Blog

Day 1 The official Day 1 route is a hike along the Chamonix valley to the end before climbing out (below a cable car) to the Col de Balme followed by a descent into Trient where there’s a place to camp. My idea was to use the Balcony du Sud path instead which contours along the Chamonix valley on the opposite side to Mont Blanc, about mid-way up the mountain side. It’s a superb path w …

Getting There Easyjet flies direct to Geneva from Manchester so this was the preferred option, don’t be tempted to go via Schipol, it’s a nightmare. Geneva is the gateway airport for Chamonix so there are loads of options for transfers. I got caught out though, I booked a bus for an hour after the flight was due to land so this is what happened: Flight delayed out of Manchester, but …

Total weight (excluding Food, Water and Consumables): 5.884Kg (12lbs 15.9oz) Total weight with 3 days food, gas and 1L water: 9.386Kg (20lbs 11.7oz) I was intending to complete Chamonix to Zermatt high route using a mix of wild camps and camp sites. As I’m getting on a bit, I needed a backpack that was as light as possible without sacrificing comfort, as I would be using my tent for ten nig …

Chamonix to Zermatt is known as the Walker’s Haute Route and is an amazing journey of around 180km across some of the most beautiful passes in Switzerland. I completed the route in 2006 but wanted to experience it again in 2025, nineteen years since my first crossing and at the advanced age of 64. The traditional way to make the crossing is to use mountain huts and valley hotels, but for me …

Cost The cost of the trip depends very much on whether you camp every night or use accommodation, and how much you use campsites and restaurants for meals. The cost of cable cars is also significant, though of course you don’t have to use any of these, though I think the one from Le Chable to Les Ruinettes is well worth it. As it saves a full day, you can offset the cost of the cable car ag …

I was intending to complete Chamonix to Zermatt high route using a mix of wild camps and camp sites. As I’m getting on a bit, I needed a backpack that was as light as possible without sacrificing comfort, as I would be using my tent for ten nights straight. I’m a big fan of single skin trekking pole tents, you tend to get more internal volume for a given weight and I don’t m …

In order to make the right decision about what gear to take on a trip, it's imperative that you weigh everything and record it. That not only lets you know which of your two bits of similar gear are the lightest, but it also enables you to track your total pack weight as you swap in and out different pieces of gear. If you know your way around a spreadsheet — even better, because adding up a …

I took the Rab Muon 50 litre pack on a short backpacking trip to Scotland, grabbing 10 Munros in the process, new for Spring 2024 this was the first time I’d carried it. I was carrying about 11 kilos all in, so was travelling pretty light. The first thing to note is that a weight of 1062 grams for the men’s and 1036 grams for the women’s pack is pretty good. We always say a kilogram for …

There are basically three types of synthetic insulation used in outdoor jackets: 1. Sheet Insulation – Fibres are woven into a ‘mat’ structure and this is used to fill the jacket, this is the ‘traditional’ way of doing this and provides excellent warmth to weight and is pretty durable. 2. Loose Fill Insulation – This is where synthetic fibr …

Freeze Dried food is pretty good these days and here at UOG we Taste Test most of them and tell you our view – this causes arguments in the office so what you get is an average view – helpful if everyone thinks they are great or poor, but not so good if opinion is divided.Out on the trail though they can be improved, usually by the addition of one or more items that you take with you or buy …

A Waterproof jacket that will cope with most conditions will have a Hydrostatic Head of 20,000mm and an MVTR (breathability) of 20,000g/m2. In both cases, higher is better. 2 and 2.5 layer jackets are less durable than 3 layer jackets but tend to be lighter in overall weight and more packable. 2 and 2.5 layer can sometimes feel a bit clammy next to the skin because of the lack of an in …

#1 Take a Waterproof Cap: The hoods on shell jackets are generally pretty good, some have a decent peak but the lighter weight ones can be poor in this respect. None of them can beat wearing a waterproof cap under the hood though, the large peak keeps the rain off your face and it helps keep the hood from shifting when you turn your head. #2 Two bags are better than one: Check …