Cat Ekkelboom-WhiteExplorer

The Krimml Waterfalls are situated in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Salzburg region of Austria. At 380m high, they are the highest waterfalls not just of Austria, but in all of Europe. In the village of Krimml, near base of the waterfall you'll find a number of parking areas and the Wasserwelten Krimml visitor centre which includes an education centre, interactive exhibitions, a restaura...

The Stuibenfall waterfall is the highest waterfall in the Tirol state of Austria, situated in the Ötztal valley. Not only is it an incredible sight to see by itself, but if you have experience climbing via ferrata (known as klettersteig in German), you can climb up the full waterwall. The Approach: Park at the car park for the Ötzi Dorf and Badesee (Bischoffsplatz). Follow the footpath up past ...

This short hike is a great mini tour when you want to get up high without a whole lot of effort but enjoy some stunning glacier views. The hike to the Hildersheimer Hut is a high altitude tour on the Stubai glacier, that if done during the summer months from the top station of the Schaufeljochbahn doesn't require any technical glacier crossing equipment. Park at the bottom of the Stubai Glacier...

When you drive from Torshavn, follow the signs to the airport. On the island of Vagar, just after the village of Miðvágur the road bends to the right, with the lake on your right-hand side. On this bend there's a small exit where you can park the car to start your hike.  Once you've parked, walk back to the village of Miðvágur. Take the road on the right just before the Church and follow it uph...

This summer we discovered the Cinque Torri near Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Dolomites, and I think it may be my new favourite place to climb. In the summertime there are a few ways to reach the Cinque Torri. If you're only coming for the day, one of the easiest ways is to park on the Passo Falzarego and take the chairlift up to Rifugio Scoiattoli (or hike up for about an hour under the lift if you...

Cita dei Sassi is a great sport climbing and bouldering area on the Sella Pass, not far from Val Gardena in the Dolomites, with a number of boulders and short, bolted sport routes all a short walk from the car park. To access the area, drive over the Sella Pass until you reach the parking areas for the Cabinovia Forcella Sassolungo lift and the Rifugio Malga Sella. There is a small amount of fr...

The old mine at Botallack is a National Trust property in England. This mine was once a sub-sea tin, copper and arsenic (!) mine, and many of the old buildings are still standing today, being looked after by the the National Trust. Seeing the buildings perched right on the rocky cliff sides is quite a sight to see, especially when you try to imagine when they were built and people where working...

The Wolfsklamm is a narrow and rocky canyon just outside the village of Stans in Tirol, just 20 minutes from the city of Innsbruck. There are a few free parking areas in the village with signposts to the start of the trail up the canyon. I've marked the one we used as the trailhead for this hike. The hike leads up through the narrow canyon, up narrow stair cases, wooded walkways, and through th...

The hike to Lake Sorapis and Rifugio Vandelli is a nice day hike for all abilities of hiker. The trail starts from the roadside, on the road that leads from Cortina d'Ampezzo to Misurina. You'll see a gravel area at the side of the road where you can park - but get there early in the high season as there's very limited space. The first part of the trail is almost completely flat. It's a fairly ...

There's only a short window of opportunity every winter between November and mid-December in northern Norway to go out into the fjords and see orcas out hunting with their young calves. The orcas come into the fjords to hunt the herring during this short window in the deep winter. The used to hunt further south around the area of Andenes, but in the last few years, as the herring have moved nor...

The Sulzenau Hut is a popular destination for hikers in the Stubai Valley in Tirol. There are a few different routes to approach the hut, but for this adventure, we took the route that follows the WildWater Trail (WilderWasser Weg). We started this route from the Grawa Alm at the foot of the Grawa Waterfall. From the viewing platform at the bottom of the waterfall, on the right just as you step...

If you know how to do cross-country skiing, definitely do this! This cross-country skiing trail is marked as a black route. As complete beginners, we were a little (and really I mean a lot) out of our comfort zone (we're experienced alpine skiers so we were naïve enough to think we'd be ok), but if you've already got some skills, it's absolutely beautiful! The trail starts at the bottom of the ...

If you're planning a trip to the Dolomites, you simply must plan a hut-to-hut hike.Last year I did a number of multi-day hikes from hut to hut, and this one definitely has to be one of the most dramatic.I've already shared the first day of the adventure in this post, so today I'm going to share the next stage of the adventure.After spending the night in Rifugio Pisciadu, we got up for sunrise a...

In this circular hike starts at the Kreuzjoch top station of the Schlick 2000 gondola and finishes back at the bottom station, meaning that the elevation gain you're hiking is about half of the amount that you'll descend if you follow this particular route. As you exit the lift station, you'll take the panoramic trail to the Niederen Burgstall and continue upwards to the Schlicker Schartl.  The...

The trail begins next to the Sportplatz in the village of Grinzens, just outside of Innsbruck. The trail begins as a gravel road, but within a few meters it splits. You can either take route 51 which follows the gravel road or route 52 which cuts through the forest. We chose to follow route 52 on the way up, as although much steeper, it is shorter in distance than following the gravel road. The...

Starting from the tennis hall in Seefeld, follow the path towards Mösern which goes across the meadows. When you get to Mösern you'll see trails for the Möserer See and the Möserer See Stube. For the hike to the Brunschkopf, you don't actually pass the lake. It's a short detour off the trail but it's completely worth it! Once you're finished at the lake, look for the trail "Waldsteig No. 61" in...

Whilst Innsbruck is known for being a top destination for world-class sport climbing, many of the most popular areas can get very busy, especially in the summer months. This summer we discovered the small crag up at Obernberg and it quickly become one of our favourite places to climb. The crag is easy to reach. You park the car at the main car park at the end of the Obernberg valley. The price ...

This summer hike from the picturesque ski town of Wengen in the Bernese Alps to Kleine Scheidegg is an easy (although sometimes reasonably steep) trail along a well signposted gravel trail. You start the hike at Wengen train station. When you exit the station bear right and follow the upper road. There are yellow hiking signposts to Kleine Scheidegg which estimate the hiking time from Wengen as...

The Laponesalm hike is an easy family-friendly hike in the stunning Gschnitz valley in Tirol, Austria. Park the car at the paid parking at the end of the valley, and follow the asphalt road which is signposted towards the Lapones Alm. After about 15-20 minutes of walking, you'll come to a bridge where the road crosses the river. You can choose to stay on the asphalt road all the way up to the...

The Tribulaun Hütte mountain hut in the Gschnitztal is one of the easiest mountain huts to reach in the area. Leave your car (or take the Post Bus) to the end of the Gschnitztal valley. Just past the car park, the trail up to the Tribulaun hut begins. The trail starts as a wide gravel road that snakes up through the forest, before emerging above the tree line.  At a couple of points along the t...

Park at the large car park (paid parking) for the main Obernberg lake, but instead of following the trail to the lake, take the road on the right towards Haus Waldbauer.  At the end of the paved road, a gravel road bends off to the right. Follow this gravel road as it leads you uphill and back along the valley.  After around 1 hour, you'll reach a small mountain hut. Keep walking on the main gr...

The hike starts from the bottom of the Gamsgarten cable car lift station at the Stubai Glacier, so it's best to park in the highest car park. (Most cars park at the lower Eisgrat cable car so the upper car park should be fairly quiet). If you're arriving by bus, this is the very last bus stop on the ST line from Innsbruck. At the very end of the car park you'll find the start of the trail. It s...

The hike from Passo San Pellegrino to Rifugio Mulaz is stage seven of the incredible Alta Via 2 multi-day hut-to-hut trek in the Dolomites, which starts in Brixen/Bressanone and ends in Croce d’Aune north of Venice. This challenging but stunning hike is full of incredible scenery, where lush green alpine pasture turn into rugged rocky spires. We started this stage of the hike on San Pellegrino,...

The hike from the Oberiss Alm mountain pastures to the Franz Senn Hut in the Stubai Valley in Tirol is a wonderful hike for the whole family. The hike starts from the Oberissalm, a remote farmhouse surrounded by alpine meadows. Here you'll find a paid parking area and working farmhouse serving food and drinks. The trail is well marked and starts right from the car park. It begins as a gravel ...