Seven of the World's Great Mountain Ranges

Mountains have always held a special place in our heart. It's in our heritage. We ran our first ever adventure travel trip in the Himalaya in 1975 and since then, we've scoured the world seeking out new trails and even more authentic cultural experience to satisfy the curiosity of our travellers who are always on the lookout for BIG adventures with a small footprint.

If the mountains are calling your name check out this list of iconic ranges and some of the amazing adventures you can join to experience them.

High Atlas - MOROCCO

Bordering the Sahara and home to the nomadic Berber people, Morocco's High Atlas is the number one destination for trekking in northern Africa. Morocco’s blend of culture, natural beauty and infrastructure make it an ideal place to explore under your own steam and the opportunities in the High Atlas are both physically exhilarating and culturally infused. The range is known for its rugged, flat-topped peaks, North Africa's tallest peak, Mt Toubkal (4167m), and the winding roads that twist through remote villages that appear as a real oasis in the desert, complete with palm trees and fresh water.

Mountains of the Moon - UGANDA

Seperating Uganda with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Rwenzori Mountains, or Mountains of the Moon, are easily Africa’s best kept secret. Isolated, rarely visited and permanently snowcapped, they are home to much of Africa’s permanent ice. Situated in an extremely humid area which contains five different vegetation zones, the challenging trekking conditions here will take you from tropical rainforests through to alpine valleys and glaciers via awe-inspiring Giant Lobelia forests.

Named ‘uKhahlamba’ (barrier of spears) in the local Zulu language, the Drakensberg Mountains are the highest range in southern Africa, with many distinctive basalt buttresses gracing the skyline. Here, you can experience a side of South Africa that few others ever do. Camp near the lip of Tugela Falls, the second highest waterfall in the world, and follow the edge of the escarpment to encounter river valleys and undulating moorlands where you will be rewarded with wild and spectacular mountain scenery.

The Himalaya is the world’s mightiest mountain system, containing nine of Earth’s ten highest peaks and stretching more than 2,500kms across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan. This is a mountain range like no other: remote, majestic and romantic. While it has long been associated with great adventurers and mountaineers, it is a place for everyone, whether you choose to undertake an overland journey across Tibet, hike to Everest Base Camp or take the family on a low altitude trek in the Annapurna's. Head there dreaming of the mountains, return waxing lyrical about the warmth of the local people.

The US state of California is well known as the 'Golden State' thanks to it's sunshine and beaches, however it is also blessed with a stunning mountain range running along it's eastern edge, the Sierra Nevada. Covering some of the most pristine backcountry in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, the John Muir Trail is the trek of choice and while it stretches for more than 200 miles, from the famous Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, the highest point of the Lower 48 States, shorter treks are possible. Named after naturalist and activist John Muir, the trail wanders beneath high snowcapped peaks through untouched, wildlife-filled landscapes, beautiful meadows and forested river valleys that were famously photographed in the 1930's by Ansel Adams.

Peruvian Andes

Stretching along the spine of South America from Venezuela to Chile and Argentina, the Andes are the world's longest range. While there are a plethora of pockets to discover, the Peruvian Andes, with it's mix of Inca culture, ancient ruins and jaw dropping vistas, are the most popular part of the highest mountains outside of Asia. It's home to Machu Picchu, and the famous Inca Trail, as well as the Cordillera Huayhuash, which in our opinion is the most spectacular range part of the Peruvian Andes. You may recall it from the Joe Simpson’s book Touching the Void.