In Pursuit of Perfection – the Lochaber Traverse
Seeking perfection on an ambitious three-day journey to reach Ben Nevis This feature was first published in The Great Outdoors magazine, January 2017 Between 2008 to 2011, I lived in Lochaber. I don’t live there any more. Now I make visits north, losing the weather lottery more often than
Walking 1,500 miles in 2017
In the end, it wasn’t about the miles At the start of 2017, I decided to take on ViewRanger’s Walk2017 challenge. The idea is simple: you pick a mileage target—500, 1,000 or 1,500—then aim to hike it over the course of the year. Because
My nine top wild camps of 2017
Nine of the best, from Ardgour to Norway For the last few years it’s been my custom to do a roundup of my year in the outdoors, but this year I have been posting monthly photo updates and I feel that ground has already been covered. 2017 has, however,
Walk2017 – images from October and November
As I near the end of my attempt to walk 1,500 miles in 2017 (yes, I should just about make it!) it’s time to post my penultimate gallery of images. With the exception of a boost in September, my photographic output has gradually slowed over the course of
Availability update: Pinnacle Editorial is fully booked well into 2018, plus a few thoughts on the future
After a quieter month, things are moving into high gear at Pinnacle Editorial HQ, and my time is now fully accounted for until the end of February 2018. I have a varied mix of projects on the go at the moment: * I’ve just started work on Vol.11 of
A roundup of my published outdoor writing in November 2017
It’s been a busy month for outdoor writing. I’ve written a number of features for The Great Outdoors – skills pieces, interviews and more – an interview for Sidetracked, and a one-minute mountain for UKHillwalking. I’ve included a couple of notable pieces I’ve posted on this site too.
Pilgrim’s Progress: a century of development in climbing equipment and technique
Alex Roddie charts a century of development in the tools we take for granted This feature was first published in Mountain Pro Magazine, January 2016. Take a look in your rucksack. If you’re a winter climber, you’ll find a pair of crampons in there, and two ice axes
NaNoWriMo week three: capitulation
After just over 25,000 words, I’m calling it quits on NaNoWriMo 2017. It was always going to be a tall order, if I’m honest – I noted before I began1 that I don’t have anywhere near as much spare time as I did last time I completed