A night on Kilimanjaro’s summit: the videos

February 22, 2017 Trip reports africa, david breashears, edita, kilimanjaro, mountain films, tanzania, trekking, volcanoes 2 Comments

I know I sometimes write a lot of waffle on this blog that many of you can’t be bothered to read, so this post is for you. I’ve recently finished editing the footage of our Kilimanjaro climb, which included a night on the crater. Here are three short videos to provide a flavour of the trek.

Introducing Grant Axe Rawlinson, the human-powered adventurer

February 15, 2017 Reviews and tributes crowdfunding, everest, grant rawlinson, mount cook, new zealand, ruapehu, seven steps from snowdon to everest, southern alps, travel writing 0 Comment

My old Everest tent mate Grant Axe Rawlinson specialises in a form of travel he calls human-powered adventure – carrying out long personal challenges without resorting to motorised transport. I’ve been reading his book and following his latest challenge.

Should outdoor and mountaineering writers talk about politics?

February 8, 2017 Good causes climate change, damavand, jebel toubkal, kilimanjaro, migration, morocco, mountain, mountaineering ethics, outside magazine, pakistan, public access, the alpinist, travel writing 22 Comments

If you write about a subject that appeals to people of all political beliefs, then you should avoid talking about politics. But what if politics touches on the things you care about deeply enough to write about – do you say nothing? The answer to this is surprisingly simple.

Tilman and Shipton’s travels in Africa

February 1, 2017 History africa, bill tilman, duke of abruzzi, eric shipton, first ascents, history of mountaineering, kenya, kilimanjaro, mount kenya, mount stanley, mountain literature, rwenzori mountains, tanzania, uganda 4 Comments

The Himalayan explorer Bill Tilman spent fourteen years of his life as a coffee planter in Kenya. During that time he and Eric Shipton made a number of exploratory treks and climbs on Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, and in the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda.