock-climbing gear, photography equipment, and oh yeah, also be a small apartment. Through a bit of luck, a lot of networking and some big decisions, on September 1st, 2020 our very own 1991 Unimog, which we immediately named Andrea, made it home to our village in France. For the last two years, my partner and I had not traveled abroad, for obvious reasons. As an outdoor photographer and a professional climber, Jeremy and I had shaped our lives around our travels…

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