author, mountaineering writer – books, blog, opinion
The rise of social media means the world’s most beautiful places are becoming busier. Is this a bad thing, and does it mean we should think twice about visiting them? In this posts, I use data to argue these developments are part of a changing world that is getting better.
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When the explorer Benedict Allen went missing in the jungles of Papua New Guinea earlier this month, it was no surprise when the Guardian published an article by a smug intellectual taking a swipe at his adventurous lifestyle. More surprising was how their readers reacted.
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Why does The Guardian so often commission people who haven’t got a clue about Everest to write self-righteous opinion pieces about it, instead of asking someone knowledgeable to write them instead? It’s an exercise in shit stirring that achieves nothing useful.
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Responding to reports that Everest has become too easy to climb, the government of Nepal has announced a new set of arbitrary criteria in an effort to limit the numbers and produce a better quality of climber.
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With vicars treated like lapdogs by cretinous narcissists, a crisis in church matrimony was inevitable. This week on the Footsteps of the Mountain blog we welcome Tony Gould as our special guest blogger, who will be talking knowledgeably about one of his favourite topics, marriage and road traffic accidents.
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With the Everest climbing season nearly upon us there will soon be a flurry of articles in the mainstream media. With journalists under pressure to knock together something emotive at short notice by pasting from websites or phoning up random mountaineers for soundbites, I thought I would put together a media guide to help save time.
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Some of you have been asking for an insightful analysis of the punch up on the Lhotse Face over the weekend. As usual people have been falling over themselves to report the story without waiting for the facts to emerge, and in the Footsteps on the Mountain team we’re not averse to joining the stampede.
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There’s nothing some journalists like more than a bit a death. It generates controversy, helps sell copy, and gives them an opportunity to drum up hatred against people who live more interesting lives than they do. And this year on
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