The Great Outdoors March 2021

OVER THE LAST YEAR, it’s become commonplace to talk about the scale-shifting effects of 2020: how lockdowns and restrictions, despite their hardships, have made us all more well-acquainted with our immediate localities, and given us a newfound appreciation of what we may have close to hand (which, of course, is a lot more for some than it is for others). After the first lockdown, with bluebells flaming in the woods and all the intricacy of spring unfolding, it was easy to describe finding “hidden gems” and gaining a “new perspective”. Two further lockdowns (plus about 1,537 ‘tiers’) and the best part of a year later, with the ‘end’ still feeling distant and elusive, and the mountain of wider grief growing bigger by the day, that kind of glass-half-full attitude comes less…

Colin Prior An acclaimed landscape photographer with almost 40 years’ experience, Colin has always felt a deep connection to the natural world; and his work has taken him around the globe, from the mountains of his native Scotland to Argentina, Sri Lanka and the Australian bush. On page 58 Colin tells the story of his expeditions to Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains and reveals how the challenges of such remote travel are rewarded with times of complete bliss – sublime moments conveyed in Colin’s spectacular photographs. Alex Roddie Regular TGO contributor Alex has been unable to get to the mountains much over the last year due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, apart from a brief holiday in September to Highland Perthshire with his wife. At home in Lincolnshire he has been exploring the Wolds, and…

jamesroddie.com “Despite living quite close to the hills of Assynt, I had rarely seen this spectacular landscape under snow. So when winter arrived abruptly in early December, I decided to spend the day on Suilven. “As I drove the icy road through Elphin, I turned a corner to be greeted by this incredible scene. I pulled the car over and with a mad dash I managed to get my camera on the tripod just as the first light started to turn the hill pink. “It was a good omen, as I had an excellent day climbing Suilven as my first winter hill of the season.”…

Size: 50x70cm Medium: oil on canvas AS WE MUDDLE THROUGH the gloomy days of late winter, it’s easy to start feeling restless for the brightness of spring. But Eilidh Stewart demonstrates that even in the darkest of storms and scenes, there’s a certain kind of illumination to be found. “The changing light and colours of the sea draw me to coastal locations often,” she notes. “The sea is a powerful force for those who enjoy a walk by it, the smells and sounds can have meditative powers, they make us feel alive and refreshed.” Eilidh, currently living and working in North Uist, is drawn to the untamed nature of Scotland’s seas. “I love the vast expanses of sea and sky, and how the sea rips its way in and out of the shoreline.…

AS WE ALL KNOW, the UK has once again been plunged into lockdown. The timing, terminology and details of each UK nation’s lockdown varies, but the message across all of them at the time of writing is very similar: a ‘stay at home’ directive has been issued, and venturing outside has been banned except for essential purposes such as work, education, healthcare and exercise. For most people, particularly city dwellers, this firmly put the high mountains out of bounds – no confusion there. But in England, a lack of clarity on the issue of ‘local’ exercise sparked intense debate. Could you drive to go for a walk in the countryside? And, if so, how far was it acceptable to drive? HEAVY-HANDED ACTIONS In a pattern that has become familiar over the last year…

AS MORE RESEARCH is done into how the virus spreads, what does the latest science say about the danger of passing on the virus in the outdoors? Throughout the pandemic, media attention and public debate has often focused on outdoor settings – local parks and green spaces, national parks, beaches, popular mountains – and people’s behaviour in relation to them. Apparent overcrowding and ‘rule breaking’ in outdoor contexts has often drawn significant media attention, such as the story of the fined Derbyshire walkers Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore (left). Given all this attention, you might be forgiven for thinking that outdoor exercise is a big risk when it comes to virus transmission. But what does the science say? The picture is complex, but in general ongoing research continues to shore up the messages…