• ? Podcast: I had a conversation at the weekend which reminded me how important it is to keep plugging away at making the outdoors more fair, sustainable, welcoming and diverse. These were the topics I focussed on in Series 2 of my podcast.
  On that note, Andrew Skurka (lightweight backpacker extraordinaire) has curated a series of articles to encourage more women to try wilderness backpacking.
• ? Podcast 2: I have loved the podcast from Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts. Fascinating but also really, really important topics. Start with Series 1 and pick a subject that appeals to you. (Caution: extremely sweary).
• ? Book: I’m giving away my book about walking across India, There Are Other Rivers, for free on eReaders and Kindle.
• ? Advice: How to build a great life (17 things I’ve learned).
• ? Event: The adventurous folk at Sidetracked are going on tour around the UK (to pleasingly pub-focussed venues).
• ?‍❄️ Photography: Epic polar journeys.
• ? Adventure: The Trans Euro Trail is a 51,000km network of dirt roads across Europe. Designed for motorbikes, but it will make cyclists, hikers and makers of trails / websites drool. What an adventure resource!
• ? Maps: Click to drop a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous United States and watch where it ends up. Mesmerising.
• ? Art: I really love these wood engravings.
• ? Film: A short documentary centred around Will Steger, the legendary polar explorer, as he inspires a community by preserving the forgotten craft of ice harvesting. (House envy too!)

(If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here.)

Cheers,

Alastair

OK, Al, Repeat after me…
“Keep this newsletter short. Don’t go off on a ramble. Keep this newsletter short. Don’t go off on a ramble. Keep this newsletter short. Don’t go off on a ramble….”
Right, I’mm ready! (Much readier, in fact, than I was this morning before jumping into an ice-covered lake by the M6. I hope that this newsletter brings you as much exhilaration and joy…)

• ARTICLE: South Pole expeditions are always a good place to find boldness, bravery and ego with a stunning backdrop. This season is no exception, with the contrasting stories of Colin, Lou and Borge making for great reading for anyone interested in this niche world. A juicy cocktail of narcissism, stoicism and proper adventurer epicness. (As a bonus, it’s written by David Roberts, whose writing I frequently champion (and who recently sadly passed away).)
• BOOK: A celebration of self-delusion, You Are Not So Smart is an eye-opening book about the way we make decisions. You can dip into the concept through the book, blog or podcasts.
• VIDEO: I love Vimeo’s ‘Staff Picks’ (and have a not-secret ambition to earn one eventually. I sort-of-did here, but that was essentially down to my friend’s genius not me!) and so I enjoyed their annual collection of the Best Travel Films and the Best Action Sports Films.
• ADVENTURE: ‘Their Only Portrait’ is a story about giving a little bit of goodness and kindness and purpose to a fun bikepacking adventure in South America. Really nice idea.
• DO SOMETHING: a calendar of tiny, simple, but rewarding ways to help you overcome a busy diary, get out into nature, and pay a little more attention.
• TINY GOOD DEED: Switch to Ecosia, a search engine that uses 80% of its profits to plant trees.