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A fastpacking circuit in the Cairngorms

51km through the Cairngorms with running shoes, a lightweight pack, and a mindset that wasn't quite hiking and wasn't quite running but something distinct from both.

A fastpacking circuit in the Cairngorms
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My top ten wild camps of 2019

Ten of the best from the mountains of Scotland and the Pyrenees As I mentioned in my year in review, I spent a total of 67 nights under canvas this year, of which 47 were ‘wild’ camps. It’s been a fantastic year for wild camps. The Haute Route Pyrenees

My top ten wild camps of 2019
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Skills guide: Planning off-path routes

If your hillwalking has mainly been confined to the Peak District or Lakes, it can be daunting to visit a wilder area where there are fewer footpaths. For the first-timer in the Scottish Highlands, here’s how to confidently plan walking routes – even where there are no paths. This feature

Skills guide: Planning off-path routes
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Chased by Storms: 113 miles along the Haute Route Pyrenees and GR11 in 2016

Three long-distance routes traverse the Pyrenees: the GR10, GR11 and, most challenging of all, the Pyrenean Haute Route. In 2016, on the hunt for mountains and summer sun, Alex Roddie got a taste of each of them. This feature was first published in the August 2017 issue of The Great

Chased by Storms: 113 miles along the Haute Route Pyrenees and GR11 in 2016
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News: Cape Wrath Trail features published

There’s plenty to read about my February Cape Wrath Trail in TGO magazine this month. In my last blog post about the CWT, I promised that more detailed features about this trail would be published in due course. I’m glad to announce that the first of these features

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The Cape Wrath Trail(ish) in winter(ish) – a very brief account

In February 2019, I hiked 299 miles from Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath, the north-westernmost point of mainland Britain, mostly following the Cape Wrath Trail. Here’s how it went, plus a few photos. Folks looking for a comprehensive trip report may be disappointed this time. I’m a professional

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The winter Cape Wrath Trail gear list

After months of preparation, I have a near-final gear list for next month’s winter Cape Wrath Trail attempt. Here are a few thoughts on the gear I’ve selected and why. Trigger warning: this is not an ultralight gear list! General gear considerations For information on the trip’s

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The Cape Wrath Trail in winter: seeking silence in the Scottish Highlands

Time to announce my big winter project for early 2019. More: * Gear list on Lighterpack * Why go offline – and how? * Resupply plan It’s time to talk about a project I’ve been planning for a while. You may have seen hints on social media or in my newsletter about

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The Alder Trail

Alex Roddie answers the call of Ben Alder’s wildness in this ambitious long-distance trail between Fort William and Aviemore. This feature was first published in Trail magazine, November 2016.  The Alder Trail is a highly challenging route, with considerable off-trail sections crossing Munros, suitable only for experienced backpackers in

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My review of ‘Along the Divide’ by Chris Townsend in the latest issue of TGO

In the October 2018 issue of The Great Outdoors, I review Along the Divide: Walking the Wild Spine of Scotland by Chris Townsend. This is an excellent book, perhaps my favourite from this author: Along the Divide treads that skilful line between serious, important landscape writing and a damned good

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