Blog (Current)

Blog updates are only on an "ad hoc" basis when I have something to say and will not be particularly regular. Latest entries first.

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Charity Suggestion

It has been suggested to me by several people that I should charge for my walk information and indeed I have had unsolicited offers of payment (declined) from people who have used my directions. I am flattered that people think the information is worth charging for but I have deliberately chosen to keep it free to encourage walking. If you want to be kind, you could make a donation to charity and I would like to suggest Zarach to which I have donated.

Zarach was started by a teacher who noticed a child at school seemed tired. This turned out to be because he had no bed! She decided to do something about it. To cut a long story short, her activities have grown into a full blown Registered Charity (No 1179539). I cannot imagine a child living in such dire straits that they have nowhere to lie for a decent night's sleep. It turns out bed poverty is much more prevalent than certainly I thought and has a significant effect on a child’s education.

A Zarach Bed Bundle includes a brand-new Bed, Mattress, Duvet, Pillow, Bed Sheets, Pyjamas and Hygiene Kit. They also work with local partners to include Food Parcels and, if needed, a school uniform.

Lots more information on their website. Please help if you can. This is a link to their "Donate" page.

13 January 2025

I noted that at on New Year's Eve the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team had to rescue a pair who became "cragfast" on a steep rock face in the Goat Track area of Coire an t-Sneachda. It turned out that they had not set off until at 18:00, intending to climb Ben Macdui without crampons or ice axes. Needless to say on X there were calls for people to be charged which I doubt any walkers/mountaineers would advocate, not even Mountain Rescue Teams themselves. I gather the pair were wearing jogging bottoms, trainers and had little in the way of waterproofs. Maybe drink played a part(?) but how stupid do you have to be to set off at that time of night at that time of year etc etc. They probably would not have survived the night. The trouble is this sort of thing puts MRT teams at risk, not to mention interfering in their lives.

I am sure anyone who has got this far on my site are not the sort of people to be so thoughtless but I ask everyone to plan sensibly.

On the subject of X, there is a 'kerfuffle' at present about X's Grok AI producing 'unsavoury' images and vague threats by our Government to ban X if it doesn't sort this out. I use X to mention walking stuff, new walks I have done and anything else which takes my fancy. Should X disappear, which I feel is unlikely, I am also on Blue Sky, which I think is the natural move for anyone leaving X. Mastadon and Threads links are on the home page too. There is much unpleasant stuff on X but it is a useful news source (the current Iran situation is a case in point) and a lot of the unpleasantness can be avoided by selecting 'Following' from the headings at the top of it.

15 February 2026

Most reading this have probably heard about the two walkers who became stranded on Scafell Pike in adverse conditions, were rescued by the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team on 29 December 2025 and taken to the Wasdale Head Inn where they were given snacks and allowed to stay overnight at a 35% discount.

The following day they disappeared without paying and for good measure took head torches the MRT had lent them. The phone number they gave seems to be dead. They left behind them a crutch which one had been using on their ascent. It strikes me if one had a genuine need for a crutch, they were pretty stupid to have gone up the mountain in the first place. It is not just what seems to be blatant disregard for their own safety which is of concern but that their actions also place MRT members at risk, even thought they are well trained and used to call-outs but also cause disruption to their lives. They do the work as volunteers.

To maintain good relations for future rescues, the MRT paid the bill (around £130) out of their precious funds. If the hotel/MRT know the identity of the characters involved they have not said and no doubt the pair would rightly be piled with opprobrium, were their identities uncovered. I would bet money they are the sort who have bragged to their mates.

All this is old news now but the purpose of writing this is to report that over £5000 pounds was donated to the MRT as a result, so some good came out of the affair.

Some while ago, I started keeping a list of UK based celebrities who regularly go walking for pleasure, not the odd celebrity hike for TV/charity etc. The list now extends to 85. Take a look, you might be surprised who does enjoy hiking. It is a popular page judging from the number of hits it gets. If you know of anyone who should be added, please let me know preferably with a source for the information. I know 'celebrity' is a subjective thing. I don't think reality show contestants really qualify unless they go on to do other celebrity things. It is unlikely I would have heard of them!

Finally must give a shout out for Mackenzie Crook's 'Small Profits' on BBC - catch it on iPlayer. It is a wonderful, gentle and unusual comedy with the 'feel' of the Detectorists, perhaps not surprising as Crook wrote that too. Cannot recommend it highly enough. It will give you a warm glow!

All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.