The Team Sherpa Blog

It was a long haul to Jasper, especially after a tough day of work. Carmen picked me up at exactly 18.00, and I jumped into the bright red car she had rented. It didn’t suit our style at all- a mid-eighties Volvo sedan would have been perfect, but it seems the rental agency has more demand for brand new sporty looking bean-shaped automobiles and thus
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The Canadian rockies are a tough place. Especially in early spring. Snow, ice, rock, water and anomalous weather can all be expected and encountered at any elevation at any time. Needless to say, packing can be a bit of a challenge (or not- I usually just end up bringing it all for the early season adventures). On the first weekend of June, I left with
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I slung my pack over one shoulder, zipped up my jacket, laced up my gaiters and pushed open the door. Up here on the Borken, the weather was… bad. A cold and icy wind howled, and the fog was so thick you couldn’t even make out the ground at your feet. Luckily the cake and coffee I’d eaten in the café helped ward off the
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At the tail end of the winter this year, I set off on an adventure that I had planned years ago but had never had the chance to complete. The adventure was simple: cross the entire Harz mountains of Central Germany on foot. It would be a walk through woods and low mountains on some of the most historic walking paths Germany had to offer;
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I was up before dawn, and ready to go at 7.00. I ate a small breakfast with a young Czech I had met the day before. He was heading up to Chopok to ski down the dangerous but “exciting” North face of the mountain; I wished him luck, and we both set out in opposite directions. There was a steep 200m climb up from Stefanik,
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I awoke in the morning at around 5 o’clock, as I usually do in the mountains. There is something special in wakeing early, starting your day as the world around also rouses itself. I fixed myself a cup of tea, and a heard some shuffleing around outside. I opened the door to a transfigured world. More than 80cm of snow had fallen during the night,
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"in the Nizke Tatra, nobody knows”, I was told. And it’s true. I had left Canada about 10 days earlier, after following weather and snow conditions in Central Slovakia for the past month. It was supposed to be spring. I was anticipating snow above 1500m, maybe some wet stuff a bit lower, but not deep winter. Needless to say, as I arrived in Donovaly amid
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I’m off and its on! I leave today for my latest and greatest adventure: the Nizke Tatra. After extensively researching (mostly internet- the type of listless surfing that leaves me exhausted and provides more questions than answers) I am ready to pack up my kit, fold up my maps and hit the road. Whilst I had hoped to post an equipment list before I left,
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In about a month, I’m heading off to Slovakia. My first reason for going is business, but my secret agenda involves mountains. Slovakia is a spectacular country, called by some “the roof of the Europe”(most of the country lies above 750 m). In the north of the country the Capathians create a natural border which rise up to full alpine glory in the High
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It’s so cold outside that I’m having trouble coaxing the hardened binding of my snowshoes over my hikers. I’m wearing thick wool socks inside the Kolyma boots, and short gaiters to keep the loose snow out. I notice that ice has already formed on the collar of my jacket near my mouth- vapor from my breath has passed directly from gaseous stage to solid, forgoing
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