“And this is where Rob thought he’d broken his leg”, said Andy, pointing to a mass of tightly packed contour lines on the map as he talked about the last time he had been to Knoydart. “Good job he hadn’t too, because if something happens out there, well… It’s not going to go well. Are you sure about going on your own?” I looked again … Continue reading Bikerafting the Rough Bounds
Summer had arrived in Fort William, and the town was baking beneath the scrutiny of an unblinking sun. Call me a sceptic, but given the weather that we typically see in this part of the world in July I was neither expecting nor coping with it. I finished the meticulous packing of my frame bag, looking for the perfect piece of kit to fill the … Continue reading A Journey Through the West Highlands
I’ll admit that when I ordered these shoes it was mostly out of curiosity rather than any deeply held conviction that they hed the key to all my footwear needs. The name intrigued me, sounding like a cobbled together portmanteau produced by some serious synergy and blue-sky thinking at a creativity meeting, and they look like the lovechild of some modern enduro stormtrooper boots and … Continue reading Giro Alpineduro: First Impressions
Back in April I gave packrafting a go, persuaded mostly by Annie and her shiny new boat from backcountrybiking. I wrote a few words about what we got up to here, but below is a video made using some clips we shot at the time. Disclaimer: there is some shonky home movie content, but as ever it’s great fun trying to tell the story of … Continue reading Video: North-West Waters
We went to bed for the second night at Nyidalur hut expecting the next day to be a windy one – come morning, I can’t say we were disappointed. One of the main poles of the tent had been bent, and we had a struggle collapsing it without it going airborne. The wind was gusting above 60 miles per hour, and continued to rise as we … Continue reading Crossing Iceland: Nyidalur to Hella
Apologies. This post is a long one, but it’s one that I’ve been piecing together for a while, and it seems that there is rather a lot to say (too much to subject a reader to in a single post). At a glance, it’s an account of a crossing, by bicycle, of the Icelandic interior, which is neither a superhuman feat in itself, nor especially … Continue reading Crossing Iceland: Godafoss to Nyidalur
Originally posted on The Wandering Nomads:
How To Begin 1) Buy (or acquire) a bike. 2) Pick a direction. 3) Go. It’s as simple as that. You will figure out what foods work best for you once you hit the road, just as you will figure out how amazing people are once you experience your first homestay with a stranger. Cycle touring is one of… Continue reading A Complete Guide to Cycle Touring
There are mountains, and then there are mountains. Ever since I first picked up a crayon, drew a triangle and gave it a wavy snowline halfway down (very funny, but no it wasn’t last week), I’ve been repeatedly amazed by the innumerable shapes, characters and idiosyncrasies of the many groups of mountains that are crammed into our little island. They change almost as quickly as … Continue reading Cairngorm Cloud Giants
Storytime from Annie about that time we went pedalling in Vikingland. Continue reading Bicycling Iceland
Things are changing in the heady world of UK mountain bike leadership… With new qualifications, new remit limitations and acronyms breeding like rabbits; anyone could be forgiven for wondering what exactly it all means, and whether ‘TTPP’ is a cream used to treat embarrassing rashes. If that sounds familiar (the questions, not the rash), then read on for a brief explanation of the current choice … Continue reading British Cycling MTB Leader L3 assessment
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