Film

This is one of my favourite areas. You see very few people climbing Cnicht, and I’ve never seen anyone walking the lakes below. I used to think it was pronounced nicht, like nicked, but in fact the C is not silent. Here at least, it could be changeable depending on the word; I don’t know. […]

I find it heartening that we use these coded phrases as a kind of acknowledgement...

The Rhinog area is a favourite of mine. The two big hills are called Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr, which I’ve climbed numerous times. There are three camp sites convenient for the walks, one of which is a particular favourite.    The charm of wild camping faded for me after I’d done a lot of […]

If I camp in an area for perhaps five days, I like to drive around and enjoy small valley walks. Capel Garmon, a few miles from Betws-y-Coed, is a good example of this and why I do it. The spring wild flowers are beautiful and the mountain views, from a distance, are peaceful and poignant. […]

I found the Corsica GR20 quite gruelling. People say it’s one of the toughest long distance walks in Europe, which means rough ground with little respite. There was one day where I felt relieved because it was grassy; the rest of the time it wasn’t. Not only do your feet get pounded, but you must […]

I’m interested in the way photography captures memories, which are poignant as part of a long mountain walk. The photograph shows a Spanish mountain called Teberrai. A path passes under it or go left, in the other direction, and you cross into France. I’ve done both. This view is when I set off in the […]

There are hundreds of islands off the coast of Scotland. Skye is the biggest, followed by the Isle of Mull. I prefer the mainland for walking but there’s a romance, and excitement, taking a ferry over to the islands. If you have a car, it’s great fun driving around and exploring.  For this trip to […]

The Pyrenees are my favourite mountains. My first walk followed the HRP or Haute Route Pyrenees - High Level Route.

The mountain outside is Le Vignemale. It's a climbing proposition, not for walking.

  As part of a long trip I spent five days on the Island of Mull. It’s great fun crossing on a ferry, with the freedom of a car to explore. The highest hill on Mull is Ben More, which is notorious for bad weather. It’s out in the Atlantic, like the Hebrides, taking the […]