Mountains For Everybody

Site about mountaineering, climbing and equipment, for those who love mountains

About This Site

Who I Am

meMy name is Jovo Vranjes. I am a theoretical physicist (retired in 2024) and a lifelong mountaineer. Over the years, I have combined scientific work in plasma physics theory and astrophysics with a long and continuous engagement with the mountains.

My professional background includes several hundred papers in physics, but this site is focused entirely on practical mountain experience and exploration.

I started mountaineering more than 40 years ago. My first significant climb was Triglav, in what is now Slovenia — then the highest peak of Yugoslavia. I climbed it solo, without equipment and with little experience. It was an early lesson in humility, and it marked the beginning of a lifelong path in the mountains.

Today, I still spend a large amount of time in the mountains, almost always solo, with a strong emphasis on preparation, awareness, and respect for conditions.

What This Site Is

Mountains For Everybody was created in 2014 and has grown into a large collection of mountain-related content built from direct experience. It contains over 1000 posts covering:

  • hiking routes and trekking reports
  • alpine climbs and summit experiences
  • via ferratas and scrambling routes
  • equipment reviews and practical gear use
  • mountain conditions and field observations.

Everything published here is specific and to-the-point. All photos from the mountains within this site are my own, and I also create my own videos, which I have in hundreds. Nothing is borrowed from the Internet. (On occasion, I also include free YouTube resources to ensure you get the most detailed information about a mountain possible in a single spot).

The goal is simple: to provide realistic, first-hand information for people who love the mountains, whether they are beginners or experienced hikers.

Approach and Philosophy

My approach to mountaineering is based on preparation, observation, and respect. I generally climb solo, which requires careful planning and a clear understanding of risks.

To this day, my journeys often begin in the dead of night. I frequently start climbing at 2:00 or 3:00 AM, sometimes without sleeping at all. It is always a potent mixture of excitement, anxiety, and fear of the unknown.

It is not simple to park a car at a lonely mountain pass with no traces of people around and set off into the darkness. But hours later, when you return tired but happy, the friendly daylight completely transforms the place you feared.

That feeling of isolation can be intense. Years ago, I was driving through a rainstorm at midnight in Tenerife, heading to climb Mt. Teide (3718 m). The police pulled me over, highly suspicious. When I told them my plan, they looked at me with pure disbelief and warned: “Do you realize that if something happens, there will be nobody to help, and you may die?”

I told them I had done the same on Mt. Fuji in Japan, which was even higher. That changed their minds. They wished me luck, and soon I was climbing above the clouds, watching the dark silhouette of the summit appear before enjoying the sunrise at 8:00 AM.

Experience has taught me to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared. As the guiding proverb goes:

If you want to know what lies ahead, ask those who are coming back.

Books and Writing

Alongside this site, I have written several books based on my mountaineering and intellectual interests, including:

  • Livigno Peaks: Summer Climbs to Mild 3000m Summits
  • Dolomites Solo: 37 Summits – Ferratas, Scrambles & Trails
  • Stained Marble: The Flawed Architects of History
  • NATO: Expansion and Aggression.

These books reflect both my experiences in the mountains and broader reflections developed over many years of scientific and analytical work.

Community & Joining In

I run the Facebook group Dolomites Visitors Hub, a space for sharing information and practical insights about the Dolomites region.

However, I may occasionally miss a vital detail in my texts. If you notice something missing, or if you have the desire to share your own knowledge about certain peaks. I invite you to join in as a guest editor. The only prerequisite is that it must be first-hand experience. You can always contact me, and I do my best to respond within 48 hours.

Closing Note

This site is not written from a distance or based on general summaries. It is built from long-term personal experience in the mountains, across many years and many environments.

The mountains remain a place of clarity, challenge, and continuous learning — and I hope you find these pages useful when you choose your own route and start your journey.

Jovo, the founder of mountainsforeverybody.com

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Comments

  1. hi mr jovo

    Recommend me a durable and very comfortable backpacking for trekking 50 to 60 L ، Comfortable is my priority especially when carrying about 15kg

    Reply

    • Hi
      I am just packing myself for the mountains and I also plan to carry up to 12-13 kilograms so I could suggest some packs. But this is not only about weight, it is also about volume of your equipment which is supposed to fit in your pack. This is what makes it a bit tricky to suggest something.

      On the other hand, comfort can imply ventilation and also load carrying comfort. For heavier loads better have a pack that is closer to your body. Therefore go for something like the Deuter Aircontact Core 50 + 10 pack. But if ventilation is your bigger concern, go for the Deuter Futura Air Trek, you will see more in this comparison text.

  2. I found your list of tents very insightful. Unfortunately I didn’t see the tent I was actually considering. Seems like a solid tent, was wondering if you could put your two cents in and add to your equipment reviews. Thanks

    Reply

    • Hi Vlad. This looks like a very good 4-season tent.

      As for a review, the tent is sold locally only, not available at any major online sellers, so the text would not have much meaning to my readers. Pity, because it looks like a really good product, and the brand behind it has one century of experience in building tents. The price is fair for such a tent.

    • Hello Jovo,
      Wow such a fast response. It’s sold in Canada & US. I’m not sure where your readers are (I couldn’t find where you’re located). It’s actually priced much better in the US at only 239USD.

    • My readers are all over the world. This is a good price for a 4-season tent.

  4. Hi,

    I am looking to buy a blog post. Only good website and what is your price this site. Let me know asap.

    Reply

  5. I think you have a lot of excellent reviews, but based on small number of user comments on your review pages, I feel like not many people know about your site. Do you have a youtube channel? You might want to considering doing video reviews of equipment.

    Reply

    • Many thanks for the comment and the kind words. Appreciated. I have no time.

    • I read your article on Solomon vs Lowa. I still cannot decide. I’m hiking Rim-to-Rim at the Grand Canyon. I got the Solomon’s half off, and the Lowa’s 10% off. Your thoughts? Both brands feel good.

    • Hi, ultimately it is how they feel. It is hard to say really. I forgot/lost my Lowa somewhere in the mountains so it is a pity I cannot try them both at the same time. But I do like the style of Salomon more.

  6. Hi Jovo

    This is Joan writing from Sydney, Australia. I just came across your site while researching on some gear and just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips on your website. It’s really helpful and very much appreciated!

    Please keep up the great work!

    Cheers
    Joan

    Reply

    • Hi Joan, your words have made my day. Many thanks for this, from the other side of the globe, it encourages me to do my best. I am right now in the mountains, have been climbing in the Slovenian Alps these days, so there will be some first-hand info very soon. I know this is far from your area, but one never knows. Thanks again and all the best.

  7. Hey Jovo,
    I’ve sent email to you, but maybe you haven’t got it so I’m writing here 😉

    I’m writing to you with some need of advise. I’m trying to plan a trip for myself and my friends, to Tenerife, in this November, and this is why I found your page and your interesting stories about this island.

    Could you advise me two or three walks that we could plan in Anaga Mountains. My friends do not walk a lot in mountains but they had lately kind of warmup for about a week in Polish Karkonosze 🙂
    I would like to show them as much of green, rich, maybe foggy and mossy forests as possible (I’m also thinking about visiting La Gomera) and then go up from these forests into open and heigh space with view for the island and/or ocean waters.

    Could you ? 🙂 Will appreciate much.

    Best regards, from rainy, windy and cold Poznań.
    Przemek

    Reply

    • Hi Przemek. I haven’t seen your email, not sure where it ended, I always reply. So if this is about Anaga, the area is not high, up to 1000 meters above the sea level. The easiest walk would be to go Ensillada parking which is in the middle of the forest, you cannot miss it if you go by car from La Laguna to Chamorga. This is also a bust station for the bus Santa Cruz – Chamorga. Note the road is excellent but rather narrow and full of bends, so just drive carefully. So from the parking there is a route that goes along the Anaga mountain ridge in the east direction towards Chamorga. You can descend to Chamorga or continue all the way to the faro (lighthouse) which is the easternmost point on the island.

      See my text From Chamorga to Faro as one easy option as well. Yet another option is to walk all the way from Chamorga to La Laguna, see more in my text here. But this is a long tour.

      One option is also to go from Benijo to Chamorga. There is a route that goes diagonally up to Anaga in the east direction and then you descend to Chamorga to take the bus to Santa Cruz. There are a few more routes but those require a better knowledge of the forest and also permission, like from Almaciga to Igueste through Pijaral.

      Just let me know if you need more information about any of these or other routes, I have walked them all.

    • Thanks very much, Jovo, for your reply.

      I’m reading your page about Anaga for a next time 😉
      But I still look for paths/trails which will be as loops so we could go back to places where we will leave a car. Can you recommend some?

      Also do you know if these permission forms for Anaga restricted areas are available in English ?
      Thanks,
      Przemek.

    • Yes, you can go from Benijo through Pijaral and then along the ridge pass Ensillada to Cruz de Chamorga and then descend back to Benijo. I have passed it in 5 hours but did not put the story on the site yet. This implies passing through the protected zone and you need a permit. Finding the route through Pijaral can be tricky.

      There are some other options but I did not put them on the site and it is complicated to describe them here. Please check in my texts here (see the Anaga text) for links and see if you can find in English. You can also go to their office at Cruz de Carmen and get the permit there.

    • Thanks Jovo,
      I was looking for English forms, but seems there is no such – we will go to the Office, and hope that after filling forms in, guys will let us in too 😉
      Wanted to ask you if you had any experience with any night sky observations in Tenerife. I would like to take part in such an event but there is a few to choose from and again I’m looking for recommendations 😉
      Best regards,
      Przemek.

    • Not sure what you mean by night sky observations. If you mean observations by instruments, there is a huge observatory on the Teide so can check in their site and see if they have such events organized for ordinary visitors. By the way, I am an astrophysicist and I was on the island working at the Institute of Astrophysics.

      If you only want to enjoy the sky by watching with naked eyes, I suggest climbing Teide overnight. You will have the best possible view of the stars and then in the morning you can enjoy the sunrise from the summit. I did this 3 times.

    • Thanks Jovo,
      I found some event, indeed, at Teide Observatory.
      You were lucky being able to use huge telescope for sky observation and research.

    • Most welcome Przemek, I hope you will enjoy it. There are observatories on several other islands around, just to know.

  8. Hi Jovo,
    I would like to go this summer to the region of Meiringen, Grindelwald and I would like to find some shelters in this region. Do You have some experience there? Do You know maybe some web with the list of shelters in swiss alps? It would be very useful. I have a limited budget for my travel and I am really looking for shelters to stay. I will be grateful for any help with this.
    Best regards,
    Jakub

    Reply

    • Hi Jakub
      I am not so familiar with this particular region; ask me about Vallis and you will have all info you need.

      The best site with such info is this

      http://www.hutten.be/UK/index-UK.html

      I have used it a lot in the past. There is map option for Switzerland and red clickable dots.

      Check also this site, there is menu on the bottom with particular regions to choose:

      http://www.vs-wallis.ch/graubuend/huetverz/main-gr.html

      Let me know if you need more help. There are some other sites with such information. Definitely check also SummitPost.

  9. Hello Jovo,

    Thank you for this site!

    I send you an email through your site asking some advice for my upcoming trip to Tenerife.

    Thanks in advance!
    – Mike K

    Reply

    • Hi Mike, I did not receive any email. Can you send again, or just ask here in this page or through any of the pages about Tenerife?

  10. Hey Jovo!

    I came across your blog last year when I was looking into summiting Platthorn with a couple friends. It was very helpful but I didn’t get a chance to dive deeper into your other articles. I came across your post about the Barrhorn today (I miss being in the mountains; it’s a beautiful day today but I slept in :)) and then started to read some of your other articles. They’re terrific information! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    I was curious — how did you get your start in mountaineering and climbing? And how do you balance work and the time required to get into the mountains?

    Reply

    • Hi X Wang, many thanks for visiting my site and for the kind words.

      I started 30 years ago, my climbing of Triglav in 1986 I consider as my true beginning because this was the first big mountain. I mentioned it in a short post about Korean president, it is a funny text, have a look if you wish.

      As for the last question, this is a sad story: I live in the lowest and the flattest part of EU, some 1000 kilometers from the Alps. So it is only in summer vacation time, or when I pass through the area due to some other reasons. All the best to you, and enjoy Barrhorn if you go there, a beautiful area indeed.

  11. Hi Jovo,
    I wish you well on your next mountaineering adventure. You explain things so well it makes me want to experience my own mountaineering adventure.I liked the fact that you shared your passion with your children. Out of all the places you have climbed which one would you climb again and why.

    Thanks so much.

    Reply

    • Thank you Tomkatt.

      There are some mountains that I climbed multiple times, like Teide wich I climbed 6 times. This is because of its beauty and besides this is by far the most dominant mountain on Tenerife island.

  12. Hi Jovo,

    I just saw your site for the first time today and I think it’s really a great site. Your reviews of products are very knowledgeable and your writings about the various places you have been and mountains you have climbed are really wonderful! I have always loved the mountains though I have never done any climbing just hiking. The air up in the higher altitudes seems so fresh and light.

    Keep up the good work I will be going to this site to check for your posts!

    Reply

    • Hi Barbara, many thanks for such a nice comment. I am delighted to see that you use correct a terminology as you clearly know the difference between hiking and climbing. I wish you to try some of the nice mountains described here in the site. There are so many non-technical routes to very high altitudes where the air is indeed so light. In fact this is what I need when I go there, to feel the altitude and space around me. This is the magic of it. Best luck.

  13. Hey Jovo
    Just want to stop by and says thanks for stopping by at my website.
    Been having email problems so I wanted you to know I appreciate you keep an eye out for me.
    Larry

    Reply

  14. Hello, Jovo. I really enjoy your website, you have so much valuable information to share with those that like to read about awesome places that you have been. Love the photos that you have added. Cheers!

    Reply

  15. Hi Jovo!
    Great web design!
    I believe: With your extreme courage and proven track records, coupled with very ardent experience sharing. You are destined to be succeeded!
    Be faithful, because I have FAITH in you!
    Warmest regards
    Mike

    Reply

    • Hi Mike, thanks a lot, I am touched reading your kind words. Best luck. Jovo

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