Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Trail

I’ll never forget the first time I stood on top of a mountain in full winter conditions. It was Helvellyn, which we’d climbed from the usually dull Thirlmere side, and I couldn’t quite believe what I’d just experienced. We’d had the full kaleidoscope of conditions – sun, snow, cloud, spindrift, wind, sub-zero temperatures – and I’d made every basic mistake a novice winter walker could make. Ripped my trousers with a careless crampon spike, frozen my fingers almost solid by poor glove choice, lost a waterproof dry bag to a wild gust of wind... you name it, I did it. But the rewards I received in return? Wow. Snow does incredible things to our mountains, and for a few magical hours that day the Lake District felt like some distant…

• JOIN A MOUNTAINS FOR THE MIND WALK Mountains for the Mind, Trail’s mental health awareness campaign, reached the roof of Britain in October with our latest group-walk on Ben Nevis. Thanks to the volunteers at Black Dog Outdoors, who organised and led the walk, and our partners at Berghaus and Ellis Brigham who donated some free kit to everyone who took part. Visit mountainsforthemind.co.uk for details of the free monthly walks we’re running throughout 2020. • MAP OUT YOUR MUNRO BAGGING TRIPS To coincide with the centenary of the death of Sir Hugo Munro, and the 40-year anniversary of Harvey Maps, the Scottish mapmaker has produced a cracking new book called The Munros: The Complete Collection of Maps. It’s a peak bagger’s dream, with detailed maps of all 282…

Paul Blick 39,971m “Here’s my wife Tracey and I making a start on Everest No.5 with a walk up Vesuvius. The sun was out and the views were stunning!” Paul Batham 6784m “Over another 1000m gained today for me and my son Charlie (5). Skipton Moor, Sharp Haw and Rough Haw. First time he’s done three in a day, and he’s buzzin’!” Audrey Morgan 21,137m “1031m added to 3rd ascent today by bagging Ben Vane. It might be the smallest Munro but it certainly packs a punch. Bog, scrambling, too many false summits, more bog and rutting deer.” Philip Richardson 18,196m “1000m and three Wainwrights – Birkhouse Moor, Helvellyn and Catstye Cam – along with Striding and Swirral Edges conquered today with the expert guidance of Neil from The Lake…

The global rise of environmental and animal welfare concerns has resulted in many outdoor companies seeking ways to reduce their ethical impact. One area seeing rapid development is the use of recycled insulation. 3M is the latest brand to develop a more ethical product, with its popular Thinsulate insulation now designed to look, feel and mimic the performance of 650-800 fill power natural down. Made from 75% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled material, it’s better for the environment and doesn’t require birds to be farmed for their down. The Sherpa Annapurna Hooded Jacket is one of the first to use the new 3M Thinsulate 75% Recycled Featherless Insulation, and also uses a 100% recycled shell. The materials in the jacket are all Bluesign approved, to ensure they’re independently assessed for their…

An odd thing happened during the wee small hours of Sunday 27th October 2019. People went to bed as usual on the Saturday, but woke on Sunday to find 60 minutes had materialised from somewhere. Not only that, but come Sunday evening they discovered a more significant change to the day: darkness arrived a whole hour earlier. The autumnal changing of the clocks is, of course, an annual event, signalling the arrival of winter’s darker nights. And while a headtorch should have a permanent place in a rucksack (who knows what unplanned event could lead to an unexpected late night?), at this time of year they become a key kit item for even the most modest of hill outings. The beauty of headtorches is in their simplicity. They leave your…

KEY FEATURES ANKLE CUFF The ankle cuff helps prevent mud and grit from entering the boot. It also protects the ankle against being scraped on rocks. The stiffness reduces the strain on the ankle when traversing snow slopes. CRAMPON COMPATIBILITY All the boots featured here are rated as 4-season boots with B2 crampon compatibility, which means they are suitable to be used on level or steep snow and ice slopes for longer periods while wearing crampons. FIT The inside of the boot should be around 13-15mm longer than your foot. Gauge this by putting the boot on without the laces tightened up, and then place your forefinger down the inside of the boot at the heel. Better outdoor stores will measure your feet. The upper should be snug and comfortable…

Standing proud of the Cheshire plain like a piece of a well-known triangular chocolate bar, Shutlingsloe’s shapely pyramidal summit gives it its local name of ‘the Cheshire Matterhorn’. It may be rather shorter in stature, and rather less serious in technicality than its Alpine namesake, but it has a lot to recommend it. Especially as a winter route, when the days are shorter. This route takes a straightforward ascent through the forestry of Macclesfield, then across stone slabs on the moorland. It’s a stiff ascent up surprisingly tall rocky steps onto the summit, but the views are panoramic from the top – to the east over the Dane Valley, north to Shining Tor, and as far west as the Shropshire hills of The Wrekin and Caer Caradoc on a good…

Y Garn rises high, yet quietly modest, among other surrounding peaks of Snowdonia’s bracing Glyderau range. Y Garn (translated the ‘cairn/heap of stones’) is a mountain of contrasting characters, with popular paths stretching steeply up obvious north-eastern spurs from Ogwen Cottage. Its dark cwms and ridges rise noticeably above the head of Llyn Ogwen, while smoother, southerly slopes fall away to Nant Peris and the iconic Llanberis Pass. Could any other mountain occupy such a sought-after plot? This is Monopoly’s Mayfair in richness of views. The vistas take in the drama of two iconic valleys, making for an ever-changing and rewarding journey. This route from Nant Peris keeps the budding winter walker away from steeper, complex aspects and approaches from Ogwen – which is worth noting if recent snows have…

DAY 2 START High Cup Nick. FINISH Greg’s Hut. 1 NY745262 Head north and northeast for around 600m on a path that is intermittent and unclear in places. Continue until you reach a wooden footbridge crossing Maize Beck. From the other side of the bridge, take a north-east bearing over marshland, detouring up and over mounds and small boggy sections. There are minimal landmarks on this section and the boggy ground requires you to manoeuvre around, picking your best line. Continue for about 1km until you reach Mail Sike. Follow the stream, ascending north for a further 1km, before crossing it and then heading uphill north-east aiming for Meldon Hill. Reach the summit plateau and continue north-east to the summit, which has a derelict trig pillar. 2 NY771290 From the…

DAY 1 START Ruined castle at St Andrews. FINISH Roome Harbour. 1 NO513168 Make your way to the ruined castle, and head south-east, past the ruined cathedral, to the second of the town’s big beaches, the East Sands. Head along the back of the beach, and then up onto the cliff tops to pass above the walk’s first sea-stack, Maiden’s Rock. The sea no longer reaches its base, indicating the rise in land caused by the melting of the last Ice Age. 2 NO525157 The whole route is almost without navigational difficulties. After another 1km along the cliff tops, the path drops to the shoreline. Soon it visits the next sea-stack, the Rock and Spindle. This one is black basalt, with columns, as seen on the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim,…

The Ogwen valley in Snowdonia is home to many shattered, rock-strewn mountains. The most prominent of these is the mighty Tryfan. An ascent of this iconic peak, combined with Glyder Fach’s Bristly Ridge and a descent of the Y Gribin ridge weave a mountain tapestry of ‘Bayeux’ proportions. In fact, it’s one of the most enjoyable, fun days to be had in the British mountains – especially if you like getting your hands on rock. This is an out-and-out scrambling day. Most of it is Grade 1, although there are parts of Bristly Ridge that push this to its very top end. So prior scrambling experience is a must as there’s loads to get through on this mountain gymnasium of a route. There is always, however, a yin to any…

WITH A SNAKING RIDGE SURROUNDED BY HIGHLAND GREATS, UNDER SNOW BUACHAILLE ETIVE BEAG IS A FAVOURITE FOR TESTING WINTER SKILLS WALK IT From car park to summit it’s just a measly 3.5km to the summit of Buachaille Etive Beag, but this is one helluva short, sharp mountain hit. With every step of this route in winter you’ll feel like you’re tackling something magnificently epic, especially if you’re new to the Highlands or winter hills. The haul up to the col between the Wee Buckle’s two Munro tops – Stob Coire Raineach and Stob Dubh – provides the option to practice your winter techniques on the lower slopes. From the col it’s possible to bag both summits, but the highest (the most enjoyable of the two) and pictured in the dreamy…

What is there to say about Blencathra that hasn’t already been said? What secrets does it hold that haven’t yet been revealed? What hidden charms can this most obvious of Lakeland fells possibly hide within its saddle-backed slopes? If you’re familiar with Blencathra, you’ll appreciate that these are ridiculous questions. ‘The People’s Mountain’ may have been the subject of its own documentary film, but if you really want to know the mountain, you need to explore it for yourself. And Blencathra offers a wealth of ways to do just that. From the knife-edge thrills of Sharp Edge or the spectacularly backdropped clamber up Hall’s Fell Ridge, to the more leisurely ascent via Scales Fell or the open-sloped wilderness of Mungrisdale Common, there’s more than one way to reach the top…

1 How did you find the time (and money)? “It took some pretty drastic actions and sacrifices. I started by quitting my job, but fortunately they left my position open. I already had my house on the market, so the sale provided me with the ideal pot to fund the project.” 2 Where did the idea for your challenge come from? “From a close friend of mine late last year. We’d initially planned to do the whole challenge together, but on our first climb in Ireland he sustained a back injury and had to pull out. It was a heavy blow just one country in.” 3 What was the hardest part of the whole trip? “Travel and logistics. Getting to all 48 high points, from Iceland to the southern border…

LAKELAND’S BEST BAR? Now you may not expect our new favourite pub to be on a campsite. Neither would you expect it to be called ‘The Quiet Bar’. But nestled in the hills around Ullswater in the Lake District is one of the most surprising finds. Cosy, dark, quirky as hell, the Quiet Site’s Bar is magnificently unique. Once a 17th century barn, there’s a roaring fire, seats made of old barrels, and wall adornments that have to be seen to be believed! Of course, there’s also a wide range of beverages, including offerings from the local brewery and their own ‘The Quiet Pint’ especially brewed for hardy fellwalkers, plus regular music nights too! thequietsite.co.uk/bar SNOWDON PUDDING At the base of Snowdon’s Ryhd-Ddu Path is the Cwellyn Arms, and at…

The limestone of the Yorkshire Dales is riddled with caves and potholes scoured out by aeons of water erosion. The shallower gradients of the western slopes of Gragareth are punctuated with noted potholes, but Yordas Cave is the most accessible of Kingsdale’s caves. Hidden among a small coppice just yards from the road, it can be explored without any specialist caving equipment other than stout boots and a decent torch. Caution is needed, especially after heavy rain, but once your eyes become accustomed to the gloom, a cathedral-like chamber complete with bizarre rock formations and a subterranean stream is revealed.…

1 Take a winter skills course and learn how to plan a winter day, walk in snow, use an ice axe and crampons and avoid areas of avalanche risk (see pg36). 2 Wear winter boots... As well as being crampon compatible, they’re warmer, tougher and will make it much easier to kick steps in snow. 3 ...and warm socks made from a breathable material. You should still have enough room to wiggle your toes. 4 Break trail. Treat a snowed-over path or existing kicked steps as though they are untrodden, as they can quickly ice over. Stamp your way along. 5 Switch leader. Breaking trail is exhausting, especially in anything over ankle-deep snow. Rotate the leading position so that everyone gets a break. 6 Kick steps uphill. When ascending, kick…

PROBLEM My waterproofs aren’t waterproof anymore Waterproof fabrics like Gore-Tex and eVENT work in two ways. One: a durable water repellent (DWR) coating allows water to roll over the surface rather than soaking in. Two: the fabric itself is porous with holes large enough to let vapour evaporate but too small to let moisture in. With time the pores can become blocked and the DWR will gradually wear off so that sweat can’t evaporate and the fabric starts wetting out. A regular clean and reproof is an easy fix. Wash your jacket and trousers using pure soap flakes or specialist cleaner such as Nik Wax Tech Wash. If this isn’t enough to revitalise the DWR, then wash it again with a wash-in reproofer like Nikwax TX Direct. PROBLEM My jacket…

LEASH A leash allows the axe to be attached to the wrist or body for extra security. Some axes come supplied with a leash, but if not then leashes can also be bought separately. HEAD The head is held in your hand when walking, so needs to be shaped for comfort. The pick is used during a self-arrest to prevent sliding down a slope after a slip, or when climbing up steeper slopes. The adze (shovel shape on the head) is used to dig out snow or ice from rock steps or to cut steps into snow. The wider the adze, the more efficient it will be at clearing snow. LENGTH Ice axes typically come in a range of lengths from 50-70cm. For easier ground a good length can be…

A journey along the road to Kinloch Hourn is like stepping through a magical wardrobe door. Steep mountains suddenly rise in all directions and a traveller in the mid-19th century compared this part of the West Highlands with the wilds of Canada or unexplored parts of Africa. Bonnie Prince Charlie marched by in 1746, but the network of excellent stalkers’ paths didn’t arrive until a landowner invested here in the 1890s. Today, one of these zig-zag routes is an easy escalator up the south-facing slopes of Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach and onto an airy crest leading to the summit of Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich. High cliffs look north into wild Coire a’ Chaorainn while views sweep into Loch Hourn and across the peaks in Knoydart. Out west, beyond Ladhar Bheinn, the…

Is this one of the best walking routes in the Lake District? For a characterful journey in the high summits of the Central Fells area, with a rugged feel and striking objectives, one could certainly argue, yes! Alfred Wainwright also valued the qualities of this unique area, especially towards Allen Crags – a ‘delightful walk with excellent views’. Commitment and planning will be rewarded, especially on Glaramara, as the day opens up after a steep start. Any winter snows present will increase time and experience needed, so this is walk for winter sunshine and clear ground conditions underfoot. If the days are short, you will benefit from an early start and still possibly meet some darkness at the end. Once prepped and ready, the rewards just keep on coming; journeying…

If you manage to avoid the notoriously fierce Helm Wind, the hordes of Pennine Way thru-hikers and the all-too-regular adverse weather, the North Pennines can offer easy, enjoyable winter walking with expansive views. The vistas may not be as dramatic or exciting as their Lake District neighbours, but the Pennines do have a few hidden gems: namely the towering Cross Fell, England’s highest mountain outside of Lakeland; High Cup Nick, a U-shaped glaciated valley unlike anywhere else in Britain; and the charming Greg’s Hut, a former miners’ house turned rustic mountain bothy on the flanks of Cross Fell. This route combines all of these highlights in one epic weekend walk, including a wild camp above High Cup Nick and a night in Greg’s Hut. ROUTE 7 Milburn to High Cup…

DAY 3 START Greg’s Hut. FINISH Milburn. 1 NY690354 Turn west out of Greg’s Hut, heading up the rocky path, through a gate and back to Yad Stone and a large stone cairn. Continue west and south-west, now following the trail marked ‘A Pennine Journey’. The path is a wide rocky track, which winds through the moorlands for about 2.5km. Pass a small stone shelter and gradually descend until you reach a grassy section in the track. Here the path bends sharply to the right, next to old mine workings on the left. 2 NY661346 After following the track to the right, it then sharply turns left, almost in a U-turn. Continue descending south-west on the track for about 1km, before going through a gate; 300m later go through another…

DAY 1 START Crail Harbour. FINISH Elie. 1 NO612075 Follow a steep street down to Crail Harbour. Cross the stony beach beyond. Unless the tide is fully in, you can continue over rocks for 200m. Where a smooth slab slants down across your way, just before it there’s a fossil tree stump. It’s almost a metre wide, so difficult to miss if the tide is low enough. A few metres up away from the sea you could spot tracks of a giant millipede of 300 million years ago. But your own track just continues along the shoreline path for 3km to pass the exotic Caiplie Coves sea-stack. It continues for 2km to the next lovely little harbour, which is Anstruther. 2 NO569034 Follow the street along the harbour, and at…

MPOWERD LUCI SOLAR STRING LIGHTS £40 Get that festival feeling on any camping trip with this 5.5m long string of 10 warm white lamps, wrapped up in a neat and portable solar-chargeable unit that doubles up as a mobile power-pack. mpowerd.com GO TRAVEL HYBRID UNIVERSAL PILLOW £10 For long journeys or a more comfortable camping experience, this super-comfy memory-foam topped inflatable cushion packs down to a quarter of its size. go.travel/uk GO YOUR OWN WAY LOCATION MAP CUFFLINKS £20 Carry a little corner of Great Britain with you (on formal occasions at least) with these personalised cufflinks featuring a delicate disc of OS mapping centred on a location of your choice. gyow.org.uk OWN WAY PEAKY PENNANTS £48 Celebrate the ‘Three Peaks’ with this laser cut and hand screen-printed wooden bunting.…

Helvellyn Lake District Dave Maskrey from Derby enjoying a great day on the Helvellyn Horseshoe, with dad Mick behind the camera. Gowbarrow Fell Lake District “A recent weekend in the Lakes with my dog Molly really helped to clear my head. I wore my Mountains For The Mind t-shirts (see pg17), which had a few fellow walkers asking about the cause. I happily explained it to them, and pointed them in the direction of the website”. Thanks Simon Hodson! Coire Gabhail Glen Coe “Typical Scottish weather didn’t dampen our enthusiasm to walk this beautiful trail!” Well done to Justin and Kate Robertson from Hereford, pictured here with mum, grandmother, and great grandmother, Ingrid Robertson. Scafell Pike Lake District Stephen Gregg and crew enjoy summit views from Scafell Pike. Suilven Assynt…

In spring, the clifftop path is rich with wildflowers, especially thrift, which thrives in the salt air. Late summer, when the coastal heath is ablaze with heather and gorse, but its wild and dramatic at all times of year. Look up for birds of prey, including buzzards and kestrels, as well as Cornwall’s emblematic bird, the chough. And look out for seals, dolphins and basking sharks too. Halcyon in fine weather, Land’s End wears a different face in Atlantic storms. There’s no shelter between here and Newfoundland and many ships have come to grief. We begin by Sennen’s Lifeboat station, pass the wreck of RMS Mülheim, continue by Longships Lighthouse and end near Tater-du, where Cornwall’s most recent lighthouse was completed in 1965, following the Spanish coaster Juan Ferrer disaster.…

What do you get if you take the popular Newlands Horseshoe route and turn it inside out? Well, you miss over-trampled Cat Bells: no loss there. But there’s still the narrow bit over Dale Head – in good snowy conditions this gets serious and interesting. There are still the two linked ridgelines, Hindscarth Edge and Littledale Edge. They’re wide, and flat on top, and give easy walking to let you admire the great views on either side. But the real bonus is the third Edge added onto the beginning. Fleetwith Edge is the edge that’s really edgy. It’s sharp, and rather steep, and there are long drops on either side. A bit of snow to cover the summer path, some ice across the rocks, and this is proper mountain ground…

Neuk isn’t just a useful word for if you happen to be playing Scrabble. It also means a useful little corner of Fife, whose coastline was one of Scotland’s first long paths. Three days will take you around the Neuk of Fife, and along the path’s very best section. The walking along the little brown sea-cliffs is as gently grassy as the famous golf courses that lie just inland. The shoreline offers a set of sea-stacks in several rather silly shapes. But it’s also a coast that’s been inhabited for the whole history of Scotland, busy with colliers and saltmakers, merchants and brigands and saints in caves. So every few miles, you’ll come to a ruined castle, or one of the little fishing villages with flowers in the harbour and…

DAY 3 START Elie harbour. FINISH Leven bus station. 1 NO493000 At low tide you could follow the beach past the sea front of Earlsferry, which is the eastern extension of Elie. But the signed coast path follows the main road through the two linked villages, 100m in from the sea. At the end of Earlsferry, fork left (a tall wall on your right) to regain the shoreline. Go around Chapel Ness shoreline and along the beach, to reach the foot of cliffs. 2 NT472999 Here the coast path turns steeply uphill to the clifftop. Alternatively, and not part of the Fife Coast Path, the Elie Chain Walk, Scotland’s only via ferrata route, runs ahead along the base of the cliffs. Expect caves and secret inlets, rock-carved footholds, and chains…

Such is the popularity of Helvellyn, the mountain to which Striding Edge clings, that there will be people who have traversed the Lake District’s most famous ridge walk without even knowing what a ‘scramble’ is. Thanks to various TV and film appearances, national poll success and celebrity backing, Helvellyn, and specifically the Striding Edge route up it, is often somebody’s first foray into hillwalking – perhaps it was yours. And as far as an introduction to scrambling goes, well, it’s a fairly innocuous one. Indeed, it can barely be classed as a scramble, being for the most part horizontal. But that doesn’t mean it can be taken for granted. Striding Edge has wobbled the collies of many a would-be traverser. Yes, in part this is because it beckons the inexperienced…

Sharp Edge, Blencathra LAKE DISTRICT WALKED BY Ben Weeks We had three days in the Lakes. On the first, winter teased us with short flurries of snow beneath low-slung dark clouds. Day two it rained; wet, cold rain. Day three, we awoke to crisp blue skies and a virgin white blanket across the fells. With a morning to play with, a short, quick blast up a wintery Sharp Edge was exactly what was required. It took us twice the usual hour to reach Scales Tarn, deep powdery drifts sapping energy as we, quite literally, waded through them. But up on Sharp Edge every calorie of expended energy was worth it. Axe in hand, crampons scraping on the rocks, this felt like proper, Alpine mountaineering, albeit in the Lake District. Blencathra’s…