Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Trail

I’m ashamed to say I was more than a couple of decades into my life before I properly visited the Scottish Highlands. Driving across Rannoch Moor on the A82, with the unmistakable silhouette of Buachaille Etive Mor guarding the entrance to the shadowy trench of Glen Coe, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so foolish. I’d spent a small fortune and lost many years chasing grand landscapes in distant countries, when everything I’d ever wanted was right here in Britain, just a few hours north of Glasgow. Huge, hulking peaks; wide-open glens; sparkling lochs; ancient forests; remote islands; white sand beaches; and wildlife ranging from eagles and red deer to dolphins and orcas. This issue is our own little slice of Scotland, taking you up its highest mountains and into…

“Black Dog Outdoors was established in 2018 to introduce people to outdoor activities as a means of improving their mental health and wellbeing. “Mountains for the Mind is a fantastic initiative that we’re proud to support. There’s synergy with our own aims and it was a pleasure to organise the recent Skiddaw walk on their behalf. That day connected people who, until the event, only knew each other through Facebook. “Feedback has been heart-warming, and it was humbling to see the support and encouragement everyone gave each other on the day. We can’t wait until the next event on Ben Nevis, and to continue supporting the amazing members of the Mountains for the Mind community.”…

People think the only therapy you can get is from doctors, but my therapy is in the mountains. When I’m out walking, any worries or bad thoughts are pushed aside. For the few hours I’m out, I don’t stop smiling. It’s my happy place. The views, the people, the wildlife, the silence. I don’t want it to end. I just knew from my first mountain walk, on Snowdon. It gave me a sense of freedom and peace. After being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, I made it my mission to plan regular walks into my everyday life. From being a teenager, I always knew there was something not quite right with me. I worried about everything and was on edge all the time. As I got older, it got worse.…

Neil Pennington 17,296m “This is my wife, Louise, powering up Sharp Edge,” says Neil from Silsden. “The highlight of the weekend’s trip to Keswick was Blencathra via Sharp Edge, and we’re now just 400m short of mine and Louise’s 2nd Everest.” David Blair 19,200m “Here’s a pic from my recent summit camp on Pillar while doing the Mosedale Horseshoe. So lucky with the weather! 13-mile walk, 1249m of climbing, and my second Everest this year,” says David from Darwen. Andrew Earnshaw 27,184m “A trip to the Tarrens (pictured), plus an unbelievably cloudy Cnicht, finally takes us to 27,184m and our 3rd Everest!” Cynthia Seymor 35,092m “A very nice linear walk with the Lancaster and Morecombe U3A over Scout Scar and into Kendal, then bus back to our cars at Sizergh.…

“THE VIEW UNFOLDS TO REVEAL A MOUNTAIN TORN APART” If for you mountain walking is all about seeking wide-open spaces, getting away from the crowds, escaping the noise and stresses of society, then we have something in common. Take Snowdon for example. No doubt, its views and exhilarating routes to the top provide some of the best mountain adventures to be found in the UK. But with every jeans-clad swarm that exits the train station and clusters around the summit cairn in a patient queue for a selfie, a little part of the real mountain experience dies. A hot drink, a loo stop and heated shelter from the weather, or even a train ride to the top, is all so very convenient; but doesn’t it just fly in the face…

On our trip to Senja, we were joined by volunteers from Norwegian Peoples’ Aid’s specialist mountain rescue teams, who are supported by Helly Hansen. They re staffed by skilled volunteers who drop everything to launch rescue missions when called upon. One such volunteer is the charismatic Fred-Arne Danielsen, who told us inspiring stories of the rope-based rescue of a man stranded on a cliff, and of battling avalanches to save submerged skiers. “We are good people that want to help”, he said. Modest words for such lifesaving and dangerous work.…

If you want to walk in the Highlands, a basic understanding of Scottish Gaelic is useful, and learning a few key terms will help you identify landscape features. Here are some handy translations… Abhainn = river Allt = stream Aonach = ridge Beag = little Bealach = col Ben/beinn/bheinn = hill or mountain Bidean/bidein = pinnacle Binnein = peak Choire/coire = corrie Dearg = red Dhubh/dubh = black Eas = waterfall Gaoithe/gaoth = wind Garbh = rough Meall = rounded hill Mhor/mor/more = big Mullach = summit Ruaidh = red Sgurr = jagged peak Spidean = pinnacle Stob = point or peak Stuc = sharp peak Uaine = green (It’s also handy to remember that the Gaelic ‘bh’ and ‘mh’ are pronounced as a ‘v’ in English.)…

There’s been a revolution in outdoor gear since the 1980s, with the belts and braces approach of latter-day jacket design gradually being replaced by the fast and light approach. Back in the ’80s, outdoor gear was made to withstand far more use and abuse than today’s products. Gear was built to last for many more years, which was brilliant from a value for money and cost-per-wear basis, but had obvious drawbacks with products being heavier and much bulkier to wear or carry in a rucksack. Originally released in 1988, the Sprayway Torridon swiftly became a favourite with UK hillwalkers, and the jacket earned classic status in the walking community. Such was its popularity that it remained in the Sprayway range right up until the turn of the century, when the…

Ben James Lover of expeditions and mountain challenges all over the UK. Chiz Dakin Award-winning writer, photographer and film-maker. Avid traveller. James Forrest Former newspaper journalist turned adventure travel writer. Roger Butler Roger likes to tick off remote Hebridean islands as well as mountains. Jen & Sim Benson Writers of adventure guides, and passionate about our wild places. Steve Goodier Author of seven walking guidebooks, Steve loves the UK hills. Claire Maxted Former Editor of Trail Running & Trail writer, Claire’s a mountain pro. Peter Edwards Scottish Isles expert, and author of three Cicerone guides to the region. 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 use them…

Distance 12.2km (7½ miles) Total ascent 609m Time 4 hours Start/finish Hope car park ( SK171834) Nearest town Hathersage Terrain Good fell paths and some road walking Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL1, Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Peak District Central Accommodation YHA Castleton, 0345 371 9628 Hardhurst Farm Camping, Hope Valley, 01433 620001 The Old Hall Hotel, Hope, 01433 620160 Public transport Trains from Manchester and Sheffield stop at Hope railway station Guidebook Dark Peak Walks by Paul Besley Tourist info Castleton Visitor Centre, 01629 816572 Best pub The Old Hall Hotel (see above) GET THIS ROUTE ON YOUR PHONE! LFTO.COM/ TRAILROUTES In association with…

Distance 14.8km (9¼ miles) Total ascent 747m Time 5½ hours Start/finish Parking area for Bruce’s Stone ( NX414802) Nearest town Newton Stewart Terrain Some remote wilderness country with intermittent path; careful map-reading needed. Then good path via broad ridge and a rough descent through forest and past a bothy. Very rough, wet going in places; avoid in mist or bad weather and after heavy rain Map OS Explorer (1:25,000) 318 Accommodation Culsharg Cottage, Glentrool, 01671 840386, glentroolholiday cottage.co.uk Glentrool Camping and Caravan Site, Bargrennan, 01671 840280, glentrool campingand caravansite.co.uk Public transport Nothing to start Guidebook Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide: Dumfries and Galloway by Brian Conduit Tourist info Glentrool Visitor Centre 01671 840302, gallowayforestpark. com/item-11-glentrool-visitorcentre Best pub House o’ Hill, near Glentrool, 01671 840243, houseohill.co.uk GET THIS ROUTE ON YOUR PHONE!…

From a peak of 213 in 1881 the population of the isle of Scarp declined until the last permanent inhabitants quit the island in 1971. In July 1934, Scarp was the site of an experiment by German inventor Gerhard Zucker in which he made two unsuccessful attempts to deliver the island’s post by means of rocket mail between Scarp and Harris. Though launched successfully, the rocket exploded – destroying or damaging most of its cargo. In 2007 The Rocket Post , a heavily fictionalised, romanticised but nonetheless very enjoyable movie based on these events was filmed, on Taransay.…

• START PLANNING FOR KENDAL The Kendal Mountain Festival is back for its 39th year from 14-17 November, bringing together thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to celebrate adventure stories from around the world through films, talks and outdoor events. Tickets and accommodation go fast, so start planning your trip. kendalmountainfestival.com • HEAR THE ROAR OF RED DEER As summer draws to a close Scotland’s spectacular red deer rut gets into full swing, with stags competing for the attention and affection of females by roaring through the glens and challenging other males to combat. To read more about this amazing spectacle, which takes place from late September to early November, turn to page 18. • PLAY A HILL-THEMED GAME OF CARDS Those clever people at Harvey Maps have released new packs of…

For many years I’d hankered after finding a deer antler on a walk, to put on a shelf at home to remind me of past adventures. The holy grail was a red deer antler. They’re our largest land mammal, with the largest antlers, not to mention the fact they roam the mountains we all love and long for. The day eventually came. A two-day trip to Assynt, Scotland, taking in the peaks of Suilven, Cul Mor and Stac Pollaidh, incorporating a wild camp. Two-thirds of the way into the first day, as remote as you could wish, I found it. Lying in the sunlit grass, naturally cast (the base was a clean edge), it had five points or tines. With a kid-in-a-sweetshop smile, I picked it up. One thing I…

Arenig Fawr In the forgotten midlands of Snowdonia you can find some huge views from the prominent peak of Arenig Fawr (854m). South of the Snowdon peaks and north of Cadair Idris, the walking is wild and often pathless, and practically guarantees solitude. The Carneddau From the honeypot of the picturesque Aber Falls, feel the stark contrast as you head up into the Carneddau’s lonely wilderness, following faint paths by pools and waterfalls, onto a pathless expanse where the views are awesome and imagination is your only limitation. Marchlyn Mawr round Head to the less-visited northern end of the Glyders. A high-level circuit around Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir provides a rocky ascent to one of the Welsh 3000s, Elidir Fawr, and a further two peaks with awesome coastal and mountain views.…

The wind gently ruffles the surface of a deep blue lake on the quarried flanks of a Welsh hill, its shore scattered with slate. In the distance is the sound of the wind in the trees, the kronk of a raven – and then a faraway scream and sudden whoosh as another visitor flies down the fastest zipline in the world. Less than 10km south-east, someone stands breathless on Tryfan, astounded by the view and the sensation of having just completed their first graded scramble. Laughing, they turn and high-five the guide who led them safely to the top. Eight kilometres southwest is Snowdon’s summit, the platform crammed with people and a small queue winding down the steps to the café. Behind them, a toddler presses his nose against the…

■ MATERIAL Made from a robust 3-layer 75-denier Gore-Tex that is free from poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFC), with recycled polyester to further improve its environmental credentials. ■ HOOD Sprayway has fitted a full mountain hood with a wired peak. This places the new Torridon right up there with the best in terms of performance on the hill in bad weather, as this hood turns well with the head and offers great protection. ■ CHEST POCKETS The new Torridon gets a pair of high handwarmer pockets that are cavernous and easily accessed above a rucksack hipbelt. These are an improvement on the original, which had smaller, lower pockets. ■ FRONT ZIP The front zip gets a double external stormflap to lock out wind and rain. This feature is less common these days,…

Distance 11.2km (7 miles) Total ascent 1000m Time 4¼ hours Start/finish Small car park by Lanthwaite Green ( NY159207) Nearest town Keswick Terrain Steep ascent to Whiteside/descent via Lad Hows. Narrow ridge below Hopegill Head. In winter, beware cornices (snow overhangs) and crags above Gasgale Crags, at Hopegill Head and edges of Grasmoor summit plateau Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL4, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 89, Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Lakeland West Accommodation Graysonside, Cockermouth, 01900 822351, graysonside.co.uk Beckside Guest House, 017687 73093, beckside-keswick. co.uk YHA Buttermere, 0345 371 9508, yha.org.uk/hostel/ yha-buttermere Public transport Bus X5 Penrith to Keswick, traveline.info The 77/77a Honister Rambler bus (summer only) goes to Lanthwaite Green/Buttermere. Otherwise, taxi Guidebook Lake District – High Level and Fell Walks by Viv Crow Tourist info Keswick TIC, 0845 901 0845 Best…

Distance 29km (18 miles) Total ascent 913m Time 9½ hours Start/finish Free car park behind Llanthony Priory ( SO289278) Nearest town Abergavenny Terrain Steep, narrow trails onto and off the ridges at the start and finish. Better grassy, gravel or roughly paved trails along tops of both ridges Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL13, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 161, Harvey Superwalker (1:25,000) Brecon Beacons East Accommodation Llanthony Priory Hotel, llanthonypriory hotel. co.uk Two basic but good campsites very near to the start – Llanthony Court, llanthonycamping. co.uk and Llanthony Treats (also has a bunkhouse), llanthonytreats.co.uk Public transport Trains to Hereford then a bus to Llanvihangel Crucorney at the start of road to Llanthony. From here take a taxi for 9km up this little road or walk to start up the Offa’s Dyke…

ROUTE 7 Yoke & Red Pike circuit ROUTE 8 Fairfield Horseshoe ROUTE 9 Loughrigg Fell This bustling Cumbrian tourist town is a fantastic destination for hillwalking at every level. The first route offers a strenuous, bracing circuit of fells normally accessed from Kentmere, which lacks facilities or parking. Walking Yoke and its surrounding pointed peaks from this direction gives you a pub and a café at the end. The second walk is an absolute classic: the Fairfield Horseshoe – a roller coaster of a mountain round that whisks you high above Ambleside on wide, craggy paths with quintessential Lakeland views as far as the eye can see. The third route takes pity on your tired legs with a low, rolling circuit of Loughrigg Fell, some thrilling caves to explore and…

Last month was a big one for our Mountains for the Mind campaign, with members of its fast-growing Facebook community organising the first official group walk. Trail went along for a great day on Skiddaw – one of only four Lake District peaks over 3000ft high – on a free event brilliantly organised by voluntary Mountain Leaders and Mental Health First Aiders from Black Dog Outdoors. The group included a real mix of ages and abilities, with participants travelling hundreds of miles (one all the way from Cornwall!) to walk, talk and explore the Northern Fells together. We hope this will be the first of many similar events, so if you want to take part either sign up for the monthly newsletter at mountainsforthemind.co.uk or join the Facebook group to…

Here’s a conundrum for you. I’m with a group of friends for a weekend in the hills. Some of us are regular walkers, others not so much. We’re in Snowdonia and the weather is unseasonably cold and predictably wet (it is Wales, after all). One of my pals – let’s call her Mandy – has gone walking with me before. She’s active, sensible and owns a waterproof hard shell. But for some reason she’s decided not to bring it on our wet weekend in Wales, but has instead turned up in one of those big goose down jackets, all fluffy collar and feathery filling. I look at this coat and wonder if it’s going to be trouble. Saturday’s objective is Cnicht, a simple route and a short day. My friend…

Crowds of people have been trawling up the Old Man of Coniston for decades. In his Guide to the Southern Fell s, Wainwright even introduces the main route with a list of them. There are “the day trippers, the courting couples, troops of earnest boy scouts, babies and grandmothers, the lot”. They, we, climb it because it is epic. Because it has views all the way to the Pennines and the Irish Sea, because there is an iridescent turquoise pool halfway up and an excellent path all the way to the top. The Victorian philanthropist and art critic John Ruskin said (and I think we’ll all agree) that, “mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery”. And where did he choose to live but Coniston, at the…

I’m deep within the Arctic Circle. It’s midnight and my red kayak is floating around on a remote fjord. If ever there was a time to feel vulnerable and exposed, this is it. But I’m not scared at all. My pre-expedition visions of iceberg-infested waters, sub-zero blizzards and roaming polar bears are proving to be wildly fantastical. In reality, it is warm and tranquil. This is northern Norway in summer: a land where the sun never sets and the views take your breath away. A small, translucent jellyfish with an umbrella-shaped body and trailing tentacles pulsates forward next to my kayak. I dip my paddle into the crystal-clear green waters, careful not to disturb the alien-like creature. Energetic seabirds fill the sky overhead, seemingly rushed with their nightly chores, and…

Plan the route beforehand, bearing in mind everyone’s experience, fitness and capability; as well as the mountain forecast and daylight hours ‘Fly through’ the route on your computer before you go. The OS Maps website is great for this Always plan a low-level alternative route in case of bad weather Never push on regardless, as you create an environment primed for an accident Pack group essentials, like first aid kit, phone chargers, spare maps, compasses, emergency shelter and digital sat nav Check everyone has waterproofs, food, drink and the right gear Leave a route card behind with a responsible person, and tell them when you’re due back Before heading off, discuss the route and agree for the fittest person to walk at the back so nobody falls behind Keep a…

INNOVATIVELY CONSTRUCTED 3-season boot Mammut’s Ducan Knit High GTX is a comfortable, supportive boot that treads new ground in footwear design. Available in men’s and women’s sizes, it sports a 3D knitted synthetic sock to form the tongue and ankle cuff area, housed within a robust synthetic upper with a Vibram sole unit. mammut.com (£230) EASY-TO-USE Multi-fuel stove The new SOTO StormBreaker stove can be fuelled by butane gas canisters, unleaded petrol and Coleman Fuel, with no adjustments required between fuels. Gas canisters can be inverted to improve performance, while the concave burner reduces the need for a windshield. The stove weighs 273g or 443g with liquid fuel pump. newheights.co.uk (£200) ADVENTURER’S Baby carrier The Diono Carus Complete allows you to carry a newborn baby weighing 7lb through to a toddler weighing…

Garmin eTrex 32x £220 This is a waterproof GPS receiver with a relatively low price tag and 25-hour battery life. It’s a compact design but still packs in the essentials needed by hillwalkers, including a digital compass and barometric altimeter. Ulefone Armour 6E £280 If bought from Memory-Map this rugged outdoor phone comes pre-loaded with their software and allows OS mapping (GB Landranger, £50) to be displayed, as well as route planning that can be interfaced with your PC. Satmap Active 20 GB Edition Bundle £480 Here’s a button-operated GPS receiver with a large screen to display the OS mapping supplied. The housing is rubberised and waterproof – and there’s good battery life, thanks to the lack of phone functionality. Ordnance Survey Aventura GPS with 1:50k full GB mapping £500…

Distance 15km (9¼ miles) Total ascent 1338m Time 5-7 hours Start/finish Ballachulish Visitor Centre car park ( NN083584) Nearest town Fort William Terrain Worn tracks with no defined paths and exposed ridges, light scree, forestry paths with exposed routes and streams Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) 384, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 41 Accommodation Ballachulish Hotel, 01764 651842, ballachulish-hotel. co.uk Park View Bed and Breakfast, Ballachulish, 01855 811968, parkviewbnbscotland. co.uk Red Squirrel Campsite, Glen Coe, 01855 811256, redsquirrel campsite.co.uk Public transport Trains to Fort William then bus from Fort William, scotrail.co.uk City Link buses, citylink.co.uk Tourist info Ballachulish Visitor Centre, glencoetourism.co.uk Best pub Clachaig Inn, Glencoe, 01855 811252, clachaig.com GET THIS ROUTE ON YOUR PHONE! LFTO.COM/ TRAILROUTES In association with…

Distance 10.7km (6½ miles) Total ascent 790m Time 4½ hours Start/finish Lay-by on A5 by Pont-Cyfyng ( SH735571) Nearest town Betws-y-Coed Terrain Steep rocky spur with some scrambling on the ascent from Llyn y Foel, rock and heather on the descent, good tracks across moor and through forestry Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17 & OL18, OS Landranger (1:50,000) 115 Accommodation YHA Betws-y-Coed, 0345 260 2548 The Rocks Hostel, 01690 720225 Bron Eryri B&B, 01690 720240 Public transport Nearest station Betws-y-Coed, with bus links through to Capel Curig. The Snowdon Sherpa service (S2) also provides good connections – see gwynedd.llyw.cymru for timetables Guidebook Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia by Terry Marsh Tourist info Betws-y-Coed Tourist Information Centre, 01690 710426 Best pub Tyn-y-Coed Inn, 01690 720331 GET THIS ROUTE ON YOUR PHONE!…

ROUTE 10 North Harris ROUTE 11 West Harris Making the most of some of Harris’s wild country, a remote bivouac at the head of Loch Reasort punctuates a two-day traverse of the fine mountain ridges rising either side of Gleann Chliostair and Gleann Uladail. The landscapes are expansive and ever-changing as you head north on the outward leg, while the return route takes in the ridge on the eastern side of the glens, climbing over Ulabhal and Oireabhal with magnificent views in every direction. Given the complex terrain and requirement for competent navigation this is not a trip for bad weather, poor visibility or inexperienced walkers. The river at the head of Loch Reasort must be forded, which may be hazardous after very wet conditions. In addition, a single-day route…