Blog
The context of place
When I first visited the Lake District as a child, I wasn’t too impressed. I remember sitting in our family car at the jetty in Ambleside with rain washing down the windscreen. Dad pointed at mountains in the distance – barely visible through the murk – and said “Those are the
What does a book editor do?
There’s often a critical difference between knowing what you want to communicate and actually communicating it effectively The work of an editor can sometimes be opaque. Writers send us their books to edit, and a few weeks later they receive their manuscript back – plus a few thousand tracked changes
Footprints over Ingleborough
Even the most familiar hills always have something new to offer, as Alex Roddie discovers while walking and camping in the Dales This feature was first published in the April 2017 issue of The Great Outdoors magazine. Ingleborough is the place where I first learned the meaning of the word
A night in Ben Alder Cottage
From Britain’s highest mainline train station to a remote and atmospheric bothy, Alex Roddie packs his snow shoes for a journey over the summits This feature was first published in The Great Outdoors magazine, February 2017. Bothies in Scotland all have their own unique character. There’s Corrour, the
Forty years of The Great Outdoors
An important milestone for the most authoritative voice in British hillwalking and backpacking Today, the 40th anniversary issue of The Great Outdoors went on sale. Here’s what TGO means to me, and why I think it’s a vital force in outdoors media, as strong and relevant now as
Informal camera comparison: Fujifilm X-Pro2 vs. iPhone SE
The camera in your pocket is better than you think For the last year and a bit, my digital camera of choice has been the Fujifilm X-Pro2. This is one of Fuji’s top-end mirrorless cameras, with an APS-C sensor, rugged weather-sealed body, and a range of useful features such
Three winter glens in the Cairngorms
Alex Roddie makes the most of a poor winter forecast, avoiding the summits to take on a challenging two-night solo journey through Glens Feshie, Geldie and Dee to finish up in the Lairig Ghru. This feature was first published on UKHillwalking, January 2017. Early winter can be a tough time
Ian Roddie, 1938-2018
In memory of my dad, who introduced me to the good things in life On the 5th of August 2003, my brother James and I went for a hillwalk with our dad and our crazy golden retriever Amber. The objective of the walk was simple: we wanted to explore the
Read my feature on Alpine bivouacking in the latest Sidetracked magazine
Sidetracked Volume 11 is shipping now. This is the eighth issue of this magazine I have personally worked on, but the first I have contributed to as a writer and photographer as well as an editor. Key themes in this issue are humanity, authenticity, and expanding our sphere of experience.