Incidentally, since visiting Pakistan in summer 2009, all Joe seems to have talked about is ‘how great the rivers out there look’ and how ‘we need to get out there one day’. In a last-ditch effort to shut him up, Chris and I decided to join him on a 5 ½ month kayaking expedition to the Himalayas.

John Murphy, M83, Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky

Vimeo Awards 2012

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.

When I was asked to go ice climbing in Covent Garden, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the sincerity of the offer.  But believe it or not there is indeed a … Read more

When the surf is flat but the sun is still shining, us Welsh outdoor fanatics get out our bikes and hit the road, or the mountains – depending on how energetic we’re feeling! Wales is a cyclist’s dream and offers world class routes for all levels of riders, both on and off road. From hidden forest dirt jumps to challenging hill climbs with breathtaking scenery, Wales literally has it all.

Adventurers in western France and northern Spain naturally look to the Pyrenees for a multitude of summer and winter explorations. Given that I would be in north-eastern Spain in mid-March, … Read more

This weekend I was lucky enough to attend the 2012 Isaac Ludwig Top Yough Race. The event is based on a class 4 section of the Yough river in Maryland. I had only paddled that section twice before so I wasn’t expecting to get a good time, but I was looking forward to getting out on the water with a big group of local paddlers. Needless to say it didn’t disappoint.

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.

The British National MTB Cross Country Series kicked off on Sunday at the standard season opening course – Sherwood Pines in the East Midlands. The flat course consisted of large chunks of tight singletrack interspersesed with short fire road sections. A different course to that used in previous years seemed to divide opinions amongst riders. With no big features along the course, there is little to get stuck into or to get too excited about. Whatever you say about the lack of gradient and the tame technical features, it’s a difficult course to ride fast and it promotes very tight racing.

I was really keen to test out Gore’s new Active Shell fabric, so when Gore offered the chance to test out one of their jackets, it proved the perfect opportunity. Having caught a rumour from a riding buddy that Gore where going to release a new super breathable, fully waterproof material I knew that it would be ideal for damp UK winter conditions. The new three-layer laminate has an inner layer, which offers excellent comfort next to skin.

The weather was less then promising on the first day, with clouds taking over most of the sky. Nonetheless, I was eager to experience life on this little Caribbean island where the motto “go slow” reigns supreme. The recipe seemed to be large doses of Reggae, enough Belikan beer, and zero expectations that anything would happen time. As they said, just take a “chill pill”.

Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2012

This review concerns Chariot ‘child transportation system’ trailers and as I’ve now owned all three models in their ‘Sport’ range (in ascending order of expense!) over the space of six years I’m not going to limit myself to one model – this entire range is worth a mention. Chariot (part of the Thule group) design and assemble all their products in Calgary, Canada and make extensive use of recycled materials in their products. They also have a sister brand of cheaper children’s trailers entirely made in the Far-East called Croozer. Chariot runs two ranges of trailers: the first is the ‘Touring’ range designed with an emphasis upon urban cycling, the second is the ‘Sport’ range designed for flexibility so you don’t have to buy many different carriers for separate outdoor sports.

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.