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‘The silence roared in our ears’: a selection of quotes from Hell of a Journey by Mike Cawthorne
I’ve recently finished reading Hell of a Journey: On Foot through the Scottish Highlands in Winter by Mike Cawthorne. This is a modern classic of mountain literature and the account of a landmark mountain journey in the late 1990s: the first continuous trip on foot over all 135 of
Outdoor publishing, Europe’s best hiking, the camera I use in the hills, and more: in conversation on YouTube with the Outdoors Station
This week, it was my pleasure to chat with Bob Cartwright at the Outdoors Station live on YouTube. Here’s how it went. As I wrote in my blog post introducing the show, I don’t make many public appearances. It has been over a year since my last talk
What I’ve been reading this week, 28 November 2020
Grouse shooters in dismay, a tribute to the Fox of Glencoe, a sunny day on Skye, and the impact of high winds. Nature and environment Grouse shooting licence move sparks ‘dismay’ — atrocious headline from the BBC aside, this is a step in the right direction. I’d like to think
Live on YouTube with the Outdoors Station, Wed 25 November 2020 at 19.00 GMT
Keen to learn more about my new book, Wanderlust Europe — and have the opportunity to win a copy? Come along to my live show with the Outdoors Station on YouTube next Wednesday. Where: YouTube (direct URL: https://youtu.be/qDk6lOoAxpc) When: 19.00 GMT, Wednesday 25 November 2020 Cost: free
What I’ve been reading this week, 21 November 2020
The legacy of the Clearances, sketching Scotland’s mountains, the digital dilemma, and why readers should wean themselves off Amazon. Nature and environment How the shooting industry is exploiting the legacy of the Clearances — an excellent piece from David Lintern about the controversial idea of reducing deer numbers in the
What I’ve been reading this week, 15 November 2020
Touching cloth on the Black Cuillin, avalanched on the Lancet Edge, choosing your next adventure, and the 80/20 rule. Nature and environment Campaigners warn of fragile future for Scotland’s beavers — Walkhighlands highlights a documentary, Beavers Without Borders, premiering on YouTube tonight. Outdoors Conversation & whisky, sunshine & splendour
What I’ve been reading this week, 7 November 2020
The value of human silence, cognitive navigation and GPS, wild camping in winter, and taking on Amazon. Nature and environment Our shared vision to restore nature on Exmoor — the Exmoor National Park Authority launch ambitious plans for landscape-scale nature restoration on Exmoor. Looks promising. ‘The proposals also include dedicating at
When Glen Coe resembled the Himalaya
The perfection of winter in a collection of images from ten years ago It’s easy to forget, when away from the mountains, just how good winter mountaineering can be at its best. There is nothing in the world like it. The anticipation, the planning, the failures, the gradual accumulation
What I’ve been reading this week, 31 October 2020
The trouble with pheasants, different perspectives on the Cairngorms, the transition month of October, and the campaign for free access to our landscapes. Nature and environment Pheasant and partridge classified as species that imperil UK wildlife — I think this can be cautiously welcomed as a step in the right direction,
Make a difference for wild places with Wanderlust Europe, Alex Roddie, Chris Townsend, and the John Muir Trust
Today I am launching a fundraiser to help the John Muir Trust by auctioning a copy of Wanderlust Europe and a day out on the hill with myself and Chris Townsend. Bid for a signed copy of Wanderlust Europe, the new book on Europe’s most inspiring long-distance hikes, and
