Alpine Adventure

For a while there, I had convinced myself I needed to get back to Nepal. The Himalayas have a pull that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there, and I’d already started lining things up in my head — Lobuche, Mera Peak… or maybe even a left turn to South America for Aconcagua. Classic escalation thinking. Higher, bigger, further.

If I’m honest though, I’d drifted into chasing summits instead of doing the thing I actually enjoy most — the hiking, the journey, the time out in the mountains. Not just ticking peaks off a list. Despite that, I’d gone as far as paying a deposit for Mera Peak this October.

But there’s one thing I learned the last time I was at high altitude: if your head’s not in the right place, it’s not going to be a great experience. Simple as that. And this time around, something felt… off. I hadn’t booked flights yet. I found myself watching what was going on in the Middle East and thinking about how that might impact travel. I was also keeping an eye on people I know who are out in the Himalaya right now, following their progress.

I half expected to feel that familiar pull — that knot in the stomach that says, “you need to be there.” But it never really came.

And that probably tells me everything I need to know.

Right now, I’m not mentally on point for a big Himalayan trip. It’s not fear or doubt — more just a lack of real interest. That spark isn’t there. I’ll give it another couple of weeks before making a final call, but the direction of travel feels pretty clear.

What is grabbing my attention instead is the Alps.

They’re closer, more accessible, and still offer more than enough to challenge and satisfy. You can get a proper mountain experience in a few days or a week, without committing to a full-blown expedition. It feels more aligned with where I’m at — both mentally and in terms of how I want to spend my time in the mountains.

So, in the first week of July, I’m heading to Stafal in the Aosta Valley in Italy. The plan is to climb a couple of 4,000m peaks — Pyramide Vincent (4215m) and Punta Gnifetti (4554m), both part of the Monte Rosa massif.

We’ll be staying in mountain refuges, moving as a small team, and guided by a local who knows the terrain inside out. After that, I’ve built in a few extra days for some lower-level hiking. A mix of effort and ease. That balance feels right.

It also feels like the kind of mountain experience I want to lean into going forward — less about the headline summit, more about the overall journey.

There’s still work to be done. The next 7–8 weeks will be about getting myself properly fit and ready. These aren’t highly technical climbs, but altitude is altitude, and it demands respect. I’ve been higher before, but that doesn’t buy you anything if you turn up underprepared.

So that’s where I’m at. Less Himalaya (for now), more Alps. And honestly, it feels like the right call.