In Ladakh two men tackle climate change by making artificial glaciers

March 1, 2017 Good causes buddhism, climate change, crowdfunding, glacial erosion, glaciers, himalayas, india, ladakh 3 Comments

Today I’m going to tell you a story so bizarre that when I first read about it, I thought it must be fake news. But it’s true, and it’s a tale worth telling. It shows how individuals and communities can react to climate change in a way that works in harmony with nature.

A brief introduction to Kilimanjaro’s volcanic crater

January 25, 2017 Opinion and advice africa, bill tilman, climate change, glacial erosion, hans meyer, kilimanjaro, tanzania, volcanoes 4 Comments

Last week I enthused about Kilimanjaro’s inner crater, and said that I considered it to be the jewel in Kilimanjaro’s crown. Yet the overwhelming majority of people who climb mountain don’t see it. This week I will talk in more detail about what they’re missing out on.

The BBC Top Gear Chimborazo fiasco

November 9, 2016 Opinion and advice andes, chimborazo, ecuador, glacial erosion, mountain films, volcanoes

When I received an email from BBC Top Gear asking me whether I thought it might be possible to drive a vehicle up Chimborazo, my first reaction was to roar with laughter. But after I gave it some consideration I realised it required a better response than that.

The snows of Kilimanjaro, and why seeing is believing

December 5, 2012 History africa, exploration, famous explorers, first ascents, glacial erosion, global warming, hans meyer, history of mountaineering, kibo, kilimanjaro, ludwig purtscheller, seven summits, tanzania, william desborough cooley 8 Comments

(I should start by pointing out to anyone hoping to read about the Ernest Hemingway short story of the same name, about a man who bullies his wife while dying of an infected leg on safari in East Africa, that

Mystery of the vanishing Himalayan lake

July 4, 2012 Good causes cho oyu, climate change, colombia, david breashears, everest, george mallory, glacial erosion, glaciers, glacierworks, himalayas, kyetrak glacier, lakes, mountain photography, photoshop, rongbuk glacier, rwenzori mountains, sponsorship, twitter 4 Comments

I’m no climate change sceptic, and I’ve seen its effect on shrinking glaciers many times. While scientific evidence for climate change is clear, not everyone is convinced it’s happening. One of the most powerful methods being used to convince sceptics is photographs showing how much glaciers have changed over time. But photos aren’t always what they seem.

Colombia’s glaciers will soon be gone

January 25, 2012 Opinion and advice andes, carbon footprint, cocuy circuit, colombia, flora, frailejones, glacial erosion, global warming, mountain photography, paramo, ritacuba blanco, rock climbing, rwenzori mountains, weather, wildlife, wwf 0 Comment

The photograph on the wall in the farmhouse at La Esperanza where we stayed the night had been taken 15 years ago, but it looked very different from the place we had walked through earlier in the day. I use

Cocuy Circuit trek: You say cojones, I say cojines

January 11, 2012 Trip reports andes, andes world, cocuy circuit, cojines, colombia, frailejones, glacial erosion, global warming, gps, jagged globe, juan carlos gonzalez, neal short, ritacuba blanco, sierra nevada del cocuy, thierry levenq, trekking 6 Comments

Walking Colombia’s classic trek, and an ascent of Ritacuba Blanco “I’ve always associated Colombia with drugs and gangs,” a colleague said to me after I returned to work last week following my Christmas trekking and mountaineering holiday in the country.