Blog | Marmot UK

Reaching for more: Reimagining the motivation to climb

This is the kind of question I get asked a lot, from friends, climbers I know, climbers I don’t know, non-climbers and I even ask it myself. The answers come easily; there is always something, always a project, a trip, a plan or an adventure. For years now, decades even, I’d find a rapid answer in the form of some desperate climb, something really hard, close to impossible

The Magic of 8a: A Journey to 1000 Ascents

In the world of climbing, the grade 8a holds a certain mystique. It’s a number that signifies a big challenge and a boundary, that separates the dreamers from achievers. For many climbers, grades in the 7 are attainable but reaching for an 8a is a different story. It’s a milestone that embodies the pinnacle of climbing prowess, a dream realized only by a selected few.

Stephan Gander’s Experience at the Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2023

It was March 2023, as I was lying around very bored at home with an injured shoulder, when my brother Manuel called me:” Hey Stephan, do you want to join the Red Blue Dolomitenmann?” He was asked by his coworker to participate but unfortunately, he had already booked his holiday trip.

Le Voyage

Discover Le Voyage, one of the finest hard trad routes I've ever encountered! Climbed by James Pearson in 2017, it held the title of France's toughest traditional route. Over the years, it slipped from my focus, but a recent development reignited my interest.

Outdoor fun right outside your home

I have been a mountain guide now for more than 20 years and practice all varieties of alpinism. Nowadays as a mountain guide, I like to find fun and innovative routes to climb and offer these routes, which are mostly very performance driven, to more experienced climbers.

Is all snow the same?

When the first snowflakes fall in the high mountain regions in autumn, the ground begins to transform into a glittering world and the landscape slowly prepares for the upcoming winter. However, the snowpack is in constant transformation and this is also the main reason why the study of snowpack is so diverse and challenging.

Mountain guide – The most beautiful job in the world?

Especially in expert groups of the mountain sports scene, you can read it again and again that mountain guides have the most beautiful job in the world. In this article, I would like to take a closer look at this concise thesis and try to find an answer based on my path in the world of mountain sports.

Protecting the Alps – The Eagle Wings Project

Whether it’s adventurous skiing in the best powder snow in winter, extended hikes in the glorious spring sun or resting in one of the beautiful alpine huts – just about everyone knows and appreciates the beautiful Alpine region, as it is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.

The Wallride expedition – sustainable performance & fun

It’s done: the Wallride expedition was successful and Stefan Glowacz and Philipp Hans can look back with pride on what they have achieved. They biked more than 2,200km through the Alps, climbing more than 46,000 meters of altitude to achieve two completely new first ascents on prominent mountains.

The 3 Poles-Challenge and its mighty opponent

It is September 2021. For more than two years now we have had a specific goal in mind and have been training for this one expedition, the 3 Poles-Challenge. We have all our equipment lined up and almost ready to go. We have finalized the logistical plans as well as our own plans and even backup plans.…but wait, one very important thing is unfortunately still unclear.

Climbing in France or “the life of Riley” – Part 2

After a really nice time in Ailefroide, with multi-pitch climbs in breathtaking surroundings and the best pizza right at the foot of Mont Pelvoux, we decided to move on after a few days, even if this wasn’t an easy decision.

The call of the wild

Surely you know this inner demand that motivates you again and again to go out into the wild and makes you want to experience and feel adventures. I can truly understand that and I am sure that I am not alone with that, especially in this times where ” micro adventures” are really popular – out of the everyday life and right into the adventure!

Climbing in Bohuslän

One of my first experiences of climbing in Bohuslän was with my good friends Sebastian Blyckert and Aleksej Jaruta. I took the bus from Göteborg and they picked me up at the bus station in Hallinden. It was a beautiful summer evening and we went straight to the crag.

From the horizontal to the vertical

Day 42 of the Wallride expedition and boy, what have Stefan Glowacz and his friend Philipp Hans already experienced. Steep ascents, long descents, many encounters with wild animals and of course many interesting encounters with other outdoor enthusiasts.

Climbing in France or “the life of Riley” – Part 1

Dauphiné, Col du Lautaret, Briançon – admittedly, these buzzwords would rather come to mind when it comes to skiing, the Tour de France or great alpinism. Hardly anyone who has not already been here would associate the Haut Val Durance with great sport climbing, which for us Germans is more at home in the south of the French Republic.

Lofoten islands – climbing in the Caribbean beyond the Arctic Circle

It started with a photo that raised my interest right away: a perfect crack in polished granite, two climbers in t-shirts high above turquiose water, with endless islands and rough mountaintops in the background. “Where is this?!” my climbing heart immediately demanded.

Wallride – an expedition on the bicycle

For decades, the Marmot Mountain Club has consisted of a colorful mix of people who have made their love of nature and the mountains the focus of their lives. Mountain athletes, alpinists, campers, climbers, skiers, adventurers, etc. tell their stories and share them with like-minded people – regardless of age, gender, background or level of professionalism.

Van life – exploring the outdoors in style

Hello, my name is Hazel. First and foremost I am an outdoor professional and enthusiast. For most of my life I have spent more time outside than indoors. Developing a love for the mountains in my teenage years. Working as an outdoor instructor for many years before changing direction and bringing me to work for Marmot as a Sales and Training Representative in the United Kingdom.

Climbing the legendary Malham Cove

In the North of England, sitting quietly amongst the rolling green fields and moors of The Yorkshire Dales, sits the mighty Malham Cove, a huge cliff of brilliant white limestone with a vertical drop of over 80 meters. And right at the top of this wall of stone, huge bulges and roofs towering way above the grassy meadow below, like a frozen wave threatening to crash down.

How to acclimatize in the Alps

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps at 4810m and one of the hardest aspects of climbing it is getting your acclimatisation right. In this blog post I will talk you through a strategy for acclimatising in the Alps.

The outdoors is our playground

The outdoors is our playground. The hills, mountains and valleys, the cliffs, the paths, ridges and rivers. All offer huge adventure. And for many of us, in many parts of the world, they are free to explore. But at what cost? The entry price may be zero to our park, but as we travel for our fun, in our cars and vans and planes, the planet takes a beating.

How to become a mountain guide

Ever since I was a small boy I knew one thing - I loved climbing.I grew up in semi-rural Yorkshire in the north of England surrounded by small gritstone cliffs from 3 to 20 metres high. It was a perfect climbing playground, and I loved exploring the rocks and scrambling around.

Spring winter – the fifth season

Up north in Sweden we have a word for the season in between winter and spring. This season is the most appreciated throughout the year; the weather is sunny and warm enough to be outside in lighter clothes but there is still snow on the ground and perfect conditions for skiing, ice fishing or snowmobiling.

Crossing the (white) line.

“Towering above me, the huge wall of limestone seemed endless; it looked impossible for a human to scale. White chalk covered patches on orange rock drew me in, marking the way; someone had been there before. I tied in, excited to see how far I’d get…”