My second audiobook — Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo, narrated by Philip Battley

July 22, 2020 My books and writing andes, audiobooks, chimborazo, cycling, ecuador, feet and wheels to chimborazo, mountain literature, north coast 500, philip battley, scotland, travel writing 0 Comment

More excitement ! I’m delighted to say that my book Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo is now available as an audiobook. Once again, I’ve been enormously privileged to work with highly experienced, professional stage and screen actor Philip Battley as my narrator.

What I’m learning from Robert Macfarlane’s reading group about Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain

April 1, 2020 Reviews and tributes britain, cairngorms, mountain literature, munro bagging, nan shepherd, nature writing, robert macfarlane, scotland, wildlife 0 Comment

As coronavirus lockdown takes hold, the nature writer Robert Macfarlane has started running a reading group on Twitter about Nan Shepherd’s classic nature book The Living Mountain. It was a no-brainer for me to join, and it’s helping me to see the world differently.

Paperback of Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: the perfect gift to slip inside your Christmas stocking

November 20, 2019 My books and writing chimborazo, cycling, ecuador, feet and wheels to chimborazo, north coast 500, scotland, travel writing 0 Comment

‘Every once in a lifetime, a book comes along that is so outrageously witty that you have to wear a corset to avoid splitting your sides with laughter. Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo is just such a book,’ said my dad.

What the North Coast 500 has in common with Everest

September 4, 2019 Opinion and advice britain, cycling, everest, feet and wheels to chimborazo, media sensationalism, north coast 500, scotland, tourism 1 Comment

Queues of slow moving traffic, people who don’t know how to drive, human faeces by the side of the road – are we talking about Everest again? No, it’s the North Coast 500, a magnificent road trip in north-west Scotland which I once pedalled round.

The Ring of Steall: a Scottish hill walking classic

August 14, 2019 Trip reports am bodach, an gearanach, ben nevis, britain, hill walking, mamores, munros, ring of steall, schiehallion, scotland, scottish highlands, sgurr a mhaim, stob coire a chairn 5 Comments

A short distance south of Ben Nevis is a hidden sanctuary encircled by mountains. This hanging corrie has a single outlet which drains into Britain’s second highest waterfall. A full circuit of the ring of mountains involves 4 Munros and 7 peaks in total.

My journey along the Great Glen Way on a mountain bike

July 24, 2019 Trip reports britain, cycling, edita, great glen way, north coast 500, scotland, scottish highlands, ticket to ride 5 Comments

Edita wanted to do another bike ride in Scotland. I suggested the Great Glen Way because it went along a glen rather than over hills, so it should be pretty flat. I was surprised when the cycle hire shop recommended a pair of mountain bikes.

Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo is OUT NOW, but why did it take so long?

July 17, 2019 My books and writing alex roddie, andeanface, andes, chimborazo, ecuador, feet and wheels to chimborazo, kindle, mountain literature, north coast 500, scotland, travel writing 0 Comment

Those of you who have been kind enough to pre-order Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo will hopefully have seen it appear on your devices sometime last week. The entire project, from push off to launch has taken about two years.

Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, via the CMD Arête

June 19, 2019 Trip reports andy hogarth, ben nevis, britain, carn mor dearg, edita, hill walking, munros, scotland, scottish highlands, viewranger, walkhighlands 5 Comments

An estimated 160,000 people climbed Ben Nevis last year, but it has a not-so-secret route around the back that follows a stunning ridge, and if you’re lucky you’ll have it to yourself. It was the obvious choice for Edita’s first ascent of Britain’s highest peak.

Why I prefer hiking to biking

June 5, 2019 Opinion and advice britain, cycling, great glen way, hill walking, scotland, scottish highlands 12 Comments

If you’ve been following my adventures on a bike in Scotland and Ecuador, you will know that cycle touring is an acquired taste that I’m still struggling to acquire. By contrast, I love hiking and I was recently given a good lesson why.

Three lucky breaks and one unlucky one

May 29, 2019 Expedition dispatches britain, cycling, edita, great glen way, scotland, scottish highlands, ticket to ride 3 Comments

Last Tuesday found us cycling the Great Glen Way in Scotland’s West Highlands. We were riding through forest above the village of Invermoriston when Edita’s bike chain snapped. For many people – many of you, perhaps – this would be