Hi all, first post on the forums and love what I'm reading so far. Just looking for some advice on good climbs/scrambles in Europe. I've got Snowden in August and Ben Nevis next year but am now ready and looking for something higher and more challenging outside of the UK. Happy to tackle strenuous routes, not adverse to hard scrambling either. Any advice would be great.

Thanks All x

I believe that their height isn't a big part of the beauty of the mountains. Though the UK doesn't have the highest mountains in the world, there are some fine areas to explore. There is more to Scotland than Ben Nevis, for example, with plenty of strenuous routes and lots of scrambling and climbing opportunities, at all levels of difficulty.

If you want to venture further afield, in Europe I keep going back to the Alps over and over again. There are numerous mountains to explore, with routes in all difficulties. But the Alps are big, and I couldn't possibly tell you where best to go first. It all depends on your personal preferences and on the experience of you and your companions. Large parts of the Alps can easily be explored alone as well, though that requires a little more experience and self reliance.

In my own case, when I was new at it, I joined an organized week of hiking in Austria. Based in Königsleiten, Tyrol, we did day hikes in the surrounding mountains. In difficulty it was comparable to Ben Nevis (the normal route, that is). The highest summits we bagged were still far below 3000 m and we didn't come near any glaciers. Perhaps something like this will suit you too, so why don't you find a group of like minded people, possibly with a little more experience. Maybe a couple of friends share your interest. Alternatively, you can join a mountaineering club, or, like me, book an organized holiday.

My first hiking trip to the Alps is a long time ago now. I've been back numerous times, hiking and climbing, including some of the highest peaks, occasionally by a difficult route. Though I am attracted in particular to glaciated mountains, I still enjoy other peaks a whole lot too, so I hike and scramble up lots of them every year.