Deglaciation in the Alps. We live in a time of great change regarding world climate. The retreat of the world’s ice caps and glaciers continues, exposing new surfaces once covered beneath vast frozen rivers of ice. With the unearthing of these rocky surfaces, comprising of glacially scoured bedrock, boulders and gravels, comes an opportunity for […]
This article looks at the dynamic alpine environment and explores the range of broad alpine habitats and ecosystems created in a rapidly changing and unstable environment. As you look towards the high alpine summits, beyond the dark green coniferous forests, you’ll see a mosaic of grassland, rock, scree and late winter snow patches as summer […]
An alpine flowers walk in late June through the Lauterbrunnen valley offers a spectacular journey through a deeply incised glaciated valley with towering ice-capped summits above. With richly carpeted alpine meadows in between, awash with fresh snowmelt and awakening flowers, the scene was set for an overwhelming hut-to-hut excursion. I chose to go to the […]
Back in April 2015 I planned a mountaineering trip up to Scotland with my friend Tim Harrop to climb the Cuillin ridge. Our intention was to head over to the Isle of Skye and attempt a traverse of the Black Cuillin mountains. The weather usually plays a huge part in planning any such trip and […]
Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps. This one-day course will give you confidence to identify Swiss alpine flowers. It will demystify the jargon behind flower identification books and help you become a more informed leader and also to prepare you for an IML assessment if you’re not yet qualified. The course will also look at […]
In the spring of 2014 I had the pleasure of taking Tristan Gooley on a walk looking for outdoor clues and signs. We walked around Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve in Snowdonia National Park. The walk features as a chapter in his book on Natural Navigation. The walk involved looking at wild flowers and geology […]
Brandy seems to have been the preferred medium for tincturing hawthorn. The method of production is similar to any other tinctures. If you would like to produce a medicinal quality tincture go to Michael Moore’s website where there is a list of alcohol quantities and strengths for each kind of herb. How to make Hawthorn […]
Hawthorn Berry Benefits Used to promote the health of the circulatory system, treat angina, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia and has been found to strengthen the heart. Hawthorn is widely regarded in Europe as a safe and effective treatment for the early stages of heart disease and has been used for […]
Hawthorn is a traditional and ancient British tree. It’s flowers bloom in May and are wrapped in folk lore with fairies and even sexual fertility! Hawthorn has the ability to reduce cholesterol, hypertension and it contains compounds which increase blood flow and alleviate angina. It is a great heart tonic. How to make Hawthorn fruit […]
An exotic tasting aperitif for Christmas time. Drink it neat or on ice! Beech leaves as well as beech nuts are edible and make a great addition to salads. Young, tender leaves are tastier so collect when young if possible. Beech leaves were once used to treat rheumatism! Now it’s time to make your exotic […]
