Andean plane mystery / Geographical

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How do you engage people on a big scary issue like climate change?

This February filmmaker I headed into the Andes with two other British mountaineers to try and find the 1947 crashed plane Star Dust. In 2019 it’s emerging from the glacier-ice on 6570m Tupungato due to global warming. Told for the June 2019 issue of Geographical. 

“So you want to travel to the Lancastrian?” From a mid-winter Bristol suburb, my call has rung through to the Refugio Plaza military base, high in the mountains southwest of the Malbec-growing hills of Mendoza, Argentina. Sergeant Casado of the 11th Mountain Regiment listens to my request.

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The bike raid that time forgot / Red Bull

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This March I sneaked down into the Araucanía region of southern Chile. It’s a land of crushing waterfalls, hanging glaciers, splurging volcanoes and ancient rainforest. The trails are stalked by pumas and the skies are patrolled by 3 metre wingspan condors. 

There was a bike raid too – FireFlies Patagonia. I shared the story and photos with Red Bull. (Some excellent shots too from my friend Xisco Fuster!) ?

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The 3000km Trespass / Geographical

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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.

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Electric Cool / Geographical

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For the October issue of Geographical magazine I investigated the proclaimed environmental and climate mitigating benefits of the electric racing series Formula E. 

The article includes interviews and comment from Paul Day from Aquafuel Research, Stephen Skippon from the Transport Research Laboratory and Julia Palle the sport’s Senior Sustainability Consultant .

The electric revolution that Formula E are showcasing will ameliorate inner city air pollution. In tackling climate change, however, I discovered the series have pinned their hopes for now on unabated, albeit-greener consumption. Instead, I argue that deep cuts in carbon emissions will require a deeper societal shift-of-gear towards more sustainable consumer as well as industry behaviour.

Click here to read it full page. 

Feature - Formula E (1)