Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Trail

We don’t talk about roads very much in Trail . But then, this isn’t just any road. You may already know the culminative charm of the roads that encircle the northern Highlands of Scotland along its remote coast. Recently, however, they were given officially recognised status, becoming the North Coast 500: a monumental route that encircles the top of Britain and takes a drive-by wink at some – actually, most – of Britain’s most mythically high-tucked mountains. Created by the North Highlands Initiative, just two months after it was launched in summer 2015 the NC500 was named as one of the world’s top coastal routes. This month we did it, and you can find out just how good it is on page 40. But even if the outdoor potential of…

Highest mountain climbed? Imja Tse, better known as Island Peak, in Nepal (6189m). Great views of Lhotse Shar, Makalu’s west face, the north face of Baruntse and Ama Dablam’s north ridge. Scafell Pike, Snowdon or Ben Nevis? I’ve been on Snowdon so many times and love it, but I have to choose The Ben via a winter route on the north face. Who’s your mountaineering hero? It would be so easy to go for Mallory or Messner, but mine is actually closer to home. Darren ‘Swifty’ Swift is a climbing buddy of mine and an inspirational mountaineer. Follow him on Twitter @swiftextreme What do you love about mountains? Sun, wind, snow, ice, exposure, adventure; but probably not so bothered about the rain. Most memorable outdoor day? Climbing Puy Redon (1784m)…

England briefly gained a new highest waterfall this winter when a torrent cascaded over the edge of Malham Cove for the first time in living memory. Water that would usually escape through cracks and crevices before reaching the lip of the cliff tumbled into the natural limestone amphitheatre to join Malham Beck, 260ft below. The falls were caused by heavy rainfall courtesy of Storm Desmond and far out-stripped the 100ft Hardraw Force, which usually holds the title of ‘tallest unbroken waterfall’. It’s not uncontested, however, for if you include underground falls, Gaping Gill out-drops them both, plunging 322ft into a pothole. Scotland’s Eas a’ Chual Aluinn meanwhile almost doubles that, dropping 658m – almost four times the height of Niagara Falls – when in spate. Let’s not allow that to…

“The stag stopped, suddenly aware we were watching it...” TRAIL’S ROUTE Distance 10.5km (6½ miles) Time 8 hours Total ascent 1260m Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL39 (formerly 364); Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Crianlarich, Ben Lui & Ben More Start/finish car park in Glen Lochy (NN239278) Never work with children or animals. That’s what ‘they’ say (and I believe Michael Caine may have added Muppets to the list, too). Unless you want to be a teacher or a vet, it could be considered good advice; never walk with children or animals, less so. Many of us may have had our most enjoyable hill experiences accompanied by our kids, canines, or both. But here’s some more useful guidance: never walk with former professional footballers. Ross Campbell won Trail’s inaugural Mountain Photo of the…

“St Sunday Crag is a mountain you have to go looking for.” Have you climbed St Sunday Crag? Don’t worry if the answer is no; most people haven’t. Which is a curious thing. Situated in the camera-friendly Ullswater valley and sandwiched between Lakeland heavyweights Helvellyn and Fairfield, this steep-sided 841m masterpiece of a mountain is one that almost every visitor to the Eastern Fells will have admired from afar, yet few are familiar with. You can see it overhanging the roadless valley of Grisedale from the southern tip of Ullswater, yet it’s when viewed from neighbouring fells that St Sunday Crag’s personality begins to ooze. From high on the Fairfield Horseshoe it angles away to the north-east, long, straight and slender like the fin of a great sea monster. From…

“Things can be solved in the mountains. We can find solace.” Steve Backshall has lived the life that seven-year-olds dream of. His career so far reads like the kind of fantasy wish-list a pack of kids might come up with. Explorer! Travel writer! Wildlife TV presenter! No 9-5 office slog here. Steve was even gainfully employed for a while as the unbelievably titled National Geographic Adventurer-in-Residence. You might know him as a presenter of The Really Wild Show or Deadly 60, a children’s programme about the world’s most dangerous animals, or perhaps as the beaming face of BBC wildlife expeditions. You may not know that he’s also a devotee of the mountains and loves them enough to have written a book about it – Mountain: A Life on the Rocks.…

High Street Height: (2,717ft/828m) Grid ref: NY440110 Bring ’em back? Summer fairs were held on the summit plateau all through the 18th and 19th century but ended in 1835. Boo, hiss... 373m PROMINENCE Ambush! The reason those clever Romans opted not to build a road through boggy, forested valleys and opted for the high, clear plateau instead 100% better than any other high street in the UK Lost a sheep? Find it here. Through the 18th and 19th century, folk would meet on the fell every 12 July to return AWOL ovines High Street: literal name for the Roman road crossing the flat summit England’s only golden eagle lives on the Riggindale crags. See him display in the spring, attempting to attract a mate (sadly for him, they’re all in…

ARC’TERYX ATOM SL HOODY £170 Hot because: It's ’the ultimate summer-weight all-rounder... the perfect always-with-me jacket’. Arc’teryx makes some big claims about this lightweight insulating hoody. Let’s look at the stats. It’s light (285g, men’s M), wind-resistant and packable. It features Coreloft compact fibre insulation for immediate warmth, and stretch panels so it doesn’t restrict movement. This is all good stuff. Clearly it’s not intended as a a heavy-duty winter coat, but how does the Atom SL Hoody perform in its intended arena as a go-everywhere throw-on layer? Hard-to-please jacket connoisseur and Trail editor Simon Ingram has been giving it a whirl... Simon says: Seriously impressive – this is a practical jacket that carries enough insulation to be warm, yet not so much that you can't wear it and walk.…

What’s the best insulation for a sleeping bag? There is no short answer, as natural down and synthetic materials both have pros and cons – making the decision regarding which to choose a complex balancing act. But Marmot believes the best option may be to combine the benefits of both materials in one bag, and if this theory is correct you’ll sleep easy when choosing your sleeping bag as well as when camping. The Marmot Quark sleeping bag features down insulation on the top and synthetic insulation on the base. Synthetic insulation is far more resistant to compression than down, so you need less of it to keep you warm from the ground. Meanwhile, down offers an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, making it ideal for the top of a sleeping bag…

Hill-bagging stats Walking the Wainwrights, the Munros, the Corbetts or the Welsh 3000ers? These routes have got you covered. Gradient profile We map every route for its unique gradient profile, giving you a pinpoint impression of its progressive steepness and the heights you’ll hit. What are the Trail 100? They’re your tick-list of the 100 UK mountains you MUST climb! Download the full list from: bit.ly/trail100 Always take a map on the hill We aim to provide the most accurate information, but you must ALWAYS use an Ordnance Survey or Harvey map on the hill and double-check any directions against it. BEFORE YOU GO... If you’re likely to encounter snow or ice on your walk you need to take precautions. You MUST have ice axe, crampons and the skills to…

ROUTE INFO Distance 23km (14¼ miles) Total ascent 1250m Time 9 hours Start/finish Kentmere, parking alongside village hall (NY455041) Nearest town Windermere Terrain grassy slopes and ridges, all pathed except descending Sour Howes Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL7; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Lake District East Accommodation Maggs Howe Camping Barn, at Point 2 (01539) 821689; Windermere Youth Hostel, Troutbeck 0845 371 9352 yha.org.uk/windermere Public transport Sundays, in summer, Kentmere Rambler bus 519; trains to Staveley, 6km from Kentmere village: bus timetable www.cumbria.gov.uk; 0871 200 2233 www.traveline.info Tourist info Kendal (01539) 735891; Windermere (01539) 446499; kentmere.org Best pub Wilf’s Café at Staveley, open till 5pm daily, speciality nights on some Fridays www.wilfs-cafe.co.uk (01539) 822329 There’s a reason this south-eastern horseshoe walk is so quiet. It’s Ill Bill, the…

Route 10 Hart Fell Route 11 Devil's Beef Tub Route 12 Ettrick Head Moffat is (slightly) famous for four-cornered lumps of stripy sugar: the Moffat Toffee. Also a statue of a sheep with curly horns, and the narrowest hotel in the world. This couthy (comfortable, civilised) wee town lies below some of the Southern Uplands’ highest summits. But it's the uncouth rocky hollows carved out of the hills that give the walking its special feel. The Devil's Beef Tub, great for hiding a herd of cows, staring down into or adventuring up the 'Strait Step' path. The double-dip ridgeline of Saddle Yoke and the sheep-bone ravine of Hang Gill. And the Ettrick Hills, rising steeply above the Southern Upland Way. Moffat: a place you shouldn't pass by – not for…

“This last month has been a bit of a shocker economically,” says Rebecca Heaton Cooper, manager of the Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere. “The flooding was an unprecedented event. But it’s done. And look – we’re not under water.” It’s mid-January and Grasmere is, as ever, exquisite. The famous fells that look down on the village are lit with sunset’s delicate pink. Tearoom lights twinkle. Guest houses glow. Woodsmoke hangs on the chill air. It’s gorgeous. But something is different: nobody’s here. As I walk down the middle of the normally bustling main street, I have it totally to myself. We all saw the impact of Storm Desmond. But now the water has gone, the cruel aftermath is becoming even more serious. The heavy coverage of the most dramatic flooding…

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team (LMRT) jumped to the defence of five walkers who got into difficulties on New Year’s Day, after they came in for some online criticism. The team was called out to two separate incidents on Crib Goch when bad weather blew in earlier than expected, and they safely escorted all five climbers off the mountain. Responding to comments online, LMRT stated: “Even the best-prepared people can find themselves in trouble. This is why it’s important not to judge those who need our support.” They also responded to suggestions for a charge on call-outs, saying: “Charging for rescue would create a financial barrier to the mountains for those who couldn’t afford a rescue. We feel access to the countryside is something everyone should be able to enjoy, no…

BLA BHEINN ISLE OF SKYE Here are brothers Petr and Pavel Kolegar on the summit of Bla Bheinn (Blaven). Petr, from North Lanarkshire, told Trail, “It was a really great day in the mountains. We started the trip at 1am, driving 4¾ hours from home, started our walk in the darkness and then got the sunrise and inversion from the top. An unforgettable moment and another great adventure with Pavel, who came for one week from the Czech Republic.” IMET GOGO ETHIOPIA Pals James Bradley (left) and Paul Nicholson (right) from London pose with their guide DJ on this 3926m summit, during a week in the Simien Mountains. James said, “We got there at the end of the rainy season so the landscape was green and lush (nothing like our…

It’s so quiet. I think I can hear every movement on the hill, like an owl or a fox might. It’s a thick quiet, and every sound marks it like the scratch of a pen on paper. There’s the brush and thud of boots in grass, the rumbling road below, a huff of breath, the scrape of Gore-Tex, and when I stop for a second the quick thudding of my own heartbeat. This kind of quiet doesn’t fall briefly; it’s been around for a while. And yet we’re only 4km from one of Wales’ busiest mountains. Cadair Idris is just across the road, sitting like a jolly neighbour in a deckchair. That’s the start of the party, there and deeper into the Snowdonia National Park, to Snowdon, Tryfan, the Glyderau……

Repair a hole in technical fabric How: Find a circular repair patch or cut repair tape into a circle at least 5mm larger than the hole (square patches will peel upwards at the corners). Carefully cover the hole and allow it to rest overnight. For extra security, paint with seam glue first. Tool kit: Gore-Tex patch or repair tape, seam glue. Stop insulation leaks How: Cut a circular piece of repair tape and slide it under the torn fabric, sticky side up. Press. If strands of down ever poke through fabric, pull them back inside – not out – then rub the area to minimise the hole. Tool kit: Repair tape, scissors, a steady hand! Reproof your waterproof How: Wash in soap flakes or tech soap, such as Nikwax or…

ALPKIT CARBON ULTRALIGHT £45 This pole is not only light on price but also light in weight, making it ideal for many hillwalkers who want to save pounds as well as grams. It has a three-section shaft that’s made from carbon fibre, and it packs down to a respectable 62.5cm so you can easily stash it on your rucksack. The pole locks in place with an internal expanding cam design, while some higher-priced poles have mechanisms that may prove easier to adjust in the long term and prove to be more durable with hard use. The handle is a straight foam design with a reasonable but not the most elaborate strap. The 134cm maximum length is ideal for most users too. There is no shock absorber and none of the…

ROUTE INFO Distance 28.5km (17¾ miles) Total ascent 560m Time 8½ hours Start/finish cycleway car park in Govilon (SO263135) Nearest town Abergavenny Terrain rough and heathery hilltops, tracks and a section of canal towpath Maps OS Landranger (150,000) 161; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL13 Accommodation YHA Llangattock Mountain Bunkhouse (01873) 812307 Public transport trains to Abergavenny; for bus timetables see www.travelbrecon beacons.info Guidebook Walking in the South Wales Valleys by Mike Dunn, pb Cicerone (covers parts of the route) Tourist info Abergavenny Tourist Information Centre, www.brecon beacons.org, (01873) 853254 Best pub The Goose and Cuckoo Inn, Upper Llanover – just off the route within stage 4 (01873) 880277 Think of Abergavenny and you’ll probably think of Sugar Loaf. There’s no mistaking this perky little top; but next time the A40…

ROUTE INFO Distance 14.3km (8¾ miles) Total ascent 1824m Time 9½ hours Start/finish car park at NN145683 Nearest town Fort William Terrain in summer clear ridge paths with short bursts of airy Grade 1 scrambling; in winter however paths may be invisible under snow, edges corniced, and scrambling on An Garbhanach and the Devil’s Ridge, between Sgurr a' Mhaim and Sgurr an Iubhair, becomes Grade I winter climbing, requiring appropriate skill and kit. If icy, the steep descent from Am Bodach also needs great care Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 41; OS Explorer (1:25,000) 392; Harvey British Mountain Map (1:40,000) Ben Nevis & Glen Coe Accommodation Glen Nevis Youth Hostel (01397) 702336; Ben Nevis Inn (01397) 701227 Public transport bus or train to Fort William, then local bus to Lower Falls…

Scotland is spoiled when it comes to dramatic, multi-headed massifs. In the west alone you have Aonach Eagach, Ben Nevis, An Teallach and, in the zoo of spectacle that is Torridon, this: arguably Britain’s most visually gutsy mountain. A vertical zigzag of sharp tops held aloft by ridges so scrawny they can barely take a person, Liathach’s two Munros see Skye’s Cuillin and the rest of Torridon, but also the rest of Liathach – all pinnacles, chasms and height, twisted out like a dragon’s tail. In winter its challenge is magnified to epic – but achievable – levels.…

Is there another way to pronounce this than ‘booby’? Burby? Buhbih? Are they less funny? Anyway, sniggering aside, this is actually quite a handy thing: a simple, wide-mouthed silicone bottle that holds about 500ml of liquid. The fact it’s made of silicone means two things, mainly: one, it’s soft; two, it’s heatproof. You can roll it up once you’ve finished with it and secure it with its own D-gate lock, which you can also use to clip to your kit. You can use it as a hot or cold compress, a hot water bottle, or a pillow if you’re desperate. Or stuff your phone in it and use it as a protective dry-bag. Oh yeah, and you can drink out of it if you can stop playing with it for…

Given the lack of snow in the hills so far this winter, I thought you might like to see an oil painting I did. It was inspired by a day on the Glyderau in early February 2015, when we had fantastic winter conditions and cloud inversions. Let’s hope we have similar conditions this year! If you would like to see more of my mountain-inspired art, please click on this link: tinyurl.com/artbydj David Johnson, via email Big love for the Lakes Regarding [ Trail editor] Simon’s emotive plea for folks to visit the Lake District following the recent floods [page 3, Feb16 issue] I and my partner Chris did just that the weekend following the devastation as we had planned to go and felt it was important to support the area…

GLYDERS SNOWDONIA Here’s Steve Darrall from Four Crosses, Powys. He said, “I took this photo in February 2015, on what must have been one of the best days out I’ve ever had. Castell y Gwynt and the Snowdon range are behind me, along with a full cloud inversion. It was a truly perfect day.” Each issue we’ll be giving away the new Summit 25/38 mattress from Multimat’s Expedition range. New materials make this self-inflating sleeping mat tougher and lighter for durability on unsupported expeditions. Tested to -35 deg C, its wedge profile maximises comfort and minimises weight, while a warm zone improves tog value under the torso. In association with www.multimat.uk.com THIS COULD BE YOU! Send your shots, marked ‘Summit selfie’ to trail@bauermedia.co.uk…

That’s our mountain,” says Highlands guide Gordon Anderson, pointing across a grassy glen to two hulking mounds of quartzite rising from the landscape. Arkle, our 787m peak, looks like a real beast. Standing in this remote spot in the far north-west Scottish Highlands, it feels like we could head in any direction and find a strapping hill to climb. “This is an incredible area,” adds Gordon as we get going. “There’s so much exposed rock. It feels really elemental.” We’re in Sutherland, where hillwalkers are spoilt for choice. Of course, the same could be said for much of the Scottish Highlands. It has some of the world’s most spectacular mountain scenery, which is exactly why I’ve decided to drive the North Coast 500 (NC500). The new ‘500 Miles’ tourist route,…

SNOWDONIA In a nutshell a little walk in gigantic scenery Distance 6km (3¾ miles) Time 2½ hours Start/finish Idwal Cottage (SH649603) Nearest town/village Capel Curig The minute you hear the name, you know you have to go there. Snowdonia’s Devil’s Kitchen, so titled for the way vapour billowing from its cliffs once caught the eye of sailors approaching the west coast of Wales, is a place of fearsome beauty. The Prince of Darkness doesn’t cook his meals here, of course, it’s just very wet and very misty – but the name still feels more than appropriate. Located just a short walk from the car parks and snack bar at the base of the Ogwen Valley, the huge cliffs at the head of Cwm Idwal form what appears from below to…

Brain function The brain is in charge of almost everything your body does. The different parts communicate with each other and the rest of your body via nerve cells called neurons. Alcohol affects the speed of communication, reducing your ability to react to external stimuli by slowing the pace of signals from your brain to the rest of your body. In addition to increasing your reaction times and affecting your balance, alcohol can impair your decision-making capabilities. Not being quick enough to dodge a tumbling rock, losing your coordination on a narrow ridge, or choosing to bravely push on when with a clear head you would opt to turn back could all result from a booze-impaired brain. Thermoregulation Alcohol dilates your blood vessels, particularly those near the skin’s surface, allowing…

RAPTORS & OWLS Golden eagle Where to see it: Lives in the mountains of Scotland, favouring islands, cliff faces and remote glens. There’s currently one English eagle, which can often be seen flying over High Street and Haweswater in the Lake District. When to see it: All year round. Look for displaying birds, with their looping and plunging flights, on fine days in winter and early spring. How to ID it: A huge bird of prey with long, broad wings and a longish tail. It likes to soar and glide on air currents, holding its wings in a shallow ‘V’. Did you know? In Greek mythology, the golden eagle was the personal messenger of Zeus. White-tailed eagle Where to see it: Having been extinct in Britain as recently as 1918,…

A WARM JACKET Designed to be cosy and rustle-free, with muted colours to help keep you covert, the Alondra has spacious pockets and is waterproof, comfortable and breathable – making it well-suited to wildlife watching. PICTURED: Páramo Alondra £300 B BINOCULARS Whether they’re a pocket pair or large and specialist, binoculars are a necessity for wildlife spotting. They’re often used on Trail mountain days to scrutinise far-off specks in the sky or on the horizon. PICTURED: Swarovski CL Pocket 8x20 £320 C FLEECE Wildlife watching requires long periods of sitting still. Make sure you carry enough warm layers to keep you toasty while you wait for those creatures to show up. Choose dark colours, and soft materials that won’t scare ’em off if you move about. PICTURED:…

(stolen) magnifier £5(ish) Used by Sarah Ryan, staff writer Used for 3 years I found this lying around my parents’ house one day, swiftly noted it as a handy thing and, magpie-like, immediately ‘borrowed’ it. It's basically a small magnifying lens attached to a chain long enough to loop around your neck. I’ve held up many a hillwalk peering at beetles, moss and once even a slug. Summit-top views are wonderful but the world in miniature is fascinating too. VERDICT Simple, light and reveals a new tiny world. I don't go walking without it. www.theloupestore.co.uk Scarpa Zodiac £145 Used by Dan Aspel, Trail contributor Used for 1 year First, an admission: I’m fairly evangelical about Scarpa. I’ve been using the same pair of Delta full-leather 3-season boots since…

ROUTE INFO Distance 12.9km (8 miles) Total ascent 900m Time 4¾ hours Start/finish Bassenthwaite village green (NY229321) Nearest town Keswick Terrain country lanes, fields, grassy ridges, path over scree, stony broad summit plateau Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL4; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90; Harvey Super-walker (1:25,000) Lake District North Accommodation wide choice in Keswick; try Brundholme Guest House (01768) 773305, www.brundholme.co.uk; YHA Keswick, 0845 371 9746, www.yha.org.uk/keswick; C&CC campsite, Keswick (01768) 772392, www.campingand caravanningclub.co.uk Public transport trains to Penrith then bus X4 to Bassenthwaite Guidebooks Lake District Fellranger NW by Mark Richards, pb Cicerone Tourist info Keswick TIC (01768) 772645, lakedistrict.gov.uk Best pub The Sun Inn, Bassenthwaite, (01768) 776439, www.thesuninn.org.uk Several place names around Skiddaw have unknown origins, with neither ‘the hill of the archer’ nor ‘the hill of the…

“ The walk up the cwm is remote and atmospheric.” ROUTE INFO Distance 6.4km (4 miles) Total ascent 720m Time 5 hours Start/finish Idwal Cottage (SH649603) Nearest town Bethesda Terrain two Grade I winter climbs and some high-level mountain walking; route-finding in Cwm Cneifion will be testing in poor visibility Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 115; Harvey British Mountain Maps (1:40,000) Snowdonia North; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Snowdonia North Accommodation Youth Hostel in the Ogwen Valley (Idwal Cottage) 0845 371 9744; Plas Curig private hostel (01690) 720225; camping in the Ogwen Valley and Capel Curig Public transport buses Capel Curig - Llyn Ogwen; trains to Betws-y-Coed 08457 484950; www.traveline-cymru.info Guidebooks Climbs and Easy Scrambles in Snowdonia by Jon Sparks, Tom Hutton and Jerry Rawson, pb Greystone Tourist…

Route 7 Fairfield & St Sunday Crag Route 8 Helvellyn Route 9 Place Fell Winter in the Lakes is magical. Where better to step gingerly along knife-edge arêtes dusted in snow, pause along the frozen shoreline of a lake or just enjoy a good old traditional winter Lakeland fellwalk followed by a pint beside an open fire? Glenridding is the perfect base for a winter weekend as it has all these essentials on its doorstep. The ascent of Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge is a classic Lakeland winter adventure, while a walk around Fairfield and St Sunday Crag is a traditional fellwalk that provides the ultimate variety of views. And, if you want something gentler, then a stroll over Place Fell overlooking Ullswater is a delight. TRANSPORT  Train…