Outdoors
Hiking a section of the Haute Route Pyrenees and GR11
Welcome to my trail blogs direct from the Haute Route Pyrenees! As usual, these journals were composed on my phone from the field. Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. For an introduction to the idea behind this route, please read A Haute Route Pyrenees section hike. The HRP / GR11
Haute Route Pyrenees gear list
It’s my last day at my desk before heading out to France to begin my section hike of the Haute Route Pyrenees. In this short piece I’d like to talk about the gear I’ve selected to take with me. I’ve never visited the Pyrenees before, but
A summer solstice bivouac amongst the dunes
Last night, for the first time since 1967, the summer solstice coincided with the rising of the strawberry moon. The skies had cleared after rain earlier in the day, so I packed my rucksack and headed for one of Lincolnshire’s wildest places. The sun was just beginning to set
Retreat from Jotunheimen
A 47-mile backpacking adventure through the Jotunheimen National Park, Norway, in July 2010. Background In summer 2010, my life was at a crossroads. I’d been working as a barman at the Clachaig Inn, Glen Coe, since 2008, but I needed a change – I was getting bored of the same
Adjustments on and off the trail
That first night on the trail is an exciting one, isn’t it? The novelty of crisp air against your cheeks, hard ground underneath you. But it soon becomes part of life, and I think the longer you’re out the more you have to adjust when you return home.
Scotland 2016 gear list and kit decisions
Part of the Scotland 2016 article series On the 20th of April 2016 I depart to Scotland to hike the West Highland Way, Alder Trail, and Skye Trail. Here are a few thoughts about the equipment I’ll be using. Click here to access the gear list spreadsheet Everyone likes
My planned Scottish backpacking route, April – May 2016
On the 20th of April, I’m heading up north for another long walk in the Highlands. Here’s what I have planned: West Highland Way, Skye Trail, and more. I’ve been up to my eyeballs in work for the last couple of weeks, so my departure date has
I joined the Trailstar club
While I love and will continue to use the Tarptent Notch, it isn’t the perfect shelter for every scenario. I have long-distance trails planned in very windy and inhospitable places this year, so I decided I needed a shelter upgrade. There could only be one candidate: the Mountain Laurel
Mountain Podcast, Episode 5: The Angel of Camasunary
Mountain A Podcast About Adventure Hosted by Christopher Sleight The fifth episode of Mountain hit the interwebs last week, and I loaded it up on my iPod to accompany a long train journey to Scotland. It’s a great episode. One thing I love about Mountain is the diversity of
Gear Review: Grivel G1 New Classic crampons
These are some of the lightest full-service, steel crampons designed to stand up to the rigours of general mountaineering. But are they any good? My history of crampon use is fairly typical for a British mountaineer. I started off with Grivel G10s before soon graduating to traditional, heavy, twelve-point crampons.