Mark Horrell's Blog, page 6

Bookman Plaster Award announces new rules for mountaineering books following recent controversies

The trustees of the world’s most prestigious mountain book award have announced updated rules for entries following new research alleging that hundreds of historical mountaineering books have been published without reaching the true end of the story.

In 2021, an article in the New York Chronicle asked the question What is a mountaineering book? The piece was one of the first in the mainstream media to discuss concerns raised by mountaineering book critic Conrad Bartelski, custodian of the websit...

My 2007 Knoydart diary: a winter backpacking trip that didn’t quite go to plan

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a 2-day backpacking trip in Knoydart that was about as good as it gets: perfect weather, unobstructed views of Scotland’s intricate coastline, three contrasting summits, some exhilarating scrambling, celebratory drinks at the remotest pub in Britain – even a picturesque boat trip at either end.

The trip was all the more satisfying for me because it was my second visit to Knoydart and I had unfinished business there. My first visit in 2007 couldn’t have been mo...

The Knoydart Three: Ladhar Bheinn, Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe

In November 2007, I set out from Kinloch Hourn at the end of a 22-mile cul-de-sac in a remote part of Northwest Scotland, carrying a gigantic rucksack with 5 days worth of food, tent, sleeping bag, stove and all the camping essentials.

My aim was to walk to Inverie in Knoydart, a village at the end of a peninsula that is unconnected to the road network. Its isolated location means that it is more akin to an island than a place on mainland Scotland. Aside from the rough hiking trail that I would ...

In memoriam: Dave Fowler, West Coast mountain guide

I’m always slightly more affected by accidents that involve hillwalkers scrambling along a narrow ridge. I don’t take many risks in the mountains and these are the accidents that make me stop and think how it could have been me.

The widely reported triple fatality on Glen Coe’s Aonach Eagach ridge earlier this month had particular poignancy for me. The accident involved a guide and two clients roped together. The guide in question was Dave Fowler who had guided Edita and me up several peaks in t...

Why don’t we see yetis anymore? I may have found the answer

Throughout the 20th century, Himalayan travel writing has been peppered with stories of yeti sightings and yeti footprints.

In a previous post, published in my anthology Sherpa Hospitality as a Cure for Frostbite, I described how the great Reinhold Messner believed he’d seen a yeti in a clearing in Tibet in 1986, and how Eric Shipton photographed a yeti’s footprint in the 1950s. In another post, I described how Bruce Chatwin interviewed a lady who’d watched a yeti murder her yaks in the Gokyo Va...

The Dubh Slabs: the most iconic scramble in the British Isles

This is the second in a series of posts covering our recent visit to the Isle of Skye and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The story began in my first post, The four summits of Sgurr a Mhadaidh.

The weather was looking favourable, but after much deliberation we decided – mainly for logistical reasons – that it wasn’t the moment to attempt the full Cuillin traverse.

Instead, we would continue our Cuillin reconnaissance. But what to reconnoitre? After our traverse of Sgurr a Mhadaidh (see prev...

Essential Skye reading: The Black Ridge by Simon Ingram

‘I haven’t read it,’ said Karl. ‘But do you know what, I think I will, because you’re the fourth client who has told me that I have to read this book.’

We were sitting on the col between Sgurr a Mhadaidh and Bidean Druim nan Ramh, gazing out at Loch Coruisk as we ate our lunch (see my previous blog post). The book in question was The Black Ridge by Simon Ingram. I was in the middle of reading it (not up on the col, obviously, but back in a comfy chair between adventures) and have recently finish...

The four summits of Sgurr a Mhadaidh: another Cuillin reconnaissance

It was time for another reconnaissance of the Black Cuillin. We arrived at the youth hostel in Glen Brittle still harbouring an outside chance of doing a full traverse later in the week.

We’ve been toying with the idea of doing the grand traverse of the Cuillin ridge for about five years now, but things have never quite fallen into place. Towering above the southern shoreline of the Hebridean island of Skye like a set of dragon’s teeth, the Black Cuillin has the reputation of being Scotland’s mo...

First British man to climb Manaslu then narrate an audiobook about it from a converted stable in the Cotswolds

Yes, that’s right. A sensational headline, I know, but it’s absolutely true.

It’s been quite the year for records on Everest and the other 8,000m peaks. As Alan Arnette reported last month, we’ve had the first Cuban who lives in Iceland to climb Everest, the richest politician couple from Ukraine, the first person to abseil into an active volcano and then climb Everest, and the first Vietnamese-American billionaire to climb it.

‘As for the records, I’ll leave it to Guinness to sort these out,’ A...

The Buttermere Round: an epic walk for sensible people

Up to Robinson, round to Hindscarth,
Over Dale Head, magic viewpoint.
Don’t touch! Don’t touch!
The wild mushrooms, wild mushrooms.

Down to Honister, giant eyesore,
Up to Brandreth, have a sandwich.
Get lost! Get lost!
In the big bog, in the big bog.

On to Hay Stacks, down the big gap,
Back up High Crag, on the staircase.
High Stile! Red Pike!
I’m exhausted, have a sit down.
The Buttermere Round by Alfred Knottwright

If you belong to my generation then you may remember having to sing Alfred Knot...