Posts tagged Country High Points
European High Points
 

While ticking off the UK County Tops I have also picked up a few European Country Tops along the way. I don’t think that I’ll bag them all unless I put a serious amount of more time into it. Some are a bit too technical or remote for my preference too. In the meantime, here’s the list of all European Country High Points, some alternatives and disputed ones and notable Island High points. Let me know in the comments if you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 to one of my Causes for any correction made.

European Country High Points

*Notes

  • Gunnbjørn Fjeld, Greenland is the highest point in the Kingdom of Denmark. However, it is an autonomous territory on the North American continent and is not part of the European Union.

    • Slættaratindur, Faroe Islands is the highest point in the Kingdom of Denmark that is also on the European Continent.

    • Møllehøj is the highesh point on mainland Denmark. Yding Skovhøj is a close second highest with only 0.09m between them.

  • Mahya Dağı is the highest point in the European part of Turkey, while Mount Ararat (not shown above) is the highest point in all of Turkey and is in the Asian part.

    • Selvili Tepe is the highest point in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The territory is only recognised by Turkey and is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.

  • Mont Blanc straddles the border of both Italy and France and is the highest mountain of both countries as well as the highest point in the EU.

    • Monte Bianco di Courmayeur is a subsidiary peak to Mont Blanc and is marked as lying entirely within Italy on the Italian Istituto Geografico Militare while on the French Institut Géographique National (IGN) map the summit lies on the border between France and Italy (source).

    • Barre des Écrins is the highest mountain that is completely within France and was the French high point until the annexation of Savoy in 1860

    • Gran Paradiso is the highest mountain that is completely within Italy.

  • Mount Pico in the Azores is the highest point in the Portuguese Territory, while Serra da Estrela is the highest point on the Portuguese mainland

  • Mount Teide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands is the highest point in the Spanish Territory, while Mulhacén is the highest point on the Spanish mainland.

  • High Points of the British Crown Dependencies: Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are listed above separately from the UK. UK nations: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland are not show. See the UK County Tops page for details.

European Island High Points

  • The highest mountain on an island of a European Territory is Mount Teide on the Spanish Canary Islands at 3,718m

  • The highest mountain on an island on the European Continent is Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily at 3,342m

  • The largest island in continental Europe is Great Britain which has Ben Nevis as its highest point at 1,345m

Other notable island high points are listed below, grouped by country. I’ve mainly included high points of >1,000m. However, I’ve also included other islands high points that I’ve been to or plan to visit.

France

Greece

Italy

Norway

Norway - Svalbard

  • Monacofjellet, 1,084 metres, Prins Karls Forland Island. (Wikipedia / Peakbagger)

  • Soltindan, 1,051 metres, Ringvassøy. (Wikipedia, Peakbagger)

  • Store Blåmann, 1,044 metres, Kvaløya Island. (Wikipedia / Peakbagger)

Portugal

Russia

Spain - Balearic Islands

Spain - Canary Islands

…the traditional seven:

…and the minor islands:

United Kingdom

  • See UK Islands High Points (coming soon)

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, MountainComment
The Maltese Three Peaks

Dingli Cliffs

Malta is the EU’s smallest country by both size and population. It’s also fairly flat and has great transport connections making it easy to bag its high points.

The country high point is on Dingli Cliffs on the main island. There’s 2 other large islands in the Maltese Archipelago, Gozo and Comino. Both have high points worth visiting for great views of their respective islands.

Dingli Cliffs

Also known as: Ta'Dmejrek (in Maltese)
Significance: High point of the island of Malta and country of Malta
Elevation: 253m
Date climbed: 9th May 2024
Coordinates: 35° 51' 11'' N, 14° 23' 3'' E

Start & Finish: Parking Dingli Cliffs, Triq Panoramica, Maddalena, Dingli
Distance: 1km (0.6 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 12m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Mdina Walk
Guidebook: Europe's High Points: Reaching the Summit of Every Country in Europe
Links: Malta (Country), Malta (Island), Dingli, Peakbagger

 

For Dingli start at the Dingli Cliffs Viewpoint. There’s parking for a few cars and it’s a popular stop for sightseeing coach tours. From the parking spot check out the views across the sea to Filfla island from the back of St Mary Magdalene Chapel.

From the parking spot walk along the pavement in a westerly direction towards the radar station (the big white golf ball). About half way to the radar station there’s an obvious high point on the cliff top rocks. While not quite the high point, it felt like it should be so we took the banner phone above there.

To reach the actual high point you’ll need to cross the main cliff top road and walk up a private track to the radio transmitters.

Ta' Dbiegi

Significance: High point of the island of Gozo, Malta
Elevation: 194m
Date climbed: 7th May 2024
Coordinates: 36° 3' 6'' N, 14° 12' 49'' E

Start & Finish: Free Parking outside Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, Triq ir-Rokon, St Lawrence, Gozo
Distance: 1.5km (0.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 58m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Links: Gozo, San Lawrenz, Peakbagger

 

The Gozo high point is a more interesting walk as it’s more challenging to get to. Note that the hill is in private farmland. There’s a well marked path to the top and, at the time we visited, no-one around to ask permission from. When scanning through previous logs on Peakbagger I saw that other walkers had a similar experience of either no-one around or farmers not being bothered by visitors walking to the summit.

We parked at the free parking spots outside the Kempinski Hotel on Triq ir-Rokon, San Lawrenz. From the parking spot continue along the road for 120m the take the first farm track on the left. Pass the houses on the right and continue to a bend in the track at 400m into the route from the parking spot.

Take the path on the right that ascends the hill to the summit. You’ll need to cross over a metal pole and a couple of signs saying “no entry, private farmers lane”. The summit is makes by a small cairn of white stones. From the top you can see across the whole island and to Comino and Malta islands.

Return via the same route.

Comino High Point

Significance: High point of the island of Comino, Malta
Elevation: 74m
Date climbed: 10th May 2024
Coordinates: 36° 0' 44'' N, 14° 20' 44'' E

Start & Finish: Ferry berths, Blue Lagoon, Comino
Distance: 7.7km km (4.8 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 125m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Links: Comino, Peakbagger

 

The first task in reaching the Comino high point is finding a boat to get you to the island. There’s a lot of options, from the ferry at Cirkewwa or the numerous tourist boats that go from many places on the main island. We arranged for seats on a small boat that picked us up from our hotel and took us back a few hours later. Whichever option you take make you that you have at least 3 hours on the island to do the circular tour and enjoy the views.

Unless you have a private charter, most boats will drop you off at the moorings at the Blue Lagoon. This is a beautiful bay that’s worth visiting in it’s own right. The vast majority of visitors to the island don’t stray far from this bay and it can be very over crowded. There’s several food and drink kiosks by the boat moorings. Make sure that you either take food and drink with you or buy it from the kiosks when you arrive as there’s no other shops on the island.

From the Blue Lagoon we took the coastal path in a clockwise direction. The path is well maintained and has a few metal signs along the route. You can’t really get lost but there’s a few different options so we were glad to have the GPX route on the phone. There were a few places where we could have taken a path closer to the coast but kept inland being mindful of the departure time of our boat.

It is possible to take a shorter out-and-back route through the centre of the island to the high point. It only saves around 3km though, and the coastal route is such a nice walk that it doesn’t make sense to rush this one.

When we visited in May 2024 both the Comino Hotel in Saint Nicolas Bay and the Hotel Bungalows in Santa Maria Bay were shut and fenced off. I read that they were being redeveloped to re-open in 2025 but that felt optimistic as they were derelict and there was no sign of any work being done.

The actual high point is just off the main coastal path but hard to miss as there’s a small cairn at the top.

On the route back to the Blue Lagoon you’ll pass the remains of the old pig farm, the 19th century isolation hospital and Santa Maria Tower. The cliffs between the Tower and the Blue Lagoon are the most spectacular part of the walk.

We loved this walk and it was, for us, the highlight of our week in Malta. Dingli may be the highest point, but this was our favourite.

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, Coast, Island High PointsComment
The Irish County Tops

The Irish County Tops are the highest points in each of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. This includes both the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland and the 6 counties in Northern Ireland. I completed the Northern Ireland counties back in 2016 as a part of my UK County Top collection. That trip got me my first Republic of Ireland county by default as Cuilcagh is the high point of both County Fermanagh (NI) and County Cavan (ROI).

In the next few years I focused on completing England and Wales and made a good start at Scotland. It was only in 2022 that I joined a few friends to properly start my Republic of Ireland County Top collection.

My Republic of Ireland County Tops completed so far

The Irish County Tops in height order by province/region

More County Tops

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Irish County Tops, Country High Points, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Republic of Ireland, Northern IrelandComment
County Top Parent Peaks

In my ever-deepening County-Top related geekery I decided that I needed to document the Parent Peaks of every UK County Top. Many are easily findable with a bit of Googling, others are harder to come by. I’ve used the following sources in priority order:

  • Hillbagging (the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills)

  • Peakbagger: if the Parent Peak is shown there but not in Hillbagging

  • Wikipedia: If the Parent Peak is shown there but not in either Hillbagging or Peakbagger

  • Peakbagger’s Nearest Highest Neighbour (NHN) field if a Parent Peak is not listed in the above.

Some are disputed and others I’ve had to assume, so here’s my best attempt. Contact me or comment below if you have any corrections and I’ll happily make a donation to one of my causes.

England’s County Top Parent Peaks

Scotland’s County Tops Parent Peaks

Compared to England there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Wales’ County Tops Parent Peaks

Similar to Scotland, there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Coming soon: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland County Top Parent Peaks

UK County Tops on Islands

  • Goat Fell (843m), Arran, Buteshire, Scotland

  • Ward Hill (481m), Hoy, Orkney, Scotland

  • Ronas Hill (450m), Mainland, Shetland

  • Holyhead Mountain (220m), Anglesey, Wales

“A peak’s line parent is the closest higher peak on the highest ridge leading away from the peak’s “key col”. A col is the lowest point on the ridge between two summits and is roughly synonymous with pass, gap, saddle and notch. The highest col of a peak is its key col. If there is more than one ridge which can be followed to a higher peak then the line parent is the peak closest to the key col. Usually, a line parent must meet some prominence criteria, which might vary depending on the author and the location of the peak.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_parent
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Country High Points, Trig Pillar, England, Scotland, WalesComment
Monte Titano: San Marino High Point

Significance: Highest Point in San Marino
Parent Peak: TBC NHN: Testa del Monte, Italy
Elevation: 739m
Date climbed: February 28th, 2020
Coordinates: 43° 55' 56'' N, 12° 27' 7'' E
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)
Links: Wikipedia (San Marino / Monte Titano), Peakbagger

Although I had been to San Marino nearly twenty years before I didn’t bag the country’s high point. On our return visit in February 2020 Timea and I made a point of finding it. We were on a driving tour of the Po Valley right in the week that Covid-19 quickly spread through Northern Italy. We continued our tour while cities emptied out and museums and other attractions shut their doors. It was still possible to enter the city walls of San Marino but with not many places to go inside there was plenty of time to walk around the old city walls. The summit of Monte Titano is on the city wall walk on the south-eastern side of the old town. Definitely worth the trip for the views across the whole of the small country and a lot of Italy too.

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, San MarinoComment
Walking in South Mauritius

I was preparing to get bored on Mauritius. It was our big holiday and this time it was Timi's choice as I had chosen Peru last year. Timi wanted a more relaxing beachy holiday and Mauritius ended up top of the list. It looked lovely in the brochure but it didn't look like there would be a lot of adventure to be had. I was wrong.

The island is well known as a honeymoon destination but there's loads to keep the adventurous busy. After the first week of relaxing and driving around the North-Western part we had worked out what to do for week 2.

We already knew that our hotel for the 2nd week was close to the island's highest mountain. We just didn't know how easy it would be to get there. One interesting blog post about it had a link to one of the big travel companies there. On enquiring about the trip it would be 60 Euro per person plus another 60 for transport from the hotel.

It was a lot of money and we asked our travel rep at the hotel if they had options for the same trip. A couple overheard us and came over after to give us some advice. They had been up the peak the day before without a guide and found it very easy. They had also seen many other walkers on the route without guides.

I wrote back to the travel company to let them know that we didn't need their services. Then followed an amusing e-mail chain where the company rep's attitude quickly changed from pleasant to threatening. They said that it was dangerous and illegal to trek in Mauritius without a guide. When I asked for them to point me towards evidence of this they told me to "Google myself". So I did. One connection was to a guy who wrote a great blog on Mauritian treks. He explained that there was no law about local guides. Many of the routes are not dangerous but some go through private land. The advantage of a guide would be to steer you in the right direction. Other than that, there's little advantage if you're an experienced walker.

I also found the contact details for the Mauritius Office of Tourism. Nothing on their website referenced the need to use a guide. I e-mailed them to explain the situation but no reply came. So, we we pretty sure that we didn't need a guide but not 100% so we took a risk and did it ourselves anyway.

Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire

Significance: Highest peak in Mauritius
Elevation: 828m
Date climbed: 11th October 2018
Coordinates: 20° 24' 32'' S, 57° 24' 29'' E
Route Start / End: out and back from lay-by on Plaine Champagne Road, just west of Gorges Viewpoint Parking
Route Distance: 6.7 km (4.3 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 241m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee

Piton de la Riveire Petite Noire is the highest mountain in the country. There was an option of walking there from our hotel, approaching from the South-West. Instead, taking advantage of our rental car, we drove to the more popular start near the Black River Gorges Car Park. The best option is to park in the lay-by West of the Car Park, starting you much closer to the trail.

The trail is very easy to follow and very little chance of going wrong. Much of it cuts through dense trees with a few gaps to see the view. For most of the route its not particularly steep either. The main hazard is the combination of mud and tree roots. We went on a dry day following a few days of rain and it was fine. It would be a lot trickier under much wetter conditions.

The final 10 minutes is much steeper although there are ropes in places to help you up. One rope was tied to a tree that had fallen over and I wasn't completely confident that it was anchored properly. It held fine and we were up to the top in no time. This would only part where you would need a guide for safety reasons. Even so, compared with the trickier parts of many UK mountains, it's pretty straight-forward.

The summit rewards you with amazing 360° views over the South of the island. Le Morne Mountain to the South-East is particularly enticing from the angle. It was here that we decided to climb that one too a few days later.

On the descent, following the same route, we counted up how many people we had passed on the trail. For the full walk there were 25 people in 10 groups of which only 3 groups had a guide. Having tested the route for myself I can't see any reason to use a guide unless you're really inexperienced or the guide has amazing stories to tell along the way.

map below: Trailhead at Gorges Viewpoint Parking

 

Le Morne Mountain

Elevation: 556m
Date climbed: 13th October 2018
Coordinates: 20° 27' 10 S, 57° 18' 60 E
Route Start / End: out and back from parking at Le Morne Trail Entrance on the south of the peninsula
Route Distance: 7.3 km (4.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 560m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee

Inspired by our easy conquest of the country high-point, we set off for Morne Mountain 2 days later. This was the walk where most articles suggested that having a guide was either mandatory or highly recommended. The 2 reasons for this are the steepness of some sections and that some of the route goes through private property. Taking the advice of the couple we'd met in the hotel earlier in the week we decided to try it ourselves.

Parking for the walk is easy to find on the South Side of the Morne Peninsular. You need to sign in at the control booth by the gate. There were a couple of employees in the booth but neither seemed bothered about either checking or helping people.

From the trail-head the first 3 km is a gradual easy ascent on wide paths. This takes you to a fence and a gate which marks the entrance to the private area. I'd read stories of people either being turned away or charged an entrance fee for going past this point. On the day we went the gate was open and no-one was around so we passed straight through. This is a good point to make a decision whether to attempt the full climb or call it a day. From here you can see the steep part and several people we spoke to had decided they weren't fit or brave enough to go further.

A few minutes past the gate you'll reach the Chimney. This is a steep high-sided section that's the hardest part of the route. Normally there's ropes on either side but these had been removed for maintenance. There's lots of rocks and routes to hold on to though and we found it easy to help each other up. I definitely would not have attempted this on a wet day as the descent through it would be treacherous.

Even if it wasn’t for the sharp edges, this is not a route to rush through. There’s an amazing view out of every angle. On a clear day like the one we had you can see for miles and get a great perspective on the underwater waterfall next to the peninsula.

The walking route ends by a big metal cross. The actual summit can only be accessed with climbing gear and proper experience. We had neither but it’s hard to be disappointed with a finish as spectacular as this. The Cross was rammed with people queuing for the best selfie positions. We found a quiet rock, waited patiently for our turn whilst taking a breather, then started our descent.

We took our time on the way down as we negotiated the tricky parts of the chimney. We were thankful that we didn’t take a guide so that we could have the walk to ourselves. Observing some of the other trekkers on the way up though, it was clear that some people should have taken a guide. Some were clearly not fit enough, others poorly dressed, one was carrying a baby and some had no water with them. If all a guide did was tell them to be better prepared, then there’s definitely a reason to use them.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not certainly against guides in general. They play an important part of the local travel economy, especially in developing countries. I had some amazing experiences with guides on Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail and the Balkans. In these trips the guides kept us safe, informed us on local history and were great ambassadors for their countries. My problem is with companies, like the one I battled with in Mauritius. They try to exploit tourists with “mandatory" guides for simple trips like Piton de la Riveire Petite Noire. We were happy to save the money this time and spend it on bigger tips for locals who really deserved it.

Far from being just a honeymoon destination, I discovered a wonderfully diverse, fun and adventurous island that would be high on my list of places to return to.

More on the web:

Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Coast, Mauritius, Country High Points, Island High PointsComment
High Peaks of the Balkans

I’d seen the ad for this trip on Facebook about a year ago. It ticked all the right boxes to get me over-excited. 4 new countries, the highest peak in each, and a new airport. What's not to like? I signed up straight away expecting to rope in a few friends along the way. No chance ... 1 or 2 showed interest but came up with excuses like no money, lack of approval from the wife or “just had a baby”. Meh.

So, 1 year later I turned up at Tirana airport on my own looking for others with KE Adventures bags. I had the cunning plan of wearing my KE shirt so I could be spotted by others. All that did was make them think that I was their official guide for the week and I ended up carrying bags around. Once gathered together with our actual guide we started the 4 hour transfer to the first night's accommodation.

As it turned out, the other 11 in the group were lovely and all interesting people. KE seems to attract the more serious walker and adventure-seeker. All had incredible stories of previous trips and with none of the one-upmanship that comes with some groups. By the end of the trip I’d compiled a long list of future trips and kit advice.

Day 1: Mt Korab

Significance: Highest peak in both Albania and (FYRO) Macedonia
Elevation: 2,764 m
Date climbed: July 1st 2018
Coordinates: 41.7901° N, 20.5471° E
Route Start / End: Circular route from Hotel Korabi, Radomirë, Albania
Route Distance: 17.2 km (10.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 1,527m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korab_(mountain)

One of the things I loved about the trip was how much was packed into each day. Day 1 was no exception with a 06:00 wake up call for the trek to Mt Korab, the high point of both Albania and Macedonia. This was the highest of the 3 summits on the trip and a long day at 9 hours. It was a nice warm-up and a chance to get to know the rest of the group and our guide Geri a bit better. We climbed up from the Albanian side then had lunch in Macedonia over-looking Mavrovo National Park. The return was more or less the same as the ascent, with a nice diversion through a forest and meadows. After a quick celebratory Albanian beer we set off on 3 hour bus transfer to the Kosovan city of Junik.

 

Day 2: Đeravica

Significance: Highest peak in Kosovo
Elevation: 2,656 m
Date climbed: July 2nd 2018
Coordinates: 42.5318° N, 20.1399° E
Route Start / End: Point to point route from Gropa e Ereniku to Dobërdol
Route Distance: 15.9 km (9.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +1,053m / -947m. Net 106m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deravica

Kosovo was a pleasant surprise. My only awareness of it was from grim news reports from the 90s. I’d tried not to have any expectations, just an excitement from being able to tick off a new country, and an obscure one at that. Following our last comfortable night for a few days we took a bumpy 4x4 trip to a remote valley to start of our 4 day trek.

After the gentle initial ascent of Korab, today’s climb got steep quickly. The post-lunch scramble reminded me a bit of the Barranco Wall on Kilimanjaro. Once at the summit I was more hesitant to climb on top of the trig-like pillar than on Korab due to the high winds and steeper sides. Fortunately there was a flag pole to grip onto and attempt to look vaguely heroic.

After the initial descent from the summit, the rest of the trek continued north-west, re-entering Albania after traversing a steep sided valley. A large ice field tested my long held nervousness of slipping. The more experienced of the group trudged straight across it while I followed Geri on a longer steadier route.

From the Kosovo/Albania border on the final pass, the end of the day’s walk was a pleasant wander down the Alpine Valley to the farm where we stayed for the night. This was to be the most basic of the guest houses: a single barn floor with a row of mattresses. The 3 snorers in the group, of which I was one, took the option of a separate barn 5 mins up the valley. Although intended as a gift for the others, we ended up with the better deal with a cosier barn and better toilet.

 

Day 3: Dobërdoll to Çerem

Elevation: from 1,800m to 1,220m
Date walked: July 3rd 2018
Route Start / End: Point to point route from Dobërdol to Çerem, Albania
Route Distance: 17 km (10.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +418m / -994m. Net -576m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee


Day 3 was a break from the summits with a gentler plateau walk, mostly descending, from 1,791m to ~1,200m. The route crossed the Albania/Montenegro border several times a highlight being our lunch stop on a hill with views across to Zla Kolata.

Accommodation that evening was a pleasant but basic guesthouse in Çerem. We were amongst around 50 guests squeezed into the main house plus a few outbuildings. The good news was that it had a shower, but with just 1 for 50 sweaty walkers, there was a bit of a queue. Dinner arrangements were impressive as one lady in a small shed managed to serve up a hearty meal for everyone in 1 sitting.

Day 4: Zla Kolata

Significance: Highest peak in Montenegro
Elevation: 2,564 m
Date climbed: July 4th 2018
Coordinates: 42.4850° N, 19.8972° E
Route Start / End: Point to point route from Çerem, Albania to wild campsite on south side of Zla Kolata
Route Distance: 17.1 km (10.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +1,457m / -1,148m. Net -309m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zla_Kolata

By avoiding the screening of the World Cup quarter final nonsense I managed to get an early night. It was just as well as the next day was epic. This was Zla Kolata, the High Point of Montenegro. It was a monster.

The morning was a nice ascent through forests and meadows up to pass on the Albania/Montenegro border. We stopped for an hour for lunch while Geri met up with 2 local guides who would help us on the summit climb. I spent much of that hour looking up at the ascent in fear. From there it all looked like sheer cliff faces and steep ice.

Most of the actual ascent was fine. Taking it step-by-step tends to be much less daunting than from a distance anyway. The tricky bit was not far from the top where the only passing point on an icy ridge was a thin, rocky ledge with a long drop below it. My slipping fear was kicking in but I pressed on, helped enormously by the local guides.

For the final push to the top we were down to 8, with 5 of the group having decided they had met their limits. The final 20 mins was a steep, but relatively easy and mostly grassy scramble to the summit. It was well worth the effort as we were rewarded by clear 360 degree views of both countries. It was a good competitor to Toubkhal for the best summit view I’ve had so far.

The descent to the pass was the same route, although several bits were tougher than I remembered on the way up. I held back to keep fellow trekker Stephen company. He had been struggling with his feet since the first day and was slowed down due to the pain of red raw toes. To be honest, I was also glad of the slower pace to take my time on the steep parts.

With no villages close to the mountain, we wild camped that night. I enjoyed the best night‘s sleep in a tent for many years. In the morning we left the camp site for the final descent to the Valbona Valley. It was a short day ending at a very nice guest house for some beer, rest, reading and a celebration on completing a challenging 3-country trek.

 

Day 5: Zla Kolata to Valbonë

Elevation: from 1,486m to 960m
Date walked: July 5th 2018
Route Start / End: Point to point route from wild camp site south of Zla Kolata to Valbonë, Albania
Route Distance: 11.2 km (7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +424m / -962m. Net -538m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee

The final couple of days of the trip were more restful with a boat & bus transfer back to Tirana and some free time in the city. This trip was epic: a perfect combination of an awe-inspiring adventure, expert organisation and fantastic company. My first action after returning was to check the KE brochure for the next adventure....

LEFT: All 5 days: Mt Korab to the South East and Djerevica/Kolata trek to the centre North

ABOVE: Djerevica/Kolata from right to left. Green = Day 2: Djerevica, Blue = Day 3: plateau walk, Red = Day 4: Zla Kolata, Yellow = Day 5: Valbone descent

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, Mountain, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, MontenegroComment
Hautnez - Guernsey Island High Point
IMG_3405.jpg

Significance: High point of the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands
Elevation: 111 m
Date climbed: 17/06/2018
Coordinates: 49° 25' 55'' N, 2° 35' 44'' W
Route Start / End: car park in front of  Guernsey Airport Terminal building
Route Stats: Approx 2 metres walk up the grassy bank between the car-park and the main road, 1 m elevation!
Subsidiary tops on route: none
Web: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=9555

 
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Richard gowerGuernsey, Channel Islands, Country High Points, Island High PointsComment
Not Walking to Teide and Alto de Garajonay
Mt Teide

Mt Teide

Mt Teide

Significance: High point of Tenerife, The Canary Islands and Spain
Summit height: 3,717m
Highest point reached: 3,555m
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)

I don’t remember much about visiting Mt Teide. I’ve definitely been before, at least to the bottom of the Teleferico (cable car). Judging from the old photos it must have been about 35 years ago.

I do remember talking with my dad about going up again when I was an early teenager. This was in my less adventurous days and I was scared when my dad told me that the air would be thinner up there. I had this fear that it would be too thin for him and he would have a heart attack. I realised today that he would have been about the same age as I am now ... which I’ve now decided is really really young.

So, on my first trip back in over 20 years and with a well developed adventure obsession, I had to make it to the top. I’d made all the plans: permit, pre booked tickets, all the right clothing. The only problem was that it was February and the trail from the upper cable car station was shut due to ice.

Despite the near miss of reaching the summit, Timi and I had an amazing day. We ticked off the Teide National Park UNESCO site and got some amazing photos of the peak and Los Roques de Garcia before the clouds came down.

I was a bit disappointed in not getting to the top but February is always a risk. It’s was the same reason we didn’t get to Mt Olympus in Cyprus 3 years ago. After all, our mission for the week was to have a relaxing end of winter break, not to get to the summit. Anway, I figured that we would have better luck climbing Alto de Garajonay on Friday.

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Alto de Garajonay

Significance: High point of La Gomera
Summit height: 1,487m
Highest point reached: 1,250m

Whilst a Teide trip is simple to organise, La Gomera is trickier. We wanted a 1 day trip from where we were staying in Costa Adeje, Tenerife. I started researching 6 weeks before. The first company that I emailed obviously hadn’t got the knack of using computers. After 2 weeks with no reply to my enquiry I emailed again. Apparently their reply was stuck in their draft folder. They sent me as brief an email as they could muster, so I replied with a few basic questions. No response.

With a bit more research I found another company that had a few interesting trekking options on their website. I picked one and paid online, giving all the details they asked for, including the hotel where we were staying it. It was a good sign that I got a response straight away, but strange that they were asking me again where I was staying. I told them our hotel name and within minutes got a refund with a blunt email saying I that I could not join the trip as I was not staying on the island. After a bit of back and forth with me trying to explain how god customer service works, I gave up.

Attempt #3 was prompted by an email from my hotel asking if there was anything they could do to help with our upcoming stay. They even had an Experience Centre with a dedicated email address. I wrote to them to explain what we wanted to do on La Gomera. No reply. Was the island was actively trying to discourage tourists? By now I’d given up hope of making arrangements in advance and decided to chill out and sort out when I got to Tenerife.

Once we’d arrived at the hotel and settled in Timi and I went to the hotel’s Experience Centre to ask about La Gomera. Having not quite got to the top of Teide we were determined to bag at least one island summit. I asked whether the jeep safari they offered would go to Alto de Garajonay, the highest point on the island. The guy made a phone call and confirmed that yes, it definitely did. Result.

On the day of the trip we were picked up early and taken on the ferry from Los Cristianos to San Sebastián de la Gomera. Soon after arriving the jeep convoy stopped at a nearby viewpoint and the main guide explained the day’s agenda. It all sounded great but was a bit odd that he didn’t mention to stop at the summit. I asked him about it... “no, unfortunately we don’t go there, it’s a bit of a hike and no tour company goes there.” I was, as you could imagine, not amused.

The tour itself was OK but not special and certainly nothing to make up for the lack of summiting. We did the usual stops for the Aloe Vera Farm, Banana Plantation, local lunch and Botanical Gardens. All fairly interesting but not worth the money we’d paid for, especially as I’d been there before. So close.

Back at the hotel I made sure they understood my frustration and eventually got my money back. I’ll spare you the details here as my Tripadvisor review explains it well.

So, the learning for La Gomera is not to go with an excursion if you want to get to the high point. Don’t believe anyone who tells you they go there unless you’re sure they completely understand that Alto de Garajonay doesn’t mean just the National Park that surrounds it. You may have better luck than I did with a local company on Gomera, just don’t expect good customer service.

We plan to go back but we’ll organise it ourselves now that we know what to do and where to go. The best plan seems to be to go by ferry on foot and hire a car on La. Gomera. Our first plan had been to take our Tenerife based rental car over on the ferry, then we found out that most rental companies don’t allow it. The island roads from the port to the national park are good and there’s several parking spots around the trail to the summit. We will probably stay on the island for a few days and check out the many other trails too.

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So close

Roque de Agando - volcanic plug, a highlight of the centre of La Gomera

Roque de Agando - volcanic plug, a highlight of the centre of La Gomera

 
Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Country High Points, Spain, Canary Islands, Island High PointsComment
Les Platons - Jersey Island High Point
High point is next to the big golf ball

High point is next to the big golf ball

Significance: High point of the island of Jersey, Channel Islands
Elevation: 136 m / 143m (different sources)
Date climbed: 10/06/2017
Coordinates: 49° 14' 39'' N, 2° 5' 35'' W
Route Start / End: Circular from car park on Rue des Platons
Route Distance: 1.7 km (1.1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 31m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): Jersey Cycle Route 1
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Country High Points, Jersey, Coast, Island High PointsComment
Walking Mount Toubkal, Morocco's Highest Peak
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The idea for our Mount Toubkal trip came about 6 months earlier when Timi was making plans for my 40th birthday. Rather than having a big party I wanted to do something special together and Timi found an escorted trip run by Audley, the travel agency we’d used for our honeymoon. From the start I knew that it would be a special trip, not just because it would be a great adventure, but because we would be doing it together. Timi had got more into trekking in the last couple of years but this would be a huge step. At 4,167m, 3 times higher than the UK’s tallest peak, this would be a serious mountain.

Day 1: Imlil to Refuge Toubkal Les Mouflons

Date: May 4th 2015
Start: Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil, 42152, Morocco
Finish: Refuge Toubkal Les Mouflons
Distance: 10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +1,317m / -20m. Net +1,297m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None
Other Routes Touched (Walk): None

Our trek to the highest point in North Africa started from Kasbah du Toubkal in Imlil, the mountain’s trailhead village. We met our guide Mo at 09:00 on the morning of the trek. Mo introduced us to the team who would be accompanying us up the mountain. This included 5 mules and 4 muleteers who would carry our bags, the food and the overnight camp. Mo plus 1 mule, who we named Terry, and his muleteer walked with us whilst the rest went ahead.

The first day of the trek followed a river up the valley towards Basecamp. We had walked the first hour of it the previous day on an acclimatization hike to Aroumd, the village where the road ends. It was a nice warm day and we walked the 10k in shorts and t-shirts.

We got to know our guide Mo well over the course of the trip. Mo is short for Mohammed which is an Arabic name although he’s actually a Berber. Mo explained that the Berbers are the original inhabitants of much of North Africa and their culture has evolved with the various occupiers over the centuries. Their original name is Amazigh but when the Romans invaded they named them Berbers (“Barbarians”) due to their different language and customs. This naming is linked to the Bavarians in Southern Germany whom the Romans regarded similarly.

When the Arabs invaded in the 7th Century it brought a new language, religion and customs. The French occupation from the 1920s then introduced a third language. Although Mo considers himself to be a Muslim, he prefers to follow the spirit of the faith rather than practice it strictly. In talking to Mo it was clear that he had strong values around people and being honest. These are particularly good virtues to have when you trust your life to someone up a very high mountain.

About every kilometre there was a small Berber-run shop selling food, drink and souvenirs to the passing trekkers. We stopped at one of these for lunch which was a very large meal of meatballs, pasta and salad. We chatted to a young guy from Chicago whom we had seen a few times on the way. He was on his own with just one porter to carry his bags. His plan was to walk up to the summit then parachute down whilst filming it on his Go-Pro. His trip was a complete contrast to ours as he seemed to have just turned up without much of a plan, least of all about how his descent would go.

At one stop on route Mo pointed out that many of the mules supporting other groups were heavily overloaded. The 5 mules that carried our gear may sound a lot, but the camping and cooking equipment and the clothing for the trip soon adds up. 2 people’s gear split between 5 mules is a safe weight per animal. Many groups were going up with mules carrying twice our amount. It wasn’t nice to see, especially when we saw one fall over on a tricky corner due to the weight of his load.

As we approached our camp for the night we were reaching the snowline and the free-flowing rivers and waterfalls were turning to snow and ice. Camp was a flat(ish) area next to the river, just short of Basecamp. When we arrived we rested by the river whilst the muleteers set up camp and prepared the evening meal.

Camp was 5 tents, 1 for us, 1 for Mo, a toilet tent plus a dining tent and a kitchen tent. The 4 muleteers would sleep in the dining & kitchen tents once we’d gone to bed. After another big meal we retired to our own tent for a few hours of restless sleep before the big summit day. The nice surprise of the night was the birthday present that Timi had brought with her and showed me that evening. It was a 15 minute video she had made of birthday wishes from my friends. It was a lovely thought and was really funny.It also made the remoteness of the location feel much closer to home.

Day 2: Refuge Toubkal Les Mouflons to Imlil

Date: May 5th 2015
Start: Refuge Toubkal Les Mouflons
Finish: Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil, 42152, Morocco
Distance: 17.9 km (11.1 miles)
Elevation change: +1,020m / -2,331 m. Net -1,331m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None
Other Routes Touched (Walk): None

Day 2 started with a 04:00 alarm call and a dark stumble to the dining tent for breakfast. After getting kitted up and with head-torches on we started the ascent at 05:00. In 45 minutes we reached Basecamp, otherwise known as the Neltner Refuge. This is the part where the trail takes a sharp and steep turn to the left away from the river. We stopped for a while to strap crampons to our boots before tackling the snowy slope.

The first section from the Refuge was a hard slog up a kilometre of a steep snowy climb. We were still warming up and waking up and the dark didn’t help either. By the end of this part our energy levels were pretty low. This was the point that was the hardest for Timi and she was questioning whether she could complete the whole climb. A rest on a rock, some water and a bag of Haribo did the trick and we continued again for the next section.

The ascent flattened out a bit and we took another hour to reach the top of the snow and ice. Now we could take our crampons off and walk the rest of the way on rock. This was also the point where the views became stunning as we could now see over the other side of the mountain across the High Atlas and beyond to the Sahara. In the distance we could see the parachute guy who we met the previous day slowly walking down. Obviously the parachute jump didn’t seem like such a good idea from the top.

After another 30 minutes we could finally see the metal pyramid that marked the summit. Toubkal is positioned within a range of other peaks and there’s many twists and turns before you get to the top, so the summit is hidden for most of the trip. Suddenly we could see it, still a long way off but it was a morale booster as we knew we would make it.

The final section was steep and rocky and required careful footwork. There was a particularly scary 10 metre section that was a thin ledge of snow and ice over a sheer drop. Crossing it meant stepping into the compacted footprints in the snow left by the previous walkers. A slip would have been disastrous.

Finally we reached the Summit and entered into quite a party atmosphere of celebrating trekkers. It was really emotional for Timi as the 4 hours of focus and determination gave way to the huge sense of pride and achievement of getting there.

We took some time at the top to take photos, take in the view, rest and have lunch. From the Northern side of the plateau we could see all the way down to the start and end point at Imlil. It was a very long way in the distance and a daunting prospect as we would have to get all the way back down there before the evening.

As we ate lunch and looked across to the other Mountains, Mo told us stories of helicopter crashes in the area. I’m not sure if it was the best time for such stories, but they were interesting nonetheless. One crash happened only a few months ago when a helicopter was called out to rescue a distressed trekker and it hit the side of the mountain. Mo also told us of another story going back to the 1980s of an American Military helicopter crashing into the mountain during the winter. It was carrying weapons and money and was only found the following spring. The story is that the locals “retrieved” the contents and although the government got the weapons, the money was never seen again. There’s a rumour that the money found in the crash was used to fund the renovation of the Neltner Refuge. The descent was significantly easier and started off well. We were nervous about going back over the scary icy section but Mo took us a different way that avoided it. After about 20 minutes Timi was feeling pain in her knee. Mo had a knee support handy which helped a lot but it was still a worry as there was a lot of down still to go.

We reached the snowline again and Mo decided that we didn’t need to put the crampons back on. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea as the first section was steep and I’m a bit nervous of slippery descents. Mo helped us down the tricky bits until it flattened out. Then came the fun part. Previous trekkers had created toboggan runs in the snow that were easy to follow. All we had to do was sit down in them, put our feet up and let gravity do the rest. We were able to take these runs down all the way to the Refuge. It was fun and exhilarating and was a great way to get down without putting pressure on Timi’s knee. We made the total descent to the Refuge in just over an hour, a quarter of the time it took to walk up.

After a late lunch at our camp it was time to walk back to the Kasbah. Timi swapped walking for mule riding and she and Terry (the Mule) headed down the rocky path with Mo and the muleteer in front and me behind. The mules are amazing in how they can negotiate the uneven, often steep, trails with a fully laden pack. At a fast pace we were back down in 3 hours, arriving back at the Kasbah just before 19:00.

The rest of the evening was short. Despite being hungry and less than 100m from the dining room, we couldn’t find the energy to walk anymore and went straight to bed. All-in-all, a long, challenging, exhausting, exciting, fun and inspirational day.

Reflecting back on the trip a few weeks later, it was exactly the right way to celebrate my 40th birthday. Getting older doesn’t bother me as long as I’ve made the most of the time that I’ve had so before. So far I’ve loved all of it.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Country High Points, Africa, MoroccoComment
Kékes: Hungary High Point

Significance: Highest Point in Hungary
Parent Peak: TBC, possibly Javorie, Slovakia
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Javorie, Slovakia
Elevation: 1,104m
Date climbed: August 17th, 2014
Coordinates: 47° 52' 21'' N, 20° 0' 31'' E
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)
Links: Wikipedia (Hungary / Kékes), Peakbagger

The highest point in Hungary is very easy to tick off as you can drive to the top. There’s a lot of hiking options around but Timea and I were on a driving tour of the north and east of the country and decided to do it as a drive-by. The summit is marked by a stone painted in the colours of the Hungarian flag.

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, HungaryComment
Walking Kilimanjaro by the Lemosho Route
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Day 1: Lemosho Glades to Lemosho Forest Camp

Date: February 8th 2013
Start: Parking at end of dirt road, Lemosho Glades, ~2,230m elevation
Finish: Lemosho Forest Camp, Mti Mkubwa, ~2,650m elevation
Distance: 4.7 km (2.9 miles)
Elevation change: +422m / -5m. Net +418m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Northern Circuit
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 2: Lemosho Forest Camp to Shira One Camp

Date: February 9th 2013
Start: Lemosho Forest Camp, Mti Mkubwa, ~2,650m elevation
Finish: Shira One Camp, ~3,500m elevation
Distance: 9 km (5.6 miles)
Elevation change: +890m / -83m. Net +807m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Northern Circuit
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 3: Shira One Camp to Shira Hut

Date: February 10th 2013
Start: Shira One Camp, ~3,500m elevation
Finish: Shira Hut, ~3,840m elevation
Distance: 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
Elevation change: +386m / -3m. Net +383m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Northern Circuit, Shira Route
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 4: Shira Hut to Barranco Camp

Date: February 11th 2013
Start: Shira Hut, ~3,840m elevation
Finish: Barranco Camp, ~3,900m elevation
Distance: 9.8 km (6.1 miles)
Elevation change: +732m / -651m. Net -81m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Machame Route,
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

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Day 5: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Date: February 12th 2013
Start: Barranco Camp, ~3,900m elevation
Finish: Karanga Camp, ~4,000m elevation
Distance: 4.9 km (3.0 miles)
Elevation change: +335m / -279m. Net +56m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Umbwe Route, Machame Route,
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Date: February 13th 2013
Start: Karanga Camp, ~4,000m elevation
Finish: Barafu Camp, ~4,600m elevation
Distance: 3.8 km (2.4 miles)
Elevation change: +593m / -0m. Net +593m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Umbwe, Machame, Mweka
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 7: Barafu Camp to Millenium Camp via Ulhuru Peak

Date: February 14th 2013
Start: Barafu Camp, ~4,600m elevation
Finish: Millenium Camp, ~3,800m elevation
Distance: 13.6 km (8.5miles)
Elevation change: +1,217m / -2,062m. Net -845m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Umbwe, Machame, Mweka, Northern Circuit, Rongai, Marangu
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 8: Millenium Camp to Mweka

Date: February 15th 2013
Start: Millenium Camp, ~3,800m elevation
Finish: Mweka, ~1,650m elevation
Distance: 11.5 km (7.1 miles)
Elevation change: +0m / -2,142m. Net -2,142m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Mweka
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

The Complete Route

Each colour represents 1 day from North-West (red) to South-East (blue)

Photos by Richard Gower, Brian Gatt, Simon Livings, Lisa Zardoni, Anna Mansley and Kevin Doble

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, Mountain, AfricaComment
Ben Nevis: Inverness-shire County Top
View from the Pony Track

View from the Pony Track

Also known as: Beinn Nibheis
Significance: Highest peak in Inverness-shire (Historic County Top), Highland (Council Top), Mainland Great Britain/Scotland/UK Country Top, Ben Nevis and Glen Coe NSA High Point
Member of: Munro, Marilyn
Parent Peak: N/A.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Melderskin, Norway
Elevation: 1,344m
Date climbed: 21st May 2005 and July 28th 2012
Coordinates: 56.7969° N, 5.0036° W

Route Start / End: Ben Nevis Inn, Achintee Rd, Achintee, Fort William, PH33 6TE
Route Distance: 15.5 km (9.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 1,306m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: none
OS Trig Pillar: TP1289 - Ben Nevis
Map: OS Explorer 392: Ben Nevis and Fort William
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Cicerone Guide: Ben Nevis and Glen Coe
Links: Wikipedia (Inverness-shire), Wikipedia (Ben Nevis), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

I’ve completed two ascents of the UK’s tallest mountain. Both were on unofficial self-organised Three Peaks Challenges. We weren’t bothered by doing it in the normal 24 hour window, so did it in a more leisurely 36 hours. This allows for an overnight stay and removes the need for a support driver.

On my first attempt we completed the challenge in a whisker under the 36 hours. We stayed in Fort William on the night before, did Ben Nevis in the morning, lunch in the Ben Nevis Inn, and drove to a hotel near Scafell Pike. On the second day we did an early ascent of Scafell Pike, then drove to Snowdonia for the Snowdon ascent.

My second Three Peaks attempt, with a different group, didn’t go quite so well. We ended up doing four peaks, but not the ones that we intended. I’ll save that story for the Scafell Pike post.

Unless you’re particularly adventurous and very experienced there’s one route up and down a Ben Nevis: The Pony Track. It’s a safe route with little navigation required. On both of my ascents the visibility at the top was extremely poor and the return from the summit to the track wasn’t obvious. Yes, it’s a relatively easy climb but don’t beget caught out and do all the usual mountain prep and precautions.

Richard gowerUK County Tops, Mountain, Trek, Scotland, Inverness-shire, Trig Pillar, Country High Points, Island High PointsComment
Sněžka: Czech Republic High Point

Significance: Highest Point in the Czech Republic
Parent Peak: Hoher Ifen, Germany/Austria NHN: Malý Kriváň, Slovakia
Elevation: 1,603m
Date climbed: Summer 2021
Coordinates: 50° 44' 9'' N, 15° 44' 23'' E
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)
Links: Wikipedia (Czech Republic / Sněžka), Peakbagger

I bagged the high point of the Czech Republic sometime in the Summer of 2001 while I was living in Prague. Stangely I have no photos of the trip at all. This was a year before I bought my first digital camera but I had since scanned in every paper photo that I had taken. I have a lot of photos of my time in the Czech Republic, just not of this day. It’s strange as, although it was a while before I got into High-Point bagging, this would still have been a big day out.

My only memories were that I went with my Czech girlfiend (at the time), her brother and probably a couple of other Czech mates. The walk to the top was straightforward and we had an amusingly named drink called Pschitt! in the cafe at the top. I was also interested to see the mobile phone provided switch between Czech and Polish as we crossed over the border between the 2 countries at the top.

I know that the country is now called Czechia but I still can’t get used to it.

Richard gowerTrek, Country High Points, Czech RepublicComment