Having spent most of my time over the last 40 years wandering round the hills, either guiding groups, with friends or on my own, I finally got round to writing about it and collecting various pieces I'd written previously into one place. And this is it 🙂

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THE BEST SCRAMBLING DAY OUT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF?

Who am I?

My parents were keen hillwalkers so I was introduced to the hills early, in the Peak, the Lakes and the Angus Glens, but it was the sight of morning mists clearing off Liathach in Torridon that really blew me away (aged 12). From that moment I was hooked. I spent large parts of my spare time exploring the hills, particularly in Scotland, getting the rock climbing bug once I was living close to gritstone and starting Alpine mountaineering around the same time. Soon after that I abandoned academia to become a full time walking guide, eventually ending up working in the North-West Highlands. There are always going to be new places to explore, even amongst your regular haunts, and 'just having a look round the corner' is something I've always been keen on.

Featured Posts

COOK AND TASMAN

iainthow

Mar 186 min read

CREAKY IN KANDERSTEG

Despite being medically-inhibited crocks Ben Lowe and I managed to make a competent ascent of the 3436m Gspaltenhorn in the Bernese Oberland

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iainthow

Feb 199 min read

MATTERHORN MANOUVERINGS

Few peaks are more famous than the Matterhorn, but that fame brings problems so nearby peaks are often more fun at the time

12 views0 comments

iainthow

Jan 297 min read

ALPINE AUTUMN

Autumn in the Alps can be stunningly beautiful, with glorious colours and snow-plastered peaks

11 views0 comments

iainthow

Nov 10, 20236 min read

THE BRILLIANCE OF BIVOUACS

It was still fully dark but a thin red glow started to fringe the south-eastern skyline, gradually rising, spreading and brightening......

19 views0 comments

iainthow

Oct 16, 20238 min read

RIP BEN LOWE

So what makes someone the ideal rope mate on a big mountain? Competence and good mountain judgement are musts, obviously, and preferably...

69 views3 comments

Scrambling in Scotland

I have always enjoyed scrambling, particularly the exploratory variety, since reading Harry Griffin's books at an impressionable age, so when I was asked whether I wanted to write a scrambling guide to the North-West the answer was obviously yes! Highland Scrambles North came out in 2006 (with a new edition in 2022), and Highland Scrambles South followed in 2017. The guidebooks have been a great excuse to keep looking round the next corner and have been enormous fun to do.

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