Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i Trail

Ben Weeks heads for a north Wales mountain icon – and discovers that there are always new ways you can look at familiar ground p36 Twitter@gingerheadben Hannah James goes back to her south Wales roots with a trip behind a cascade in the extraordinary valley of the ‘Waterfall of Snow’ p42 Twitter@hannahkjames Phoebe Smith picks ten locations which together comprise a cross-section of the bothying experience. You'll be itching to get to one of these remote overnighters p52 Oli Reed risks life, limb and – arguably more importantly – his new trousers on the toughest route on Britain’s highest mountain p62 Twitter@olireedoutdoors Graham Thompson gets geared up for winter while reviewing the hottest new kit for the cold. Headtorches, winter boots and ice axe/ crampon combos on test! p78 Cover…

Stop reading and think: what’s the one UK peak you’ve always wanted to climb but have never set foot on? Quick! Before you forget, write its name at the top of the list opposite. Chances are, once you’ve done that, another will suggest itself… and another and another – which is why we’ve given you space for seven. Seven summits, seven hillwalking trips, seven glorious adventures with pals or alone on hills that you’ve been yearning to tick for ages. Doesn’t matter if they’re big, small, famous, obscure – after all, what draws folk to mountains isn’t always the highest point. Sometimes it’s simply immersion in a landscape, a goal achieved, a long day out and a pint at the end. This is your list, after all; so make sure…

Want to get into snowy mountains but nervous about your skill level? The answer could be a night in the pub! Glen Coe’s Clachaig Inn’s winter skills lectures start on 2 February and continue every Tuesday evening at 8pm through the month. They’re free at the door – so just turn up, settle down by the fire and prepare to absorb a wealth of expert info. Topics vary from avalanche risk assessment to the basics of preparation for winter walking, delivered by some of the most experienced guides in the area. Find more at www.clachaig.com…

We recently saw our first ever cloud inversion, from the top of Carnedd Llewelyn [above]. We climbed up in near-zero visibility, and as we turned round having summited we saw the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen. We stared at it so long, we had to camp on the hill! Andy, via email Train of thought Thanks for a great magazine. You have inspired me to get out into the hills more and given me the guidance to make the most of my trips. However, I have one gripe: you could do more to encourage Trail readers to use environmentally friendly forms of transport. For example, the article on the Isle of Arran in the November issue failed to mention that it is perfectly possible to get to Ardrossan by…

What did I do to celebrate turning 50? Booked a hostel and filled it with some of the most amazing guys I’ve ever met, in a wonderful location. At Mounthooly in the College Valley, in a remote corner of Northumberland, 5 miles from the nearest road, we were looked after by the wonderful manager Pauline Baker and her husband Ed, eating superb home-made food. I requested no presents, but was given a framed montage of 35 images of me and friends on loads of fab events with my walking group (OutdoorLads) over the years, with some heart-felt messages from the guys I’ve met along the way. Oh, and we did manage a walk while we were there: scrambling up into Hen Hole and to The Cheviot summit!…

BRITAIN’S GNARLIEST RIDGE Bonita Norris TV presenter and Himalayan mountaineer “I definitely have a very long wish-list and am fortunate to be able to think that hopefully none of it will ‘get away’ from me. I’ve always wanted to do the Cuillin Ridge – but have never found a willing partner. I had a few interested, but none wanting to commit fully. So, it’s gotten away from me so far, despite being on the cards for so long. And now you’ve just put it in my head again!” HIGH POINT OF A HAUNTED MOOR Graham Thompson Trail technical editor “For me, living in Cumbria, Dartmoor is a long drive away and it’s quicker to go to Scotland. But one day I would like to climb High Willhays, not least as…

Go Ireland Do Atlantic mountains It was somewhere near the 952m summit of Brandon Mountain, located deep on Europe’s westernmost peninsula and surrounded on three sides by an angry Atlantic Ocean, that I realised I was somewhere very different. Thin shafts of sunlight skimmed across the tapering ridgeline we’d been climbing for the past hour, pockets of blue sky fizzed past like speeding trucks on a motorway, and a thin film of misty vapour swirled around our boot laces. Above us towered an ever-thickening bulge of cloud the colour of a deep bruise, to our right a perfectly formed rainbow sparkled above the green valley at its base, and all the while 40mph gusts of wind pummelled into our left flanks like precision punches from a heavyweight boxer. As the…

Go above the snowline Do watch a world transform Winter officially begins on 21 December. This is, according to the astronomical calendar, the winter solstice. Solstice comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). For those who dwell at ground level, these are the months when warm coats and wellies start appearing by the door, the windows steam up and everyone starts moaning about the dark. But for those who love the outdoors – more specifically the mountains – winter is far less easy to pin down. It's also a lot easier to fall in love with. Winter dawn For mountain folks, winter starts far earlier than December. It starts with the first stiffening of still-green grass above a thousand feet on an early September morning; the…

Guest expert Bryn Williams is executive officer for Mountain Training Cymru and an instructor at Plas y Brenin, the National Mountain Sports Centre. 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. If you’re new to hillwalking, it’s a good idea to think about your skill set and to consider gaining further knowledge through study or from experienced mountain users. Another option is to attend a Mountain Skills course, which will give some structure to your learning. First aid training…

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…

The Great Ridge, in the heart of Derbyshire’s Dark Peak, might sound like a daunting Himalayan horizon; but the name was initiated by WA Poucher, the famous mountain photographer, to describe what he called ‘the great barrier which rises between Edale and Castleton’. His forays into the Peak District – long before any talk of a National Park – resulted in a classic volume entitled Peak Panorama ; and views from this rolling whaleback, which terminates high on Mam Tor, don’t get much more panoramic than this. Times have changed since Poucher’s grainy black and white pictures were published in 1946, when he even made a nod to the need to trespass over some of the moors! The route taking in Lose Hill, Back Tor, Hollins Cross and Mam Tor…

Arran’s highest mountain is so synonymous with the island itself that it would be almost rude to visit without climbing it. Once atop Goatfell’s summit you might as well make a day of it by taking in North Goatfell, The Saddle and Glen Rosa to create a spectacular and challenging day’s walk. This route follows forest tracks before a good path leads the way across rugged, open moorland onto the shoulder of Goatfell. The mountain’s upper reaches are steep and bouldery, though a narrow path aids progress to the summit trig point. The Stacach ridge linking the main summit with North Goatfell is crenellated by a series of granite tors, which provide some scrambling opportunities; alternatively these obstacles can be avoided by following a path on the eastern side of…

Do you know any ass-kicking mountain women? Bet the answer’s yes. Few become the subject of adventure and mountain films, though, or at least not as many as men: only a fifth of the films screened at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival were made by or starred women. To readjust that ratio, ShAFF has teamed up with the BMC and WomenClimb and rolled out its Women in Adventure film competition for the second year. Both professional and amateur film-makers can enter, and short films should feature women enjoying mountain adventures. Last year’s winner Natasha Brooks filmed an ethereal homage to wild swimming in the mountains. Watch it, then enter here: www.thebmc.co.uk/women-in-mountain-adventure-film-competition…

GREENGABLE LAKE DISTRICT Emily Gent, Tessa Jefferson, Chloe O'Hare and Sarah Gent from Kendal, during their Thumbs Up fundraising effort for St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston, in memory of their dad Alan Gent. As well as this epic 37 mile, seven-summit walk over three days, the quartet also did seven wild swims. Thumbs up from us, girls! CAT BELLS LAKE DISTRICT Here’s Charlotte Leyland from Blackpool, searching for the home of Mrs Tiggywinkle, as described in the Beatrix Potter book. Dad Craig took the photo. SADDLEWORTH MOOR PENNINES Whee! Abbie Cruz (16) from Oldham can’t help jumping for joy on the Dove Stones – not least because she's just had some “fantastic GCSE results” according to her mum Sandra, who captured this dramatic shot. Y GARN SNOWDONIA Cousins Jake…

Go Tryfan, north Wales Do take a fresh look Tryfan and I go way back. We have history. We have... a relationship. Not a monogamous one; I’m free to climb other mountains. And Tryfan? Let’s just say there’s a reason it topped a poll of the UK’s most loved peaks. As happens in relationships of any length, though, ours had been allowed to slip into the realms of familiarity. Don’t get me wrong – a scramble up the north ridge is as fine today as it was the first time. An ascent via the Heather Terrace or Cwm Bochlwyd remains a perfectly satisfying way to reach the summit, and leaping Adam and Eve once up there is still every bit as provocative as it’s always been. But we’re at that…

Go Ben Nevis Do Tower Ridge My heart is racing and I’m panting for breath; but I feel alive, exhilarated and pumped up for anything Tower Ridge throws at me. Then the cloud drops. Ben Nevis is intimidating at the best of times, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. Standing alone at the end of a rope, anchored to a rock over 1000m up a vertical cliff face, it’s a very lonely place. Haunting voices drift out of the mist, amplified by the unique acoustics of The Ben’s north face – some belonging to members of my team, others to climbers on neighbouring routes. I hear the thud of tools hammering into ice, the ting of axes flashing against rock – then a scream. This horror show had started…

What’s a route card? It’s a card or sheet containing a range of information about your planned hillwalk. You should leave it with someone who will (1) notice if you don’t return from your walk when expected, and (2) do something about it. Friends, family members and youth hostel receptionists are all possible candidates. Failing this, at the very least send a text with basic details, promising to call when you’re down – and do it. Mountain Rescue will be unimpressed to find you half-sozzled but safe in a cosy pub after a 10 hour rescue mission across cold, benighted hills. Leaving a message in your car is another option. Then anyone can see if you’re late, and raise the alarm. The con? Anyone can see when you’re a vertical…

MAMMUT EIGERJOCH PRO IS £200 Hot because: Not all mountaineers want their insulation to be a big, warm duvet-hug. Some prefer something more minimal, particularly those for whom harnesses, backpacks and fast-paced movement are part of the mix. The Eigerjoch is a synthetically insulated jacket that packs down small in a rucksack but provides excellent warmth in a tailored fit when needed. The cosiness comes courtesy of Primaloft Gold Insulation, while the Pertex Quantum outer fabric is coated with aluminium on the inside to reflect body warmth for additional heat retention. Ice-climbs may be its natural territory, but any active mountain-goers will appreciate the more streamlined approach. We say: Great for insulation on the go without reducing freedom of movement. www.mammut.ch ALPKIT SKYEHIGH 900 £170 Hot because: Versatility, warmth, low…

NORTH RIDGE PINNACLE AXE £75 North Ridge is Go Outdoors’ own brand of gear and it often comes up as excellent value; but on closer inspection this model is actually made by Grivel and in fact carries its logo in the metalwork, so this is a quality product. The Pinnacle Axe is priced at £75 but with a discount card it can be yours for just £60. The pick of the axe is gently curved with a good set of teeth for ice axe braking, while the adze is also nicely curved for hacking out steps. The shaft is straight with a good spike at the end for use as a walking stick. You get a leash, although this is less padded and less adjustable at the wrist than higher-priced…

Pumlumon is mid Wales’ Snowdon. It’s the tallest, the most spectacular and the most popular. But it’s worth pointing out here that a busy day on Pumlumon will be quieter than the average night on Snowdon; this mountain is very much ‘out there’. There are many routes to its summit, and all have their highlights. But the approach via Llyn Llygad Rheidol has to be the most dramatic: the view of the craggy north face towering above the tiny tarn is as impressive as any mountain view in Wales. And this is even more spectacular in winter, when snow fills the gullies and a sharp frost firms up the boggy approaches. It’s also steep enough in places to require an axe and crampons in winter – a definite bonus in…

Standing proud of its neighbours in Glen Coe, Beinn a’ Bheithir is a range unto itself, its peaks forming a kilometre-high wall above the tidal Loch Leven. Two Munros can be bagged here: the graceful pyramid of Sgorr Dhearg and the sharper Sgorr Dhonuill. Turned white by winter they look like seaside Alps, alluring and menacing in equal measure. The invited challenge is hard to resist, and the round of Beinn a’ Bheithir delivers on this promise in spades. With knife-keen ridges and cliff edges made hazardous by overhanging snow cornices, steep icy slopes and even, perhaps, a risk of avalanche, this one’s for accomplished winter walkers only. But if you aspire to greater things still – real climbing in the actual Alps, perhaps – then mighty Beinn a’ Bheithir…

Route 10 Ben Cruachan Route 11 Kerrera Route 12 Beinn Lora O ban: gateway to the Hebrides, lively seaside town – and a truly depraved nightclub scene (if you believe the book and film Morvern Callar ). The big hill hereabouts is Ben Cruachan, whose horseshoe ridge makes a grand outing in summer with its steep sides and little scrambly bits. Winter snow turns it into something still more splendid and serious. But winter’s not just for steely-eyed (and steely-feeted) crampon fun. Take a tiny boat to a four mile island, complete with ruined castle, and walk all the way around it. And as the sun sinks through the chill, clear air into the Atlantic, there’s no better place to see it and do that from than little Beinn Lora.…

Compact stoves are fab: they’re small, light and instantly turn into a mini furnace. But any complex cooking in the tall, imperfectly balanced pot is pretty much out. Unless you have a handy built-for-the-job skillet of course. MSR’s buddy item to the Windburner stove is light and non-stick, and the handle folds into the pan. Pancakes! Bacon! Sautéed trail mix! All kinds of culinary delights are now possible. But hang on, doesn’t this hand-sized pan somewhat defeat the purpose of the compact stove? And that nifty attachment device on the base only works with the MSR stove. It’s a quick way to convert a compact stove for more leisurely trips, but it’s pricy. Its success all hangs on just how badly you want that bacon butty. www.cascade designs.com…

JACK’S RAKE LAKE DISTRICT Gary Robson (taking the pic), Russ Blythe and Annabel Wood from York, high on life above Stickle Tarn. Gary said they introduced Russ to hillwalking by taking him up Jack’s Rake and doing all the Langdales! 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 south Wales Do immerse yourself Welcome to Waterfall Country: a place of raw power and astonishing beauty. In this secretive, seductive pocket of the Brecon Beacons you can’t just see and hear the water crashing down around you – you can actually feel it. The air is hung with moisture, the trees are so thick you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into Narnia, and the falls are deafening. And, best of all, when you venture behind the cascading sheet of water that defines the beauty spot of Sgwd yr Eira, you’ll actually feel part of the landscape. Challenging mountain terrain this most definitely is not, but on a grey day there are few more rewarding destinations than the waterfalls of the Vale of Neath. Sgwd yr Eira, buried deep in…

Ben Cruachan Height: 1126m (3,694ft) Grid ref: NN069304 Cailleach nan Cruachan The legendary Witch of Ben Cruachan, who nodded off while tending a magic well, which overflowed and flooded the glen – creating Loch Awe. The Brus 14th century poem by John Barbour claiming Ben Cruachan is the highest peak in Britain. 57th Ben Cruachan’s actual position in the list of Britain’s highest peaks. 316m/1,037ft The length of the Cruachan Reservoir dam. 8km/ 5 miles of cables and pylons carrying the electricity off the mountain. 220,000 CUBIC METRES of rock was removed to create a cavern that houses a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station inside the mountain. Translation: ‘Stacked Hill’ or ‘Mountain of Peaks’ A.K.A: ‘The Hollow Mountain’ 19km/12 miles of subterranean tunnels supplying water to the reservoir. 007 Cruachan was…

A MERINO BASE LAYERS Sheep don’t complain much about being stuck outside in the cold, and neither will you if you wear a base layer made of their wool. Merino is breathable, warm, insulates when wet and doesn’t pong when you sweat. PICTURED: FinisterreEddy base layer £42, Zephyr leggings £40 B 4-SEASON SLEEPING BAG There's no need to stop camping when the temperature drops, as long as your sleeping bag is built for it. Down-filled bags with a comfort rating of -15 deg C or below are ideal. PICTURED: The North Face Superlight £290 C WATERPROOF GLOVES Thin waterproof gloves are a great idea for winter walking. You can keep them on all day without exposing your fingers to the cold, especially if you get a pair like…

Walla Crag offers a great deal in terms of views and ruggedness compared to the amount of effort required to reach its heathery summit. From the shores of the delectable Derwent Water to the west, its craggy face looks all but unassailable. There is, however, a gentle way to reach it from the centre of Keswick using the circular route described. This walk is a great half-day legwarmer and it would make a fantastic start to a Lakeland holiday that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. It offers a great taste of fellwalking to the uninitiated, and if you choose the right day someone could be hooked for life by this experience. Unsurprisingly, you don’t have to travel too far from the centre of Keswick before you either…

When winter bites, the crowds all turn their eyes to the Glyderau – and particularly Cwm Idwal, which has some of Wales’ most famous ice-climbs. But over the road, in a remote cwm at the foot of the Carneddau, Broad Gully remains one of the best introductory winter routes in north Wales. The walk-in alone makes it a classic day. Cwm Lloer is lovely at any time, but particularly so when covered in snow. And if the lake is frozen too, it really does feel like a winter wonderland. The climb itself is relatively straightforward, depending on conditions. It’s climbed often enough to develop a fine set of bucket steps soon after any snowfall and consolidation. And while it’s sometimes nice to be the first to put up tracks, the…

Route 7 Widgery Cross Route 8 Teignhead Route 9 Princetown Dartmoor spans 368 square miles of beautiful south Devon. It’s a place of incredible diversity, where a day’s walk can take you through densely wooded valleys, alongside gleaming, peat-brown streams, and over wild and windswept moorland. The volcanic sculptures of the tors, laid bare by weathering and erosion, are on every horizon. You can lose yourself easily here: running, swimming, bouldering or walking through millennia of human and natural history, with nights spent under the stars. Wild camping, within the Park’s guidelines, is legal here. Winter brings an extra level of challenge; but on a frosty morning under a clear sky, there’s nowhere better to be. TRANSPORT Trains to Plymouth, Exeter and Ivybridge: www.nationalrail.co.uk 08457 484950; Buses from Plymouth to…

Located far to the west of the main Lakeland transport axis, Ennerdale is fairly tricky for visitors to reach and it’s therefore more peaceful than other valleys. In addition to this existing tranquillity, the current ‘rewilding’ project is gradually removing the valley’s agricultural and human scars and allowing it to re-establish itself as a true mountain environment. The walk around its long and diverse skyline has always attracted walkers, particularly those who want to immerse themselves in a big adventure. As a day-long undertaking, during the summer, it is a magnificent trip; but if you really want to experience its finest attributes, then it’s in the clear crisp air of winter that you’ll witness it at its best. To complete the whole Ennerdale Horseshoe in a day in summer with…

WE SAY... The good news: if you’re uncomfortable with height, the Aonach Eagach is not kneeshakingly terrifying for its entire 6km length. The bad news: when it comes, the exposure is unignorable and – due to the lack of descent options along the ridge’s central section – inescapable. Of course, if you adore high, airy scrambling, this is excellent news. The rock is grippy, the moves are straightforward, and the elevation gets your heart pumping in a way that only scrambling addicts can truly appreciate. But if your nerves require settling, traversing the ridge east to west means you’ll end up at the superb Clachaig Inn, where relief is served up by the pint. Ben Weeks news and features writer THEY SAY... “Aonach Eagach, whose name means ‘the notched…