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A return to the Western Alps

My blog has been far too quiet this year, and that’s a reflection on the fact that the day job has been occupying more of my time, and (as I recently lamented) I have been able to enjoy fewer trips to the mountains. However, that is about to change.

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Last Hours on Everest by Graham Hoyland: book review

Last Hours on Everest:The Gripping Story of Mallory & Irvine’s Fatal Ascentby Graham Hoyland  It’s customary to begin reviews of Everest books with the phrase “Much has been written on this subject.” Well, much has indeed been written regarding George Mallory and Mount Everest, but as I

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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

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Returning to places of inspiration

This picture was taken exactly eleven years ago, on Saturday the 12th of April 2003. It’s one of my favourite images from my first few years living on the Suffolk coast and also part of my collection of early digital images. In this blog post I’d like to

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Book Spotlight – Last Hours on Everest by Graham Hoyland

Last Hours on Everest:The Gripping Story of Mallory & Irvine’s Fatal Ascentby Graham HoylandI came home from work to an eagerly anticipated package today. It contained an advance copy of Graham Hoyland’s new book, Last Hours on Everest, which has been available in hardback for a while

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#TheAthollExpedition reviewed by TGO magazine

The Atholl Expedition has been reviewed by outdoor expert, backpacker and author Chris Townsend in the May 2014 issue of The Great Outdoors (TGO) magazine. TGO is one of the top selling outdoor publications in the UK and they printed a short review of my first novel almost exactly a

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New online interview with Andrew Mazibrada

Andrew Mazibrada is a climber, freelance outdoor writer and photographer who writes fiction under the pen name Marcus Cameron. Like many of my professional connections these days, we met on Twitter. He’s hosting a series of in-depth interviews on the writing process of various authors and was kind enough

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A Scottish Winter Season Missed

“The mountains will still be there next time…” This is a phrase commonly used by climbers to console those who have missed an opportunity, failed on a climb, or retreated for safety reasons. It can be a great comfort. Unlike us, mountains do not wither or grow old, and they

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#TheAthollExpedition Goodreads competition is now closed

Many thanks to all of you who entered my Goodreads giveaway to win a signed copy of The Atholl Expedition. 167 people entered in total and I’m pleased to announce that the lucky winner is Julie Hallwood. Your copy of the book will be on its way shortly, Julie!

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Breaking the ice on a new novel – the pilot chapter method

Actually getting started on a new novel can be a difficult step. Every writer is different: some of us leap headfirst into a new project, eager to get going, while others linger over characterisation and plot plans. I tend to fall into the latter category. I have failed on novels