Category Archives: Uncategorized

Winter climbing for me came to an end on Monday 8th with the ascent of Nevermore on Lochnagar. Nevermore is a summer E2 and in the aftermath, as I prepare for rock climbing in the rain of North Wales, I … Continue reading →

The black and white picture showed. A face. Weary acceptance of what? Did he know? A dark turbulent quiff. Creased eye skin. Face skin scuffed with life’s challenge. Killed at thirty-six abseiling from a sea stack called The Maiden. The … Continue reading →

The hare, white fur with flecks of brown, stood still balancing on the crest of a snowdrift at the side of the road. “Don’t do it” The breeze caught, ruffling soft fur. The hares run was perfect. Perfect that is … Continue reading →

 Peter Beaumont’s article written for The Guardian website last weekend about climbing supremo Adam Ondra is well worth a read. It does open with one of my pet-hates, the word ‘conquering’ when related to climbing, but I suppose in this … Continue reading →

Squalls of fat snowflakes were blowing between the trees, shimmering like fish swimming down the road. I sat alongside Ben Gilmore driving Doug’s scooby. Ben and I were heading toward Frankenstein for my penultimate day of New England climbing. I … Continue reading →

    Early morning on the highway. Trees. Cold. Salt white roads. Rolling mountain outlines silhouetted by the red rising sun.  I was by myself in Doug Madara’s Suburu. Doug is a local from around these parts and a star. … Continue reading →

  The small twin prop plane dropped, recovered, dropped, swung from side-to-side, recovered and finally, finally dived for the runway. Snow splatted against the window and through it I could see thick fog and the ground and fog and the ground – … Continue reading →

The startled sheep trotted from beneath the shelter of the massive rhyolite boulder. Wool – greasy, matted, frozen – looked grey amongst the windblown snow. Belly deep, breathing hard – the sheep struggled to break trail. The blue sprayed branding on … Continue reading →

I don’t want say too much about the review in the picture at the bottom of this post, but unlike all the other reviews you will find here, this Echoes reviewer has completely, and very badly missed the point of my book. … Continue reading →

Here is the final list of lectures for January. The talk, at most of these dates, will cover a a bit about writing Echoes and a story from it, which will be about attempting Savoia Kangri in Pakistan and some … Continue reading →