Blog
What I’ve been reading this week, 13 March 2020
You’ve read all the coronavirus links already, so here are some worthwhile reads on the environment, nature, hiking, and books. Environment and nature #FlightFree2020: About The Time I Travelled The World Flight-Free For 4 Years (And Nobody Cared) – a thought-provoking blog post by Tom Allen, who was going to
Talk at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, 20 March 2020, cancelled
With regret, I have decided to cancel my appearance next week at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. The idea of bringing dozens of people together into a room, potentially spreading the infection, just to listen to me waffle about hiking doesn’t sit right with me. I also have to
What I’ve been reading this week, 28 February 2020
The end of farming, whistling while you walk, much ado about yetis, and the last best place on the internet. Environment and nature Why the lights are going out for fireflies – fireflies are one of the true glories of nature. Sadly, I’ve only seen them once. The end of
What I’ve been reading this week, 21 February 2020
A Pyrenees traverse, marks left on an English alp, crossing the Arctic Ocean in winter, and it takes as little as thirty seconds. Environment and nature Beavers cut flooding and pollution and boost wildlife populations – ‘Following five years of detailed research work, the report concludes that the positive impacts of
What I’ve been reading this week, 15 February 2020
Making space for nature, Norway end to end, between the storms, and what to do with the bodies. Environment and nature HS2 decision will destroy precious wild places – I’m aware of the argument that HS2 is a necessary evil, even from an environmental point of view, but ancient woodland
Upcoming talk: Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, 20 March 2020
I will be speaking at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival on 20 March 2020. If you’re curious to learn more about my winter Cape Wrath Trail and other recent trips, please come along. The subject of this part of the programme is ‘acts of rebellion – adventures with a lighter
Local woodland damage – an update
In January, I blogged about damage I’d witnessed to a local stand of woodland. Here’s an update, along with a record of what I’ve seen and the efforts I’ve made to find out what is happening. There have been some developments. Here are the facts: * A
What I’ve been reading this week, 8 February 2020
Winter changes, finding wild Scotland, the true summit of Manaslu, and the hard lands of Glen Banchor. Environment and nature Winter Changes – I enjoyed this piece by Anna Fleming about unpredictable modern winters in the Cairngorms, and how they can influence human behaviour. Something is happening to Norway – this is
A Walk in the Woods – hiking Norway’s Jotunheimstien
Alex Roddie discovers a long-distance trail that begins in Oslo city centre, plunging into a forest paradise brimming with wildlife. This feature was first published in The Great Outdoors magazine (2018 Scandinavia Supplement) It isn’t every day that you get to start a long-distance trail from a city centre.
What I’ve been reading this week, 31 January 2020
Climate change gets chilling, of time travel and beavers, media in the wilderness, and an open and humane alternative to Facebook. Environment and nature Ben Dolphin: Climate change is beginning to get chilling – Ben Dolphin articulates the solastalgia of recent Scottish winters. You want to reduce the carbon footprint of
