Tag Archive
We found ourselves newly carless after selling our van in Chamonix. Without Bleu Lightning, our plan of driving and climbing our way back across France was no longer possible. Luckily this gave us the chance to visit our...
As we approached Chamonix, a mountain town at the base of Mont Blanc, my excitement was twinged with nerves. In a few kilometers we would exit the long tunnel through the mountains from Italy, and finally set foot in a...
Our day started before the sun lit the valley, and we excitedly finished off oatmeal and coffee before lacing up boots and beginning the walk to the Aiguille du Midi chairlift. Our goal was Rebuffat-Baquet (6a/5.10-), a...
Our drive into the Dolomites took us through picturesque mountain towns where "danke schoen" worked just as well as "gratzie" and restaurants served pizza and pasta alongside pretzels and schnitzel. The views opened up...
Tucked away in the Alps of north Tyrol, Muttekopfhütte felt like staying in a 5 star hotel for Mel and I. The views out the bedroom window were fantastic, there was a meal service, showers... and most importantly...
This long alpine route was at least as mentally demanding as it was physically demanding. In the mostly stable weather of August 1 st , 2018, Melanie and I set off from the Muttekopfhutte hut (1,934 m) at 6:15 AM. The...
After leaving Romania, we enjoyed a day in Belgrade, reunited with a new friend in Zagreb, and coasted north to Munich, stopping in Ljubljana and Salzburg. We arrived to Munich just in time to hang out with Michelle and...
We arrived in Bucharest for dinner, and to our delight, we found the pedestrian “old town” bustling with life and packed with restaurants and bars. This was just the beginning of our discovery of Romania. After visiting...
Our ferry arrived back in Athens, and we spent the day in the city before heading north to the mountains of Bulgaria. We did two fabulous day hikes and explored more ancient cities, the capital Sofia, and walked through...
We arrived to the island paradise of Kalymnos ready to spend 9 days climbing and enjoying island life. Little did we know, 9 days was not nearly enough time. As we came by ferry from Athens, Bleu Lightning got to come...
Our first few hours in Greece were eventful! Not only did we see a bear cross the road, but we also admired the super deep Vikos gorge from the town above! Despite the rain that followed us from the Balkans, our journey...
Despite our best efforts, we still got grey weather in Albania. However, we caught a fantastic weather window to take a river cruise and go for a hike! Along the way, we found fine dining and natural warm springs. Almost...
After landing in Sarajevo, we set off for Montenegro, retracing our path through the beautiful Bosnian countryside. (This time with a well-traveled English hitchhiker for company!) As we crossed into Montenegro, the...
With minutes left to leave our guesthouse in Omis, we checked the weather for the next week and tried to mask our disappointment - nonstop rain. Not great news for our climbing and hiking plans. "Let's go to Istanbul!" I...
After getting our fill at Paklenica, we continued our track south along the Adriatic. Along the way, we got spectacular lightning storms, more magical waterfalls, an ancient city, an impromptu rafting trip, and quality...
Our first climbing destination in Croatia was Paklenica National Park, which initially felt like climbing in a gym! We walked 5 minutes from the van, and were climbing a wall between the park restrooms and cafe. While...
On our way south, we travelled through the cities of Rovinj and Pula before carving our way inland to explore Plitvice lakes (Plitvička jezera) national park. Our road trip was filled with history lessons and beautiful...
On the recommendation of friends we met in Finale Ligure, we headed to Osp, Slovenia. Osp is a tiny village surrounded by an imposing limestone amphitheater, just across the border from Italy. We arrived at what appeared...
Our journey across Italy took only three days, but we squished in as much sightseeing and adventure as we could! Day One After a final climb in Finale Ligure, we hit the road along the coast, soaking in the views of...
Tucked away in the unassuming wooded valleys at the western edge of Liguria, this limestone paradise brings climbers from all over Europe. Like Calanques, this crag has thousands of routes, enough for a lifetime of...
We cruised through the urban and sophisticated French Riviera to the rugged charming Italian Riviera. Our destination was Finale Ligure, but each stop we made on the way was vacation-worthy on its own. Boat shopping in...
Our first stop on the climbing road-trip adventure was Calanques National Park on the Mediterranean coast of France. We started off strong with a pleasant hike into a small calanque which had a crag right on the beach....
Upon arriving to France the hunt for an adventure van began. Ten days later, we were on the road! All it took was 3 steps: find a van, buy the van, then register the van. Step 1: Find a van After reading through what...
We arrived in Brussels without much of an itinerary in mind, but it ended up being the perfect bridge between Germany and France. The city is fun and compact, allowing us to explore it largely on foot. We admired the...
Our first stop in Europe was Lüdinghausen, Germany! We spent a few wonderful days with my exchange sister and her family. We were welcomed with a double rainbow – a great omen for the visit. Our first day was a school...
