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The fantastic Dolomites!
Mountain Experience were delighted to work with HF Holidays and Salamander Adventures this year, leading spectacular walks in the Dolomites, Italy. (Click on the pictures for a full view).
The route is a around 131km, spread over 8 days of walking, with a total ascent of 5,802m and total descent of 8,358m (excluding two cable car ascents). The high point is the central peak of Einserkofel at 2,765m, which is over twice the height of Ben Nevis. To put the ascent into context, that’s more than walking to Everest base camp from sea level!
We stay in a mixture of good hotels and mountain huts, with each hut in a spectacular mountain location. But there’s no roughing it! Every hut serves tasty three course meals with a selection of wines or beer!
Pian di Cengia
The scenery changes every day and becomes more rugged further into the trip. We see flower filled alpine style meadows, rocky peaks where Trolls and Orcs must surely live, thought provoking remnants from First World War trenches and battlefields, Marmots and even a few Alpacas!
Mountain Experience will be returning to lead the same trek in 2023, more details
here …… https://www.salamanderadventures.co.uk/dolomites-guided trek
Amalfi Weather 2022
2022 has really surprised us with the weather in Amalfi this year. Mountain Experience have seen snow, flash floods and temperatures so hot that it was adversely affecting some of the clients and causing wildfires.
But of course, as ever, we had a fantastic time regardless!
See you next year? More details here …. https://www.explore.co.uk/holidays/amalfi-coast-walking
An alternative view
Mountain Experience are still working in partnership with Mont Blanc Adventures and Explore! On our most recent trip to the Amalfi coast Nigel was delighted to be guiding renowned artist Neil Pittaway.
The other team members were astounded with the speed and precision with which Neil was producing watercolours and sketches of the views during the week!
You can see a lot more of Neil’s work here …. https://www.njpittaway.co.uk/index.html along with news of his forthcoming exhibitions and links to other articles about his work.
We’re looking forward to seeing you on another trip, Neil!
The (almost) post Covid return of overseas adventures!
The world is constantly changing, there’s no doubt about that! During the many international lockdowns, Mountain Experience have wrapped up their UK operations and relocated to Southern Spain. Nigel will still continue to work with select companies and has recently enjoyed a fabulous return to The Amalfi Coast. The weather was really changeable and his Explore! walking group enjoyed sleet, snow, rain, fog and sun. Of course lots of great food, wine, gelato and limoncello was enjoyed too!
fall on Amalfi
Naples / Salerno watershed
The 2019 Expeditions have started!
What better way to kick off the 2019 overseas season than to return to our second home here on the Amalfi Coast?
Positano is secreted in the bowl of cloud, with the peninsula stretching away toward Capri.
The Chestnut wood is being harvested, giving us the chance to see the hard working mules making it all possible.
Mules are still an integral part of the harvest process for the Chestnut woods, reaching areas that motorised vehicles can’t.
The wild flowers and herbs are simply stunning and grow wherever you look.
Wild Garlic is flowering alongside many of the walks, with a subtle but alluring smell!
A beautiful (and poisonous!) Fire Salamanader. They are usually nocturnal, but will come out on a rainy day.
We’ve experienced some wet weather, but even that has a silver lining with the appearance of several Fire Salamanders that are usually so secretive. There are lots of smaller creatures too, if you can spot them.
This is a “Scarabaeus Sacer” or Sacred Scarab beetle. It’s a dung roller that can shift many times it’s own body weight.
Pasquale catching a pizza he’s just spun.
And of course, what better way to finish the day than to eat a freshly cooked, wood fired, handmade pizza and some fantastic organic wine?
Autumn brings a close to the summer expeditions with Mountain Experience.
A great summer of expeditions drew to a close this month. Mountain Experience together with Explore! enjoyed three weeks of walking around Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy.
40 clients over three weeks enjoyed great food, fantastic views and for most of the time, great weather.
The view from a walk high above the lake.
“We were particularly pleased, once again, to have Nigel as our leader! His combination of local knowledge, historical data and great sense of humour made the walks all the more entertaining. However, this did not detract from the fact that he was very professional in all aspects of safety, organising great ‘continental’ picnics, and seemingly effortlessly booking a different restaurant for every evening. This certainly helped the group to bond well together and I think we all felt quite spoilt! He even managed to fix the weather!” said Marianne from Hove.
Great feedback, but even Nigel can’t take credit for the weather!
A dip in the “solar heated” pool was as good as an ice bath for tired legs!
Every village had fabulous views over the lake.
A wet Gambian summer
Mountain Experience were privileged to join Marlborough Brandt Group and Venture Force for their summer expedition to Gunjur in The Gambia.
Together with local volunteers, the team started the first steps in what will be an excellent resource for the community. Mangoes grow in abundance in the season, but there are so many, that a significant proportion end up rotting on the floor. The community want to use this fantastic resource all year round and want to earn “Fair Trade” status for their orchard and future products.
This fence was erected by Marlborough Brand Group together with Venture Force and local volunteers. It’s the first step in the long process of making a Fair Trade mango orchard.
The team took down an old broken fence, which they then replaced with new posts and fencing. Future work is planned to instal a toilet block, solar powered bore hole pumps and infrastructure to make jams, chutney and dried fruit throughout the year.
The team also undertook cultural visits to the local elders, and visited other parts of the country, learning about their history and current wildlife.
First used as a prison to break the will of slaves before they were put onto a ship, then used as a fort to stop slavers transporting people down river.
R and R at Bintang Bolong lodge
Of course, at this time of the year, it’s rainy season in Gunjur. The team didn’t let this stop their work though, and they embraced the rain, using it as part of their washing routine!
Lucie from Venture Force “enjoying” the rain!
The Fantastic Dolomites!
As a finale for the early summer’s tours with Explore and Mont Blanc Adventures, Mountain Experience seized the opportunity for a short notice walking tour based in Dobbiaco, Sud Tyrol.
Lago Di Dobbiaco or Toblachersee
This fascinating region was previously part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was ceded to Italy following the bitter trench warfare across the mountains during the first World War. Although it is now proudly part of Italy, the area still retains a much more “Austrian” feel with a more northern cuisine and most people speaking German as their lingua franca. Just about everywhere has got two names, one in Italian and one in German.
The scenery is absolutely stunning with breathtaking views in every direction.
Looking back into Italy from the Austrian border
Stunning Dolomite scenery
11 clients undertook journeys on foot, by bus, train and cable car, thus ensuring the maximum time could be spent on the trails that criss cross the area, even strolling back and forth into Austria on one day. Walks took us below the iconic peaks of the Tre Cime and culminated with ascents of Monte Elmo (2,443m) and Monte Arnese (2,550m) on the Italian Austrian border. Several of the team enjoyed themselves so much that they are already planning a return visit for next year!
Looking on to the north faces of the stunning Tre Cime
It’s not all blood and sweat you know!
Mountain Experience took advantage of a short stop over in Venice whilst waiting for the latest batch of clients to arrive. Between repacking kit and shopping for the next day’s picnic, Nigel was able to make a lightening quick dash in to Venice and see the main sights. Top Tip? Buy the coffee away from St Mark’s Square!
It’s not all work you know!
The famous Rialto bridge of Venice
That’s it for Amalfi this year
What a fantastic month in Amalfi this year. We’ve experienced some of the clearest views ever, some of the wettest most torrential rain and some of the best food and wine Italy has to offer!
60 clients this month have enjoyed trekking the coastline and surrounding area, with trips to the jewel of Capri, stunning Ravello and Pompeii thrown in for good measure.
Brilliant blue sky isn’t always needed.
As usual, the Valle Delle Ferrier was a favourite for most walkers, and of course the world famous Walk of the Gods continues to impress even on cloudy and wet days.
This view never fails to impress.
Some times it’s nice to just relax at the end of a month’s walking!
After a month of superb walks, it was great to kick back on the hot beach with a cold swim and a colder beer! See you next year!
Mountain Experience 