mountaineering
Photography on the Trail
You don’t need a ton of gear to create meaningful images on a long-distance trail. Sometimes an agile approach can be best. This feature was first published in On Landscape (Issue 132), February 2017. All images © Alex Roddie. By its very nature, landscape photography requires the photographer to be
In Pursuit of Perfection – the Lochaber Traverse
Seeking perfection on an ambitious three-day journey to reach Ben Nevis This feature was first published in The Great Outdoors magazine, January 2017 Between 2008 to 2011, I lived in Lochaber. I don’t live there any more. Now I make visits north, losing the weather lottery more often than
Pilgrim’s Progress: a century of development in climbing equipment and technique
Alex Roddie charts a century of development in the tools we take for granted This feature was first published in Mountain Pro Magazine, January 2016. Take a look in your rucksack. If you’re a winter climber, you’ll find a pair of crampons in there, and two ice axes
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
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
A Blizzard on Ben Nevis
No rational person would choose to seal themselves in a nylon bag halfway up Ben Nevis, for ten hours, in a blizzard – but, for reasons which still aren’t entirely clear to me, that’s exactly what I found myself doing on the 27th of November, 2008. The night before
Book spotlight: Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest
Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest by Mark Horrell I’d like to briefly talk about a great new book by Mark Horrell, recently released on Kindle. The book is called Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest and I think many of my readers will enjoy it. Disclaimer: This is
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 climbing lore compiled by C.T. Dent and published in 1892. It features contributions from the greatest climbers of the post-golden
Book review: The Walk Up Nameless Ridge by Hugh Howey
The Walk Up Nameless Ridge by Hugh Howey The Walk Up Nameless Ridge is a short story by science fiction writer Hugh Howey, best known for the post-apocalyptic series Wool. Mountaineering fiction is an obscure genre at the best of times so it was with some surprise that I learned