Scaling mountains can be viewed as a basic chasing of chemical rushes; adrenaline, endorphins and dopamine all giving that pleasurable sensation that we as humans love and ultimately life for. Climbing is also a sport of higher pleasures and has produced a wealth of outstanding literature about endeavours made in pursuit of that hit. At … More Good Fun Versus A Good Story – The Types Of Fun
I’m a hopeless romantic, though I mean that in the sense that I am hopeless at being romantic. Not content with spending previous Valentines days ice climbing, and buying her discounted outdoor gear for birthdays and Christmases, I somehow managed to sneak the outdoors and a wild camping trip into my marriage proposal to my … More Great Nights in the Hills – Part 3, White Sands National Monument
Despite not growing up in the mountains, I did grow up with mountains. If Little Mell Fell in the Lake District was my baptism aged three, then Bruach na Frithe on Skye’s Cuillin a decade later was my confirmation – a coming of age for a boy for whom mountains then became a religion. The … More The Day A Mountain Changed My Life – Trail Competition Winning Entry
I recently joined a Facebook group dedicated to the conditions in the UK’s mountains. This is a uniquely British concept; we like to talk about the weather, but this is talking about the weather with added fervour. The changeable conditions that are part and parcel of our little island make such pages ideal for anyone … More Weather Window Panic – A Good Conditions Smash and Grab
With the notable exception of the Isle of Man, no man is an island. All of my mountain experiences have been shared with a ragtag clan of like-minded individuals who I believe deserve a mention. The Motivator If it had not been for Matt, I would not be here today and instead be smashed to … More My Mountain Family
If two is company and three is a crowd, then what on earth is 18.4 million? This startling figure was the number of visitors to the Lake District National Park in 2016, 450 times the number of residents within the national park’s boundaries. Some 582,000 people visited Snowdon alone last year, and across the pond, … More How Busy Is Too Busy?
Ever wondered why a very reasonable person can get behind the wheel of a car and become a complete degenerate? The roads do funny things to people, as does the illusion of separation created by being in a private alloy bubble. Road rage is not a new phenomenon, there are courses on it (tackling road … More Seeing Red – Anger and Antipathy on Two Wheels
Upon leaving the comfort of the fantastic Lazy Lizard hostel in Moab, the skies were darkening and extensive rain was forecast for the night. The wind was strengthening as we pitched our tent at our campsite, 6000 feet up on the Colorado Plateau in Canyonlands National Park. This tired tent hadn’t stood up well to … More Bad Nights in the Hills – Part 2, Willow Flat Campground, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
The lengthy gritstone escarpment of Derbyshire’s Stanage Edge has a special place in British climbing’s past and present. So revered as the hallowed rock of traditional climbing (i.e. no drilled bolts) that when a climber posted an April Fools’ prank picture of a bolt on the grit he received death threats from the climbing community. … More Great Nights in the Hills – Part 2, Stanage Edge
After becoming airborne on a multi-pitch ice route earlier this year, it was time to return to outdoor leading with a trip to Stanage Edge for a spot of single pitch trad (rock climbing placing your own protection in natural cracks). By comparison this was more like getting back on a Shetland pony than a … More Climbing Back on the Horse – Reflection on Falling, Fear and Re-finding Climbing
London Outdoorsman 