Archive

2014

Coffee on the Go

We’ve got our share of coffee connoisseurs here at the LD, so when we’re shipped some free samples of Coffee bags by German Company, Life is You, we had to test them out and compare against our resident coffee brand, Growers Cup. Growers Cup produce great coffee, packaged in a filter bag. All you have to do is open the top, add water and in a few minutes, out comes quality coffee for you and a friend. They’re ideal for campers, travellers or anyone who fancies a brew on the... Read More

Blowing up Mountains

The Atacama Desert in Chili has some of the clearest sky in the world, perfect for star gazing. On the scientific level, its the perfect area to gather images of deep space, which is why it is to become the home of the E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope.) To make way for this, ESO, the organisation behind the telescope, have used explosives to level the top of a 3000m peak. The Telescope is set to be the biggest in the world and will likely perform a pivotal role in future... Read More

Stone Nudes

The BMC recently posted a video belonging to American climber and photographer, Dean Fidelman which discusses his 10 year artistic project, Stone Nudes. Over 100 climbers from 3 generations have featured in Stone Nudes, climbing in many classic locations. You may look for Fidelman’s work for the oddity of someone photographing nude climbers, but when you see the collection you realise it is much more than that. The images are dramatic and silent in their depiction of the climbers. Take a look at Stone Nudes for yourself

19th – 22nd June – A Big Weekend for Northern Cyclists

Since being established in 2007 the Virgin Money Cyclone has grown from strength to strength,  the event is now a festival of cycling over the whole weekend finishing with the Beaumont Trophy  on the Sunday that this year has been classified as European tour event, making in one of just four UCI road race held in the UK   Tyne 6 Bridges Leisure Rides The weekend kicks off on the Thursday with two rides of different distance starting at ever popular Cycle Hub café in the Ouseburn. Both routes are... Read More

Norse Mythology

On campsites across Europe the Cotton Tent is making a come back. These retro designs offer a fun and spacious tent for relaxing family trips, festivals and parties. Scandinavian manufacturer, Nordisk, sit top of the list with some great tent designs. Understanding the names, however, requires some knowledge of Mythology.                                                                                ... Read More

How Big Are Your Hexes?

Climbers, are you looking for a summer challenge. Fancy something a little more vertical than the Three-peaks. Grab your rack and have a go at The Big Hex. To complete this mountaineering challenge, your team will have to climb three of Scotland’s most impressive mountain ranges, ascending and descending via their most exciting ridges and buttresses. The Big Hex participants will have to traverse the Cuillin’s Pinnacle Ridge on Skye, take on Ben Nevis via West Ridge, North East Buttress and Tower Ridge and climb Buachaille Etive Mòr via North... Read More

Spring Snow Makes for New Lines

A great video from the Alps of three guys hunting for spring snow and a great new line. Five hours of hiking up the rocky south faces of the ‘Les Courtes’ in the Mont Blanc range proved worth it for this epic descent.  

An Interview with Phil

Having been fascinated with Phil’s tales of his Fjällräven Polar experience we asked him if we could follow up on his adventure with an interview. Very kindly, he agreed to answer some of our questions. Hi Phil, I suppose the first question we’d like to ask is, how did you find out about Fjällräven Polar 2014 and what made you decide to take part? I first came across the Fjällräven brand in the summer of 2012 when visiting the Lake District, where I bought a few items of their clothing.... Read More

The Fjällräven Polar Day 6 – The End

I was first of our team to wake following our night in our snow camp. I can’t remember what time it was as I couldn’t be bothered to get my arms out of my sleeping bag to look at my watch. It was a beautiful morning and so peaceful. Even the dogs were unusually quiet, so it must have been early. Or maybe they knew it was our final day and not wanting it to be, just like the rest of us. Then all of a sudden I heard movement... Read More

The Fjällräven Polar Day 5 – Northern Lights… Camera… Action!

Following another great night’s sleep, it was Phil’s turn to wake me up as we slept in once again. This didn’t stop us from being one of the first teams ready and first to leave our lake camp. Our team had such good chemistry, that our Norwegian friends Madeleine and Jostein were starting to speak a lot more in my Mackem accent. Which was so funny and it really suited them, so they will have no problem when they come to visit me in Sunderland in the future. As for... Read More