Ash Routen
@ashrouten
Adventure journalist and editor of 'At the Edge of the Map', covering expeditions and adventure globally. By-lines include ExWeb, Nat Geo, Sidetracked, and Outside. Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and The Explorers Club. ashrouten.com
If we know each other through the adventure and expedition world, I'd love to share a new project I'm launching. At the Edge of the Map is a new independent publication covering global expeditions, adventure and exploration through original reporting, interviews and analysis. Continued 👇
The legendary bicycle tourist Heinz Stucke died a couple of days ago. Stucke spent more than 50 years cycling around the globe, covering an estimated 600k miles. He started in 1962 and finished in 2014 at the age of 74.
Yesterday, four Swiss adventurers began an attempt to row unsupported from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, to Scotland’s north coast. They aim to reach Scotland in 40-60 days time after rowing an estimated 3,100km. open.substack.com/pub/theedgeo...
Two weeks ago, we reported on several Arctic expeditions scheduled to begin in late March and April. Some are already underway, while others are about to start. explorersweb.com/arctic-round...
I had a great time at the Expedition Finse festival last weekend in 🇳🇴 As well as giving a talk it was great to hear from and chat to Ben Fogle. A real highlight was meeting the great Erling Kagge and attending the Shackleton Award dinner. A few pics below and a blog post to come next week.
I’ve been nominated for Best Social Media Handle at the 2026 Outdoor Media Awards — an industry event that recognises journalism, storytelling and creators in the outdoor space. It’s pretty wild given I spend most of my time spotlighting lesser-known expeditions and calling out adventure hype.
For regular readers of ExWeb, I won’t be posting here for a little while. I became a father to a beautiful daughter a few weeks ago. She came five weeks early but is all healthy and happy. I’m off writing duties for a bit, but will be sharing ExWeb stuff over on Instagram inbetween nappy changes ☺️
A fun story I worked on recently. Before Alex Honnold and Netflix's skyscraper stunt, a more introverted breed of climber was free soloing buildings through the night. "The Origins of Buildering: The Students Who Climbed England’s University Spires After Dark" explorersweb.com/the-origins-...
In 2023, 25-year-old German cyclist Max Roving set off eastward from his hometown in northern Germany, aiming to “go as far as I’d like, or can afford.” explorersweb.com/traveling-th...
Video #1 from packrafting in Assynt last week. A stony beachside camp with the hulking mass of Suilven looming in the background. I’d spent a few hours making very slow progress through a headwind and whitecaps to this point, so the calmer evening was a welcome respite.
Now back home from five days of slow travel packrafting through Assynt, northwest Scotland. Paddling along Lochs Veyatie and Fionn, portaging to, and circling every inch of Sionascaig and its web of smaller lochs and lochans.
Yeah his model graphed out is like a parabola. As you add more food (and thus range in terms of days), the distance first increases, reaches a peak at the sweet spot, then curves back down as the food "penalty" overwhelms you. But as Dial suggests, this doesn't account for your pack lightening.
In this new paper colleagues and I argue that ring-fencing paid work time for physical activity is a pragmatic strategy that would provide employees with the opportunity to be more active, likely without harming productivity. journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
Resharing this old piece for a new audience. Guinness World Records is losing credibility in adventure sports - awarding dubious records, demoting trailblazers like Messner, and pushing commercial stunts over real feats. explorersweb.com/guinness-wor...
🆕 Our new BMJ opinion piece 🚨 Failing to collect ethnicity data in research fuels health inequalities. ⚠️ Without it: misdiagnosis & unequal care. 📈 UK (but not US) regulators are acting to improve diversity in clinical trials. 🔗 www.bmj.com/content/390/...
The Pinch of Salt Path author Raynor Winn has published a rebuttal on her website. www.raynorwinn.co.uk?fbclid=PAQ0x...
Thankfully I haven't watched or read The Pinch of Salt Path. Surely they could have made the story a bit more challenging and dramatic. Toddling along the South West Coast path in your 50's is a luxury holiday. Much better to amputate your own leg and then try climbing K2 in winter. Amateurs.
Another developer consultation in the post for our local area where green belt is now grey. Is the biodiversity net gain claim pictured below just a licence to tarmac over nature?
I don’t think I’ve previously camped on summer solstice, so I made the effort to get out there last night. A new camp spot for me, in the Northwest corner of the Peak District. I’ve walked this ridgeline before but it’s even better when you can sit there and watch the sun melt into the horizon 👌
An old but brilliant piece on North Pole Trekkers with the catchy headline: 'If it's explorer season, why can't we shoot them?' www.uphere.ca/articles/if-...
Another really enjoyable walk and camp in a quieter side of a busy part of the Peak District. Looking forward to more nights under canvas in the coming months ✌️
After completing our 11 day circular ski tour of a frozen lake Inarijarvi in Finland last month I promised friends I'd share a few photos from our journey. Here's four scenes from different locations on the lake. You can see more on Instagram (@ashrouten).
1/3 - For some, sledding expeditions are all about athletics. For me, it’s about connecting with the land and its inhabitants. That’s why I was so pleased to spot a small herd of reindeer on our recent Lake Inari adventure.
My pleasure Dave. What were you up on Ellesmere for? Here's a couple of my favourite northern outhouses, on the west coast of Greenland.
On our recent Lake Inari ski expedition, morning snowfall often gave way to brilliant sunshine and ethereal light that is typical of the far north. Here’s just one example of a superb camp on this frozen gem in Finnish Lapland.
I’m just starting to process the images from our Lake Inari expedition. Moments like this scene really crystallise for me that my purpose and meaning in life is to be found through adventure. Spending time on the land and making hard physical effort to travel and make shelter gets inside you.
Last night in the cabin in 🇫🇮 following our sled journey and nature lays on a parting gift 👌