Telegraph Publishes Liz’s Winning Piece Tomorrow

19 Comments / press / By

I’m really pleased to announce that Liz has won a travel writing piece, which will feature in tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph in the UK. If you happen to be near a news agent then please do buy a copy. If you can’t get to one, don’t worry, we’ll be publishing it on followtheboat in due course, but not before her well-deserved moment of glory. Well done, Liz!

The piece features a 17km trek we did recently to sacred Kechopari Lake in the Himalayas. On a blisteringly hot day we descended 1,500m to a river, and back up the other side, all under the gaze of Kanchenjonga Mountain, India’s highest peak. Here’s an extract:

We pass by giant bamboo thickets, through forests of teak and walnut, glimpsing tree ferns, rhododendron bushes and climbing orchids. As we emerge into steep, terraced farmland, Jamie’s cracking knees and my blistered feet begin to take their toll.
“You’re going the wrong way,” I snap.
“No, I’m not,” he snarls.
At the tumbling river I leave my boots by a woodpile for someone more needy to claim, and flip-flop my way up 100m of near vertical undergrowth to the road. Jamie’s knees, grateful for the new upward motion, stop grinding. Cheered by the flatter terrain, we reach a fork in the road and see the milestone: it points sharply upwards, “Kechopari 10”.
Seven hours after setting out, we reach the tiny hamlet of Kechopari just as the day-trippers, in a flurry of shouting and ringing phones, depart. A young monk picks up the sweet wrappers and plastic bottles they leave behind.

Edit
The complete 500-word short story will appear in tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph in print, but they’ve now put it online so you may read the whole piece here.

Seven hours after setting out, we reach the tiny hamlet of Kechopari just as the day-trippers, in a flurry of shouting and ringing phones, depart. A young monk picks up the sweet wrappers and plastic bottles they leave behind.

If you like our content and would like to support us, we will give you ad-free access to our videos before they go live to the public, discounts in our shop, access to Jamie’s iconic full-res photographs, and supporter-only blog posts. Click our ugly mugs for more info!

19 thoughts on “Telegraph Publishes Liz’s Winning Piece Tomorrow”

    2. Liz

      @ Jamie/Jon – well, the tiger-toothed caps were my mental image…
      @ Gladwyn/Bryan/Maureen – good to hear from you and glad that everything is going well
      @ Pete – Thanks!!

  3. gladwin

    Just down-loaded it for Gladwin. Fixed the wheels on bike, and found
    another possible article in mattanchery for you and Jamie. Bikes, and houses hidden. We spent 2 hours in the pouring rain looking at 150 year old wooden teak beams and panelling being fitted into a new house and some penny farthing threepencehapeny bikes, all locally built.
    Got the visa, Inshallah
    Bryan and Maureen

    1. Liz

      Cheers, Mike, glad you liked it. Off to buy a paper copy for Mum now (being a Guardian reader she is alternately ashamed of my Torygraph connections and delighted in my writing success, ha! ha!)

    1. Liz

      It’s encouraging to win; I must be doing something right, but I’ve still got a long way to go. Thanks a million, June.

  10. christine cooper

    Oh Liz – wish I could write as well as you – then I wouldn’t get slated at my Creative Writing Course. Think I need another 10 years worth of tuition until I reach your standard!!! Look forward to reading more.
    Chris

    1. Liz

      Thanks, Chris, I really appreciate your comments because you know what it is to write creatively. Don’t lose heart. It’s a continual struggle to improve and this writing malarkey doesn’t come naturally to me either!

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top