Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Trail

“Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot define adventure for you; but if I could, it would be an island.” Who was it who said that? Well, it was me, just then. But come on – there is something about islands, isn’t there? If Treasure Island had been called Treasure Peninsula or Borough of Treasure, it wouldn’t have sold ten copies, would it? Jurassic Park was an island; you arrived by helicopter or boat, not via a traffic jam and car park. Islands quicken expectations and pulse levels; it’s that moment of seeing something compact and beckoning scudding towards you across the sea that soon you’ll be amid and atop. I remember standing at Mallaig the night before I went to the Isle of Rum for the first time, and looking over…

Bothies are still a bit secret. You may not even have heard of these old, abandoned buildings – typically Scotland-located, but also found elsewhere, such as this one in the Lake District – which have been converted into free, unlocked and stupendously situated shelters by the Mountain Bothies Association. For walkers, by day their charm is perhaps hard to grasp; but by night – especially a cold and rainy night, and against the backdrop of an open fire – they become heaven. Autumn is the ideal time to discover the delights of bothying, when the joy of camping wears thin but the mountains still hold a 24-hour allure. Their locations, a code of practice and the chance to donate to the charity that maintains them can be found at www.mountainbothies.org.uk…

I plan to visit the Munros at the four points of the compass, so I was happy to read the ‘Cardinal Munros’ article [right] in September’s issue. I started to wonder what the equivalent summits were for the Trail 100 list [www.lfto.com/ trail100] and stumbled on a cartographical anomaly. There was no surprise at the southernmost and easternmost – Hound Tor and Roseberry Topping. The most westerly was a little surprising: you might think Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, but Rum’s Askival is actually further west. However, there are two candidates for the furthest north. Using OS grid references, it’s Foinaven; but using latitude Ben Hope is the winner. I was wondering if the Trail team would declare which of these two fine mountains it regards as the northernmost. Whatever…

Go Lake District Do hang on tight! Firstly, obviously, don’t try this at home. We did it so you don’t have to. Plus, we are very, very stupid people. I certainly wouldn’t do anything I told me to. This tale begins in Abraham’s tea room above George Fisher’s, in Keswick. Trail had arrived in the Lakes – as is often the case – in the late afternoon, in the rain. There’s only so long you can idly potter around drinking tea, badgering sales assistants and prodding bits of kit; and after six hours or so our eyes wandered outside to the weather, then back to the forecast. Something interesting had appeared on it. “Wind gusting to 95mph...” someone said between mouthfuls of cake and tea. “Hmm. Wonder what that’s like?”…

A MAP CASE Use your map whatever the weather by placing it in a clear waterproof case. PICTURED: Silva Carry Dry Map Case £25 B WATERPROOFHAT A large amount of heat is lost through your head – keeping it dry will help you stay cosy. PICTURED: SealSkinzJacquard Beanie £28 C PHONE CASE (i) Keep your phone dry with a watertight cover that seals around its edges.... PICTURED: Liteproof nuud £80 D PHONE CASE (ii) ...or stash your handset or other electrical gadgets in one of these sealable pouches. PICTURED: AquapacSmall Waterproof Phone Case £20 E CANINE RAINCOAT Don't leave the dog at home if the weather's bad. Strap him into his very own waterproof! PICTURED: RuffwearAira rain jacket £65 F RUCKSACK COVER Protect your pack and its contents: simples! PICTURED:…

Lying on the northwesterly tip of the Lake District, the Loweswater Fells sit among some exalted company and are described alongside some of the better-known and loftier Western Fells by Alfred Wainwright in his book of the same name. They are overshadowed on three sides by some giants – Grasmoor, High Stile and Pillar spring to mind – but oddly this can make these lesser-known fells more attractive when seeking solitude and wilderness. From the beginning of the walk it can feel like you are alone on the edge of sylvan pasture land and then almost an outsider looking into a different world as you pass through the working farm yard and fields. From here, there is a gradual and easy ascent onto Gavel Fell, which is the most central…

This route starts by following the line of the 2,000-year-old Roman road from Caernarfon to Caerhun in the Conwy Valley. Soon after setting out you reach Bwlch y Ddeufaen, which translates as ‘Pass of the Two Stones’ – and, sure enough, there are two Bronze Age standing stones that are probably 2-3,000 years older than the Roman road. After the Roman road comes a short but steep climb up Foel Lwyd, followed by a delightful switchback ridge over Taly Fan, with great views back to the Carneddau, and out to Conwy Bay. A short descent leads to the Bronze Age standing stone of Maen Penddu (‘Black-headed Stone’) followed by a bit more up and down to the Iron Age hill-fort of Caer Bach (‘Little Fort’). The easy walking continues, leading…

Route 7 Dale Edge Route 8 Great Whernside Route 9 Jenny Twigg Great Whernside: a Yorkshire Dales must-do. You can bag it in 3 hours from Kettlewell. But what lies behind? A 6 mile walk-in taking in two remote reservoirs, a ruined hamlet and wild, open fellside; and the result is all the more glorious for it. What’s now the Nidderdale AONB was left out of the National Park in the 1950s due to the ‘industrial’ nature of its reservoirs, but it’s a Yorkshire Dale in every other sense. The lush green valley of the upper dale boasts a rich heritage of mining, industry and hill farming, and its vast open moorlands are by no means featureless, with an array of wildlife, craggy rock formations and even the odd spooky…

WHEN November 2006 WHERE Place Fell, Lake District PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Bailey TRAIL ISSUE February 2007, Your New Favourite Hills The technical term is temperature inversion, but this is usually paraphrased in favour of its most arresting attribute: cloud. This cloud inversion was witnessed by Trail’s editor Simon Ingram on the slopes of Place Fell above Ullswater, on a cool November morning. ”We'd woken up in Ambleside in the kind of unpromising grey clag that makes you just turn over and go back to sleep,” he remembers. ”The first hour of the walk was similarly grim; but then I started seeing the first signs of blue sky above, through the murk. Moments later we popped out into the most stunning natural sight. Cloud was covering everything human-made: it was just us,…

Highest mountain climbed? Slightly ashamed to say it’s only Ben Nevis at 1344m. I’ve been higher on Gornergrat in Switzerland (3135m) and Mt Olympus in Cyprus (1952m), but not on proper walks. Scafell Pike, Snowdon or Ben Nevis? I’ve never seen the view from Ben Nevis and if I do it may top the list, but Snowdon is a great place with its glacial basin, horseshoe walk and great photo opportunities. What do you love about mountains? Feeling part of them and being able to get away from normal life. Capturing mountains on camera is just a bonus and will hopefully help me savour them in my senior years. Most memorable mountain day? I had an epic time on Carn Mor Dearg (1223m) earlier this year: full-on winter conditions with…

Okay, okay, we know it’s only October; but keep reading because this is for a very good cause. The charity Walking With The Wounded is calling on people across the UK to walk home for Christmas this year in support of military veterans who don’t have a home to walk to. Last year participants walked a collective 5,000 miles and raised over £100,000; and plans are already in place to make 2015 even more successful. As you can see from this fetching photo of Sir Chris Bonington dressed as Santa, Britain’s most famous mountaineer has already shown his support for the cause with a walk up to Styhead Pass in the Lake District. “These paths are a home from home for me,” Sir Chris said. “I must have been up…

Send us your shots, share your adventures Email your photos to us, along with a description of what was special about your day, and we’ll publish the most inspiring examples! Put Out there in the subject box, and send them to trail@bauermedia.co.uk SCAFELL PIKE LAKE DISTRICT Mark Hannant and Bethany Atkins from Southwold, enjoying the sun on the summit of England’s highest mountain in a pic taken by “a random unknown fellow climber”! DOVEY HILLS SNOWDONIA Here’s John Kingdom from Neath, exploring this little-known area of Wales with his brother Andrew, who took the photo. Andrew said, “Superb hills with fantastic views. especially of Cadair Idris. We saw no-one all day during our 12 mile walk!” SNOWDON SNOWDONIA Steffan Jones (9) did the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge to raise money…

Go the Isle of Arran Do accessible adventure THE SLEEPING WARRIOR From certain angles Arran’s profile is said to resemble that of a reclining soldier. The exact viewpoint is disputed. Some say this outline is best seen from the north; others suggest the view from the east gives the best representation. Either way, it takes some imagination to see anything but a series of mountains and linked ridges, which are impressive enough without the need for anthropomorphism. By Scottish island standards, Arran is a doddle to get to. Sure, for the majority of the southern-dwelling population of England it’s still a fair jaunt: Google Maps tells me that I need to allow over seven and a half hours in the car followed by an hour or so’s sea voyage. But…

Go ShropshireDo survive! Unless you’re (a) one of the Iron Age folks who used to dwell on this hilltop or (b) extraordinarily unlucky, you have next to no chance of dying on The Wrekin. It’s a 407m rounded bulge in the ground with a path as wide as a road running to the top. Stabbed by a spear? Might die. Iron Age dysentery? Might die. The Wrekin on a spring day? No chance; literally, no possible way. Unless you’re Trail . Oh yes, we found a way. For miles around the land is ocean-flat, with the extended length of this grassy hill emerging from the map like the risen hump of a submerged monster. A sleeping dragon on the border of Wales. Every day hundreds of people sneak round its…

YOUR EXPERTS Graham Thompson GT – Trail’s technical editor for over 25 years – is our walking gear guru. Rob Johnson MIC Rob is an international expedition leader and mountain instructor. Lyle Brotherton Navigation expert Lyle is one of the world’s leading authorities on search and rescue. Jeremy Ashcroft Trail’s mountaineering editor Jeremy has a lifetime of outdoors experience. Yoga expert Yen Yau is a yoga teacher living in Kendal with a specialist interest in yoga for sport. She teaches regular classes and runs yoga and hiking weekends with her partner Kevin, who is ML- and IML-qualified. www.mountainhikes.co.uk What is yoga? In the Western world yoga is mainly a physical practice, with the focus on breathing, stretching, meditating and relaxing. Originating from an ancient Indian practice that unites the body…

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…

Lakeland is where even little is large. And this applies in particular to Little Langdale. When the oaks are turning orange, it’s better to be below the cloud base, watching the leaves float around on Blea Tarn or sliding down the white water of Skelwith Force. Lingmoor Fell at 470m lets you look down on both the Langdales. Silly little Side Pike could almost be Snide Pike, cocking a craggy snook at the self-important Langdale Pikes on the other side. But the joke’s on you, when you find you’re too fat to fit through the gap behind the little pinnacle. It’s tempting to call Low Fell the high point of the walk. It’s a rough, sulky hump of bare rock and heather, with a grassy hollow as your sandwich shelter.…

Lochnagar is the name given to the mountain and the dark, cold waters of the loch sitting at the base of its magnificent cliffs. It is a majestic peak – an apt description as it had close connections with Queen Victoria during the 19th century, and outstanding paths line the majority of this route. Beginning in lonely Glen Muick, the path climbs high onto Lochnagar’s spacious plateau, onto the summit of Cac Carn Beag, which is 5m higher than the adjacent Cac Carn Mor. However, this must have originally been thought of as the true summit, as mor in Gaelic means big while beag translates as small. Whichever summit you stand on, a remarkable panorama extends over the wild Cairngorms and beyond; yet it is the sweeping views along the…

Route 10 (Day 1) Morvich - Bealach a’ Choinich Route 11 (Day 2) Bealach a’ Choinich - Morvich Packed into the dense contours north of Glen Shiel, the fortress-like peaks and airy crests of Kintail boast an unrivalled concentration of ridge-walking goodies. Here you’ll find several famous classics: the shapely stunners of the Five Sisters; their equally handsome siblings the Three Brothers; the sharp, grassy blade of Ciste Dubh; and the complex sprawl of Beinn Fhada, a mountain of two completely contrasting styles. Convention would say this lot requires four separate day trips; but rules are there to be broken. Those who dream big can combine them all in a single huge overnight loop. It’s by far the toughest walk in the area, but it could be your best two…

Blessed with a forgiving climate but exposed to the full force of the sea, the promontories and cliffs of the north Pembrokeshire coast have a unique feel. Inland a rich and ancient landscape feels gentle and welcoming, yet within a matter of a few hundred steps you can be among a craggy landscape as wild as any you’ll find in the high mountains. These are resolute headlands – fingers and knuckles that have stood firm for millennia resisting the ceaseless erosive force of countless Atlantic breakers. They don’t give up ground easily and their profiles, although low in altitude, have a carved grandeur reminiscent of peaks of the Greater Ranges. The clifftop paths skirting this dramatic arena embody wildness, yet turn inland and you are greeted by pastoral elegance. The…

Were the Lake District to have a nucleus – a nerve centre of spectacle, if you will – Langdale would be it. And while the tempting podium of choice amid this amphitheatre of mountains might seem to be the Langdale Pikes, it is the scruffy little hill in the very centre of the valley that affords its finest prospect. Unnassuming in both name and stature, Lingmoor Fell (469m) is in fact a kind of miniature Lake District. On it you’ll find a perfect little body of water; a raggedy little promontory with its own summit (Side Pike), a scramble and a squeeze; and a top with a view unequalled by those twice its height. It is hard to imagine a more astonishing viewpoint for an autumn afternoon, where you can…

Walking in winter can be scary, right? But it can also be wonderful. The arrival of snow transforms the British mountains both visually and physically, providing magnificent scenery but also a whole new set of challenges for hillwalkers. If you’re unfamiliar with the likes of ice axe arrest or avalanche awareness, this is a great time of year to brush up on winter knowledge and sharpen your skills before heading out into the snow. The BMC is running a series of winter skills lectures in November, hosted by IFMGA British Mountain Guides Neil Johnson and James Thacker, that are designed to inspire any budding winter mountaineers. They’ll cover topics such as equipment, clothing, navigation, footwork, route planning and avalanche awareness. Tickets cost £5 for BMC members and £7 for non-members,…

BEN NEVIS WEST HIGHLANDS With Dean McGhee are James and Simon plus 10-year-old Logan on the Ben Nevis summit plateau with the Tower Ridge route behind. Dean said, “We summited via the CMD Arête as featured in September's 'Britain's Mountain Challenges' article and are looking forward to completing the rest of the list!” 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. THIS COULD BE YOU! Send your shots, marked ‘Summit selfie’ to trail@bauermedia.co.uk…

Go the Isle of Mull Do a mountain wildlife safari “The cloud lifted, delivering sparkling sunlit views along the sea cliffs and over to the Isle of Ulva” I have this hare-brained conspiracy theory about the Scottish islands: I’m convinced nobody wants you to know they exist. I reckon those lucky enough to have visited these wild, weird and weather-beaten lumps of rock that speckle Scotland’s North Atlantic coastline realise they’ve stumbled upon some form of long-lost paradise, and they want to keep it all to themselves. Think about it for a minute. How else can you explain the fact that, in a nation overflowing with outdoor lovers, so few people visit an area that’s packed to bursting point with emerald green mountains, white sand beaches and wildlife bordering on…

Rum’s Cuillin are eight miles in length, and knife-edge in several places. Go the Isle of Rum Do secluded adventure drift 8 miles out in the Sea of the Hebrides, for years the compact but muscular Isle of Rum was a tantalisingly vertiginous but off-limits prospect for the hillwalker, privately owned and open only to adventurous chancers or gun-toting gentry. These days, however, it’s an eccentric, underrated and utterly stunning destination for the mountain lover where deer outnumber people and landscapes to challenge Skye await. And it’s now firmly on the ferry line. Here, in a photo project conducted during the winter months, photographer Robert Mercer captures this kaleidoscopic amalgam of ocean and upland – quite possibly the most electrifying mountain island in Britain.…

Tucked in a far corner of Germany are ridges and scrambles to delight any hillwalker. Trail took a trip to what may be the finest peak of the lot: King of the eastern Alps – the mighty Watzmann. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DAN ASPEL Go Bavaria Do the highest peak What draws us to foreign mountains? We have almost everything a mountain lover could want here in Britain – from vision-blurring scrambles and long distance epics to pointy summits and vast, sweeping plateaux – so why would we ever want to leave? I don’t have the definitive answer, but I do know that standing on the snaking limestone spine of the Watzmann, with 2000m of air to my right and a billowing banner cloud obscuring the void to my left, there…

HOKA ONE ONE TOR ULTRA HI WP £160 What. The. Footwear?! Yep, these Hoka One One boots (so strange they named ’em twice) certainly raised some eyebrows when they were unboxed in the Trail office. It’s true that their exaggerated sole makes the Tor Ultra Hi WP look like a cross between futuristic hover boots and brightly coloured clown shoes. But, by golly, are they comfortable. That big, thick sole offers memory foam mattress levels of shock absorption and is wonderfully soft and squidgy underfoot. It does, however, mean that you get no real ‘feel’ with your feet; these are not boots for scrambling. The lack of a heel breast also means that sharp descents on slippery ground are… nervy. But these aren’t technical boots – these are built for…

It’s a long time since outdoor gear worn on the British hills has necessarily been designed, developed and assembled in the UK – and today very little is even made in Europe; but the times are changing. US brand Keen is the latest company to invest in European manufacturing skills and facilities, and it has developed a site in Romania that allows them to test, design and make products specifically for the European market. Sitting at the pinnacle of the new range of footwear that will be emerging from this factory is the Keen Liberty Ridge. Designed for more technical ground and longer backpacking trips, according to its new European manufacturers, the Liberty Ridge is a classic leather boot built with a full-grain leather upper. There is a synthetic tongue…

There’s something refreshingly wild about the lesser-trod cwms of the Moelwynion. They feel a world away from the well-cairned, polished paths of Snowdonia’s lofty honeypots. And the fact that you sometimes find yourself having to work hard just to gain a few metres in altitude makes them all the more rewarding. Cwm Llynedno is about as wild as you are going to get in this part of the world. The footpath that is marked so clearly on the map has all but vanished in places on the ground; and the black squiggly lines that depict outcrops do little to warn you of the real impenetrable nature of this ground. But the cwm itself is lovely. It’s a pleasure to stop and catch your breath, looking upwards to the eminence of…

Liathach, Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin are names to get your pulse racing; but what about the peaks of the Flowerdale Forest? Chances are you’ve never even heard of them. Torridon’s big three may hog the limelight, but hidden in the bog-riddled hinterland beyond their ramparts is an intriguing family of also-rans, slightly smaller maybe, but far more isolated and almost as impressive. Rising either side of Loch na h-Oidhche, the knobbly ranges of Baosbheinn and Beinn an Eoin make an obvious pair for ambitious walkers. But look south: there’s the massive nearly-Munro Beinn Dearg looming monstrous out of the moors. Holding its own beside neighbouring Beinn Alligin, it really can’t be ignored. Bag this too to make it a Corbett triple crown, a leg-sapping epic in one of the…