The story behind the cover shot / Ultra magazine

Front cover Ultra mag

DSC02119 (1)

Larking around with issue 2 of Ultra on day 4 of our recce. Kindly supplied by Ultra ed. Andy Nuttall

When you get your copy of the superlative independent UK running magazine, Ultra (issue 4) – you’ll read how we fastpacked a four day recce of the circuit before attempting the run. Torres del Paine was named the 8th Wonder of The World in 2013 and we wanted to experience it in all its mystery and majesty before attempting to push rudely round in just one day.

On the second day of the fastpack, we reached the top of the John Gardner pass – the highest point of the trek that usually takes 8 days to complete. Here we had our first view down to Glacier Grey – a leviathan of ice that runs hundreds of miles, swallowing mountains in its path. The temperature hovered around zero, and for about the fifth time that day I asked James:

“Mate, whip off your trousers and we’ll get a shot in our running shorts!”

“You can F*** right off if you think I’m stripping off for you here…”

There would be no time on the run to stop here, and I certainly wouldn’t be carrying any decent camera gear during the attempt. It was now or never.

Just at that moment, a porter emerged on the pass. I set the camera to continuous shooting mode, wacked up the F-Stop to pull the glacier in and got the poor chap squatting at an angle where the composition was right. We dropped our heavy rucksacks, grabbed the vests we would use for the 1 day push and started jogging with that comically high knee style that can help imply movement in running shots. The porter clearly thought we were lunatics – but fired away.

So, no man leaning out of a helicopter in a harness – just a couple of guys trying to share the adventure they were about to set out on – round one of the most spectacular trails on Earth.

And when we really did begin, it was 2am Patagonia time. Out there, on those moonlit trails, there was an even more shocking surprise than that great glacier – It was waiting for us, silently in the dark….

Here’s where you can read more.matt full circle (1)

[:]

A crazy sport created by isolation / BBC

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Rapa Nui people believed for 500 years they were the only people left on Earth.

The BBC were interested in how the Rapa Nui’s February festival of Tapati expresses the character and story of these remote island people. I spent three weeks on Easter island. This article for BBC Travel explores what I found.

Read Article (International)               

Read Article (UK Version – slow to load)

 

 

Men’s Fitness magazine / Vertical Kilometre Feature

[:en]Living in the Andes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone leaves their front door and starts running uphill.

Men's Fitness Dropped Caps text - Vertcial KMMen’s Fitness magazine UK got in contact because they wanted an inspiring introduction to the Vertical Kilometre race – the new standard in endurance sport, where the finish line is 1,000metres higher than the starting point. 

The article is an around the world odyssey of mountain running, with stops in the French Alps, Canada, Patagonia and the Scottish Highlands. I also get my proverbial handed to me along the way by septuagenarians and schoolchildren.

Photos were secured from perhaps the most incredible VK race in the World – The Ultra Trail Torres del Paine. Interviewees include World Champion Urban Zemmer, Nikki Kimball, Jeff Browning, Paul Navesey, Shane Ohly and World Sky Running Director Lauri Van Houten.

[:es]Living in the Andes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone leaves their front door and starts running uphill.

Men's Fitness Dropped Caps text - Vertcial KMMen’s Fitness magazine UK got in contact because they wanted an inspiring introduction to the Vertical Kilometre race – the new standard in endurance sport, where the finish line is 1,000metres higher than the starting point. 

The article is an around the world odyssey of mountain running, with stops in the French Alps, Canada, Patagonia and the Scottish Highlands. I also get my proverbial handed to me along the way by septuagenarians and schoolchildren.

Photos were secured from perhaps the most incredible VK race in the World – The Ultra Trail Torres del Paine. Interviewees include World Champion Urban Zemmer, Nikki Kimball, Jeff Browning, Paul Navesey, Shane Ohly and World Sky Running Director Lauri Van Houten.) 

You can read the unabridged article here online.

[:]

Picture of the Day / the Guardian

I snapped this shot on the third day of the Tapati festival on Easter Island. It was published in The Guardian online earlier this month. Click to see more at The Guardian

DSC05543 - for Photography section wesbite (1)

Boulder Dash / Outdoor Fitness magazine

[:en]Outdoor Fitness magazine were looking for a beginner friendly guide to getting indoor climbers outdoors.

Their February issue carries my four page training special to help readers make the transition – just in time for those perfect crisp winter climbing conditions!

So go on, Get Your Boulder On!

Bouldering Train Article v2[:]

Zolkan 4 Days 2016 / Limitless Pursuits

I’ve been away from my desk for the last week – reporting and running in the incredible Zolkan 4 Days ultramarathon.

If you missed it on social media, here’s the full run-down from each day, starting with my race preview.

CLICK Below for Race Preview, Summary or Full Day by Day accounts.

All articles at limitlesspursuits.com

Zolkan 4 Days - PreviewZolkan 4 Days - Day 1Zolkan 4 Days - Day 2 Zolkan 4 Days - Day 3Zolkan 4 Days - Day 4Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 15.05.41