The Outdoors Station

In recent weeks the news and media have been filled with reports about protesters demanding action on climate change. There’s so much information and misinformation floating about, is it any wonder we all find ourselves confused and dazed. Often burying our head in the sand hoping that others will bring about changes which the world sorely needs. The activists, the protesters, the people who are i...

So I’m back on the Podcast case and kicking off with a quick visit to the Photography Show at the NEC where I was specifically looking once again for items, workshops or an accessories of interest to the outdoor user. The show had a different feel to previous years and it may be due to the expense of stand space there, or a reflection on the downturn of the market while we all wait for those peopl...

This podcast is a just a quick update and explanantion why I haven’t released anything in the last few weeks. We moved into a very small house a couple of years back near Malvern and after a disastrous start (its on the podcast) we have finally now started to reclaim some of the outside space and build a new storage unit and office in the garden. This is going well, but there is no way I can do ev...

Ellie and Carl are walking 4,000km along all the National Waymarked Trails of Ireland. There are 42 trails within Ireland, with a combined distance of around 4,000km. So far they've walked 35 trails, and over 3,000km. You’ll hear how they sacrificed their home comforts, sold everything to hit the road and walk every National Trail in the Republic of Ireland. It started off as a 6 months project. T...

Katie Tunn is an artist who follows her dreams. First to escape from bustle of London to remote peace of Skye, to reduce the consumerism in her life and absorb the rich island culture. And now this. A personal 40 day and 40 night challenge to live on a remote island, with no one but the wildlife to keep her company. To cleanse her soul of the daily bombardment of information. To seek inner peace a...

The day starts with the unique Dawn Chorus that only Tarfside can provide, before everyone gathers their thoughts and belongings before heading down to the Retreat cafe for a slap up breakfast. 7.40am and the Tarfside campsite is almost empty I can never understand the rush to get away. It’s a slow a steady walk to Edzell and then Northwater Bridge which is located only 13km from the coast. Howeve...

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Although we all had a good social night in Aviemore the lingering tiredness from the previous long days had taken their toll and so when Tony suggested we change our route from Ben Macdui to the lower Larig Ghru, none of us really protested. So after a large breakfast at the Cairngorm Hotel we slowly made our way along the cycle path towards the Rothiemurchus Forest and the start of the climb. Eve...

After a good night in St Augustus, a reasonable breakfast in Morags Lodge we were set for the long trek up Glen Doe. There is a new path now heading out of Fort Augustus which leads walkers off the dangerous hairpin road along the much software aspects at the edge of Loch Ness before crossing the road and zig-zagging its way to link up with the construction path. So far so good. It is a long haul...

It was no good, I just couldn’t take it anymore! Too much enforced hanging about the previous day and dozing while it rained in the morning had refreshed me, but bored me to death. There’s only so many books you can read on the Kindle after all. So I packed up in the rain which gradually petered out and set off over the col to head for River Doe and then along the established track to Ceannacroc L...

And so we are onto the second podcast from the TGO Challenge series which includes massive disappointment, naked podcasting and boredom. It was an early start for me, once my nose became aware of how cold it was my body naturally followed and well, once I was up seeing to watering the Roses, I was up!. So I brushed the ice off the tent, made a brew ate some porridge and got started hitting the roa...

This is the first podcast from a series of seven which covers the TGO Challenge 2018, where some 350 participants walk the 200 miles from West to East Coast of Scotland. It was to be the tenth crossing for both Andy and I and we decided to produce the last podcast series relating to the topic. After all there are only so many questions and conversation you can have walking the same direction for 1...

Once again our European correspondent Roman Ackl visited the show for us and gave us a complete round up of items he thought would be of interest. Roman is a keen lightweight backpacker and has visited the show with us and for us, for many years. Things are changing next year as the organisers of Outdoor who hire the venue are moving it to Munich which could open up all kinds of options. Although...

July 2018 and Rose has now completed the Pennine Way, during what turned out to be the hottest, driest period of weather the UK has experienced for many years. As you’ll hear on the podcast tackling it attached to Pip the Spaniel proved to be one of the many limitations, as the heat meant carrying water was priority and continual checking the dogs health when walking to blistering hot stone paths...

So on the Bank Holiday Monday we decided to crack on from Portree after a good days rest and hit the trail heading for The Storr via Ben Dearg. Although I had done some research on the route before we left, every piece I read spoke of talking the alternative coastal route which on reflection would have been (a) a walk with a view and (b) so much nicer and quicker underfoot. That stretch as you lea...

After another wet night we had a short window of opportunity to wipe the tent down as best we could before packing it away at Cladach a Ghlinne. The path then continued just a few kilometers to Camasunary, however once again there were a few places which troubled us with just a few inches of soil between the path and fresh air to the cliffs below. It took maximum concentration to ensure each step...

The beginning of May 2018 saw Rose and I start the tough but rewarding Skye Trail starting in the south at Broadford and heading to the most northerly point at Rubha Hunish. The reason we chose the start there was mainly due to transport limitations, as the bus from Glasgow gets into Broadford at 9pm after a long days travel (6hr bus journey) and to get the to northernly start, would have taken an...

Interview with Caroline Allen author of the new book The Ireland Way launched in 2017, which links together several trails the create the first long distance coast to coast walk on the island. The Ireland Way is a walking and cycling trail over 900km / 560 miles. It covers 14 counties from Cork to the Giant's Causeway. It takes roughly 40 days to walk. Along the twenty stages you will explore seve...

In this the last from the 4 part series recorded at The Photography Show 2018 I speak with the last two brands Canon and Olympus for their good, better, best suggestion for the ideal camera for outdoor enthusiasts. Andy continues his round and has a close up look at Jobi and the Gorilla Pods plus another specialist holiday company who will whisk you away to exotic destinations and help you capture...

A great podcast for you packed full on interesting information all related to outdoors and photography. We meet Nikon and FujiFilm who make their suggestions as to the good, better, best cameras for outdoor enthusiasts. From simple point and shoot tough cameras through to the top of the Nikon range. Interesting to hear the unique approach FujiFilm take towards each product in their XT range. They...

In this podcast we continue our search at the Photography Show at the NEC for the best camera of 2018 for outdoor enthusiasts and this time it is the turn of Panasonic to give us their suggestion for good, better, best. Their choices are the TZ-200 Compact, the FZ-330 Bridge and the top of the range G9 with some conversation on the tough little FT30, the latest version of the FT3 which I’ve had fo...

In this podcast Andy and I visit the 2018 Photography Show at the NEC with two objectives in mind. I had arranged to meet all the major brands to try and narrow from each of them 3 cameras (good, better, best) which would be ideal for the outdoors enthusiast. I’m not talking action cams, or heavy DSLR’s, but those in between which offer remote charging via USB, good weather resistance, and feature...

We continue our discussion with Keith and his book High and Low and during the discussion touch on many deeper aspect of the content and how he dealt with the realisation that depression was the cause of his emotional rollar coaster. We start of discussing his views on food preparation for walks such as the PCT or AT. We discuss if hikers over prepare? What about finances? Many listeners want to k...

With many outdoor long distance hiking books under his belt, this unique offering High and Low adds to the growing library of Keith Foskett. An interesting mix of people, places, mishaps and depression. In this first part of the 2 part interview we discuss aspects from the book and also Keith's approach to hiking life. Depression is like chest pain. You know its serious when the doctor wants to se...

Libby and Lisa completed their self-propelled, continuous round of all 282 Munros in the summer of 2017 in 77 days, setting a new fastest-known female time! Beauties and the bog are a team of fell running women based in Sheffield, UK, close to the Peak District National Park. Originally formed as a team for the High Peak Marathon, their adventures began when training for this 42-mile, overnight fe...