The wanderlust is brewing deep inside me. Mind you, I would always rather be traveling (even when there isn’t a global pandemic keeping me home). In fact, I will go just about anywhere. There is so much to learn from other people in different places- so much to see, to hear, to smell, and possibly even taste (although I am not so adventurous when it comes to food). Living in the UK for the last ten years has opened up much of Europe to me, for both short city breaks and longer holidays away. We have even made it to a few different continents too and try to pack in as much as we can when abroad.
While it has been nice to explore England a bit more this year, I am ready to get out there again. I am waiting with bated breath for possible trips to Italy to go ahead in February (for skiing) and March (to run the Rome Marathon). Tokyo Marathon has been rescheduled for October 2021, meaning all my fingers and toes are crossed for me to cross the world and land safely in Japan. I have even booked a cruise to Antarctica for 2022, so it might be safe to say that I have been in denial a few times lately when booking these trips.
Now that autumn is here and the leaves are changing, I am starting to think of the mountains. Much of my childhood was spent skiing at a local mountain while my dad was on ski patrol. Over the last 10 years or so, I have made it to even higher mountains, sometimes on skis and sometimes on foot. I thought I would take you back to a few of my favourite trips to the mountains in case you are looking for travel inspiration.
Seward, Alaska, USA, 2007
In the summer of 2007, as part of my master’s degree program, I was an intern at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The photo above is one of the first outings our intern cohort took. We were somewhere on the Kenai Peninsula in dry suits and rafts. We were all in awe of the majestic beauty around us (I am pretty sure we just floated down the river with our mouths hanging open at the views). I was definitely no longer in the Midwest. We spent lots of time hiking, looking for glaciers, having campfires, and dancing in the Seward Alehouse. It was an amazing summer and I am so glad I went there.
Seward itself is on the sea but has a large mountain next to it (which you are meant to run up if there is a tsunami). For my running readers, Seward has a famous 5K race up Mount Marathon on 4th of July in which you run/scramble to the top (over 3,000 feet) and back down again. It is very hard to get entry to and a super tough race. Perhaps you can cheer the runners after the parade is over if you aren’t lucky enough to gain entry next year.
Red Mountain Resort, British Columbia, 2010
James and I flew from Michigan to Spokane, Washington where our friend, Jamie, picked us up. We drove into Canada, where Jamie lived at the base of Red Mountain resort. Our first night, we snowshoed through fresh powder to a little shelter on the mountain for a cup of hot coffee before heading back down. I had to borrow powder skis from Jamie but still couldn’t quite figure out how to manoeuvre through the fluffy snow. I guess I am more comfortable on ice.
This trip sticks out for me because James proposed in Spokane the night before we flew back home. It was along the river, rather than in the mountains, but a lovely memory just the same.
Verbier, Switzerland 2011
One of James’s uni friends owns a chalet in the Verbier resort area. Their gang used to go on a ski trip every year, but now many of the couples have kids and work full-time, so it is much more challenging to get nearly 20 people all in the same place at the same time (sadly the chalet doesn’t fit us all either). Apres ski has been replaced with nap time and we don’t quite get out the door as early to hit the slopes. However, every trip as a unique memory, from dance routines, trips to the local spa when the snow was rubbish, and even late night whiskey tasting when the kiddos are asleep. In this case, I think the people around you are what make the memories, not just the view.
Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
When a colleague invited me to her wedding in South Africa, I could not resist a trip to this beautiful coastline. Two weeks during the British winter in the Cape Town sunshine literally changed my life. I had a week on my own, with a few days in Stellenbosch before heading to Cape Town, where I spent all my free time near the water. When James arrived, we took the cable car to the top of Table Mountain to enjoy the views. It was very hot and windy while we were there, so we were lucky we could get to the top as the cable car was shut most of our stay. We also cycled up Chapman’s Peak, meaning we were able to see the peak from another side of the bay.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 2018
In case you missed it, I summited Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women’s Day in 2018. You can read all about my trip to Africa’s highest point here. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I am not sure I would do it again. I have toyed with the idea of hiking to Everest Base Camp but there is no way I would want to go any further. There is a lot of training, preparation, and the whole “risk of death” puts me off. I like a little bit of work, a little bit of fun on my adventures. Kilimanjaro was a nice balance as you had long days of walking to talk to people, time at camp to relax or keep chatting, and plenty of time to sleep (which I am a big fan of).
Morzine, French Alps, 2021?
Aside from a passion for travel, I also enjoy winning freebies (who doesn’t?). Usually, I excel at ones that don’t require skill or knowledge. That is why I am feeling good about winning a complimentary week at AliKat’s Mountain Holidays in the French Alps. This post is my entry and I can’t wait to visit the Alps and Morzine in the summer of 2021 with 10 friends to stay at their new Chalet Harmonie (pictured above). What do you think of this view? In America, hot tubs are an essential part of apres ski so I might have to visit this resort in both the summer and winter so make best use out of their ski and boot room too.
Which mountains are your favourite to climb?
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