Category Archives: 4. Northern England

#178 – Spine Race – the Movie

I don’t get to many film premieres; in fact, if I’m honest, I don’t get to any!   That is until a couple of weeks ago, when I attended my very first film premiere. I left the black tie and dinner … Continue reading

Posted in 4. Northern England | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

#176 – The Roaches Edge in Staffordshire

Staffordshire is not exactly an area known for its mountains, but it is the home of a fine set of gritstone crags known as The Roaches. Rock-climbing had been popular at The Roaches since the earliest days of the sport … Continue reading

Posted in 4. Northern England | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

#149 – No pain, no gain – The Spine Race 2014

Fifty years ago, the UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson said, “a week is a long time in politics”.  In The Spine Race, a week feels like a lifetime.  For the uninitiated, ‘The Spine’ is “Britain’s most brutal race. The longest, … Continue reading

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#148 – Here we go again! The Spine Race 2014

It’s that time of year again.  Time for the ‘Spine Race’.  For those of you who don’t already know the ‘Spine Race’, it’s an epic seven-day event following the Pennine Way, the national trail that runs along the Pennine Hills, … Continue reading

Posted in 3. Yorkshire Dales, 4. Northern England | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

#147 – Ring out the old … 2013 hill memories

As 2013 draws to a close, it’s good to look back in pictures at another year in the hills, so here are some of my best memories of the old year.  Best wishes to all my readers, and here’s wishing … Continue reading

Posted in 2. Lake District, 3. Yorkshire Dales, 4. Northern England, 5. North Wales, 6. Mid and South Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

#141– Two men and a dog, and the highest noodle bar in the UK (Having a fun time on ‘The Spine Race’!)

“Do you fancy a couple of days up at Greg’s Hut in January?” If anyone other than John Bamber had asked the question, I would probably have answered with a reply that included sex and travel!  For those who don’t … Continue reading

Posted in 4. Northern England, Bothy days | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

# 130 – A busy week!

A busy week doesn’t come anywhere near describing it!  It went something like this –  Sunday –  Fund raising for my mountain rescue team, NEWSAR (North East Wales Search And Rescue) Monday – Awareness day and fund raising for NEWSAR. … Continue reading

Posted in 1. Scotland, 2. Lake District, 3. Yorkshire Dales, 4. Northern England, 5. North Wales, 6. Mid and South Wales, 7. Everywhere Else! | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

#124 – Avalanche!

There has been little incentive to head for the higher hills over the past week – strong winds have made walking difficult in the mountains, and wind chill on top of an already cold temperature has made it feel like … Continue reading

Posted in 1. Scotland, 2. Lake District, 3. Yorkshire Dales, 4. Northern England, 5. North Wales, 6. Mid and South Wales, 7. Everywhere Else! | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

#118 – West Yorkshire wanderings

 My recent posts have had a bit of a history bias, which is no bad thing – a day in the hills sometimes comes alive when there’s a tale to be told.  Living in North Wales means that there is … Continue reading

Posted in 4. Northern England | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

#114 – ‘The Spine’, Britains most brutal race – the inside story.

Saturday morning 12th January – It must have been getting quite tense at the start line of ‘The Spine’ race.  After all, running the 268 mile Pennine Way in winter in less than one week is a pretty tough challenge.  … Continue reading

Posted in 1. Scotland, 3. Yorkshire Dales, 4. Northern England | Tagged , , , , , , | 26 Comments