Health · · 3 min read
Altitude sickness: what to know before 3,000 m
Symptoms, pacing and the rest days that make high-altitude trips safer and more enjoyable.
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The journal
Notes from the trail
Planning guides, month-by-month advice and practical notes for planning trips, written by the LuxPines editorial team.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
Ten days in the Dolomites without a car
Buses, cable cars and hut stays that link the Tre Cime, Seceda and Val Gardena.
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Trekking · · 4 min read
When to trek to Everest Base Camp, month by month
Spring and autumn windows compared, with what each month looks like on the trail.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
A road trip through the Kaghan Valley
From the plains town of Balakot up to the Babusar Pass, with stops for lakes, meadows and forest.
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Planning · · 3 min read
How to choose a trekking guide, operator and porters
Questions to ask, red flags to watch for and how to support fair treatment of porters.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
Hunza Valley in a week: a relaxed itinerary
Forts, viewpoints, a turquoise lake and glaciers, from Karimabad to Passu, with room to slow down.
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Health · · 3 min read
Mountain weather basics: how to read the sky and plan your day
Why the afternoon is riskier, how temperature falls with height and the signs that say it is time to turn back.
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Planning · · 3 min read
Photographing the mountains: light, weather and respect
Golden hour, storm light, simple composition and the manners that keep photography welcome.
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Planning · · 3 min read
Respectful travel in mountain villages: customs and good manners
Simple habits that make you welcome in village homes and keep tourism useful for the people who live there.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
Seven lakes in northern Pakistan you can reach without trekking
Turquoise reservoirs, a landslide lake and alpine water within a drive or jeep ride of a road.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
Skardu and Baltistan in five days
Turquoise lakes, dunes, restored forts and a summer trip to Deosai, from a base in Skardu.
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Seasonal · · 3 min read
Spring in the mountains: blossom, rhododendrons and wildflowers
Where to find blossom and flowers, and what to expect from snowmelt, mud and closed huts.
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Trekking · · 3 min read
The high lakes of Pakistan: Rush, Karambar, Dudipatsar and more
Six lakes above 3,000 m, with their heights, seasons and what it takes to reach them.
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Planning · · 3 min read
The Karakoram Highway: a practical guide
Where to break the long drive, what the road is like and how to plan around landslides and weather.
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Itinerary · · 3 min read
The Swat Valley in four days
Ancient stupas, trout beside the river, deodar forests and a lake at the end of a rough road.
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Trekking · · 3 min read
Training for your first trek: an eight-week plan
Weekly walks, stairs and loaded-pack days that build the stamina for a first multi-day trek.
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Planning · · 3 min read
What to pack for a mountain trip: a practical list
Layers, boots, rain and sun protection and the small items that make a long day easier.
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Seasonal · · 3 min read
Winter in the mountains without skiing
Snow walks, quiet villages and clear-sky viewpoints, plus the safety habits that matter in cold, short days.
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Planning · · 3 min read
How mountain huts work: refuges, rifugios and teahouses
Booking, half board, quiet hours and what to pack for Alpine huts and Himalayan teahouses.
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Trekking · · 3 min read
Kilimanjaro routes compared: Machame, Lemosho, Marangu and more
Seven routes, five to nine days. How to choose by scenery, crowds and acclimatisation.
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Seasonal · · 2 min read
Where to find autumn colour in the mountains
Where and when mountain regions turn gold, from Wyoming and the Dolomites to Hunza and Mount Fuji.
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