Inquest hears student loved the mountains

A winter climber who died of hypothermia in the Scottish Highlands was less than a mile from safety, an inquest heard.Richard Hardy’s body temperature was only 14°C when he was found by rescuers; normal temperature is 37°C.

Outdoors show underway in Brum

The annual Gore-Tex fest that is the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show kicked off today at Birmingham’s NEC.Visitors to the three-day show can see previews of what they will be spending their pennies on in the coming months.

New battle looms at Bannockburn

Scots are up in arms at a threat by quarrying companies to desecrate the site of a historic battle.Gillies Hill, which overlooks Bannockburn, where the famous victory of Robert the Bruce’s army over English forces took place, faces destruction by renewed quarrying.The hill was instrumental in the battle: it sheltered servants and followers of the armed forces – gillies – who were mistaken for reinforcements when they emerged from cover, and the English army was routed in its confusion.Now two companies say they will resume extracting stone from the mound and Stirling Council says it is powerless to stop them.

Kilnsey climbers' path improved

The British Mountaineering Council has helped restore a climbers’ path under the imposing limestone Kilnsey Crag in the Yorkshire Dales.

2012 Olympics overspend threatens outdoor funding

Outdoor sports and activities are at risk because of the massive overspend on the London Olympics.That’s the view of the British Mountaineering Council, which is urging lovers of the outdoors to petition the Government not to divert Lottery money from non-Olympic sports.The latest figures for the 2012 Olympics put the cost of the event at £9.35bn, nearly four times the original estimate.

Mountain council meeting clashes with Kinder event

The British Mountaineering Council’s annual meeting and dinner takes place this year on 21 April.So we guess there will be no participation by the council’s top brass in the Kinder Scout celebrations which happen the same day, unless there’s going to be some very rapid driving on the roads between Derbyshire and north Wales.The BMC’s shindig happens over the weekend of 20 to 22 April at Plas-y-Brenin, the national mountain centre near Capel Curig.

Wainwright series hits mainstream TV

The BBC must have realised that walking is popular: it’s just been announced that the Julia Bradbury-presented Wainwright’s Walks will be repeated, this time on BBC2.So those who don’t have digital TV can now enjoy the short series of four in which Julia follows Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides up Haystacks, Blencathra, Castle Crag and Scafell Pike.The first will be shown at 7pm on Friday, 6 April, with episodes two and three shown at the same time the following weeks before broadcasts of men kicking balls or thwacking leather with a wooden stick intervene for two weeks, so the final episode will air after sports fans have had their fill of whatever vigorous activity their overpaid heroes are indulging in.The whole series, plus the documentary probing – albeit very gingerly – the life of the Grumpy Old Fellwalker, will be issued on double DVD in the summer..

Cairngorms 'need to rival Yosemite and the Rockies'

The Cairngorms are up against the likes of the Canadian Rockies and the Yosemite National Park in the quest for tourists’ cash.Development bosses want to boost outdoor activities in the area, along with visitor attractions and facilities.

No return to speeding on Windermere

Windermere’s speed limit will stay, authorities have decided.The controversial 10mph restriction, imposed two years ago, was challenged by a pressure group which wanted to use high-powered craft on the lake.The Keep Windermere Alive Association is hoping to overturn the limit and in the meantime had asked the Lake District National Park Authority to look at a ‘managed solution’ allowing jet skis, power boats and water skiers back on the water in some areas at certain times.But the national park authority has been advised there is no legal basis for the challenge and said the managed solution would be too bureaucratic and unworkable.