It’s sunny, inexpensive, easy to get to, has a varied array of skiing
and boarding options, and in your down time you can indulge in some
tax-free retail therapy. Tom Hutton travels to Andorra for a long
weekend of snow, blue skies and fine dining, in the belief that good
life just doesn’t get any better than this.
Andorra used to struggle to be taken seriously as a ski destination.
Now it’s impossible to ignore. In just a few short years, this tiny
principality, wedged tightly into a mountainous void in the heart of
the Pyrenees, has invested big-time; and the result is outstanding.
Andorra as a winter sports resort has truly come of age. It’s still
incredibly sunny, what else would you expect from somewhere jammed
between southern France and northern Spain? It’s still inexpensive to
both ski and shop, with a three-day lift pass coming in at less than 50
smackers and tax free designer gear that makes you feel like you’ve
made a profit from your trip. It’s a lot higher than most people
realise – well over 2,500m in places. And it’s all really easy to get
to, with five easily reachable airports right on its doorstep. On top
of that, it’s also damn good; with a recent snow record that matches
this excellent infrastructure.
Twelve of the finest mountains, can you climb them all in one weekend?
They may only just nudge the 700m mark, but Tom Hutton reckons that what Connemara’s Twelve Bens lack in altitude, they more than make up for in attitude. Join him in a frenzy of Ben bagging on Ireland’s west coast. Just be sure to steer clear of too much Guinness and Craic if you want to manage the lot.
If you like to get away from it all and trek far from the madding crowd, make sure that if anything unplanned and unpleasant happens to you or
your trek mates you’re prepared for it. Lara Dunn takes a lesson from
the experts on a ‘Surviving Adventure’ first aid course.
Most people signing up for a first aid course imagine themselves
breathing into a pink plastic torso lying on the floor of a draughty
village hall, under the watchful eye of a worthy individual with a mild
bandage fetish. The difficulty is translating the information learnt on
this kind of course into something useful when you’re out on the hill
or away somewhere wild and woolly. If you’re taught that an ambulance
will be along in a few minutes, how best to tackle keeping someone
alive 40 miles from the nearest road in a forced ten gale? This is
where wilderness/adventure/remote area first aid courses step in.
In a desperate bid to get back on a rock after a long winter’s lay-off,
Tom Hutton turns his back on the frost-ridden mountain crags and heads
for the sea cliffs of Cornwall, where the southerly latitude and the
close proximity of the Gulf Stream combine to provide perfect early
season climbing without numb fingers and toes.
By December I’m getting twitchy and by the end of January, almost
desperate. It’s all I can do to stop myself booking budget flights to
Spain, Portugal, Greece or anywhere else that might be able to provide
me with a few days of frostbite-free rock. By now I’ve long abandoned
the Snowdonia mountain crags but as winter really takes hold even
Pembrokeshire can feel a bit too chilly for anything more meaningful
than a few short, easy ascents in sheltered bays – and even then a
quiet sea is normally called for.
Everybody's been to Devon. But for most of us it's about time we went back. From the wilds of Exmoor to the Atlantic Coast, North Devon's rugged landscape makes an ideal location for a multi-activity trip. Choose from surfing, sea Kayaking, hiking, cycling, coasteering, eating pasties – the list goes on....
Devon's all about beaches, surf, shops, fish and chips, scruffy hair and big grins. The sea flavours everything you do there and life revolves around the beach. Beaches, rather, as there are dozens to choose from, and there will be one to fit with every activity you have in mind, every mood and almost every set of weather conditions.
It’s sunny, inexpensive, easy to get to, has a varied array of skiing
and boarding options, and in your down time you can indulge in some
tax-free retail therapy. Tom Hutton travels to Andorra for a long
weekend of snow, blue skies and fine dining, in the belief that good
life just doesn’t get any better than this.
Twelve of the finest mountains, can you climb them all in one weekend? 
Bandages, broken bones and bangs in Herefordshire
In a desperate bid to get back on a rock after a long winter’s lay-off,
Tom Hutton turns his back on the frost-ridden mountain crags and heads
for the sea cliffs of Cornwall, where the southerly latitude and the
close proximity of the Gulf Stream combine to provide perfect early
season climbing without numb fingers and toes. 
Everybody's been to Devon. But for most of us it's about time we went back. From the wilds of Exmoor to the Atlantic Coast, North Devon's rugged landscape makes an ideal location for a multi-activity trip. Choose from surfing, sea Kayaking, hiking, cycling, coasteering, eating pasties – the list goes on....