Vote now in The Great Outdoors Reader Awards 2021!

We’ve received hundreds of nominations for our tenth Reader Awards, and are delighted to reveal the shortlists. Get voting!

Public nominations have now closed. We’ve been sorting through your nominations and the shortlists are now ready. Scroll down to read them.

Reading through your nominations has been a special privilege this year. For our tenth annual Reader Awards we decided to launch two new categories, film or filmmaker of the year and the Open Outdoors award, and we received many nominations for them both, highlighting the importance of education, diversity, inclusion – as well as inspiration – in the outdoor community.

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The shortlists for The 2020 Great Outdoors Gear of the Year Awards, which represent the best in this year’s outdoor clothing, equipment, and tech, will be announced soon. The winners of these will be decided be a panel of expert judges.

Reader Awards 2021: the complete shortlists

Walkers’ pub of the year

Your favourite place for a post-walk pint or quality pub grub.

Walkers’ cafe or restaurant of the year

Anywhere with sit-down dining, from chippies upwards.

Hostel or bunkhouse of the year

Casual accommodation catering for muddy boots.

Campsite of the year

Celebrate excellent locations, friendly staff and great facilities.

Walkers’ app of the year

Anything you use on your mobile device to aid your outdoor adventures.

Outdoor personality of the year

Who has inspired you in 2021?

Belinda Kirk, for her work bringing out the importance of adventure to mental health
Chris Packham, conservationist and presenter
Dwayne Fields, presenter, adventurer and naturalist
Iain Cameron, snow-patch researcher
Impala on trail, long-distance hiker
Laura Kennington, for her #Park2Park challenge visiting all 15 of the UK’s national parks
Glyn Dodwell, Hillwalking for the Over 60s
Hazel Strachan, for showing that women over 50 can do great things in the Scottish hills
Mary-Ann Ochota, anthropologist, broadcaster and advocate for wild places
Mel Nicholls, currently riding her handcycle around the coast of Britain
Mohammed Dhalech, for championing diversity and inclusion in the outdoors
Russ Moorhouse, for his mission to sleep on top of all 214 Wainwrights, raising money for MQ Mental Health Research
Will Renwick, for successfully running 189 peaks in Wales and raising over £12,000 for Mind Over Mountains

Outdoor book or writer of the year

Guidebooks, memoirs, novels, photographic books and more.

Adventure Revolution, Belinda Kirk
Coasting: Running Around The Coast of Britain, Elise Downing
The Farthest Shore, Alex Roddie
The Fox of Glencoe, Hamish MacInnes
I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain, Anita Sethi
The Mountain Path, Paul Pritchard
Three Stripes South, Bex Band
The Vanishing Ice, Iain Cameron
The Wild Silence, Raynor Winn
Wild Winter, John D. Burns

Outdoor film or filmmaker of the year

On the big screen or on YouTube, outdoor films help us connect with the great outdoors even when we can’t be there ourselves.

Andrew O’Donnell, ‘Beluga Lagoon’, wildlife and nature films
The Alpinist, directed by Peter Mortimer
JB Mountain Skills, (YouTube channel)
The Last Mountain, directed by Chris Terrill
The Last Wilderness of Scotland, Jamie Barnes
Life of a Mountain: A Year on Helvellyn, directed by Terry Abraham
Murray Wilkie, ‘Scotland’s Mountains’ (YouTube channel)
Robin Wallace, ‘Walk With Wallace’ (YouTube channel)
Summit Fever Media, film production company
Zeyn Lambat, filmmaker

Campaigner of the year

Inspiring campaigns that matter to walkers on access, conservation, and environment.

3 Dads Walking, campaign raising awareness of suicide
Campaign for National Parks, campaign
Guy Shrubsole, conservation and rewilding campaigner
Joe’s Giants, a free mental health service campaigning for how the outdoors can improve mental health and well-being
Keep the Ban, campaign against fox hunting
Amy and Ella Meek, Kids Against Plastic, environmental campaigners
The Lakes Plastic Collective, anti-litter campaign
Dr. Mya-Rose Craig, ‘Birdgirl’, wildlife activist
Dr. Ruth Tingay, Raptor Persecution Scotland, wildlife campaigner
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, conservation and rewilding charity

The Open Outdoors award

Recognising individuals or groups who have inspired people to head into the outdoors, widened participation, improved outdoor education, or encouraged diversity.

BBC Radio Scotland Out of Doors, for bringing the beauty of Scotland’s landscape to all
Black Dog Outdoors, promoting mental health through outdoor sport and recreation
Black Girls Hike, providing a safe space for Black women to explore the outdoors
Corwen Walking Festival, for encouraging countless people to get out walking
GetOutside, helping more people to get outside more often
Haroon Mota, for being a role model for underrepresented communities and for setting up Muslim Hikers
Mind Over Mountains, a mental health charity offering support through the outdoors
Rehna Yaseen, for being a great role model and creating opportunities for young people from minority communities to access the outdoors.
The Scout movement, for helping young people to access the outdoors through the pandemic
Tom Tindale, Shieldaig Outdoor Adventures, for running adventure days for local primary schools and helping people with disabilities to access the outdoors

The Extra Mile award

Outstanding voluntary effort helps make a real difference to our experience in the outdoors. The Extra Mile award encompasses rangers, Mountain Rescue teams and personnel, and anyone else who volunteers their time for the benefit of the countryside and other walkers.

Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team: “Heroes who have supported so many events and responded to incidents.”
Caru Eryri: “A group of over 100 volunteers organised by the Snowdonia National Park Authority and Snowdonia Society who engaged with visitors & lifted over 700kg of litter from the national park in about 10 locations every Wednesday, Friday & every weekend from April to September.”
Chris Lewis, Mountain Rescue volunteer: “Poor Chris had a serious fall whilst on a winter call-out during lockdown. He is the mark of why mountain rescue volunteers are heroes.”
Edale Mountain Rescue Team: “They are always happy to help someone without judging.”
Fix the Fells: “They work so hard in all weather to preserve what we, through our use, are helping to damage. Where would be without them?”
Lindsay Buck: “The ‘Wasdale Womble’ deserves to be nominated for her tireless efforts in keeping Scafell Pike clean of rubbish.”
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team: “They get a lot of call-outs and always treat the public with patience.”
Mountain Rescue England and Wales: “For having to put up with so much this year!”

Independent retailer of the year

Retailers who operate independently, with five or fewer stores.

George Fisher, Keswick was initially added to this list in error, and has now been removed. We apologise for the mistake.

Chain retailer of the year

Outdoor retailers with six or more stores.

Online retailer of the year

Your favourite places to buy gear, maps and books online.

Outdoor clothing or equipment brand of the year

Gear brands with consistently high-quality, good-value kit or with commendable customer service.

Voting is now closed. Thank you to everyone who voted! Winners will be announced soon.