The Hardangervidda Plateau was something I dreamed of as a boy, well before I decided to spend my life travelling. It was portrayed in the film ‘The Heroes of Telemark’, the story of heavy water at the Vemork Hydro Plant. I loved watching war films with my Dad, and this one was a favourite.
Read More »Hardangervidda 2025 – Not (quite) the Heroes of Telemark…
I recently visited the National Outdoor Expo at the NEC. Besides the sell, sell, sell of many of the stalls, one thing struck a chord. It was Kate Humble speaking about getting youngsters into the outdoors. I grew up outside because of childhood Catarrh, and because my family background was in hillwalking, farming and field sports. Some may think this a privilege, but to me, it was the norm.
Read More »Another Brick in the Wall…
Life brings many opportunities. Some we can take and others we cannot. One opportunity which stared me in the face, was to return to Alaska and open my documentary ‘Frostbitten’ at the Talkeetna Ice Festival. It was too good to miss.
Read More »Frostbitten In Talkeetna…
Winter finally arrived in the UK a week before the 2025 Spine Race began, and I looked forward to snow laden days on the course. I wasn’t to be disappointed, but I hadn’t predicted the speed of the melt..!
Read More »Four Seasons in One Day – The Spine Race 2025…
After thousands of miles travelled, dozens of interviews and hours in the editing suite, ‘Frostbitten’ the documentary about my return to Alaska is almost with us.
Read More »Frostbitten – Poster and Preview
Sometimes you look back at life and wondered where all the time went. 2024, was one such year. At the start, I had no idea how many anniversaries were all meeting in the short twelve months.
Read More »2024 – A year of Anniversaries…
The warm autumn came to a dramatic halt with snow falling in Derbyshire. Personally I’d have feet of the stuff all winter, but the forecast was for a warming weekend, yet it still set me alight for the Kendal Mountain Festival. Snow and Ice are my favourite things, and to see the festival under a blanket of the white stuff would be wonderful. The Lake District escaped the dump however and though initially cold, there was nothing to kick underfoot.
Read More »Kendal Mountain Festival 2024 – A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall…
If you’re a reader of my blogs, you’ve probably realised that I love Norway. I’ve been going there for over 30 years and have climbed, skied, walked and kayaked all over the country. I’ve studied the Vikings, its WW2 history, geography and geology.
Read More »Norway 2024 – The Whole of the Moon…
Heres an article I wrote for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, about my recent trip to Alaska…
Read More »Scotch Malt Whisky Society – Unfiltered
Imagine braving minus 60°C temperatures and 60-mile-an-hour crosswinds on North America’s highest peak. In this gripping episode, we sit down with seasoned mountaineer Nigel Vardy, who recounts his harrowing survival story on Denali. From his childhood passion for the outdoors, nurtured by his parents, to facing life-threatening challenges, Nigel takes us through the critical decisions that led to his survival and the severe frostbite that forever changed his life. His story is not just about survival but about sheer resilience and the human spirit’s capacity to endure.
Read More »Man: A Quest to Find Meaning Podcast
The media loves bad news. Stories of failure, funding cuts and violence fill the airwaves, screens and newspapers, and in the Peak District it’s not been a great few weeks.
I grew up just south of the Peak District National Park and have spent much of my life enjoying the fresh air and freedoms it brings. COVID was an awful time for us all, and its effects seem to be more far reaching than I even imagined. I hoped that once we were allowed our freedoms again, that the old world I once knew would return, but how wrong I was.
Read More »We Didn’t Start the Fire…
Heres a BBC Radio Derby interview, recorded when I returned home from Alaska. In the picture, I’m speaking to the wonderful Daryl Miller.
Read More »Post Alaska BBC Radio Derby Interview…
25 years can feel like a lifetime, or like an instant. My rescue took over a day, yet I only remember fleeting moments as the cold took control of my mind, and its bitter grasp mists memories and slows reflection. I thought I knew it all, yet I still had so much to learn. Heading back to Alaska might help clear the clouds and reveal icy truths buried deep in my soul.
Read More »Alaska 2024 – A Time to Remember…
Recently Steve and I were featured on the Real Survival Stories Podcast. We tell the story where, in 1999, we almost perished on Denali. Click here to go to the Podcast
Read More »Real Survival Stories Podcast – Cut off in a Frozen Wilderness…
Upon my return from Alaska, I was featured again on BBC East Midlands Today. Heres the clip..!
Read More »BBC East Midlands Today Interview…
Before I headed to Alaska, I was interviewed by BBC East Midlands Today. Heres the clip..!
Read More »On BBC East Midlands Today…
I was interviewed by Andy Twigge on BBC Radio Derby about my coming return to Alaska. The interview has been loaded onto BBC Sounds, and if you’d like to listen, click on this link.
Read More »BBC Radio Derby Interview…
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, Wincle Brewery have produced – ‘Frostbitten’ – a golden, dry hopped english ale. Every pint sold will raise funds for the team, so there’s no excuse to enjoy a bevvy..!
Read More »Frostbitten – Wincle Brewery Supporting Buxton Mountain Rescue Team
When planning a Highland Mountaineering trip, we all hope for snow – buckets of the damn stuff. It would be nice if the avalanche risk were low, the pack hard and consolidated, and the sun shining. Now let’s get back to the real world…
Read More »A Hazy Shade of Winter – The (almost) Twelfth Frostbite Report…
For many, the dark nights of January bring dismay and boredom. Christmas is over and the weather is cold and damp. For some of us however, winter brings great excitement at the prospect of ice, snow, and for the really energetic – ultra running.
Read More »Gimme Shelter – The Spine Race 2024