Required Reading - In praise of The Hard Way

As a devoted trans-Atlantic subscriber to Outside magazine, it was with genuine sadness that I recently witnessed the final instalment of Mark Jenkins' celebrated column of outdoor essays, The Hard Way.

For those who haven't had the pleasure, Jenkins has regularly contributed some of the most powerful, articulate pieces of adventure journalism seen in recent years, covering subjects from alpinism and serious adventure travel to his family's sacred annual pull-up competition. His departure from Outside leaves a void - check out the latest Outside letters page to see how deep feelings run about this guy.

Fortunately, many of Jenkins' best musings live on via his own website, www.thehardway.com

Do check this out sometime.