Season's Greetings Everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks to all who have supported my work here and in magazines and books. I am truly grateful. May you all have a wonderful 2026.

My Camps in 2025

On the Moine Mor, Cairngorms, August. Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.

It's the time to start looking back on the year that's ending and at the trips and camps I've done. This year again I stayed in the Highlands, mostly in the Cairngorms in fact. As I've said before, there is so much to do here! There were no long trips this year, for various reasons. I am determined to rectify this in 2026. Four days in Glen Affric was the longest.

Loch nan Cnapan, Moine Mhor, Cairngorms, May. Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL.

I camped at least once every month except for June and, so far, December - I am planning a trip before New Year. Overall I had some great camps and splendid walks. Here's some pictures from each month. Eleven different tents were used, though three of them were the same model - this was the Hilleberg Akto, which was 30 this year so I decided to use it a fair bit. I've given links to my posts about the trips if you'd like to read more about any of them.

Rothiemurchus Forest, Cairngorms, January. Hilleberg Soulo.

My first camp was with Tony Hobbs. We camped in the forest after a late start and stayed there a second night as the clouds were low on the mountains. It was a pleasant site and there seemed no sense in moving. We walked up the Lairig Ghru path to the edge of the mist and then back to camp. The Hilleberg Soulo was overkill for this trip but I'd thought we might have a high camp and the forecast was for stormy weather.

Coire Ruadh, Carn Ban Mor, Cairngorms, February. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL.

February saw a higher, colder, camp above Glen Feshie. The overnight temperature was -5.5C. I was camped on a frozen bog. In the morning the cloud was down over the higher hills so I made my way back to Glen Feshie via the lower tops west of Carn Ban Mor.

Water of Caiplich, Cairngorms, March. Hilleberg Niak.

March saw two camps. The first was by the Water of Caiplich in the Northern Cairngorms which I reached by way of the Corbett Geal Charn. The following day I had an excellent walk along the edge of the Ailnack gorge before enjoying a glorious sunset as I returned over Geal Charn. 

Feith Buidhe, Cairngorm Plateau, March. Hilleberg Akto.

The second March camp was on the Cairngorm Plateau and the only one of the year on snow. It was also the coldest 2025 camp, with a low of -9C. I broke the pole of my tent (the second Hilleberg Akto I'd had) but managed to still pitch it okay. The day following the camp I climbed Ben Macdui.

The Lairig Ghru, Cairngorms, April. Original Hilleberg Akto.

April also saw two camps in the Cairngorms. The first was in the Lairig Ghru in beautiful sunny weather. On this trip I had my almost 30-year old Hilleberg Akto that I'd used on my walk over all the Munros and Tops in 1996. It's still fine.

Beside the Beanaidh Bheag, Cairngorms, April. Hilleberg Akto.

The second April trip was in stormier weather. I camped beside the Beanaidh Bheag below Braeriach and then went over Sron na Lairig in slippery wet snow and a cold wind. The views into the Lairig Ghru were spectacular. I was using the third Hilleberg Akto of the year, this one a replacement for the one with the broken pole.

Feith Buidhe, Cairngorm Plateau, May. Hilleberg Akto.

The new Akto was out again for the first trip in May. I again camped on the Cairngorm Plateau but there was no snow now. I had spectacular views as I wandered the edge of the Loch Avon basin to Carn Etchachan. 

In Glen Feshie, Cairngorms, May. Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL. 

The second May trip was a two-night one with very different camps, the first in the forest in Glen Feshie, the second by Loch nan Cnapan high on the Moine Mhor followed by an ascent of Sgor Gaoith.

Loch a' Bhealaich Leamhain, July. MSR Hubba Hubba HD 1P.

In July I finally ventured out of the Cairngorms with a visit to Lochan na h-Earba and the Munro Geal Charn. I had a lovely camp looking down on Loch a' Bhealaich Leamhain.

On the Moine Mhor, Cairngorms, August. Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.

I was back in the Cairngorms for two trips in August. On the first I had two camps on the Moine Mhor, the second on the summit of Tom Dubh from where I climbed the Munro Monadh Mor in beautiful summer weather.

On the slopes of Bynack Mor, Cairngorms, August. Hilleberg Akto.

The second August trip was the windiest of the year on the slopes of Bynack Mor. There was a fine sunset. And the wind kept the midges away.

In Glen Feshie, Cairngorms, September. Hilleberg Akto.

In September I was back camping in the forest in Glen Feshie, from where I climbed to the Argyll Stone and Creag Dhubh on another windy day.

Near the Allt Mullach, Cairngorms, September. Bach Wickiup 3.

A second September trip took me to the tough, boggy terrain to the north of Meall a' Bhuachaille. The going was hard but the light lovely.

Site of the first and third camps in Glen Affric. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL.

October saw the longest trip of the year, four days and three nights in the Glen Affric area with Tony Hobbs. We had three camps though the first and third were on the same site.

Camp by the Allt Garbh, Glen Affric.

In between the two nights in Glen Affric we had a camp beside the Allt Garbh to the south then crossed a high ridge and descended to Loch Affric in superb weather.

By the Allt Fionnaich, Burma Road, Monadh Liath. Highlander Refuge 1. 

In November I had a stormy trip on the Burma Road in the Monadh Liath with a camp by the Allt Fionnaich. It was a good test for the tent I was trying. I am glad to say it was fine.

Video first looks at the Fire Maple Petrel Titanium Ultralight Backpack Stove & the Weschel Bella Tent

Two new items of gear arrived for review this week, the Weschel Bella tent and the Fire Maple Petrel Titanium Ultralight Backpack Stove (quite a mouthful, I'll just call it the Petrel Titanium stove). I've made a little video on the tent and an even shorter one on the stove. 

These clips are just my first impressions. I haven't used either item yet. I plan on doing so soon. Full reviews will appear in The Great Outdoors magazine next year.

Igloos! Igloos! Igloos!

Wheee!

I love igloos. I love building them. I love living in them. I was reminded of all this by an excellent new podcast from John D. Burns in which he talks to Andrew Terrill about igloos and hot tents. Mostly it's about Andrew enthusing about igloos and talking about Igloo Ed and his brilliant IceBox igloo tool. It reminded me of all my igloo trips so I thought I'd indulge myself and write about them again and post some of the pictures.

Igloo Ed outside our first igloo, Yellowstone, February 2007

It was Ed who started my love of igloos when he invited me on a trip to Yellowstone National Park back in 2007. It was a tough trip. Hauling heavy sleds through deep snow and up steep slopes. Building igloos late into the night (there were only two of us and I'd never built one before). Fording a thermally heated river in bitter cold. Temperatures below -30C. I loved it all! The combination of geysers and other thermal features, deep snow, and sub zero temperatures made it the strangest and most wonderful winter trip I've ever done. I wrote about it here.  

Igloo Ed outside our second igloo, Yellowstone, February 2007

My first night in an igloo amazed me. It was so comfortable - so much space, stillness, quiet. Very different to a tent. The warmth compared with outside surprised me too. -3ºC, with the stove going, -7ºC without when it was -23ºC outside.

First igloo and Lonestar Geyser on the second Yellowstone trip, February 2008

A year later I was back in Yellowstone with a group of Ed's friends. Unfortunately Ed was unwell and unable to take part. It was a great trip in easier conditions than the year before. 

Dawn after a night of snow at the second igloo, Wind River Range, April 2009

The following year we went to the Wind River Range, just south of Yellowstone. This was a spring trip and the warmer temperatures were welcome, though not when sticky snow stuck to the base of our sleds! We had company the first two nights then it was just myself and Ed.

Igloo Ed in our second igloo, Wind River Range, April 2009

By now, living in an igloo had become familiar and a pattern established. Comfort was assumed!

Igloo Ed at our third igloo, Wind River Range, April 2009

Our igloos were in spectacular situations on high points looking over the forest to the rugged Wind River mountains. I wrote about the trip here.

First Cairngorms igloo on the slopes of Carn Ban Mor, April 2010

That was my last igloo trip to the Rocky Mountains. However the next year saw the first igloo weekend in the Scottish Highlands with the Inverness Nordic Ski Club (now the Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club) organised by Andy Ince. This became an annual event  (when there was enough snow and no lock-downs) on which I helped out with igloo building instruction and work. 

Waking to a blizzard we had to use compass bearings to find the descent route from these igloos on Carn Ban Mor in January 2011

Scottish Highlands snow not being as reliable as Rocky Mountains snow we had to be selective as to sites and times. There was usually only enough snow well above the glens too so stormy weather was more likely. 

On the slopes of Toll Creagach above Glen Affric, January 2012

As well as the Cairngorms we also went to Glen Affric where Andy knew there was often deep enough snow on the slopes of Toll Creagach.

After the thaw, February 2013

Only once did an igloo fail. That was on a trip where high winds prevented us reaching Carn Ban Mor and we built two igloos beside the path high above Glen Feshie. After dark the temperatures rose rapidly and a big thaw began. We'd built two igloos. The side of one collapsed and the four of us squeezed into the other one which just made it through the night. I wrote about it here. 

Igloo in sparse snow, Strath Nethy, Cairngorms, January 2013

Earlier the same year a group of use built an igloo on another stormy day when the weather kept us even lower down. There wasn't quite enough snow and we ended up dragging it to the igloo on plastic survival bags. The igloo was a success though.

The igloo meets went on each year, with a break due to the Covid lockdowns. Here's some more pictures.

Back on Carn Ban Mor in excellent weather and snow in April 2014

Not so much snow and not so good weather on Toll Creagach in February 2016. Successful igloo though.

Windy with spindrift for a pair of igloos in Coire Laogh Mor on Cairn Gorm in February 2017. Too stormy to go higher. 

Deep snow & perfect weather for igloos on Toll Creagach in February 2018. We reached the summit for once and had splendid views.

Four years later and a repeat on Toll Creagach in April 2022. Deep snow, perfect weather, and spectacular summit views again.

Rainbows, rain showers, and only just enough snow for our March 2023 igloos in Coire Laogh Mor. But we still built two plus a tiny solo one in which I slept.

A stormy approach followed by a superb day for the March 2024 igloos on Carn Ban Mor. For once I camped.

A brilliant starry night at the igloos on Carn Ban Mor in March 2024.

My Hiking & Backpacking Books

New edition packed with photos never published before.

It's the time of year for my annual book promotion. If you're looking for a book about hiking or backpacking as a present for someone or even yourself I've written a few that might be of interest including stories of long walks and guidebooks.

Stories of two very different long-distance walks just four years apart, one in the deserts of the SW USA, the other in the definitely not desert Scottish Highlands.

If you've already enjoyed any of my books please tell others and post comments and reviews on social media and online bookshops. Even a simple 'like' helps. For writers this makes a huge difference. Word of mouth and personal recommendations are invaluable.

A collection of essays on a variety of outdoor topics, a guide to a favourite area of the Scottish Highlands, and the story of a long and tough walk along the watershed of Scotland.

Advice, skills, gear, suggestions.

A detailed guide to the Scottish hills & the story of my Pacific Crest Trail hike.

If you buy from these Amazon links I receive 2-5% commission. Every click helps too!

Thank you if you do purchase something or click on one of the links.

High Summer

Crossing Arizona

The Munros & Tops (Kindle Edition) 

Out There 

Walking in Torridon 

Along the Divide

The Backpacker's Handbook 

Scotland 

Rattlesnakes and Bald Eagles (Kindle Edition) 

A Look At The January Issue of TGO

The January TGO has a tribute to TGO's founding editor, Roger Smith, who sadly died recently. Roger was also one of the creators and for many years the co-ordinator of the TGO Challenge. I think it is fair to say that both the magazine and the event may well not exist without all the work and effort Roger put into them. 

Unsurprisingly this issue has a wintry theme. The opening spread is a dramatic image of climbers on Am Basteir on the Cuillin Ridge in winter by Hamish Frost. 

There's a big feature called The Power Of Cold in which various outdoors people who love winter and snow are interviewed. I'm one of them, talking about winter camping along with David Lintern, a section illustrated with four of my snow camping photos. The whole feature starts with a double-page spread of another of my winter camp photos, taken on a memorable dawn after a bitter January night. In the same pages Gilly McArthur describes the joy of cold water swimming illustrated with shiver-making photos including plunge holes in ice (not something for me!) and Carla Khouri and Alice Kerr discuss becoming devoted winter walkers. There's advice for coping with the cold from Mountain Leader Jenny Bushell too.

The wintry theme continues with the story of a winter Wainwrights round by fellwalkers David Johnson and Nicky Oliver (and Floki the dog), and an account of snowshoeing in the Austrian Tyrol by Alex Roddie, along with advice on learning how to snowshoe.

Away from winter Adam Weymouth writes about his walk retracing the 1000-mile migration of a lone wolf across Europe, as told in his book Lone Wolf: Walking the Faultlines of Europe, which I am looking forward to reading. 

In The Long Review section of the gear pages I write about my now old and well-worn Paramo Aspira Jacket and Fuera Smock and how I care for them. In individual reviews Francesca Donovan tries the Finisterre Iris 1.2mm Yulex swimsuit and David Lintern the Durston X Dome 1+ tent. In comparative reviews Lara Dunn and Peter Macfarlane each try two pairs of gloves suitable for winter, James Roddie tests six head torches, and Lara Dunn relaxes in a couple of camping chairs.

In shorter pieces Nadia Shaikh looks for winter bird flocks, Francesca Donovan reviews a new film from the Save Windermere campaign called Origin: Finding The Source of Windermere, cancer survivor Marisa Wray talks about the mental and physical benefits of wild swimming, Jim Perrin pens a paean to Holyhead Mountain, and Juls Stodel advises a lonely camper. There's also information on The Great Outdoors Awards 2026.

Wild Walks looks at peak-to-pub winter walks. James Roddie takes a there-and-back trip from the Sligachan Hotel to Bruach na Frithe on the Cuillin Ridge, Vivienne Crow does a circular trip from the Shepherds Inn over Fiend's Fell in the North Pennines, James Forrest goes up Helm Crag from Tweedies Bar in Grasmere in the Lake District, also in the Lakes Norman Hadley traverses Ill Bell from the Mortal Man in Troutbeck, back in the North Pennines Ian Battersby ascends Scargill High Moor from The Ancient Unicorn in Bowes, a bit further south in the Yorkshire Dales Francesca Donovan makes a circuit of Middleton Fell from Barbon Inn, and down in Eryri/Snowdonia Andrew Galloway climbs Yr Wyddfa from the Cwellyn Arms in Ryhd-Ddu.

Hilleberg Soulo - a good solo tent for the winter

Winter having arrived in the Scottish Highlands I retrieved my Hilleberg Soulo tent from the shelf where it's been hiding since spring as I expect to be using it soon. Just in case it was missing pegs or there was a repair I'd forgotten to do I thought I'd better pitch it and check it over. And as I was doing that I thought I'd make a little video.

The Soulo doesn't get a great deal of use as it's quite heavy - if the weather looks benign I use a lighter tent - but there have been times when I've been very glad of its strength. In particular I take it when snow is forecast as I learnt early on how well it stands up to a heavy fall.

A buried Soulo. This was a test to see what happened if it was totally covered in thick snow. When I dug it out it was fine. If I'd been sleeping in it I would have cleared the doorway a few times during the night and knocked snow off the roof.

Sometimes the snow doesn't come, sometimes the winds are so strong up high that I end up camping in the forest when that's an option. Wherever, the Soulo works well.

What I like about the Soulo is it's easy to pitch even with gloves, has ample room inside (at least for someone 5 foot 8 inches/ 172 cms), and, most of all, feels secure in a storm.

Here's some more pictures of the Soulo in use over the years.