The cliffs along the sunny Cote d'Azur and the area just inland offer some of the best sport climbing found anywhere. The most famous venue is the magnificent Verdon Gorge with it walls of perfect limestone but this is only one of many great crags in the area. To the west is the beautiful Calanques with its amazing landscape, plus the spectacular Sainte Victoire. There are some great venues around Toulon, the sunniest city in France, plus there is the popular winter venue of Chateauvert and the less well known Esterel and Chateaudouble areas. Add in Saint Jeannet, Gorges du Loup and a selection of cliffs in the Nice area and you begin to see what an amazing amount of climbing the area has to offer.

This attractive and cleverly structured guide gives walkers ten of the finest walks to the ten most spectacular lighthouses in Wales in a popular pocketable format. With clear information, an overview and introduction for each walk, expertly written numbered directions, large scale Ordnance Survey maps, superb eye-grabbing panoramic photographs, and interpretation of points of interest along the way, these guides set a new standard in clarity and ease-of-use.

This attractive and cleverly structured guide gives walkers ten of the finest short, circular, themed walks to curious and unusual places in the Peak District National Park in a popular pocketable format. With clear information, an overview and introduction for each walk, expertly written numbered directions, large scale Ordnance Survey maps, superb eye-grabbing panoramic photographs, and interpretation of points of interest along the way, these guides set a new standard in clarity and ease-of-use. Featured walks include: Robin Hood's Picking Rods, Robin Hood's Cave, Eyam - 'Plague village', Gardom's and Birchen Edges, Solomon's Temple, Lud's Church, Cratcliff Hermitage, Thor's Cave, Thorpe & Fenny Bentley tombs, Halter Devil Chap

Wester Ross and Lochalsh are amongst the most popular areas for walks in the Scottish Highlands. The Lochalsh peninsula between the shores of Loch Duich and Loch Carron offers varied walking from villages such as Plockton as well as the region's main town at Kyle of Lochalsh. Across the dramatic Mam Ratagan pass is the remote and secluded Glenelg peninsula, a tranquil and peaceful haven far from busy routes. Further north are Applecross and Lochcarron, with mountains that yield nothing in ruggedness to their more famous counterparts in Torridon, as well as attractive fishing villages and forest walks. Finally around Gairloch is an area that has long been famous for its fine sandy beaches, many of them still very quiet. Inland is a vast area of little-visited, rocky peaks known to walkers as 'The Great Wilderness'. This latest pocket guide features 40 of the best walks in this popular area in an attractive and accessible format.

When it comes to training for climbing, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there. In The Science of Climbing Training, top Spanish climbing coach Sergio Consuegra has analysed our sporting needs from the perspective of exercise and sports science to provide an evidence-based approach to training for climbing. It is designed to help us improve climbing performance, whether we're taking the next step in our training as we work towards a project, or if we're a coach looking to optimise our athletes' training. It doesn't contain any 'magic' training methods, because there are none - although you might be shocked by the science behind some popular methods. The first part explains what training is and how different training methods are governed by the physiological and biomechanical processes that occur in the body. The second part looks at how to improve specific needs (such as finger strength and forearm muscle endurance) and general needs (such as basic physical conditioning, pulling strength, pushing strength, strength training for injury prevention) for the different demands and types of climbing and bouldering. The third and final part suggests the best ways to fit it all together. It looks at adjusting training volume and intensity, and tapering to encourage supercompensation, all to help us achieve improved performance, whether it's a breaking into a higher grade, ticking that long-standing project or climbing a dream route.

Few historians have written about walking, despite its obvious centrality to the human condition. Focusing on the period 1800-1914, this book examines the practices and meanings of walking in the context of transformative modernity. It boldly suggests that once historians place walking at the heart of their analyses, exciting new perspectives on themes central to the 'long nineteenth century' emerge. Walking Histories, 1800-1914 adopts a global perspective, including contributions from specialists in the history and culture of Great Britain, North America, Australia, Russia, East-Central Europe, and South Asia. Critically engaging with recent research, the contributions within offer fresh insights for academic experts, while remaining accessible to student readers. This book will be essential reading for those interested in movement, travel, leisure, urban history, and environmental history.

'I have given my whole life to the mountains. Born at the foot of the Alps, I have been a ski champion, a professional guide, an amateur of the greatest climbs in the Alps and a member of eight expeditions to the Andes and the Himalaya. If the word has any meaning at all, I am a mountaineer.' So Lionel Terray begins Conquistadors of the Useless - not with arrogance, but with typical commitment. One of the most colourful characters of the mountaineering world, his writing is true to his uncompromising and jubilant love for the mountains. Terray was one of the greatest alpinists of his time, and his autobiography is one of the finest and most important mountaineering books ever written. Climbing with legends Gaston Rebuffat, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, Terray made first ascents in the Alps, Alaska, the Andes and the Himalaya. He was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and he came out a hero. Conquistadors of the Useless tells of his wartime escapades, of life as an Alpine mountain guide, and of his climbs - including the second ascent of the Eiger North Face and his involvement in the first ever ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, Annapurna. His tales capture the energy of French post-war optimism, a time when France needed to reassert herself and when climbing triumphs were more valued than at any other time in history. Terray's death, in the Vercors, robbed mountaineering of one of its most passionate and far-sighted figures. His energy, so obvious in Conquistadors of the Useless, will inspire for generations to come. A mountaineering classic.

Made up of the old counties of Wigtownshire and The Stewartry, Galloway covers a vast swathe of Scotland's quiet southwest corner. This under-discovered area offers 260km of coast, full of sandy beaches and towering cliffs, lonely heather-clad moors and quiet hills. Add to this plenty of wildlife, a rich artistic heritage, strong spiritual influences and a climate kissed by the warming Gulf Stream, and you have a region beckoning to be visited. Darren Flint and Donald Greig's hand-picked selection of 40 walks reveals the sheer variety of landscapes that makes Galloway so special - from the Mull of Galloway, Scotland's most southerly point, to the sweeping Nith Estuary, via Merrick, South Scotland's highest hill and plenty of hidden corners.

Following the precedent and standards set by the Baedeker guides, travel literature enjoyed great popularity during the later nineteenth century. This guidebook to the Alps, written by Hermann Alexander Berlepsch (1814? 83) and translated from German by the renowned author and mountaineer Leslie Stephen (1832 1904), was first published in English in 1861. This was during the golden age of alpinism, when many major peaks were ascended for the first time. While later mountaineers concentrated on climbing as a sport, earlier expeditions were of a more scientific nature; this guidebook, which provides detailed information pertaining to the geology, flora and fauna of the Alps, is a reflection of this ambition. Also containing descriptions of village life and Alpine customs, it enjoyed a significant readership in its day and was also translated into French. It remains an instructive work in the history of alpinism and travel writing.

Think the Munros are too difficult? Think again. Meet Baffies, the entertainments convenor of the Go-Take-a-Hike Mountaineering Club. Named after his footwear of choice [Baffies is a Scottish word for slippers], he is gifted in the art of finding the easiest way up any given mountain. This is the second in the Baffies’ Easy Munro Guide series of reliable rucksack guides to some of the more easily tackled Munros. Twenty-five routes, each covering one main Munro, all with detailed maps and full colour throughout – this lightly humorous and opinionated book will tell you everything you need to reach the summit.

This year's "Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal" has the usual great mix of articles - several involving adventures abroad. Martin Moran describes some mega routes in the fjords of Norway, Mark Litterick describes winter climbing in Austria, Graham Little describes rock climbing in Albania and Steve Chadwick gives an account of ascending Mount Cameroon in Africa. A scholarly piece looks again at the climbs of WH Murray. Other articles describe a rescue on Ben Nevis, the use of modern technology in the hills, how to have an epic, a monster run in the Alps, and a discussion of the disease of Munro bagging...and as usual details are included of all the new routes pioneered in Scotland over the last year.

There are few more beautiful places than Scotland's winter mountains. But even when most of the snow has melted, isolated patches can linger well into summer and beyond. In The Vanishing Ice, Iain Cameron chronicles these remarkable and little-seen relics of the Ice Age, describing how they have fascinated travellers and writers for hundreds of years, and reflecting on the impact of climate change. Iain was nine years old when snow patches first captured his imagination, and they have been inextricably bound with his life ever since. He developed his expertise through correspondence (and close friendship) with research ecologist Dr Adam Watson, and is today Britain's foremost authority on this weather phenomenon. Iain takes us on a tour of Britain which includes the Scottish Highlands, the Southern Uplands, the Lake District and Snowdonia, seeking elusive patches of snow in wild and often inaccessible locations. His adventures include a perilous climb in the Cairngorms with comedian Ed Byrne, and glorious days spent out on the hills with Andrew Cotter and his very good dogs, Olive and Mabel. Based on sound scientific evidence and personal observations, accompanied by stunning photography and wrapped in Iain's shining passion for the British landscape, The Vanishing Ice is a eulogy to snow, the mountains and the great outdoors.

OS Explorer is the Ordnance Survey's most detailed map and is recommended for anyone enjoying outdoor activities like walking, horse riding and off-road cycling. The OS Explorer range of OL maps now includes a digital version of the paper map, accessed through the OS smartphone app, OS Maps. Providing complete GB coverage the series details essential information such as youth hostels, pubs and visitor information as well as rights of way, permissive paths and bridleways.

This guidebook presents four specially devised treks in the mountains of Greece, showcasing its beautiful scenery, rich flora and cultural interest. The Peloponnese Way crosses the Peloponnese peninsula from Dhiakofto in the north to Pantazi beach in the south, via Tripoli. Taking in alpine meadows, a dramatic gorge and forest-clad slopes, the 220km route can be walked in around a fortnight. The 460km Pindos Way is a south-north traverse of Greece's mountain backbone, and can be walked in a month, or split into sections of around a week. With remote terrain, navigational challenge and fewer facilities on route, it is the toughest of the four treks but offers a unique chance to experience both the country's wilderness and traditional mountain life. A shorter 80km Zagori trek can be enjoyed in its own right or incorporated into the Pindos Way, and the final route explores Mt Olympus, home of the ancient gods of Greek myth and the highest mountain in Greece. With clear mapping alongside detailed route description for each stage of the treks, as well as background information about the region and a Greek-English glossary.

A handy, waterproof map breaking down the Fife Pilgrim Way into seven sections. The Fife Pilgrim Way runs between North Queensferry or Culross and St Andrews. It is designed as a varied route for residents and visitors alike, and it is possible to walk the entire signposted path or explore particular sections using the map. The route follows in the footsteps of Medieval pilgrims, passing many sites which reflect Fife's rich history, and which would be familiar to those travellers long ago. The Fife Coastal Path map is based on OS data at a scale of 1:40,000 which gives a detailed guide with grading of the entire 64 miles (104 km) of the route. The map is part of Stirling Surveys' popular Footprint series. For every copy of this map sold, a donation goes towards the practical management of The Fife Pilgrim Way.

This book is a celebration of mountain huts, showcasing the the sheer variety and sometimes quirky nature of these buildings that allow walkers, trekkers and climbers to access remote corners of the mountains. Packed with entertaining stories that bring the places and people to life, it contains descriptions of the author's favourite huts in the Alps, along with suggestions for hut-to-hut tours of 3-13 days duration, including the Tour of Mont Blanc. It also traces the history of huts and how they have evolved from the most primitive of shelters to the often purpose-built, eco-friendly buildings of today. For the uninitiated, it unravels some of the mystery of huts and explains how to use them and what facilities to expect. Above all, it illustrates the way in which mountain huts can be truly sociable places, where like-minded people can spend a night or two in the most magical of locations and share a love of wild places.

This attractive and cleverly structured guide gives walkers ten of the finest walks to the most amazing viewpoints in the Lake District National Park in a popular, pocketable format. With clear information, an overview and introduction for each walk, expertly written numbered directions, large scale Ordnance Survey maps, superb eye-grabbing panoramic photographs, and interpretation of points of interest along the way, these guides set a new standard in clarity and ease-of-use.Featured walks include: Gummer's How, Carron Crag, Orrest Head, Wastwater, Rannerdale Knotts, Low Fell, Hallin Fell, Walla Crag, Latrigg and Great Mell Fell.

From the crumbly rhubarb-and-cream-coloured cliffs of the Jurassic Coast in the southeast to the surf-stroked craggy coves in the north, across the wilderness and woodland of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and through the verdant valleys and great green grazing lands of the dairy belt - Devon is a county of exquisite contrasts and natural wonder.Whether you're looking for an easy afternoon stroll along the shore, a riverside ramble to an atmospheric country pub or a tor-topping trek on the moors, there's something to suit every boot in Patrick Kinsella's inspiring collection of 40 Devon coast and country walks.