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The 3000km Trespass / Geographical

It takes some careful pitching of ideas and an understanding editor to let you write about a 3000km trespass.

Since late 2017 I’ve been on the trail of this story – both on the ground in the Andes and in the halls of government as Chile prepares to pass a new “right to roam” styled access law. 

The Greater Patagonian Trail – as its creator Jan Dudeck calls it – is a 3000km network of animal tracks, arriero cowboy paths, indigenous peoples’ trails as well good ol’ deep-backcountry bushwacking linking Santago with the climbing mecca of Fitz Roy in deepest Patagonia.

This is the first publication from my year of adventures on the GPT, and includes conversations with Jan Dudeck about the trail’s creation and future development.

There’s a lot at stake with this project. And the trail’s character (somewhere between the Revenant and Reese Witherspoon’s Wild) is not for everyone. 

But if done right – the GPT could have far reaching consequences of environmental protection; promoting sustainable lifestyles and improving economic prosperity in the Andes.

Extract from Geographical’s February print issue below.

Read the full article now published online here.

Continuing reading by subscribing at Geographical magazine.

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Rewilded Running / Trail Running

A story about rewilding, wolves, whisky and a spot of running at the Great Glen Ultra 70miler.

Currently published in Trail Running magazine. Photos by the wickedly talented Jimmy Hyland JHParchive.com.

Great Glen Way_lowres_pdf

 

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Power of the Dark Side / Outdoor Fitness

I wrote this fun story for Outdoor Fitness magazine about how to run at night with a headtorch. 

They must like me after quite a few years working together: they let me sneak in a whole lot of kooky Star Wars and Darth Vader references.

034_OF_DEC18 BreconSUBBEDLG
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Into the Wild, Chile / the Guardian

On January 11th 2011, I set off on a bicycle ride from the bottom of South America.

On Chilean Independence Day 2018, the The Guardian shared some of the marvellous things I have found so far.

It was a testing job to pick the pit-stops for a one month trip that stretches from the Atacama Desert to the Pacific Ocean. The diversity in between mountains and ocean; culture and cuisine and wildlife and wilderness can send you into a spin when taking it all in on a first trip.

I didn’t want anyone to feel though that they would miss out. And the final suggested route gives you enough time to poke into the curious corners of the country whilst carving out your own largely self-guided experience.

All the transport choices deliberately avoid air travel. Partly it was an attempt to keep visitors’ carbon footprint low once in the country. Also, (and this part didn’t make my final draft) by travelling slowly through the country – sharing a bunk room on a steamer through the fiords, or gliding overnight into the desert on the 180degree reclining bed bus – you meet the people. This is where the real stories begin.

If you do get to travel to Chile, I hope you return with a rucksack full of adventures to last you a lifetime.

I’m still packing mine…

Read at the Guardian here.

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