Vertebrate celebrates 20 years of outdoor adventures

Sheffield-based independent publisher Vertebrate is celebrating 20 years since the publication of its first title, the cycling guidebook Dark Peak Mountain Biking, which was released in August 2004.

Beginning as a graphic design agency in 1994, the publisher has now released over 600 books in both print and digital formats, on subjects like hillwalking, climbing, running, cycling, water sports and nature.

The company has won Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards and Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards.

As well as publishing new titles, Vertebrate has been making out-of-print classics available in an on-demand format since late 2016.

"Twenty years of publishing books and I’ve loved every minute of it. Being out there on the crags and the trails bumping into people with one of our guidebooks in hand, saying hello, is the best feeling," said managing director Jon Barton. "I can only thank all our authors, readers and our team here for the fun it has been."

The publisher has a new range of bikepacking books featuring multi-day off-road cycling trips across England, Scotland and Wales, while its gravel rides series focuses on the best unpaved and traffic-free cycle trails in Scotland and the Lake and Peak District national parks. It will also publish a guide to the South West of England next autumn.