Looking at Gran Canaria on the map is like looking at a cartoon drawing of a paradise island. Off the coast of North Africa, it’s as circular as an island can be, is covered in rocky mountains and dense forests and, most importantly for a paradise island, it is surrounded by miles of beautiful blue ocean. Gran Canaria’s slice of the Atlantic is ripe with adventure all year round, whether you feel most comfortable far below the surface, bobbing on the waves or admiring from the shore. You can dive, submarine, jet ski, parasail, surf, windsurf, paddleboard, fish and sail on every corner of the i ..read more

Along each of the 43 stages of southern Europe’s Alpe Adria Trail lies a “Magic Place”. These are little natural gems where all of the elements come together in harmony and arrest your senses. Lakes, rivers, forests, mountains and waterfalls guide you from stage to stage so that the magic never ceases. In the near future, they will be recognised officially on maps of the trail so these wonderous sights will be right at your finger tips. You must be thinking, ‘what kind of utopia has so many of these magic places?’ The answer is Carinthia, the southernmost state in Austria and the country’s bes ..read more

With the sun starting to make an appearance, it’s time to leave the hustle and bustle of busy life and escape to the tranquillity of the trails with your family. We get that the thought of your first multi-day walking adventure may feel a little daunting with the added responsibility of bringing the little ones, and that’s where our friends at Contours Holidays come in. The company offer self-guided walking holidays in all the best places in the UK, with accommodation, luggage transfers and route planning included. You just have to worry about convincing the kids to keep their rain jackets on ..read more

Sometimes in the adventure community we only focus on staying warm in the cold. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lifesaver and we should absolutely know how to when the going gets chilly, but what about when you head to hotter climes? Being too hot or exposed can be just as uncomfortable and, in the extreme, dangerous. Well, our friends at Robens have thought all this through for us. One of the most exciting features of their Track Range of tents is the Flexpitch system. This allows you to fully pitch the tent, with fly sheet and mesh inner for full protection, choose just the mesh inner for max ven ..read more

St Helena Island is a subtropical paradise roughly halfway between Africa and South America – one of the most remote islands on Earth. Isolation has always been a part of life on the 47sq. mile island, but it has forged a community with an unmatchable sense of togetherness, culture, resilience, and hospitality. With a bourgeoning tourism industry, it is the perfect place to escape to this winter if you want to disconnect from the pressures of the modern world, and reconnect with what truly matters in life – people and nature. A world away from the dark and freezing UK winter, St Helena‘s hotte ..read more

As we await the warmth of summer and the frosty winds of winter continue to whisper past us, it’s key to keep ourselves well insulated on our adventures. But how do you choose an insulated jacket? And what type of insulation is best? We’ve teamed up with our friends at Rab, in a battle of the insulations; bringing you a guide that’ll help you choose whether to wear a down or synthetic insulated jacket on your next trip. Our weapons of choice? We’ve chosen none other than Rab’s Mythic G and Xenair Alpine lightweight insulated jackets to go head-to-head. Down for Unrivalled Warmth-to-Weight The ..read more

This piece was originally published in Wired For Adventure Volume 21. “To love.” In the house hanging off the cliff, my guide Alex was making a toast. “It moves everything in the world, in the universe. It is all because of love.” Having only had one hour of sleep thirteen hours ago, I was absolutely hanging off his every word. He was right, it was because of love. Why I was here, in this house, on this cliff in Georgia, eating this cheesy bread thing. I’d flown into Tblisi at 6am, checked into a hotel at 6:30, confused the receptionist checking out again at eight, and was whisked from the wri ..read more

There’s a comforting rhythm to walking a circular route. Beautifully unfolding with every step, these journeys allow you to discover remarkable scenery from different angles and create a mighty sense of fulfilment as you return to your starting point. They’re super convenient as well, as you can wander straight back to your car or to the station with return ticket in hand to carry on your day’s adventure. To find some of the best circular routes around, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Contours Holidays to bring you five cracking walking routes to try in the UK. Contours will deal with your ..read more

This interview with Mountain Rescue was facilitated by Helly Hansen and originally published in Wired For Adventure Volume 20. Tell us your name, age, how long you’ve been part of Mountain Rescue, your region, and your favourite local adventure? Gavin Findlay, Arrochar: I’m 58 with more than 15 years in Mountain Rescue. One of my favourite local “must-dos” is a winter ascent of Y-Gully on Cruach Ardrain. Walking through forests and a beautiful, secluded corrie, usually with wildlife to admire with my climbing partner – Siberian Husky Bella Koda. The route is Grade 1, but oft times I’m led onto ..read more

A skateboard might not be the first thing you reach for when you’re packing for your travels but really it should be. Plenty of people don’t let their board leave their side on an adventure because the world is full of incredible places to skate. Whether it’s for a cruise through the city, some mellow downhill in the forests, or slashing banks at a local park, there’s no better way to explore a new place and see the adventure in every street, park, rail and pavement. This is especially true because it’s such a global community. Even if you can’t speak the language, when you meet other skaters ..read more