The ICEMAN POLAR Race 2016
During 20126 I took part in the ICEMAN POLAR Race in Greenland. A film crew followed the race and produced this short film on the… Read More »The ICEMAN POLAR Race 2016
#GetOutside
The Ability to Adapt
Adaption after injury is a long and hard battle, but with perseverance, good friends and the right suppliers, you can do the things you love.… Read More »The Ability to Adapt
Racing for the Bottom…
Thousands of years of schooling, learning and education should have provided society with the most intellectual humans ever seen. The philosophy of ancient Greece, the mathematics of Babylonia and the nuclear science of CERN should make us superbly intelligent. So why do we choose to ignore them..? It’s because we race for the simplest way or the lowest common denominator…
Park Life Magazine
I was recently interviewed by the Peak District’s Park Life magazine about my life in Derbyshire and how the national park has shaped my life… Read More »Park Life Magazine
Learning to Fly
I fished as a youngster and have re-discovered the sport as a way to relax and learn. Stubby fingers and bland nerve responses don’t make… Read More »Learning to Fly
Inspiring Primary Pupils
I believe strongly in inspiring youngsters and much of my work in schools teaches learning, life and leadership skills. Earlier this year I held two… Read More »Inspiring Primary Pupils
Tread Lightly
As human beings, we have a great effect in the countryside we love and thats why I ‘Leave No Trace’. Here a few thoughts in… Read More »Tread Lightly
Sploz Blogz – The GetOutside Interview
I first met Zoe through the Ordnance Survey and feature in her series ‘The GetOutside Interviews’. “I set an example by writing about my battles… Read More »Sploz Blogz – The GetOutside Interview
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Expedition Inspiration
An article I wrote for Blacks about my years of experience with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme… “Get away from the norm, think differently… Read More »The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Expedition Inspiration
Take a Deep Breath
Controlling your breathing is vital at altitude, but it can also help control stress and fear. A blog for Ordnance Survey on how my life… Read More »Take a Deep Breath
Jordan 2018 – Searching for a Desert Rose…
I’m a mountaineer. I climb mountains, love mountains and speak about mountains. People drive me as wild as I do them, because of my adventures, cock ups and rescues, but I travel to other places too. I’ve bashed through dense jungles, crossed open plains and sailed oceans across the globe. During late 2017 I decided that I needed a change. The year had been a tough one and I was tired. Tired physically, tired mentally and tired emotionally. I needed a break, but wasn’t sure what to do.
Frostbite – What it is, and How to Avoid It
A blog with UK Climbing about Frostbite and how to avoid it… https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/series/skills/frostbite_-_what_it_is_and_how_to_avoid_it-10272
Blinded by the Light…
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.
Breathe in the Air…
I’m regularly asked ‘Nigel, Why do you like the cold..?’ I’m no expert or scientist, but I know what feels right to me. Cold may have tried to kill me, but it’s where my heart is happiest. After recent trips to Scotland, Norway and Italy this year, I decided to look into my childhood for some answers…
Hold Me Now…
Ice Climbing is a sport which many thing crazy, wrong or downright dangerous. I disagree. It’s a pure athletic sport, with routes that change year on year, challenging even the most skilled climber. Variations in the weather can make or break a route, or a season. It can be made as safe as you wish, but also as challenging as you like. Physically it’s incredibly demanding, but the mental aspects come harder. Youre climbing up water, which for much of the year is heading downhill. Ive recently returned from a weeks climbing in Rjukan, Norway, where icefalls galore await…
High Winds and Helping Hands – The Ninth Frostbite Report…
Every winter in Scotland is a lottery when it come to the weather. I’ve experienced everything from snowdrifts to sunburn and blue sky to thick fog. Driving north to the Cairngorms, my friend Ian and I were buffeted and bashed even at lower levels. We drove to the Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre for a quick look at the conditions before checking into our accommodation. We opened the car doors and almost took off. The next days foray into the hills saw us beat a hasty retreat when the wind speed picked up to hair-raising and visibility dropped to nil. For some, this would be scary to say the least. In my world – welcome to the mountains.
Read More »High Winds and Helping Hands – The Ninth Frostbite Report…
2017 – Quality not Quantity…
The end of 2017 is upon us, and it’s easy to look back and think that not much exciting happened. It was just another year, like the one before and like the one to come. Thankfully I write diaries and looking back, 2017 has certainly been packed with life experiences.
The Long Sobs of the Violins of Autumn…
The modern world is stressful, well that’s what everyone will tell you. Report after report states that our mental health is suffering, our ability to make (and take) decisions is disappearing and that risk is something that we can’t accept. I think you find that life has been stressful since the dawn of time. If you didn’t hunt successfully, you and your family starved, harsh winters killed the weak, and tribes fought hand-to-hand combat over land, property and resources. That sounds a heck of a lot more stressful than a late train, flat phone battery or failing central heating…
On Plastic Patrol..!
The world is filling with litter. You only have to walk down a street, look in a lay by or attend a sporting event to see it. The aftermath of any music festival is a disgrace, and people attending seem to think that whatever they dump doesn’t matter. Dog owners pick up dog poo and the leave the bag on the floor. A few miles from my house is Junction 28 on the M1, which is legendary for its waste. I’m sure there is an invisible road sign which reads ‘Please chuck your litter out of the window before joining the Motorway’. That’s the bad news, but there is some good…
Crossing the Cuillin…
I’m not a man for Bucket Lists, but the traverse of the Cuillin Ridge has been on my mind for a long time. The legends it has created are long seated in the history of British Mountaineering and an opportunity appeared for me to give the ‘Royal Route’ a go. I had recently been climbing at altitude in Uganda and felt strong for the challenge. Guided by Martin Moran, I crossed the 12 Monroe’s faster than I could have imagined, but wore my skin grafts almost to the bone.