Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Trail

The Trail 100 means a lot to us at this magazine. Not just because it bears our name, but also for what it will mean to each and every person who attempts to bag the century of peaks on this unique bucket list of the UK’s finest hills and mountains. To take the Trail 100 challenge is to make a commitment to yourself; an admission that you’re going to dedicate many weekends, months and even years to chasing your dreams and goals over ragged mountain ridges and on to remote summits where you’ll likely find more eagles than people for company. The original list was dreamed up back in 2007 by a previous (and far more creative) Trail editor, and the fact that it’s now front and centre again only…

• LORNA JOY HODGKINSON “Four years ago I was 4-stone heavier and struggled to walk. Now I’m just short of my 3rd Everest. Thank you to Trail’s Everest Anywhere challenge for giving me a reason to get out. Walking has now become my ‘happy place’. Here I am on Kidsty Pike.” • JILL BLACKWOOD “We have completed so many more hills this year so that I could collect the height! I have a fab group of walking friends, and last weekend we headed up Ben Lomond (pictured) for a couple of the group to complete their first Munro.” • PAUL BATHAM “At just 5½ years old, my son Charlie has completed his Everest Anywhere challenge, getting 19 summits in along the way and completing it within 6½ months. Heading to…

Snow eddied around the windscreen, heaped up behind the wipers, stuck all over glass and was swished away. Hot air was exhaled from the vents with a grumbling hum, and I warmed my fingers on the dry heat as I gazed at a passing landscape crisped in frost. The pure white summit of Ben Lawers, the UK’s tenth highest mountain, was somewhere above, alone in the pale drifting cloud. “THE ‘HILL’ PART OF THE HILL WAS SOON OVER, AND WE WERE INTO THE ‘MOUNTAIN’ BIT” It’s one of the most popular summer climbs in the country, and there are a lot of reasons why it would also make a glorious winter walk. First is its location. Ben Lawers lies amid and slightly to the south of the boggy, irregular, wild…

POWER UP YOUR TENT Much like waterproof jackets, a tent’s water-repellent coating can start to wear off over time. Strong sunshine, heavy rain and the general rough and tumble of being packed and unpacked will all affect its ability to shed water. If it’s started letting in water or wetting out, then it’s time for a reproof. • Pitch your tent outside on a dry day. • If it’s dirty, wash it in a sink/bucket with diluted Nikwax TechWash or pure soap – never use ordinary laundry detergent or a washing machine. • Reproof it with a specialist tent product such as those made by Grangers or Nikwax, following the instructions on the packet or bottle. • Wait for your tent to fully dry (do not tumble dry) before packing…

ATTACHMENT The most basic crampon attachment uses straps at the toe and heel to fit almost any boot. More technical models will have a heel-clip to fit winter boots with a rear crampon welt, while the most specialised step-in crampons will pair a heel-clip with a wire toe-bail to fit mountaineering boots with front and rear welts. SPIKES The number, position and direction of the spikes will vary depending on the intended use. Basic walking crampons will have around 10 spikes that point straight down. For steeper ground, 12 points, with two forward-facing spikes, are more normal. Mountaineering and climbing crampons may have adjustable spikes which are customisable for vertical or mixed terrain. ANTI-BALLING Anti-balling or antibot plates prevent snow building up underneath the crampons, which can raise the spikes…

Cadair Idris is a big mountain in every sense of the word. It towers high above the small town of Dolgellau and the surrounding countryside, with a lofty profile that’s easily identified from miles away. It’s also unique, having steep-sided cirques, or ‘cwms’ as they are known in Wales, to both the north and south of the summit. This walk explores the mountain from the north, where it makes a bold approach via two stunning tarns – Llyn Gafr and Llyn y Gadair. The final push is steep – great fun in winter conditions and a decent challenge at any time of year – and the summit is one of the best viewpoints in Wales, with most of the country’s high ground visible on a good day. The descent is…

This route is a quiet alternative to the increasingly busy Pen y Fan. It’s great when coupled with a night at YHA Brecon Beacons and even better during the week. You will be on for a rejuvenating day of peaceful hillwalking. Do it whatever the weather. If it’s snowy, it’s relatively low-risk compared to, say, a day in the Carneddau – but still do your homework and know what you’re getting into. Even on a non-snowy winter’s day, you might still need to practise your nav! There are a few options to shorten the route, if the weather is too pants, and you can start your day with a filling breakfast at the hostel and finish it with a beer afterwards. And if the weather gods smile, the views to…

For winter walkers, the big advantage of Borrowdale is its amazing choice of hills. If the sun shines and the snow’s crisp under the crampons, you can choose between the biggest in England – Scafell Pike, or Great End or, in the first walk here, Great Gable. But when the wind blows spindrift into whiteout you’ll want probably something less scary. Glaramara gives you an hour or two of toughing it out in the wind and blizzard, before a long, sheltered walk back by Langstrath. But winter also offers low cloud, soggy snow and bitter drizzle. And that’s when you want Borrowdale’s super selection of small ones. It could be Walla Crag, or Cat Bells. But on this occasion it’s Castle Crag above Rosthwaite. Why Castle Crag? Because I lied…

1 NY254142 Head downstream on a wide path to the left of the River Derwent. After 700m, if you enjoy stepping stones, you can cross to the right bank and a track, regaining the left bank via a stone bridge. Or else just stay to the left of the river. After another 250m from this bridge, the path turns away from the river, and then bends right. (Ahead is a gate into woods below Castle Crag.) 2 NY251154 At this right bend, keep ahead up to a gate and stile. The path slants up to the right, then turns directly uphill, steep and reconstructed under some trees. At the top of the wood it reaches a small gate in a wall, then heads straight up open ground to a ridge…

WHERE DO I START? In the free parking bay south of the village of Threlkeld at grid ref NY320246 . The nearest town is Keswick, a few miles west down the A66. WHAT’S THE TERRAIN LIKE? You’ll walk along a mixture of roads, grassy paths, open rocky plateaux, boggy moorland, wide tracks and steep traverse paths. HOW HARD IS THE WALK? It’s long and tiring rather than technical and challenging, so you’ll need good stamina and hill legs. Nothing here to trouble fit, experienced walkers though. WHAT MAP SHOULD I USE? OS Explorer OL5 (1:25k) OS Landranger 90 (1:50k) Harvey British Mountain Map Lake District (1:40k) WHERE CAN I STAY? Loads of great accommodation options nearby, including YHA Keswick, Linnett Hill B&B in Keswick and the Blencathra Field Studies Centre.…

It’s one of hillwalking’s great ironies that should you bag the summits of all 214 Wainwright fells you will have managed one more than their curatorial guidebook author. Helm Crag is the reason. This diminutive fell rises to a modest 405m, but its summit is among the most striking in the Lake District. At its eastern end a blocky lump of rock and boulder make for a fun detour. The leonine profile of this outcrop as seen from Grasmere village gives the feature its name: the Lion and the Lamb. It’s a famous Lakeland sight, but not the top of Helm Crag. A higher outcrop lies at the western end of the ridge. It too has names bestowed upon it from the valley, although differing angles of view have provided…

Beinn Fhionnlaidh Highlands Celebrating a successful summit with a group Tadasana (mountain pose) at the top of Beinn Fhionnlaidh. “It was the first Munro weekend ever for four of our group,” explains Peter Creaney from London. “They seemed to like it, so we think they’ll be back!” Pictured (left to right) are Kate, Zeffira, Georgia, Katie, Sam (Baz), Claire and Simon. Mettelhorn Switzerland “This photo of me was taken by a fellow hiker when I reached the top of the Mettelhorn (3406m) in Switzerland. The Matterhorn provides the backdrop. I achieved over 11,500m of ascent in my 14 hikes in The Valais region of Switzerland, so I achieved the height of an EverestAnywhere as well! According to the Cicerone guide, the Mettelhorn is walkable by hikers. But my mini spikes…

To the uninitiated, the Dark Peak may sound uninviting, yet it holds many adventurous rewards. With dramatic expanses of craggy edges, moody moorlands, secret scrambles and even more secretive caves, this feature-packed landscape really is one that hillwalkers can’t ignore. I walk a lot in the Lakes, and I’ve been very loyal to that part of the world, which meant my Peak District knowledge ahead of this visit was limited. But this just added to the excitement. The chance to explore new surroundings filled me with a sense of adventure. Driving the winding, country road cutting through Hathersage, I marvelled at the views opening up around me. › Lush green moorland, little distant houses that seem to float in the trees... As I gazed into the distance I could picture…

Tour du Mont Blanc, France, Italy, Switzerland Hill-baggers take note: one of the world’s most delectable treks is all about not reaching a summit. Legend has it the Tour du Mont Blanc was publicised by 18th century Swiss geologist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who seems to have spent his spare time wandering in circles around Europe’s highest peak trying to find a route to the top. He stood on the summit eventually (although not before Chamonix locals Michel Paccard and Jacques Balmat had beaten him to it), but it was his perambulations around the foothills that really fired the public imagination. Today, this 170km rollercoaster route is the holy grail of Alpine trekking. Traditionally tackled in an anti-clockwise direction from Les Houches, it packs three countries, seven valleys and 10,000m…

POWDER snow consists of light, loose snowflakes that don’t pack together. Good for skiing, hard work for walking. GRAUPEL rimed snowflakes are hard, round and look similar to hail. NÉVÉ is young, partially melted and refrozen snow. Generally well compacted, stable and great for walking. FIRN is old, partially compacted snow with the texture of wet sugar. The stage between névé and glacial ice. RIME ice is a white, sometimes feathery, crust which forms on the windward side of objects such as posts or rocks when cold water droplets make contact with a freezing surface. VERGLAS is a thin coating of clear ice, sometimes hard to see and treacherous. HOAR FROST effectively looks like frozen dew, and is formed by the condensation of water vapour to ice.…

Here is an interesting idea: winter walking in Scotland, but without summiting any Munros or Corbetts. You can have one Corbett Top (Sron Gharbh) if you must, but this outing is designed for the sheer pleasure (or pain!) of winter walking in Scotland, and requires all the skills and kit to have an enjoyable day out above the glen floor. For the winter walker developing confidence and skills, this journey will certainly test winter navigation techniques in poor conditions. But nowhere will you find very steep or technical ground, like you may encounter across the valley on Glen Coe’s ‘Three Sisters’, for example. Pick a less-than-perfect day, and you’ll want your map and compass at the ready – and be aware of corniced edges while ‘handrailing’ the ridgelines. Or keep…

Don’t be fooled by the mileage and ascent on this route, as you will be walking through some pretty serious peakland terrain. The circuit takes in the lofty and remote summits of Higher Shelf Stones (621m) and Bleaklow Head (633m), and the section between the two tops can be somewhat boggy if it has rained much, and tough going in snow conditions. The walk takes advantage of a high starting point at the Snake Pass on the A57 (512m); and, although the ascent is not great, there is a real ‘middle of nowhere’ wilderness feeling to this walk – and once you arrive at Bleaklow Head you appear to be literally miles from anywhere. The walk makes use of the Pennine Way to return to the start. In misty weather…

First up, the Princetown route features panoramic views and is packed with history, from a Bronze Age double stone row to later industrial ruins and the lowering granite prison of 1809. Medieval stone crosses lead to the 18th century Devonport Leat and a 17th century ‘blowing house’ for smelting tin at Black Tor Falls. Continue via the course of Devon’s first iron railway to Foggintor Quarries and North Hessary Tor (517m). Next up, the Hunter’s Path above Teign Gorge passes under Castle Drogo. Built 1911-30, it looks like a setting from Dracula . Plunging deep into the gorge, the route crosses the sinuous Teign and climbs to the Iron Age Cranbrook Castle. Ancient Fingle Bridge and the Hunter’s Path lead back to Drewsteignton’s thatched pub. Finally, starting by the rushing…

The moss and lichen-covered remains of long abandoned mining buildings. Deep, dark, bottomless blue pools of flooded quarries. An isolated llyn cupped in the base of a wild and remote crag-walled cwm. Views. Views everywhere. Over the Glyderau, into the Snowdon massif, over Snowdonia. These are just some of the features of Moel Siabod and, specifically, taking the Daear Ddu ridge to its summit. That the mountain even has a ridge to be scrambled may surprise some; if the mountain were a clock face, a full 50 minutes would be occupied by unbroken green slopes – flecked with boulders on their upper sections but otherwise featureless. But between the hours of 1 and 3, a 10-minute chunk has been cut from the mountain, and along the southern edge of this…

Hall’s Fell Ridge, Blencathra LAKE DISTRICT WALKED BY Louise Parker Located right on the outskirts of Threlkeld, there’s barely any time to get in a warm-up for this hillwalk. There are a number of paths to choose from out of the village, but they all take you to Gate Gill, which you then cross before heading on up the nose of Hall’s Fell ridge. An hour or so of exciting scrambling offers a bit of hands-on rock action (with options to avoid if you so wish), and brings you right onto the summit. To keep things short for the way down, head east, hugging the crest, and pick up the path for a descent down Doddick Fell. Pause to view the route you came up on, then continue down to…

Nestled in the hills bordering southern Snowdonia is a unique and special place to stay, straight from the pages of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree. Wind your way around the old oak tree, up the spiral staircase, cross the swing bridge, and enter into another world. The six treehouses themselves are works of art. Heated with log burners and well-insulated, they’re even more cosy and appealing in winter. Totally off-grid, lit by solar lighting and candles, with gas cooking facilities, a hot-water outdoor shower and views into the trees, it’s an experience you won’t forget. living-room.co MOUNTAIN DECOR Need more mountain views in your life? Transport yourself to your favourite place without leaving the house with a feature wall. Choose from a range of mountain-inspired wallpapers or design your…

• The three-dimensional cut of the boot has been developed directly on the foot for a natural fit and enhanced comfort. • Mammut has integrated a carbon midsole in the cushioning with its Contact Control Technology, which reduces weight and provides a more sure-footed step. • The Taiss is a B2 boot with a rear heel welt for semi-automatic crampons. • The two-zone shin-to-toe lacing enables the perfect secure fit for a range of wearers. • Vibram Litebase technology allows for a reduction of 40-50% in the thickness of the sole, reducing the weight of the tread by 25-30% without compromising performance. • The raised rubber rand offers 360° protection around the boot, while a Gore-Tex membrane adds reliable waterproofing. • The men’s size 9 weighs just 530g per boot.…

Peak bagging. We love it. Munros, Wainwrights, 3000-ers, Corbetts, Grahams, Nuttalls, Donalds, Deweys, Humps, Tumps… the Trail inbox gets flooded on a daily basis with selfies of you lot grinning on their summits. But here’s the catch with all of those (admittedly excellent) mountain tick-lists – they’re all restricted to either specific mountain regions, or some form of complicated height designation. But what if there was a tick-list out there that was simply a celebration of everything that’s great about the UK’s hills and mountains, no matter how big or small, or where they’re based. A definitive collection of peaks that all hillwalkers must climb at least once in their life. Well there is, and it’s called the Trail 100. First launched in 2007 and hand-picked by the experts at…

1 Check the wind direction with your compass to find out whether the weather is coming towards you or moving away from you. 2 Look out for gigantic, anvil-shaped clouds. These are cumulonimbus, aka storm clouds. Single ones can mean only a short, heavy downpour, but gatherings of clouds mean a more sustained storm is on the way. 3 The anvil generally points in the direction the cloud is moving. 4 Watch for high, wispy cirrus clouds, which often come in ahead of a change in pressure and could signify a change of weather in the next 24 hours. 5 Rainbows in the east in the morning often mean wet weather is on the way. Rainbows in the west in the evening mean the same. 6 ‘Red sky at night,…

Osprey has a well deserved reputation for innovation and quality in its pack design, but what it is perhaps less well know for is the stripped back functionality that’s immediately obvious when you get your hands on the all-new Archeon series. There are four sizes available in men’s and women’s fit – 25L, 30L, 45L (pictured) and 70L (65L in the women’s) – all made from recycled fabrics and metal components that immediately give the packs a bombproof and hard-wearing feel. Those same fabrics are also treated with a durable water-repellent fabric that’s free from harmful PFCs to further enhance its environmental credentials. Most importantly though, what’s the Archeon like to carry? We’ve thrashed the 45-litre version around the mountains of England, Wales and Scotland over the last few weeks,…

It’s not exactly the end of the day, but the premature sinking of the winter sun has brought an early conclusion to daylight hours. And with the departure of the light comes the inevitable onset of the cold. This is a time for welcoming pubs and cosy B&Bs, for wood-burning stoves and hot chocolates, for warmth and rest. But this isn’t always an option. Sometimes journey’s end is a frosty wild camp, or a cold walled bothy. And when packs have been dropped, tents have been pitched, and stoves sparked into action, out come the down jackets. These thick, padded, oh-so-comforting layers don’t bring any heat of their own, but what they do with an effectiveness that borders on the miraculous is trap body heat within the myriad of tiny…

KEY FEATURES WATERPROOFING Wet hands are cold hands. Some kind of waterproofing material or membrane is desirable in gloves that will be used in wet weather or snow-covered environments. FIT Gloves should be snug enough to offer good dexterity, but not so tight that the airspace that retains heat is squeezed. If they’re to be used with liner gloves, the outers should be roomy enough to accommodate them without reducing insulation. INSULATION Winter gloves should contain some form of insulation to trap body heat being lost from your hands. Insulation that stays effective when damp, whether from sweat or water ingress, is preferable. LINERS Some gloves come as a separate inner and outer. This provides more versatility – particularly if the inners or outers can be used separately – but…

The mountains of Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean form part of a chain of peaks, above the village of Crianlarich, that include Stob Binnein, Ben More, Beinn a’ Chroin and An Caisteal. These rugged Munros, seven in total, rise high above Glen Falloch and form an impressive barrier beside the A82. They can all be climbed in one huge day, but picking them off in several bite-sized chunks is far more palatable. Glen Falloch is a delightful spot to begin from. Cut in two by the River Falloch, which runs south-west from Crianlarich to Loch Lomond, the glen’s upper reaches, near the slopes of Cruach Ardrain, are studded with gorgeous strands of Scots pine, while further down the glen is the spectacular 30ft Falls of Falloch. Steep slopes ascend from…

Alfred Wainwright labelled the summit of Helm Crag as better than Sca Fell, Helvellyn and Skiddaw. He waxed lyrical about the summit’s ‘remarkable array of rocks’ that ‘yield a quality of reward out of all proportion to the short and simple climb’. This walk explores all of these rocky wonders – and they don’t disappoint. But getting to the top of them is not for the fainthearted or unprepared, especially in winter. First comes The Lion and The Lamb, a dramatic excrescence on the south-east end of the Helm Crag ridge. It does what it says on the tin – resembles a lion and a lamb – and it is a relatively easy scramble to the top. Indeed, I manage it without too much trouble. But, alas, this isn’t the…

1 NY254142 Take the path south-west alongside the river. After a rocky slab (with chain for assistance) the path follows a field edge, then the foot of Johnny’s Wood. Fork left down to Folly Bridge, and take right edge of field to road beside Mountain View. 2 NY250137 Cross into a farm track. After 100m turn left through a kissing gate, up to a rougher farm track. Keep uphill until the track bends left through a wall; here keep ahead on a path to the right of a wall to open fell. The path slants up the right side of the combe, then follows the broad ridge up south. A short scramble (avoidable to the right) leads to Glaramara summit cairns. 3 NY247105 Head down south, on a path bending…

1 SX589735 Turn right out of Princetown car park and walk past the Visitor Centre. Take the bridleway to the left of the Plume of Feathers and follow it past South Hessary Tor to a clear bridleway junction. 2 SX602708 Turn right and follow the track over Devonport Leat and past old tin workings. Divert left to see Newleycombe Cross. 3 SX592703 Continue along the track. Entering woodland, turn right then left at a path junction. Descend to Leather Tor Bridge, cross and follow the track. After 150m, there is a cave for storing potatoes on the right. It was built by miners, who commonly stayed out on Dartmoor for the working week. 4 SX567698 Only 20m further on, turn right over a stile for ‘Stanlake Farm’. Follow the path…

North of Helvellyn and south of Blencathra lies a broad, undulating ridge, which forms a major spine of the Lake District. It connects a set of mountains that are made for romping over, so shallow are the drops between them that your legs will collect the peaks before you know what’s happened. Clough Head and the Dodds make up this quieter part of the Lakes. Along with huge lead mines, the return route sweeps around to the east, following an old coach road across lonely, empty fells. Save this route for a day when you feel fit, free and positive. If you do, you’ll hoover up a vast area of Cumbrian fells with ease. Days like this don’t come along very often, so embrace it and walk it with a…

WALK IT Stanage Edge is a true icon of the Peak District, with the dark scar it cuts across the rolling green landscape visible for miles around. Most of the main hills in the Peak District are easily accessible by road and public transport, and Stanage is no exception. One of the most popular ways to approach it is from the busy village of Hathersage just a short distance (but a steep pull) to the south-west. However, if you want to get high quickly and enjoy a few hours of fairly level walking on spectacular rocky terrain, pick one of the four car parking areas that run almost along the base of the edge from Dennis Knoll to Upper Burbage Bridge. There are very few obstacles to overcome on a…