Arreet, as some may say up here in beautiful Cumbria, my favourite corner of England. A shivery bothy night awaits me, and I’mm looking forward to it very much.

Thank you for all the feedback you sent about this new newsletter.

Two things were requested above all else: more pics and fewer words. Your wish is my command!

Here’s what I’md like to share with you this week:

‘¢ A good book to read: I deem a book to be a success if it provokes entirely unrealistic visions of jacking in my life and trading it for a new one. I once decided to be a shepherd thanks to James Rebanks and a cycle courier like Emily Chappell. But the idea of becoming a globetrotting surfer really appeals as we trudge through dreary February’s dampness.
I would encourage you to read Barbarian Days even if you are not a surfer (I am not). It’s rare that something associated with young, hip fast-living is written about well by someone who is old, wise, articulate, yet also in-the-know. (That, I suppose, is why I particularly enjoyed Dylan’s Chronicles.)

‘¢ A lovely Instagram to follow: When I first began travelling the world I used to dream of becoming an artist. I love crisp, seemingly-simple line art. Jared Kohn combines this with wit and an appetite for adventure.

‘¢ A superb outdoors film to watch: ‘œThere is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling, What if you fly?‘’

‘¢ An intriguing article to ponder: Last week I shared a piece about taking responsibility for yourself in the mountains. That resonated as I climbed Angel’s Landing in Zion (where these photos and Instagram link are from) last week and kept thinking, ‘œhow on earth is this even allowed in this day and age?! This is dangerous! This is brilliant!’
Our pursuit of thrills and vicarious thrills leads on to this consideration about the pressure on extreme athletes to be constantly producing online content (spoiler: it’s getting some of them killed.)

‘¢ An even better newsletter than mine to subscribe to: Don’t just sign up for the Chicken Shed Chronicles. Take time to browse some of the inspiring talks on the website. It’s like TED, but more relaxed and less self-reverential. (There is *ahem* a particularly marvellous talk about The Importance of Jumping in Rivers on there’¦)

If you enjoy this newsletter, please will you forward it to a friend or five?

I enjoy hearing all your feedback on my newsletters (and on my books, blogs etc.). Just hit ‘reply’ and I’mll get your message.

Cheers!

Alastair