Escape to an Alpine Refuge with Gestalten

You know what they say, ‘life moves pretty fast and if you don’t sit down and look at a coffee table book full of beautiful mountain based dwellings once in a while you could miss it’. At least I think that’s what Ferris Bueller said, it was quite a while ago that film wasn’t it? Anyway, my point being that in a world populated by endless reels, distracting stories, mindless tiktoks and relentless bad news, its increasingly important for us to escape the matrix as much as possible and to connect back with nature. Obviously the ideal scenario is getting to go hiking, climbing, cycling etc in real life but at this time of year the weather (and often the bank balance) can sometimes hinder such activities. So my suggestion for coping with these times when you can’t hop on a plane or go up a mountain is to settle down with a copy of ‘Alpine Refuges – The Architecture and Culture of Mountain Shelters’ by Gestalten. A super cosy book that takes an eagle-eyed look at some of the world’s most impressive mountain retreats, from ancient stone fortresses to futuristic Bond Villain-esque lairs. Edited by British adventurer and photographer Aaron Rolph (who also founded the British Adventure Collective) this incredible book is a source of both inspiration for future trips as well as pure escapism into a dream like world where heaven seems so much closer than reality.