mountains
Ditching the Infinity Machine — going smartphone-free in the hills
It seems that outdoor folk have been discussing the use of smartphones in the hills forever, but it’s easy to forget that they have in fact only been around for a few years. In this post I ponder my own use of smartphones in the British mountains and how
The Ascent of Sasseneire
In the first week of July 2014 I conducted a journey through the Alps, beginning at the city of Aosta and ending at Evolene in the Valais. My original plan had been to climb Mont Brule on my way over the glacier from Italy, but the weather was bad that
The Great Ridge of Edale
I try to balance three driving forces in my life: writing, work (the “day job that pays the bills” kind), and the outdoors. Unfortunately, 2014 has been unbalanced so far, with the day job gobbling up far too much of my time. I’ve tried my best to keep writing,
Life of a Mountain – Scafell Pike: film review
LIFE OF A MOUNTAIN — SCAFELL PIKEA film by Terry Abraham Terry Abraham’s mountain films have a certain signature style. Sweeping, panoramic shots of mountain grandeur are accompanied by stirring orchestral music. The pace tends to be slow, contemplative, almost lost in the wonder of the mountains. This formula worked
Scotland’s last glacier … as it appears in the present day!
Photo (C) James Roddie 2014, all rights reserved Back in January, it emerged that the last glacier in the Scottish highlands may have lasted well into the 1700s. Coire an Lochain, a deeply carved corrie in the northern Cairngorms, was believed to be the site of one of the last
Avalanche
Avalanche. What does the word mean to you? Before I moved to Glencoe in the autumn of 2008, avalanches were not something I spared more than passing thought for. Like other aspirant mountaineers I studied “avalanche awareness,” but had not had many opportunities to practice my fledgling skills and had
Defeated by Lochnagar but inspired by Balmoral
Wham! The gust of wind punched me in the chest, lifted me off my feet, and hurled me twenty feet back through the air to land, dazed, on a snowbank. I struggled to get up again but the force of the wind was relentless, pushing me back step by step,
Featured on The Gear – a great new website for outdoor enthusiasts
As outdoor enthusiasts we value objective, real-world recommendations on gear when looking to make a purchase. There are plenty of sites out there devoted to advertising outdoor gear, but all too often it isn’t clear if the site was paid to advertise an item or if it has been
A week of mist and magic in Glen Shiel
This time last week I was sitting in the public bar of the Cluanie Inn, nursing a pint of Red Cuillin and reflecting on yet another spectacular day in the mountains of Kintail. All of my trips to the mountains this year have coincided with pretty decent weather, all things
The 2013 #Scotwinter Sweepstakes: place your bets!
We are on the verge of that special time of year when the mountaineer’s thoughts begin to turn to the big question: when will the snow return? For the UK’s highest mountains, summer is a brief pause. If you find yourself pondering the first snowfall question in August,