The Grand Route Forbes — a long-distance hike in the Alps
Regular followers of this blog will be aware that I admire the writings of James Forbes, a Scottish geologist best known for his pioneering studies on the glaciers…
Tag: mountain history
Illustrations from after the Alpine golden age
Today I’d like to share some beautiful illustrations with you. One of my most prized books is the Badminton Book of Mountaineering, a massive tome of 19th century…
One hundred and fifty years
Image from http://1865.chamonix.fr/En/ Next year, in July 2015, the Chamonix valley will begin a series of celebrations marking 150 years since 1865, and paying tribute to one of the…
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…
Last Hours on Everest by Graham Hoyland: book review
Last Hours on Everest: The Gripping Story of Mallory & Irvine’s Fatal Ascent by Graham Hoyland It’s customary to begin reviews of Everest books with the phrase…
Book Spotlight – Last Hours on Everest by Graham Hoyland
Last Hours on Everest: The Gripping Story of Mallory & Irvine’s Fatal Ascent by Graham Hoyland I came home from work to an eagerly anticipated package today.…
Should George Mallory’s ice axe remain in the UK?
If you ask the average person to name two mountaineers, he or she will probably pick Edmund Hillary and George Mallory. Both are synonymous with Everest, but for…
The Summits of Modern Man by Peter Hansen: Book Review
The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering After the Enlightenment by Peter H. Hansen I actually started reading this remarkable book some months ago. It’s a bit of a…
George Mallory on Ben Nevis … in 1906!
George Mallory is arguably Britain’s most famous mountaineer. Known for his early attempts on Everest in the 1920s (and his subsequent disappearance on the mountain in 1924),…
Featured in the Scottish Sunday Mail today
Exciting news! Today an article was published in the Scottish Sunday Mail about the Abraham brothers, pioneers of British rock climbing who were active in the 1890s and…
The Mounth Passes by Neil Ramsay and Nate Pedersen: book review
The Mounth Passes: A Heritage Guide to the Old Ways through the Grampian Mountains by Neil Ramsay and Nate Pedersen (Kindle) This slim ebook came to my attention…
Scotland’s last surviving glacier lasted into the 1700s, research shows
My new novel, The Atholl Expedition, asks a question: when did the last glacier in Scotland die? Was it thousands of years ago in the prehistoric past, as is commonly…