We know how strong the call of the mountains is (especially now), so we've handpicked the very best mountaineering blogs going to save you the time of sifting through them all. From how-to articles to breaking news and epic summit tales, a blog can inspire, challenge and support. The best mountaineering blogs are packed with first-hand experience and personal advice, encouragement to get you into the great outdoors and services to help you get in touch with other adventurers or potential team mates out there. Explorer's Connect for example, do a great job of this.
Mark Horrell - Footsteps on the Mountain
Mark Horrell has been on quite a journey from a hiker who only read books about mountaineering, to standing on top of Everest and other giant peaks. Along the way, he developed a flair for witty and down-to-earth writing and penned a series of books on his journeys. His adventures and thirst to explore uncharted territory is inspiring to say the least.
Footsteps on the Mountain is a melting pot of book reviews, historical pieces and humour. There's also the occasional breaking news, like the time a climber was trapped inside a toilet tent at Everest Base Camp. Pub worthy tale and a half...
Andy Kirkpatrick
World-class mountaineer, storyteller, stand-up comedian, and sometimes social commentator - Andy Kirkpatrick is a man of many talents. And he also happens to have one of the best mountaineering blogs around.
Want to know how to stay alive in the mountains, which gloves to wear, or how to avoid a gas stove disaster? From climbing a first ascent to travel stories from around the world, Kirkpatrick's article section has you covered. For more entertaining reads and a new podcast, stick to the Andy Kirkpatrick blog page itself.
A must-read from one of the most experienced voices in the climbing world.
Alpinist
As well as publishing a high-quality glossy magazine, Alpinist hosts a pretty neat blog full of interviews with leading mountaineers, stories of historical badasses, news of first ascents and powerful features.
Alpinist is home to some of the very best mountain writing, like ‘The Unclimbed' covering a climber who, following an unexpected cancer diagnosis, must decide if she is willing to give up her dream expedition to reunite with her estranged father. Gripping stuff!
Alan Arnette
Former sales executive turned high altitude climber, Alan Arnette has been blogging on Himalayan mountaineering and climbing for nearly twenty years. He's also the oldest American to climb K2 and climbed Everest at age 54. Speaking of which, you can join an Everest Guide on our K2 base camp expedition if you're feeling adventurous.
If you want to keep up with the latest summit counts, controversies, and rescues on the world's highest peaks, then Alan Arnette is your man.
With this year's climbing season cancelled, he's been posting a fictional account of the 2020 season including interviews with leading guides and climbers. All in the name of raising money for sherpas. Good man!
The British Mountaineering Council
Not a blog in the traditional sense, but the online home of Britain's national organisation for mountaineers, the BMC, is a real treasure trove of information on skills, courses, gear, mountain medicine, and much more.
If you're a newbie to the mountains, look no further than this introductory article on getting started as a mountaineer.
Great Escape: Nick Bullock
Nick Bullock has led an eventful life. After spending nearly fifteen years as a prison officer, he finally broke free and left it all behind to pursue his passion for climbing in his late thirties. Over the past twenty years, Bullock has forged a career as a world-class mountaineer and writer. This is great news for us wannabes...there's still time.
Turn to Bullock's blog The Great Escape if you want honest, funny, and gritty stories from life at the cutting edge. Like this tale of a close shave with a grizzly bear in the Rockies.
Planet Mountain
From their base in Italy, editors Vinico Stefanello, Nicholas Hobley and Nicola Tremolada bring ice climbing and mountaineering news from across Europe, with a particular focus on the dizzying Italian Dolomites, and the European Alps. They regularly battle snow and ice and crazy winter conditions in pursuit of adventure in the mountains they call home.
As well as news, gear reviews and fire-side chats with high profile mountaineers, Planet Mountain is good for the best new mountain films like this one on forging new climbs in the Canadian Arctic.
The Armchair Mountaineer Blog
Four years ago Tom Smallwood left behind his suit, tie and bad office coffee, to quit the rat race and start indulging his passion for the mountains and inspiring others. Smallwood ploughed his energy into The Armchair Mountaineer, and within a year the blog had won Best Digital Production Award from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
Settle into the armchair for gear review , destination articles, interviews, mountain fact files and much more.
ExplorersWeb
Although well known as a leading adventure news site, ExWeb mainly covers rock climbing and mountaineering stories. Previous owners, the adventurer's Tom and Tina Sjogren, left to pursue their alpine-style project to reach Mars under their own steam (they're deadly serious!), so the site is now run by Japanese based runner and translator Rowan White.
Head there for breaking mountain news, investigative journalism on faked summit claims, and exclusive interviews like this one with legendary ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel.
Summit Post
If you've made it this far, the flames of inspiration are no doubt well and truly stoked. The next step is to scope out your next mountain to climb, and for this Summit Post has your back.
With a huge online community and nifty database, Summit Post has collated mountain profiles, routes, photos and trip reports from thousands of peaks around the globe. Coma Pedrosa in Andorra anyone?
But if you need a little more help in taking your first steps, we run a week-long introduction to mountaineering course ‘Make me a Mountaineer' in the French Pyrenees with a world-class mountaineer. Or for the those with their sights set further afield, check out our Himalayan adventures like Mera Peak, Kang Yatse 2 and K2 Basecamp.
Rebecca Coles has been leading extreme expeditions for over 15 years. She's led expeditions, travelled and climbed in every continent and in over 70 countries. Rebecca seriously knows what she's doing and if you've ever been on one of her climbing or mountaineering expeditions this will be clear.
Her blog, All But Essential Travel features expert guidance on high altitude training, how to truly Leave No Trace, and offers resources on how to be a more educated mountaineer wherever you are around the world. Rebecca's skills and local knowledge of various international climbing and mountaineering locations are unrivalled.
This isn't a mountaineering-only blog, but it certainly provides insight into climbing, hiking and a myriad of other adventure-related topics. Explorer's Connects' community-led feel offers spots on expeditions, top tips from everyday adventurers and tit bits of advice from the experts. Their piece on the best adventure grants for women is super useful for women wanting to pursue an epic adventure but not sure how to start funding.
They also advertise outdoor industry jobs on their site www.adventureindustrypro.com as well as expeditions needing crew, adventures and courses.
Subscribe to their newsletter to hear about opportunities first.
October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023
October 30, 2023
