FIELD REPORT : COMMON GROUND

‘Field Report’ is an editorial series hosted in collaboration with Purple Mountain Observatory and Ali George Hinkins. It seeks to showcase members of the wider creative community in PMO gear in their chosen field, whether a literal field, a modern cityscape, a workshop, or a studio space. We aim to dive deep into the subject’s interests, outlets, and disciplines while wearing the latest from Purple Mountain Observatory. 

In this installment of Field Report, we catch up with Common Ground, a long-time friend of Purple Mountain Observatory. Established in January 2022 by a group of outdoor-hungry individuals dotted in the Midlands and Northern England, Common Ground was formed to bring a segmented community together to foster a healthier relationship with the outdoors through community-led events and activations. 

What started as an Instagram page built for the community, by the community, to encourage people to get outdoors during one of the most uncertain times in recent history has flourished into so much more than the founding members of Common Ground could have imagined. By refusing to impose barriers and limitations upon itself, Common Ground has no limits; a traditional path does not bind it. Instead, it paves its own. In a day and age where subcultures and online communes are increasingly splintered, Common Ground does wonders in capturing the current attitudes towards escapism in an increasingly busy world. 

To learn more about Common Ground, I spoke to Josty, one of its founding members, about the group’s origins, how its relationship with Purple Mountain Observatory started, and what the future holds for this community-oriented initiative.

PMO: Circling back to the origins of Common Ground, you might have been asked this question many times, but how did the group come together?

CG: It’s kind of all a bit random, really; we had been following each other on Instagram for a while, and a few of us started planning a hike in the peaks so that we could meet up IRL (going completely against what your mum says about strangers online). Then, one day, L.Holl posted about some DM he had received from someone asking about people to go hiking with. We just happened to be the first few comments on that post, and it all just snowballed from that. We were all getting a crazy amount of DMs from that post, so we made an IG group chat that got full pretty quickly, and then the rest is history.

PMO: Who is involved with Common Ground? 

CG: It’s four of us that make up the Common Ground Crew: Tang, Tyler Jones, Josty (myself), and Joel Moore. We also have Girls Trek for female-only hikes, and Carrie-Ann, Anna Taylor, and Leah are running that.

PMO: While there are some clues in the name, what is Common Ground? 

CG: It’s an outdoors-focused community that connects like-minded strangers through a shared passion for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, bouldering, running and more. 

PMO: If budget was no object, give us a rundown of the ultimate Common Ground community walk and where it would occur. 

CG: Hard question. I think we all have our own answers here and they will all be different. For me, personally, it would be somewhere over in Chamonix, France. The trails out that way are beautiful, and flying a crew out for a multi-day hike would be mega.

PMO: There is some history between Common Ground and Purple Mountain Observatory; how did this relationship start, and what brought you together? 

CG: We have been supporting each other for some time now, and then when PMO launched the hike series, it only made sense for us to link up. We hosted a group hike up Pen Y Fan in South Wales. It was such a sick day; a load of the crew had camped the night before and the weather was on our side. It’s always good to just connect with new people in nature.

PMO: As builders of communities in the outdoor space, is it essential to partner with companies of similar size and bigger? 

CG: You know what, people often stick a nose up when you start working with brands. The whole “sell out” kinda thing. And if I’m being honest, I would have said that in the past. But working with brands has allowed us to grow the community and, more importantly, offer our community experiences we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. We try to ensure we get it right when working with brands, like everyone camping before the PMO hike and then getting a free tee on the day.

PMO: You all selected relatively similar items (the Ombre Breeze Jacket, Cotton Alpine Pant, and Soft Shell Advanced Funnel Neck). Is there any reason for this? Is there scope for Purple Mountain Observatory to be Common Ground’s official kit sponsor?

CG: I think we all have a similar style. The ombre jacket is really unique, and I think that’s why we all liked it. 100%! If PMO wants to do it, maybe we could get a collection cooking up!

PMO: You have partnered with Purple Mountain Observatory, but what separates them from other outdoor-led brands you work with? 

CG: I’m not sure exactly what it is, but we just seem to be on the same level. It just seems quite natural and works well. The clothing works perfectly for what we are all about; you can wear it out in the hills on a group hike and then get changed into something a bit more pub-ready for that post-hike pint.

PMO: What does 2025 hold for Common Ground?

CG: Expect more group hikes along with a nice mix of other outdoor pursuits. We want to get some more bouldering events off the ground. I think the partnerships aren’t a crazy focus for us right now regarding hikes; instead, we want to focus on working with brands to create campaigns, which is the more creative stuff. We hosted a community exhibition early on in the life of Common Ground. That was a super sick event, and we would love to do something like that in Manchester.

PMO: Lastly, if you could change one thing about the outdoor industry to make it a better place, what would it be?

CG: Inclusion within the outdoors and its spaces. This is already happening thanks to the likes of OUTO, United We Climb, and LOADS more amazing communities you should go check out.

In celebration of our Partnership, we have rereleased our ‘Find Common Ground Between Strangers’ T-Shirt, we will be donating the profits to the Ogwen Mountain Rescue. A volunteer group based in Ogwen Valley who do immense work. If you wish to donate directly to them you can do so via their website : https://ogwen-rescue.org.uk

Common Ground x PMO Tee

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