The light coming through the sleeper train window wakes me. It’s nearly time. Climbing down the ladder past the other snoozing occupants, I head into the corridor. A few hours ago there were only trees, an endless unfurling ribbon of spruce and birch. Now there is snow, vast banks of it. And sometimes, when the train roars through a big drift, great spumes of white blast out on either side, blocking any view.
In the restaurant car, I watch the map on my phone as a blue dot approaches a straight dashed line. A frozen lake and distant pale mountains appear. Then at 6.09am we cross the Arctic Circle. Forty-eight hours previously, I had been in London St Pancras station, queueing for the Eurostar. Now, five trains later, never having left terra firma, I am in the Arctic. Most of my fellow travellers are Swedes with hefty bags of skis and well-stocked sledges that look expedition-ready. With their weathered faces and lean muscle, they look intimidatingly capable.
My plan is a mini-expedition of my own: to ski to the highest mountain hut in the Swedish Arctic, and get back down in one piece. Because I have never used the particular type of skis required for going uphill, the plan seems ambitious.
The train passes through the mining town of Kiruna, then skirts the 43-mile (70km) long lake of Torneträsk. A pair of moose graze on the stunted birch trees. There are no more pines; we have passed beyond their limit of endurance. All around is the ethereal pale beauty of the hills, their summits soft with wind-puffed quiffs of snow powder.
At Björkliden, I disembark. The ski station is right next to the railway, which has almost reached its northernmost limit, curling through one more ski village, Riksgränsen, before heading west to the Norwegian port of Narvik. Within two hours of arriving, I am on skis, gingerly tackling a beginners’ slope.
Skiing in the Swedish Arctic has some immediate obvious differences to more southerly locations. After the spring equinox, the days are longer. By mid-May there is no darkness at all. You ski under the midnight sun. The weather is changeable and people pay special attention to the wind: the chill factor can be extreme. But there are similarities, too: I am still a wobbly skier. I take it easy. I spend a lot of time talking to veterans of the climb up to Låktatjåkko mountain hut.
“It’s 9km,” they tell me. “The last bit can be a challenge.”
I practise putting on my skins: long bands that fit over the underside of the skis and make them refuse to go backwards, even downhill. I cannot help wondering if it might be easier to walk, but I am soon corrected. “It’s going to snow heavily tonight. You would just sink up to your waist. And you need the skis to get back down.”
In hut pursuit: the writer skiing up towards Låktatjåkko.
The advice is to wait for the supply wagon to leave at 10am. It’s a tracked snowplough and will create a route to follow. There are also marker poles every 25 metres. I’m advised to wear an avalanche alarm and carry a lightweight folding shovel.
At 10am the next morning, I am outside the hotel, watching a company of Swedish soldiers in white combat suits ski away. The snowcat is loading up with food. There are passengers too. The driver confirms that it is often possible to go up without skiing at all, but there are no more seats.
I set off in the wake of its broad tracks. The ski skins work well. The sun is out, there is no wind and the views are stupendous. Five minutes later, I’m in a whiteout, struggling to spot the next marker pole, the snowcat long gone and its tracks fast disappearing. The temperature is -6C, and the wind is in my face and strengthening. I start counting steps. Despite the cold, I am down to two layers of clothing, wishing I had remembered the advice of the explorer Leo Houlding: “Be bold, start cold.” My respect for polar explorers has reached an all-time high. My respect for Sweden, too. What a marvellous country! They trust people to know their limits, look after themselves and be as tough as reindeer jerky. In my case, I’m not sure their trust is entirely well placed.
The final climb, as promised, is a tough one, but then the hut comes into sight, almost buried in snow, looking like the last frozen outpost on the far side of a freezing galaxy. It takes time to find the door.
Låktatjåkko mountain hut. Photograph: Wolfgang Kaehler/Alamy
Inside, the custodians, Vilma and Kicki, are preparing waffles with cloudberry jam, and the log burner in the snug is roaring. This astonishing retreat was constructed in the late 1930s and is now an acknowledged classic of its type, with simple bunkrooms, cosy public areas and a sauna. The only other guests are Martin and Johan, local skiers who have just made the harder ascent from Riksgränsen.
I munch through a plate of waffles. The top of the mountain is a tantalising 200 metres above the hut. I really want to make it. “Don’t ski,” advises Vilma. “Use snowshoes and just keep heading north.”
When blue sky reappears, I strap on the snowshoes and set off. I manage about 100 metres of the climb before the whiteout returns. Using a compass I plod on, but the lack of any visible markers is playing weird tricks on me. I spot a snowmobile up ahead, manned by two soldiers, but as I approach, the soldiers transform into swans and fly away. At that moment, I walk face-first into a snowbank.
This is my initiation into whiteout disorientation. Some skiers have reported feeling that they are moving when stationary; others, the opposite. Unhindered by visual reference points, the brain constructs its own reality.
I check my altimeter. I am 30 metres below the summit, but I can’t see how to get around this snowbank. My own tracks are now disappearing, so I return to the hut on a compass bearing and reward myself with more waffles.
The few day-trippers are gone, the fire is warm and the storm outside howling. Martin and Johan watch the weather anxiously from their armchairs. “Look,” shouts Martin at one point, “blue sky! I think it’s clearing.” But by the time he reaches the window, the whiteout has resumed. The evening passes in a fug of beer, stories and laughter.
Waffles with cloudberry jam are served in Låktatjåkko mountain hut. Photograph: Mattias Fredriksson
In the morning, the storm is still raging when the snowcat arrives. Martin and Johan are willing to ski down with me, but fearing I will hold them up, I cadge a lift. The next day, I move to Riksgränsen. There is a choice of accommodation, ranging from the boisterous fun of the main hotel to the superlative charm of Niehku Mountain Villa. Built in the old railway turntable buildings and decorated with a fascinating display of historical photos, this boutique hotel also has an excellent restaurant.
The next morning, the weather has improved and I am treated to a perfect day on the mountains, happily tootling around on blue runs while watching the experts carve powdery curves down near-vertical mountain slopes. It looks amazingly dangerous, but these locals know their limits. And so do I. Taking the easy route down, I make it to the cafe and order waffles with cloudberry jam.
The trip was provided by Visit Sweden. The writer travelled on a seven-day Interrail pass (adult £335, youth £252, senior £302, under-12 free). A one-day ski pass is £39. Låktatjåkko mountain lodge costs from £150 half-board. Further information at laplandresorts.se
The highest railway in the UK, which reopened in February this year after a £25million refurbishment, offers visitors stunning views of the surrounding landscape
Samantha Bartlett Assistant Editor, Social News
09:08, 31 Oct 2025Updated 11:03, 31 Oct 2025
It is the highest railway in the UK(Image: Arterra, Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
There’s nothing quite like gazing at the stunning panorama from a mountain summit, yet not everyone possesses the ability, stamina, time or inclination to climb one. If any of those circumstances describe you, then worry not as a recently launched Scottish mountain railway offers you jaw-dropping highland views, without requiring any mountaineering whatsoever.
Digital content creator Chris Paul Lawlor, who’s renowned for discovering Scotland, posted on his Facebook page to share a brief video all about the Cairngorms Mountain Railway, situated in Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. His footage began with a first-person perspective clip from the railway, which reopened in February this year following a £25million renovation, to demonstrate to his audience what they would witness if they journeyed on it.
Additional picturesque shots of the magnificent location were then displayed, as overlay text stated: “Did you know that in Scotland there is a railway on a mountain just newly reopened taking you to a restaurant at the top with breathtaking views.”
Besides being Scotland’s sole mountain railway, it’s also the loftiest railway in the UK, ascending to a summit station at 1,097 metres (3,599 ft) above sea level.
In addition to travelling on the railway itself, Chris mentioned you could “make a day of it” by embarking on a trek to the pyramid in the Cairngorms National Park, which lies a 35-minute drive away. Officially known as Prince Albert’s Cairn, this pyramid is a monument erected by Queen Victoria in 1862 on the Balmoral Estate to honour her husband, Prince Albert.
It’s the grandest of 11 Royal cairns in the vicinity, perched atop a hill that offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and national park.
To reach the cairn, visitors can embark on a hike through woodland trails, choosing between a shorter, direct walk or a longer circular route that takes in other cairns.
While there’s no fee to visit Prince Albert’s Cairn itself, parking charges apply. Expect to pay around £5 for a car and £10 for a motorhome or van for the day.
The car park is conveniently located near the A93 road at the start of the walk.
The expert also recommended a trip to the Green Loch, famed for its unusually green water. This unique hue is due to a combination of algae in the water and the reflection of the surrounding pine trees.
However, local folklore suggests that fairies washing their clothes in the loch are responsible for its colour.
Chris also suggested a visit to Loch Morlich before heading to the railway. This freshwater loch near Aviemore is renowned for its sandy beaches and awe-inspiring mountain scenery.
It’s a hotspot for watersports enthusiasts, offering activities like kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing, with a dedicated watersports centre on site. Visitors can also explore walking and mountain biking trails in the nearby Glenmore Forest Park.
Chris’s post about the railway and surrounding suggestions, captioned “An autumn day out idea in Scotland,” was a hit with fans, garnering 4,800 likes.
One follower gushed: “Oh my God this makes me want to come back even more. We visited Scotland 11 years ago for our honeymoon. Now my 8-year-old wants to go.”
Another fan lauded the “wonderful scenery”.
A third chimed in: “Glad the railway is open again, it makes the beautiful mountain summit more accessible to all people.”
While a fourth added: “Wow, what a place and view.”
A day pass for the Cairngorms Mountain Railway costs £17.00 for an adult and £9.50 for a junior (aged 6-17) if booked in advance online. On-the-day prices are £19.00 for an adult and £11.50 for a junior. Prices are also available for seniors and students.
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This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you.\",\"shopWindowConfig\":\"$1fd\",\"marfeelAccid\":\"\",\"jwClickToPlayGeos\":{\"small\":[\"IE\"],\"medium\":[\"IE\"],\"large\":[\"IE\"],\"xlarge\":[\"IE\"]},\"webAlertsConfig\":\"$1fe\",\"activeMVT\":\"$204\"}}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"Digital content creator Chris Paul Lawlor, who's renowned for discovering \",[\"$\",\"a\",null,{\"className\":\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\",\"role\":\"$undefined\",\"href\":\"https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/scotland\",\"target\":\"\",\"aria-label\":\"\",\"title\":\"$undefined\",\"data-link-tracking\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-name\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-articleid\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-location\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-source\":\"$undefined\",\"rel\":\"$undefined\",\"tabIndex\":0,\"children\":[\"Scotland\"]}],\", posted on his \",[\"$\",\"a\",null,{\"className\":\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\",\"role\":\"$undefined\",\"href\":\"https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/facebook\",\"target\":\"\",\"aria-label\":\"\",\"title\":\"$undefined\",\"data-link-tracking\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-name\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-articleid\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-location\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-source\":\"$undefined\",\"rel\":\"$undefined\",\"tabIndex\":0,\"children\":[\"Facebook\"]}],\" page to share a brief video all about the Cairngorms Mountain Railway, situated in Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. 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\",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"Besides being Scotland's sole mountain railway, it's also the loftiest railway in the UK, ascending to a summit station at 1,097 metres (3,599 ft) above sea level.\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"In addition to travelling on the railway itself, Chris mentioned you could \\\"make a day of it\\\" by embarking on a trek to the pyramid in the Cairngorms National Park, which lies a 35-minute drive away. Officially known as Prince Albert's Cairn, this pyramid is a monument erected by Queen Victoria in 1862 on the Balmoral Estate to honour her husband, Prince Albert.\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-4\",\"data-position\":5,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":4,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_non-commercial__aiWwo undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"non-commercial-1\",\"data-position\":6,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L276\",null,{\"boxType\":\"non-commercial\",\"size\":\"skinny\",\"position\":6,\"contentUnitIndex\":15,\"commercialCount\":5,\"nonCommercialCount\":1,\"recommendedCount\":2,\"injectedCount\":5,\"location\":\"article-body\",\"settings\":{\"viewports\":{\"small\":{\"width\":\"100%\",\"height\":\"240px\"},\"medium\":{\"width\":\"100%\",\"height\":\"240px\"},\"large\":{\"width\":\"100%\",\"height\":\"240px\"}}},\"testId\":\"non-commercial-1\",\"commercialInjectedCount\":9,\"contentUnitCount\":22,\"newsletterData\":\"$undefined\",\"config\":\"$205\",\"articleSettings\":\"$277\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"It's the grandest of 11 Royal cairns in the vicinity, perched atop a hill that offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and national park.\"]}],[\"$\",\"$L96\",null,{\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L283\",null,{\"embedType\":\"facebook_post\",\"dataTestId\":\"htmlembed\",\"html\":\"\u003cdiv id=\\\"fb-root\\\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\\n\u003cscript async defer crossorigin=\\\"anonymous\\\" src=\\\"https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1\u0026version=v24.0\u0026appId=APP_ID\\\"\u003e\u003c/script\u003e\\n\\n\u003cdiv class=\\\"fb-post\\\" data-href=\\\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1958503138329379\\\" data-width=\\\"500\\\" data-show-text=\\\"true\\\"\u003e\u003cblockquote cite=\\\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1958503138329379/\\\" class=\\\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\\\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn autumn day out idea in Scotland\u003c/p\u003ePosted by \u003ca href=\\\"https://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Paul-Lawlor/100081124262387/\\\"\u003eChris Paul Lawlor\u003c/a\u003e on\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1958503138329379/\\\"\u003eThursday 16 October 2025\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\",\"rightHandRailEnabled\":true,\"publication\":\"mirror\",\"dataTmDataTrack\":\"content-unit\",\"dataTmdatatrackType\":\"facebook_post\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"To reach the cairn, \",[\"$\",\"a\",null,{\"className\":\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\",\"role\":\"$undefined\",\"href\":\"https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/travel-tips\",\"target\":\"_self\",\"aria-label\":\"\",\"title\":\"$undefined\",\"data-link-tracking\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-name\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-articleid\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-location\":\"$undefined\",\"data-tmdatatrack-source\":\"$undefined\",\"rel\":\"$undefined\",\"tabIndex\":0,\"children\":[\"visitors\"]}],\" can embark on a hike through woodland trails, choosing between a shorter, direct walk or a longer circular route that takes in other cairns.\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-5\",\"data-position\":7,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":5,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"While there's no fee to visit Prince Albert's Cairn itself, parking charges apply. Expect to pay around £5 for a car and £10 for a motorhome or van for the day.\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"The car park is conveniently located near the A93 road at the start of the walk.\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"The expert also recommended a trip to the Green Loch, famed for its unusually green water. This unique hue is due to a combination of algae in the water and the reflection of the surrounding pine trees.\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-6\",\"data-position\":8,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":6,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"However, local folklore suggests that fairies washing their clothes in the loch are responsible for its colour.\"]}],[\"$\",\"$L96\",null,{\"children\":[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"data-testid\":\"image-group\",\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L1e9\",null,{\"dataTestId\":\"imageembed-36139074\",\"dataTmDataTrack\":\"content-unit\",\"dataTmdatatrackType\":\"image\",\"dataTmDataTrackArticleId\":\"36139074\",\"data\":{\"aspect\":2,\"crop\":\"default\",\"captionTitle\":\"Those visiting the railway are also encouraged to check out Loch Morlich which is nearby\",\"captionCredit\":\"Getty Images/imageBROKER RF\",\"alt\":\"Overview of Loch Morlich, Glenmore Forest Park, Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland, Great\",\"lazyLoading\":true,\"sizes\":\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\",\"srcSet\":\"https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/article36139074.ece/ALTERNATES/s458b/0_Overview-of-Loch-Morlich-Glenmore-Forest-Park-Cairngorms-National-Park-Highlands-Scotland-Great.jpg 458w, https://www.occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Highest-railway-in-the-UK-gives-you-stunning-mountain-views.jp.webp 615w, https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/article36139074.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200e/0_Overview-of-Loch-Morlich-Glenmore-Forest-Park-Cairngorms-National-Park-Highlands-Scotland-Great.jpg 1200w\",\"src\":\"https://www.occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Highest-railway-in-the-UK-gives-you-stunning-mountain-views.jp.webp\",\"publication\":\"$26f\",\"loading\":\"lazy\",\"fetchpriority\":\"low\",\"isPoster\":false,\"imageViewerCount\":3,\"sectionColorsEnabled\":false,\"imageViewerEnabled\":true},\"imageId\":\"36139074\",\"imageViewerCount\":3,\"imageViewerEnabled\":true,\"isPoster\":false}]}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"Chris also suggested a visit to Loch Morlich before heading to the railway. This freshwater loch near Aviemore is renowned for its sandy beaches and awe-inspiring mountain scenery.\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-7\",\"data-position\":9,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":7,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"It's a hotspot for watersports enthusiasts, offering activities like kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing, with a dedicated watersports centre on site. Visitors can also explore walking and mountain biking trails in the nearby Glenmore Forest Park.\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"Chris's post about the railway and surrounding suggestions, captioned \\\"An autumn day out idea in Scotland,\\\" was a hit with fans, garnering 4,800 likes.\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"One follower gushed: \\\"Oh my God this makes me want to come back even more. We visited Scotland 11 years ago for our honeymoon. Now my 8-year-old wants to go.\\\"\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-8\",\"data-position\":10,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":8,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"Another fan lauded the \\\"wonderful scenery\\\".\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"A third chimed in: \\\"Glad the railway is open again, it makes the beautiful mountain summit more accessible to all people.\\\"\"]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"While a fourth added: \\\"Wow, what a place and view.\\\"\"]}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"BoxStyles_box-container__Qk3WH BoxStyles_commercial__Wo6Z4 undefined\",\"data-testid\":\"commercial-9\",\"data-position\":11,\"children\":[\"$\",\"$L76\",null,{\"location\":\"article-body\",\"position\":1000,\"hide\":false,\"features\":\"$205\"}]}],[\"$\",\"p\",null,{\"className\":\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \",\"data-testid\":null,\"data-tmdatatrack\":\"content-unit\",\"data-tmdatatrack-type\":\"paragraph\",\"children\":[\"A day pass for the Cairngorms Mountain Railway costs £17.00 for an adult and £9.50 for a junior (aged 6-17) if booked in advance online. On-the-day prices are £19.00 for an adult and £11.50 for a junior. 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Kilian Jornet, one of the world’s most accomplished mountaineers, did something this month that left even other elite athletes gasping: He climbed all 72 summits in the contiguous United States that stand over 14,000 feet tall.
In 31 days.
That’s like climbing California’s Mt. Whitney — the nation’s tallest mountain outside of Alaska — two-and-a-half times per day, every day, for a month.
But reaching so many summits, so quickly, was only half the battle. In fact, it was “the fun part,” a surprisingly rested-looking Jornet said in a Zoom interview from Seattle earlier this month, three days after summiting Mt. Rainier in knee-deep snow to complete the grueling journey, which he started in early September.
The hard part was negotiating the spaces in between.
Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet treks through the Sierra Nevada range known as the Normans 13, which connects 13 summits over 14,000 feet.
(Andy Cochrane)
“If you’re driving, you see the landscape,” Jornet explained. “But you don’t feel it.”
OK, how do you feel it?
By running the hundreds of miles of remote mountain ridges, and biking the thousands of miles of desolate highway, that separate the towering summits scattered across Colorado, California and Washington.
In total, Jornet covered 3,198 miles under his own power. He biked 2,568 miles. He ran 629 miles. He climbed 403,638 vertical feet.
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Tommy Caldwell, arguably the best technical rock climber of his generation and the first to climb Yosemite’s nearly impossible Dawn Wall, followed Jornet’s progress on Instagram. When the Spaniard finished, Caldwell posted, “my mind is officially blown.”
Like many elite climbers, Jornet, 37, slips into a stoic, been-there-done-that voice when describing mountain conditions that would terrify mere mortals. But he broke character, briefly, talking about climbing the summit of Mt. Shasta in Northern California.
As often happens on that free-standing volcano, a howling gale struck just as Jornet approached the 14,162-foot summit.
Shaky video shot by a climbing partner shows Jornet’s trekking poles flailing and his feet sliding around on the ice as he struggles — and fails — to remain upright in what sounds like a hurricane.
“It was crazy,” he conceded, “probably the windiest day I have ever had in the mountains.”
Asked why, exactly, he puts himself through so much agony, he snapped back into aw-shucks mode. He sank into his comfy seat, smiled with the confidence of a man who has parried that question a thousand times, and said:
“Why not?”
Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet climbed 72 summits over 14,000 feet in the contiguous U.S. in 31 days.
(Nick Danielson)
In an age saturated with professional outdoor athletes competing for social media attention and lucrative sponsorships — and in a world where the most iconic summits have been climbed, the biggest waves have been surfed and the wildest rivers have been run — one fashionable way to stand out is by setting a fastest known time, or “FKT.”
Jornet’s jaunt over and between those 72 summits, which he dubbed “States of Elevation” and gorgeously documented for his 1.8 million followers on Instagram, was, by all accounts, the fastest known time. It was also the only known time. Apparently, nobody else has tried to link all of those summits together in a single, human-powered push.
“Yes, it’s hard,” Jornet said with a laugh when asked if the constant, grinding pain was worth it. But after a while, “you get used to the discomfort, it’s just part of it, it doesn’t really bother you.”
The finale of Jornet’s 72-peak feat was a 14,441-foot volcano covered with glaciers, one of the broadest and most visually imposing mountains on the planet. Few people even attempt to climb Mt. Rainier this time of year because the weather can be so brutal.
As Jornet pedaled closer to the peak, it started to rain down in the flats, so he knew that meant snow on the mountain.
Crossing the glaciers with their immense, yawning crevasses hidden by fresh snow would have been too dangerous, so Jornet chose a steep and challenging rock route known as Success Cleaver. But even that was buried in knee-deep snow.
After summiting Mt. Rainier, Jornet posted that his U.S. journey was, “never about just the numbers, but rather a deep connection to wild places, and true test of resilience in body and mind.”
Anyone else claiming that might have been met with eye rolls, but Jornet is one of the few outdoor athletes who probably doesn’t need to pad his resume: He cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats long ago.
Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet hikes in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado in September.
(Nick Danielson)
Born just outside of Barcelona in 1987, he grew up in a ski area in the Pyrenees where his father was a mountain guide. He climbed his first mountain over 10,000 feet when he was 5.
At 20, he won the first of six titles in the Sky Runner World Series, an international competition consisting of long, high-altitude foot races that test speed and endurance on steep mountainsides.
At 26, he set FKTs for climbing Switzerland’s Matterhorn and France’s Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Western Europe. A year later, he broke the speed record climbing the bitterly cold and deadly Denali, in Alaska, the tallest mountain in North America.
A few years after that, he climbed Mt. Everest twice in one week without supplemental oxygen.
In addition to all of the technical mountaineering, Jornet has been one of the most successful ultramarathoners in history, winning the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a 100-mile race through the Alps, four times.
After his early career dominating distance races in relatively cold climates, Jornet showed up at Northern California’s Western States ultramarathon in 2010. It’s a 100-mile race that starts near the shore of Lake Tahoe and descends to the Sacramento suburbs in late June, when the sun and temperatures can be unforgiving.
He was comically unprepared. “I didn’t do any heat training,” Jornet recalled, “so when I arrived I was like, ‘Should I have brought water for this race?’” Still, he came in third, then returned the next year to win.
In June, he went back to the Western States 100 for the first time in 14 years. The event has evolved since then: The field is fitter and more professional. But even at his relatively advanced age, Jornet came in third, dropping more than an hour off his winning time in 2011.
Back then, he relied mostly on raw talent, Jornet said. “I train much better now, I know I need to prepare specifically and put in the work.”
But does he ever just kick back and spend a weekend sprawled on the couch, a remote in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in the other?
“For me, that’s not relaxing,” he said, recalling the time he and his wife, Emelie Forsberg, also a world champion runner and skier, tried to take a normal vacation.
They had just completed a race on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar, when they decided to spend a week on the nearby tropical island of Mauritius.
“We said we’d just sit on the beach and read books, and that’s all,” Jornet said. But by the end of the first day they looked at each other and wondered if they should change their flight to get back to running and skiing in the mountains. “It was like, yes, yes, yes for both of us,” Jornet said.
Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet in the Sierra Nevada range known as the Normans 13, which connects 13 summits over 14,000 feet.
(Andy Cochrane)
After years living in Chamonix, France, a hard-partying resort in the Alps regarded as the mountain sports capital of the world, Jornet and Forsberg moved to a house by a remote fjord in Norway. It’s a quiet place to raise their three young children, grow their own vegetables and train in the surrounding mountains, some of which have no names.
“Sometimes when you’re climbing Everest, or Mont Blanc, or Mt. Whitney, it’s like you’re climbing the famous name,” Jornet said. As he matures, he prefers climbing mountains simply “because they’re beautiful.”
But he still craves big challenges.
Last year, he climbed all 82 summits in the Alps over 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) in 19 days, traveling the 750 miles between them on foot and bicycle.
“This was, without any doubt, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life, mentally, physically, and technically,” he wrote on social media. “But also maybe the most beautiful.”
That got him thinking even bigger, trying to imagine the most “aesthetic line” for a similar expedition in the United States.
After landing in Denver last month, he went straight to the trailhead for 14,256-foot Longs Peak. “But I really felt like crap,” he said, blaming a combination of jet lag and the air being so much drier in Colorado than in Norway.
For the first week, he wondered if he should just quit. But then, somewhere along the way, his body switched, “from fighting to adapting,” and he settled into a comfortable rhythm.
After summiting 56 mountains in Colorado, Jornet hopped on his bike and pedaled 900 miles to California, where 15 more high peaks awaited. At times, the headwind was so brutal he slowed to a maddening crawl, even when going downhill.
He’d also lost 10 pounds in the mountains and, at 5’7” and about 130 pounds, his slender frame has nothing to spare. So he spent much of his time on the bike shoveling calories — even spiking his water bottles with generous helpings of olive oil — to replace lost fat.
His long slog on the bike ended in Lone Pine, a dusty town four hours north of Los Angeles, where the Eastern Sierra rise 10,000 feet, like a solid granite wall, from the desert floor.
Jornet had covered nearly 200 miles that day, and faced a 6,000-foot climb to the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead, where he would sleep before starting the toughest part of the whole trip.
The road up to Cottonwood Lakes is 23 miles of harrowing switchbacks, with vertigo-inducing views of the valley below at almost every turn. The drive, alone, freaks out a lot of people.
“It was cool that I arrived there in the dark,” Jornet said, undaunted by the prospect of pedaling off the side of a cliff. “Nice to do the climb when it wasn’t so hot.”
The next morning he started running “Norman’s 13” — a baker’s dozen of 14,000-foot summits along the Sierra Crest between Lone Pine and Bishop, the most remote and punishing alpine terrain in California. He made astonishing time: cruising over 14,032-foot Mt. Langley and 14,505-froot Mt. Whitney like they were speed bumps.
But for all their imposing altitude, the standard routes up Langley and Whitney don’t require any special skills, they’re just long hiking trails with very little exposure to deadly falls. Things changed when Jornet reached a section called the Palisades Traverse, just up the hill from Big Pine.
There, a ridge of jagged granite rises like an upside down saw’s blade over one of the last remaining glaciers in California. There are no hiking trails, just daunting towers of shattered and jumbled rock, where seemingly any misstep can lead to a thousand-foot fall.
Only the most committed mountaineers go there, and they tend to take their time, waiting for good weather and climbing with ropes and harnesses.
But when you’re on a mission like Jornet’s, you don’t get to “choose your weather,” he said. You just start and then you’re committed, you have to take what comes.
What came the day he reached the traverse was a surprising, early-season blizzard. It covered the usually reliable, grippy granite with about 4 inches of snow and ice. The storm made climbing “more complicated,” Jornet said, and more miserable.
It was cold and “I was completely soaked,” Jornet said. But with the help of Matt Cornell, a well-known climber from Bishop, he was able to keep going and finish the 100 miles of Norman’s 13 in 56 hours, shaving more than 19 hours off the previous record.
He only slept once during that span, he said, for about an hour and a half, lying in the middle of a trail.
When speed climbing over peaks, Jornet traveled light, carrying only the bare essentials to stay nourished and protected from the weather.
When possible, he was accompanied by photographers and videographers, most of whom had to be exceptional athletes to keep up.
He also stayed in contact with his press team and social media producers, and he sometimes slept in a support RV at the trailheads.
But after the frigid Palisades Traverse he indulged in a bit of luxury, pizza and a glorious night in a hotel bed in Bishop. The next morning, he hiked 14,252-foot White Mountain and then hopped on the bike for the 500-mile ride to the unexpected ordeal that awaited him on Mt. Shasta.
Having survived that with no serious damage, he biked through Oregon, finally with a tailwind, and then surmounted Mt. Rainier.
When he finally descended, instead of popping champagne in front of cameras and an adoring crowd, he and a few close friends spent a quiet night in an RV, swapping stories from the road and sharing shots of pickle juice — an inside joke that started somewhere during the trip.
“I’m not a big celebration guy,” Jornet explained.
He wouldn’t say what his next project will be, but several times he returned to the idea of climbing without crowds or fanfare.
“I do these things because I love them, because they bring me joy and happiness, not because I think they’re very important.”
One place he can sit quietly is at home in Norway, looking out the window, across the fjord to the nameless, snowcapped mountains in the distance.
He lets his eyes linger on their faces, settling on pretty lines to climb up or ski down.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s highest court on Wednesday rejected U.S. conservative commentator Candace Owens ’ bid to overturn an Australian government decision barring her from visiting the country.
Three High Court judges unanimously rejected Owens’ challenge to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s decision in 2024 to refuse her a visa on character grounds.
Owens had planned to begin a speaking tour in Australia last November and also visit neighboring New Zealand.
Burke used his powers under the Migration Act last October to refuse her a visa because she failed the so-called “character test,” court documents said.
Burke found there was a risk Owens would “incite discord in the Australian community” and that refusing her a visa was in the national interest.
Burke found that as a political commentator, author and activist, Owens was “known for her controversial and conspiratorial views.”
She had made “extremist and inflammatory comments towards Muslim, Black, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities which generate controversy and hatred,” Burke said in court documents.
Owens’ lawyers had argued the Migrant Act was unconstitutional because it infringed upon Australia’s implied freedom of political communications.
Australia doesn’t have an equivalent of the U.S. First Amendment that states a right to free speech. But because Australia is a democracy, the High Court has decided that the constitution implies free speech limited to governmental and political matters.
Owens’ lawyers had argued that if the Migration Act was constitutional, then Burke had misconstrued his powers under that law in refusing her a visa.
The judges rejected both arguments and ordered Owens to pay the government’s court costs.
Burke described the ruling as a “win for social cohesion.”
“Inciting discord might be the way some people make money, but it’s not welcome in Australia,” Burke said in statement.
Owens’ spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Wednesday Owens would comment on the court decision later on social media.
Burke had told the court that while Owens already had an ability to incite discord through her 18 million followers across social media platforms, her presence in Australia would amplify that potential.
He noted that when Australia’s terrorism threat level was elevated from “possible” to “probable” last year, the national domestic spy agency reported an “increase in extremism.”
Australia has long used a wide discretion under the character test to refuse foreigners temporary visas.
Burke stripped Ye, the U.S. rapper formerly known as Kanye West, of an Australian visa after he released his single “Heil Hitler” in May this year.
Ye had been traveling for years to Australia, where his wife of three years, Bianca Censori, was born.
Burke’s decision to ban Owens prompted neighboring New Zealand to refuse her a visa in November on the grounds that she had been rejected by Australia.
But a New Zealand immigration official overturned that refusal in December, citing “the importance of free speech.”
Owens’ spokeswoman on Wednesday had no information about plans to visit New Zealand.
A ONE-of-a-kind ice rink will open next month at one of London’s most popular rooftop bars.
Anyone seeking Christmas fun will be able to ice skate at the highest rooftop bar in Peckham, and it has 360-degree views of the London skyline.
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London’s highest ice rink will open in Peckham next monthCredit: ICE at Bussey Rooftop BarThe Bussey Rooftop Bar is bustling in the summer and will transform for winterCredit: Instagram
On top of the Bussey Building in Peckham is a huge rooftop bar – and it is set to be turned into an ice rink for the winter season.
From November 17 until January 1, the Bussey Rooftop Bar area will be transformed into an ice rink with a bar.
On Facebook it said: “Tickets are LIVE for London’s freshest rooftop ice rink! Skate under the stars, then head to our Après Skate Bar for spiked hot chocs, winter spritzes, mulled magic and DJs every Fri & Sat bringing all the feels“.
The Bussey Rooftop Bar will become the Après Skate Bar and transform into a winter lodge – think twinkly lights, outdoor heaters and blankets.
Also on the rooftop, you’ll be able to buy bar snacks and grab stone-baked pizzas.
Tickets for the ice rink are on sale now and cost £14 for adults, £10 per person for family tickets, and £9 for children.
Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor, loves the rooftop bar, she said: “One of my favourite places to go isPeckham, because of its famous rooftop. I’ve spent many a sunny day at the Bussey building, a rooftop on top of a car park.
“It serves amazing pizzas and beers and has fantastic music playing as well. When the sun goes down, make sure to grab afilmat Peckhamplex with £5.99 tickets all day, or Four Quarters, a retro arcade bar.“
The Bussey Building is an old factory around the corner from Peckham Rye that hosts club nights, yoga classes and artists’ spaces.
It’s home toRooftop Film Club, an open-air cinema that shows classic, cult, and new release films during the summertime.
Skaters will be able to enjoy sunset views from the rooftopCredit: AlamyThere will be plenty of food and Christmassy drinks tooCredit: Instagram
The Peckham bar has been included in guides for “Best Outdoor Bars in London” and “Best Rooftop Bars in London.
Some of the regulars are excited to try out the new space, one wrote on Instagram under the skating announcement: “Can’t wait!”
Another added: “Just when I thought bussey couldn’t get better”.
