Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring Issue 2023 i Country Walking

This month I've been… YOU'VE GOT TO be careful choosing heroes, because it's a short step from looking up to someone for what they've done to being blinded by the glamour of who they are. The wrong type of hero creates minions of us, enfeebled by the notion we're not worthy; the right type (to use Lisa Simpson's word) embiggens us all. Yr Wyddfa, Snowdon, is the right type of hero: one that speaks to the smallest and the boldest of us; one that makes us bigger and braver, and gives us a grander view of ourselves, and the world, and all that we might do in it. Climbing Snowdon, by whatever route you choose, places you on a continuum of adventure which stretches to the very apex of the…

LOVED TO BITS More than a decade ago, when living in New Zealand, my Other Half bought me a wide brim outdoor hat from Kathmandu. It soon became known ironically as Sexy Hat, as its neck-protecting flaps gave me a look somewhere south of ‘cool’. But as someone who hates slathering sunscreen over my face, it's been a godsend. It covers everything except the tip of my nose and, though it's getting a tad droopy with age (aren't we all!), I never walk without it in summer. Kathmandu doesn't sell this hat in the UK, but the Decentron is the nearest equivalent I've found. £17.99, amazon.co.uk Matthew Pike, Features Writer…

All three pubs in Wye are deemed ‘worth a visit’ by the Good Pub Guide. Plush en-suite rooms with breakfast at The New Flying Horse (with a pub garden ‘like no other’) cost from £105pn (01233 813414; newflyinghorsewye.co.uk). Getting to Wye by public transport is a breeze: it's an hour and a half from London by direct train (or an hour from St Pancras with a change at Ashford). Ashford-Ramsgate line trains continue to Chilham (see southeasternrailway.co.uk for timetables). You can pick up locally grown, brewed and baked lunch supplies or souvenirs from Wye's farmers’ market, held every first and third Saturday of the month on the green opposite the post office. With 10½ miles ahead of you, you can justify a scrumptious cream tea (£6) at the The Church…

‘can't even put my finger on why it was so special’ My most standout moment was walking into a field full of skylarks during winter with my mum. The birds sang to us all the way along. It was almost a blizzard that day and I can't even put my finger on why it was so special. It was just one moment, one day and one field, and it was priceless. I've shed many a tear remembering that precious moment. It's one I'll cherish for the rest of my life. Jen Louise ‘A rainbow reminded me my friend was still close’ I lost my best friend in early April 2022 to the evil disease of cancer. A couple of days later I was walking around a lake, thinking about my…

#minichallenge1 Show us your badge! #minichallenge2 Pose with your favourite pub snack #minichallenge3 Find an interestingly-named street #minichallenge4 Share an ambition #minichallenge5 Photograph a robin or red squirrel www.walk1000miles.co.uk SEEN YOU'VE WON? Email walk1000miles@countrywalking.co.uk with your address and a pic of you holding this edition to claim your precious!…

Kes the conkercolour Cocker is an inveterate explorer, often finding his way into the unlikeliest of places when we're busy putting the magazine together. In fact he's hiding out in this issue for you to find! Spot him (not on this page) and you could win over £47 worth of Mountain Paws goodies –just email the page number where you found Kes, along with your address, to; ifoundkes@LFTO.com by 24 March 2023 putting ‘Kes Spring’ in the subject line. Congrats to Michele Hart from Uxbridge, who spotted Kes at the pub with Nick on p31 of the February issue, and wins this month's prize! GREAT PRIZES WORTH OVER £47…

1284 Edward I's conquest of Wales was marked by ‘a triumphal fair upon this our chief of mountains’, or so wrote historian Thomas Pennant 500 years later, if true, and if the fair was at the top, it would be the first recorded ascent of Snowdon. 1639 Botanist Thomas Johnson makes the first confirmed hike to the top, but he was more interested in plants than planting a flag: ‘We sat down… and first of all we arranged in order the plants we had, at our peril, collected among the rocks and precipices.’ Botany also inspires the first recorded rock climb in Britain, when two vicars hunting Alpine species scale the cliffs of Ciogwyn Du'r Arddu in 1798. 1766 Artist Richard Wilson paints his most famous view of Snowdon, from above Llyn Nantlle,…

WALK HERE Turn to Walk 3 for 8½ miles touring the sites that inspired Stanley Spencer and Kenneth Grahame. For an easier 3¾ miles, follow the Chiltern Society's ‘Stanley Spencer's Cookham’ walk at bitly.ly/spencers-cookham GETTING THERE Getting to Cookham by public transport is a breeze. Trains run hourly (half-hourly at peak times) from Maidenhead on the Marlow branch line, connecting with the Elizabeth line and mainline services from London Paddington (see gwr.com for timetables). From Monday to Saturday, the hourly number 37 bus runs through Cookham between Maidenhead and High Wycombe (arrivabus.co.uk). Our described walk starts at the National Trust's Cookham Moor car park (P&D, £2 for non-members), about 15 minutes’ drive from the M4 and Junction 3 of the M40 (via the A4094). WHERE TO EAT There's a glut of…

WALK HERE For a turn-by-turn guide with map turn to Walk 1 in this issue. GETTING THERE Belstone is just south of the A30 near Okehampton. Bus 670 runs between the two on Thursday only; bus 6A between Exeter and Okehampton (both of which have rail stations) runs Mon-Sat and stops at Tongue End Cross (¾ mile north on lane) or Sticklepath (1½mile walk through Belstone Cleave). WHERE TO STAY Country Walking stayed at Meadowlea Guesthouse (meadowleaguesthouse.co.uk, 01837 53200) on Station Road in Okehampton, where owners Mark and Lesley make it feel like a home from home with a warm welcome, a guest lounge, thoughtfullyfurnished bedrooms and fantastic breakfasts – big enough to fuel you all the way to Cranmere Pool. Single rooms from £38; doubles from £70. WHERE TO…

INNOVATION OF THE MONTH Gregory launches Plus Size rucksacks Rucksack brand Gregory has launched the industry's first ever collection of plus-size backpacks. The Plus Size Collection was created with input from plus-size hikers, and Gregory say it's not just a matter of resized components but a complete geometrical redesign of the harness and hip-belts to improve fit and reachability. The collection is available now and includes 16-20L daypacks like the Miko and Maya, as well as larger trekking packs. Steph Wetherell, from campaign group Every Body Outdoors says: “Having gear that fits your body shouldn't be a privilege. When you ‘make do’ with what's available but it doesn't fit, your activities aren't as enjoyable, and it can feel like you don't belong. Trying one of the new packs made me…

SOUTH WEST Sixpenny Handley, Dorset Tread back in time across Cranborne Chase on a walk heaving with Roman, Bronze Age and Neolithic archaeology. TURN TO WALK 2 EAST Ely, Cambridgeshire You don't need sea legs for this watery walk along the River Great Ouse from Ely's magnificent ‘Ship of the Fens’. TURN TO WALK 9 WALES Salmon Leaps, Glamorgan Make your way around an Iron Age hillfort to a picturesque series of weirs in a wooded valley on Cardiff's doorstep. TURN TO WALK 16 SOUTH EAST Wye Downs & Crundale, Kent Round off a walking weekend in Wye with bluebell woods and splendiferous views from the North Downs Way. TURN TO WALK 5 NORTH WEST Fairfield, Cumbria Relish the solitude of sidelined Seat Sandal before moving on and upwards to…

ALBUM COVERS FOUND The sunny, swinging 60s were over the moment the world heard the driving rain, mournful bell and doom-laden riff opening Black Sabbath's eponymous album. Splendidly gloomy yet powerfully rocky, the album's considered the founding work of heavy metal, and its cover perfectly captures its almost selfparodic wiccan mood. Shot at 15th-century Mapledurham Mill in Oxfordshire, you can walk to the very spot (grid ref SU669767) on a brief detour from the Chiltern Way. Things to tell your spellbound companion: today the mill houses a micro hydro-electric power station generating 83 kilowatts for the National Grid. And the model's name was Louise.…

IN THE BUSY field of nature writing, Marc Hamer ploughs a furrow all his own. He grew up in a violent home, suffering abuse at the hands of a father he only ever refers to as ‘The Dog’. He found solace and safety in his small back garden, and in particular its shed, where he stumbled upon a set of encyclopaedias and began to read. Somewhere between its pages and the plants in the garden, he developed a lifelong love of nature. It has sustained him through a kaleidoscopic life, which has included a period living homeless in the countryside, a career in fine art, and teaching creative writing in a prison, before he discovered his perfect calling as the gardener of a private estate in Wales. His books A…

…SEE BLACKTHORN BLOSSOM After the false starts of snowdrops and daffodils, spring, for me, begins when the blackthorn blossoms. Hedgerows that have looked scrawny for months explode into life with thousands of tiny white flowers, clustered so tightly the twigs beneath all but disappear. And it's a great source of nectar and pollen for bees in early spring. Given that it's one of the first of our native trees to blossom, it seems strange that folklore associates blackthorn with ill-fortune and doom. I prefer to think its blooming foretells warmer and brighter days ahead. Matthew Pike, Features Writer …SPOT TUMBLING RAVENS Midnight-black from bill to claw, with wings that can tickle fivefeet across, a raven is a bewitching sight. Particularly in early spring, when corvus corax shows off its best aerobatics: barrel…

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SPORTSSHOES.COM 2.74x365 = walk1000miles.co.uk GERRI HICKTON (1) has had three goes at completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge. The first two times she missed the cut-off time for the final summit. Her third attempt was going better until she twisted her knee. This year, she's determined to finally crack it. “I absolutely refuse to fail again!” she declares in defiance. Gerri's one of thousands of #walk1000miles challengers daring to do something colossal in 2023, and the challenge is going to help them do it. Take Karen Ritchie (2) – another with a never-say-die attitude. She was planning a big trip to the Himalayas until she had a fall. This made her more anxious in the mountains, but hasn't dampened her desire to complete her…

THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION! Medals ready are: www.walk1000miles.co.uk/shop ‘I'd done fairly well with my mileage in the early part of the year. Then, on 23rd July I embarked on the Yorkshire Ultra Challenge of walking 100km in one go. But I became unwell and feverish, was encouraged to stop, and did so at the 76km rest point. After that, I lost my walking mojo. With the start of the autumn term I fell further behind, and it didn't make me feel great. In early December I was at 675 miles and I calculated in the time left it averaged 13 miles a day. I hadn't realised how far behind I'd got! ‘But I didn't consider quitting, because I knew how I'd felt after not finishing the Ultra Challenge. I was…

Not for the first time, and we hope not the last, #walk1000miles has kindled a romantic flame between two participants. Lizzie Huckle, formerly of London, and Ben Wright of Swaffham in Norfolk met through the challenge they've been part of for five years are getting married in June. This is their rather wonderful invitation! Says Lizzie: “Ben was so touched when I surprised him with them –CW and walk1000miles have played such a massive part in our relationship so it seemed appropriate!” We wish Ben and Lizzie, and lovers everywhere, the happiest of years and lives. BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH…

Just finished reading the February edition and congratulations again on an excellent read. But Country Walking is more than a read, it's a companion for the month. Not only celebrating the joy of walking, but with added philosophy, history, environment and kit. I especially enjoy the ‘meditative’ aspect to walking you often explore. Walking helps us to a different way of being – more in tune with the ‘now’, the world and ourselves. Thank you. Peter Jordan, by email What a superb edition of the magazine February was. I've read it twice now with its wide variety of very interesting articles. The writing flows and beautifullly keeps the interest of the reader. Really enjoyed the pieces about wildlife too. You all do amazing work, thank you! Ruth Sandall, by email…

The View SMOUT IS NOT a common surname. But it was my grandad's, which is perhaps why the name stood out from the shelf of walking guides. I was in Daunt books in Marylebone, a venerable old travellers’ bookshop, a fine place to while away a happy distracted hour on a sleety, wintry dusk in London town. In the second-hand section, in amongst the battered volumes of voyages to exotic places I would never go was something a little closer to home: West Lancashire Walks by Michael Smout. Maybe a distant relation, I thought. Taking it down from the shelf and dipping in, I saw many of my old stomping grounds from my youth: Billinge Hill, Ashurst's Beacon, Windy Hill; not much more than pimples, really, on the West Lancashire…

DISCOVER Snowdon's quiet side SOME MOUNTAINS HAVE popular routes. Some offer peace and quiet. Amazingly, Snowdon is able to offer both in the same package – and it's this infinite variety that helps to make it the perfect mountain. The most popular routes to the summit attack it from the north (Llanberis Path) and the east (Pyg Track and Miners’ Track). The western side of the mountain is a quieter affair, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, remoteness: the Cwellyn valley, while well served by the A4085 road between Waunfawr and Beddgelert, as well as the Welsh Highland Railway, takes a lot longer to get to than the hotspots of Llanberis and Pen-y-Pass. And it's emptier: there's no large town to act as a buzzy baseeamp packed with accommodation and eateries.…

DISCOVER Snowdon's adventurous side THERE'S AFINE line between thrilling and terrifying, but that fine line is beautifullydrawn on our perfect mountain, Snowdon has a spectrum, running from the simple plod of the Llanberis Path to the jagged insanity of Crib Goch, And we think that when it comes to the uppermost reaches of the ambitions of the average walker – those who yearn for just the right level of excitement but without the horror – there are three routes that fit the bill. THE WATKIN PATH The Watkin Path feels like the ‘back way’ up Yr Wyddfa. It's the only approach from the southeast; at four miles it's a fair schlep; and as it starts virtually at sea level at Nantgwynant, you'll be climbing almost every one ofSnowdon's 3560 feet…

DISCOVER Snowdon's scary side E VERY GREAT MOUNTAIN needs a scary bit. Here's Snowdon's. Let's spell it out: Crib Goch is not a walk. It's a scramble, a full-on mountain route: a mile-long, 3000ft high gable, almost sheer on at least one side (sometimes both) and with rocky pinnacles which cannot be bypassed. Most walkers will look at it and say, ‘nah, you're alright thanks’, and there's nothing wrong with that. But for the thrillseeker who wants to see every possible side ofYr Wyddfa, it's irresistible. The path to Crib Goch (or ‘Red Ridge’) splits off from the Pyg Track at Bwlch y Moch, where careful signage aims to prevent Pyg Trackers making a terrible mistake. The route sets out its stall instantly, with a direct ascent up 1063ft of…

WALK HERE From Spurn Discovery Centre it's a three mile walk out to the point and back the same way. Check tide times first or you might get cut off. GETTING THERE The Spurn Discovery Centre (postcode HU12 OUH) is 25 miles southeast of Hull. No public transport; nearest bus stop is three miles north along coast at Easington, on route 71 (eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk). WHERE TO STAY The Bluebell (holiday cottages.co.uk) is a self-catering flat above the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust office in Kilnsea, with clean and comfy accommodation for four and peaceful views across the fields (from £544 a week in March, short breaks available). Westmere Farm (01964 650258, westmerefarm.co.uk) just up the road gets top reviews for its bed and breakfast (£75 for a double), and self-catering units sleeping two (£140 for 3-4…

WALK HERE Download The Lost Valley at walk1000miles.co.uk/bonusroutes GETTING THERE The walk starts from the main parking area on the A82, grid ref NN170568. WHERE TO EAT, DRINK & STAY There's one big name in town: the Clachaig Inn, down at the western end of Glen Coe. One of the most famous pubs in Scotland, its pedigree as a haunt of walkers and climbers is unquestioned –and it's a damn fine pub too, from earthy Boots Bar to the more refined Bidean Lounge. Mains include haggis, tatties and neeps for £13, while accommodation options include B&B rooms for £175 plus a number of self-catering options. Alternatives include the Glencoe Youth Hostel (01855 811219, hostellingscotland.org.uk/glencoe, beds around £26) and the Glencoe Campsite (campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/glencoe). MORE INFORMATION For general tourist information, go to…

The world's troubles have meant cost and supply issues for most outdoor companies, and especially smaller independent brands. Thankfully, one much-loved British marque has found a creative solution. Heather Rhodes, developer of the unique Pacerpole hiking poles, has been struggling to source quality aluminium at a reasonable price. So instead of selling entire poles, Heather is currently selling ‘tops’ – just the famous handspecific grip system, which can be fitted to the lower shafts of standard poles to convert them Full walking poles test next fe issue! into Pacerpoles. When you order your tops they'll come with full instructions from Heather on how to do the conversion £85 per pair; pacerpole.com…

EVEN THE HARDIEST camper will admit there are times when something slightly more luxurious and permanent is required. (To say nothing of those who will never be convinced by the idea of camping in the first place.) So here is a celebration of some of our favourite non-temporary accommodations; the ones that will form the perfect basecamp for any walking staycation. From good oldfashioned B&Bsto self-catering cottages, right up to ludicrously luxurious hotels, we've got the whole shebang right here. BED & BREAKFAST Amongst it all in the Beacons In the quaint village of Llangorse in Brecon Beacons National Park is a lovely farmhouse with views of the surrounding mountains. Pen-y-Bryn House is in a prime spot for a multitude of great walks, with the Black Mountains to the east…

VIEWFINDER Over the rainbow For the Norse it was a bridge between the worlds of men and gods; to Christians it was a sign from God after Noah's flood. The Hindu god, Indra, used it as a bow to shoot arrows of lightning; in Ireland, a leprechaun guards a pot of gold at its end. For cultures the world over, the ephemeral, bright-striped arc of a rainbow is beautiful and mysterious. The science is magical too (although the poet Keats lamented what he saw as attempts to ‘unweave the rainbow’). When sunshine meets raindrop, the light is reflected and refracted, splitting from the white we normally see into bands of colour according to wavelength. Red has the longest wave and paints the top of the bow; violet has the shortest…

An item you never go walking without. My stick. Having an extra foot on the grounc has helped me out of many tricky situations. It used to be a trekking pole but now it is a far more elegant hickory walking cane. I am trying to age elegantly. What's the best walking snack? I am still working through a big chunk of Christmas cake drenched in brandy and covered in marzipan. My wife bakes the same one every year just for me, so it lasts all the way through until March sometimes. If you could go walking with anyone, living or dead, real or fictional, who might it be? This took a lot of thought but it would have to be Gautama Buddha. I am sure that we would have…

Our accessories partner Trekmates makes superb gloves (from £12-£65) and five winners can take their pick from their entire 40-model range this month. Enter now for your chance to win: walk1000miles.co.uk/trekmatesgloves Win this deuter Speed lite 30 Speedy, light and sustainable the Speed Lite has a vest-style back system, perforated shoulder straps, hip fins, precision sternum strap and 100% recycled, bluesign® certified body fabric. £125 but free to one lucky winner: walk1000miles.co.uk/speedlite Win Scarpa Rush TRK boots Scarpa's Rush TRK GTX (£200) is a benchmark boot that's the culmination of the Italian firm's experience combining soft comfort, solid stability and a lightweight feel. Tough, waterproof, grippy and reassuring: walk1000miles.co.uk/rushtrk…

11 FIND A BENCH WITH AN INTERESTING MESSAGE Happy, poignant or curious: show us a bench with a message, and the view it commands. Thanks to John Spencer for this suggestion (and an excellent example). 12 FIND A TREE WITH THE SAME WAIST SIZE AS YOU Find a tree you could share a belt with. It can tell you how close you are in age. Measure the tree at waist height, note its type and check at tree-guide.com/tree-age-calculator 13 TAKE A POTATO ON A DAY OUT Poor benighted staple food, which grows up in the countryside, and powers much of our progress through it but sees so little of it itself. Put that right for one potato. 14 FIND A FOSSIL Find a piece of the distant past on a walk…

You wrote about the joy of maps. I've loved them since I was a child, and I'm pleased to say my daughter and granddaughter appear to have inherited my passion. However, I've been looking for a new hiking jacket that would accommodate a map, and simply cannot find one. Consequently I keep reproofing my rather old Berghaus as it has a useful and capacious inside map pocket, in addition to a smaller inside pocket that will take my phone. I do use the OS map app, but there's no substitute for the paper version especially when looking at the wider landscape. Is it still possible to buy a jacket with a map pocket, or do I have to resign myself to using a map case, or relying solely on my…

The View GUEST COLUMN I TALL STARTED with a class at Columbia University. It was called Walk This Way. The name intrigued me. I was studying economics and my friends were like, ‘why would you take a class about walking?’ But I am so glad I did. On the first day, the professor said: ‘I want to change the way you think about this very ordinary activity. I want to show that if you think about it a little bit, it will soon seem to be an extraordinary thing.’ And he went on to do just that. He opened my eyes and showed us all that walking is apolitical activity, a philosophical activity, a cultural touchstone. Something that inspires creative thought. At the end of it, I knew I wanted to…

Sarah Dove: “I climbed Snowdon in my Start-Rite sandals in 1967 – the summer I turned 3 years old. Family legend has it I kept saying I would have Jelly Tots at the top and my brothers (5 and 7) were very scathing and saying where did I think those would come from – but I had the last laugh as, of course, there was a shop and I got my reward.” Gemma Jarvis: “I'd always wanted to climb it and one evening in May at 10pm and being rarely child free I thought let's do it. I drove four and a half hours arriving at 2.30am with the aim of watching sunrise at the top. The climb was hard but beautiful, the town lights twinkling in the distance. Made…

DISCOVER Snowdon for all SNOWDON FALLS INTO the category of Things Everyone's Heard Of – and there aren't many mountains in that one. But unlike Manchester United and Jeremy Clarkson, Snowdon's is a ubiquity which inspires universal affection. Not just amongwalkers. Among rockclimbers, mountain-bikers, bloggers; botanists, photographers, BASE-jumpers; litterpickers, school-children, mountain goats; fell-runners, fundraisers, folklorists; from tourists to trainspotters, Chris Bonington to Kevin Bacon, everyone looks up to Snowdon. There are many hills that are good at a few things, few that are good at all of them. None has the consummate crowd-pleasing ability of Snowdon. It certainly puts its Three Peaks siblings in the shade. Because whatever you're doing, doing it on Snowdon makes it an occasion. A primary school class can be enthralled by an account of a…

THE FLESHEATING PLANT Of course, the perfect peak has wildlife, like this otherworldly roundleaved sundew. Each leaf is spiked with crimson tendrils tipped by drops that look like dew. It is in fact glue, stickily snaring any insect that lands, then curling its leaves up to kill and digest the bug, sourcing nutrients from the flesh it can't get from the acidic peat it lives in. THE FASTEST ANIMAL ON EARTH Or, more accurately, in the sky. The peregrine falcon can hit more than 200 mph as it dives for a smaller bird in a hunting stoop; the highest speed yet recorded is 242 mph. It nests on ledges in cliffs and crags, of which Snowdon has plenty, and the eagle-eyed might spot these stripechested raptors circling for prey. THE…

WALK HERE Turn to Walks 17 to 25 in this issue to find turn-by-turn directions and maps for nine different routes on Snowdon. Most are described up and then down — so you can do the same path both ways, or more excitingly you can mix and match ascents and descents from different routes to create your perfect day on Yr Wyddfa. Classic pairings include walking up the Pyg Track and down the Miners'; going up the Rhyd--Ddu Path and down Snowdon Ranger; and climbing up Crib Goch and down Y Lliwedd, but the choice is yours! All nine routes are graded challenging or extreme because whatever your approach, this is a big mountain. But we've added special symbols to help show the difference between the routes, ranking each one…

YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE TO WE TRY TO avoid using outdoorsy jargon in Country Walking, so apologies for the following term: layering system. It sounds terribly complicated, doesn't it? Don't worry, it isn't. Put simply, a layering system means the clothes you put on to stay warm, dry and comfortable on a walk. In other words, an outdoor outfit you can adapt on the hoof. First comes a baselayer for your upper body, usually a sweat-wicking shirt. Lastly, if it's raining, blustery or bitingly cold, you'll probably want an outer shell: a waterproof or insulated jacket. Between these comes a mid-layer, which is a misnomer really, because it can be your outermost layer, and sometimes you'll have it stashed in your rucksack. This catch-all term encompasses fleeces, pullovers, smocks, vests…

SNOWDON ROUTES Routes 17 to 25 are given standard grades plus these numbered special symbols. 1 is an easy, calm and/ or quiet climb and 10 is tough, scary and/or very busy. Our routes grading (below) ranks every route here as at least ‘challenging’. Route updates Elland, W Yorkshire, Dec22, Walk 17 – Point 3: Route to canal closed for roadworks. Detour R along road. L down cobbled Exley Bank. R along A629. R before petrol station (‘Hebble Trail’). Sharp L under A629 to follow towpath under Wakefield Road. Cross footbridge at lock. Down cobbled slope, pass lower lock and follow detour to Stainland Road. Go R to crossing and path around construction site to towpath. R to Long Lees Lock and resume route. If you spot a route which needs…

Forgotten the spatula? Can't find the tent pegs? Not a problem. Glamping gives you the sense of being closer to nature, without having to remember to bring your home with you (and normally with a fair few home comforts thrown in). And thanks to the innovative, creative and often quite wacky folk we have here on the British Isles, our glamping options range from the bizarre to the luxurious. Here are a few options to whet your appetite… Contactless in Aberdeenshire No need to worry about the price of electricity here. Harvest Hut is totally off-grid, so your little gadgets will have to be put away for a few days. Instead you have solar powered lights, a two-burner hob for cooking, and a wood-burning stove. The hut used to be…

SEA TO SUMMIT Sigma Pot Set 2.1 £60 What good is a camping stove without a cooking set to go with it? The Sigma 2.1 - with stainless steel pan, two bowls and two mugs - weighs just 552g and everything packs away neatly into the pan. This, in turn, folds away with the lid locked in place when not in use. The mugs have a removable insulation sleeve to keep your coffee hot for longer. Everything is easy to clean and the set even comes with a dishcloth. seatosummit.co.uk THERM-A-REST NeoAir Topo Luxe Sleeping Pad £200 This is probably as close to a mattress as you can get from a lightweight sleeping mat. At 10 cm, it's the thickest in the NeoAir range and is available in four sizes…