228 Pages Of Wild: Inside New Mountain Magazine With Founder Izzy Wedderburn

Hello! I’m Izzy, a graphic designer, photographer and founder of New Mountain Magazine.

I’m from Dorset, and still live 15 minutes from where I grew up! I haven’t really been able to leave. My life as a designer is often spent in front of a screen, so whenever I get the chance, I’m itching for some proper fresh air.

I’m right next door to the New Forest National Park, which, to anyone who knows it, is a gravel riding haven. I’m then sandwiched between Cranborne Chase AONB, which is my favourite place to be. Plus, you won’t see better stars anywhere in the county!

It’s also super easy to get down to places like Cornwall, where I recently bikepacked the West Kernow Way. An epic route that does a figure-of-eight around the west of the county. I’m also not too far from the capital, so it feels like a good balance.

I also think it’s nice to really know your surroundings. I’ve lived in the same area all my life (apart from uni), and I know so much of what’s around me, but I still find new trails and routes all the time.

I get asked this question a lot – why now, why when everything is so digital? It’s a mix of answers, really.

Firstly, it definitely stems from my personal love and connection to being outside. As I said, I grew up in Dorset and have been very lucky to have an abundance of green space to explore. Whether by foot, bike, with friends, family or on my own, it’s what I know.

Secondly, as a graphic designer by trade, I’ve always loved books and magazines – the way they’re made, how they’re curated, the paper, the fonts, the layouts, the images.

And I guess finally, it’s about sharing cool stuff that people have done, pulling it all together and making something out of stories in physical form. So many of us are doing inspiring things, and it’s a privilege to be able to share this with the world.

Also, mags are cool! They always have been, and they always will be. Yes, the model has completely changed, and yes, it isn’t easy, but I haven’t come across a person who doesn’t like print mags yet!

New Mountain is a 228-page biannual adventure publication featuring contributors from all over the world. It’s for everyone and anyone.

The most frequent thing I hear when someone gets a copy for the first time is, “Whaaa, it’s so thick!” Which is true. It definitely has more of a coffee-table aesthetic than a traditional magazine, and I like that.

Each issue brings together interviews with interesting people in the outdoor space – from gear makers and artists to photographers and adventurers – alongside stories, photographs and perspectives from all over the world. There’s everything from personal essays and photo essays to environmental pieces, workshop write-ups, expeditions and archival stories. It’s a real mix, and that’s kind of the point. There’s no one way to be outdoors, and I want the magazine to reflect that.

I definitely am! I think we’re in this interesting space of huge amounts of digitalisation, but at the same time, a real craving for things that help us switch off.

Books and reading have long been a cue for relaxing your mind and putting your head into a calm space. And also learning to dream a little. Looking at an image in a magazine and it firing off another thought or memory, and then suddenly you’re in another world.

As a teenager my mum would often take my sister and me to Bath to go shopping, and I’d immediately head to Magalleria. I could spend hours in that shop if I could. I wouldn’t necessarily ‘read’, but I’d rummage and soak up all these different perspectives, styles, colours and genres, and get so excited!

I didn’t really realise it at the time, but I was always connected to mags and photographs.

When I launched New Mountain in March 2025, I reached out to Magalleria and asked if they’d be interested in stocking a few copies. To my excitement, they said yes! It felt like a full-circle moment, and it’s a lovely feeling to think someone like teenage me might find a New Mountain copy and get excited about it…

Everything! The project began at the end of 2024 with ordinary people willing to share their stories and adventures. And it’s kind of stayed that way. That’s the backbone of the magazine – people. It’s what makes the entire magazine.

I’m so grateful for all our wonderful stockists, too, who share the mag with their wider audiences. It’s a real community effort, and I think that’s what makes it so special.

One story that’s always stayed with me is from Issue 01, by Henna Palosaari, Karen Ekman and Anki Groth. Three awesome women who first met in the mountains of Norway, having connected through a shared love of splitboarding. What started as a spontaneous invitation to join an adventure ended up becoming something much bigger. They’d all been searching for a sense of belonging, and found something in the way they moved through the mountains together – supporting one another, sharing knowledge and just being themselves. But also realising that home can be a feeling rather than a place. They ended up making a little film about it too.

I’d also say the cover story in Issue 04. I think it’s pretty rad, and I love the story behind it even more, which is why it had to go on the cover. I won’t go into the entire story (read / buy the mag!), but the ethos is just to do your own thing. In the outdoor industry, and life in general, there are so many rules, and it’s basically to say – you don’t have to follow any of them. Do your own thing. Best way to be.

It’s being close to home, most likely. The act of getting outside, nothing grand or impressive, just being in nature and leaving my phone behind. I think there’s something really special about those simple moments, when you’re not trying to achieve anything or document everything. You’re just out there, taking it all in. That’s also why I love carrying a film camera!

Probably a mix of Hiam, Tom Misch and John Mayer!

When I’m on the bike, there’s just too much good stuff to listen to. Birds, waves, trees, laughter…

Always hard to say, but personally, I’m enjoying being in the now as much as possible.

For the mag, it’s about continuing to share awesome stories from awesome humans, and getting more people excited about being outside, in whatever way that means to them.

Books and printed things are always a good idea.

Fancy getting your hands on a copy? Head to newmountainmag.com to buy directly or for a list of stockists. 

Follow @newmountainmag on Instagram to keep up with the latest from Izzy & co.