Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Trail

While researching for this spot (yes, researching – it doesn’t write itself, you know) I discovered that 24 September isn’t considered a notably great day for British history. On a website dedicated to breaking down our significant events by date, the best it could come up with was ‘24 September 1776: the first St Leger horserace run at Doncaster’. This was slid between ‘chewing gum first produced commercially’ on 23 September 1848, and ‘first transfusion of human blood’ on 25 September 1818. I may send a copy of this issue of Trail to the website in question with a huffy Post-It stuck on page 56. Because (and sorry, horsey people) two Brits making the first ascent of the world’s highest mountain by its hardest route, then surviving a night out…

READ THIS... The Adventure Game Over 25 years ago Keith Partridge quit his job at the BBC to pursue a career as an adventure cameraman, and his travels have since taken him to some of the world’s most extreme environments. The Eiger, K2, the Matterhorn, as well as Vietnamese cave systems, Indonesian volcanoes amd Mongolian eagles are just some of the things he's filmed in a remarkable career. This glossy coffee table book recounts his adventures, complete with stunning photography and contributions from Steve Backshall and Joe Simpson, who he worked with on Deadly 60 and Touching the Void respectively. BUY IT sandstonepress.com  (£25) WATCH THIS... Mountain Rescue movie If you’ve got a spare 6 minutes and 13 seconds, try watching this free video dedicated to the Mountain…

Trekfest 5-6 September Less of a walking festival and more of a hardcore endurance test, Trekfest is based in the Peak District and challenges participants to walk either 13 miles in six hours, 27 miles in 12 hours, or (the big one!) 54 miles in 24 hours. Last year’s raised over £200,000 for charity. Sign up today… www.trekfest.org.uk Scottish Borders Walking Festival 6-13 September Hosted this year by the town of Galashiels, the 21st Borders Walking Festival coincides with the return of the railway to the Scottish Borders. There are 28 walks to meet all abilities, all led by experienced leaders, plus evening entertainment. www.borderswalking.com Isle of Harris Mountain Festival 12-19 September This week-long celebration of the mountains and coastline of Harris includes guided walks through the North Harris peaks,…

In the August issue navigation article [page 69, right], some of the information is wrong. For the UK, when transferring a grid bearing from the map to the compass it is necessary to add approx 2 degrees – not subtract as your article describes. This is a fundamental of navigation and I respectfully suggest you correct it for the benefit of those relying on the info. It will also prevent a feeling of dismay in anyone, like myself, who was horrified to read that what he has being doing for many years is wrong! Allan Kernohan, via email Ed – You are of course correct, Allan. Unfortunately, gremlins got into that feature, for which we apologise. A corrected version is online at www.lfto.com/takingabearing Found in Patterdale car park, a Gelert…

Go the Lake District Do a classic scramble Stand below Napes Needle while your eyes wander over its frankly phallic form and you’ll understand why climbers are drawn to the quest to stand atop this isolated obelisk. You’ll also understand why it’s no place for a humble hillwalker. But if you’re happy with a bit of scrambling, there’s a wee challenge round the back that might provide some excitement. ‘Threading the Needle’ involves climbing up to the apex of the rock that joins the spire to the main crags, and climbing down the other side. Sounds simple. And from the hollow on the west side of the Needle – the side that gives you the most familiar view of the monolith – it looks simple. A series of blocky steps,…

Although technically two separate techniques, timing and pacing are used to measure progress through and calculate position in the landscape. As such, for optimum accuracy it is best to use both methods together. Timing You need to know what your usual walking pace is. Time yourself over a known distance on flat ground and use this time to work out your average kilometres per hour walking speed. This should be done at your normal pace (do not rush) while carrying a similar load to your hillwalking pack. For reference, the average adult walking speed over uneven terrain is around 4kmph. Once you know your speed you can use this information to estimate how long it will take to reach a set point in the landscape. For example, if your destination…

QUESTION Could you recommend which sun hat I should be using while walking? Or would a Buff be better? Simon, Cardiff ANSWER Graham Thompson GT – Trail’s technical editor for over 25 years – is our walking gear guru. Cotton hats will allow more airflow and tend to soak up sweat a little more than polyester. Normally we wouldn’t recommend cotton as it can feel cold and clammy; but in hot climates, cotton is good in a hat as it tends to cool the head. Indeed you can feel even cooler by soaking the hat in water at a stream. A polyester hat would be fine, but it won’t hold the water so well and will tend to dry out quicker. A nylon hat will be hard-wearing but more sweaty…

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Weight 11st 10lb Clothing size large POCKETS Big pockets are great for storing maps, guidebooks and gloves, but they can also be used to protect your hands from wind and light rain. Rucksack belts obscure access to some pockets so make sure they’re well-positioned to avoid this problem. MATERIAL Soft shell jackets are typically designed to be more water- and wind-resistant than fleece while being comfier and more breathable than waterproof ‘hard’ shell jackets. Some materials have a wind- and water-resistant membrane sandwiched between the inner and outer layer of the fabric to improve wind and water resistance, but this will be less breathable than an open-weave nylon, which won’t be as wind- or water-resistant. So you need to balance the…

Swarovski CL Pocket 8x25£500 Used by Oli Reed, deputy editor Used for 1 month A month ago I was handed a pair of expensive, lightweight binoculars by a walking buddy as we scanned some cliffs for peregrines – and I realised I’ve been walking up mountains blind all my life. I immediately ordered these pocket binoculars from Swarovski and have been blown away by them. With the padded carry case attached to my hipbelt I can whip them out as soon as I see a flicker of wildlife, and they’re also perfect for scanning mountainsides to decipher the best route ahead. The eye cups are nice and big; they’re grippy and comfortable to use; the twisting mechanism feels smooth and premium; they’re waterproof, dustproof and fogproof; they weigh less than…

ROUTE INFO Distance 11km (6¾ miles) Total ascent 950m Time 5 hours Start/finish Rhyd-Ddu, SH571525 Nearest town Beddgelert Terrain mainly good paths over steep hillsides but a couple of places where hands may be needed Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 115; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17; Harvey/BMC British Mountain Map (1:40,000) Snowdonia Public transport the S4 bus passes the car park on its way between Beddgelert and Caernarfon www.traveline-cymru.info Guidebooks Day Walks in Snowdonia by Tom Hutton, pb Vertebrate Graphics 1 SH571525 Head up to the top end of the car park, and turn right to cross the railway to gain a broad, stony track that was once a quarry road. Follow this around to the right and keep right, almost immediately at the junction with the drive of Fridd-Isaf Farm.…

ROUTE INFO Distance 20km (12½ miles) Total ascent 1650m Time 9 hours Start/finish lower Glen Etive, Coileitir track end (NN136468) Terrain rough hill paths, pathless slopes, gently angled granite slabs up Meall Tarsuinn, rough stony path for descent Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) 384 and 377 (need both); OS Landranger (1:50,000) 50; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Glen Coe 1 NN136468 Follow the track across a beautiful pool of the River Etive and fork left in the birchwoods on a track towards Glenceitlein. Just before the house it crosses Allt Ceitlein; then turn upstream on a much rougher track to the left of the river. 2 NN158474At ruined sheepfolds the track becomes a rough path, still to the left of the main stream. It crosses a sidestream, to a stream junction below two…

WHEN September 2003 WHERE National Mountaineering Exhibition, Rheged, Lake District PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Bailey TRAIL ISSUE December 2003, Do Dead Toes Scare You? An extraordinary relic to the horrors of Everest, here lie the amputated toes of Major Bronco Lane (left) – who, with the similarly afflicted Brummie Stokes – was benighted and frostbitten on the world’s highest mountain in 1976. Gallows humour (he used to carry the preserved toes in a jar on cycle trips to ‘shock’ people with, before donating them to a museum) and months of living with them slowly ‘rotting off’ to promote healing helped Bronco deal with the separation. Remarking on their appearance in Trail , he phoned the office: “Good to see them again,” he said. TRAIL'S OCTOBER ISSUE HITS SHOPS ON 10 SEPTEMBER. SEE…

Oli Reed takes the toughest ’walking’ route up Britain’s highest mountain. Could you handle the Ben Nevis Ledge Route? Find out on... p24 Twitter@olireedoutdoors Ben Weeks steels himself for a heroic crack at the Siabod Half Round – a challenge of mountains, multiple miles and a free slice of cake! p40 Twitter@gingerheadben Hannah James steadies her nerves to tackle her first Lakeland scramble, and discovers it isn’t as scary as she first thought p48 Twitter@HannKJames Graham Thompson tests out the latest rucksacks and soft shells, then goes for a wander in Fjällräven’s brand new waterproof jacket. Best job in the world? p74, 78, 87 Jeremy Ashcroft is lured back to the Lake District for a classic yomp around his favourite mountain range. Join him in the Coniston Fells for our…

Name Reinhold Messner Age 70 Nationality Italian Beard? Oh, yes Legend because... in 1978 he was – along with Peter Habeler – the first person to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen. But he then climbed Everest again, alone, without oxygen, by a largely unknown route. Then he became the first to climb the world’s 14 8000m peaks. Having spent his youth demolishing speed records in the Alps, he also met the Yeti, defined the Seven Summits, became an MEP, crossed deserts on foot and – last month – opened his sixth Messner Mountain Museum in the Dolomites. He might have bonkers hair and only two toes left... but wow . In 5 words Probably the greatest mountaineer ever…

SHARP EDGE LAKE DISTRICT Lyndon Towler from Durham, having walked to the summit of Blencathra in glorious sunshine with his friend Ross Stephens, who took the photo. HELM CRAG LAKE DISTRICT Andrey (6) and Maria (11) Wilkinson from St Ives, Cambs, on their way up Helm Crag during February half term in a pic taken by their mum Nataliya. She said the children “loved that little bit of scrambling”! FLEETWITH PIKE LAKE DISTRICT Sue Broad from Reading with her brother David and their golden retriever Finn on their 117th Wainwright summit. Sue told Trail that the photo was taken “during a circular walk of Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks, Brandreth and Grey Knotts on a beautiful day in June.” PAVEY ARK LAKE DISTRICT Kris Bishop (from Lancashire) and Ben Porritt (Yorkshire) ,…

When to go Unless you’re an experienced winter mountaineer with suitable gear and the skills to use it, the Ledge Route is best attempted in late summer when most of the snow has retreated from the mountain. We made our ascent in early July and still had to climb steep snow slopes at the base of No. 5 Gully. The rest of the route was clear of snow, but it was a reminder of the unique conditions you’ll encounter on Ben Nevis. O For a safe descent off Ben Nevis summit in snow or poor visibility, see www.lfto.com/ bennevissafety What to take In summer you’ll still want a tough, reliable pair of boots that provide good grip on wet rock. Even after a dry spell, sections of the route could remain…

Pain As downhill usually comes after uphill, tiredness has usually taken its toll and makes the jarring action of downhill unpleasant. But you are going down... IT’S A TIE! Effort Again, it’s all about the gravity here; and regardless of what physical state you’re in, if you were low on energy you’d much rather obey the rules of Isaac Newton than Superman. DOWNHILL WINS! Risk It’s a well-worn stat that – following the adrenaline high and physical effort required to get to a summit, and the fact that daylight tends to be weakening rather than strengthening with descents – 80% of accidents happen on the way down. So – ignoring the fact that everything that goes up must come down – it’s a tick for uphill. UPHILL WINS! Payoff Most…

The cause of cramp is not always known, but it can be a common occurrence with many people. It’s believed that exercising can put enough strain on the muscles to make them tighten, contract and spasm. Cramp can be caused by dehydration and low sodium (salt) in your system, which may be due to insufficient intake of sodium in the diet, sweating on a hot day or if an activity is strenuous. You can ease the pain of cramp by massaging the area and gently stretching it. If you’re out walking it may be a good idea to change the intensity by taking a slower pace. It is believed to be important to keep on top of your electrolyte levels, which include sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. It’s important to…

Waterproof jacket This is a Rab Neo Guide jacket, which is well fitted with chest pockets big enough for maps, large pit vents and easy cuff adjustment for rolling up sleeves. Two compasses The Silva Expedition 4 is clear and easy to use, and I always carry a back-up. Gerber multi-tool The pliers have been used once or twice, but I’m yet to use the blade for anything useful. Two spare warm tops One for me and one for clients. When it’s colder I also pack two woollen hats and spare gloves. Two headtorches Vital if you need to come off a hill in the dark. I take spare lithium batteries too. Two maps I carry two waterproof 1:25,000 maps in summer, and two 1:50,000 maps in winter. Smidge A…

The High Mountains Volume 1 Irvine Butterfield £0.01 Used by Simon Ingram, Trail editor Used for 4 years (this copy) Already embarrassingly knackered, this is my second copy of what I consider to be the bible of Britain's high places, acquired on Amazon second-hand for a penny (plus £3 postage). Butterfield – a founding member of the Mountain Bothies Association – had a way of describing his subject that struck a fine mid point between the evocative and practical. It's a tragedy Volume 2 never happened, though it does lend this fabulous book the inconclusive air of a troubled symphony. VERDICT A fine work by a now sadly departed mountain writer. Copy 3 on order. www.amazon.co.uk Rab Silk Hooded Mummy Sleeping Bag Liner £46 Used by Hannah James,…

ROUTE INFO Distance 11.7km (7¼ miles) Total ascent 990m Time 7 hours Start/finish Beddgelert Forest, SH573502 Nearest town Beddgelert Terrain rough and often faint paths over high mountains; some scree, some bog, some untracked sections Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 115; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Snowdonia Snowdon Public transport the S4 bus passes the forest entrance www.traveline-cymru.info Guidebooks Day Walks in Snowdonia by Tom Hutton, pb Vertebrate Graphics 1 SH573502 Head out of the car park the same way as you came in, and turn right to follow the very well-signed bridleway towards Beddgelert. This swings right and crosses a lovely old bridge before starting to climb into the forest. Now just stay with this bridleway as it winds its way south, always well-signed, past the campsite…

It’s 17 years since Bill Bryson wrote his classic tale about a farcical attempt to walk 1,000 miles of America’s Appalachian Trail with his old schoolfriend Stephen Katz. Robert Redford has been trying to get the movie made over a decade, and on 18 September it will finally be released in UK cinemas, with Redford in the lead role. Accompanied by the raspy-voiced Nick Nolte (remember him, Cape Fear fans?) as his grumpy, alcoholic and painfully out-of-shape sidekick, nothing runs smoothly for Bryson – from his astonishment at the inflated price of outdoor kit to the moment a pair of bears storm their campsite. The movie has a lot to live up to, but if the trailer’s anything to go by it’s been worth the wait. Watch it here… tinyurl.com/brysonmovie…

Comedian Bill Bailey has pledged to play a special show in aid of Lake District Mountain Rescue teams after they rescued his dog. Tiger, who had hurt his snout, was stuck on a ledge on Haystacks where the comedian had been walking. Thirty members of the team responded to help the hound, unaware the ‘Mr Bailey’ who made the call was famous. Tiger – an 11-year-old greyhound/dingo cross described by Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team as “a rather clever and crafty creature who led us on quite a merry dance” – was later reunited with his owner. “Rescuing animals as well as humans is part of our constitution, so we would have gone out whoever it had been,” explained team leader Mike Park. Bill expressed his deep gratitude, adding that 30…

Dave Jenkins Bottle of JD, good company and a nice sunset. John McAree A gross of Corncrake ale – and after that much beer, I wouldn't care about the other two things. Rob Chatwin Bear Grylls, food and a tent. Mark Clay A stove, a steak and a beer. I’ll be fine. Simon Kitchin Good weather, good company and my camera to record it all. John Carlill Thunderbirds 1, 2 & 4. DanCath Kershaw Tardis, my family and friends. Gill Gillybean Nott Assuming the mountain I'm stuck on is the Matterhorn, the keys to the Solvay Hut, my phone and a brew kit. Diane Nell Donnelly A helicopter, a pilot and a nav man. Mhairi Smith Lyle Brotherton (surely he'd manage to get us off the mountain!), some marshmallows and…

Go Scotland’s extremes Do furthest-flung high points Simple ideas are often the best. Many people familiar with the 283 summit-strong Munros list – that is to say, Scottish hills over 3,000ft in height as defined by the eponymous Sir Hugh – know that Ben Hope is the most northerly. Some may also know that Ben Lomond is the most southerly. But what of the other cardinal points? Step forward the remote eastern summit of Mount Keen and the western Sgurr na Banachdich. While this may raise little more than a well-whaddyaknow shrug, what may raise more is that these four summits really couldn’t be more different from each other. Four summits, between them encompassing a windswept Cairngorms wilderness, a dose of the striking north, a tooth of the fearsome Cuillin…

LEADER, BRITISH EVEREST EXPEDITION 1975 ideas. But I also knew they had at heart the interests of the expedition. In '75 I was climbing at about the same level as Doug and Dougal. They just had the edge on me, both agewise and... well, they were both geniuses. I had the job of managing aspirations. All the lead climbers were very, very good and all wanted the summit. Nick Estcourt and Paul Braithwaite had the task of climbing the rock band – the obstacle that had stopped all five previous expeditions. Nick Estcourt led the final pitch, probably the hardest climbing that had ever been done at that altitude. They were totally capable of going to the summit, but I was asking them in effect to set it up for…

Be bold – start cold If you’ve just stepped out of a warm car or hostel, outdoors is likely to feel cold. But don’t be fooled into piling on the layers straight away. You’ll find that you soon warm up when you start walking uphill, so it’s okay to start a little chilly. Stop and wrap If you’re going to be stationary for a bit, on a lunch rest for example, stick an extra layer on straight away. You’ll start to cool down as soon as you stop moving, so keep a suitable jacket or gilet to hand for breaks. Choose the right layer If it’s particularly cool, you may want to stick on a layer that adds insulation – a fleece or thermal layer for example. But if it’s…

Over the course of a walk pressure is placed repetitively on certain points of the foot, causing the internal skin and tissue to rub, break and fill with protective fluid. This repetitiveness is the reason why even well-worn boots can sometimes cause blistering (perhaps over a long walk). Ill-fitting footwear adds to the pressure and friction on the foot through excessive movement. It is also important to keep your feet dry because sweaty, wet or damp feet will be more prone to rubbing as it increases friction. Therefore, you should try to buy breathable and water-resistant footwear that fits well to minimise movement of the foot and the friction that causes these pressure points. You can also help prevent blisters by: • Wearing thick socks to reduce pressure points •…

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Weight 11st 10lb Clothing size large COMPRESSION STRAPS These are found on the sides of some rucksacks and allow you to compress the body of the sack to help stabilise the load. They are also useful for stashing items onto the side of the rucksack, such as trekking poles and waterproof jackets. WAND / SIDE POCKETS Originally designed for avalanche probes or ‘wands’, these pockets on the side of a rucksack are often made of stretchy mesh fabrics and are ideal for stashing tent poles or trekking poles as well as smaller items including water bottles or snacks. SHOULDER STRAPS The shoulder straps take some of the weight, but they need to be carefully contoured and padded to make them comfortable.…

Ladies’ Ventura Fleece: £135 Ladies’ Ventura Windproof: £90 Combo package: £215 Climbing in Ethiopia... sweltering heat, frosty evenings, heavy rainfall. Perfect to test the flexibility of the NEW Men's Enduro & Ladies' Ventura Fleece/Windproof combos: The wind- and water-resistant fleece hoodie protects and insulates, while the windproof withstands gale force winds and showers without overheating. Together, they give reliable, mountain-friendly protection against heavy rainfall. “Packing was so easy. On cool mornings, in the evenings and in shade, we wore the fleece or windproof. As soon as the rain hit, I wore them together for full protection” Mandy Tee, MIA Outdoor instructor, climbing & mountaineering Find out more about really versatile weather protection for your adventures at www.paramo.co.uk/combo -plus save when you buy fleece and windproof together.…

2x One Man’s Everest by Kenton Cool worth £20 (p12, Aug15 ) 3xThe Book of the Bothy worth £12.95 (p 12, Aug15 ) Timex Expedition Field Chrono worth £90 (see p82) Osprey Exos 48 worth £120 (see p76) Ruffwear Web Master Pro Harness worth £99.95 £1,000 OF MARMOT GEAR Kit yourself out from head to toe in the latest Marmot walking gear of your choice. BMC HILLWALKING KIT Hill Walking Essentials DVD worth £16 Organic Lake District T-shirt worth £20 British Mountain Map, Lake District worth £15 ZAMBERLAN VIOZ GT BOOTS Worth £185 FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE PRIZES www.lfto.com/winthisgear To celebrate our Britain’s Mountain Challenges series (see March issue) we’re giving away some gear you see in each movie to one reader. Watch our new ‘CMD…

Sean McMahon Lakeland local, curator of stridingedge.net and devoted fellwalker. Richard Down If it's a knotty and wild bit of Cumbria you're after, just ask Rich. Ronald Turnbull Creator of a whopping 27 guidebooks and 18 unique coast-to-coasts. Chiz Dakin Award-winning writer, photographer and filmmaker. Avid traveller. Paul Shorrock After a lifetime enjoying the mountains, Paul still enjoys sharing the buzz. Tom Hutton Our Wales guru – his knowledge of Cymru's peaks is unsurpassed. Dan Bailey Author of Scotland's Mountain Ridges, and a fan of big routes. Jeremy Ashcroft Trail's mountaineering editor, and a veteran of every classic UK route. Hill-bagging stats Walking the Wainwrights, the Munros, the Corbetts or the Welsh 3000ers? These routes have got you covered. What are the Trail 100? They’re your tick-list of the 100…

ROUTE INFO Distance 10.1km (6¼ miles) Total ascent 890m Time 6 hours Start/finish Rhyd-Ddu, SH571525 Nearest town Beddgelert Terrain rough paths over high mountains; some easy scrambling, some scree, some bogginess Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 115; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Snowdonia Snowdon Public transport the S4 bus passes the car park on its way between Beddgelert and Caernarfon www.traveline-cymru.info Guidebooks Day Walks in Snowdonia by Tom Hutton, pb Vertebrate Graphics 1 SH571525 Cross the road and go through the gate opposite. Follow the well-surfaced track over a bridge and it soon meets another well-surfaced track. Turn right towards Rhyd-Ddu, and then as you approach the road turn left to follow a clear path towards Y Garn. This crosses a pasture before making a beeline up the…

ROUTE INFO Distance 20.4km (12¾ miles) Total ascent 1300m Time 8½ hours Start/finish lower Glen Etive, Coileitir track end (NN136468) Terrain boggy lochside path (sometimes boggy), pathless hill slopes and ridges, bouldery ridge descent and ridge path, sometimes stony and eroded Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) 384 and 377 (need both); OS Landranger (1:50,000) 50; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Glen Coe – but lacks 1.5km alongside Loch Etive 1 NN136468Follow the track across the River Etive and bending right to Coileitir house. Follow a deer fence left above the house, rejoining a path beyond. This bends right to rejoin the river. At the side-stream Allt Mheuran, either ford it ahead or turn up left to a footbridge and return to the River Etive. The path runs on beside the river, then along…

ROUTE INFO Distance 13.7km (8½ miles) Total ascent 400m Time 4½ hours Start/finish large parking area on south side of A82 (NN212559) Terrain paths, maybe rough and peaty, and soggy in places; stream crossing in Lairig Eilde causes problems when in spate Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) 384; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 41; Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Glen Coe 1 NN212559A green signpost above the car park marks the start of the path. Follow it south-west up the wide Lairig Gartain valley between Buachaille Etive Beag (right) and Mor (left). Soon the well-built path runs to the right of the River Coupall. It becomes rougher to reach a cairn at the pass top. 2 NN183529The path heads down to the right of the new stream, Allt Gartain. After 800m, at 360m altitude, fork…

WE SAY... Most of us know Cadair Idris as one of Britain’s great hillwalking peaks: a mountain of grand architecture and magical surroundings, but with a network of footpaths that allow you to explore without getting your hands dirty. However, cast your eyes west from the summit of Penygadair and the atmosphere changes completely. Directly across the head of a deep cwm the Cyfrwy Arête rises in fearsome fashion, a near-vertical fin of rock arrowing directly to the summit of 811m Cyfrwy (The Saddle). If it looks like a serious challenge, that’s because it is – this narrow ridge goes beyond the grades of scrambling and tiptoes into rock-climbing territory. You don’t exactly need to be Reinhold Messner to get up it, but you will need a helmet, harness, rope…