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On January 26, 2026, Sean Bailey stood at the base of Dry Canyon, Arizona and did what almost no one has ever done anywhere on Earth. After years of projecting, he completed 'Duality of Man' — a route now being proposed as 9c, the first in North American climbing history. 9c exists at the absolute outer edge of what a human body can do on rock. There are fewer confirmed 9c climbs in the world than there are summits of Mount Everest in a single season. And yet here was a climber in a canyon in the Arizona desert, quietly rewriting the record books. What strikes you most is not the grade — it is the years of invisible effort behind it. The thousandth attempt that looked the same as the first, but carried all that accumulated learning inside. The human spirit does not give up. It figures it out. Sean Bailey just proved that again.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

BBC Travel has revealed the world's five most anticipated new hiking trails of 2026, and for anyone who loves wild places, the list is pure fuel. A new path is opening through a previously inaccessible part of the Canadian Rockies — terrain that has never had a formal route. The England Coast Path, the world's longest managed coastal trail, is nearing completion. South Korea is opening its first ever cross-country trail. Each of these routes represents a new invitation from the Earth — a door into a landscape that is ready to be walked, run, or scrambled through for the first time. Hiking legend Uta Ibrahimi put it beautifully: 'An unplugged walk into nature brings physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Hikers are naked to the elements, but they are exposed to living culture in real time.' There is a trail opening this year made for your legs and your soul. Go find it.

Source: www.bbc.com

For years, Everest has been a symbol of both the highest human aspiration and the costs of inadequate preparation. Nepal's new 2026 rules address this head-on: every Everest climber must now have summited a peak above 7,000 metres within Nepal before receiving a permit. At first glance it sounds like a gate. In reality it is an invitation. Peaks like Baruntse, Himlung, and Lobuche are now on more climbers' lists than ever — beautiful, demanding mountains with deep history and spectacular approaches. The community gets stronger because the path to Everest now runs through more mountains. Every safety requirement in mountaineering has this character: what looks like a barrier is actually a ladder. Nepal is not closing the door to the summit. It is showing you all the other doors you should walk through first.

Source: www.travelandtourworld.com