Welcome to Fussyphotos, a site born from a desire to help hikers make better choices. Good planning requires more than the odd hero shot from a viewpoint — a tiny slice of the miles ahead. Every guide and trip report here is built from full‑trail photography, detailed route notes, honest logistics, and video that shows the walk as it really is, from first step to last.
Fussyphotos brings together route guides, long‑distance trail breakdowns, circular walks, backcountry loops, national park adventures, and reflections from the best paths I’ve explored across the UK and the US. The focus is on the walk, the landscape, the logistical solutions, and helping you enjoy the miles more.
Scroll down, choose a hub, and dive in.
UK Hiking
These sections gather all UK content into clear, easy‑to‑navigate groups. Each one includes route guides, planning tips, logistics, photo‑rich stories, and video walkthroughs that let you see the entire route as it unfolds on the trail.
Coast to Coast
Wainwright’s iconic cross‑country journey — Lake District passes, Yorkshire Dales valleys, and North York Moors ridges.
Pennine Way
Britain’s oldest National Trail — moorland grit, big escarpments, waterfalls, and the long, beautiful miles to Scotland.
Peak District Day Walks
Mam Tor, Edale Valley, Stanage Edge, Chrome Hill, Dovedale, and dozens of circulars across the White Peak and Dark Peak.
Yorkshire Wolds Way
Dry valleys, chalk landscapes, quiet villages, and one of England’s most peaceful long‑distance trails.
US Hiking
National parks and monuments, wilderness areas, desert, canyons, volcanic ridges and high‑alpine passes — the American West in all its variety.
Explore unique backpacking routes, high‑impact day hikes, road‑trip itineraries, easy permit tips, one‑day park plans, water‑and‑heat safety guides, park comparisons, and smart Kings Canyon entry‑pass advice — including High Sierra access to the JMT and Evolution Basin — across the Southwest, High Sierra, and Pacific Northwest.
Planning & Logistics
Permits, water strategy, packing lists, navigation, transport, and everything that makes a walk smoother.
This selection of guides will help you plan smarter and enjoy the miles more, with deeper, trail‑specific advice available throughout the site.
Clear, practical guidance for UK National Trails — covering entry points by public transport, breaking long routes into manageable sections, gear lists, difficulty expectations, and ways to make demanding walks feel smoother and more achievable.
Logistics for US desert and mountain backcountry routes — including permit strategy, competitive wilderness entry passes, 4–6 day itineraries, route extensions, and water‑and‑heat planning for demanding multi-day and single-day hikes in places like Grand Canyon, Zion, and Death Valley.
Video‑Supported Walks
See the terrain before you step onto it.
These films give you a true sense of the walk: the climbs, the conditions, the rhythm of the day, and the character of the landscape. Paired with the written guide, maps and elevation profiles, they make planning clearer and the miles easier to imagine.
Featured Video
A dramatic, long‑distance showcase of upland terrain, weather exposure and the real challenges of Britain’s most iconic National Trail — a clear first impression of the filming style behind Fussyphotos.
UK Routes on Film
The UK’s Best Walks
The UK’s best walking routes in one playlist. Clear guides, real conditions, and practical advice for every level. Watch The UK’s Best Walks
US Routes on Film
US Canyon & Desert Backpacking Routes
Multi‑day backpacking routes across the canyon and desert landscapes of the American West — including a custom‑made Capitol Reef loop from Fruita, Guadalupe Mountains to McKittrick Ridge, and the full Zion Traverse. Clear, factual trip reports, route breakdowns, water‑strategy guidance, heat‑management tips, and practical planning advice for hikers preparing serious overnight adventures in hot, exposed terrain. Watch US Canyon & Desert Backpacking Routes
Video‑Supported Guides
A curated selection of routes where video makes the biggest difference — showing the terrain, conditions and rhythm of the miles, while the written guide covers the navigation, logistics and planning. These are some of the clearest examples of how film and detail work together to explain a walk.
- Backpack the High Sierra Trail Loop: Route Guide
- Best Day Hikes in Capitol Reef (Ranked + Categorised)
- Mam Tor Circular Walk: How to Enjoy Dramatic Views
- Pennine Way vs Coast to Coast: How to Choose
Featured Guides and Trip Reports
A curated selection of my most popular and detailed hiking guides:
The Story Behind the Name Fussyphotos?
The name was born on the Pacific Crest Trail, during a short circular trip through Goat Rocks Wilderness. I was hiking above the tree line toward Knife’s Edge — a narrow arête with a frozen corrie tarn on one side and a cloud inversion filling a U‑shaped valley on the other. As the mist lifted, Mount Rainier appeared above the clouds, and a passing thru‑hiker offered to take a photo.
After several attempts to capture every detail as I specified — the tarn, the inversion, the goats clinging to the rock — he laughed and asked, “What’s your trail name?” And so, Fussyphotos was born.
