Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Trail

It can be a pretty consuming thing, creating an issue of Trail. So much so that I often can’t keep track of the work we’ve done over the previous four weeks, until I flick back through all 116 pages before we pack it off to the printers. I’ve just done that for this month’s issue and, wow, there’s some cool stuff in here. As someone who can be very guilty of returning to the same peaks and same places too often, I’m forever grateful when someone fires me a reminder that Britain is absolutely ripping at the seams with hidden gems to explore. And they’re never more visible than at this time of year. Take the photo above, for example. It was shot in the Cairngorms, that vast subarctic wilderness…

We have a full range of merchandise available in our online shop, allowing you to show everyone you meet on your hillwalks that you’re a Mountains for the Mind supporter. Plus, each item we sell raises money for our chosen mental health charities. Here’s just some of the gear on offer... PIN BADGES Limited edition metal pin badges that are perfect for pinning to your hat, jacket or rucksack. T-SHIRTS Available in two designs. HOODIES & NECK TUBES Keep warm on and off the mountains. HOLOGRAPHIC STICKERS Pop these on your water bottle, rucksack, or anywhere you want to shout about Mountains for the Mind! ORDER NOW FROM mountainsforthemind.co.uk/shop…

This is the crux of the climb. A steep gully – like a fissure of weakness in Eagle Crag’s rocky defences – unveils a secret line of ascent, a hidden corridor offering hikers safe passage up this otherwise impenetrable crest. Ahead a solitary rowan tree juts out of a cliff-face, drooping into the skyline at the top of the gully, a beacon heralding the location of this difficult-to-find route. On each side grey walls of rock enclose the gully, but in-between is a verdant pavement of vegetation – a soft, kindly, green carpet of moss, grass and bracken guiding me upwards into the Lakeland skies. Heavenly is how Alfred Wainwright often described Borrowdale – and, in solidarity with the old curmudgeon, I too sense the touch of divinity in this…

When I was a kid, I used to disappear into the woods or go on ‘bikeys’ for hours on end. I’d come home late, covered in muck and make up ridiculous excuses to try to avoid getting grounded. I was probably the last generation to finish primary school without the internet. That makes me feel old. But it also makes me feel grateful because I think that as childhoods have become more digitised, something has been lost. Real adventures. Why do you think so many of us are now ‘finding’ the mountains as adults? We’re reconnecting with our inner childhood explorer. Adventure is an essential part of childhood learning. It builds confidence, resilience and decisionmaking skills. It helps children learn the skills to manage risk as they grow into adulthood.…

When he scaled the mountain for the 26th time this May, Kami Rita Sherpa (above) broke two world records – both his own. The record for the most ascents to the summit of Mount Everest and the record for the most 8000m summits, topping 38. Less than a week later, Lhakpa Sherpa, on a crowdfunded expedition, summited for the 10th time, breaking her own record as the woman with the most Everest ascents. On the same day, Full Circle became the first all-black team to reach the summit. Previously, of 6098 people to ascend Everest, only 10 were black. When the team of seven reached the summit, they almost doubled that number.…

■ ASK AN ANIMAL: GROUND BEETLE Why is your belly iridescent? “Hard to say for sure. There are a few possible reasons. We have UV vision, so it might help us recognise mates or other beetles of the same species. It might help us blend in with wet mud reflecting the sky. Or it might be a secondary effect, with the main function being to reduce friction or repel water, so we can move more quickly and easily over rough ground.” ■ PUB QUIZ TRIVIA A What type of rock gives the White Peak area of the Peak District its name? B Who was the first recorded person to summit Snowdon? C What’s the most northerly bothy in Britain? A Limestone B Thomas Johnson in 1639 C Kearvaig, at Cape…

OS MAPS AVAILABLE ON: iOS and Android BEST FOR Detailed, reliable digital maps ■ MAPS FREE VERSION OS Standard base map shows 10m or 20m contours depending on zoom level, plus basic terrain detail. There’s an update coming this summer with extra detail like peak names, spot heights and terrain shading. PREMIUMOS 1:50,000OS 1:25,000 ■ PREMIUM FEATURES Snap-to-path function makes route-planning in National Parks quicker. Works with the free OS Locate app and your phone’s GPS to provide a grid reference location. Plus there are fun features like Aerial 3D maps and route fly-throughs on the web version. ■ PROS No-frills accurate coverage of the UK. The Premium version gives you full coverage of Scotland, England and Wales (plus Australia and NZ), or you can use it to access the…

Top-end tent Because the Hilleberg Saitaris (£2120) has been designed as the ultimate base camp tent for mountaineers tackling remote high-altitude climbs, it offers both tremendous strength and impressive spaciousness. All of this is hugely important if you’re camping in the most hostile environments where you could be required to sit out a storm in your tent for days. It is probably overkill for a summer wild camp in the UK though – even in Wales. Military tech Along with a wealth of GPS tools, the Garmin Tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition (£1400) features a special screen setting for use with night vision goggles, a stealth function that stops storing and sharing your GPS position while disabling wireless connectivity and communication, a Jumpmaster Mode that calculates high-altitude parachuting release points…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 17.5KM TIME 7 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1220M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 5 Fell runners are a particularly tough lot. Where most of us find walking up mountain paths challenging enough, they relish running up steep, lung-busting ascents or risking their necks careering down scree and heather. The Three Shires Fell Race begins from the Three Shires Inn, in Little Langdale, and completes a beautiful circuit taking in part of the Coniston fells and overlooking the glorious scenery of the Langdales. Back in the days before the county of Cumbria came into existence, the route took in the three counties of Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumberland, which intersected at the top of Wrynose Pass. This route is a grand tour offering views over to Windermere and Coniston and towards…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 22.5KM TIME 7 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 850M I blame Instagram. Every time it’s summer, the whole world all goes to the same place and stands shoulder to shoulder on the beach at Durdle Door. To be at this beautiful place in the off-season – with just one or two intrepid walkers, wrapped-up well against the winds of the English Channel – somehow feels like pulling a fast one. But when it comes to sneaking in unobserved, well the guys in the 1700s had the right idea – bringing in the brandy and the fancy French frocks at dead of night to the lonely, stony foreshore, and hauling them up the hidden zigzags along the brinks of the chalk cliffs. It’s a pretty scary place even in daylight,…

DIFFICULTY EASY DISTANCE 8KM TIME 3½ HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 479M Fancy yourself an Edwardian grand tourer, enthralled by ‘Little Switzerland?’ That’s what Lord Byron called the Derwent Valley between Matlock and Matlock Bath, and thus arose an ‘Alpine trail’ linking the two towns via Pic Tor and High Tor. This walk heads out that way, then returns on the other wall of the valley via the Heights of Abraham, home to England’s only Alpine-style cable car. For the truly daring, there’s a detour via Giddy Edge on High Tor, but do not attempt it in wet or icy conditions. 1 SK296602 At the far end of the car park, cross a bus turning circle, emerging on a main road. Turn right and continue to the junction. Cross the main road…

The best long-distance walking trails have two characteristics that make them great: a succession of dramatic landscapes coupled with a broad selection of interesting places to visit along the way. The 347km (215-mile) long Southern Upland Way (SUW), Scotland’s longest Great Trail, scores highly on both. As the SUW cuts across the grain of the country from coast to coast many different landscapes are unveiled: coastal cliffs, high moorland, rolling hills, remote mountains, forests, lochs, mountain streams, majestic rivers and sylvan valleys abounding in wildlife. The SUW passes through regions that are rich in archaeological and historical associations, from prehistoric standing stones to monuments commemorating the Killing Times of the 17th century Covenanters. There are formal gardens and stately homes to visit en route, as well as some of the…

Once upon a time any self-respecting hillwalker wouldn’t have been seen dead in anything but a sturdy pair of brown leather boots. And while lots of us still own and love our old faithfuls, there’s now a whole world of footwear out there tailored to more nimble and comfortable exploration of the mountains outside of the winter season. So, to help you narrow down the search for your feet’s next favourite walking companion, we’ve got a whole host of advice for you, along with our selection of the very best tried, tested and rated footwear available to buy this summer. Look out for our Trail Awards for the products that scored top in our tests this year, including our ‘Tread Lightly’ award that helps you find products that are more…

Could your mountain photo be judged the best of 2022? This year we’ve got over £5000 worth of prizes from Fujifilm and MPB to give away for the top three entries. So, with some even bigger prizes up for grabs than ever before, you’d be daft not to give it a go. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be a professional photographer to win – the mountains are just waiting with a million glorious views for you to capture and get our judges excited. So what are you waiting for? You’ve got until 5pm on Sunday 4 September 2022 to enter up to three images taken in the UK mountains. See opposite page for details on how to enter! THE PRIZES FUJIFILM X-T4* + XF18-55mm, PLUS a £500 MPB…

3 DADS WALKING If you’ve not heard of 3 Dads Walking, brace yourself. These dads each lost their young daughters to suicide. But incredibly they’ve transformed something completely devastating into good. Having walked 300 miles last year to raise awareness and lobby governments for more positive action on suicide prevention, they also raised a whopping £880k to help young suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. And now they’re walking again. This time between the parliaments of each of the UK’s four nations, with the hope of furthering awareness of the biggest killer of young people. To support them or find out more, go to 3dadswalking.uk Patch-tastic Adding to the collection of our very own (and very cool) Trail 100 patches, we’re releasing the next limited-edition collectables, with Helvellyn, Cat Bells, Blencathra and…

Together we raised over £8000! The Trail magazine team want to thank everyone who came along to our charity gear sale at the Keswick Mountain Festival, and helped us raise over £8000 for a charity that does so much to help people improve their mental health through outdoor adventure. As we’ve done many times before, we filled a big white van to the roof with big boxes of our old testing kit, drove it to Keswick, and sold it off for charity at bargain prices. Hundreds of you queued patiently for over an hour in grim Lakeland weather to get into our little tent, but you all did it in great spirits and created a fantastic atmosphere. The money we raised has all been donated to Blackdog Outdoors, who have…

AUGUST 20 DURDLE DOOR AND THE YORKSHIRE DALES August’s Mountains for the Mind group walks both take place on Saturday 20 August, around Durdle Door on the Dorset coast and in the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales. These free events are organised by Mountain Leaders and Mental Health First Aiders from Blackdog Outdoors, and are great places to meet like-minded people at friendly group events. Places are very limited, so get your name down quick! Full details at mountainsforthemind.co.uk…

We all love the mountains, that’s why we go. Giant, timeless monsters that remind us of the true pace of life. They have been here long before us and will still be there long after we have gone. What better way to spend your weekends or holidays is there than hiking in the mountains? Using the power of your legs to climb to the summit, taking in the bird’s-eye view as you look down on all around. That feeling of space and relaxation you get when having reached the top. You stop, sit on a hard rock seat, and take in lungfuls of fresh air. But you can make it all last even longer by spending the night. The best thing wild camping gives you is more precious time in…

Moel Tryfan & Mynydd Mawr Moel Tryfan sits just on the outskirts of Caernarfon. It is a friendly little peak in the heath of Uwchgwyrfai Common and is notable for its rocky outcrop of a summit, which lends itself to a cheeky game of hide and seek! You can wander around the top of the working quarry and even walk through it, but do be careful. Charles Darwin once visited here and it has a very important part in the history of evolution. If your little adventurers are keen, you can explore all the way up to the summit of Mynydd Mawr. The route is a reasonably simple up and down, though it is very steep and passes over some impressive cliffs! Parking near Canolfan y Fron means you can…

Our group – which contains a mix of hardy climber types, hillwalkers out to try something different, and a couple celebrating a landmark birthday who are looking like this might be the most adventurous thing they’ve ever done – is led down the wooded slopes of the Ceunant Llennyrch gorge towards the stone jaws of the canyon through which the Afon Prysor flows. We gather on the bank of the river near a set of natural rock steps. These look like a nice, gradual way to enter the water. There might be a bit of ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘aah-ing’ as the cold water seeps through the wetsuits to meet skin, but at least we’ll be in control of our own speed of submersion. Gently does it. Except that’s not the plan…

Uh oh, I’ve forgotten my sleeping mat and bag we’re far from home! What’s the weather like? Can you safely get back to the car? The weather’s alright but I’m not a confident navigator at night... Okay, find a sheltered position out of the wind and pitch there. Cool, what shall I lie on? Even though it’s lumpy, your backpack can offer a surprising amount of insulation. If it has a removable insulation mat at the back, lie on that and put your feet in the bag. If you have an emergency blanket, you can also wrap yourself in that, silver side in. Use any spare clothes you have to make a mattress. What about heather and stuff? I could make a moss bed... Great – heather, bracken and pine…

THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN OUTDOOR KIT Formula 1 racing brought Ftraction control into our road cars. NASA gave us memory foam. The United States Military invented duct tape (and, to be fair, some other stuff). The point is that lots of the technology we have at our disposal today was once the preserve of elite, specialist use. When it did become available to the general public, much of this technology would have retained an elite price tag; the first sat nav – Honda’s Electro Gyro-Cator navigation unit – cost $2750 in 1981, which is around $8500 or £6800 in today’s money. And now it comes free with your smartphone. All of which brings us to the new UNLTD packs from Osprey, the AntiGravity 64 and the AirScape 68, both available…

With 14 review tents in my kit store, deciding which one to take on my backpacking trips has been a tricky decision over the last few months. But invariably I’ve found myself reaching for the lighter-weight models – those under or close to 2kg for a two-person, 3-season shelter. Why? Because carrying a back-achingly heavy load up a steep hillside is an utter nightmare, and it’s not even necessary with the array of ultralight tents now available on the market. For less than 1kg per person, you can have it all – sturdy weather protection, superb liveability and excellent features, without needing to be Geoff Capes to carry your tent up a mountain. Of course, lightweight tents always involve some level of compromise. Flysheets may not be flush to the…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 14KM TIME 6 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 850M PEAK BAGGER STATS MUNROS 1 Ben Lawers is one of the busiest hills in Scotland. But head out of the opposite corner of the car park and you’ll find something that might be smaller but is altogether more exciting... As a straight up-and-down, Meall Nan Tarmachan is a charming little quickie, eased by its start-point at the 400m contour. But add in the three tops running west and you can create a mini mountain range. There’s a silly little peak that looks like it was drawn by a two-year-old. There’s an airy ridgeline that stretches down hundreds of metres either side but is, sadly, a mere 20m long. And then, for the bold, there’s a little bit of down-scrambling on…

DIFFICULTY HARD SCRAMBLE GRADE 1 DISTANCE 31.5KM TIME 10½ HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1310M This is a fine day out crossing the roof of the Dark Peak. It begins with the ascent to Win Hill and views of The Great Ridge, before moving on to the Kinder Scout plateau and following the northern edge path to descend via a little used route into the Woodlands Valley. Then out onto open moorland and across to Alport Dale, one of the most secluded and beautiful places in gritstone country, and the scramble up to the strange and alluring Alport Tower. The views are magnificent as is the sense of achievement. Stay clear of the tower during nesting season to protect the birds. From there the route follows a gentle amble back across the…

ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ROUTES The Fisherfield Munros are said to be the most isolated in Scotland, so if isolation is your thing, then this is the trip for you. Be under no illusion though, you have to earn them. The Fisherfield Horseshoe is about one of the most demanding one-day routes I’ve done and is not a trip for the inexperienced, especially if you’re going it alone. You’ll need to be fit, skilled and confident to pull this one off. Oh, I almost forgot – we’ll be returning via one of the most impressive mountains in Scotland too, An Teallach. Have you got what it takes? There’s only one way to find out! ROUTE 8 Shenavall walk-in ROUTE 9 Fisherfield Munros ROUTE 10 An Teallach GET THERE Dundonnell is…

AKU ROCK DFS GTX £190 The precision fit of most scrambling shoes is vital for negotiating steep ground but doesn’t make for great walking comfort. AKU’s innovative ‘Dual Fit System’ (DFS) aims to give you the best of both worlds – dial it in on steeper stuff or slacken it off for flatter ground. It works well, creating a closefitting yet comfortable approach shoe, albeit one with a slightly fussy look and some added weight. VERDICT Probably the most versatile approach shoe on the market right now, the Rock DFS is well suited for longer mountain routes that involve mixed terrain and multiple gradients. BLACK DIAMOND MISSION XP LEATHER £130 With lined all-leather uppers and tough rubber overlays, this is a robust approach shoe designed with durability in mind. But…

Sca Fell Lake District Adam Wheeler completing the last of his 214 Wainwrights on a glorious day. Whiteside Lake District “I was so tempted by Grasmoor, but just didn’t have the time! So I thought Whiteside would be a quick win. Turns out it was the hardest 2km I have ever done!” Alice Holden Buttermere Lake District Jamie Flint enjoying the lovely weather in Buttermere, having been up Hay Stacks and Red Pike. “Couldn’t have gotten any wetter, so why not!!” Snowdon Snowdonia “Climbed Snowdon for Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness and for my fatherin-law. Trekked alone, through rain, fog and gale-force winds. Was so proud to make it.” Seainin Doran Cribyn Brecon Beacons “This is me (left) and my uncle Ian (right) on top of Cribyn last month after…

WIN A VANGO TENT WORTH £250 Mountains for the Mind partner ELLIS BRIGHAM is giving away a Vango Mirage Pro tent, worth £250. Weighing in at 3.6kg, this 3-person tent is designed for wild camping. Balancing low weight and high strength, it takes bad weather and uneven terrain in its stride. A freestanding design, its simultaneous flysheet and inner pitching make for fast set-up. ENTER AT: mountainsforthemind.co.uk/ellisbrighamcomp2 CLOSING DATE: 4 August 2022. See website for full T&Cs. Find out how you can join our 16,000-strong community and support the cause at MOUNTAINSFORTHEMIND.CO.UK TURN THE PAGE FOR MORE OF YOUR INSPIRATIONAL STORIES!…

“This morning’s sunrise from the Arrochar Alps. Sat and watched the sun come up with a coffee and listened to the silence.” Kenny Maccormack “Great weekend in the Lakes.”DANIEL HINE “My partner Roy and I have had a really bad time over the last three years. Family issues, my stepmother and uncle passing away unexpectedly, work stress, and the sudden loss of our two beautiful dogs. It has all had a really bad effect on my mental health, to the point where I felt I couldn’t carry on. Finally I got back to the mountains yesterday and what a day it was. I didn’t think about anything the whole day. Roy has only ever walked along Walla Crag in the Lakes and Mam Tor in the Peak District, so I…

In hindsight it’s ridiculous, but I was never overly enamoured with the Cairngorms. They’d always seemed a bit ‘beige’ to me; big and meaty, but without any spice. As someone who prefers Indian or Mexican food over the meat-and-two-veg fare, both metaphorically and literally (I’m of the controversial opinion that the traditional English roast dinner might be the most overrated meal on the planet), I’d found other places I’d rather go – places with pointy bits and spiky bits and ridgy bits – and so shunned the Cairngorms. But gradually I was introduced to the corrie sculpted mountains, ethereal summit plateaus, and deep cut passes that are so unique to this National Park, and my opinion changed. It wasn’t immediate, it took time and familiarity, but I now rate the…

Kenton Cool first summited Everest in 2004. Then he did it again in 2005 after being clocked on the head by a falling rock and requiring stitches. In the 18 years since that first climb he’s guided Sir Ranulph Fiennes to the top, skied down multiple 8000m peaks, and was the first British guide to lead a client to the summit of K2. This year, he summited Everest again, for the 16th time, and it seems unlikely that this will be his last time up there. Days after arriving back in the UK, we caught up with him to find out a bit more about what the world’s highest mountains have had to teach him. 1 Look after yourself so you can look after the team. On my first Everest…

SKILLS, TIPS & TRICKS TO GET YOU HIKING LIKE A PRO 1 Know your base weight. This is the weight of all your essential constants – eg pack, sleeping bag, mat and shelter. Food, water and other items that fluctuate or are only used occasionally (eg sunglasses) don’t count. Packweight is the fully loaded rucksack. 2 Replace the ‘big 3’. When your shelter, sleep system and rucksack wear out, buy lighter options. This is the easiest way to save masses of weight. -5kg 3 Plan your water. One litre of water weighs one kilogram and often it’s this and food which adds substantial weight to your pack. Cut down the amount carried by using an on-the-go water filter and planning your route to pass water features. -1kg 4 Plan your food as…

■ FINE-TUNED SUPPORT The mesh lumbar support on both packs is the 3D Printed Fitscape Lumbar with Carbon DLS (digital light synthesis) Technology. The lattice structure offers graduated support, from firm at the base of the lumbar pad to soft at the top. The high-tech back system offers supreme ventilation, fine-tuned support and anti-slip grip that ensures the pack stays comfortably in place. ■ ON-THE-GO ADJUSTMENT Osprey’s innovative AutoLift System and Fit-On-The-Fly hipbelt allow the fit of the carrying harness to be adjusted on the go, meaning fine tweaks can be made to ensure the perfect fit and ultimate comfort without having to stop and remove the pack. This system also eliminates the need for separate load-lifter straps. ■ LIGHT BUT TOUGH The packs feature ultra-durable high-tech fabrics, including a…

TYPE The most basic bivvy is a waterproof sack that goes over your sleeping bag and sometimes your sleeping mat. Some people find this set-up cramped, claustrophobic, and a little like a body bag, so prefer poled bivvies. These use short poles to lift the canopy – usually over your head – and make the interior feel a bit more spacious. WEIGHT The weight of a bivvy can vary dramatically depending on the material it’s made from and whether it requires poles. You’ll need to consider which is most important: light weight and packability, or comfort and protection. WATERPROOFING & BREATHABILITY A bivvy should prevent you and your kit being soaked by rain or the ingress of moisture from the ground, so the fabric must be waterproof. However, the single…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 23.5KM TIME 8 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1250M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 It’s a lovely walk, is this. Starting out from the Storey Arms, it’s almost always going to be a little busy at first and you’ll have to try to get through the cairn fields of Corn Du and Pen y Fan without tripping over, but if you make it out unscathed, the whole character of the route changes. It gets quieter and you’re left with an expansive and friendly ridge walk over the steep northern slopes and pointed peaks that characterise this part of the park. I’d argue it’s best visited in summer and later in the day to catch the evening light on the return. The navigation is reasonably straightforward, the terrain easy-going…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 12KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 880M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 This is Cnicht for the Snowdonia connoisseur; a magical taste of quiet and rugged ground, and pleasingly logical mountain ridges and shapes. The route enjoys a beguiling valley journey, alongside the waters of Nanmor, seeking shade from native woodland, before crossing the river as the tumbling slopes of Yr Arddu beckon upwards. There is some effort to gain the height of the mini-Scottish feel of Yr Arddu, and contour and map lovers will enjoy route-finding amongst undulating and rocky ground, until the modest heights of Yr Arrdu are reached. From there, the slender shape of Cnicht calls, and this journey enjoys a crosscountry scamper before aligning with a better-known route ascending Cnicht’s bold south-west…

ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ICONIC WALKS It is possible to escape the Three Peak challengers and make it to all three tops, plus bag the county top of Lancashire. This is a wonderful landscape with expansive views across northern England. The weather can be very changeable, so be prepared for anything. Spending three days to complete the peaks means one can enjoy the incredible views across Yorkshire and out to Morecambe Bay and also enjoy what is on offer locally in food, accommodation, entertainment and drink. There are numerous caves and waterfalls to visit too, many situated on the walks, and of course the famous Ribblehead Viaduct to watch the trains cross. A relaxing way to spend a weekend doing the Three Peaks Plus. ROUTE 11 Ingleton to Whernside ROUTE…

ENJOY THE REMOTE SOLITUDE IN ONE OF THE CAIRNGORMS’ MOST FAMOUS CORRIES SURROUNDED BY SPECTACULAR CRAGS. WALK IT The Fiacaill Ridge is undoubtedly one of the highlights for scramblers in the Cairngorms (see page 36), but the corrie above which it climbs is also worthy of attention in its own right. Winter climbers and mountaineers already know this; Coire an t-Sneachda is an irresistible draw to the crampons and ice axes of those seeking icy, vertical challenges among Scotland’s mountains. But even if you’re following more gentle pursuits, the rocky-bottomed, craggy-headwalled corrie is a blissful place to be. In fact, it’s one of those places where just sitting down and absorbing the scenery in a relaxed and unrushed manner is a reward in itself. Take a picnic and a flask…

When it comes to walking footwear it would be lovely to have a boot for every occasion: summer, winter, trails, scrambling, long-distance, backpacking etc. But the reality is most of us have to make do with one or two pairs that do it all. So here’s what to look for in a versatile summer boot… Many boots designed for 3-season use have a lower ankle cuff than a standard boot, saving weight and giving a more flexible feel while still offering some support and protection. The midsole provides cushioning and stability. It is usually comprised of a stiffer shank embedded in foam rubber. Many lightweight spring/summer boots use EVA rubber, which offers a plush feel underfoot, but it does tend to gradually compress over time. For optimum breathability in warm…

SOURCE GOBI £85 The Gobi has become something of an icon in walking sandal territory. Known for its durability and simple design, there are no plastic clips to cause rubbing or discomfort on bare feet. The fully adjustable straps made of wicking fabric allow for good ventilation and anchoring of the foot. The sole is nicely cushioned and able to tackle flatter trails, they’re machine washable and comes with its ‘Green-dot’ guarantee. VERDICT Versatile sandal that looks good enough for the beer garden, but robust enough to tackle easier trails. HOKA SKY HOPARA £95 Neither trail shoe nor sandal, the Hoparas very effectively bridge the gap between the two. With great airflow for coolness and drainage for sploshing, you also get decent protection for the toes and feet and a…