Unplugged #1: solitary bothy nights, unlocking the winter mountains, and finite FTW
Hello and welcome to Unplugged! For those of you who used to receive my weekly Pinnacle Newsletter, the format will be familiar. Why have I relaunched a weekly digest? Because I'm sometimes posting more than one blog post per week, and I don't want to overwhelm
I think Bluesky is a trap
People are leaving X en masse, and looking to Bluesky for a refuge. But is it a breath of fresh air or just another trap? 💡This article has been cross-posted to my Substack. Please bear with me while I work through how to divide posts between the new Substack publication
Aline: our creative community in the outdoors
The outdoor industry has systemic problems. How can we start solving them in a constructive, equitable and progressive way, building a more sustainable industry for creatives, brands and media alike? For the last few months, I've been involved in a new initiative alongside friends Davy Wright and Rachel
A mountain before breakfast
Every weekday, unless the weather is genuinely terrible, I like to get out and do some exercise before doing anything else. My alarm goes off, I hit snooze once or twice, I drag myself out of bed, I brush my teeth, I check the weather, and then I head out
Bits and pieces: latest published work, plus thoughts on moving to a weekly newsletter
Good evening! It's so nice to see a few more people signing up to receive this blog/newsletter (is it a blog? Is it a newsletter? It's both) – and, honestly, I am humbled that people in 2024 are voluntarily asking to get more emails. Signing up
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
Winter Colour: an OWPG highly commended photo set
I've been a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild since 2019, and every year I enter magazine and web articles, books, and images into the annual awards. I have won on two prior occasions, for a magazine feature and for this website. This year, to my
Páramo: building blocks for the future
Páramo Directional Clothing is one of those outdoor gear brands you'll almost certainly have an opinion about. Saying they're a Marmite brand might be overstating it, but outdoor enthusiasts often either steer well clear or are ardent lifelong fans. I don't quite identify as
Fragments from the journey home
A flying visit to Fort William and Glen Coe with Hannah. It's work – a media event at the new Páramo store opening on the FW high street – but it's also fun, catching up with friends who live in the most beautiful spot along the north shore
'So how are things *actually*, Alex?'
It's 6.30pm on a Saturday evening in October and I'm flicking back through my blog posts for the year, reflecting on how I've totally failed to carry out my plan of returning to an old-school pattern of blogging. Not necessarily little and often,
