Sabrina Verjee lives in the Lake District, where she spends a lot of time running in the fells she loves. She has a background in adventure racing and modern pentathlon but is best known as an ultrarunner. She set a female record for the Pennine Way in 2020, was the overall winner of the 2019 Summer Spine Race, and has finished the ultra-endurance Dragon’s Back Race three times. Fuelled by a love of cake and supported by her husband Ben and a team of fell-running friends, Sabrina made four attempts on the 214-peak Wainwrights Round, and in June 2021 became the first person to complete it in less than six days. She runs her own independent, small-animal veterinary practice in Lancashire, which provides twenty-four-hour care to emergency patients. Where There’s a Hill is her first book.

00:00 Introduction to Sabrina Verjee

00:30 Discovering the Wainwrights

03:46 Planning the Wainwrights Round

05:43 Navigating and Team Coordination

07:13 The Joy of Running and Socialising

11:37 Learning Navigation Skills

18:18 Embracing Failure and Independence

24:27 Favorite Running Spots

26:32 Reflecting on the Wainwrights Round

27:23 Support System and Spontaneity

29:06 Helping Others and Community

30:08 Balancing Work and Play

32:22 Achieving the Wainwrights Record

33:28 Life in the Lake District

38:09 Writing 'Where There's a Hill'

45:23 Philosophical Musings and New Book

50:58 Future Running Goals

52:40 Closing Thoughts and Where to Follow

Links

Where There’s a Hill book by Sabrina Verjee

Peak Bagging Wainwrights book by Karen and Dan Parker

Follow Sabrina on Strava

Follow Sabrina on Instagram

References

Alfred Wainright

There is No Map in Hell book by Steve Birkinshaw

Joss Naylor

Alan Heaton

Ed Douglas

Fastest Known Time (FKT)

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online on 2nd October 2025. 

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabayhttps://pixabay.com/music/future-bass-no-copyright-music-394971/

Anna Paxton is a hillwalker and ultrarunner who has completed ultramarathons in the Alps and the USA as well as closer to home. She works as a freelance writer and film producer on a variety of outdoor-related projects. Born in Sheffield and now living just a short walk or run from the gritstone edges of Froggatt and Stanage, she is especially knowledgeable about the Peak District. Her first guidebook, Day Walks in East Anglia, was published in 2021; this was followed by Day Walks in Lincolnshire and Peak Bagging: Peak District in 2025.

00:00 Introduction to Anna Paxton and Peak Bagging

00:32 Exploring the Peak District: Must-Visit Spots

01:01 Personal Connection to the Peak District

01:58 Writing and Adventure: A Natural Blend

03:17 Journey into Writing and Outdoor Industry

09:31 Creating the Peak Bagging Guidebook

12:47 Comparing Landscapes: Dark Peak vs. White Peak

14:29 Adventures in the Howden Area

16:16 Anna’s other guidebooks

20:49 Appreciation for home in the Peak District

22:00 Challenges of Writing a Guidebook for Lincolnshire

23:52 Connecting with the Peak District Through Writing

26:57 The Joy of Peak Bagging

29:42 The Ethels 

31:49 Encouraging Responsible Outdoor Exploration

35:00 Practical Tips for Using the Guidebook

41:31 Where to Find More from Anna Paxton

Links

Peak Bagging: Peak District book by Anna Paxton

Day Walks in Lincolnshire book by Anna Paxton

Day Walks in East Anglia book by Anna Paxton

Ethel biography by Helen Mort

Anna’s newsletter: Outdoorista 

Follow Anna on Instagram

Vertebate Publishing website 

References

Helen Mort

Ruth Allen

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded outside at Cressbrook Dale (Route 22 from Anna’s book) on 28th September 2025. 

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/music/future-bass-no-copyright-music-394971/

From discussing the intricacies of writing guidebooks to recounting her own adventures and mishaps on the trails, the episode provides a blend of practical advice, fascinating trivia, and heartfelt experiences. 

Perfect for aspiring walkers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the geography of the Yorkshire Dales.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

00:40 Celebrating Book Milestones

01:17 Get to know Hannah and Personal Introduction

07:02 Writing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Guidebook

10:14 Geology and Iconic Peaks

18:08 Personality in Guidebooks

22:48 Encouraging New Mountain Walkers

24:29 Balancing Safety and Enjoyment on the Three Peaks

26:09 Discovering the Hoffman Kiln

29:24 Reflections on Aging and Walking

31:33 Writing the Book: Process and Challenges

39:41 Choosing the Best Routes

42:50 Future Adventures and Close

Links

Mountain Walks Yorkshire Three Peaks book by Hannah Collingridge 

Pennine Bridleway book by Hannah Collingridge

The Dirt Directory book by Hannah Collingridge

Follow Hannah on Instagram

Vertebate Publishing website 

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online 1st May 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
https://pixabay.com/users/soundgallerybydmitrytaras-11640913/

He discusses the selection of iconic peaks like Snowdon, Ben Nevis, and Helvellyn, and the unique features of these guidebooks, such as alternative routes, wildlife encounters, and well-researched instructions. Jon also shares insights into the evolution of guidebook usage, the selection of experienced authors, and the ongoing focus of Vertebrate Publishing on producing inspiring, high-quality outdoor adventure books. 

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring authors, people who want to walk in the mountains, and those interested in the publishing world of outdoor adventure.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

00:40 Meet Jon Barton: Founder of Vertebrate Publishing

01:21 The Birth of the Mountain Walks Series

03:54 Expanding the Guidebook Series

04:45 Top Benefits of Mountain Walks Books

09:07 Challenges and Market Realities

11:34 The Allure of Snowdon

13:47 Selecting Mountains for the Series

18:31 The Decline of Physical Guidebooks

20:29 Future of the Mountain Walks Series

24:48 Inspiring Adventure: The Brand's Mission

30:30 Looking Ahead: Upcoming Books

33:37 Conclusion and Where to Buy

Links

Vertebate Publishing website 

Follow Jon on Instagram

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded in June 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
https://pixabay.com/users/soundgallerybydmitrytaras-11640913/

Tina shares personal stories of discovering a passion for mountain walking, overcoming challenges, and eventually becoming a Mountain Leader. She talks about the importance of guidebooks in providing detailed and reliable information for outdoor enthusiasts. The episode emphasises the value of connecting with nature and the joy of guiding others to experience the beauty of the mountains.

This interview is perfect for aspiring writers, mountain enthusiasts, and those curious about the intricacies of adventure book publishing.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

01:36 From Aspiring Writer to Published Author

07:29 Developing and Proposing Walking Routes

10:50 Capturing the Essence of the Mountains

13:06 Where Tina’s Mountain Journey Began

20:33 The Impact of COVID on Outdoor Activities

23:28 Embracing a New Outdoor Lifestyle

25:14 Vertebrate Books Inspiring Adventure

26:41 The Value of Guidebooks

30:01 The Spirit of Helvellyn

37:10 Writing the Guidebook

40:37 Encouraging New Hikers

45:00 Warm Down Questions

47:02 Final Thoughts 

Links

Mountain Walks Helvellyn book by Tina Codling

Follow Tina on Instagram

Vertebate Publishing website 

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online 2nd May 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
https://pixabay.com/users/soundgallerybydmitrytaras-11640913/

Sarah shares her journey from a novice in mountain navigation to becoming a Hill and Moorland Leader and guidebook author. The conversation covers the unique aspects of Kinder Scout, transitioning from city life, and facing the fear of writing a book. 

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring authors, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone interested in mountain adventures.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

00:49 The Genesis of the Mountain Walks Series

01:52 Introducing Sarah

03:14 Sarah's Coaching and Guiding Work

05:34 The Therapeutic Power of Nature

08:36 Sarah's Transition from City Life

11:14 Discovering Kinder Scout

18:09 From Enthusiast to Author

22:58 Facing the Fear of Writing

24:47 Overcoming Initial Challenges

26:19 Finding Inspiration Outdoors

27:14 Crafting Routes for the Book

30:20 Balancing Popular and Hidden Routes

34:03 The Joy of Seeing Your Work in Use

35:48 Future Writing Plans

42:06 The Magic of Kinder Scout

44:02 Conclusion and Book Availability

Links

Mountain Walks Kinder Scout book by Sarah Lister

Vertebate Publishing website

Wild About Kinder website

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online 8th July 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
https://pixabay.com/users/soundgallerybydmitrytaras-11640913/

Graham discusses his dual career as a mountaineer and writer, recounts some of his most memorable mountain experiences, and shares the inspiration behind his guidebooks.

This episode is an insightful listen for outdoor enthusiasts, aspiring authors, and anyone interested in mountain adventures.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

00:39 Early Memories of the Mountains

01:44 Teenage Years and Scouting Adventures

02:31 Musical Journey and Social Media

04:21 Warmup Questions: Songs, Biscuits, and Gear

08:22 Challenging Weather and Memorable Experiences

11:14 Professional Life and Writing

12:20 Living in the Lake District

13:04 Exploring Scafell and Scafell Pike

20:21 Climbing Piers Gill and Safety Tips

22:35 Writing the Mountain Walks Book

28:20 Encouraging Safe Mountain Adventures

30:32 Approach to Writing and Publishing

35:34 The Appeal of Wainwright Walks

40:21 Role of a Fell Top Assessor

45:10 Future Plans and Career Reflections

Links

Mountain Walks Scafell Pike book by Graham Uney

Vertebate Publishing website

Graham Uney Mountaineering website

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online 10th June 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
https://pixabay.com/users/soundgallerybydmitrytaras-11640913/

Keri discusses her personal journey from encountering a medical emergency on Ben Nevis to becoming a mountain guide and co-founding 'Girls on Hills' in 2018. She shares stories from her mountain experiences, the motivations behind her Running Challenges and Mountain Walks book, and the importance of encouraging more women to participate in trail and mountain running. 

Listeners will find inspiration in Keri's candid recounting of overcoming challenges, her passion for climbing and running, and valuable tips for exploring Ben Nevis. This episode offers insightful content for outdoor enthusiasts, aspiring authors, and anyone interested in personal growth and adventure.

00:00 Introduction to the Inspiring Adventure Podcast

00:40 Warmup Questions: Getting to Know Our Guest

06:28 The Journey of Girls on Hills

08:39 A Harrowing Experience on Ben Nevis

16:28 From Climbing Novice to working in the mountains

22:23 Navigating the Mountains Safely

24:14 Navigating Ben Nevis: Tips and Insights

26:03 Writing the Mountain Walks Book

28:10 Running Challenges: From Concept to Reality

43:14 Girls on Hills: Empowering Women in Trail Running

49:00 Reflections and Future Adventures

Links

Mountain Walks Ben Nevis book by Keri Wallace

Running Challenges book by Keri Wallace

Vertebate Publishing website 

Girls on Hills website

UK Hillwalking article - My First Mountain

Host & Recording

This episode was hosted by Sarah Lister, author of Mountain Walks Kinder Scout. It was recorded online 19th June 2025.

Social media

Follow Vertebrate Publishing on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Music

Music by DmitryTaras via Pixabay
Licensor's Username:
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‘I began to wonder whether what we were doing was humanly possible. We had climbed the Mazeno and reached the summit, but we both knew we had wasted too much energy. In among the conflicting emotions, the exhaustion and the elation, we knew our bodies could not sustain this amount of time at altitude indefinitely, especially now we had no water. The slow trickle of attrition had turned into a flood; it was simply a matter of time before our bodies stopped functioning. Which one of us would succumb first?’

In Some Lost Place is Sandy Allan’s epic account of an incredible feat of endurance and commitment at the very limits of survival – and the first ascent of one of the last challenges in the Himalaya.

AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE HERE and also available as an ebook: 

• Kindle UK 
• Kindle US
• Kobo 
• iTunes 
• Google Play

Tony Howard rose to fame in 1965 as a member of a group of young climbers from northern England who made the first British ascent of Norway’s Troll Wall; a climb described by Joe Brown as, ‘One of the greatest ever achievements by British rock climbers’. Tony went on to design the modern sit harness, now used universally by every climber in the world. He founded the company Troll Climbing Equipment but never stopped exploring. Quest into the Unknown is his story.

Tony has dedicated his life to travelling the world in search of unclimbed rock faces and remote trekking adventures. The scale of his travels is vast: he has visited all of the North African countries, much of the Arab land of the Middle East, the mountainous regions of Scandinavia, Canada and the rocky spine of the Americas, the Himalaya, remote Indian provinces, South East Asia, Madagascar, South Georgia and Antarctica. This book, the last word in adventure travel, takes the reader from Tony’s youth spent developing the crags of the English Peak District, via whaling ships in the Southern Ocean, thousand-mile canoe trips in the Canadian Arctic, living amongst the Bedouin in the rocky mountains of Jordan, to the isolated opium tribes of Thailand.

Tony Howard’s Quest into the Unknown is the jaw-dropping account of a life of adventure that is the very definition of true exploration.

AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE

Also available as an ebook:

• Kindle UK 
• Kindle US
• Kobo 
• iTunes
• Google Play

The Last Blue Mountain is the heart-rending true story of the 1957 expedition to Mount Haramosh in the Karakoram range in Pakistan. With the summit beyond reach, four young climbers are about to return to camp. Their brief pause to enjoy the view and take photographs is interrupted by an avalanche which sweeps Bernard Jillott and John Emery hundreds of feet down the mountain into a snow basin. Miraculously, they both survive the fall. Rae Culbert and Tony Streather risk their own lives to rescue their friends, only to become stranded alongside them.

The group’s efforts to return to safety are increasingly desperate, hampered by injury, exhaustion and the loss of vital climbing gear. Against the odds, Jillott and Emery manage to climb out of the snow basin and head for camp, hoping to reach food, water and assistance in time to save themselves and their companions from an icy grave. But another cruel twist of fate awaits them.

An acclaimed mountaineering classic in the same genre as Touching the Void, Ralph Barker’s The Last Blue Mountain is an epic tale of friendship and fortitude in the face of tragedy.

We published 200 special edition hardback copies of The Last Blue Mountain in March 2020, signed by Ed Douglas, author of the 2020 Introduction, and numbered. This special edition hardback offer is available exclusively from our website on a first-come, first-served basis for £24 per copy inc. UK P&P. The trade paperback edition of The Last Blue Mountain will also be published in March 2020 and will be available to purchase at the same time for £12.99 inc. UK P&P.

AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE HERE

Also available as an ebook:

• Kindle UK 
• Kindle US
• Kobo
• iTunes
• Google Play

Experienced climber Charles Sherwood is on a quest to find the best climb on each continent. He eschews the traditional Seven Summits, where height alone is the determining factor, and instead considers mountaineering challenge, natural beauty and historical context, aiming to capture the diverse character of each continent and the sheer variety of climbing in all its forms.

The author's ambitious odyssey takes him to the Alps, the Himalaya, Yosemite, the Andes, Kenya, New Zealand and South Georgia. His goal is neither to seek glory nor to complete a box-ticking exercise, but simply to enjoy himself in the company of his fellow climbers, including Mark Seaton, Andy Kirkpatrick and Stephen Venables, and to appreciate the splendour of his surroundings. On classic routes like the North Face of the Eiger and the Nose on El Capitan, it is hard not to be swept away by Sherwood's unfaltering enthusiasm.

Also featuring fascinating historical detail about each route, Seven Climbs is a compelling account of Sherwood's efforts to answer a much-debated question: which are the world’s greatest climbs?

Buy it now:
ebook: Kindle UK and Kindle US
Hard copy: Vertebrate Publishing

So spoke Chris Bonington when Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker presented him with their plan to tackle the unclimbed West Wall of Changabang – the Shining Mountain – in 1976. Bonington’s was one of the more positive responses; most felt the climb impossibly hard, especially for a two-man, lightweight expedition. This was, after all, perhaps the most fearsome and technically challenging granite wall in the Garhwal Himalaya and an ascent – particularly one in a lightweight style – would be more significant than anything done on Everest at the time.

The idea had been Joe Tasker’s. He had photographed the sheer, shining, white granite sweep of Changabang’s West Wall on a previous expedition and asked Pete to return with him the following year. Tasker contributes a second voice throughout Boardman’s story, which starts with acclimatisation, sleeping in a Salford frozen food store, and progresses through three nights of hell, marooned in hammocks during a storm, to moments of exultation at the variety and intricacy of the superb, if punishingly difficult, climbing. It is a story of how climbing a mountain can become an all-consuming goal, of the tensions inevitable in forty days of isolation on a two-man expedition; as well as a record of the moment of joy upon reaching the summit ridge against all odds.

First published in 1978, The Shining Mountain is Peter Boardman’s first book. It is a very personal and honest story that is also amusing, lucidly descriptive, very exciting, and never anything but immensely readable. It was awarded the John Llewelyn Rhys Prize for literature in 1979, winning wide acclaim. His second book, Sacred Summits, was published shortly after his death in 1982.

Audiobook available, and also available as an ebook:
Kindle UK
Kindle US
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

• Winner: Mountain Literature Award, Banff Mountain Book Festival 2018
• Shortlisted for the 2018 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature

Nick Bullock is a climber who lives in a small green van, flitting between Llanberis, Wales, and Chamonix in the French Alps. Tides, Nick’s second book, is the much-anticipated follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut Echoes.

Now retired from the strain of work as a prison officer, Nick is free to climb. A lot. Tides is a treasury of his antics and adventures with some of the world’s leading climbers, including Steve House, Kenton Cool, Nico Favresse, Andy Houseman and James McHaffie. Follow Nick and his partners as they push the limits on some of the world’s most serious routes: The Bells! The Bells! on Gogarth’s North Stack Wall; the Slovak Direct on Denali; Guerdon Grooves on Buachaille Etive Mor; and the north faces of Chang Himal and Mount Alberta, among countless others.

Nick’s life can be equated to the rhythm of the sea. At high tide, he climbs, he loves it, he is good at it; he laughs and jokes, scares himself, falls, gets back up and climbs some more. Then the tide goes out and he finds himself alone, exposed, all questions and no answers. Self-doubt, grieving for friends or family, fearful, sometimes opinionated, occasionally angry – his writing more honest and exposed than in any account of a climb. Only when the tide turns is he able to forget once more.

Tides is a gripping memoir that captures the very essence of what it means to dedicate one’s life to climbing.

Those in the know thought that this record would never be beaten. It is the ultimate British ultramarathon. The person taking on this superhuman challenge would have to be willing to push harder and suffer more than ever before. There is No Map in Hell tells the story of a man willing to do just that.

In 2014, Steve Birkinshaw made an attempt at setting a new record. With a background of nearly forty years of running elite orienteering races and extreme-distance fell running over the toughest terrain, if he couldn’t do it, surely no one could. But the Wainwrights challenge is in a different league: aspirants need to complete two marathons and over 5,000 metres of ascent every day for a week.

With a foreword by Joss Naylor, There is No Map in Hell recounts Birkinshaw’s preparation, training and mile-by-mile experience of the extraordinary and sometimes hellish demands he made of his mind and body, and the physiological aftermath of such a feat. His deep love of the fells, phenomenal strength and tenacity are awe inspiring, and testimony to athletes and onlookers alike that ‘in order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd’.

You can get the audiobook and ebook via links below

• Kindle UK
• Kindle USA
• Kobo
• Nook
• AUDIOBOOK AVAILABLE 

Mark Vallance's influence on the outdoor world extends far beyond the company he founded. He owned and opened the influential retailer Outside in the Peak District and was part of the team that built The Foundry, Sheffield's premier climbing wall - the first modern climbing gym in Britain. He worked for the Peak District National Park and served on its board. He even found time to climb eight-thousand-metre peaks and the Nose on El Capitan. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in his mid fifties and robbed of his plans for retirement, Vallance found a new sense of purpose as a reforming president of the British Mountaineering Council.

In Wild Country, Vallance traces his story, from childhood influences like Robin Hodgkin and Sir Jack Longland, to two years in Antarctica, where he was base commander of the UK's largest and most southerly scientific station at Halley Bay, before his fateful meeting with Ray Jardine, the man who invented Friends, in Yosemite. 

Trenchant, provocative and challenging, Wild Country is a remarkable personal story and a fresh perspective on the role of the outdoors in British life and the development of climbing in its most revolutionary phase. 

Mark Vallance (1945–2018), the man who made Friends.

***

John D. Burns is a bestselling and award-winning mountain writer who has spent over forty years exploring Britain’s mountains. Originally from Merseyside, he moved to Inverness over thirty years ago to follow his passion for the hills. He is a past member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team and has walked and climbed in the American and Canadian Rockies, Kenya, the Alps and the Pyrenees. John began writing more than fifteen years ago, and at first found an outlet for his creativity as a performance poet. He has taken one-man plays to the Edinburgh Fringe and toured them widely around theatres and mountain festivals in the UK. It is the combination of John’s love of the outdoors with his passion for writing and performance that makes him a uniquely powerful storyteller. His first two books, The Last Hillwalker and Bothy Tales, were both shortlisted for TGO Magazine’s Outdoor Book of the Year. His third book, Sky Dance, is published in 2019. He continues to develop his career as a writer, blogger and outdoor storyteller while exploring the wild places he loves.

Book recommendations:
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Travels in Alaska by John Muir
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
Wilding by Isabella Tree

Inspirational people:
Fridtjof Nansen
Mike Stroud
Ranulph Fiennes
Jesse Owens
Joss Naylor (features in There Is No Map In Hell)
Ernest Shackleton

Deirdre Huston is an award winning writer, film maker and photographer. She’s authored five titles with Vertebrate Publishing. The second edition of Day Walks on the South Downs is published in March and, as with all Day Walks books, has been updated and revised to keep it as current and accurate as possible.

Pre-order Day Walks on the South Downs and Day Walks in the Cairngorms get 20% discount up until their publication on 5 March.

Tell me all about your Day Walks adventures by dropping me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk and I’ll respond with a discount code and you might even get a shout out in a future episode! And sign up to our newsletter at v-publishing.co.uk

Our next episode will feature Mountain Bike guide writer, Nick Cotton.

LINKS

• Day Walks in the Cairngorms by Helen and Paul Webster
• Day Walks on the South Downs by Deirdre Huston
• Scottish Island Bagging by Helen and Paul Webster
• Day Walks on the High Weald by Deirdre Huston
• Sussex Walks by Deidre Huston
• Cycling Days Out - South East England by Deirdre Huston
• Cycling in Sussex by Deirdre Huston and Marina Bullivant
• Walkhighlands Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
• Deirdre Huston’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 
• Podcast Ep 1 - Scottish Island Bagging - Buzzsprout and YouTube
• Ramblers Association
• Mountaineering Scotland
• The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature
• Waterstones Events
• Saddlescombe Farm

Paul’s book recommendations:

• Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe by Nicholas Crane
• Sacred Summits by Peter Boardman
• Sky Dance by John D. Burns

Deirdre’s book recommendations:

• In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
• Waymaking
• Wild About Cornwall by David Chapman
• The Island Child by Molly Aitken
• My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay

• Out of Africa by Karen Blixen
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
• The Messenger Bird by Ruth Eastham
• The Everest Files by Matt Dickinson (first of trilogy, succeeded by North Face and Killer Storm)
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
• The Bond by Simon McCartney
• One Day As A Tiger by John Porter

If you’ve got any feedback on the podcast, or suggestions for topics to cover or people you’d like to hear from please drop me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk and I’ll respond with a discount code to say thanks!

Our next episode will delve into the highly popular Day Walks series and I’ll be joined by Paul Webster, co-author of Day Walks in the Cairngorms, and Deirdre Huston, author of Day Walks on the South Downs, both due out in March. So tune in to find out what goes into producing a Day Walks guide and what makes a guide author tick.
 
Sarah’s website, facebook and twitter 

Episode 9
Rae is joined by Tough Girl Challenges founder and podcast host Sarah Williams, who fast packed the Appalachian Trial in 100 days.

Sarah set up Tough Girl Challenges as a way of inspiring and motivating women and girls. She hosts the award-winning Tough Girl Podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of inspirational female explorers, adventurers and athletes.

Sarah is no stranger to challenges of her own. In 2016 she took on the Marathon des Sables, which comprises six marathons across the Sahara desert. The following year she tackled the incredible Appalachian Trial. In 2018 she cycled from Vancouver in Canada down the Pacific Coast Highway to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Last year she walked the Camino Portugues and the Lycian Way. So just ready yourself for a major serving of inspiration!

To read more about Sarah’s other challenges and watch her videos you can delve into her adventures over on her website, toughgirlchallenges.com, or tune into her podcast to hear about other incredible women doing incredible things, The Tough Girl Podcast. Sarah is a firm believer is sharing the word when it comes to the achievements of women who are taking on incredible challenges, and has featured a number of the Fantastic Female Adventurers from Lily Dyu’s children’s book on her podcast.

In terms of my 100 day challenge, keep tuning in to find out more. Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing my plans as they form, and ultimately I will be sharing the progress of the challenge via instagram!

If you’ve got any feedback on the podcast, or suggestions for topics to cover or people you’d like to hear from please drop Rae an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk and she'll send you a 20% discount code for the Vertebrate Publishing website

Our next episode is due on Thursday 30 January and I’ll be welcoming back Helen and Paul Webster, who featured in our very first episode. This time they’ll be telling us more about walking in Scotland, especially the Cairngorms which feature in their next title, Day Walks in the Cairngorms. Before then you can always nip over to our YouTube channel to see our latest video with Pete Whittaker.

Join the conversation by searching for Vertebrate Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or sign up for our newsletter at v-publishing.co.uk 

• Adventure Places
• Day Walks Guidebooks
• The Ramblers Association
• The Long Distance Walkers Association
• The Ordinance Survey Locate App
• Scottish Island Bagging

Emily Chappell - Cycling
We met Emily through the Buxton Adventure Festival. She's a London cycle courier turned endurance and adventure cyclist and has written books about her cycling experiences.

• That Emily Chappell
• Highway Code
• Bikeability
• Cycling Guidebooks

Charles Sherwood - Climbing
Charles has a combined thirty-year career in the risk capital industry with a love of adventure sports. He has climbed all over the world and is writing Seven Climbs (due for release in May 2020) about his best climbs on each continent.

• Inspiring Adventure YouTube Playlist
• Climbing Guidebooks
• The Alpine Club
• The British Mountaineering Council

Steve Franklin - Running
A relative latecomer to the sport, Steve started running after a rock climbing injury left him unable to climb. Steve lives in Sheffield and regularly heads back to North Wales for extended trips to run and climb. In 2014 he completed the Paddy Buckley Round (104 kilometres and 8,500 metres of ascent and descent in under twenty-four hours). 

• Running Guidebooks
• Couch to 5k App
• Park Run
• Fell Runner
• runABC

If you have any feedback or suggestions, please drop me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk and I'll thank you with a 20% off voucher for the Vertebrate Publishing website. 

Next Episode: Rae chats with Sarah Williams (founder of Tough Girl Challenges and host of the Tough Girl Podcast) about Sarah's 100 day Appalachian Trial challenge. Due 16 January.

In the meantime, join the conversation by searching for Vertebrate Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or sign up for our newsletter. 

Waymaking is an anthology of prose, poetry and artwork by women who are inspired by wild places, adventure and landscape. This year is won the Jon Whyte Award for Non Fiction Mountain Literature in the Banff Mountain Book Competition.

The artists who contributed to the Waymaking anthology are continuing the legacy of Gwen Moffat and Nan Shepherd, redressing the balance of gender in outdoor adventure literature. Readers are urged to stop and engage their senses in this inspiring and pivotal work. 

Through the Snow (Winter 2010) by Judith Brown

Judith Brown has lived in the Lake District for thirty years, nurturing her passions: mountaineering, the natural world, history, t’ai chi and writing. Landscape and history are her key inspirations. She believes they form an important part of who we are. She finds how people interact with them physically, emotionally and spiritually endlessly fascinating. A founder member of Women Mountains Words, she has  published articles and stories, including a collection shortlisted for the 2007 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.

Snow by Bernadette McDonald

Bernadette McDonald is the author of ten mountaineering books, including the multi-award-winning Art of Freedom, (Mountain Literature Award at the Banff Mountain Book Festival, the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature and the National Outdoor Book Award for Biography). Her other mountaineering titles include Tomaž Humar, Brotherhood of the Rope: The Biography of Charles Houston, Freedom Climbers, Keeper of the Mountains: The Elizabeth Hawley Story, and Alpine Warriors. She has also received the Alberta Order of Excellence, the Summit of Excellence Award and the King Albert Award for international leadership in mountain culture and environment. She was the founding vice-president of Mountain culture at the Banff Centre and served as director of the Banff mountain festivals from 1988–2006.

 
Counterflow by Jen Benson
Jen Benson is a full-time writer, full-time athlete and full-time mum. She usually co-authors with husband, Sim, and their books include two of the Day Walks series from Vertebrate (Devon and Cornwall); The Adventurer's Guide to Britain; Amazing Family Adventures; and Wild Running. Jen and Sim write about nature, families, sport and adventures and also take all their own photos, usually with their two young children just out of shot. In 2015 they spent a year living under canvas, exploring Britain's national parks and wild places.

If have any feedback or suggestions please drop me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk and I'll thank you with a 20% off voucher for the Vertebrate Publishing website. 

Next Episode: New Year’s Resolutions, featuring with interviews from pros in the worlds of cycling, climbing, walking and running. Due 2 January.

In the meantime, join the conversation by searching for Vertebrate Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or sign up for our newsletter. 

Episode 6 

This week Rae is joined by open water and wild swimmer, Suzanna Cruickshank.

Suzanna moved to Cumbria in 2008 and soon caught the bug for swimming outdoors. In 2016 she set up Suzanna Swims to help others access wild places by immersing themselves in open water. Whether you want to dip your toe in a tarn, float down a river or swim across a lake – Suzanna is your woman!  

Suzanna is currently putting the finishing touches to her book, Swimming Wild in the Lake District, in which she vividly describes her wild swimming experiences and brings the characteristics of each Lake - due out in April with pre-orders opening in the New Year.

Swimming Wild in the Lake District will follow the style of Scottish Island Bagging (featured in our very first episode) with stunning photography, practical information and overview maps to give you all you need for a cool dip (apart from the cossie!). It has plenty to offer anyone dipping their toe in this sport, but it isn't just for novices, it has plenty to offer for more experienced swimmers, including pointers towards tranquil hidden gems and the best pubs and cafes for the the much needed post-swim refreshment.

To join Suzanna on one of her group swims or book a 1:1 session visit suzannaswims.co.uk

If you have feedback on the podcast, or suggestions for topics or guests drop me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk 

Pete has just returned from a stint out in Yosemite where he completed seven walls in seven days with fellow climber Sean Warren. Each wall needed to be completed in under ten hours to allow them enough rest between climbs. You’ll be glad to know they achieved their goals, scaling El Cap’s Lurking Fear in nine hours, Leaning Tower’s West Face in five hours, Mount Watkins’ South Face in seven and a half hours, Washington Column’s 10 Days After in eight and a half hours, Half Dome’s Regular North-West Face in six and a half hours, Liberty Cap’s South-West Face in six hours and finally Lost Arrow Spire in seven hours fifty mins.   

Somehow in between his big week in Yosemite and heading up to Kendal Mountain Festival Pete managed to sign over 700 pre-ordered copies of his first book, Crack Climbing, and squeeze in this fun Q&A filled with questions from his followers on Instagram.

If you’re keen to improve your climbing you can head over to our website (v-publishing.co.uk) to order yourself a copy of Crack Climbing; and if you’re really up for expanding your climbing repertoire by opting for our 3 for 2 bundle offer, which features Pete’s book as well as 1001 Climbing Tips by Andy Kirkpatrick and Mastermind by Jerry Moffatt, you’ll be scaling El Cap yourself before long.

If you’ve got any feedback on the podcast, or suggestions for topics to cover or people you’d like to hear from please drop me an email at rae@v-publishing.co.uk 

Our next episode comes out in a fortnight (our last one before Christmas on 12 December) where I’m chatting with Suzanna Cruickshank about her upcoming book, Swimming Wild in the Lake District. If that’s too long a wait then why not pop over to YouTube to catch our interview between Jon Barton and Jerry Moffatt which comes out next week. 

In the meantime, join the conversation by searching for Vertebrate Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or sign up for our newsletter at v-publishing.co.uk 

Earlier this year John joined Vertebrate Publishing with a three book deal to produce new paperback editions of The Last Hillwalker and Bothy Tales alongside his latest title, the novel Sky Dance, all published in September. John is currently working on his next title, Wild Winter, which is due to be published in Autumn 2020. 

John is a gifted storyteller and his performance poetry and one-man plays have taken him across the country from the Edinburgh Fringe to mountain festivals, bookshops to theatres and back again. His passion for the hills, mountaineering, bothies and keeping ’The Great Outdoors’ great and accessible to all is clear and infectious.

I met John at the incredible independent Nottingham bookshop, Five Leaves, just before one of his events to chat about his life in wild and wonderful places, the lure of snow and how both of these influence his writing.

Sky Dance is John’s first novel. It is a gripping read and view into the beauty of rural and wild Scotland, but also delves into the politics of land ownership, raptor persecution and conservation, challenging readers to face issues that surround the protection and access to some of the UK’s last wild places. 

To read it for yourself you can order signed copies from www.v-publishing.co.uk where we’re running a 30% off sitewide deal until Sunday 17 November, or keep an eye out for other offers in the run up to Christmas, including a 3 for 2 on all John’s titles. 

We’ll be back again in a fortnight, with an interview between two climbing legends; Jerry Moffatt and Pete Whittaker – be sure to join us for that.

Buy Sky Dance
Visit John's website
Find Five Leaves Bookshop
Read the Walkhighlands interview with John D. Burns
Read or listen to Sky Dance by getting the ebook or audiobook

In this interview Tony talks about developing climbing and adventure tourism in Jordan and climbing and exploring in Iran, Sudan, Artic Canada, Morocco and Algeria. He also discusses the development of modern climbing equipment with which he was greatly involved a well as exploring the Sinai Trail and the relationship between climbing and travel.

Quest into the Unknown is the jaw-dropping account of Tony Howard’s life of adventure, that is the very definition of true exploration. His life has been dedicated to travelling the world in search of unclimbed rock faces and remote trekking adventure; the scale of this being truly vast. 

It’s easy to place Quest into the Unknown as ‘the last word in adventure travel’ which will take you from Tony’s youth in the Peak District to Troll Wall, the Canadian Arctic, Jordan and Thailand, and this year the book was awarded Highly Commended in the Outdoor Book category at the Outdoor Writers and Photographer Guild Awards for Excellence.

Buy Quest into the Unknown or Troll Wall

Join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

And visit our YouTube channel to watch this interview.

Pete popped into the Inspiring Adventure podcast studio to talk to us about his climbing experience and give us a sneaky insight to what we can expect from his new book, Crack Climbing, which he’s written to provide a single point of reference for all crack climbing techniques, regardless of the grade you climb. 

Whilst Pete believes he has only scratched the surface of what is possible with hard crack climbing, we can all agree that his experience places him as a top authority in this field. His ability and willingness to share his learning has led to the production of Crack Climbing and it stands to be the one-stop-shop for learning and applying crack climbing techniques. These techniques should be at the core of any climber’s craft; and the book will help you develop skills with confidence and improve your climbing standard. 

We’ll be back again in a fortnight, with an interview between adventurer Leon McCarron and author of Quest into the Unknown Tony Howard, so do join us for that!

Buy Crack Climbing UK and International
US and Canada Orders

Join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

And keep an eye on our YouTube channel for some special videos from Pete!

Buy Scottish Island Bagging

Walkhighlands

Island Baggers: the people competing to visit all 706 isles around Britain - The Guardian

One down, 705 to go: adventurers race to visit every single British island - The Times

The rise of 'island bagging' - a race to visit every one of Britain's 706 isles - The Telegraph

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