Notes
I’ve entered the 2020 TGO Challenge
The TGO Challenge is unique: an annual non-competitive backpacking event crossing Scotland from west to east. I’ve decided to apply for a place in the 2020 Challenge. It’s been on the cards for years now, ever since I really got back into long-distance backpacking in 2014. I’ve
Ode to the Samyang 12mm f/2 wide-angle lens
Over the last few years, this humble lens has surprised me with its versatility – and risen above all others to become a firm favourite. In early 2016, I realised that my standard Fuji zoom lens was holding me back when it came to night-time landscape photography. It was competent, but
The Haute Route Pyrenees – a very brief account
On 21 August 2019, I dipped my toes in the sea at Banyuls-sur-Mer, the eastern terminus of the Haute Route Pyrenees. Here are a few highlights and impressions from my 832km walk from Atlantic to Mediterranean. In figures * Distance hiked: 832km / 517 miles (measured by GPS; almost 100km more than
Off to see the wizard
A version of this piece was first published in my Pinnacle Newsletter. I’ve spent a good deal of my time this week pacing the halls of EventCity in Manchester, ‘doing’ the Outdoor Trade Show with team TGO. While it was great to catch up with so many friends and
Celebrating five years of Pinnacle Editorial
Looking back on five years as a specialist outdoor editor Five years ago, I had a day job I hated, so I decided to quit and retrain as a freelance editor. On the 12th of July 2014 I announced that Pinnacle Editorial was looking for new clients. For the first
My Pinnacle Newsletter now has over 400 members
When I started the Pinnacle Newsletter in January 2018, the plan was for it to take the place of my Facebook presence, which I shut down with great relief. I didn’t have particularly high hopes for the newsletter, and I had no rigid plan for content or strategy – I
Observations from the edge of the wood
At seven o’clock in the morning I emerge from the patchwork of woodland bordering Gunby Park. These stands of trees, interconnected by hedges and thickets, semi-wild, are undergoing a subtle metamorphosis as the early summer shifts almost imperceptibly to midsummer – a turning of the wood’s heart that only
The summer 2019 Twitter burnout
I haven’t dropped off the face of the planet, although I have decided to suspend all personal social media activity for a while. It’s seven o’clock, and I’d usually be about halfway through my morning walk, but there’s a storm blowing out there and it’
The delicate balance of information and uncertainty in adventure
This essay was first published in my Pinnacle Newsletter on 26 April 2019. Sign up for my newsletter here. Some say that ‘adventure’ has become a meaningless term. Today, it’s used for everything from a five-minute walk in the park to summiting unclimbed peaks, but most would agree that
Haute Route Pyrenees planning: maps, apps, GPX data, and more
Updated 2019-07-12 to reflect my final setup on the eve of my hike. From mid-July 2019, I’ll be thru-hiking the Haute Route Pyrenees. Planning is now well underway, and in this blog post I’d like to outline my approach to maps, route planning, and how I’ll handle