‘Crime and Punishment’ cover reveal
Last year, I teamed up with Lucas Bale and a group of talented writers to produce No Way Home, an anthology of speculative fiction on the theme of being stranded and cut off from home. The project was a success and the book received some great reviews. Now I can
Much ado about Naeboots
Lightweight backpacking is great. It lets you walk further with less, live a simple life on the trail, and reduces the risk of fatigue, blisters and injury. Yet in 2015 it’s still a controversial subject. In October 2015, TGO (The Great Outdoors) Magazine published my feature on thru-hiking the
Sidetracked Volume Five is here
Sidetracked Volume Five shipping now Yesterday afternoon, my copies of Sidetracked Volume Five landed on my desk. I’d been very eager to see it in its printed form, because it’s been a fantastic project to work on as sub-editor. The design is absolutely beautiful, combining superb photography with
Book review: Thru-hiking will Break your Heart by Carrot Quinn
Thru-hiking will Break your Heart by Carrot Quinn Let me preface this review by stating that I admire Carrot Quinn tremendously. I have been a reader of her blog since 2014, and have cheered her along every step of the Continental Divide Trail this year. She’s a fantastic blogger
Cape Wrath Trail talk for the local Scouts
Last night, after a little cajoling and a week of preparation, I spoke to our local Scouting district about a subject close to my heart — adventure. I hiked the Cape Wrath Trail in June this year. It was a landmark journey for me, and after I completed it I started
Lightening the winter load: ice axe and crampons for lightweight backpacking
For years, I’ve used heavy and relatively technical winter mountaineering equipment. But my needs are different now, and I’ve succeeded in reducing the weight of my ice axe and crampons by almost 900g. Here’s how I did it. What I’ve used before I’ve used a
First look: Grisport Peaklander boots
For summer walking and backpacking, I’m a trail shoe sort of person. But what about the cooler months, when thicker socks aren’t enough to keep your feet warm and you might encounter snow and ice? Grisport UK sent me a pair of their Peaklander traditional leather walking boots
Book review: Hyperion by Dan Simmons
HYPERION By Dan Simmons Hyperion is one of those books that has been on my to-read list forever. I’m now an Audible subscriber, so I took the opportunity to listen to the audiobook while hiking the Tour of Monte Rosa in September 2015. Is this classic work of science
Book review: One Day as a Tiger by John Porter
One Day as a Tiger Alex MacIntyre and the birth of fast and light alpinism By John Porter As a student of the history of mountaineering, I’ve wanted to read this book for a while. A chance conversation with David Lintern a few months ago led to him kindly
Photographing the ‘super blood moon’ total lunar eclipse
Last night, at just after 02.00 GMT, a rare astronomical phenomenon was visible from around the world. A ‘supermoon’ – that is, a moon that appears unusually large due to its proximity to the Earth – coincided with a total lunar eclipse. I set my alarm and took some photos of