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The man who changed his name to Thunder
The sin of Pride it was, renaming himself in such a fancy way. But did it truly deserve such punishment? [short story 800 words
Feb 18
•
Ronald Turnbull
10
8
2
Crossing the Cheviots
Carter Bar to the College Valley by the Border Ridge and the Hen Hole, with memories of Border raiders and a meet-up with a peregrine falcon
Feb 11
•
Ronald Turnbull
18
14
3
Miss Straton, Monsieur Charlet and the Aiguille de Persévérance
Convention-breaking mountaineer Miss Isabelle Straton, and Savoyard mountain guide Jean-Estéril: the scandal doesn’t stop. [1600 words 6 mins
Feb 4
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Ronald Turnbull
17
9
1
Miss Isabella Straton on Mont Blanc
150 years ago this week, Isabella Straton and her two French guides made the first winter ascent of Mont Blanc. Snatching this prize from her friend…
Jan 28
•
Ronald Turnbull
16
14
1
Magnificent new maps
My hillwalking map. It’s a faithful companion, and can’t possibly be improved. Until, quite unexpectedly, it can. [1000 words 4 mins
Jan 21
•
Ronald Turnbull
13
17
1
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The mistakes of others
Aug 20, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
76
12
7
A short history of dying on the Eiger
Jan 31, 2024
•
Ronald Turnbull
4
2
1
The Seven Deadly Sports
Jul 10, 2024
•
Ronald Turnbull
11
6
1
Jane Austen Walks
Jan 1, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
29
9
10
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Schiehallion and the Weight of the World
It’s 250 years ago this year that Mr Charles Hutton did some very difficult sums and also came up with the contour line.
Jan 14
•
Ronald Turnbull
17
7
4
In Search of the Sublime
200 years ago, there were three different ways for scenery to be scenic. I headed up Base Brown above Borrowdale, after the ultimate landscape…
Jan 7
•
Ronald Turnbull
16
7
4
Wallace Stevens meets the mountain
The mountain, treecovered and somewhere in New England, meets Wallace Stevens [1000 words, 4 mins
Jan 1
•
Ronald Turnbull
21
3
5
Quiz: Hills and Literature
Not all our literary heroes are mountaineers. But some of them are… A quiz to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of this Substack, not to mention Christmas…
Dec 24, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
12
14
4
I saw Mommy
Plase note: this short story does not display the proper Christmas spirit. [1300 words, 5 mins
Dec 17, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
7
2
Romantic chasms
Coleridge, Kubla Khan, and the Somerset Coast Path [2200 words 15 mins
Dec 10, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
11
7
2
Enid Blyton hikes
I was going to post about Coleridge again. But then I stopped at my local café for a haggis-and-cheese toastie. [1000 words, 4 mins
Dec 3, 2025
•
Ronald Turnbull
21
31
2
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By the Numbers
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