Chasing the Storm

Posted on October 23, 2015 by

above canar 1I RISE at 6am because the thought of wandering through olive groves by the light of a headlamp and climbing mountains as the sun floods the sky appeals to me. But as I???m getting dressed, silent flashes which momentarily transform a black world into vivid monochrome signal the approach of an autumn thunderstorm. The storm spreads its unseen clouds and the constellations are slowly wiped out. Thwarted, I return to my bed, still wearing my walking gear ??? though having had the good manners to remove my boots ??? to await the dawn and a change of fortune . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Footpaths, GR 240, GR 7, Hiking, Mountains, Religion, Walking, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Autumn and Unfound Paths

Posted on October 19, 2015 by

THAT feeling has returned ??? the yearning that has its roots in the depths of the stomach and rises in a flood of warmth and expectation. All I did was raise my eyes towards the hills and behold streams of grey mist hanging from crags like lines of last week???s washing. And a voice inside said: it???s autumn and it???s time to seek out new places. There are strange scents in the air; you must stir; there are places to explore and unfound paths to tread . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Cycling, Footpaths, Hiking, Mountains, Ruins, Walking | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Forgive Them Their Trespasses?

Posted on September 10, 2015 by

trespass 1IT???S a perfect spring morning in 1982. Arkengarthdale slumbers green and shadowy beneath a blue sky as we sit in damp grass and drink tea from tartan Thermos flasks. Nothing moves except the wind in the heather and the birds in the sky ??? and a Land-Rover crawling towards us up a track from a nearby farm . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Caving, Climbing, Country Land and Business Association, Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Environment, Footpaths, Highland Clearances, Hiking, History, Hunting, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Politics, Potholing, Ranting, Rivers, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Days like This, No 22: An August Bank Holiday Secret

Posted on August 30, 2015 by

hesk fell 1I HAVE resolved to leave my hiking boots in the back of the Mini Estate this August Bank Holiday and avoid the Lake District fells. The reason is simple. The roads will be crammed with Vauxhall Vivas, Morris 1300s, and assorted bangers with mismatched bonnets and coat hangers for aerials. The crags will echo strange voices from Manchester and Newcastle ??? perhaps even Scotland. The Lake District is a place to avoid at August Bank Holiday, unless you like crowds, bus trips and queuing for ice-cream . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Butterflies, Childhood, Climbing, English language, Footpaths, Hiking, History, Life, Mountains, Traditions, Walking, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

A Big Adventure

Posted on June 29, 2015 by

SO I???m off to live in Spain. Just thought I???d slip that into the conversation. I???ve been thinking for some time that I need a new challenge ??? a big challenge. And although I won???t be embarking on a really, really, really big challenge, such as walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, my wife and I will very soon be heading for the Sierra Nevada, where I intend to climb mountains and explore new landscapes while she socialises with her many friends and enjoys retirement . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Climbing, Environment, Hiking, Life, Mountains, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 70 Comments

Days Like This, No 21: Eternity in Borrowdale

Posted on May 27, 2015 by

Borrowdale 1THE closest thing to eternity is a cold night in a tent. Hope dies while hours limp slowly past. Supernovae fade and constellations shift as time distorts and clocks refuse to tick. Body heat is sucked into the ungrateful ground. Breath condenses and freezes on the inner tent. Dreams are short-lived and repetitive. Comfort is a dark stranger. Night is all . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Climbing, Footpaths, Hiking, History, Industrial archaeology, Mountains, Quarrying, Ruins, Slate quarries, Walking, Weather | Tagged , , , , | 43 Comments

Days Like This, No 20: Glimpses on Gable

Posted on May 15, 2015 by

Great Gable 1

EARLY morning on the South Traverse. The southern crags of Great Gable soak up sunlight. Rocks are warm to the touch beneath their volcanic tuff roughness and crumbly lichen. In the air, the bleat of a distant ewe and the clink of karabiners; an occasional laugh; an unfurling of ropes. This is a place of pilgrimage, a craggy paradise where climbers have sought adventure since Victorian times. This is Lakeland in its grand and gritty glory . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Camping, Climbing, Footpaths, Geology, Hiking, Life, Mountains, Napes Needle, Tarns, Walking, Weather | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments