Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Trail

High summer is the time of endless opportunity in our mountains. Temperatures soar, days stretch, and the scope of adventure feels almost limitless. We’ve all had a crappy first half of 2020, no doubt about that, but if you’re reading this magazine I know you’ll be doing exactly what I’m doing: making big plans, for big adventures, ready to grab your loaded rucksack and head for the hills when you get the green light. And since we’ve all had so long to wait, we may as well make the most of it while we’re there, right? I’m talking about trips of a lifetime, right here in Britain. Like sleeping wild on one of Scotland’s greatest mountains, coming face-to-face with F-15 fighter jets on a Welsh hilltop, sharing a Lakeland summit…

BAGS OF SLEEP ENJOY MORE COMFY NIGHTS OUT Robens’ new line-up of sleeping bags for 2020 comprises three down and four synthetic insulation ranges. One of the most useful for summer use in the UK mountains is the down Spur 500 (£220). With a comfort limit of -5°C, box wall construction, a neck baffle to retain warmth, a brushed lining fabric with high moisture transport for comfort, and a packed weight of just 1145g, the Spur 500 is also available in a shorter version to provide a better fit and insulation for smaller-framed campers. robens.de A VERY BRITISH CAP From British mountain clothing brand Montane, and sporting the logo of the British Mountaineering Council, this trucker-style Basecamp Cap (£20) is all about the British mountains. Wear it out and about…

Blencathra Lake District “Here’s a picture of my partner Mary, my Collie Tim and our yet to be born son (due in July), on our way up Blencathra last November.” Dean Dawson, Birkenshaw Sgor Gaoith Cairngorms “Here’s my wife Susan and our wee Border Terrier Culter on Sgor Gaoith. This was Culter’s first Munro (he’s done 156 Wainwrights back home in Cumbria) and it was our penultimate hill five days before lockdown. The memory of such a wonderful late winter outing and others like it is helping us through the current crisis – we will return!” Graham Simpson, Cumbria Stac Pollaidh NW Highlands “Me and my 10-year-old son Sean went on a 3-day visit to Assynt last October, resulting in this shot on Stac Pollaidh. He wasn’t keen on going…

Nestled into the crook of Ullswater’s elbow, Martindale is the kind of place that’s hard to describe in words. A summer evening’s walk, high in the fells of this quiet corner of the northern Lakes, was unlike anything I’d experienced; leaving me not with words, but with sounds, feelings and sensations to remember it by. The air in the valley was heavy and still, with the warmth of the day captured in the dry earth like a gigantic storage heater. After hours in the car, I was finally released. Arms liberated of sleeves, the late afternoon sun lifting my spirits, I made the climb to freedom. The route was the Martindale Round, a perfectly shaped high-level horseshoe over Beda Fell and back along Place Fell. The object of this walk…

In 1725, English travel writer Daniel Defoe described the Derbyshire High Peak as ‘the most desolate, wild and abandoned country in all England’. But Defoe was merely a product of his time. Back in the early 18th century, people generally preferred the manicured beauty of formal gardens to raw and untamed natural landscapes. Gradually those attitudes changed, as artists and poets learned to appreciate the awe-inspiring qualities of our hills and mountains. And by the early 1930s, the Peak District was a popular stomping ground. A new hiking craze among the working classes meant that mill and factory workers started to spill out of Manchester and Sheffield, keen to spend their days off rambling on the moors. This notion wasn’t all that popular with the estate owners of the time…

[COOLING ADVICE] 8 TIPS TO COPE WITH HEAT ON HILLS 1 Protect your face! If you’re very fair, this might mean wearing a hat or visor. And don’t miss any opportunity to soak it in a stream and put the sopping thing straight back on your head. Bliss... 2 Watch out for heat exhaustion. Thirst, tiredness, muscle cramps and quicker breathing are all signs you should stop, find shade and drink some water. 3 Drink plenty. Ideally drink before you’re thirsty, and make sure you’re either carrying enough water or have the means to top up. This may mean carrying a small filter or filter bottle. 4 Keep snacking. The salt that you sweat out needs to be replaced too, so munch on salty snacks like nuts or crisps…

The Crib Lem scramble is a rude interlude to an otherwise fair day of walking, with a few more moderate ridges thrown in for good measure. The start and end of the route is a bit messy and might prove to be the hardest route-finding of the trip, but once you access the sprawling valley of Cwm Pen Llafar you’ll know why it’s worth it. The valley offers a feeling of wildness and isolation on a scale that is hard to find in this part of Eryri. You’ll travel alongside the Afon Llafar before scrambling up onto Carnedd Dafydd and then traverse the plateau to Carnedd Llewelyn and Yr Elen, which is a beautiful little mountain. Obviously all this beauty comes with a cost and that is the unfortunate bog-hopping…

High up near the summit of Glaramara, some 6000 years ago, the Neolithic inhabitants of Borrowdale were hard at work. First carving axes out of the fine-grained compressed volcanic ash called ‘tuff’ within Glaramara’s summit ramparts, then carrying them down the valley for trading further afield. It’s hard to spot the remnants of this axe factory, but a lovely rocky staircase to the summit is much more obvious, and in dry weather makes a thoroughly enjoyable introductory scramble. An escape route avoids the scramble, but pick a dry day underfoot for an exhilarating yet relatively easy short scramble to a fabulous viewpoint. Later on, it’s possible to imagine the quarrymen were also giants who played marbles with rough stone boulders, tossing them down into Borrowdale during breaks. With some flying…

1 NT881225 If starting from Hethpool, follow instructions for Route 8 to east of College Burn to the track near Southernknowe. Once there, turn back right across College Burn, then left to Mounthooly. From the car park above Mounthooly, follow the track up the valley. It fades to a grass path past a tin shed, then disappears in grassland. Follow the stream up into the rocky sided ravine. 2 NT881203 At the first waterfall, cross the stream to pass it on the left, then rejoin the stream. Cross and recross the stream as convenient. Two further waterfalls are again passed on their left, before you find yourself in the great open hollow that’s the Hen Hole. Bend right following the main stream up south. Where it abruptly bends left (east)…

Rising from the shores of Loch Earn, the twin peaks of Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’Chroin herald the start of the Southern Highlands. Day one makes the most of their contrasting characters, starting with the straightforward ascent and fine summit views of Ben Vorlich and finishing on more technical and involving terrain. Venturing north, across the shining ribbon of Loch Tay, Ben Lawers – the UK’s 10th-highest mountain – stands amidst six other Munros that make up the Ben Lawers range. Day two ticks off Meall nan Tarmachan, traversing the Tarmachan ridge over the rocky spine of Meall Garbh and its exciting (and avoidable) scramble descent. The final day makes an airy circuit of the three eastern Munros in the range around the spectacular corrie of Lochan nan Cat, taking…

WALK IT There are three really good places to get close to low-flying jets in the mountains of southern Snowdonia – Cad East, Cad West and where this shot was taken at The Bwlch, a mile or two west of Dinas Mawddwy. All are high areas on mountain passes and offer parking and a shortcut to great, eagle-eyed viewpoints. At the Bwlch, head up the slope on the southern side of the road, above the car park. There are a series of rock ledges 100m or so up. These are the obvious vantage points to aim for. The jets will be coming from the east, so look down the valley in the direction of Dinas Mawddwy for the earliest views. Jets are funnelled through this pass on their training flights.…

It’s easy to write Pen y Fan off – it’s busy, the main path’s practically a motorway, and there’s a burger van in the car park. But all this spectacularly misses the point. Firstly, at 886m, Pen y Fan is very much a mountain; the highest in Britain south of Cadair Idris, in fact. And beyond the statistics, what a mountain it is. Formed from Old Red Sandstone, like its neighbours (which can be bagged together on a magnificent horseshoe walk) Pen y Fan wears the telltale horizontal striations of its constitution on its green flanks. The summit is topped by a Bronze Age cairn, and the panoramic view includes the Gower Peninsula, the Black Mountains, the Cambrian Mountains and, on a good day, the summit of Cadair Idris. Little…

PARAMO MEN’S MAUI SHORTS £60 A closer look at the impressive technology in Paramo’s summer legwear for gents, because not all shorts are created equal... • Parameta A Cotton+ fabric is highly wicking, rapidly spreading perspiration over a large area to provide maximum evaporation and keep the wearer cool at higher temperatures. • The cargo pocket also hides a zipped passport-sized pocket to secure valuable or important items when travelling. • The comfortable elasticated waist also has belt loops for a secure fit. • Shaped gusset provides unrestricted movement for walking or scrambling. • The rugged fabric has a tight weave to deter biting insects, and offers UPF 50+ sun protection. • Generous storage comes from a rear zipped pocket, two hip pockets and a pleated map sized cargo pocket.…

The first rule of Bothy Club is… you don’t talk about bothy club. At least it used to be. Once, bothies were something of a cult secret. Relatively few people knew of their existence and purpose, sharing their knowledge in hushed, considered tones to those deemed worthy. You could acquire a full list of the bothies managed by the Mountain Bothy Association by becoming a paid-up member of the organisation that adopts and maintains the network of mountain shelters, but it was an unspoken rule that you didn’t share that information widely. This natural restriction on numbers using the bothies meant that the pressures on them were also limited. But then came the internet, and with it all number of closely held secrets, including the locations and details of bothies,…

Rushup Edge & Mam Tor This classic circuit is one of the most popular walks from Edale, and for panoramic vistas from some of the most iconic viewpoints in the whole of the Peak District it simply can’t be beaten. The route initially follows the Pennine Way out of Edale. Pass through the hamlet of Upper Booth, and from here climb across the head of the valley, crossing Whitemoor Clough to reach Rushup Edge. Follow the ridge over Lord’s Seat to reach the trig pillar at the summit of Mam Tor, the highest point of the day at 517m. Mam Tor is on the southern edge of the Dark Peak and overlooks the White Peak, including the notable dry gorge of Winnats Pass. It links the eastern end of Rushup…

There is always compromise in outdoor gear. If it’s lightweight, it probably won’t be feature-rich; if it’s tough enough to stand up to the worst winters, it’ll be back-achingly heavy; and if it’s super-durable, it might be super-uncomfortable too. But, when it comes to sleeping bags, perhaps compromise is a thing of the past, thanks to Rab’s new Mythic Ultra sleeping bags... The Derbyshire-based brand has seemingly achieved the impossible: boosting the warmth of its bags by a third without adding weight. This ‘miracle’ is achieved thanks to a technological breakthrough. Rab’s Thermo Ionic Lining Technology (TILT) coats the sleeping bag’s fibres with titanium, thus reflecting the user’s heat back into the bag and enhancing thermo-efficiency. It looks like the bag’s silver inner has a reflective, foil-like liner, but the…

If you’ve found self-isolating at home with your partner a claustrophobic experience, perhaps the thought of sleeping next to them in the confined space of a tent sounds utterly nauseating? But hopefully when we’ve defeated COVID-19, and free access to the hills is joyously restored, the idea of a wild camping trip together will regain its appeal. Whether it’s your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, child, best friend or four-legged companion, there’s something special about sharing the good (and bad) times of a wild camp with a loved one. You will laugh together, despair together, support each other, share duties, split the weight of your camping kit across two pairs of shoulders, sleep under the same canvas, and so much more. It’s going to be a memory-forging, happiness-inducing expedition. But how…

KEY FEATURES COMPRESSION STRAPS To cinch in the load for added stability. They can also be used to carry gear on the outside of the pack. Some packs have a top compression strap that can double up as a rope strap. POLE ATTACHMENTS Most hiking packs have external webbing or bungee cord loops at the base for attaching poles and/or axes. Poles are then often held in place by compression straps. MAIN ACCESS The main choices are a zipped opening or a lid with a buckle closure. A lid means there are no zips to break, you can overstuff the bag and you get a handy lid pocket. It usually offers better weather resistance too. A zip offers quicker and easier access to the main compartment. HYDRATION SLEEVE Most modern…

The pyramidal peak of Great Gable is a majestic landmark of the central fells: visible and enticing from many miles around. There are lots of ways to the top, but this varied and involving route is one of the most enjoyable, starting from Seathwaite in the heart of Borrowdale. A tiny patch of green, surrounded by towering fells, this small hamlet has a claim to fame as the wettest place in England. The walk begins with an engaging clamber up the blocky fellside to the left of Sourmilk Gill. The gill itself is a Grade 3 scramble – with a good drenching included – but either way, the ascent is rewarded with beautiful views down Borrowdale from the peaceful plateau at Seathwaite Slabs. There can be few better picnic spots…

Most thrill-seekers visiting Blencathra scramble up Sharp Edge and down Hall’s Fell ridge, or Narrow Edge as it is also known. But there is an argument to suggest they are doing it the wrong way around. After all, the ascent of Hall’s Fell is ‘positively the finest way to any mountain top in the district’, as Wainwright put it, with an exhilarating, direct ascent scoring a ‘bulls-eye by leading unerringly to the summit’. The climb over a succession of craggy rises and along a rocky arête is without doubt delightful – and, mercifully, you never quite feel like the end is nigh. Next, after an inevitable snack break on Blencathra’s summit, comes the descent of Sharp Edge, a classic Lake District Grade 1 scramble. Formerly known as Razor Edge, this…

Snowdon; one of the greatest mountains in Britain, period. The peaks that surround it are a big part of what makes it great and this horseshoe takes in the lot, in one, quicker than you might expect, day in the mountains. This is one that everyone HAS to do. What’s more, whether you like it or not, you can buy and eat an overpriced, poor imitation of a pasty on the summit, while standing shoulder to shoulder with the throngs that make their way up on the train. But hold on a minute, I’m meant to be selling the virtues. No problem, that’s easy, because this IS the Snowdon Horseshoe… Instead of starting at the usual ‘cheat’s’ Pen-y-Pass car park, we’re going to save a few quid and do a…

At around 2pm on Wednesday 25th May 1955, a pair of young British climbers, George Band and Joe Brown, found themselves sitting on an icy ledge at the top of a steep slope. Back home George was a geology student who had recently graduated from Cambridge, Joe a general builder who had left school at 14. If it hadn’t been for climbing, they might never have met, but right now they were partners, spearheading the British Kangchenjunga Reconnaissance Expedition. At around 27,800ft they were undoubtedly the highest men in the world, but they were still some 350ft short of their goal. And that was a big problem because they were way beyond their turnaround time. If everything had gone according to plan, they would have been on their way down.…

“It’s a time to feed our communities with kindness” ROSE MARIE GARE-SIMMONS MENTAL HEALTH NURSE Over the past few months I’ve seen first-hand the significant effects of social isolation and the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental wellbeing. These negative effects have affected us all. We have all, in our own ways, faced disruption to our lives, and difficult and daunting challenges. For most of us, these have been very worrying times; fear for our own health, that of our loved ones and the most vulnerable in our society, along with worries about disrupted education, income and employment. The lockdown has placed lots of restrictions on us at a time of increased stress and anxiety. With this added lack of activity and distraction, plus the loss of social contact and outdoor…

It’s a bit like fishing, the hunting of jets. The right habitat must be chosen, previous knowledge of the quarry gained, weather monitored, a mountain climbed, then with fingers firmly crossed you wait and wait. But when they bite, my God they bite. Jets in the hills have always made my day. Today I’m in search of that brain-numbing roar. Today, this is the sole reason I’m in the hills. Today it’s going to happen… I’m in Birmingham, on the M6 to be precise, and I’ve been in stationary traffic for over an hour. I know the window for my jet-hunting is narrowing. Another half an hour of this and I’ll turn back – I’ll never reach the hills in time. After staring for an age at my Starbucks cup…

One of the joys of going walking is the simplicity of it, and the lack of kit required. But as the desire to explore takes you onto more complex terrain, things get less simple and the kit we need to do it safely increases. At which point, one of the things you’ll probably end up buying is a rope, so knowing your knots and being confident at creating them before you head out is vital. When I teach Mountain Leader training courses we spend a full day playing with ropes, and even at that level we tend to do everything with just one knot – the overhand. This wouldn’t make for much of a lockdown lesson though, so I’m going to teach you four knots that will help you out…

COLLECT OR CARRY? Will there be plenty of options to top up your water, or will you have to carry all your fluid for the day? If you’ll be crossing lots of high streams and passing by tarns, a water filter is lighter than carrying lots of liquid. HOT OR COLD? Is it important, or at least preferable, that your drink remains at its perfect temperature? Insulating bottles will ensure your cold, refreshing water remains so all day. WIDE OR NARROW MOUTHED? Narrow-necked bottles are easier to drink from on the go but are harder to clean. If you intend to fill it with anything other than water, a wide mouth bottle may be best. BLADDER OR BOTTLE? A hydration bladder in a pack is great for carrying large quantities…

The first thing you notice is how big the landscape is. As you begin walking up the mountain track you literally walk into the mountain, which seems to wrap itself around and above you. This is certainly a landscape to be respected. Wilderness Gully West is the last of five gullies that carve lines down the mountainside below the moor that is aptly named the Wilderness. Nothing about this place speaks of gentleness and ease – even Chew Road has its macabre settings, with Charnel Clough and Dead Man’s Layby the two most ominous. Make sure you are ascending the western gully as the four further east require more skill and experience. The gully is passable most of the year, although care should be exercised in winter. There is an…

A little further from the crowds of Snowdon is the playground of the Ogwen Valley. Guarded by the towering Tryfan, what lies beyond are the rugged summits of Glyder Fawr and Fach. There are many frequented routes to the summits with laid paths and well-worn tracks, but some of the best ways to scale these giants is via one of the may ridge routes. If you’re looking to get into scrambling, this is the place to start. Varying in grades and length there is something for all to try their hand at. The ridge of Y Gribin sits between the two summits and leads straight up to the plateau. A straightforward walk-in leads to a section of Grade 1 scrambling before sweeping you up to the top. The scramble can…

The Cheviots are not the Cuillin. In this wild country at Northumberland’s northern edge, the hills are heather and peat, dropping to quiet green valleys. We expect bleak moorland and green riversides, archaeology and wild goats. What we don’t seriously expect is scrambling. However, here and there, the granite does poke through. The College valley offers the ‘hole-some’ way onto Cheviot itself, a rugged entry by waterfalls between the crags of the Hen Hole. To the east, the moorland plateau is decorated with small tors, for another moment or two of hands-on action. The smaller hills are decorated with some of England’s most impressive hillforts, while the valley floor offers a perfectly placed bunkhouse. So you can’t consider your hillwalking education complete until you’ve been to College. ROUTE 7 The…

1 NT893280 Follow the estate road up the valley (fallen stone circle on the right) for 750m, then turn uphill to left of a plantation. Follow the wall around the flank of Great Hetha to a ladder stile, then follow a short spur to the first fort, Little Hetha. Remains of a settlement here. Return to head straight up Great Hetha, with rings of fallen stonework around its top and great views up College Valley. 2 NT885274 Leave the fort on its west side, at a waymark, and head down to follow the gentle south-west spur. Down off its end, join another estate road at a signpost. Follow it down left to Trowupburn. Pass up to right of the buildings, for a green track slanting uphill through gorse to stone…

Sgurr na Stri ISLE OF SKYE CAMPED BY Sarah Ryan, Trail contributor The Cuillin Ridge on Skye – a 12km chain of over 30 sheer, black spears – is for many the jagged crown of UK mountains. And sitting in their crooked arm is a rocky little 494m promontory that is said by some to be the best viewpoint in the UK. Between it and the ridge is Loch Coruisk, accessible only by boat or on foot. Where better to witness the glory of the Cuillin than here, at sunset? I walked up from Glen Sligachan, and just below its summit I found a slab of gently sloping rock almost exactly the same size as my bivvy bag, looking directly into the ring of shadowy alpine peaks. Behind them a…