Earlier this year, I was delighted to film with County Deer Stalking, where I spoke about not only my accident on Denali, but how my childhood in the outdoors and agriculture, has shaped my life. I have been a keen supporter of Field Sports since I was a boy, and even with no toes and amputated fingers, I continue to shoot, stalk and fish.
Read More »Wild Witness | Frostbite to Fieldcraft
2025 was my 15th year to be involved with the Kendal Mountain Festival. Over those years I’ve seen a great deal of change, as the festival continually expands and evolves.
Read More »The Kendal Mountain Festival 2025 – Here’s Where the Story Ends…
On October 24th I appeared on episode 50 of the Countryslide Podcast. CountrySlide is a weekly British podcast hosted by hedge layer Richard Negus, photographer Callum McInerney-Riley, and outdoor instructor Richard Prideaux.
Read More »Countryslide Podcast…
It seems surreal that only three weeks after returning from the Highlands, we sit under lockdown for a virus that no-one can see, taste or feel, until it has its hold upon you. At first I didn’t feel much like writing, but as a long time diarist, I feel that records must be kept.
Read More »Windswept and Wet, with a Virus on the Way – The Tenth Frostbite Report…
Imagine a scene. A woman walks into a bar and orders a drink. A father and son are sat at a table and upon seeing the woman remark ‘ I wonder what she’s wearing underneath her skirt..?’ They quietly discuss who is going to find out. As the woman is receiving her drink, she feels her skirt being lifted and hears words of disappointment from the men as they realise they have been discovered. What’s going through your mind at this moment..? I would hope shock, horror and disgust. In my experience this would be seen as highly offensive, possible assault and deserving of immediate action.
Read More »You Lift Me Up…
As I sit here in late December, I find it difficult to remember what I was doing last week, never mind during last year. It’s a good job that I still write my daily diary…
Read More »2018 – Peace at Last..?
I’ve walked the path from Mam Tor to Lose Hill more times than I can count. Over the years it has changed dramatically as thousands of pairs of boots take their toll on rock, soil and grass. Popularity has been punishing and pounding this beautiful place into dust. Stone paving has been laid from Hollins Cross to Mam Tor in an effort to lessen the erosion, and the old six lane motorway of tiered paths is recovering. Around the trig point another bed of stones has been laid as this is one of the most famous viewpoints in the Peak District. Some people like the work, whilst others detest it. I don’t like the countryside changing, but we are damaging it at an ever-increasing rate.
Around 25 years ago, I started leading a New Year’s Walk. Initially it was for a small group of friends, brought together by shared experiences on expedition with Operation Raleigh, but it has grown to encompass so many more. Adventurers from over 25 years of international travel, family, fellow speakers, school friends, neighbours, friends of friends etc. all turn up to walk, eat, drink and talk. I have never run the event as a route march, because to me, this is much more than a walk. It’s an important occasion for people to meet socially and enjoy a day in the hills.
Some people will tell you that you must write regular updates on your website, but what if you’ve got nothing to say..? What, in this modern world of Blogging and Social Media, do you do when nothing really happens. I’ll tell you what happens. You write rubbish, post rubbish and spread rubbish. There’s plenty of it out there, with innumerable tales of people’s eating, sleeping and weeping habits. What if we only wrote when we had something important to say..? Lately I’ve not been in the right frame of mind to write. A combination of medical tests, stress, lame excuses and let downs has distracted my creativity. I didn’t want to write rubbish, so I wrote nothing at all. As Cyril Connolly famously wrote in 1933 – “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self’.
For almost 20 years I have worked with the press and media. Our relationship has been a happy one, with both sides benefitting – they have their story and I have free PR (and occasionally a bit of money too!) I’d like to share my experiences over a few blogs to help you work more effectively with the them…Read More »Working with the media part I – An overview…
The 2012/2013 Scottish winter season has caught the eyes of the press on many occasions, due to the high number of avalanche victims. There have been 13 deaths so far, with Journalist (and ex MSP) Dorothy Grace-Elder attracting much attention with her views. Today, she appeared on the Radio 4 programme You and Yours, with the opinion that all Mountaineers should hold rescue insurance. Here’s what I think…