If you had told me 8 years ago that I would soon be exploring the wild outdoors, seeing places very few people ever get to experience, I would have scoffed. With no outdoor experience, having never wild camped or walked a trail, I was out of touch with the nature.
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Mucho Zen - A Guest Post by Katarina Kukuruzović
I took a sip from my water bottle. The warm breeze wafted against my face. My eyes met with the greenery of the valley between Monte Brento and Monte Bondone. In the distance, Lago di Garda was a blue canvas on which white dots of sailboats drew invisible lines against the surface of the lake.
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Photo by Josephine Collingwood
Writing Competition Winners: Emily Woodhouse - 1st Prize
It was 3 o’clock in the morning by the time we found him. The cynically minded would say it’s a waste of time looking for someone in the dark who doesn’t want to be found. Darkness is easy to hide in. Run circles round the search lights and you’ll never be found. After several hours of startling sheep, I was ready to believe it.
We reached an outcrop. Standing at the bottom, I cast my light once over the rocks and something caught my eye.
“Oh,” I thought, “that looks like a bag. That’s odd”...
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Sponsorship of Climbers by Big Brands... will the real parents please stand up?
My first reaction to the news, once I had got over my indifference, is "well done - it is shrewd business", but then again I am one of those horrible people who likes shrewd business. I don’t mean unfair business, just good old, money-making business. And I make no apology for it.
Ashima wants to be a sportswoman. I have no doubt she has worked harder than the vast majority of her critics to get to where she is at the tender age of sixteen. Based on this hard work, vision and drive she has landed a (presumably) large sponsorship deal.
Do I think the the nation to the dangers of excessive sugar consumption? Yes. But, do I object to the existence of products like Coke or indeed the people used to promote it? Of course not. I am not some crazed controlling totalitarian nanny (my daughter may disagree).
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Summer Road Trip 2017 - Bobotov Kuk, Durmitor [Video]
It was a superb day, which started off cold and misty but was soon bathed in sunshine. The array of flowers in Durmitor National Park is absolutely spectacular and the climb itself gives equally stunning views.
Amazingly a stray dog which was kicking around the car park followed some other people to the very top. Perhaps she has climbed this mountain more than any other living creature!
The view from the summit is uninterrupted as Bobotov Kuk totally d
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28, 29 & 30 Days Wild - H is for Happiness
30 Days Wild, has primarily been an opportunity for me to share this with my daughter and to introduce her to a few micro-adventures to help her connect with all things wild, even if only in a small measure.
It has been a pleasure, mostly simple, occasionally difficult to find the time to write a blog post, but never boring. Both Emma and I have had great fun doing it. I have been able to share some things I enjoy with my daughter and she has grown more confident from experiences such as making a video, camping out at night, paddling on the river and "playing" with creepy crawlies.
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What to do in the mountains when the weather is bad
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men,
Gang aft agley"
So wrote Robert Burns in his poem To a Mouse; an apology for upturning its nest whilst ploughing a field.
I am in the Alps this week and I feel like the weather in the last few days is Burns' plough and we; the mice. Our plans have certainly gone awry, although no apology has yet been forthcoming. It is often true that time spent in the mountains feels as if it is snatched from the gods that govern the wilderness. We choose our moment ahead of time and then sit tight hoping above all hope that we shall be blessed with the conditions to enjoy nature in all its sunny glory.
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