After a wet day with thoroughly uninviting views, we awoke in the little French town of Mandailles to what promised to be better weather. There were pockets of blue in the sky (hurrah!) and while the tops of the higher mountains were still shrouded in cloud it looked like it was only lingering like a … Continue reading Volcano number 12: The last-minute volcano
#40by40
Volcanoes number 10 and 11: The thunderstorm volcanoes
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – what a difference a day makes. We’d started out on our trek along a section of the GR400 in the Auvergne region in France in the presence of azure skies and a scorching heat. The mission: three days to climb four volcanic peaks of Europe’s … Continue reading Volcanoes number 10 and 11: The thunderstorm volcanoes
More volcano adventures coming up
I might have been a bit quiet on the blog front as life has been seriously manic doing DIY ready for the return home of the boyfriend’s father after a 10-month stint in hospital following a bad stroke. But slowly things are returning to normal, or as normal as things can be. Plans, volcanoes and … Continue reading More volcano adventures coming up
Volcano update
Yes, I know, I’ve been a bit quiet on the volcano front. That’s mainly because it’s been, shall we say – slow. Last year’s grand adventure plans were put to the side after I decided it was in my best interests to apply for British citizenship, meaning I technically couldn’t travel – or book travel … Continue reading Volcano update
Volcano number 9: The boggy volcano (part 2)
Day two of my ninth volcano, walking across the Cheviot Hills in England’s Northumberland National Park, and we were off. The rain of yesterday was gone, replaced by a gentle frost and lashings of lush sunshine. Now this was more like it. My walking boots were still sodden from yesterday’s dismal weather and bog-hopping. Pulling … Continue reading Volcano number 9: The boggy volcano (part 2)
Volcano number 9: The boggy volcano (part 1)
The road stretched ahead of me, weaving its way into the lonely depths of Northumberland National Park. As the boyfriend and I strolled along, the click of my walking pole on the road, the rolling mountains of the Cheviot Hills rose up around us, luring me in with their promises of high adventure. At this … Continue reading Volcano number 9: The boggy volcano (part 1)
The pitfalls of preparing for volcano number nine
The bags are packed; map directions sorted. The boyfriend and I are about to set off up to the Scottish border to spend two days walking over the sparse and volcanically formed Cheviot Hills – subsequently bagging volcano number nine in my #40by40 quest. I have to admit, I’m a little excited. All that fresh … Continue reading The pitfalls of preparing for volcano number nine
5 steps to an epic volcano-climbing adventure (without making my mistakes)
Just over two years ago I came up with a crafty idea. I thought, why not set myself the ambitious quest to climb 40 volcanoes by the age of 40 – a feat that needed to be achieved in a five-and-a-half-year time frame? It was a bold, daring plan, borne out of a fascination of … Continue reading 5 steps to an epic volcano-climbing adventure (without making my mistakes)
Plans for volcano number nine
Finally, an update – plans for the next volcano in my #40by40 are coming together. This will tick off volcano number nine (if I include my accidental volcano as number eight). Hurrah! It’s not a volcano on my original list. It’s not a volcano that’s spectacularly tall and grand. It’s not a volcano that breathes … Continue reading Plans for volcano number nine
Volcano number 8: The accidental volcano
Yip that clock is ticking – 40 volcanoes by the age of 40 (#40by40), and I’ve currently checked off… a big fat seven. As you know it’s not quite the progress I was hoping to have made but in the name of positivity, you have to admit, it’s progress of sorts. Now that I’m taking … Continue reading Volcano number 8: The accidental volcano