Go Mountain Goats

In this episode I speak to Roger Wild - my father - about (some of) the history of ski touring in Scotland before moving on to describe our 2010 'Scottish Haute Route'. This 7 day journey from Ben Nevis to Gairnshiel near Ballater was around 155km in length with 10,000m of ascent. We pre-placed food caches, stayed in bothies, and skied on Nordic free-heel skis carrying our overnight gear with us....

In January 1987 pioneering long distance fell runner Martin Stone completed his goal of a solo, unsupported midwinter Bob Graham Round in classic full winter conditions (in 23h41). This had taken 4 attempts over 6 years and was not repeated in similar style until just recently in December 2020 by Shane Ohly. The journey was such an indelible personal experience that Martin recorded his thoughts on...

I talk to Robbie Simpson about his progression from junior hill runner through some European highlights such as Sierre-Zinal and Jungfrau Marathon, to road marathon and his 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medal. We talk about having season goals and specific training, as well as his entry onto the ultra racing scene in recent years. Bringing it back to the Scottish mountains, we touch on the Lairig...

Georgia Tindley kindly made time while passing Fort William to stop for a chat about the brilliant Glencoe Skyline race which she won in 2019. We also talk about the World Skyrunning circuit which she blasted onto in 2019 with some top performances. Georgia is an English teacher who has moved progressively further north in Scotland to access the mountains since she left her childhood home in Londo...

Last winter Will Rowland pulled off an incredible traverse of the Black and Red Cuillin in a two day journey starting and finishing at Sligachan. Based on a summer linkup his father Clive Rowland pioneered almost 40yrs ago, we believe this is the first winter completion. It was a pleasure to chat to Will about his experience, as well as talking generally about the Cuillin and the history of the va...

On 31st August I ran Charlie Ramsay's Round in 14hrs 42mins to break Es Tresidder's 2019 record.  This run was the culmination of my 2020 season and has been a goal for many years. I ran solo and unsupported and enjoyed a tough but incredibly memorable mountain experience. Es interviews me about the process of breaking the record - from my buildup through shorter distance records earlier this year...

In this 'On the Road' episode we are on Arran and I talk to Kirstie Smith about island life and her fantastic local hills. We chat about running and scrambling routes, mountain rescue, bivvies and even astrophotography. Kirstie Smith is @kirstiesarran on Instagram and Twitter and her photography is @afocusforadventure on Instagram. Her photography website is www.afocusforadventure.co.uk (you can e...

I talk to Sarah MacDonald of Lochaber Athletic Club and Glencoe about her recent FKT on the Mamores Round. She ran the 35km (+/-) loop in just under 8hrs - a strong run, especially considering the overall record stood at over 7hrs until 2017. We talk about the freedom of long solo hill runs, overcoming the barriers to 'just doing it', and generally enjoy an appreciation of the high ridges. SHR Lon...

Ali Rose and Mark Chambers chat to me about their epic day out linking up all 6 classic rock climbs in the Cairngorms from the book 'Classic Rock'. This stacks up as a 62km day out with (normally) 28 pitches of climbing taking them from Lochnagar through some spectacular terrain to their finish at Cairngorm ski car park 17hrs and 28mins later. Ali's write-up: www.mountainstotheseaphotography.com/c...

I talk to Keri Wallace of Girls on Hills Trail Running about the Glencoe scene in general and her new climbing linkup with husband Ben of the 'Six Ridges of the Buachaille'.  We also chat about her journey from PHD to climbing instructor to running guide and some of her most memorable mountain days.  Find more details at: www.girlsonhills.com , www.facebook.com/GirlsOnHills/ or www.instagram.com/g...

In March 2020 - just before the COVID-19 UK lockdown - Es Tresidder and I took advantage of good weather and snow conditions to attempt a ski mountaineering challenge which we've long dreamt of, namely the Ramsay Round. This 92km running route has never been done on skis, and the current winter record (running) sits at 22hrs 23mins (Jim Mann, 2017).   I interview Es about our experience - logistic...