What I’ve been reading this week, 11 October 2020

Outdoor education in crisis, how to walk across Scotland, beating the winter blues, and travel in a time of Covid.

Outdoors

School’s out: the crisis facing outdoor education — ‘the ban on overnight school trips, gaps in the government’s coronavirus support offering and continued Covid restrictions has created a toxic cocktail for outdoor instructors and the outdoor education sector.’

How to walk across Scotland — a good piece by Ronald Turnbull on backpacking across Scotland. ‘The best walks go all the way across.’

The winter blues — Vivienne Crow writes about beating seasonal affective disorder with the power of time spent outside.

Tackling Jock’s Road: a dramatic walking adventure in the Scottish Highlands — a good piece by Patrick Baker, author of The Unremembered Places, about crossing Jock’s Road in the eastern Highlands.

Travel in a time of Covid — Anna Hughes: ‘If, on the other hand, roaming freely is something we grow up with, we’re more likely to respect the land and treat it like our own property. If Scottish-style land laws were applied in England and Wales, how would that affect our relationship with nature? So many of our climate problems come from thinking we are somehow separate to the natural world.’

Walking in Wild Weather — Dan Bailey at UKHillwalking shares some useful tips for walking in wild autumn conditions.

Beyond the Nevis watershed, part 2: the Grey Corries — the second instalment in Mark Horrell’s account of a recent backpacking trip in Lochaber.

Valley and Peak’s step by step guide to washing & reproofing waterproof clothing — plenty of useful info here about equipment maintenance as we move into the wetter, colder months of the year.

Books, writing, and publishing

Powder, Snowboarder, and Surfer Magazines Shut Down — hard times for adventure publishing.

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