Andes Mountains

Overtourism threatened a sacred Colombian lake. How indigenous guards saved it from damage

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Overtourism threatened a sacred Colombian lake. How indigenous guards saved it from damage

In the crater of a semidormant volcano in southwest Colombia is a sacred lake of startling green which used to draw a steady stream of garbage-tossing tourists before indigenous leaders took back control. Ascending the Azufral volcano, which rises to 4,070 metres (13,369ft) in the western Colombian Andes, is not for the faint-hearted. It is … Read more

Hong Kong chef Richard Ekkebus on mountain climbing to keep his weight down

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Hong Kong chef Richard Ekkebus on mountain climbing to keep his weight down

When we speak in June, Ekkebus has just returned from a mountaineering expedition – a three-week trip in Ecuador to climb Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, the latter an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, whose summits are 6,263 metres (20,547ft) and 5,897 metres above sea level respectively. Chef Richard Ekkebus on Cotopaxi, Ecuador, during a recent … Read more