February has seen the publication of my second ‘article’, a piece I wrote whilst road tripping around Europe. I was honoured to see it printed in Climb magazine in this month’s issue. I hope you bought a copy and enjoyed reading it!
My first article came a few months earlier. After encouragement from Dan Lane, I wrote about a route I had climbed in Pembroke: Pleasure Dome (E3 5c) is a classic and easily worth three stars. My short piece was published in Climber magazine back in September. Although I took great pride in getting my first ever article printed, I unfortunately don’t have a copy! Look at Dan’s stunning photography here.
To whet your appetite, here’s the first paragraph of the Van Life piece that was published in Climb this February. Get a copy to read more!
‘‘The crisp morning air fills the opening of my sleeping bag, near my neck, and I pull it tighter, burying myself deeper inside. A blurry eye opens just a fraction. I can see the soft golden light outside the back windows, casting warm rays on the undulating Spanish hillside, olive trees twisting into the distance.’’
Looking forward, I hope to have an article published in Trek & Mountain magazine this April about climbing the Cassin Ridge on Denali. Although Tom Ripley and I went to Alaska in 2012, a friend recently recommended that I wrote about our experiences. I sat down and relived the adventure, hopefully producing something that you’ll all enjoy.
I also hope to have another piece published this summer about climbing Right Wall, the classic E5 on Dinas Cromlech.
Thanks to Dan for his initial encouragement and to Tony Stone for his editing and feedback. I have discovered that I greatly enjoy writing: it’s a calm, relaxing activity which prompts reflection and thoughtfulness.