Search results for ""Vertebrate Publishing Ltd""

Ellie Morgan wants a boy who's all hers. Just for once, it would be nice to meet someone that Sheila (the cow) hadn't got her claws in to. A remote farmhouse on Mount Snowdon is hardly the ideal setting for meeting anyone - unless, of course, you count her best friend George or creepy Darren (which Ellie doesn't). But when a boy, glimpsed through the mist and snow, lures her up to the Devil's Bridge, Ellie realises the place she knows so well still has its secrets ... The stronger her feelings for this strange boy become, the more she is in danger: a battle as old as Snowdon itself has been raging for centuries and now Ellie's caught in the middle. Something has left its lair. It's out there stalking her. Who ever said true love was easy?

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Literature and a love of the English countryside are natural companions.Walking the Literary Landscape by Ian Hamilton and Diane Roberts brings the two together in a collection of 20 circular routes in the north of England, all between 3 and 9 miles (5 and 15 kilometres) in length. The walks explore the physical settings that inspired some of our greatest literature.Walk in the footsteps of writers like Arthur Ransome, who drew inspiration from the Lake District for his classic children's adventure Swallows and Amazons, or the Brontë sisters whose love of the moors around Haworth echoes through the centuries. See Chatsworth, the Peak District house that thrilled Jane Austen, and tread carefully in Whitby, the Yorkshire seaside town where Bram Stoker set his most famous creation Dracula.Each route introduces you to a landscape familiar to some of our greatest writers, and is accompanied by clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, straightforward directions, and information on each area's literary links, refreshment stops and local amenities. Everything you need for a great literary walk.

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South East Mountain Biking - North and South Downs is the full second edition of the bestselling guide to some of the finest mountain biking in the South East of England. Published by leading guidebook producer Vertebrate Publishing, it covers the best mountain biking in the south-east, including the newly-formed South Downs National Park. Delve into the woodland singletrack of the North Downs or head out on to the big, rolling chalk hills that make up the South Downs National Park. Get out of the towns and cities and discover the dense network of bridleways and byways that criss-cross the countryside of the South East. This guide contains 24 routes between 16 and 35km in length, suitable for all levels of mountain bikers. All route information has been thoroughly checked for this new edition, to give the most up-to-date and comprehensive guidebook to the area. Written by Nick Cotton, author of over 50 cycling guidebooks, each route features clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings, refreshment stops and local knowledge, and stunning photography. Also included are Top Ten descents, climbs and mountain bike playgrounds, an introduction to the fantastic Surrey Hills singletrack, and a detailed Appendix.

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Day Walks on the North York Moors showcases 20 circular walks, between 5 and 13.7 miles (8 and 22 kilometres) in length, suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities.The routes are split into three areas – The Cleveland Hills and Hambleton Hills, Central Moors and Coastal Walks – and include walks to the most historic and beautiful areas of the Moors, including: Lord Stones, Wainstones and Clay Bank, Rievaulx Abbey, Blakey Ridge and Farndale, the Hole of Horcum, and the stunning coastline at Robin Hood’s Bay and Ravenscar.The author of this guidebook, Tony Harker, is a Moors local and keen hillwalker.Each route in this guide is described with easy-to-follow directions and details of distance, navigation information and refreshment stops, and is plotted on clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps. The walks are illustrated with stunning photography by Adam Long. Also included is a detailed Appendix.

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Revised reprint 2019Scotland Mountain Biking – The Wild Trails features 24 of the best and more adventurous mountain bike rides in Scotland. The routes range from 6.5 to 290 kilometres in length, and are suitable for all levels of mountain bikers. Split into three sections, Southern & Central Scotland, North-West Scotland & Highlands, and North-East Scotland & Cairngorms, this book includes challenging mountain passes, magical woodland singletrack, Munro peaks and idyllic spins past ancient lochs. The routes include a classic Torridon Circuit, Glen Sligachan on Skye, man-made and natural trails around the Minch Moor at Innerleithen, Munro Mount Keen, the end-to-end Corrieyairack Pass, and a big-mountain loop around Ben Alder. A Bonus Section includes the Fort William to Montrose Coast to Coast route.The book is written by Scottish mountain bike guide Phil McKane and includes stunning photography by Andy McCandlish. It features Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps; easy-to-follow directions; details of distance, times and difficulty; and refreshment stops and local knowledge.Reprinted in 2019 with updated mapping and revisions.

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The Adventure Toolkit is the pocket companion for leaders of groups in the great outdoors. Packed with practical advice, useful tips and fun games, it is an essential point of reference for keeping groups engaged, safe and entertained.Written by experienced outdoor leader Derek Burdett, topics covered include group safety and awareness, expedition training, logic problems and challenges and performance and creative activities.The title draws on the author's significant experience in the outdoor industry and also on established teaching and leading practices from a variety of respected sources. It is an indispensable introduction to leading groups in the great outdoors.

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Traffic-Free Cycle Trails South East England by Nick Cotton and Kathy Rogers features over 100 great cycling routes across the South East, London and into Eastern England. A companion guide to Nick Cotton’s much-loved and bestselling Traffic-Free Cycle Trails, this guidebook provides an additional 50 routes to discover across the south-east of England – all away from traffic.As well as more off-road trails for gravel bikes and the latest cycle paths, this book also includes a variety of routes on former railway paths, canal towpaths and forest trails, allowing you to discover previously unknown local trails. Presented in an easy-to-use format, this guide includes information on public transport, repairs and bike hire, as well as updated refreshments and parking details. From friends looking for a fun-packed day out on the trails to parents planning safe rides with children, let Traffic-Free Cycle Trails South East England take the work out of finding your next favourite cycling route.

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England & Wales Island Bagging by Lisa Drewe is a stunning and informative guide to the islands of England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is ideal for swimmers, kayakers, adventure travellers, wildlife spotters and ice cream connoisseurs.Go on an inspirational and fascinating coastline journey – familiar islands are visited, such as Lundy and the Isle of Wight; others are less well known, such as Gewni in Pembrokeshire and Coquet Island in Northumberland. Almost 300 islands are included, from larger, populated islands to remote, uninhabited islets – some can be reached by foot at low tide, others have ferry services, and some you will need your own transport, or be content to view them from the mainland.Once you’ve found your island this book introduces you to the best sites on the island to appreciate: hidden beaches and coves, the tastiest local food and the wildlife that can be seen in the locality. Watch the Cemlyn Bay terns on Anglesey, go paddleboarding around Mersea Island in Essex, walk in the footsteps of pilgrims on Lindisfarne in Northumberland, or enjoy ice cream from one of the smallest dairy herds in the country on St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly … it’s all there to be enjoyed in England & Wales Island Bagging.

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Classic Day Walks in England & Wales features a selection of 20 of the best day-length hillwalking routes from Vertebrate Publishing’s popular series of walking guidebooks.Edited by Jon Barton, this guidebook takes you to the best hiking country in England and Wales: take in Lake District fells, traverse Hadrian’s Wall, ramble in the South Downs, enjoy the coastline in Pembrokeshire, or explore Lizard Point in Cornwall.Together with stunning photography, each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information.

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‘The emotional pain of failing just felt like it was going to be a bit worse than the physical pain of carrying on … ’Attempting to break long-distance running records used to be an underground endeavour, until the virus-stricken summer of 2020 came along. Only a few, such as the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District, had ever broken into mainstream consciousness. But an absence of running races thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented rise in the popularity of attempts at breaking these records.In Broken, Ally Beaven takes an entertaining look at just why 2020 was so unusual for long-distance running. With his interest in Fastest Known Times (FKTs) piqued, Beaven immerses himself in the scene. His summer becomes one of spending hours in the hills feeding, cajoling and generally trying to keep safe the runners he is supporting, as well as following the dots of live trackers in the middle of the night and endlessly refreshing his Twitter feed as records tumble around the country.Through the stories of John Kelly’s epic Grand Round, Beth Pascall’s record-shattering Bob Graham Round, Donnie Campbell’s mind-bending new mark for bagging all 282 Munros, Jo Meek’s new overall record for the Nigel Jenkins Dartmoor Round and many others, Beaven brings us an inside look at the incredible FKT machine.Broken is the story of the summer of 2020, a historic time for running in the UK.

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Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.'As I sat cradling the man's head, with his blood and brains sticking to my hands, I heard a voice – my own voice. It was asking me something. Asking how I had ended up like this, desperate and lost among people who thought nothing of caving in a man's head and then standing back to watch him die.'Nick Bullock was a prison officer working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain's most notorious criminals. Trapped in a world of aggression and fear, he felt frustrated and alone. Then he discovered the mountains. Making up for lost time, Bullock soon became one of Britain's best climbers, learning his trade in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, and travelling from Pakistan to Peru in his search for new routes and a new way of seeing the world – and ultimately an escape route from his life inside. Told that no one ever leaves the service – the security, the stability, the 'job for life' – Bullock focused his existence on a single goal: to walk free, with no shackles, into a mountain life.Echoes is a powerful and compelling exploration of freedom, and what it means to live life on your own terms.

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'One of the greatest mountaineering survival stories never told.' – The Sunday Times Some mountains are high; some mountains are hard. Few are both. On the afternoon of 13 July 1977, having become the first climbers to reach the summit of the Ogre, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington began their long descent. In the minutes that followed, any feeling of success from their achievement would be overwhelmed by the start of a desperate fight for survival. And things would only get worse. Rising to over 7,000 metres in the centre of the Karakoram, the Ogre – Baintha Brakk – is notorious in mountaineering circles as one of the most difficult mountains to climb. First summited by Scott and Bonington in 1977 – on expedition with Paul ‘Tut’ Braithwaite, Nick Estcourt, Clive Rowland and Mo Anthoine – it waited almost twenty-four years for a second ascent, and a further eleven years for a third. The Ogre, by legendary mountaineer Doug Scott, is a two-part biography of this enigmatic peak: in the first part, Scott has painstakingly researched the geography and history of the mountain; part two is the long overdue and very personal account of his and Bonington’s first ascent and their dramatic week-long descent on which Scott suffered two broken legs and Bonington smashed ribs. Using newly discovered diaries, letters and audio tapes, it tells of the heroic and selfless roles played by Clive Rowland and Mo Anthoine. When the desperate climbers finally made it back to base camp, they were to find it abandoned – and themselves still a long way from safety. The Ogre is undoubtedly one of the greatest adventure stories of all time.

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Yorkshire Dales Mountain Biking features 26 rides between 10 and 43 kilometres in length in one of the UK’s most MTB-friendly national parks.The routes make the most of the Dales’ superb network of stone-based trails, rideable in all seasons. Classic loops take in the best of Swaledale, a tour of Ingleborough, big days around Whernside and Pen-y-ghent, quintessential Dales scenery near Malham and Kilnsey, and moorland riding above Pateley Bridge.A Bonus Section includes information about the Howgills, the easy-going Swale Trail and the Pennine Bridleway, as well as the riding at Gisburn Forest and Stainburn which lies just outside the national park. There are also top tens and a detailed appendix.Written by Dales local and experienced author Nick Cotton, each ride is described with easy-to-follow directions and is plotted on clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 mapping. Also included with each ride are details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings, plus refreshment stops and local knowledge.

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Day Walks on the Pembrokeshire Coast features 20 classic coastal routes between 6.5 miles and 13 miles (10.4km and 20.8km) in length, suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities. Local author and walker Harri Roberts shares his favourite walks in the national park, including a meander along Bosherston Lily Ponds – a series of interconnected lakes, rich in wildlife; the 650-million-year-old sea cliffs of St Brides, studded with the less-common, upland-loving sessile oak; and retracing the steps of Wales’s patron saint, from St Davids to St Justinian’s.The routes are in five areas: the South Pembrokeshire Coast, Daugleddau, the West Pembrokeshire Coast, the North Pembrokeshire Coast, and the Preseli Hills.Each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps; easy-to-follow directions; details and distance and navigation info, and refreshment stops and local information.

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Mountaineering in the Swiss Alps presents a selection of classic routes in the main Swiss climbing areas that have forged Switzerland's reputation as a mountaineering paradise. Featured are over thirty climbs, ranging from relatively easy normal routes to more challenging itineraries. All are within the capabilities of most mountaineers and provide an excellent introduction to the wide variety of climbing that Switzerland has to offer.Every route, whether it is a pure rock climb, a mixed ridge, a big north face or a long traverse, was chosen for the beauty of the surroundings and the quality of the climbing. Some are on world famous peaks that every mountaineer aspires to climb, such as the Matterhorn (Mont Cervin), the Breithorn and the Monch; others are on lesser-known summits and will delight those who like getting away from the beaten track. Written by mountaineer and author Stephane Maire, each route features technical notes, a route description and topo, and photos illustrating the climb's unique character.

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Mountaineering in the Mont Blanc Range showcases the most beautiful lower grade snow, ice and mixed climbs (F to AD+) in the seemingly inexhaustible Mont Blanc Range. The routes described in this book should be within the capabilities of almost all mountaineers.Reflecting all recent changed topographical conditions due to the steady glacial retreat created by climate change, authors Jean-Louis Laroche and Florence Lelong have selected 36 climbs from across the range, which are easily accessible from well appointed mountain huts, useful telepheriques and mountain railways.The routes described are an ideal introduction to the climbing in this magnificent area. They are on snow or mixed ground and, distributed among the main glacier basins, they will enable you to visit a representative selection of summits along the full length of the range. Among them are some of the finest classics, including: the North Face of the Tete Blanche; the Whymper Route on the Aiguille d'Argentiere; the Cosmiques Ridge of the Aiguille du Midi; the Normal Route, Contamine-Grisolle, and Chere Couloir on the Mont Blanc du Tacul; and of course a choice of routes on Mont Blanc itself.Each route features a detailed and comprehensive route description, a sketch map and a route summary detailing the start point, difficulty, timings, height gain, best time of year and the gear required. Beautifully illustrated with photos that show both the lie of the land and also the haunting beauty of the fabulous peaks of the Mont Blanc Range, this guide clearly indicates alpinism's continued popularity to climbers of all ages.

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Sussex Walks is a collection of 20 circular walks, between 3.5 and 12 miles (5 and 19km) in length that explore the length and breadth of the county of Sussex.Wander through the county's varied and interesting landscapes; across open downland, through broadleaf forest and along evolving coastline. The routes are split into two areas – the South Downs and the Weald – and include walks in Ashdown Forest, around Cissbury Ring, over Ditchling Beacon, to Pooh Bridge and along the coast near West Wittering.Each route contains snippets of information on the local area. Learn about the wildlife, the history and the people of the countryside you're walking through. Every walk also includes 'creative starting points' – ideas to encourage you to reflect and respond to the landscape.Researched and written by local author and photographer Deirdre Huston, the walks feature clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, and information on local history, wildlife, refreshments and terrain.

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Day Walks in the Peak District – 20 classic circular routes features 20 circular walks, between 8.25 and 12 miles (13 and 19.5 kilometres) in length, suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities.The routes are split into three areas – The High Moors, Hills Tors and Edges and Limestone Country – and feature walks around some of the most wild and beautiful places in the Peak District National Park, including; Alport Castles, Back Tor and Derwent Edge, the Monsal Trail through Chee Dale, the Kinder Edges, Chatsworth, Stanage Moor, The Roaches, Lathkill Dale, Chrome Hill, Cressbrook Dale, Wolfscote Dale and Dove Dale.Researched and written by local hillwalkers, Norman Taylor and Barry Pope, each route features clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, navigation information, refreshment stops and local knowledge. The book is illustrated with stunning location photography, and also features a detailed Appendix.

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Grand Prize Winner, Banff Mountain Book Festival 2009. When Jerry Moffatt burst onto the scene as a brash 17-year-old, rock climbing had never seen anyone like him before. Fiercely ambitious, even as a boy Moffatt was focussed on one thing: being the best in the world. This is the story of his meteoric rise to stardom, and how he overcame injury to stay at the top for over two decades. Top sport-climber, brilliant competitor and a pioneer in the new game of bouldering, Moffatt's story is that of climbing itself in the last thirty years. Yet Jerry Moffatt is more than a dedicated athlete. Travelling the world to fulfil his dreams, Revelations is a compelling and often hilarious account of the climbing community with all its glories, dangers and foibles, as well as the story of a true sporting legend.

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Cycling in Sussex is the third title in Vertebrate Publishing's Off Road Trails and Quiet Lanes series of family and leisure cycling guidebooks. 20 rides, between 4km and 28km, explore the quiet lanes and off-road trails of one of the most beautiful counties in the UK.Written by local family cyclists, Deirdre Huston and Marina Bullivant, the rides are clearly described using step-by-step instructions and feature original maps, route profiles and local area information. The book is illustrated with inspirational and inviting photography of the rides and the local area.Together with information about local railway trails and seafront trails, the authors have also put together a selection of rides specifically designed for families based on their own personal experiences with their children.

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When it comes to training for climbing, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there. In The Science of Climbing Training, top Spanish climbing coach Sergio Consuegra has analysed our sporting needs from the perspective of exercise and sports science to provide an evidence-based approach to training for climbing. It is designed to help us improve climbing performance, whether we’re taking the next step in our training as we work towards a project, or if we’re a coach looking to optimise our athletes’ training. It doesn’t contain any 'magic' training methods, because there are none – although you might be shocked by the science behind some popular methods.The first part explains what training is and how different training methods are governed by the physiological and biomechanical processes that occur in the body. The second part looks at how to improve specific needs (such as finger strength and forearm muscle endurance) and general needs (such as basic physical conditioning, pulling strength, pushing strength, strength training for injury prevention) for the different demands and types of climbing and bouldering. The third and final part suggests the best ways to fit it all together. It looks at adjusting training volume and intensity, and tapering to encourage supercompensation, all to help us achieve improved performance, whether it’s a breaking into a higher grade, ticking that long-standing project or climbing a dream route.

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‘The cold water has given me the key to unlock myself within a place I didn’t know existed: the community of cold-water swimmers right around the world. What binds us all together is the cold and how it makes us feel: brave enough to tackle even the toughest of life’s issues.’Having been a keen runner and cyclist all her life, in 2017 Sara Barnes was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis and found herself facing major surgery and a future of limited mobility. Rather than obsessing about what she could no longer do, she decided to focus on what she could do and took to the water of the tarns, river pools and lakes in her home county of Cumbria. A new appreciation of being in nature and love of cold-water swimming and immersion was born.In The Cold Fix, Sara takes the reader on an enthralling journey, from her first tentative steps into the water, to meeting other swimmers from around the world who share her passion and who can help her answer the question: what is it about cold water that proves irresistible to an increasing number of people?

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Britain’s Best Bike Ride by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds is a beautifully illustrated and inspirational guide to the ultimate thousand-mile cycling adventure from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. There are many ways to cycle between Land’s End and John o’ Groats, but the route specially created for this book, LEJOG1000, is designed to show you the quiet roads, picturesque villages and dramatic landscapes that make the experience memorable. Instead of taking the most direct route, it invites you to explore the best of each region you pass through. You’ll discover stunning beaches and wild ponies on your way along the quiet wild-flower-edged lanes of Cornwall and Devon, follow the meandering River Wye in Wales, wind your way through a post-industrial landscape of canals and mill chimneys in the North West, before moving on to the epic climbs and grand vistas of Scotland. Carefully crafted to allow you the freedom to create your own ultimate adventure, the route is split into 30 adaptable stages, each finishing in a town or village with suggested places to eat, drink and stay. Create your own bespoke itinerary, or use one of three itinerary options provided: the 2-week classic, 3-week explorer or 10-day challenge. Along with stunning photography and lively insightful writing you will find all the practical information you need to plan your LEJOG1000 – route directions, bespoke mapping, cafes, pubs and local bike shops. Downloadable GPX files of the route are also available. Britain’s Best Bike Ride will inspire you to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge – you’ll be pedalling into John o’ Groats having experienced the very best of Britain on a bike before you know it!

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What if running in beautiful places was paradoxically contributing to the destruction of those precious environments and causing irreversible global harm to people and animals too?In We Can’t Run Away From This, ultrarunner Damian Hall examines the impact of running in our climate and ecological emergency. Packed with insights from experts, it is an enlightening read which will prompt us all to really think about our kit, food and travel, and to identify simple changes we can make to our running and wider lives. But Damian also asks if concentrating on our individual footprints (pun unintended) is really the answer.We can’t run away from this any more, and this book will give every runner ideas about how to live and exercise more sustainably.

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Day Walks in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs features 20 day-length routes suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities. Researched and written by experienced local walker Gerald McGarry, the walks explore the highlights of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park including the mountains of An Caisteal, Ben Lomond and Ben Ledi.Together with stunning photography, each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information.

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Mountaintops have long been seen as sacred places, home to gods and dreams. In one climbing year Peter Boardman visited three very different sacred mountains.He began in the New Year, on the South Face of the Carstensz Pyramid in New Guinea. This shark’s fin of steep limestone walls and sweeping glaciers is the highest point between the Andes and the Himalaya, and one of the most inaccessible, rising above thick jungle inhabited by warring Stone Age tribes.During the spring Boardman was on more familiar, if hardly more reassuring, ground, making a four-man, oxygen-free attempt on the world’s third highest peak, Kangchenjunga. Hurricane-force winds beat back their first two bids on the unclimbed North Ridge, but they eventually stood within feet of the summit – leaving the final few yards untrodden in deference to the inhabiting deity.In October, he was back in the Himalaya and climbing the mountain most sacred to the Sherpas: the twin-summited Gauri Sankar. Renowned for its technical difficulty and spectacular profile, it is aptly dubbed the Eiger of the Himalaya and Boardman’s first ascent of the South Summit took a committing and gruelling twenty-three days.Three sacred mountains, three very different expeditions, all superbly captured by Boardman in Sacred Summits, his second book, first published shortly after his death in 1982. Combining the excitement of extreme climbing with acute observation of life in the mountains, this is an amusing, dramatic, poignant and thought-provoking book, amply fulfilling the promise of Boardman’s first title, The Shining Mountain, for which he won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1979.

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Gravel Rides Scotland by Ed Shoote contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.Gravel riding is the fastest-growing cycling discipline – this book showcases the finest routes in Scotland, its natural home. The routes are clustered within seven outstanding gravel destinations – the Scottish Borders; Dumfries and Galloway; Argyll and Bute; Highland Perthshire and the Trossachs; the Cairngorms (split into Deeside and Aviemore); and North West Scotland. Each section makes the perfect base for a short break, or combine some of the routes together on a bikepacking trip. Classic gravel routes such as ‘Gravelfoyle’ and the Big Country Loop in Galloway are listed alongside hidden gems including Loch Eck and the Lammermuir herring roads.Each route includes all the information you need to help you plan your ride, interesting background information about the local area, types of terrain covered and refreshment recommendations in addition to detailed directions, stunning photography and overview mapping. Downloadable GPX files of the routes are also available.This book is full of practical tips and advice on all aspects of gravel riding, including the bike itself, essential kit to carry when out on a ride, as well as a brief history of gravel riding in Scotland.Enjoy Gravel Rides Scotland and the adventures it will open up. Ride faster, ride further and ride gravel.

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‘It’s a preposterous plan. Still, if you do get up it, it’ll be the hardest thing that’s been done in the Himalayas.’So spoke Chris Bonington when Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker presented him with their plan to tackle the unclimbed West Wall of Changabang – the Shining Mountain – in 1976. Bonington’s was one of the more positive responses; most felt the climb impossibly hard, especially for a two-man, lightweight expedition. This was, after all, perhaps the most fearsome and technically challenging granite wall in the Garhwal Himalaya and an ascent – particularly one in a lightweight style – would be more significant than anything done on Everest at the time.The idea had been Joe Tasker’s. He had photographed the sheer, shining, white granite sweep of Changabang’s West Wall on a previous expedition and asked Pete to return with him the following year. Tasker contributes a second voice throughout Boardman’s story, which starts with acclimatisation, sleeping in a Salford frozen food store, and progresses through three nights of hell, marooned in hammocks during a storm, to moments of exultation at the variety and intricacy of the superb, if punishingly difficult, climbing. It is a story of how climbing a mountain can become an all-consuming goal, of the tensions inevitable in forty days of isolation on a two-man expedition; as well as a record of the moment of joy upon reaching the summit ridge against all odds.First published in 1978, The Shining Mountain is Peter Boardman’s first book. It is a very personal and honest story that is also amusing, lucidly descriptive, very exciting, and never anything but immensely readable. It was awarded the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for literature in 1979, winning wide acclaim. His second book, Sacred Summits, was published shortly after his death in 1982.

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Bleau Blocs: 100 of the finest boulder problems in the Fontainebleau forest is a visual celebration of this unique and vast bouldering venue.Stéphan Denys is the eye of the Fontainebleau forest. Having spent nearly forty years as a photographer and climber roaming every inch of the rocky landscape, he has developed a special bond with these sandstone giants and their unique shapes: sometimes round and bumpy, sometimes sharp and angular, but always fascinating.His photos span a range of eras and are accompanied by texts that expand on the context and characteristics of each boulder problem. Included is a preface by Olivier Lebreton.The 100 striking problems chosen are listed by sector: the National Forest, the Trois Pignons, Larchant and Nemours, followed by Buthiers and l’Essonne. Through this selection, the author shares his vision of bouldering in Fontainebleau and invites us to consider the boulders more deeply from all their angles.An inspiring book for all climbers, whatever their level!

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Smart Running by Jen and Sim Benson is a comprehensive guide to running. Covering physiology, psychology, training theory and nutrition before clearly explaining how to build yourself a bespoke and customisable training plan - this book will help you to become a fitter, faster and stronger runner.

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Pennine Bridleway is a guidebook to this National Trail taking you on a multi-day off-road cycling adventure from Derbyshire through the Yorkshire Dales to Cumbria, following the Pennine Hills.This big ride is split into four sections; each section includes detailed directions as well as information on points of interest along the route, bringing the history and landscape of the trail into context. There are also three loops, including the Mary Towneley Loop, which can be tackled separately or as part of the main trail. The guidebook is illustrated throughout with stunning action photography by professional photographer Joolze Dymond.Researched, ridden and written by mountain biking expert and freelance writer Hannah Collingridge, this guidebook features clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance, ascent and difficulty gradings, bikepacking hints and tips and local knowledge. There is also a comprehensive Introduction and a detailed Appendix, and a link to downloadable GPX files.

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‘We live in a world populated by dog lovers, where many of us regard them as members of the family. We are fascinated by them: either anthropomorphising our pets or obsessing about the ways they differ from us. And mountains – theatres of risk, drama and heroism – provide the perfect stage for us to enact our canine fascination in all its pathos and poetry. In short, the hills bring into focus just how much we love being with dogs.’Dogs specialise in getting on with humans, and tales of faithful hounds in hostile environments form part of our cultural history. Award-winning writer Helen Mort sets out to understand the singular relationship between dogs, mountains and the people who love them. Along the way, she meets search and rescue dogs, interviews climbers and spends time on the hills with hounds. The book is also a personal memoir, telling the author’s own story of falling in love with a whippet called Bell during a transformative year in the Lake District.Never Leave the Dog Behind is a compelling account of mountain adventures and misadventures, and captures the unbridled joy of heading to the hills with a four-legged friend.

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Edmund Hillary – A Biography is the story of the New Zealand beekeeper who climbed Mount Everest. A man who against expedition orders drove his tractor to the South Pole; a man honoured around the world for his pioneering climbs yet who collapsed on more than one occasion on a mountain, and a man who gave so much to Nepal yet lost his family to its mountains. The author, Michael Gill, was a close friend of Hillary’s for nearly 50 years, accompanying him on many expeditions and becoming heavily involved in Hillary’s aid work building schools and hospitals in the Himalaya. During the writing of this book, Gill was granted access to a large archive of private papers and photos that were deposited in the Auckland museum after Hillary’s death in 2008. Building on this unpublished material, as well as his extensive personal experience, Michael Gill profiles a man whose life was shaped by both triumph and tragedy. Gill describes the uncertainties of the first 33 years of Hillary’s life, during which time he served in the New Zealand air force during the Second World War, as well as the background to the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, when Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit – a feat that brought the pair instant worldwide fame. He reveals the loving relationship Hillary had with his wife Louise, in part through their touching letters to each other. Her importance to him during their 22 years of marriage only underlines the horror of her death, along with that of their youngest daughter, Belinda, in a plane crash in 1975. Hillary eventually pulled out of his subsequent depression to continue his life’s work in the Himalaya. Affectionate, but scrupulously fair, in Edmund Hillary – A Biography Michael Gill has gone further than anyone before to reveal the humanity of this remarkable man.

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Day Walks in the Peak District: 20 new circular routes features 20 circular walks, between 8 and 13 miles (14km and 21km) in length, suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities. The routes are split into three geographical areas – The High Moors, including the Kinder plateau and Bleaklow; Hills, Tors and Edges, including walks around the Eastern Edges such as Stanage and Burbage; and Limestone Country, with walks in the beautiful limestone dales and valleys of the Peak. Written by Peak District hillwalkers Norman Taylor and Barry Pope, each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information.

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Big Trails: Heart of Europe is an indispensable guide to the most spectacular and popular long-distance trails in the Western European countries of France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.The twenty-five featured routes cover the best that European trails have to offer, sweeping from the GR21 along the Normandy Coast to the GR1 Tour de Paris and King Ludwig’s Way in Germany. Culminating in trails such as the Tour du Mont Blanc and Chamonix–Zermatt Haute Route, the jewels of the Alps, this delves deep into Western Europe’s most iconic routes.The book will inspire big adventures. Rather than being carried along the route, this guide provides everything you need to plan and explore further, including a general overview of the trails, specific technical information, overview mapping, key information and stunning photography. As well as this, each route specifies approximate timings devised using the Jones–Ross formula, which allows for custom itineraries to be generated depending upon the speed of the user. Whether you’re walking, trekking, fastpacking or running, let Big Trails: Heart of Europe be your guide.

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‘When it comes to training for climbing, you are your own experiment.’Beastmaking by Ned Feehally is a book about training for climbing. It is designed to provide normal people – like you and me – with the tools we need to get the most out of our climbing. It is written by one of the world’s top climbers and a co-founder of Beastmaker. It features sections on finger strength, fingerboarding, board training, mobility and core, and includes suggested exercises and workouts. There are insights from some of the world’s top climbers, including Alex Honnold, Shauna Coxsey, Adam Ondra, Alex Puccio and Tomoa Narasaki.Free from jargon, it is intended to provide enough information for us to work out what we need to train, and to help us to train it.

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Day Walks in the Cotswolds features 20 circular routes, between 7.1 and 12.6 miles (11.5km and 20.2km), suitable for hillwalkers of all abilities. Split across three areas – North-East Cotswolds, North-West Cotswolds and South Cotswolds – local author Judy Mills shares her favourite walks in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.These walks take in a variety of local landmarks, including the World War II airfield and Roman villa at Chedworth; Neolithic long barrows such as Hetty Pegler’s Tump; grand country estates like Badminton; magnificent Cotswold manor houses and historic churches; high points at Bredon Hill and North Nibley; and the many charming rural villages, such as the Duntisbournes and the Slaughters, for which the Cotswolds are famous.Each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information. The walks are illustrated with stunning photography by outdoor photographer Adam Long.

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