2019 Award Winners

(Please scroll to bottom of page for links to previous years’ award winners)

Outdoor Book: Chris Townsend for Along the Divide published by Sandstone Press

The judges commented: “Chris Townsend’s relatively slim volume on walking the Watershed of Scotland edged ahead by combining some beautifully crafted prose with personal insights and amusing detail. In the end his dogged pursuit of a seemingly arbitrary line revealed some very well-explained concepts of what wildness means in a modern Scottish concept. A wonderful book from an author who immerses himself in the landscape without feeling the need to “list tick” or beat any personal or other record” 

Highly CommendedTony Howard for Quest Into the Unknown

Award currently sponsored by: OWPG

Judges: Sue Viccars, commissioning editor of Dartmoor Magazine and Chris Bagshaw, editor, writer and former OWPG member.

Guidebook:Jan Bakker (and Christine Oriol) for Trekking in Tajikistan

Published by Cicerone Press 

The judges said: “Dushanbe is now on my bucket list. This is really what the guidebook category is all about: the first published guide to a remote and relatively unexplored part of the world that may not be on many people’s list on account of a trip being too complicated to organise. Not any more! Inspirational text and photographs that really fire the imagination” 

Highly commended:
Lily Dyu (member at the time of the award) for Fastpacking

Award sponsored by: Aquapac International 

Judges: Sue Viccars, commissioning editor of Dartmoor Magazine and Chris Bagshaw, editor, writer and former OWPG member.

Digital Production: David Lintern for the Save Glen Etive website.

The judges said: Save Glen Etive (saveglenetive.co.uk) is an excellent campaigning website that makes good use of its medium. Its all-important home page sends a clear message with well-organised categories, concise summaries, intuitive navigation and clear calls to action including newsletter signup. Its use of blue-text links is effectively integrated into text.

Award sponsored by: Cordee 

Judges: Craig Wareham (founder of Viewranger), Lois Sparling (formerly of Cicerone Press) and Jacquetta Megarry (OWPG member and last years winner)

Salt formation, Bobcat Cave, New Mexico, USA

Photography:Chris Howes for his portfolio of Guads, New Mexico

The judges said: “The images follow a consistent theme, are very powerful in terms of framing and lighting and overall are of a very high professional standard” The use of models is very good and I like the addition of a stunning close up detail shot. In my opinion they stand head and shoulders above anything else entered.  

Highly Commended: Mark Gilligan for his portfolio “In his Element”. 

Award sponsored by: Conway (Bloomsbury Publishing) 

Judges: Ashley Cooper (GlobalWarmingImages) and Dave Willis (Mountain SportPhotography)

Outdoor/Travel Feature: Alex Roddie for Summits and Skylarks – published in The Great Outdoors 

The judges said:Moving, and engaging from the outset. Beautiful description of the mountain, and a keen appreciation of his own psychology and his grief, and this gives the feature much more depth and interest. They liked the opener and the conclusion, acknowledging the metaphors you can draw between your inner life and the mountain but in the end coming back to the simple appreciation of being alive and in the open air. A lovely piece. It was way out in front in the travel category.” 

Award sponsored by: Crimson/OS Pathfinder

Judges: Carlton Reid (founder of On Your Bike magazine/former OWPG member) and Elizabeth Multon (Commissioning Editor of Adlard Coles Nautical, Bloomsbury Publishing)

Technical Feature: Jen Benson for Green Light – published in Runners World magazine 

The judges commented “Readable, thorough – highlights importance of the subject, gives political economic background, and loads of practical advice. Loads of useful boxes highlighting stuff you want to know. The article was illustrated with great useful images.” 

Highly Commended: David Lintern for “One Wild Night” – a very close runner-up to the winner.

Award sponsored by:
Cicerone

Judges: Carlton Reid (founder of On Your Bike magazine/former OWPG member) and Elizabeth Multon (Commissioning Editor of Adlard Coles Nautical, Bloomsbury Publishing)


OWPG Golden Eagle Award:

Not awarded in 2019

This award is given for “Outstanding Services to the Outdoors”. 

Nominated by: OWPG Committee.

Awarded by:
a vote of the OWPG membership. 

The physical award is a David Bellamy painting.

Derryck Draper Award: Not awarded in 2019

This award is given to a member of the outdoor gear trade in memory of Derryck Draper, for outstanding innovation in outdoor equipment design. 

All images which were taken at the 2019 Awards Ceremony and used on this page are Credit: David Taylor. The winning photography image obviously is Credit: Chris Howes.