Talk at the Scottish Wild Land Group AGM, Dec 3

Ryvoan Pass, Cairngorms

I'm giving an illustrated talk on 'Wild Land in the Cairngorms and the NW Highlands: a comparison from a walker's perspective' at the Scottish Wild Land Group AGM in Perth on December 3 at 14.45. My talk and the rest of the day's events are open to everybody so if you're interested do come along.

Quinag

A Talk on Out There at the St Andrews Nature Weekend on May 28

On May 28 I'm giving a talk based on my book Out There at Waterstone's in St Andrews as part of the St Andrews Nature Weekend. More details here.

Talk at Dunblane Library

Next Tuesday, May 10th, I'm giving an illustrated talk about my book Out There at Dunblane Library as part of the Off The Page Book Festival. More details here.

I'll be showing photos from some of the trips described in the book and talking about those adventures, the people and books who inspired me, and the importance of wild places.

Grantown Nature Festival, May 16th - Scottish Watershed Talk.

On the Scottish Watershed in the Fannichs

On Saturday May 16th my excellent local bookshop, The Bookmark, is organising a festival of talks by five nature writers, including myself. (Am I a nature writer? In some respects I guess so). I'll be talking about my Scottish Watershed walk.

The Bookmark has produced a really nice poster for the event which you can find in the box below. My computer skills failed to enlarge it to page size so I've pasted the information here. I don't know where the description of myself as 'mountaineer and pathfinder'comes from! 

The Bookmark presents GRANTOWN NATURE FESTIVAL at The Grant Arms Hotel Saturday 16th May

Join us for a lively and unforgettable day with Scotland’s foremost nature writers and speakers on our stunning landscapes, wildlife, and sustainable ways to engage with our wild spaces. A rare opportunity to meet authoritative experts in conservation, biodiversity, species reintroductions, photography and foraging.

11am
Neil MacGregor Wildlife & landscape photographer

12 noon
Fi Martynoga
Environmental campaigner, writer & forager

2pm
Jim Crumley
Nature writer & environmental journalist

3.30pm
Chris Townsend
Mountaineer & pathfinder

5pm
John Lister-Kaye
Naturalist, nature writer & conservationist

Day ticket for access to all events: £10 (£8 concessions)
Tickets available on door s More info from The Bookmark at 01479 873433

Scottish Watershed Talk in Birnam, May 14.

View across Rannoch Moor from the Scottish Watershed

I'll be giving an illustrated talk on my Scottish Watershed walk at the Birnam Arts and Conference Centre at 7.30 p.m. on May 14th. The cost is £5. Booking info here.

Spirit of Kinder comes to Edale

On April 25 I'll be talking at the Spirit of Kinder in Edale along with several others. Here's a press release on the event:

The Scottish model of free access to the countryside will be explored at the third annual Spirit of Kinder event, celebrating Kinder Scout and the Dark Peak moors, when it comes to Edale on Saturday, April 25.

Taking place just 12 days before the General Election, the event will also celebrate 50 years of the opening of the Pennine Way. It is being organised by the Kinder & High Peak Advisory Committee (KHPAC) and will be held at Edale Village Hall starting at 2 pm.

KHPAC chairman Terry Howard said: “Although we have achieved access to open country through the CROW Act, the legacy of the Mass Trespass remains at risk. We still haven’t yet achieved everything we want, so we must carry on with no let-up.

“That’s why we’ve invited two access campaigners from Scotland who will explain how the Scottish Land Reform Act works north of the Border. We believe that is the model we should be aiming for.”

The keynote speakers will be Chris Townsend, the British Mountaineering Council’s hill-walking ambassador, and Dave Morris, former director of Ramblers Scotland. Chris Sainty, chairman of the Pennine Way Association, will reflect on its 50th anniversary, and Ann Beedham, Sheffield author and illustrator, will give an illustrated talk on walking in the Peak in the 1920s.

Representatives of the Woodcraft Folk will then lead the traditional singing of The Manchester Rambler and finally, there will be an open forum on future access provision.

Admission to the Spirit of Kinder Day is free and all are welcome, but as space in the hall is limited, people are advised to arrive early. We are encouraging people to use public transport. Trains run to Edale from Manchester, Stockport and Sheffield.

Complementary events celebrating the Pennine Way anniversary are being held on April 25 by the Peak District National Park Authority at the Moorland Centre, Edale, including Ranger-led walks on Sunday, April 26. 

Among the organisations expected to attend are the Ramblers; Sheffield Campaign for Access to Moorland; Peak & Northern Footpaths Society; British Mountaineering Council; the National Trust; Peak District National Park Authority; Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation; the Sheffield Moors Partnership and Friends of the Peak District (CPRE).

This Thursday: Pacific Crest Trail talk, Eden Court, Inverness,

Display at Eden Court

I'm talking about my Pacific Crest Trail hike and showing slides (the walk was in 1982!) at Eden Court in Inverness this Thursday (January 29th). I'll be signing copies of my book on the walk too. Tickets are £7 from Eden Court and the talk starts at 7pm.

The film Wild is also on at Eden Court (see my last post for my review) and you can watch it straight after my talk.

Pacific Crest Trail talk, Eden Court, Inverness, January 29th.

Mount Adams in Southern Washington, August 31st, 1982

On January 29th I'm giving an illustrated talk at Eden Court in Inverness on the Pacific Crest Trail and my book Rattlesnakes and Bald Eagles. The talk starts at 7pm. There'll be time for a Q&A afterwards. Further details from Eden Court here.
 

Ski Touring Talk for the North East Mountain Trust - January 15th

Igloo Ed in the Wind River Range

I'm giving a talk on ski touring in Aberdeen on January 15th for the North East Mountain Trust. It's at 7.30 pm at the Sportsman's Club. More info here. I'll be showing pictures from ski tours in Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Range in the Rocky Mountains plus a few from Scotland.

Walks Around Britain Podcast Interview & Buxton Adventure Fesitval

On the Arizona Trail

Many months ago I recorded an interview about my long distance walks with Andrew White for his Walks Around Britain Podcasts. This has just appeared in the latest podcast which also features Kate Ashbrook of the Ramblers on their latest campaign and Dave Mycroft and Gareth Jones talking about walks in the Peak District. You can here the podcast on Audioboo.

Buxton Awash

I've also just been talking about long distance walking in a very wet and windy Buxton at the Buxton Adventure Festival where I was interviewed by the BMC's Carey Davies. Given that I usually stand up when giving talks I must say it was nice to sit in a comfy armchair for the interview! Anyone who's interested but who missed the talk will find a flavour of it on the Walks Around Britain Podcast.

After my interview I joined the audience to watch a gripping film - Crossing the Ice - about an unsupported trek to the South Pole and back I was impressed with the fortitide and determination of the explorers but there looked to be too much suffering involved for my tastes. Great film though.

The Festival was also a good place to chat to old friends and new, something I'll be doing again the week after next at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival.

Harris Mountain Festival

The great cliff of Sron Uladal on Harris

This week I'm heading over to the Isle of Harris via the Isle of Skye to give a talk on my Scottish Watershed walk at the Harris Mountain Festival. As the weather is very stormy at present with many ferry services cancelled or disrupted I'm hoping it all calms down before I travel. While on Harris I'm hoping to do some hill walking or, if the tops are in cloud, visit some of the lovely beaches.

First Scottish Watershed talk at the Isle of Harris Mountain Festival

On September 17th I'm giving the first talk on my Scottish Watershed Walk in Tarbert at the Isle of Harris Mountain Festival - probably as remote from the Watershed as you can get in Scotland!

The Festival lasts from the 14th to the 21st September and includes hill races, raft races, barefoot walks, non-barefoot walks, kayaking and surfing. Leading natural history photographer Laurie Campbell will be leading a photo workshop and also giving a talk entitled 'From Paxton to Patagonia'. There's also a talk from Cameron McNeish - 'A Wilderness Walk with John Muir'. There's much more too - see the Festival website for details - and of course there's beautiful Harris with its splendid beaches and remote hills to explore.

New Book Published Today!

Today, June 21, my book on the Pacific Northwest Trail was published by Sandstone Press. I saw a copy for the first time this evening at the launch in Grantown-on-Spey and I must say I'm delighted with the production and design. Thanks to Sandstone Press and designer Heather McPherson of Raspberryhmac. The book tells the story of my hike along the trail and is illustrated with 138 photos plus maps showing the route.

Thanks to everyone who came along to the launch and for Sandstone Press and The Book Mark in Grantown-on-Spey for organising it. I'll be at Waterstones in Aviemore on July 18th talking about the book and I hope to announce other talks soon.

Upcoming Talks: Igloos & Munros

Next week I'm giving two illustrated talks. The first is for the Inverness Nordic and Ski Touring Club and is about the three igloo ski tours I've made in Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Range in Wyoming.  It's in the Glen Mhor Hotel, Inverness at 8pm on Wednesday February 29th. Entry is free for INSC members and £2.50 for non-members.

The second talk is down in Dundee and organised by the local Tiso branch. This will be about my summer-long walk over all the Munros and Tops. It's on March 1st at 19.30 in the D'arcy Thompson Theatre, University of Dundee. Tickets are £6 and proceeds go the Dundee University Rucksack Club. Further details here.

If any readers of this blog can come along to either talk it would be great to see you. Do come and say hello afterwards.

A Few Days In Holland

A quick trip to Holland to give a couple of talks on the Pacific Northwest Trail last weekend just happened to coincide with the coldest, snowiest weather of the winter, both in Britain and in The Netherlands. I’d been invited to give the talks at the annual Royal Dutch Mountaineering and Climbing Club (NKBV) Mountain Sports Day (Bergsportsdag) in Utrecht. The event itself was fine with several hundred people attending my talks and asking plenty of questions afterwards, which is always enjoyable. The travelling was not so good however. Hearing of icy roads and possible snow for central Scotland on the Saturday morning I abandoned my plans of a pre-dawn start and hastily booked a hotel close to Edinburgh airport and caught the train Friday evening, arriving at the hotel after midnight. The next day there was no snow or ice but at the airport I discovered the flight was an hour late due to adverse weather in Holland. I read the paper and stared out at the sunshine. What a day for the hills! The flight to Schipol is only a touch over an hour long so why do they serve a drink and a snack? I’ve been wondering that for years on short flights. Safely in Holland the travel difficulties began. Dutch railways were in chaos due to the cold and snow with trains cancelled, rerouted and delayed, apparently due to frozen points. The direct train to Utrecht takes 50 minutes. Usually. Last Saturday it required linking three trains with long waits between them and the journey took 31/2 hours, much of it spent either standing on freezing platforms or crammed into overcrowded carriages. On Amsterdam station there were regular announcements in four languages advising passengers not to travel to Belgium, France or Germany.

Finally in Utrecht I settled into a bland, corporate but adequate hotel. I always find such places a little unreal, a little detached from real life, a little soft and fuzzy and unfocused with no centre, heart or soul. Too much time in one and I imagine you could melt into nothingness. The only spark of individuality, though I guess these are found in many Dutch hotels, was the no smoking notice, which gave as much attention to marijuana as tobacco. I liked the artistic touch of having the marijuana leaves curve over the red prohibition bar.

Feeling confined and deflated by some 36 hours in hotels and transportation I decided to walk to the conference centre where the Bergsportsdag was being held. The hotel receptionist looked it up on Google for me – it would take forty minutes. The temperature was -9°C. I set off wearing hat, gloves and insulated jacket, crunching through the snow and feeling a little more in touch with the world. The route followed main roads, almost empty early on this frozen Sunday morning, giving them an eerie, deserted feel. The verges were soft with snow and the walking wasn’t actually that easy. Soon enough, though, the conference centre appeared, Bergsportdag marked by NKBV pennants, a rather lonely looking inflatable Mammut mammoth and a portable climbing wall. I never did see anyone using this last structure. Inside the world suddenly came alive with stalls, climbing walls, events, cafes and a mass of people – some 2,800 attended in total. My talks were held in an interesting long lecture hall with four active screens, a setup I hadn’t seen before. I liked it as it meant no one was far away at the back looking at tiny, distant images.

The journey home was uneventful with no delays or interesting weather. It was odd arriving in Edinburgh and feeling too hot as it was some 10° warmer than Amsterdam. By the time I was back in Aviemore the temperature was below freezing again and at home it was only +6°C inside. Lighting the solid fuel stove brought me back to reality. No more trains and planes and hotels for a while now. The next trip will be to the hills.

A Year in the Life of the Cairngorms - Illustrated Talk in Grantown-on-Spey

 

This Thursday, November 17th, I'm giving an illustrated presentation about my book A Year In The Life Of The Cairngorms at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey at 7.30 p.m. Everybody welcome!

Pacific Northwest Trail Talk

On October 20th I'm giving an illustrated talk on my Pacific Northwest Trail walk for Tiso's in Inverness. The talk is at the Millburn Academy at 7.30 and tickets are £8. Profits go to local mountain rescue teams. Details here.

The picture was taken in Glacier National Park not far from the start of the trail.

Munros Talk at East Perthshire Walking Festival

This Saturday (October 3) I am giving an illustrated talk on my summer long walk over the Munros and Tops at the East Perthshire Walking Festival. The talk is at the Royal Hotel in Blairgowrie and starts at 8pm. Admission is £3. This will be a traditional slide show – yes, projected film not digital images – as my walk took place in pre-digital times and I haven’t had the time, money or desire to digitise the photos of the walk. If you’re in the area please come along and say hello. I’ll be available for questions and conversation afterwards and will have some books for sale.

Photo info: The Munros of Knoydart, photographed on the TGO Challenge in May this year. Canon EOS 450D, Canon EF-S 18-55 IS@29mm, 1/250 @ f8, ISO 200, raw file converted to JPEG in Lightroom 2.4.