How to survive a wet and wintry week in Glen Coe, Scotland

January 11, 2023 Trip reports aonach eagach, britain, chris townsend, glen coe, hill walking, munros, scotland 3 Comments

For many years the idea of a week in Scotland at the end of December was far from my thoughts. There are only a few hours of daylight, a high chance of rain every day, howling winds and thick mist over the hills. But it’s still possible to enjoy yourself in these circumstances.

All 14 Welsh 3,000ers for the Queen’s jubilee

June 15, 2022 Trip reports britain, hill walking, peak bagging, snowdon, snowdonia, wales, welsh 3000ers 5 Comments

Our beloved monarch Queen Elizabeth II has now been sitting on the throne for 70 years. To celebrate this event, and because the people of Britain had been granted an extra day of public holiday to mark it, I decided to do something special.

Snowdonia’s Nantlle Ridge the hard way

May 11, 2022 Trip reports britain, cicerone guides, hill walking, moel hebog, nantlle ridge, snowdon, snowdonia, wales 1 Comment

The Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, is one of those classic mountain scrambles that has been lurking on my list for many years. Its 9km contained the right sort of terrain: narrow ridge walking interspersed with some short easy scrambles.

Plynlimon: traversing the five tops of the fruitiest mountain in Wales

April 27, 2022 Trip reports britain, cadair idris, cambrian mountains, cicerone guides, drygarn fawr, george borrow, hill walking, plynlimon, wales 1 Comment

Plynlimon, is a complex mountain of multiple rolling summits connected by broad ridges. It is the source of Britain’s longest river, the Severn, and its fourth longest, the River Wye. I have been meaning to climb it for many years, and over Easter I had my chance.

One and a half ascents of Ben Hope, Scotland’s most northerly Munro

January 26, 2022 Trip reports arkle, ben hope, ben klibreck, britain, cameron mcneish, foinaven, hamish brown, hill walking, munros, north coast 500, scotland 6 Comments

Sir Hugh Munro said of Ben Hope that he didn’t know any mountain of its height which could be climbed with less exertion. Surely a quick ascent on Christmas Day would be just the thing before our Christmas turkey? Ben Hope had other ideas.

Review: The Farthest Shore by Alex Roddie – hiking the Cape Wrath Trail

November 12, 2021 Reviews and tributes alex roddie, cape wrath trail, hill walking, long-distance trails, mountain literature, nature writing, scotland, scottish highlands, travel writing 1 Comment

Back in September my editor Alex Roddie was launching his own book The Farthest Shore, about his winter hike of the Cape Wrath Trail in north-west Scotland, at the Highland Bookshop in Fort William. I attended the launch and then read the book.

The Ben Lawers Five: peak-bagging perfection

November 3, 2021 Trip reports an stuc, ben lawers, britain, hill walking, munro bagging, munros, peak bagging, scotland, scrambling 2 Comments

You’ve heard of the Famous Five and the Jackson Five, and you may even remember the Dave Clark Five, but if you’ve never heard of the Ben Lawers Five then you’re missing out – it’s one of the great days out for Munro baggers.

The weirdness of a Highland heatwave: 3 strange incidents on Beinn Liath Mhor

September 15, 2021 Trip reports beinn liath mhor, britain, dehydration, glen carron, hill walking, munros, scotland, scottish highlands 5 Comments

Edita stood atop a pile of rocks, waving her trekking pole frantically in celebration. But I was in no position to celebrate. Between us lay about 100m of unspeakable, ankle-twisting boulder field. But it was the summit, and in a

The Glen Spean Nine: peak bagging and bet hedging in Central Scotland

August 20, 2021 Trip reports binnein beag, britain, creag meagaidh, glen roy, glen spean, hill walking, munro bagging, munros, peak bagging, scotland 1 Comment

Glen Spean is a good place “for those who want to hedge their bets with the weather” said the Walkhighlands guidebook. Given that the weather in the Highlands of Scotland is famous for being unreliable, this sounded like a pretty good recommendation.

When reaching the summit is just a tick in the box

June 30, 2021 Trip reports ben nevis, binnein beag, hill walking, mamores, munro bagging, munros, peak bagging, ring of steall, scotland, scottish highlands 3 Comments

Binnein Beag is probably a peak that most Munro baggers leave till last because it’s not worth climbing until you have to. Squirming up its rubble felt like a tick in the box. But would I taste fulfilment when I reached the summit?