mountains Archives

Grouse Mountain overlooking Vancouver, Canada.

Grouse Mountain guide: Ticket prices, hours & how to book

Updated in September 2026, this Grouse Mountain guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking, accessibility and what to see. Grouse Mountain is a mountain resort in North Vancouver, Canada, marking its Centennial in 2026, 100 years since it first opened in 1926. Two lifts now…

Skyway Monte Bianco guide: Prices, hours & how to book

Skyway Monte Bianco carries visitors from Courmayeur to Punta Helbronner, at 3,466m, one of the highest cable car stations in Europe. This guide was updated in July 2026. First departures are now as early as 6:30am through until 31 July, considerably earlier than the 8:30am…

The Gornergrat Railway in the shadow of the Matterhorn, Switzerland.

Visiting the Gornergrat Railway, Zermatt: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Gornergrat Railway is Switzerland's first electric cogwheel railway, opened in 1898, carrying passengers from Zermatt at 1,604 metres up to the Gornergrat summit at 3,089 metres. Two things that most guides get wrong: first, the railway is completely out of service from 2 to…

Stawamus Chief near Vancouver in British Columbia.

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, Squamish: Ticket prices, hours and tips – plan your visit

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is a massive granite monolith and protected natural area located at the southern entrance of Squamish, British Columbia. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport or parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips. The information in this guide was updated in…

Tantalus Lookout, British Columbia: Ticket prices, hours and tips – plan your visit

The Tantalus Lookout is a scenic roadside viewing area situated along the Sea to Sky Highway north of Squamish, British Columbia. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport or parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips. The information in this guide was updated in May…

The walking tracks around Thredbo are idyllic in summer.

Thredbo in summer: Hiking, peace and alpine tranquillity beyond the ski season

Discover why Thredbo shines in the off-season — from gentle valley walks and alpine hikes to quiet villages, relaxed mountain life and visitor essentials. The quiet slopes of Thredbo outside ski season Cutting through the otherwise thick carpet of eucalypts on the mountainside are several…

The Whitney Portal Road in the Eastern Sierra, California.

Visiting Whitney Portal: A guide to the gateway to Mount Whitney in the Eastern Sierra

Overview: History, what to expect, and unique features of Whitney Portal Whitney Portal is a scenic area nestled in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, serving as the primary trail head for the Mount Whitney Trail. Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 metres), is the highest…

The Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, Philadelpha – and how Australia’s highest mountain got its name

Exploring the surprising story behind Mt Kosciuszko’s name at a tiny memorial to a Polish patriot in Philadelphia. This article was updated in October 2026. Ann Relf’s boarding house is a handsome but unshowy kind of place. It has a clean, red brick worthiness that…

Writer David Whitley on top of Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales.

Climbing Kosciuszko while unfit: A fat bloke climbs Australia’s highest mountain

Climb Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak, even if you are unfit. Find out how to use the chairlift and manage the gentle trail to the summit. The fine line between unprepared and reckless There’s a fine line between being merely unprepared and being incredibly stupid.…

The view from Ubirr in Australia's Northern Territory.

9 great things to climb in Australia instead of Uluru

When the ban on climbing Uluru finally came into force in October 2019, visitors had no choice but to discover it's best to walk round the Northern Territory's great monolith anyway. But for those who have an unquenchable urge to climb things in Australia, the…