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Alex Roddie

Happiest on a mountain. Writer, story-wrangler, digital and film photographer. Editor of Sidetracked magazine. Machine breaker.

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A pillaged ecology in the Scottish Highlands: ‘I am angry beyond words’

An environmental consultant expresses anger and concern about landscape mismanagement and the impact of deer in the Scottish Highlands Last week, after I put up a post on Twitter and LinkedIn describing how I was writing a piece about the ‘pillaged ecology in the Highlands’, I received an email from

A pillaged ecology in the Scottish Highlands: ‘I am angry beyond words’
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What I’ve been reading this week, 6 December 2019

Letting loose the lynx, taking ultralight backpacking too far, an outdoor election, and throwing in the apostrophe towel. Environment ‘Forgotten’ elm tree set to make a comeback – I’m too young to remember a landscape with large elm trees. It’s nice to think that future generations might be able

What I’ve been reading this week, 6 December 2019
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Pinnacle Editorial is fully booked until summer 2020

An availability update. I’ve taken on a number of writing commissions lately from several different clients, and have a stack of editorial projects lined up well into 2020, so it’s time to declare myself fully booked for the foreseeable future. I’ll admit that I’m surprised – at

Pinnacle Editorial is fully booked until summer 2020
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A Single Moment: Alpine Bivouac

This feature was first published in Sidetracked magazine, February 2018. Suddenly I’m not sure I want to go through with this, but there’s no chance to go back now. Not unless I want to descend that ridge in the dark. I’ve climbed to the summit of Stockhorn,

A Single Moment: Alpine Bivouac
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What I’ve been reading this week, 29 November 2019

Scottish Salmon’s dark secret, the unease of winter’s sounds, poetry from the Cairngorms, CMD Arête, and a global plan to save the Web. Environment Beavers set to return to Norfolk – excellent news. Glen Etive hydros update – an update from the John Muir Trust on the Glen Etive hydro

What I’ve been reading this week, 29 November 2019
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What I’ve been reading this week, 22 November 2019

I have some cracking reads for you this week on a range of subjects: homecoming salmon, an Alpine rejuvenation, winter backpacking tips, wonder of wonders, photographing the Hebrides, and much more… Environment Melting glaciers and the double-edged sword of last-chance tourism – ‘the environmental paradox: traveling long distances to see melting

What I’ve been reading this week, 22 November 2019
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My photography – November 2019

Thanks to a combination of getting out more than usual and some excellent conditions, I’ve had a strong month for photography both on and off the mountains. In no particular order, here is a selection of images from November 2019. Tip of the hat to my brother James Roddie,

Coire Lair © Alex Roddie
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What I’ve been reading this week, 15 November 2019

This week in my increasingly inaccurately named ‘what I’ve been reading this week’ slot, it’s a mixed bunch of links on everything from Himalayan mountaineering to climbing literature, the best gear of 2019 to a redesigned MacBook Pro… Nirmal Purja’s ascent of all fourteen 8,000m peaks:

What I’ve been reading this week, 15 November 2019
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Down the Rabbit Hole with James Roddie and Mike Webster

On 10 November 2019, I attended the world premiere of Down the Rabbit Hole, the new film by Mike Webster about my brother James Roddie and his complicated relationship with mental health and the outdoors. From the film’s page at Spiral Out Pictures: Down the Rabbit Hole is the

Down the Rabbit Hole with James Roddie and Mike Webster
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What I’ve been reading this week, 1 November 2019

The future of travel blogging, climbing Europe’s ultras, making a living from writing, and wonder works. Environment and nature Fishery collapse ‘confirms Silent Spring pesticide prophecy’ – ‘Unfortunately, while it is clear that harm must have been done to UK river health, the exact impact of neonicotinoids has yet to

What I’ve been reading this week, 1 November 2019