Outdoor
FOCUS
From the editor ...
David Taylor
Contents
2 3
7 10
New Members
Meet OWPG ’ s newest members : Kassondra Cloos , John Myatt and Emily Woodhouse
Chairman ’ s Notes
OWPG chairman , Stan Abbott has news about this year ’ s Big Weekend at Grange-on-Sands
4 Wales Coast Path 10th Anniversary
Paddy Dillon celebrates a decade of Welsh wanderings
12 14
Book Reviews
Roly Smith reviews the latest outdoor books by OWPG members
Photographer ’ s View
Simon Waley describes a perfect moment in the Lake District
Canyon Country
David Bellamy is inspired by light of the Middle East
Leccy Bikes
Summer 2022
The passings of the seasons is marked by festivals and other events . ( Sometimes fictional . Am I alone in thinking of May Day as Wicker Man Day ?) One event closer to members ’ hearts is of course the Big Weekend . In this issue Stan Abbott has news of what ’ s
To do
to come on this important occasion . Further details will be forthcoming and the gathering will be something to look forward as the nights start drawing in . Until then , enjoy the summer sunshine . And don ’ t accept invitations to visit strange communities on remote Scottish Islands …
Stan Abbott �inds himself in love with an electric bike or , as he prefers to call it , ‘ The Beast ’
New members
Kassondra Cloos
Kassondra is a freelance journalist who seeks to ignite a passion for people ' s immediate surroundings . Her essays and articles about slow travel , wilderness expeditions , and city-based outdoor adventures aim to inspire readers to live adventurously both at home and while traveling , and to �ind thrills in the otherwise mundane . You can �ind her work in The New York Times , Outside , Backpacker , Travel Channel , Fodor ' s , and Flow Magazine , among others . She writes a slow travel column for the Denver Post and a newsletter about full-time travel called Out of Of�ice ( outofof�ice . substack . com ). She is originally from Rhode Island , which she talks about quite a lot .
When she ' s got a few spare minutes while traveling on assignment , you can usually �ind Cloos scribbling a stack of handwritten letters from within the cosiest cafe in town . Take care if you catch her at home in London — she might just suggest a " short " 10-mile meander around the city .
If you ’ d like to contribute to the next edition of Outdoor Focus please send an email with your article idea to davidtphoto @ gmail . com . The copy deadline is 15 August 2022 .
Cover star Alex Roddie
Location : Beinn Eighe , Scottish Highlands
www . alexroddie . com
The Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild is the only UK-based association of media professionals working largely or entirely on outdoor subjects . Our members cover every �ield of activity and all corners of the globe . They include writers , journalists , �ilm makers , photographers , publishers and editors , all with a passionate interest in the outdoors . For more information visit www . owpg . org . uk .
All images and text copyright the authors . Unauthorised use and / or duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited .
Editing / design David Taylor ISSN 2043-8591 print ISSN 2043-8605 online
2 outdoor focus / summer 2022