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…
Tag: mountains
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…
Twitter journalism and mountain tragedy
When people die in the mountains, some journalists are more interested in soundbites than in facts – and so they turn to Twitter for their sources.
A few photos from the Ben Alder area
My trip to the Ben Alder area this week was a success!
Sad news from Glen Coe – and some perspective
On Saturday, two climbers were found dead, still roped together, on Stob Coire nam Beith in Glen Coe.
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…
Preparations for the Tour of Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa is one of the biggest and highest mountain massifs in the Western Alps. Incorporating a number of summits all well over 4,000m, it is surrounded by many…
The Cape Wrath Trail gear debrief
Please note that I wrote this piece in 2015. It doesn’t necessarily reflect my current opinions on gear for the CWT. In June 2015 I hiked the 241-mile…
Book review: Between the Sunset and the Sea by Simon Ingram
Between the Sunset and the Sea by Simon Ingram It seems that every British hill is on a list of some kind. The Munros, the Corbetts,…
First look: Between the Sunset and the Sea by Simon Ingram
A beautiful hardback book landed on my desk this afternoon. Between the Sunset and the Sea by Simon Ingram (from £13.59) was published today and offers a detailed look…
Ditching the Infinity Machine — going smartphone-free in the hills
It seems that outdoor folk have been discussing the use of smartphones in the hills forever, but it’s easy to forget that they have in fact only been…
The Ascent of Sasseneire
In the first week of July 2014 I conducted a journey through the Alps, beginning at the city of Aosta and ending at Evolene in the Valais. My…