Thursday 23 January 2020

First Online Reading List of 2020, Part 1, Outdoors - walking, camping, mountaineering, skiing ......

A colourful dusk, January 19

The first three weeks of the year have flown past in a blur as the worst cold I can remember ever having has made doing anything feel like wading through deep sticky mud. One result is I've been reading more on and offline and now have a long list of pieces I'd like to share as well as some books to review. Rather than produce a ridiculously long list of the online stuff I'm splitting it into three, starting with outdoor topics.

Was This Swedish Immigrant The First Continental Divide Thru-Hiker?

In 1924, long before there were any long trails, Peter Parsons set out from Mexico to hike to Canada along the Continental Divide. Barney "Scout" Mann tells his amazing story in this fascinating article that's illustrated with Parsons photos, including selfies!

The Continental Divide Thru-Hiker Survey (2019)

I wonder how Peter Parsons would have answered this survey of modern CDT hikers. Much of interest here for any long-distance walker.

The Dark Side of Everest - A Personal Reflection

Di Gilbert, the first British Female in history to lead clients to the summit of Mount Everest on two successful trips, reflects on "a side of Everest that is often not talked about – the cost of human life and the impact that has on others who choose to climb" in a disturbing piece.

You Might Be Hiker Trash If .....

A humorous look at things long-distance hikers have sometimes done ...

The Meaning of Adventure: Hiking the Haute Route Pyrenees

On a tough day on the HRP Alex Roddie wonders if he'd put himself through this if he wasn't going to tell anybody about it. A thoughtful piece that I responded to in my last post.

The Cuillin Ridge in winter 

Adrian Trendall, author of the soon-to-be-published Skye's Cuillin Ridge Traverse, describes a winter trip along this alpine ridge, illustrated with dramatic photos.

Snowshoe Thompson Had To Be The Most Badass Backcountry Skiing Mailman Ever

Astonishing story of Norwegian-born John Thompson who for twenty years in the mid 1800s made the 180-mile round trip through the deep snows of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California twice a month carrying an 80lb mailbag.

Ten Things I Learned From A Failed Thru-Hike

Having failed to complete a thru-hike of the Long Trail in Vermont in the USA Anna Kulinski gives some good advice.

25 Greatest Walking Songs Of All Time

A list to disagree with! There are songs and artists here I love and others that make me shudder.


Please Add Model Years To Backpacking Gear Product Names

A plea from Phillip Werner for gear makers to sort out naming gear. I find it confusing as a gear review. What chance consumers?






No comments:

Post a Comment