This early May weekend was the annual Cheat River Festival in West Virginia. The Cheat River is perfectly placed to host a kayaking and country music festival, with a large … Read more

In so many ways, Newton Running just gets it right. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Newton not only pushes out a great product, but markets and promotes it with a refreshingly sophisticated efficiency. On the product side, they’ve revolutionised the way we think about footwear by conceiving of their Land-Lever-Lift philosophy in a shoe that is meant to last. Meanwhile, their marketing has focused on the lifestyle of running – heralded by the snappy slodan, ‘Hello Better’. Go to Newton’s photos on their Facebook Page, and you’ll see a number of images displaying their distinctive tread, part of the brand’s focus on designing and promoting a durable product. I’ve been wearing the Newton Distancia since Thanksgiving 2011, and haven’t felt more excited about running training since.

In tracing this theme, automotive-manufacturer Subaru rolled out their ‘Work Play Love’ Tour during the past two months. The company visited some of the US’s most desirable places to work, setting up stalls and games at 50 companies across the country. Subaru and active lifestyle partners such as KEEN, Icebreaker, Yakima, Prana, Trek, Outdoor Research and Osprey made more than 50 fresh air therapy stops with their fleet of 2012 Imprezas, unloading their outdoor games, DIY trail mix station, product demonstrations and giveaways.

Being based in Vancouver for the season has forced me to spend copious days on the mountain, usually up at Whistler which serves as the local playground for this adventure … Read more

The Talus Ridge is Columbia’s attempt to fill the gap between lightweight trail running shoes and the heavier, more sturdy walking boot. Capable of perfoming across a range of disciplines and weathers the shoe has been referred to by its manufacturers as the ‘opitamy of trail multi sport’, an apt description for any outdoors shoe.

Next month Ines Papert and Arc’teryx will be touring the UK to present the Harbin Roadshow, starting at Kendal Mountain Festival on 17th November. The show consists of a photo exhibition … Read more

At a an altitude of 1,344m, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Located in the Grampian Mountains in the west of Scotland, it represents one of the many highlights of Scottish highland hiking. Being within two hours of Glasgow, and less than three hours from Edinburgh, it is also a very accessible peak which could even be summited as a day trip from one of Scotland’s cosmopolitan cities.

Situated between Grabouw and Stellenbosch in the Hottentots Holland mountains, the source of the Palmiet-river marks the starting point of a gem of a valley. The naturally-formed waterslides down waterfalls fall into amazing rock pools, leaving jumps ranging between 3 and 20 metres to help you release your adrenaline-valve in this beautiful canyon. You’ll be busy for anything between 5 and 8 hours, depending on the “escape-route” you choose to take out of Suicide Gorge. There is no variation of trails here, and once in, it’s rather difficult to get out.

I was recently introduced to one of the most dangerous / awesome snow sports around.  The notion of skiing down a mountain with a parachute on is nothing new.  James … Read more

Every year while racing the Sea Otter Classic bike race at Laguna Seca Speedway in Monterey, California, I spend time between races happily perusing the numerous vendor booths.  As one … Read more

Villars Night Show

Situated under the railway lines at London Bridge station, the Arch hosts London’s premier bouldering experience. It offers four rooms of unadulterated free climbing, with overhangs, traverse walls and routes for every standard of climber. Most distinctively, the Arch has an upward sloping tunnel with some routes requiring the climber to be upside down for the duration. This is a great place to try out the sport, given that no equipment is necessary. However, due its prime location and ease of use, The Arch can get extremely busy in the evenings. We would recommend the early morning “hangover cure climb” (often accompanied by a cup of tea/coffee), with doors opening at 6.30am on weekday mornings.

Location: 6 Bermondsey Street, SE1 2ER

When it comes to eyewear, maximizing performance and style is essential. Based out of California, Electric Visual are a team of innovators, investing in the production of sunglasses and snow goggles. As one of the brands at the forefront of optics design, Electric bring together the latest and greatest high performance technology with unique designs that reflect the youthful and fun spirit of today’s adventurers.

Mine-heaps and tollgates are what the average tourist would remember from the Mpumalanga province in the Northern parts of South Africa, but there certainly is more to it. The ‘Highveld’ (translated as Highfield), as this part of the Rainbow Nation is locally known, plays host to a different kind of beauty than what you would find in the more commercial Southern parts. Those seeking adventure while experiencing the true African wildlife are sure to be pleased on the relatively new Num-Num trail near Machadodorp, Mpumalanga.

History and guide to Steamboat, Colorado in the Rockies of the USA. Skiing in Steamboat offers some of the best snow conditions in North America.

Last season we reviewed Sweet Protection’s unique, full-body Saviour Suit, setting a high standard for our future baselayer evaluations. At the beginning of this season I started doing some research to find other baselayers that made similar claims of performance excellence, deciding upon US-based Polarmax, an environmentally conscious brand with some neat threads to match.

The Faction Collective have been redefining ski design since 2006 when Tony McWilliam and Alex Hoye came together with the intention of building gear that reflected modern riding. Founded and based in Verbier, Switzerland the company produces a range of versatile and high performance skis that a worth checking out. Faction join a number of North American ski manufacturers who make up the boutique end of the ski market.

Designed and manufactured by the mountaineer specialists, Black Diamond, the Cyborg Pro is one mean piece of kit to get your hands on for winter climbing. Made to match mixed conditions of the mountain, this crampon has a tenacious appetite for snow and ice ascents.

This season the Alps have been hit with a late, but obscene amount of fresh snow. I arrived in December to be told by a friend that he had not even seen the sun for weeks. In preparation I got hold of a pair of the new Salomon XTEND XPLORE6 S goggles with the idea of getting maximum enjoyment from these conditions. Part of Salomon’s first line of goggles, the XTEND XPLORE 6 promised to offer me a new, wider perspective on life in powder fields of the world.

The refreshing thought of leaping off rocks into the sea has a natural appeal for me, and indeed anyone who can bypass the shock of cool waters on the plunge. Recently I went coasteering in sark with local tour operator, Adventure Sark.