Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Trail

Can we make David Attenborough a saint? Can someone be a living saint? For non-religious services to natural history? I think he should, if for nothing more than intoning in the closest thing to the voice of a god we have that plastic is choking our seas and destroying our planet and we should do something about it. And hurrah! People are listening. But here’s the thing, folks. Don’t forget the mountains. A bit like the seas, the hills present logistical challenges to people too lazy or too stupid to carry their waste out with them. There are no bins. Nobody to catch them at it or fine them. And nobody to pick it up – except us. We can dream that in years to come litter will become a…

Andy Roberts: “The Talbot Arms – great range of real ales, bar food, staff very knowledgeable about the beers and excellent customer service!” Johnny Williams: “Try Woodlands House if a group of you want a country house for the weekend!” Alan Thewlis: “Breakfast at the Singing Kettle is superb. Best café in Settle by far!” Liz Moore: “Attermire Scar and Victoria Cave are easily accessible from Settle, and a lovely walk includes both. Catrigg Force and Winskill Stones are also lovely features worth going to see.”…

Q I’ve seen some people holding just the handle of their trekking poles, and others making use of the strap loop. What is the correct way to hold my poles? Ange Marston, Darlington GT says You can, of course, hold trekking poles any way you wish – and what works for you is probably the best method for you to use. But certain scenarios will warrant specific techniques... Firstly, it can depend on the terrain you’re walking on. If you’re crossing bouldery ground you may want to hold the shaft of the pole rather than the handle, as otherwise you would need to keep changing the length of the pole. On general terrain, where you are holding the handle, it is fine not to use the strap loop and this…

As boots have become lighter and more flexible, while shoes have become stiffer and more supportive, it was inevitable that a collision of ideas was about to happen, and the result is the Salomon Outpath Pro GTX. This hybrid design takes the best of both worlds to create a shoe with a soft ankle cuff-gaiter, so it has the low weight and flexibility of a shoe with the ankle protection of a boot. Salomon has designed the Outpath Pro GTX for ‘fast hiking’ and ‘outdoor multifunction’ use, so it’s clearly destined to compete with lightweight trail shoes rather than heavier boots. This is very apparent when you unzip the gaiter to expose what’s under the bonnet, as inside you’ll find a fairly conventional trail shoe with normal laces and a…

...LARGER POCKETS? CMP Fix Hood Jacket £90 / 319g (size 50) • Men’s 46-58 • Women’s 6-20 • Material 2.5-layer ClimaProtect Great price and weight, but what makes this jacket stand out are the massive mesh chest pockets, which are very easy to access while wearing a pack. The hem and cuffs ride up easily and the hood peak is soft but hood fit and movement are excellent. ...LOW WEIGHT AT A LOW PRICE? Berghaus Fast Hike £150 / 219g (size L) • Men’s XS-XXL • Women’s 8-18 • Material 2.5-layer Hydroshell Elite The very thin fabric keeps the weight down, and the two good-sized mesh pockets are just about accessible with a pack but slightly low. The elasticated cuffs are a loose fit and the hood peak is large…

Trail has partnered with Ordnance Survey's OS Maps to bring you the ultimate interactive routes experience. Subscribers to Trail get free access to OS Maps, where you can view and print 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 OS maps at no extra cost, plan your own walks and view this month's routes online. In addition, the free OS Maps navigation app for smartphones and tablets turns this online tool into a powerful navigation aid. Subscribers can upload their own routes, download the routes from the magazine and browse more than 1000 more from previous issues. See page 38 for details of how to subscribe, or visit www.LFTO.com/routes…

14 km/ 8¾ miles 5½ hours Following the course of the ‘Roman Road’ over the summit of High Street and its subsidiary peaks is an excellent undertaking. But it does involve either a lot of footwork, the time-restricting use of public transport or access to two cars to achieve it. If you fancy a simpler approach, the ascent from Hartsop, on the Patterdale side of the range, is a good bet. From the back of this perfect Lakeland village a steep, but easy-to-follow, bridleway conveys you efficiently to the highest part of the High Street ridge. From there on, you can explore at your leisure, taking in the views of the surrounding valleys. When you’ve finished on top, a steady path around the heads – Hayeswater Gill, Thresthwaite Cove and…

Distance 17.5km (11 miles) Total ascent 993m Time 8hrs Start/finish SH662720 Nearest town Abergwyngregyn Terrain Rough mountain tracks. Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17, Harveys Superwalker Maps (1:25,000) Snowdonia North, Harveys British Mountain Maps (1:40,000) Snowdonia North Accommodation Aber Falls Butterfly Rooms Hotel & Cafe, 01248 345871, www.theaberfalls.com Public transport Arriva 5 or X5 bus from Bangor Tourist info www.abergwyngregyn. org.uk Best pub Aber Falls Butterfly Rooms Hotel & Cafe, 01248 345871, www.theaberfalls.com…

20 km/ 12½ miles 9 hours Don’t be hoodwinked by height. Though it doesn’t qualify as a Corbett, Ben More Coigach is one of the greats – a complex massif with several sharp summits and an interesting rocky ridge. The satellite peaks are actually more impressive than the main summit. Sgurr an Fhidhleir boasts its famous Fiddler’s Nose, and Garbh Choireachan features a huge wall rising straight from sea level to a narrow crest. With the tide washing one side of the mountain, and a series of inland lochs on the other, Ben More Coigach feels like an island. Make the most of this unique coastal setting with the stunning Postie’s Path route. Before a road was built to connect Coigach to the outside world this was the way most…

Distance 17.7km (11 miles) Total ascent 1054m Time 6½ hours Start/finish Small car park in-between Muirfad and Strathmaddie, 4 miles south-east of Newton Stewart and 3½ miles north of Creetown ( NX463632) Nearest town Newton Stewart Terrain A clear path all the way to the summit of Cairnsmore of Fleet. Beyond this it’s predominantly pathless. There are some steep ascents and descents Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) 319, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 83 Accommodation Creebridge House Hotel, 01671 402121, www.creebridge.co.ukStables Guest House, 01671 402157, www.stablesguesthouse.com Newton Stewart Youth Hostel, 01671 402211, www.syha.org.uk Public transport No bus to the start Guidebooks 25 Walks: The Galloway Coast by Keith Fergus, pb Catkin Press Tourist info Kirroughtree, 01671 402165 Best pub The Crown Hotel, Newton Stewart, 01671 402727…

“It is a long mountaineering scramble with no route-finding problems” Brian Evens, Scrambles in the Lake District Vol I “Almost in any direction there is an exhilarating scramble, and you emerge on the summit with the distinct feeling of climbing on ground that has never before had a human footprint” Bob Allen, On High Lakeland Fells “Ill Crag is the third of the Scafell Pikes, and the most shapely” Alfred Wainwright, Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells – The Southern Fells…

When I first took my friend Claire walking in North Wales, I wanted to share with her the comforting delight of sleeping outdoors, as well as the exhilaration of the hills. I wanted us to bound along with super light packs and I did not want to spend a lot of money. Setting up our base at a quiet campsite would give us comfort and freedom on a low budget. The perfect primer for my plan to win her over to walking forever. We found one in a dappled patch beneath Scots Pines with a stream splash-sploshing nearby and arrived as the sky faded to a dusky rose. Because we didn’t have to carry it far, we brought a big tent with room enough to arrange two large comfy beds.…

LIGHTING The size of a cricket ball, the Black Diamond Moji (£20, www.blackdiamondequipment.com) can fill a tent with up to 100 lumens of soft, white light, sitting stably on its base or hanging from hooks. You’ll also need a hands-free light source for night-time excursions, so have a headtorch like the Petzl Tikkina (£20, www.petzl.com) close at hand. SEATING Treat your bum and give your feet a rest with a folding chair. The bulky beach variety can take up a lot of space in a small car, but thankfully there are more compact options available, like the Helinox Chair One (£95, www.helinox.eu). Not much bigger than a drinks flask when stowed, its lightweight alloy frame niftily folds out into a comfy seat. COOKWARE Cooking up a feast requires a comprehensive…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... When Dickens wrote those famous words he was talking about London and Paris in the time of the French Revolution. But he could just as easily have been talking about my experiences of wild camping in the Lakes and Peaks. Sleeping in a tent high above the intake wall has brought me closer to the bosom of the hills than I’ve ever felt before, thrilled me with skies aflame and great gulfs of solitude, and yet it’s also something that has sent me running into the arms of civilisation – to warm towels and chips and telly – with almost as much ecstatic gratitude. Wild camping is no more guaranteed an emotional poster-moment than a family holiday at…

SLEEPING MAT Sleeping mats make hard ground bearable, while the air space they create reduces heat loss. 6cm thick when inflated and bottle-sized when stowed, the 350g Thermarest NeoAir XLite (£145, www.thermarest.com), also traps radiant heat. More basic is the foam Multimat Discovery 10 XL (£20, www.multimat.uk.com), or opt for a self-inflating mat, like Vango's Trek 3 Standard (£30, www.vango.co.uk). WATER PURIFICATION You'll need to purify potentially microbe-riddled water before drinking it. Do this by boiling it, adding Chlorine Dioxide tablets (£11, www.lifesystems.co.uk) or using a compact filter like the Sawyer Mini (above, £30, www.sawyer.com), which removes nearly all bacteria and protozoa. Heavy-duty filters, like the Katadyn Vario Micro Filter (£115, www.katadyn.com)are quicker and sift out chemical pollutants too. BIVVY BAG Camping minimalists forego a tent in favour of a…

With Ben Fogle reaching the summit of Everest this May, and Sheila Hancock climbing Suilven for the film Edie (see page 14), here are some other famous names who have made it (at least some of the way) up a mountain: Clint Eastwood on the Eiger The director and star of 1975 film The Eiger Sanction spent a couple of days dangling off off the North Face of the mountain. Protected and advised by a crew of experienced mountaineers, he performed many of the movie’s stunts himself. Brian Blessed on Aconcagua The larger than life actor has attempted to summit Mount Everest three times – each without supplemental oxygen and, unfortunately, without success. He has, however, climbed Argentina’s Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere. Aleister Crowley on Kanchenjunga…

Swiss army knives: reassuringly solid. Peerlessly engineered. But when was the last time you removed a stone from a horse’s hoof? Or darned a mailbag? Or (and perhaps we’re saying more about ourselves here) bought wine that wasn’t screw-top? But a tool for safely removing ticks is certainly worth having. Keep a new Swiza Tick Tool in your pack and you can remove the parasitic little gits as soon as you find them, along with a reamer awl with sewing eye (for the mailbags), a sommelier corkscrew (for the posh stuff), a bottle opener with screwdriver, tweezers, and a 75mm blade with safety lock. The horses will have to wait. www.swiza.com…

The MSR WindBurner Personal Stove System is deservedly popular, but it does have a couple of drawbacks... Firstly, the in-line pot-on-burner-on-canister arrangement makes the system a little tall and unstable, and secondly it’s not a lot of use if there’s more than one of you. The new Group Stove System solves both of these. The gas canister attaches remotely to make it more stable, and the pot is significantly larger to make it suitable for two very hungry campers, or up to four if they’re only slightly peckish. Plus, you can cook ‘real’ food in it, rather than just heating boil-in-the-bag dinners. And the really clever thing is that all the WindBurner Systems are interchangeable, so if you’re heading out on your own you can use the solo pot (available…

“I CAMPED BY A LOCH, AFTER ROWING ACROSS IT. I’D NEVER ROWED, OR EVEN CAMPED BEFORE” None. That’s how much mountain experience I’ve had. When I got the part of Edie, I thought they’d mock it up. When I found out they expected me to climb Suilven, I really wasn’t sure. If you know Suilven, it’s not just climbing the mountain itself, you have to walk for miles to even get to the foot of it. I camped by a loch, after rowing across it. I’d never rowed or even camped before! They told me once you start climbing Suilven, that’s your last chance to change your mind. You can’t stop, you have to keep going because a helicopter can only land on top. When I started going uphill, even…

Ogwen Valley Snowdonia “I took the path up the east side of Pen yr Ole Wen and walked straight to the summit, then on to Dafydd’s Ridge to summit Snowdonia’s second highest mountain, Carnedd Llewelyn. It was a one-man hike but I had the company of the Carneddau ponies grazing in the fields.” Michal Nepszij, Chesterfield Congrats Michal – your selfie has won you a Multimat mattress worth £90! Each issue we’ll give away a 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°C, its wedge profile maximises comfort and minimises weight, while a warm zone improves tog value under the torso.…

I decided on my 70th birthday to go hillwalking again after a thirty year lay off. I was keen as a young man, then inconveniences like careers, families, houses etc., got in the way. Could I go back? I know there are loads of wrinklies parading about the hills everywhere. Bonington still walks in his 80s, while Hamish Brown is a good chunk older than me and still active. But these guys and many more never stopped. They stayed hill fit. I became couch fit... To get started I chose Tinto Hill in South Lanarkshire, just 15 minutes from my home. My first attempt found me all weak and rubbery not very far up the hill, sitting on a rock smiling like the village idiot to all who passed. Attempt…

This summer we’re going to help you find the UK’s best and most iconic mountain highs on your journey to #EverestAnywhere. We’ll give you 20 clues to lead you to top locations, and not only will you clock up some serious mountain ascent and bag Britain’s best hills, but you’ll also be in with a chance of winning your own challenge mascot, Marmot Marv. Last year Marv made it all around the UK and even to the top of Mount Everest! This year we have 60 Marmot Marvs who are just waiting to join you on your mountain adventures. Get started • Sign up to the #EverestAnywhere challenge at www.livefortheoutdoors.com/everestanywhere We’ll then send you an email to give you access to new clues every week. • Solve the clue to…

Q When checking the forecast before a hill walk, how important is it to consider weather changes at different altitudes of a mountain? Christian Mulholland, Bournemouth Pa ays Generally speaking, temperatures fall with height climbed, w as wind speeds tend to increase. So if you are standing in the rk in Wasdale preparing to go up Scafell Pike, it doesn’t feel d at 0°C. perature drops between 0.4°C and 0.9°C for every 100m d, depending on whether the air is dry or damp. If you have hant for old school idioms like myself, a good rule-of-b is per 1000ft of ascent the temperature will drop by rage of 2°C. So once you’ve reached the top of Scafell om that 0°C car park, the impact of the altitude e will have…

Q I have heard the term ‘cragfast’ being used on the mountain but have no idea what it means. Could you enlighten me? Stuart Mitchell, Taunton Rob says If someone is cragfast on a mountain it generally means they are stuck in a spot where they can neither go up or down. This typically happens on scrambling terrain, but occasionally will be a result of a navigation error where a person has strayed off-path onto steeper ground. When mountain rescue teams are called out to cragfast people it is common to find them with a more experienced friend who has persuaded them to venture onto something steeper than they would be happy with if they were choosing the route for themselves. The best solution is avoidance. If you are part…

Q Do you have any simple recipes for tasty energy snacks please? Zoe Davies, Aberystwyth Trail says Try this awesome energy bar recipe, which makes 12 tasty bite-size hill snacks that are packed with carbs and calories to provide the rocket-fuel for those long days on the trail. The sugary content gives you an immediate boost, while the porridge oats provide slow-release energy. Ingredients • 150g porridge oats • 100g butter • 100g light muscovado sugar • 100 golden syrup • 50g raisins • 50g walnuts and almonds • One large banana Method • Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). • Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper. • Put the nuts and raisins into a mixing bowl. Add the oats and mix well. •…

Hilleberg Nallo £716 TESTER: Simon Ingram Type Tunnel Weight 2.45kg Packed size 56x22cm Found for £716 The Nallo is well-proven, and if build quality was the only consideration in this test it would be top dog. With a 4-season flysheet, massive porch, clever zip-up vent at the tail, top quality poles and pegs this thing goes up and down effortlessly. If there’s any slack in the material it rustles in wind and can be a little noisy, and the tent doesn’t exactly keep the bright sun at bay come the morning. But the big drawback is the price. You’re buying a Rolls Royce here, so are you sure you can justify it? You’d have to be sleeping out a lot for it to win over the other models here. But…

Winding down the quiet country lane from the banks of Derwent Water and instantly swallowed up by the mountainous horizon of the Newlands Valley, any approach to the Swinside Inn feels a million miles from the bustle of Keswick and the whizzing cars of the A66. But in fact it’s less than 3km, which makes access super easy as a great base for the northern Lakes. Walks are from the doorstep, and the classic Newlands Horseshoe can be done from here, which includes the gorgeous Cat Bells, Causey Pike and Dale Head. You’re also perfectly positioned for exploration of Borrowdale, and from there Buttermere is just over Honister Pass. Nip back up to the A66 and you’ve also got Blencathra, Skiddaw, Thirlmere and Ullswater all within easy striking distance. Swinside…

27 km/ 16½ miles 8 hours Escape the crowds and immerse yourself in the wilderness of hidden dale and gritstone moorland of the Dark Peak. Alport hamlet sits at the entrance to Alport Dale, a rarely frequented delight that leads the adventurous up on to Bleaklow. This is a challenging moorland walk that rewards with a sense of isolation as you make your way along the dale, and incredible views once you reach the Bleaklow plateau. Alport Dale is steeped in history, often tragic –the rugged stone memorial to the Rover Scouts, who lost their lives in the dale in the early ’60s, is testimony to this. The walk begins at Fairholmes visitor centre, in the Upper Derwent Valley, which is easily accessible, by car or public transport, from a…

Distance 14km (8¾ miles) Total ascent 1023m Time 5½ hours Start/finish Brothers Water Car Park, Hartsop ( NY403134) Nearest town Glenridding Terrain Valley road, village lane, access track, steep bridleway, tarn, steep mountain side, high plateau, broad cols, rounded summits, narrow grassy ridge, and lakeside paths Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL5, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 90, British Mountain Maps (1:40,000) Lake District Accommodation YHA Patterdale, 0345 371 9337, www.yha.org.ukPubs, hotels and B&Bs in Glenridding, Patterdale and Hartsop Public transport Trains to Windermere or Penrith. The 508 bus connects Windermere and Penrith and passes the start of the route Guidebooks A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells – The Far Eastern Fells by A Wainwright, pb Frances Lincoln Tourist info Ullswater TIC, 01768 482414, www.golakes.co.uk Best pub Brotherswater Inn, Sykeside, 01768 482239,…

17 km/ 10½ miles 6 hours There is a grand old mountain that few bother to visit until they’ve run out of options in northern Snowdonia. Its camel-backed outline can be seen in almost every summit vista, but, surrounded by an air of melancholy, Arenig Fawr has many a sad tale to tell. The village of Capel Celyn once lay at its foot, but was drowned in 1965 in order to slake Liverpool’s thirst – an act which, to this day, still fuels much resentment. While, on its summit, you’ll find a memorial to eight American airmen who perished on August 4th 1943 when their Flying Fortress bomber smashed into the mountain. So far, so sad. Across the A4212 sits Fawr’s smaller sibling, Arenig Fach – a squat heathery pudding…

Distance 20km (12½ miles) Total ascent 1404m Time 9 hours Start/finish Walker’s car park at the road end in Blughasary ( NC134014) Nearest town Ullapool Terrain There’s never a dull moment – it’s rocky underfoot in places and soggy in others and, occasionally, exposed and airy. Careful footing is required where the path traverses steep crags above the sea. The trail is indistinct in parts, but marked with occasional posts. Some steep pathless terrain and sections of excellent (albeit avoidable) Grade 1 scrambling. Some care is required on the descent from Speicein Coinnich Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 15, OS Explorer (1:25,000) 439, Harvey British Mountain Map (1:40,000) Assynt Accommodation Ullapool Youth Hostel, 01854 612254 Acheninver Hostel, 01854 622283 Public transport Scotbus no.811 from Ullapool to Achiltibuie – get out at…

From Threlkeld, on Keswick’s outskirts, a monstrous file of mountains runs south to Ambleside. Another veers off to Pooley Bridge at the far east of the park. A rugged backpacker can pick off Helvellyn and half of Fairfield round on day one – it provides a satisfying walk with real geographic logic. The following day, the less travelled arm of the Fairfield massif beckons, followed by the natural highway discovered by the Romans, hundreds of meters above Ullswater. Backpacking routes like this shout at you from maps spread across pub tables. But, after two thigh-busting days on some of the highest land the park offers, your legs will likely be shouting the idea down. So, sensibly, this route allows for a well-deserved ferry trip and bus ride either side of…

Distance 37km (23 miles) Total ascent 1650m Time 10-12 hours Start Horton-in-Ribblesdale ( SD808725) Nearest town Settle Terrain Generally solid paths, tracks and roads with some steep climbs. Some long sections of boggy moorland which after rain become particularly miserable Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 98, OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL2, Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks, BMM (1:40,000) Yorkshire Dales Accommodation YHA Ingleton, 01524 241444 Station Inn, Ribblehead, 01524 241274 3 Peaks Bunkroom, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, 01729 860380 Holme Farm campsite, Horton-In-Ribblesdale, 01729 860281 Tourist information Information office in Pen-y-ghent café, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, 01729 860333, www.horton-inribblesdale.com Transport Trains to Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Ribblehead on the Settle-Carlisle line. National Rail Enquiries, 0845 748 4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk 581 bus, Traveline, 0871 200 22 33 Guidebooks The Big Walks by Ken Wilson, pb Baton Wicks Three Peaks,…

GIVE SOMETHING BACK 1 Grab your kids. Rally your friends. Make a difference this month! Join with us on our mission to clean up the hills of Britain and claim your free litter-picking bag with Trail – p20. Together we can make changes not just to the state of the mountains today, but also to the attitudes of future generations. SHARE THE POWER OF THE OUTDOORS 2 At the age of 83 actress Sheila Hancock climbed her first mountain, and discovered there is something deep, primal and essential to be found in nature – p14. Whether you take your granny up a hill, introduce someone to the wilderness for the first time, or just take time to appreciate the benefits of being out in the hills, make a plan to…

1 Invest in a roomy tent. Since you’re not carrying it far, weight becomes less relevant than ease of living. With more space you can keep your kit out of the way, sprawl out at bedtime and potentially even stand up to get dressed. It also means you only have to sleep mouth to nose with people you really like. If your tent is new, do a trial pitch before you go. 2 Organise your space. Tents create chaos, via the same laws of the universe that tangle headphone wires and lead lone socks astray. Call it tentropy. It is near inevitable, but can be counteracted with extreme sensibleness. Create a system, stash things near where you’ll need them, use them, and put them back. Utilise all tent pockets. 3…

1 You can legally camp on most unenclosed areas in Scotland. In England and Wales there is no such right but it’s usually tolerated on an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ basis – but if you’re asked to vacate, do so. 2 Camp out of sight of roads and habitations and always, always leave no trace behind. 3 Bag up rubbish and take it away, don’t go to the toilet within 100ft of water, and – let’s not be coy – bring a trowel. 4 Use a camping stove, not an open fire, and camp within easy reach of a water source. Don’t use soap or detergents (wet wipes are a shower in a packet!) and don’t think you have to use specialised camping food – fresh pasta, pesto…

VANGO COMPACT GAS STOVE £17, www.vango.co.uk Small is beautiful when you’re travelling light, and Vango’s compact stove is both small in price and dimensions. Stowing away neatly when its pot support arms are folded away, it’s also simple to operate, fitting standard screw-in gas canisters. It also features baffles around the burner to reduce the effect of wind on the flame. GOSYSTEM DYNASTY COMPACT STOVE £20, www.go-system.co.uk You can leave the kitchen sink at home, but how about taking a ring from the gas hob with you? That’s effectively what the Dynasty Compact Stove is. Using widely available butane gas canisters, it features a piezo auto-start ignition and non-slip serrated pan supports for stability. EASY CAMP COSMOS £25, www.easycamp.com Available in several colourful designs,…

This beloved café of hungry mountain folk is perfectly situated for pre- or post-walk nosh with mountain views. And the legendary home-made scones are as big as a baby’s head, and are served with Welsh butter, jam and clotted cream. A fitting treat after a big day in the hills, and a great place to debrief the day and meet other like-minded hill-lovers. Enjoyed a snack or a meal in the mountains or hills of Britain? Share your top tips with us at trail@bauermedia.co.uk…

SUNDEW Plants don’t get much cooler than this in Britain. There are three varieties of Sundew – Round Leaved, Great and Oblong Leaved. And the thing that makes them so cool? Well stand next to one for too long and you’ll find yourself being slowly dissolved and digested (only kidding). Yes, these plants are carnivorous or, more accurately, insectivorous. The ‘tentacles’ are covered in sticky dew-like drops that attract and then trap insects. Upland stream edges, bogs and lake shores are the places to see this small yet vicious predator. Get down on your hands and knees for this one, only don’t get too close! SLOW WORM As is widely known, a slow worm is neither a worm nor a snake, but a legless lizard that grows up to 50cm.…

Renowned for its singular shape and presence, this mountain is on many hillwalker’s bucket lists – but why? • Suilven – pronounced Soo-li-ven – is a mountain in the far north-west Highlands of Scotland. It means ‘pillar mountain’, for the suddenness with which it rises from the surrounding terrain. • It is in the coastal region of Assynt, which is also home to the arresting peaks of Quinag, Stac Pollaidh and Canisp. • The isolated mountain is an inselberg, German for ‘island mountain’. It was formed by glacial action scouring and compressing either side of a long, narrow ridgeline. • The bedrock of Lewisian gneiss, at 3 billion years old, is among the most ancient exposed rock in the world. It creates a distinctive rolling landscape of knotted outcrops and…

It’s a sunny May morning in the Langdale Pikes and Trail has just made a grisly discovery beneath the summit rocks of Pavey Ark. Something which to us is unthinkable but which to others, sadly, isn’t – a plastic bag full of 1kg of rubbish. Discarded socks, a tube of dissolvable energy tablets, foil camp food wrappers, sweet bags, and yet more plastic bags. Someone has left this up here in the fragile mountain environment to either decompose, or for someone else to carry it down. The first isn’t an option. As we’ve seen all over the telly over the last 18 months, plastic doesn’t go away. Even a banana skin takes years to decompose at this height. This act of a few mindless seconds will result in this bag…

Send us your 400 words on ‘The Day A Mountain Changed My Life’ and every month we will publish the best. Your story could be one of inspiration, revelation, an epic adventure, or a near-miss! Every published entry will receive a year’s membership to the John Muir Trust (the charity that manages mountains including Helvellyn and Ben Nevis), plus £100 credit to redeem on Mountain Equipment clothing. The author of the best story of the year will win the grand prize of a day of tailored adventure on a John Muir Trust-managed mountain with a Mountain Equipment expert guide, some Mountain Equipment kit and the opportunity to write a full-length feature article for Trail. Enter at: www.livefortheoutdoors.com/changedmylife…

Q What are those small holes on a compass baseplate supposed to be used for? Surely they have some purpose? Alastair Joyce, via email Trail says The circular, or occasionally triangular, holes you find in the baseplate of some compasses are stencil holes for marking points onto your map. These points might be used to indicate your start point for instance, or orienteering places on the map that you intend to pass on your route. Making annotation marks on your map with a pencil can be a useful technique for successful navigation, especially if navigating unknown terrain or in poor weather.…

“I don’t think I am unfazeable, I just do a lot of thinking and planning under the surface and then try to look calm!” says Skye Cuillin Guide Matt Barratt when asked about his reputation. Matt portrays an unshakeable confidence in the mountains, developed over a lifetime walking and climbing in the wildest places on Earth, and having dedicated the last six years to adventure guiding on Skye – a talent that’s been much appreciated by many a disco-legged Cuillin Ridge bagger! Matt first realised a mountain life was for him when, sat in an exam hall in the first year of his university studies, he spent most of the time staring out of the window wishing he was outside. After dropping out of uni, Matt was eventually drawn north…

The ankle cuff-gaiter extends the use of this shoe, but the performance on rougher terrain is not as good as some trail shoes, as it’s quite flexible in the sole. These are best restricted to easier paths then, unless you don’t need support and just want the gaiter benefits for which this shoe is – currently – unique. • Upper Seamless welded water-resistant synthetic textile, Gore-Tex waterproof lining • Sole Premium Wet Traction Contagrip • Men’s 6.5-12.5 • Women’s 3.5-8.5 • Weight 912g (size 11)…

FABRICS Higher-priced jackets will generally use the most waterproof and breathable materials available, so while there may be small differences between them this will be difficult to notice on the hill. Your comfort levels therefore will often be dictated by features such as hood, pocket and sleeve design. In contrast, lower-priced jackets generally have fabrics that are less breathable and may be less waterproof. Fabrics described as 2-layer or 2.5-layer tend to gather more condensation than fabrics described as 3-layer. Thin fabrics also tend to buckle in the wind, so they feel colder than stiffer fabrics that can trap warm air inside. POCKETS Big pockets are great for storing maps, guidebooks and GPS receivers, but they can also be used to protect your hands from wind and rain. Rucksack belts…

Paul Besley Writer of guidebooks, ranger and Mountain Rescue – our Peaks guru. Jeremy Ashcroft Trail’s mountaineering editor and a veteran of every classic UK route. Jamie Rooke This Snowdonia expert works at Pen y Pass and teaches mountain skills. Nick Livesey Acclaimed Snowdoniabased photographer and rarely off the hills. Dan Bailey Author of Scotland’s Mountain Ridges and a huge fan of big routes. Keith Fergus Author of 15 guidebooks to Scotland’s isles and coastline walks. Richard Down If it's a knotty and wild bit of Cumbria you're after, just ask Rich. Roger Butler Roger likes to tick off remote Hebridean islands as well as mountains. BEFORE YOU GO... If you’re likely to encounter snow or ice on your walk you need to take precautions. You MUST have an ice…

Distance 27km (16½ miles) Total ascent 780m Time 8 hours Start/finish Fairholmes visitor centre, Upper Derwent Valley ( SK172893) Nearest town Bamford Terrain Rough moorland, steep-sided dale and bridleway. Excellent navigation required, especially in poor visibility Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL1, Harvey Mountain Maps (1:40,000) Dark Peak Accommodation Yorkshire Bridge Inn, 01433 651361, www.yorkshire-bridge.co.uk Losehill Hall Hostel, 0345 371 9628, www.yha.org.uk Transport By car, satnav postcode S33 0AQ. By bus, 273 from Bamford, Castleton, Hope. By train, travel to Bamford Station Guidebook Dark Peak Walks by Paul Besley, pb Cicerone Pubs Yorkshire Bridge Inn, 01433 651361, www.yorkshire-bridge.co.uk Ladybower Inn, 01433 651241, www.ladybower-inn.co.uk Tourist info Peak District National Park, www.peakdistrict.gov.uk…

17.5 km/ 11 miles 8 hours Like almost all of Snowdonia, Abergwyngregyn is an area intertwined with Welsh history – and this route has it by the bucketful! From the roundhouse remains alongside the waterfall path, to the iron-age cairn atop Drosgl, you are walking in a land of forgotten times. There are nods to ancient forts and strong holds aplenty – even Llywelyn the Great’s tower remains in the village and, as you wander up above the falls and through Cwm yr Afon Goch, it’s easy to imagine his soldiers doing the same. These mountains were once a Welsh stronghold and it’s not a stretch to assume that routes like this would have been used to cross through the mountains. When you pass by an Iron Age cairn, you’ll…

Distance 17km (10½ miles) Total ascent 856m Time 6 hours Start/finish SH830391 The parking area beneath the old Arenig Quarry Nearest town Bala Terrain Forest tracks, vague paths, boggy terrain and a short section of tarmac road. Navigation can be tricky on the descent of Arenig Fawr Map OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL18 Accommodation Bala Bunk House, 01678 520 738, www.balabunkhouse.co.uk Public transport Arenig is not served by public transport, but a regular daily bus service runs from Dolgellau or Wrexham to Bala Guidebooks A Pictorial Guide to the Mountains of Snowdonia Volume 3 by John Gillham, pb Frances Lincoln Tourist info Betws-y-Coed TIC, 01690 710426 Best pub Ye Olde Bull’s Head, Bala, 01678 520438…

17.7 km/ 11 miles 6½ hours Cairnsmore of Fleet is part of the Cairnsmore of Fleet Nature Reserve, which includes great swathes of mountain and moorland, and is one of the wildest places in Southern Scotland. The upland areas are of particular importance, as they support a variety of species such as red deer, peregrine falcon and wild goats. At 711m (2333ft) in height, Cairnsmore of Fleet is the highest point along the Galloway Coast and therefore provides a stunning vantage point and a window into the more remote upland areas of Galloway. The Merrick (Galloway’s highest mountain), Mull of Galloway, Isle of Man, Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire and Kintyre are just a selection of the impressive views from Cairnsmore of Fleet’s exposed plateau. By continuing to Meikle Multaggart and around…

“Where is the airport that disappears under the sea?” This question regularly pops up on TV quiz shows, occasionally with a photo of a small plane, set against a vast stretch of sand, to accompany it. This sandy strip is the unique ‘runway’ on the Isle of Barra and a flight out here is memorable, not only for the salty landing, but also for the views over the wriggly coastlines and rugged hills at the south end of the Western Isles. Barra has it all – windswept peninsulas, a pathless interior, interesting history, and a sister island with Caribbean-worthy beaches. You could walk round it in a day, but a long weekend lets you really explore this Hebridean gem. Don’t fancy flying? Unwind on the five-hour ferry journey from Oban,…

It has to be said, the scrambling on Cockly Pike Ridge is not of the highest order. It’s also not particularly continuous, being just a succession of rock steps, scree and small crags on a blunt ridge. So rather than climbing clean-cut rock from valley to summit, it is more like stitching together a series of obstacles to provide climbing entertainment. That aside, the quality of this ridge – and why it deserves your attention – is to do with its mountaineering character, and of the setting. In one long swoop it reaches skyward from the wild and remote upper reaches of Eskdale, one of the wildest places in England, to the main summit ridge of England’s highest peak. If this sublime line fails to put a smile on your…

I don’t remember the first time I went camping. I was two and apparently forever trying to run away. At night, I refused to sleep and played merry hell with my parents’ plans for a quiet evening. They still haven’t forgiven me. But since those early, rabblerousing nights in Normandy under the musty canvas of the family tent, I’ve come round to the idea of sleeping outdoors. Who couldn’t fall for the thud of raindrops on a flysheet, walking barefoot over dewy grass for a sunrise swim, or huddling in a sleeping bag as thunder ricochets through an alpine valley? But for every ten dozen gilded memories, of good times spent in a tent, there’s an occasion I’d rather forget and a lesson learned along the way. I’ve regularly picked…

TENT If you don’t intend to lug your tent around in a rucksack, you can afford to rock up at the campsite with something roomier and weightier – but compact enough to fit in the car without resorting to a roof box – like the Vango Omega 350 (see below, £250, www.vango.co.uk). Fitting three cosily, this mid-sized tunnel tent is simple to pitch and features a porch with a durable groundsheet which is ideal for cooking in or storing extra kit. This group tent’s flysheet has a higher hydrostatic head than many backpacking tents, so is better suited to enduring week-upon-week outside. A more spacious if pricier alternative, the 4-person Robens Midnight Dreamer (£500, www.robens.de/en) has a porch tall enough to stand in. SLEEPING BAG Comfort can overrule performance when…

1 Practise in the garden first. It irons out potential snags and gets everyone in the mood. 2 Choose your campsite carefully. Does it have good walks from the gate? A museum or other wet-weather attraction close by? And check the reviews, especially in relation to the play area, wash-up and showers. And is there a shop? A shop is good. 3 Read up. Try Simon McGrath’s Camping with Kids (£8) or Cool Camping Kids (£17), both on Amazon. 4 Get a pitch with electric hook-up. Great for a portable fridge (Aldi does good ones) and a slow cooker – which means you can prepare your evening meal in the morning and come back to the nicest-smelling tent on the site after a walk. 5 Make the kids feel like…

GAS STOVE The quickest way to get a brew on the hill or boil up enough water for a dehydrated meal is by using an integrated gas canister stove, like the Jetboil Flash (right, £115, www.jetboil.com).Coming with an insulated, FluxRing pot (big enough for wet meal pouches, and stowing the burner/gas canister), this incredibly efficient stove system boils half- a-litre of water in around 2 minutes. Simpler upright stoves, like the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 (£33, www.msrgear.com) can cost much less and take up very little room in your rucksack, but they aren’t as stable as remote cartridge stoves, like that included in the Primus Prime Tech Stove Set 1.3L (£115, www.primus.eu). These better support larger pots and offer superior heat control, letting you cook up more exciting dishes. TENT…

1 TUNSKEEN BOTHY GALLOWAY FOREST, SCOTLAND It all started here in 1965, when Bernard Heath lead the first work party who set about repairing the walls and roof of this small shelter with its simple one-room layout. Small it may be, but the network of bothies it spawned is huge. 2 GELDER SHIEL STABLE BALMORAL, SCOTLAND One of two bothies on royal land, this former stable for Queen Victoria’s horses is now a cosy abode for walkers. Offering good access to Lochnagar, it was recently overhauled. It even has a flushing toilet, paid for by none other than HRH Queen Elizabeth herself. 3 DULYN BOTHY CARNEDDAU, NORTH WALES Nestled amid the high moorland and mountain flanks of the Carneddau, this former shepherd’s hut is one of many human structures that…

LIGHT DISC £8.50, www.vango.co.uk Like a cut-price chandelier for your tent, the UFO-like Light Disc uses 48 LEDs which evenly project light around a communal area. It has two different lighting modes so you can set for mood lighting, and a hanging hook so it can either attach to the roof or just sit flat on table. 25-PIECE PICNIC SET £12, www.gooutdoors.co.uk You can pay a lot of money for cookware sets which only include four plates, or a set for one person, but the Hi Gear 25-piece Picnic Set is a comprehensive and robust table set with four of everything – plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery, plus a big salad bowl. SELF- INFLATING MAT £30, www.mountainwarehouse.com You can get roll mats for under a…

WHAT? Are you after a cool surf bus with fold-out bed and mini-kitchen, or fully-equipped conversion with shower, toilet and space for bikes? Decide what you’d prefer, noting how many belted seats you need and the height of the tallest person, to refine the search. WHEN? Your own campervan will zoom under the radar of on-and-off season prices, but ones for hire may not. Beauty spots are usually busier during bank and school holidays too, which can make finding an overnight parking space trickier. HOW? Think about the location you’d like to explore and the time and budget you have available, then shop around. Some websites run an Airbnb-style service, matching you with your ideal van. Check out: www.bunkcampers.com www.camperbug.co.uk www.rockinvans.co.uk WHERE? Campsites with electric hook-ups are plentiful. Overnight parking is generally…