Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Trail

The cartoon shape of a pointy mountain is a visceral thing. It splits the pack: some it repels, spurring thoughts of fear, horror. Others feel magnetised to it with ambition. It’s a reasonable bet that you fall into the second camp; any habitual summit-scratcher will probably be vaguely familiar with mountaineering’s addictive qualities. But if you’re in any doubt as to which camp you fall into, there is an easy way of finding out: look at a picture of the Matterhorn, and brace for impact. I mean, just look at it: it’s mental. It is mountaineering, rendered in rock – the most striking emblem anyone could ever want for anything, and nature did all the work. And here’s the thing: like so many of the world’s most coveted peaks, it…

WATCH THIS... Britain’s Mountain Challenges: Threading the Needle The rock tower of Napes Needle is the most spectacular feature on Great Gable, and this latest video in our Britain’s Mountain Challenges series shows you how to tackle the Grade 2 scramble that sneaks behind it. WATCH IT www.lfto.com/needle READ THIS... One Man’s Everest As you’d expect for a guy who’s summited Everest 11 times, Kenton Cool has plenty of interesting stories to tell – and you’ll find them all in his new autobiography. From his first trip to the top of the world in 2004 to his amazing ski descent of 8201m Cho Oyu, and from his first ever mountain walk up Snowdonia’s Moel Siabod to guiding Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the Eiger north face, this is a…

Last month we told you how the new OS Explorer, Landranger and Tour maps will come with a free mobile download of the same area. Now we can tell you about the OS MapFinder app, which allows you to view maps and plan routes on a smartphone or tablet. The app is free from App Store, Google Play or Amazon, but it’s quite sizeable, taking up about 350MB of space on you device’s memory. Once installed you can purchase your maps in custom 10x10km tiles (£1.99 per tile for Explorer mapping, £0.69 for Landranger) or use the digital map you get free with new OS paper maps. The app isn’t quite as smooth as some rivals, and buying mapping by the tile will quickly become expensive. But it makes sense…

A year ago, I was a 40-a-day smoker who exercised little and ate too much junk food. Then I turned 40, and had my first NHS Health Check. The doctor told me I had the lungs of a 68-year-old. This scared me. I stopped smoking and spent the money on gym membership and a personal trainer instead. I also signed up to several obstacle course races as an incentive to get fitter. Since then, I’ve lost 3 stone and have run four races. The last event was in the Brecon Beacons, so I thought I’d also use my time there to test-drive my growing fitness on a proper mountain. I found it tough; but I made it to the summit of Pen y Fan [above]. What a buzz, and what…

TRAIL’S ROUTE Strenuousness Navigation Technicality Distance 2.5km (1½ miles) Time 2-3 hours Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL4; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90 Start/finish pebble beach on Derwent Water (NY269209) Go the Lake District Do Cat Gill “This is what I call a value-for-money scramble,” says the grinning North Yorkshireman in our three-man party, as he tightens the hood of his waterproof jacket around his face. “Quick and exciting with easy paths if you want them, or you can make it really gnarly.” Then he plunges headfirst into a waterfall. We’re buried deep among the trees of Great Wood, a wildlife-rich swarm of woodland covering the western flank of Walla Crag, and we’re on one of those routes that make you feel giddy with excitement from start to finish. We’d arrived in…

Should you slip, fall, and land on your head while scrambling, a helmet might help minimise injury; but that’s not the main reason for donning one. The biggest risk to scramblers comes from rockfall . Loose rock is a risk on many scrambling routes (including the east ridge of Y Garn); and whether sent tumbling by natural forces or the movement of another climber higher up the crag, even a small rock hitting you square in the temple is going to ruin your day. If at all in doubt, wear one. Remember: helmet-hair is for heroes.…

At 1.40pm on 14 July 1865, Englishman Edward Whymper and French guide Michel Croz untied from the rest of their seven-man climbing party at the top of the Matterhorn’s Hörnli Ridge and sprinted the last few metres to the summit, arriving in a dead heat. They had made history. Just 400m below, leading a rival expedition up the Italian side of the mountain, Jean-Antoine Carrel looked up to see Whymper’s distinctive white trousers straddling the mountain’s 4478m apex and knew the game was up. The race for one of the last great Alpine summits was over. But tragically that was just the beginning of the story. Mont Blanc, highest mountain in western Europe, had been climbed 79 years previously; but it was the Matterhorn that stoked obsession in what was…

Cattle kill more people per year than sharks do. They are the UK’s second most dangerous animal, after horses. And because casualties involving equines are generally riders, as far as animals to be wary of go, for most people cattle are at the top of the list – and it’s walkers and runners at greatest risk. In May last year a 62-year-old man was trampled to death near Ashbourne; and in an incident near Sheffield in the same month a fell runner in his thirties was seriously injured by a bull and a herd of cows. With summer comes the added danger of cows guarding young calves: they can become aggressively protective when threatened – particularly if a dog is present. Knowing what to do in such circumstances is critical.…

BPA is the abbreviation for bisphenol A, which is a chemical compound that has been commonly used in polycarbonate plastic manufacturing since the 1960s. The reason outdoor gear is affected is that polycarbonate plastics are often use to coat the insides of water bottles and food containers. Epoxy resins featuring the compound have also been used to coat the inside of cans and water pipes. It's a concern as some research has shown that BPA can seep out of the plastic and into whatever liquid is being contained therein, and can have detrimental effects on the health of foetuses and children, especially when the container is exposed to heat. It's for this reason that BPA-free hydration systems and water bottles are becoming commonplace, and ubiquitous in baby products. So –…

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Foot size UK 11/Euro 46 Foot shape normal width, but bony ANKLE CUFF To reduce the weight and price of footwear, the ankle cuff may be cut quite low in some boots. However this can be a false economy as a lower cuff more easily allows water, mud and debris to enter the boot while providing less ankle support to the foot – which means your foot has to work harder on more uneven ground. TOE BOX To protect the foot from stray boulders a stiffened toe box is important. You can test this by pressing the top of the area where your toes will be in the boot. UPPER A traditional leather upper made with minimal stitching will last for many years if…

Finisterre Mistral Jacket £180 Used by Dan Aspel, features editor Used for 3 months You may not have heard of Finisterre, but there’s a lot to like about them. They’re British, they’re based in Devon and Cornwall, they’re pretty big on eco credentials, and they owe their origins to one guy in a flat above a surf shop. They’re primarily a maritime kind of brand, but based on the attractively priced Mistral Jacket they’ve got something to say about decent technical waterproofs too. The outer is made from a supple, silent and recycled polyester ripstop fabric, and it uses a mesh lining to protect the breathable PU membrane within. Finisterre are also very apologetic about using a carbon-based finish to ensure waterproofness (although they’ve cut out most of the nastiest…

ROUTE INFO Distance 16.9km (10½ miles) Total ascent 1487m Time 9 hours Start Stonethwaite, limited verge parking beyond school (NY260139); fi nish Wasdale Head Inn (NY187089) Terrain between scrambles clear hill paths and rough fellsides with trails less distinct. Cam Crag Ridge is a Grade 2 scramble with simple route-finding and obvious easier options. South-East Face of Ill Crag is a major route-finding challenge. The scrambling comes in sections here, and while each can be avoided at a reduced grade they are technical and serious if done head-on: top-end Grade 3. Consider bringing a rope and basic climbing gear. Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL4 and OL6; Harvey British Mountain Map (1:40,000) Lake District Guidebook Lake District Climbs and Scrambles by Stephen Goodwin, pb Vertebrate 1…

ROUTE INFO Distance 11km (6¾ miles) Total ascent 791m Time 4½ hours Start/finish NC537289 Terrain well-used route to summit and back Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 16; OS Explorer (1:25,000) 443 Guidebook The Munros, pb SMC; The North West Highlands, pb SMT 1 NC537289 Ben Klibreck stands alone, a solitary Munro without any great features to mark it out as particularly special other than its northerly position. It may not be a mountain you’ll want on a calendar; it might even be a Munro you’ll think of as a must-do tick on a list rather than a must-do day on the hill. But once you pull on your pack and cross the moorland to set foot on its slopes, its character and charm are easy to see – making it…

Dan Aspel heads to Scotland's most remote hostel, then, after 3 ½ years on Trail, heads for pastures new! p24 Keep up with Dan at www.danaspel.com Ben Weeks enjoys the rarely seen delights of Kirk Fell and grabs possibly the best view of the Lake District from its summit p36 Twitter@gingerheadben Oli Reed gets soaked and inspired on a secret ghyll scramble – guided by Lakes-loving high-altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes p42 Twitter@olireedoutdoors Graham Thompson puts a new Vango tent through its paces and gives his industry-definitive verdict on lightweight boots and daysacks, from p74 Jeremy Ashcroft heads to Snowdonia for a walk of a lifetime on Moel Siabod, ‘the podium of Snowdonia' – and without doubt one of its true mountain gems p122…

First came a limp TV movie. Then came the big-budget rumours, with Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry photographed on reconnaissance in the Khumbu Icefall. Ten years passed; nothing happened. Until now. Everest – the long-awaited film depiction of the 1996 disaster that climbed the lives of eight mountaineers – is imminent. It looks spectacular. The film dramatises what is considered by many to be a tragic turning point in Everest’s slide into commercialisation: the story of guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, whose clients were trapped on the mountain by a catastrophic storm in May 1996. It was the climbing tale that became a morality tale of responsibility, sacrifice and survival. The film is adapted from the many accounts of the disaster – including Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer…

Highest mountain climbed? Everest (8848m) from the south in 1993 and again from the north in 2011. I loved the north side because of its history – and because I found it easier! Scafell Pike, Snowdon or Ben Nevis? Scafell Pike was the first mountain I climbed as a boy: it was so cold on top I couldn’t open my crisps! But Ben Nevis is my favourite because of the great climbing on the north face. Who’s your mountaineering hero? Peter Habeler, who’s most famous for being Reinhold Messner’s climbing partner. Messner was obviously brilliant, but so was Habeler – without taking any of the limelight. What do you love about mountains? The remoteness, the unexpected beauty and the unexpected horrible days. I’ve had days that nearly killed me, but…

Name Joe Brown Age 84 Nationality English Beard? No Legend because… A founding member of the Rock and Ice Club, Joe Brown was among the first climbers from a working class background who took the sport into a new era. In addition to establishing new routes around the UK and Alps, in 1955 he was part of the team to make the first ascent of Kangchenjunga. During his career he developed tools and methods of protection that are commonplace today. Walkers will be familiar with his gear shops in Snowdonia, but to climbers he will always be one of the original figureheads of the sport. In 5 words… immeasurably important, impressively modest pioneer…

Free membership! Email your full name, address and telephone number to membership@syha.org.uk along with the promotional code TRAIL/15 and a membership card will be sent to you directly! Discount booking The 10% booking discount applies to new bookings made before 30 September 2015. Trail readers must quote the promotional code TRAIL/15 at the time of booking. Booking can be done via www.syha.org.uk or by calling 0845 293 7373. Epic locations The SYHA has hostels in some of Scotland's most iconic mountain regions. Here are some of the best… Aviemore Braemar Crianlarich Glen Affric Glenbrittle Glen Nevis Glencoe Loch Ness Loch Ossian Pitlochry Portree Tobermory Torridon Ullapool…

An activity that involves negotiating a rocky gorge containing a mountain river. The best time to try it is during a dry spell when the water flow is low. Navigation tends to be straightforward, and there is usually less exposure than you’ll find on crags. You can also often avoid the trickiest obstacles, making it a good introduction to scrambling. You’re likely to get wet, so take waterproofs and sturdy footwear that protects your feet. Ghylls may be heavily vegetated, making the rocks slippery. Safety equipment such as a rope and helmet should be considered depending on the route and the experience of your group.…

1865 First successful ascent by Edward Whymper’s team, via Hörnli Ridge 1865 First ascent of Italy’s Lion Ridge by Jean-Joseph and JP Maquignaz 1871 First female ascent by British mountaineer Lucy Walker, who reached the summit wearing a long flannel skirt 1879 First ascent of Zmutt Ridge by Albert F Mummery, Alexander Burgener, Johann Petrus and Augustin Gentinetta 1882 First winter ascent, via the Lion Ridge, by Vittorio Sella’s team 1911 First ascent of Furggen Ridge by Mario Piacenza’s team 1931 First ascent of the North Face by brothers Franz and Toni Schmid 1950 First ascent by a cat (no joke), who famously followed climbers to the summit 1965 Italian legend Walter Bonatti climbs the ‘North Face Direct’, a brilliant mixed route 2013 Kilian Jornet sets a speed record by…

QUESTION I want to try some low-grade rock-climbs. Is it better to start learning how to climb outdoors or indoors? Diane Crow, via email ANSWER Rob Johnson Mic A qualified International Mountain Leader, Rob’s led groups all over the world via his company www.expeditionguide.com I would recommend going along to your local climbing wall and doing an introductory course with them. You will learn how to tie in to a harness, how to belay, some basic climbing movement skills and the foundations of the safety system. You will also get a flavour of what climbing is all about without having to travel too far from home. Having done that you can head outdoors with a few basic skills in place. You might meet people at the wall who you can…

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Size large CAPACITY All packs here have a capacity between 20 and 30 litres and the size is identified by the rucksack name; for example the Black Diamond Bolt 24, has a capacity of 24 litres according to the manufacturer. WAND POCKETS Originally designed for avalanche probes or ‘wands’, these pockets on the side of a rucksack are often made of stretchy mesh fabrics. They are ideal for accommodating the ends of trekking poles as well as smaller items including water bottles or snacks. MAIN COMPARTMENT The entry to the main compartment may be a conventional lid with a buckle or a zip-around closure. There are pros and cons to both, the former having the advantages that there are no zips…

How many tents do you really need? Just one that is well-designed for your requirements, I would say; but choosing a single model to do it all can be a challenge. Vango released the Solis tent series this year for those explorers looking for greater versatility, such as heading into warmer climates or preferring more ventilation, while enjoying a spacious and stable shelter. To meet this demand the tents in this range have mesh inners and can be pitched inner-only or flysheet-only, or they can be combined for a more traditional all-weather shelter. The tents are also built with semi-geodesic pole configurations to make them extremely stable, so they can combat whatever the world’s weather can throw at you. The Solis series consists of the Ostro, Mistral and Sirocco designs,…

Zamberlan Airound Mid GTX worth £155 (see page 77) Berghaus Supalite GTX II worth £150 (see page 76) Memory-Map Android GPS TX4 worth £299 (May 2015) Nikwax summer bundle worth £57 Black Diamond Bolt 24 worth £85 (see page 81) £1,000 OF MARMOT GEAR Kit yourself out from head to toe in the latest Marmot walking gear of your choice. BMC HILLWALKING KIT Hill Walking Essentials DVD worth £16 Organic Lake District T-shirt worth £20 British Mountain Map, Lake District worth £15 ZAMBERLAN VIOZ GT BOOTS Worth £185 FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE PRIZES www.lfto.com/winthisgear To celebrate our Britain’s Mountain Challenges series (see March issue) we’re giving away some gear you see in each movie to one reader. Watch our new ‘Threading the Needle’ film at www.lfto.com/needle…

Deborah Martin Our south-west expert. No-one has a better knowledge of Dartmoor. Peter Macfarlane Lightweight expert, blogger, Arrochar local. Tom Hutton Our Wales guru – his knowledge of Cymru's peaks is unsurpassed. Ronald Turnbull Creator of a whopping 27 guidebooks and 18 unique coast-to-coasts. Jeremy Ashcroft Trail's mountaineering editor, and a veteran of every classic UK route. Chiz Dakin Award-winning writer, photographer and filmmaker. Avid traveller. Kirstie Shirra Guidebook writer and lover of Scotland’s ‘best small mountains’. Dan Bailey Author of Scotland's Mountain Ridges, and a fan of big routes. Hill-bagging stats Walking the Wainwrights, the Munros, the Corbetts or the Welsh 3000ers? These routes have got you covered. Gradient profile We map every route for its unique gradient profile, giving you a pinpoint impression of its progressive steepness and…

ROUTE INFO Distance 12km (7½ miles) Total ascent 990m Time 7 hours Start Wasdale Head Inn (NY187089); fi nish Stonethwaite (NY260139) Terrain clear trails all the way; Climber’s Traverse path leading to The Napes on Great Gable crosses loose exposed ground, and due to possible rockfall from the crags a helmet is recommended. The scrambling comes in short bursts, but it’s quite steep and exposed for Grade 2, with two distinct crux sections: Threading the Needle and Sphinx Ridge Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL4 and OL6; Harvey British Mountain Map (1:40,000) Lake District Guidebook The Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland by Dan Bailey, pb Cicerone 1 NY187089 From the inn follow the path beside Mosedale Beck, then turn right to reach Burnthwaite farm. Pass…

ROUTE INFO Distance 8km (5 miles) Total ascent 926m Time 4 hours Start/finish NC461476 Terrain paths and open hillside; some sections follow cliff edges Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 9; OS Explorer (1:25,000) 447 Guidebooks The Munros, pb SMC, The North West Highlands, pb SMT 1 NC461476 Ben Hope deserves its fame as the most northerly Munro. While it looks to have a blocky wedge shape from a distance, that huge outline breaks up as you draw closer to become a hill full of texture, contours and features. The western face is scarred with gullies whose vertical tears accentuate the height of the plateau beyond and the summit itself tops an impenetrable-looking ridge, which does have a scrambling route along it if approached from the north. That’s an easy enough…

Yorkshire mountaineer Alan Hinkes OBE summited Everest in 1996, days before the events of the movie unfolded. His verdict on the trailer: “It's spectacular – should whet people's appetites for the film, and despite the harrowing events will make people want to climb Everest! Looks adrenaline-packed, exciting, heroic... great mountain views, too. It's authentic in terms of location, and it certainly looks like some of it was filmed on Everest itself. I’d say it looks a bit ’clean’ – slick, sanitised, perfectly packed rucksacks, nice fresh clothes... and I'm not sure about helicopters flying at that altitude! But then things to tend to be dramatised for cinema. Lots of documentaries were made about Everest ’96, and I’m surprised this wasn't made sooner. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”…

My Therm-a-Rest Trail Seat [right]: have had it over 23 years and still going strong: no signs of wear and tear. It makes lunch stops so comfortable no matter what you are sitting on. George Woods My maps, held together with tape. Maybe 20 years old... Richard Eden My Scarpa Ranger boots. Had them for 13 years and they’re still going strong Darren Jones Survival bag. Lucky never to have used it. Mark Privett My left knee. Certainly feels older than the rest of me! Anthony Benson My husband, the very best motivational tool for those very steep bits! Rachel Morris My legs. Andrew Briffett My old army survival compass. Issued in 1972! Mark Westbrook My heart... and it will always be in the Lakes. Brenda Hiller My Supermonkey mascot!…

Prestige Like organic food and hairy armpits, there’s something about merino wool that says authentic salt of the earth. Merino comes from sheep that graze beneath snowy New Zealand mountains. Many synthetics come from oil. Go figure. MERINO WINS! Comfort Synthetic fabrics can feel almost supernaturally light and comfortable. But regardless of how warm and super-fine merino can be these days, there is always the outside chance it might be a bit… itchy. SYNTHETIC WINS! Smell Anything that once wrapped a sheep has to have pretty robust natural antimicrobial properties; Merino is famously resistant to days’ worth of whiff, making it a popular choice for long distance walkers or ‘sweaters’. Synthetic layers are not so blessed, with many manufacturers weaving in microbe-killing silver fibres to try to control smelliness. MERINO…

Being able to walk to a point in the landscape that you can’t see is a key navigational skill and the main purpose of taking a bearing. With your map on a flat surface, locate your current position on the map (point A) and the destination you intend to travel to (point B). Use the ruler on the compass to join these two points, making sure the direction-of-travel arrow on the compass is pointing the correct way (from A to B). Holding the compass in place, rotate the bezel until the red N (north) on the bezel points north on the map (ignore the compass needle for the moment) and the orientating lines are parallel with the north-south grid lines. Check which figure is indicated at the index (a small…

MONTANE YARARA 32 £80 Hot because: The Yarará’s brother, the Medusa, is a regular favourite of Trail’s and a previous ‘Best in Test’ winner. But – and it’s a big but – there was never a women’s version available. Until now. The Yarará is, to all intents and purposes, the Medusa re-tailored for ladies, so you get the same ice axe and pole attachments points, the same comfortable back system, and the same arrangement of internal and external pockets, but in a slightly lighter version that better fits the female form. We say: “It’s spacious enough for a big day with useful pockets and bottle holders giving a great range of storage. It’s also extremely comfortable and fits me well – a big plus as many unisex packs are too…

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ROUTE INFO Distance 17.3km (10¾ miles) Total ascent 963m Time 7 hours Start/finish NC583513 Terrain access roads, paths with rough open hillside sections, moorland and forest Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 10; OS Explorer (1:25,000) 447/448 Guidebooks The Corbetts, pb SMC; The North West Highlands, pb SMT 1 NC583513 Ben Loyal is spectacular: it sits in the most awe-inspiring of landscapes and has an outline that looks like an angry Godzilla rising out of the ground. It’s one of the hardest mountains to drive past, too: if you can’t climb it you still have to stop and point a camera at it. The visual impact is why I’ve chosen the longer approach on foot from Tongue, for the view south from the village. The walk towards it is easy, involving…