Duncan Archer“I think this is the right place?” We peer over the edge, contemplating a committing 90m free hanging abseil (so the guidebook says – our rope is 100m), onto a platform that you can’t see from above (hopefully non-tidal…), to do a three pitch E2, which some others did yesterday but said the bottom pitch […]
“I don’t want to get to the finish in second place feeling like I could have tried harder.” These words from Shane are ringing in my ears as we struggle up a long rising traverse, the last significant hill on day 2 of the Original Mountain Marathon 2016 in Galloway. We alternate between “maximum shuffle” […]
Another runner eases past, making it seem effortless, whilst my trainers slap the tarmac, wasting what little energy I have left. Crowds pass in a blur, not due to my speed but because tunnel vision takes over, just focussing on the road ahead. That light spring in the step an hour ago seems a distant […]
I reach up and my fingers feel around for the next hold. There it is, a small but super sharp edge. Foot up, rock over, stand up. I look down to see the rope stretching lazily down to my last piece of gear, several feet away. Confident in the positive holds I don’t even think […]
“I think I can jump that” says Shane, before sprinting down the bank and launching himself across the raging torrent, landing mostly on the far bank, legs pedaling wildly in the foaming water below. We are at the OMM, it is day 1, it rained overnight, and has continued to do so for the first […]
The Tour de Mont Blanc is a trail that circles the Mont Blanc massif (as the name suggests!). Mont Blanc itself stands proud at 4,809m, with the TMB varying from 1000m in the lower valleys up to 2600m cols. Along with Shane and Heather Ohly, we completed the TMB in early September 2015, as a […]
The short version: I did the Bob Graham Round on 6th June in 18hr51. It was very windy. For the longer version, read on… What is it: The Bob Graham Round is a circuit of 42 named peaks in the lake district, starting and finishing at Keswick Moot Hall. The challenge is to complete it in 24 […]
The new year is always a good time to reflect on events gone by, achievements as well as disappointments, and start to make plans for the coming year. So what of my 2014? As far as training goes I did: 2471 km of orienteering + running. That is the most I’ve ever run in a […]
Following a summer of working too hard and not enough climbing, we decided to seek some rock climbing in the winter sun. Rather than follow the masses to one of the Mediterranean’s “traditional” sport climbing destinations, we were keen for adventurous trad. A recent article in Climb magazine led to booking a trip to the […]
A few very old articles about some of my early mountain marathons from 2011 LAMM 2011 – Beinn Dearg. First elite MM win, with Jim Mann. This article is more a list of tips for winning MMs. Part of the prize was a free entry and expenses for…. BAMM 2011 – Northern Sweden. A great […]