Tony Howard's Top Ten Travel Tips

Famed for the first British ascent of Norway’s Troll Wall and designing the modern sit harness, Tony Howard has dedicated his life to travelling around the globe in search of unclimbed rock and remote trekking adventures. His new book, Quest into the Unknown, is a catalogue of his travels from North Africa, the Middle East, Scandinavia, South East Asia, Antarctica and beyond. 

If you’re thinking about packing your bags and heading off on your next adventure, here are Tony’s essential top ten travel tips:

1. Before going, research your trip well.

2. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

3. Don't let the opinions of others put you off, you never know until you go.

3. If you are travelling/climbing/adventuring with others go with people you know well.

4. Inform friends at home where you will be going and if it's remote, give the latest date when you expect to be be back in touch. Even today contact may not always be easy.

5.  Travel as light as you dare.

6. Try to get to know the local people, enjoy social interchange. 

7. Eat what the locals eat, it's usually good and not expensive as well as being part of the travel experience. 

8. Have photos (or images) from home with you. People you meet will enjoy seeing them.

9. Remember Robbie Burns, ‘The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley’.

10. As Don Whillans said, ‘Always leave something to come back to’.

And one for good luck which has often been useful:

11. Back in 1953, Roy Brown who was fresh out of National Service in the Tank Corps and the first climber I ever met, was fond of saying, 'When in doubt, brew up'.