What I’ve been reading this week, 2 November 2018
Elitism in adventure, an overnighter in Glen Feshie, outdoor publishing, and the dangers of river crossings… Outdoors Plenty of interesting things to read this week: Is there a place in adventure for elitism? – this thoughtful piece from Bex Band makes some points that hit close to home. Privilege and elitism
Staying safe in early-winter mountain conditions
This can be a challenging time of year in the British mountains: no avalanche forecasts, changeable conditions, and short daylight hours. This feature was first published by The Great Outdoors, 30 November 2017. Autumn or winter? If you live far from the hills, especially further south in England, it’s
Why I don’t use blue ink any more
In 2007, I made the first of several visits to the Alpine Club archives in London. I was conducting research for the novel that would eventually become The Only Genuine Jones, and those early archive trips were vital in establishing a baseline of knowledge for future research. I had started
What I’ve been reading this week, 26 October 2018
Winter arrives in the mountains, the reviewer’s curse, lost images from Everest, and not being afraid to break things… Outdoors and photography Don’t slip up this winter – time to winterise your rucksack – with snow arriving in the Scottish Highlands as I write this, Heather Morning from Mountaineering Scotland
What I’ve been reading this week, 19 October 2018
Plenty of links for you this week: what National Parks are for, the Skye Trail, camping in the Alps, weariness at the pace of technological change, broken MacBook keyboards, and more… Books I am currently reading Polar Eskimo by Alex Hibbert, and Ilium by Dan Simmons (had this on the
For what are mountains waiting?
For what are mountains waiting? All night they are expectant : heavy hoods of hills rounding against the stars seem opening about invisible eyes, that watch within the darkness under brows of darker precipice… At night we feel the mountains are hearkening, and all but hearing. —From April and Rain by
What I’ve been reading this week, 12 October 2018
Scrambling on Skye, hill tracks, mental health… and tech giants throwing their weight around (again). Outdoors Banished to Room 101: the Inaccessible Pinnacle – Mark Horrell climbs the Inn Pinn, and tells the story in typically amusing fashion. (I still haven’t hit three figures in my round of the Munros,
The Alder Trail
Alex Roddie answers the call of Ben Alder’s wildness in this ambitious long-distance trail between Fort William and Aviemore. This feature was first published in Trail magazine, November 2016. The Alder Trail is a highly challenging route, with considerable off-trail sections crossing Munros, suitable only for experienced backpackers in