In issue 116, the brand new March/April 2010 issue of Wild:

• A Walk Through the Chewings - Glenn Tempest explores the Chewings Range on an epic three-week trip through this rugged area
• The Australian Eight - Steve Waters bags the highest peak in each state and territory
• Amnye Machen: a sacred trek - Michael Stephens follows an ancient pilgrimage route through north-eastern Tibet
• Crossing the Divide - Warwick Sprawson searches for riches in the Great Dividing Range
• The Wild Life - Quentin Chester comes down to earth in the Gammon Ranges
• Southern Scapes - Michael Walters photographs Tasmania's beautiful places
• Track Notes: Catherine Lawson outlines some five top tropical day walks in Far North Queensland
• Track Notes: Glenn van der Knijff takes us on a four-day circuit that follows the Macalister and Son of a Bitch Spurs in the Victorian Alps
• Gear Survey - Mathew Farrell surveys packs for bushwalking
• Green Pages: A profile of Wild's Environmentalist of the Year, Cam Walker; updates on red gum forests, Tasmania, the Kimberley and more

plus all the regular sections bringing you the best of everything relating to enjoyment of the outdoors.

Subscriber copies are being mailed this week. It will be available to buy from newsagents soon after.

Chris Baxter OAM (1946-2010)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Chris Baxter OAM, founder of Wild Publications and tireless promoter of Australia’s wild places.

After a protracted battle with various forms of cancer over the last decade he finally succumbed to leukemia on Sunday 28 February. He is survived by his beloved wife Sue.

Chris published the first issue of Rock in 1978 and the first Wild in 1981. Both were formed through Chris’ huge passion for the outdoors and the fact that they have gone on to be the longest running outdoor adventure magazines in Australia is testament to this drive.

When not running the magazines Chris spent most of his spare time in the bush or overseas. Not only was he a keen walker, but he was also a prolific climber, putting up thousands of new routes all over Australia.

The funeral will take place at St Jude's Church in Carlton at 11.00 am on Thursday 4 March.

A full obituary will follow in the forthcoming issues of Wild and Rock.

Special subscription offer!

As you will probably know by now, Wild and Rock are now an integral part of Prime Creative Media’s ‘Adventure Group’. There are three magazines that come under this heading, the other being Outer Edge – the Ultimate Adventure Magazine.

We want to encourage readers of each magazine to give the others a try. To this end we have come up with an enticing offer: anyone who subscribes to both Wild and Outer Edge will in addition receive a free one-year subscription to Rock. To qualify, you must pay for a subscription (new or renewal) to Outer Edge and/or Wild between 1 March and 20 May 2010 whilst having at least two issues remaining of a subscription to the other magazine.

As a bonus, we are giving away a free SIGG drink bottle and cooling pouch, together valued at $57.60, to everyone who subscribes to Outer Edge during this period!

Simply place your orders online at www.wild.com.au and www.outer-edge.com.au (you will have to go to both pages as they are currently not linked). We will add the free Rock subscription once we have processed both orders. Your Outer Edge subscription will commence with the April/May 2010 issue (no. 19) and your Rock subscription with the April-June 2010 issue (no. 82).

If you already subscribe to Rock, you can still take part in this promotion: we will simply add four issues to your existing Rock subscription.

We are confident that, as someone who enjoys wilderness adventures, you will find plenty to interest and inspire you in each of our titles – not least the spectacular photography. We encourage you to at least give them all a try; there might never be a better time to do so.

Fuel for portable stoves can be difficult to find overseas; gas canisters can often be found in numerous hunting- and fishing-supplies shops, especially in Italy.