'West's hand grasps your heart so violently as to leave thumbprints - I came out at the end feeling that my face had been breathed on by fire; I had been washed in the writer's scalding tears - Peerless.' Independent

Jim Perrin is one of Britain's most highly regarded writers on travel, nature and the outdoors and in his youth was one of the country's most notable rock-climbers. He is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Climber and The Great Outdoors. Among many other awards he has twice won the Boardman Tasker Prize for mountain literature, and was voted Scottish Columnist of the Year 2009. He has written twelve books to date, including Menlove, The Villain: A Life of Don Whillans, River Map, The Climbing Essays and Travels with The Flea. He is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy, an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University, and the Guardian's Country Diarist for Wales.