Mount St Helens is a stratovolcano situated in the State of Washington on the north east seaboard of the United States. It is infamous for an eruption in May 1980 that killed 57 people. The resultant earthquake reduced the height of the mountain from 9.677 ft (2,950m) to 8,363 ft (2,549m) and left a 1…

“The finest 1 day challenge in England” As a mountain guide who lives in the shadow of the 3 Peaks and regularly leads walkers on the 3 Peaks challenge I felt I was in a unique position to write a book on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. So I did! The Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge is…

I completed the Munros (the 282 mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet) nearly 15 years ago. It took up nearly 20 years of my life, regular visits/weekends from England to click off 4 or 5 summits. Sometimes I travelled alone, sometimes with my brothers and mate JP. It certainly became obsessive. The planning was fun,…

They say that familiarity breeds contempt. No it does not when you talk about my favourite mountain. Blencathra is magnificent. I have climbed Blencathra over 30 times. It is now a pilgrimage I do once a year (at least). I have climbed it on every possible route. I have twice slept on the summit (once…

Climbing Snowdon is the most popular mountain challenge in Britain, upwards of 400,000 walkers head for the summit every year. I have only climbed Snowdon once before, that was the full Snowdon Horseshoe over 20 years ago. Therefore I was looking forward to my next visit with the family in which I planned to walk…

Walking with children is fraught with difficulties and concerns for many. It does not have to be. Get over the initial ‘I don’t want to go’ and once they are out and about it can be extremely satisfying. I have based this on primary aged children, in fact mine. Once a child gets to the…

I have never completed an organized Challenge walk before. Yes I have walked enough ‘challenges’, day walks including many Yorkshire 3 Peaks, the 44 mile Lyke Wake Walk but nothing which had the size and scale of a “Challenge” walk. However Sadie and Michelle persuaded me to put aside any reservations about being ‘organized and…

If you’re thinking about whether you should go on that charity walk or run, the answer is to just go for it. Walking is one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises you can do. And if that’s not enough to convince you, here are five more reasons why you should definitely go on a charity…

How many times have you sat around and discussed the best mountains or hills in Britain? Certainly I have. My favourite mountains are not necessarily the ‘best’ but more a personal view. They are the mountains and hills that I have enjoyed clibing more than others for a variety of reasons. They cover most of…

The light was perfect as I completed a short walk along the slopes of Blencathra from Threlkeld. I have taken a number of photos along this walk but none in Spring. It completes the set! The walk itself starts and finishes from Threlkeld and involves very little climbing although the daunting bulk of the mountain…

I have just spent a pleasant half day walking and exploring the rarely visited western flanks of Whernside. I was only able to complete this lovely walk because in Britain we have a Right to Roam on our country’s Access Land. Heading up from the col between Kingsdale and Deepdale to the summit, I then…

There is surely nothing better than a winter’s walk on a clear day, with snow on the ground. The low sun creates an excellent light which even an amateur photographer can make look good. The walking is easy on the hard ground (as long as the snow is not too thick) and a cosy pub…