Outdoors
The Lochaber Traverse in winter – Field Notes
In the January 2017 issue of TGO Magazine, available now, you can read my feature on the Lochaber Traverse – one of the UK’s finest long mountain ridges. I waited a decade for the right conditions. It was worth the wait! Here are a few photos that didn’t make
Backpacking the Alder Trail – a mini-guide
E-BOOK DOWNLOAD LINKS: EPUB / MOBI The Alder Trail is a challenging 101-mile backpacking route between Fort William and Aviemore, taking in several Munros and a wide variety of wild country. It was first described in the November 2016 issue of Trail Magazine. Here is a brief guide to enjoying and
The Alder Trail – Field Notes
Alder Trail, Scotland, backpacking
The Skye Trail – field notes
Here is a little extra information I hope might be of assistance for anyone planning a hike of the Skye Trail. We hiked it in May 2016. The weather was stunning – despite a little drizzle and cloud at first, things soon perked up and we walked most of the route
Are trail shoes durable enough?
Like many backpackers, I have made the switch to lightweight, breathable, non-waterproof footwear. It’s an approach with many benefits, but I’ve come to discover one significant disadvantage: durability. I first used the original 5.10 Guide Tennies as lightweight approach shoes in the mountains – that is, footwear capable
Haute Route Pyrenees gear report
I recently returned from a section hike of the Haute Route Pyrenees. Here’s a brief look at how some of my items of gear performed. See the complete gear list here. Footwear Although I’ve sung the praises of the Merrell All Out Peak trail shoes before, my enthusiasm
Do wind farms really have no effect on tourism?
This morning, I read an article in The Guardian with a puzzling headline: Scottish windfarms have ‘no effect’ on tourism, report finds. Here’s why I think this is nonsense. For those who love the Scottish hills, the subject of wind farms on wild land is an emotive one. As
Photos from the Pyrenees
I’m back from the Pyrenees! Here are a few photos from my adventure. My original plan was to hike well into August, but unfortunately that didn’t work out. Several days into my route, a stomach bug hit hard and I ended up taking a day off in Benasque
HRP/GR 11 Day 12
The HRP / GR11 blog series HRP day 1 HRP day 2 HRP day 3 HRP day 4 HRP day 5 HRP day 6 HRP day 7 HRP / GR11 day 8 HRP / GR11 day 9 HRP / GR11 day 10 HRP / GR11 day 11 HRP / GR11 day 12 Leaving the trail I
HRP/GR11 Day 11
The HRP / GR11 blog series HRP day 1 HRP day 2 HRP day 3 HRP day 4 HRP day 5 HRP day 6 HRP day 7 HRP / GR11 day 8 HRP / GR11 day 9 HRP / GR11 day 10 HRP / GR11 day 11 HRP / GR11 day 12 An exhausting descent Total