Where the book happens
The story runs from a river in Glen Etive to a Highland hillside and the corridors of power in Wellington.
The places
Some of these places are real and some are invented. All of them are drawn from real landscapes.
- Glen EtiveThe opening river, a hard run through a Highland glen, where the four friends are first seen at work.
- Rannoch MoorA vast, empty moor of bog, lochan and old stone, crossed on the drive north.
- TyndrumA junction village where the story begins. The inn in the book is invented.
- Fort WilliamGear shops, climbing friends and the local knowledge the four rely on.
- Ceann LochInvented. A quiet village and a quarry estate on a very real kind of ground: Highland hillside riddled with old workings.
- WellingtonThe other half of the story is told from New Zealand, in and around the Beehive, the executive wing of the country's Parliament.
Fact or fiction
The questions readers ask most, answered from the outdoors.
How dangerous is a river in spate?
Very. As the water rises, a rapid can change character completely: holes grow, eddies disappear and hazards such as fallen trees appear. Paddlers scout from the bank, look for the line and the escape route, and walk around anything they cannot justify.
What is a boulder choke?
A passage filled with fallen rock. Experienced cavers treat one as unstable: one person moves at a time, every hold is tested, and nobody assumes the pile has finished moving.
Why does cold matter so much?
Cold water and cold air sap strength and judgement long before they become dangerous in themselves. Outdoor leaders plan for it with spare dry layers, shelter and a warm place waiting at the end, never improvised afterwards.
Are there really old mine workings under the hills?
Yes. Many hillsides in Britain are riddled with old workings, and not all of them were ever mapped. They are also dangerous, often unstable and frequently on private land.
Please stay safe. The book is fiction. Do not enter old mines or caves without experience, proper equipment and the landowner's permission.
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