Five best 4,000m peaks to climb in the Alps for beginners

Five of Chamonix's leading ski guides tell us their favourite beginner ski tours in and around Chamonix.

Planning an adventure? Remember to pack BMC Travel Insurance. We’ve got your back: from bouldering in France to trekking in India, sport climbing in Kalymnos to new routes in the Himalaya. Here are five reasons why BMC Travel Insurance is built for the mountains.

Want to know everything you need to know about how to climb the Breithorn - one of the classic "4,000ers". Mountain Guide Andy Perkins offers his insider tips.

All the tips on how to move from indoor climbing to outdoor climbing

A series of guides to some of the most popular scrambles in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Youth Ready to Rock Sport climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer.

It's no easy feat, but with a little advice, organisation, knowledge and determination, climbing the Wainwrights is doable for almost anyone. This beginner-friendly guide aims to teach you about the fells and how to plan for and complete them.

Here are five of the best places to go for a weekend of nerve-testing scrambling.

Snowdonia-based fell running guides Sarah and Ian Ridgway share their top 10 tips for beginner fell runners.

Get the inside knowledge: IFMGA Mountain Guide Caroline George offers some beta on route-finding, gear, and tackling the cruxes of Chamonix's classic AD alpine route, Cosmiques Arete.

Get your hands and feet on rocky slopes and snow, taluses and airy gendarme-studded ridges. Why not challenge yourself to reach the summit, or traverse one of our top 10 alpine peaks this summer?

The Matterhorn is surely the world’s most iconic peak. Its commanding, isolated position at the head of the valley is unique in the Alps and its claim to being one of the world’s most beautiful mountains is justified. Mountain Guide Tim Blakemore offers his top tips on reaching its summit successfully.

We asked five experienced climbers for their top pick of Europe's alpine routes to get you inspired...

What are the different types of climbing and mountaineering and what do they involve?

Here's how winter climbing grades work.

In 2014, Swiss super-alpinist Ueli Steck flew into Scotland for an under-the-radar mixed climbing hit with British alpinist and photographer Jon Griffith. Sarah Stirling tracked him down to find out just what he thought of our Scottish winter climbing, whether he’ll be back and what he’s got planned next.

Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Rob Johnson explains the essentials of choosing and using your first ice axe and crampons for winter mountaineering.

Trad climbing offers an unparalleled sense of freedom. With the appropriate skills, training, and equipment you really do have the ability to go anywhere. Here we give the low down on how to get started.

The Youth Ready to Rock Trad climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer. Trad climbing is the most popular style of climbing on British crags.

Here are a few of the most gruelling, exhausting, rewarding and brilliant challenge walks Britain has to offer.

Heading to the Alps this summer? Six Chamonix mountain guides explain their favourite routes, all packed with high adventure but with moderate technical difficulty.

A range of Chamonix's expert skiers offer their top tips to improve your off-piste: pro skier Ross Hewitt, Avalanche Academy Director and Mountain Guide Stuart McDonald, and off-piste skiing instructors Alison Culshaw and Dee O'Neill.

Thought sport climbing was all about tiny holds on short routes? Think again. Here we've got five top European venues to recommend you:

Get the inside knowledge: Chamonix-based Mountain Guides Will Sim and Stuart MacDonald offer the wealth of their experience for those thinking of ticking the highest point in Western Europe.

Are you brave enough for our top five hardest black ski runs in Europe? Ski on - if you dare.

Here are Steve's McClure's top 8 crags for kids:

Forget ghost stories and horror movies - a simple walk in the story-stuffed British wilds is the best way to get your skin crawling.

Here's all you need to know about starting indoor bouldering

Mountains have always meant more to humanity than just lumps of rock. We take a look at five summits with mysterious, magical or mythological significance.

No other mountain in the Alps elicits emotions like the Eiger. Foreboding and dominant above the Alpine village of Grindelwald, it has been the inspiration for Hollywood films, books and countless mountaineers. IFMGA Mountain Guide Tim Blakemore explains how to climb the Eiger.

Here's how to climb Gran Paradiso - the highest independent peak in Italy (the Matterhorn shares its borders with Switzerland). It offers outstanding views across the Alps from its summit and is graded F+ and 4,061m high.

If you've learnt to climb routes indoors, sport climbing can be a logical first step into the exciting world of outdoor climbing. Here's how to get started...

Planning a winter sport-climbing escape? Leave the crowds and polish behind with these five best-kept mid-grade Spanish sport secrets. Dos cervezas por favor.

Here’s a selection of the best novice sport crags in the UK along with tips on essentials such as parking, guidebooks and what each is best for.

The British Isles is famous for having some of the best trad climbing in the world, and for good reason: it’s all packed into a relatively small area, yet offers a huge variety of rock types and styles of climbing.

Live near London and want to climb outside? Unusual, specific skills are required to access, protect and enjoy the capital's nearest real rock climbing areas. The sandstone outcrops on the borders of Kent and East Sussex are softer than virtually any other climbable rock. Here are the top five skills you need to get started.

Watch five great walks in the Lake District, including family inspiration, lesser-known routes to popular summits and dog-friendly fell walking.

The British hills offer beauty, challenge and adventure, as well as the opportunity to keep fit and healthy. Find out more in this BMC booklet.

Here are our top picks for Deep Water Soloing locations in Europe.

Join us as we explore five breathtaking walks on the UK's national trails with YHA (England & Wales) as part of the YHA Festival of Walking.

A bit of Scottish winter climbing history, plus a range of classic routes from Grade II to V, complete with big stunning photos and brief descriptions. You're welcome.

Where are you currently getting your mountain inspiration from? Are the walls in your house lined with photos and paintings of stunning peaks? Your social media feeds endlessly presenting you with trails and skylines to add to the list of high places to explore? We're here to add to that by giving you five more films to keep your inspiration levels up. Enjoy the watch.

Grab a brew, get comfy and enjoy our top five trad climbing films from the BMC TV channel to inspire your next tradventure...

Are the Alps falling down? IFMGA Mountain Guide Andy Perkins has a stark warning about the impact of climate change on the Alps: “I don’t have children but if I did I wouldn’t persuade them to be mountain guides. I’d be saying ‘Get your yacht sailing ticket...'" Katy Dartford interviews Andy to find out more.

Here’s a rundown on ten of the best places to boulder outside for beginners.

For most people, walking all the Wainwrights is a challenge spread over many, many years. But James Forrest decided he wanted to up the ante, turn it right up to 11, go all out and walk them all in one outing and entirely self-supported. Is he mad or magnificent? You decide.

Of course, there are many more great beginner hills, but here are seven to get you started.