Sidetracked Volume 31: Closer to Nature, and thoughts on steadiness of purpose in media

With the latest volume of Sidetracked magazine arriving with subscribers, let's take a look at some of my favourite bits and pieces from this very special issue. And, as is traditional, a bit of waffle from me.

This summer we celebrated our 30th issue and 10th year in print... then just kept on doing what we do, seeking out the best stories from the best writers and photographers. There was never any question of reinventing the wheel as we entered our second decade. I've always believed that one of Sidetracked's core strengths is consistency. Trends come and go – quicker than ever these days – but increasingly I'm drawn to the things that don't change for the sake of it.

This steadiness of purpose doesn't primarily come from me, though (much as I like to think that I contribute to it, as everyone on our amazing team contributes to it). It mainly comes from John Summerton, our founder and creative director, and I'm constantly amazed by his ability to keep core values in sight at all times, even as the commercial landscape shifts around us. So much has changed since 2014 when the publication launched. The outdoor industry is radically different. Outdoors media is radically different. The whole of media is different! From 'print is dead' predictions, through Covid/Brexit challenges, to the revival in indie publishing, we're still here – and still basically doing what we did on day one, before I even joined the team.

But as I say every time, it isn't easy. Shifts in the outdoor industry, reading habits, and the media landscape affect every publication. We adapt; we embrace new opportunities; we turn away from the things that don't work any more. But through all this, I'm very glad to say, our print journal endures, because it is the heart of the whole thing. And we don't compromise on that. Our workflow still involves two experienced editors (me and Emily Woodhouse) working on every single story. We also rely on Jenny Tough's perspective – again, on every single story. John's photographic and design taste brings the whole thing together. And, yes, social media is an important part of the whole shebang, much as I like to keep it at arm's length. In this department Mark Bullock has worked wonders in bringing Sidetracked to new audiences.

Sometimes I find myself worrying that media is in a death spiral, an awful race to the bottom – a dark place of content sludge. That nobody wants to pay for quality any more, that people will be happy with whatever AI-regurgitated slop the feed puts in front of their faces. That's one possible future of media, but it isn't the only future. Magazines like Sidetracked offer a better alternative. As the internet dissolves into low-quality mush, all it really takes to get something better is to switch off the screens and invest a little time and money in something beautiful made by real adventurers, explorers, writers, photographers, editors and designers. Humans doing human stuff.

More and more people are remembering that you can't get everything you need from the internet. All the good stuff is out here in the real world anyway.

Our theme for Volume 31 is 'Closer to Nature', because in this issue we have included some lovely stories about wildness, the environment, animals, and precious human-animal bonds.

As always, it's so hard to pick out favourites, but it's got to be said that 'The Alpine Caravan', featuring Bertrand Carlier's gorgeous photographs of yaks in the Swiss Alps, is up there (his cover shot has already been widely praised). Other stories on the theme of human-animal bonds include 'The Long Ride Home: Act Two' by Ashley Parsons and Quentin Boëhm, resuming the story of their big journey across the Alps and Carpathians with their horse family. I always love working with Ashley and Quentin; not only are the images full of character and warmth, the writing is also exquisite. In this piece we have some very thoughtful ideas about our relationship with nature and the thumbprint we leave on the land, whether we're travelling through it or have made it our home.

Another piece featuring a horse journey is 'A Silent Rebellion' – a very powerful story by Kitalé Wilson, and including some lovely analogue photographs. Pascale Sury's Sidetracked debut appears in this issue: her story 'Immersed in Nature', documenting her time with the Tsaatan reindeer herders. Finally on the theme of human-animal connection we have 'Finding Bo' by Karen Miller, all about her relationship with a particular mountain hare. This story is most definitely a favourite! Back in September I attended the Montrose LandxSea festival to watch the premiere of the film Finding Bo, directed by my friend Rachel Sarah, and enjoyed a lengthy chat with Karen about wildlife and wildlife photography.

More traditional adventure stories are not in short supply here. There's bikepacking in Japan ('Japan's Forgotten Roads' by Hans De Neve), a summit-to-sea descent in New Zealand ('One Step at a Time' by Jasper Gibson), packrafting in West Greenland ('Disko' by Rachel Murray and Willem Vandoorne), and big-wall climbing in Kyrgyzstan ('A Dangerous Descent', Will Rupp).

Volume 31 also includes 'Tibherine', a Single Moment written by Emily Woodhouse and accompanied by one of my photographs. This tells the story of our ascent of Mont Tibherine in the Haut Atlas, Morocco, earlier this year: a race against the clock to complete one final peak before the trip came to an end, but high winds complicated matters somewhat.

Another favourite is 'Silence of the Valley' by Himanshu Vats, accompanied by some deeply atmospheric images from his time in Zanskar. And let's not forget the latest in Hugh Francis Anderson's long-running Stories From The Edge column, this time interviewing Krister Kopala.

I'll leave you with some remarks by Libby Peter, who contributed the foreword for this volume.

I peep into the lives of brave-souled adventurers following dreams. Getting things done. Or not. It matters little either way. The point is that they are out there in far-flung corners – or their back yards – doing and seeing and listening. Being alive. Letting the landscape imprint, the story unfold. I let their words roll around my head, their images seep into my consciousness. They rouse me from this stupor. A hunger grows.

Work has now begun on Sidetracked Volumes 32 and 33. Our submissions inbox is open; email submissions@sidetracked.com after reading our contributor guidelines carefully.

You can subscribe to Sidetracked here. We publish three high-quality issues a year.

All images © Alex Roddie unless otherwise credited. All Rights Reserved. Please don’t reproduce these images without permission.