Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Trail

There are few things that make my pulse race like the sight of our native falcons, and three of them – the kestrel, merlin and peregrine – can be found in the mountains. They can’t help but exude power, elegance and sheer coolness. The kestrel is the bird of prey that we often see hovering by the side of our motorways. Medium sized, it has pointed wings with a long tail. Males can be told from the females by their light grey rump and back of tail. The backs of the wings of both sexes are a rusty brown, darkening towards the tips. Wherever there is grass in the mountains there will be rodents and, more than likely, the area will be hunted by kestrels. Because they’re common they’re often…

“This image, to me, encapsulates the very essence of what wild camping is about. It’s not just about being there at that precise location and at that time to  take the image. It’s about escaping the normalities of everyday life. Looking at it brings me memories of the journey, hiking in and setting up ready to relax and unwind, and essentially becoming a part of the mountains.” KIT USED Sony A7 MkIII & 20mm lens ABOUT THE WINNER Yorkshireman Richard has had a love of the outdoors since serving in the Army for 23 years. Having been a hobbyist landscape photographer for around 10 years, his wild camping and photography have become inextricably linked to capture the dramatic light around sunrise and sunset. WHAT THE JUDGES SAY Nadir Khan, acclaimed…

Kilimanjaro has a problem: acclimatisation. The old adage to avoid acute mountain sickness is that you should climb high, then sleep low. That’s not an issue in a peak-packed mountain range where you can climb to a pass, drop to a camp to sleep, then climb again the next day. But Kili is the highest freestanding mountain in the world, with the climb starting at its base and finishing at its summit. Some routes take a circuitous approach, climbing, traversing, dropping slightly, and climbing once more on the journey to the summit. The more days this is spread over, the higher the chances of success. Kilimanjaro has another problem: popularity. The world, its neighbour, and their favourite talent show pop group have climbed Kili. There’s nothing wrong with that –…

Despite being the lowest of the three, Scafell Pike is often considered the hardest peak, due to complex terrain and frequently being tackled at night. When things go wrong, Wasdale MR are on hand. “Over the last couple of years, there has been a drop off in the number of call-outs related to the Three Peaks Challenge. It’s probably no more than 20-25% now, but for about 10 years it was nudging 40-50% and was a much bigger problem for us on the rescue side. My impression is that there are fewer people doing it this year, and that more of those groups are professionally led. “Most of the call-outs we do get are due to groups being lost or overdue, and that’s usually because they’ve taken a different route…

No.4 COLLECTING FEATURES Last issue, we looked at attack points – the landmarks you aim for on each leg of your journey. To make sure you’re on the right track, it’s also a good idea to collect ‘features’. These are things you predict or know will be on your path, and mentally collect along the way to confirm you’re following your chosen route. Features can be anything marked on your map that you can see in the landscape you’re walking in, and are easily categorised into three types. The most precise features place you exactly, and provide what is called a ‘known point’, while others place you in the general area. In order of precision these features are... SPOT FEATURES Such as bridges, intersections of paths, junctions in rivers and…

Extreme waterproof warmth Snugpak’s Torrent waterproof jacket has been given a heat-retaining boost. The latest version, the Torrent Extreme, has a toasty warmth rating down to -12°C. The Softie insulation and 100% waterproof outer will keep you dry – and now even warmer – whatever the weather throws at it. snugpak.com (£200) Compact & lightweight poles The award-winning Leki MCT 12 Vario Carbon poles are aimed at the fast-and-light mountain trekker. Weighing less than 200g each but still offering an ergonomic grip and rapid expansion system, they are available in two lengths: 100-120cm and 110-130cm, both with a pack length of just 42cm. leki.com (£185) Footpath-inspired boots We’re used to boots being created for specific feet, but Zamberlan’s lightweight leather Aspen GTX RR boot has been built for the paths under its…

BUDGET Alpkit Compact Hiker Twins £40 Great price for poles that fold into a tiny package and are very light. Only come in one adjustable size and the handles are short. Three-year guarantee. • Weight 263g each (110-130cm) VALUE CARBON Robens Rydal C66 £112 Budget price for lightweight carbon and packability. Easy assembly and look the business, but handle padding is short and don’t feel quite as stable as more expensive poles. • Weight 216g each (110-130cm) DURABLE Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Women £120 A heavier pole that feels built to last. Doesn’t fold down as small as the others, but has a shock-absorbing sprung handle. Durable, well-featured and very stable. • Weight 288g each (95-125cm) PREMIUM Leki Black Series MVC £195 Cream of the crop in terms of…

Steve Goodier Author of 7 walking guidebooks, Steve loves the UK hills. Dan Bailey Author of Scotland’s Mountain Ridges and a huge fan of big routes. Ange Harker Nidderdale born and bred, and an experienced walking guide. Kate Worthington Professional mountain leader, living and working under Snowdon’s shadow. Claire Maxted Former editor of Trail Running & Trail writer, Claire’s a mountain pro. Tom Hutton Our Wales expert – his knowledge of Cymru's peaks is unsurpassed. Chiz Dakin Award-winning writer, photographer and film-maker. Avid traveller. Peter Edwards Scottish Isles expert, and author of three Cicerone guides to the region. ALWAYS CARRY A MAP! Trail routes are written as guides, but for detailed mountain navigation you must carry a printed to-scale map. All of our routes come with recommended maps at a…

FITNESS Straightforward ascent but a complex descent and some rough going TECHNICALITY Rough mountain walk, with little exposure TERRAIN Good paths to begin and end, rough over Ullscarf summit and on initial descent, some boggy ground NAVIGATION Mostly straightforward, clear paths, the summit of Ullscarf and the upper reaches of the ascent and descent require careful navigation GET THERE Park at the NT car park in Rosthwaite – accessed off the B5289 Keswick to Seatoller road south of Derwent Water – grid ref NY257148. EAT & DRINK Plenty of options in Keswick, the Flock Inn Café is near the start and The Royal Oak Hotel is nearby and close to Rosthwaite. STAY OVER Scafell Hotel and Langstrath Inn both close to Rosthwaite. Keswick offers many choices, campsites and Youth Hostel…

FITNESS Good mountain fitness needed, initial steep slopes TECHNICALITY Stob Ban’s North Ridge has some scrambling sections, and under snow a short section is akin to an airy Grade 1 winter ridge requiring good mountaineering judgement TERRAIN Open hillside, rough path, rocky ridge and scree – most will be snow covered hopefully! NAVIGATION In winter careful navigation needed off Stob Ban’s summit to capture the East Ridge. Descent into Coire nam Miseach needs care in poor visibility/snow GET THERE Start at the public car park at Achriabhach ( NN145683). There is also a very limited bus service in winter (42 – Shiel Buses). EAT & DRINK Ben Nevis Inn is always popular, accessible over the bridge from Glen Nevis Visitor Centre car park, or the bar at SYHA Glen Nevis.…

1 SK038826 From the train station exit turn left on a residential road, then left at the road-end T-junction. Fork left over the railway, then left at the war memorial. Rise up the lane for roughly 1km, bending right and ignoring a dead-end lane on the left. Just as the roadside opens out from a short holloway, fork back very sharp right to gain a narrow footpath below Cracken Edge. 2 SK033830 Head over a small grassy outcrop, then a path rises gently for roughly 400m. Take an easily missed narrow path bending back left through a gap in the gorse, which leads to an apparently grassy ledge just below an area of old landslip, then rises up to a small old quarry. Kink right and below the ridge-end crags,…

1 NF856589 From the turning area by a white house at Cladach Chairinis road end, continue south-east along a track a short way before turning left to follow a track towards a thatched cottage. Continue past the left side of the cottage, initially following a path east-north-east, using the distant summit of Eaval to guide you across the moorland. The path soon disappears in the boggy and weathered terrain around some old peat cuttings – a stone pile cairn atop a small hill shows the way and a distinct path is soon regained. Descend towards the shore of Loch Oban an Innseanaich, then continue around to the north-east to cross a narrow isthmus between lochs, passing through an old rusty gate on the way. 2 NF865593 Cross a burn on…

Mountains for the Mind is much more than just a Trail magazine campaign – it’s driven by a fast-growing and passionate community powered by some of the leading names in the UK outdoor industry, and thousands of people just like you. Don’t just take our word for it… Andy Higson Black Dog Outdoors Director “Mountains for the Mind is a fantastic initiative that we’re proud to support. There’s a synergy with our own aims.” Megan Vincent “I love this group! I’ve met lovely, inspirational people and we’ve made such a strong friendship group. Here we are on Pen-y-Ghent, and we’ll be arranging to meet again very soon!” “LAST YEAR I KICKED MY ANXIETY’S ARSE AND WENT ON MY FIRST GROUP WALK. I’VE SINCE BEEN ON FIVE MORE!” Sir Chris Bonington…

My friend Pat and I head to Torridon. We want to climb the greats – Liathach and the Horns of Beinn Alligin. But it’s March and there might be white stuff at the top. So we decide to hire a guide who’ll help us do it safely. I Google around and find contact details for a local chap, let’s call him Bob, who’s a qualified Winter Mountain Leader. There are a couple of other professional guiding companies whose websites come up too, but they look more expensive. I call Bob and chat to him briefly. He seems nice and clearly knows the mountains. I tell him that we want to climb Beinn Alligin and Liathach. He says winter conditions are unlikely to be a problem, but the wind might get…

“Buachaille Etive Mor is such an iconic Scottish mountain image that I never tire of photographing it. However, trying to capture it at its best is very difficult, and last January on the day I visited for this shot I was actually hoping for a nice  sunrise. After climbing Beinn a’Chrulaiste opposite, there was cloud and mist coming in on a westerly weather front, providing some fairly heavy snow showers. It was these snow clouds which were enveloping and surrounding the mountain. I had already set up my camera on the tripod in the dark and was waiting to see what would happen during sunrise. Instead the cloud parted briefly, providing me with the opportunity to capture a few quick shots before the mountain disappeared from view again. I was…

You’re looking at the highest point in Scotland’s toughest, roughest, most fearsome mountain range. Sgurr Alasdair is a brutal challenge, the apex of the Isle of Skye’s Black Cuillin ridge, and a beast of a peak that will test your hillwalking skills to the limit. While you’re at it you’ll probably shred your nerves, and most of your outdoor gear, while charging your veins with so much adrenaline you’ll feel like you’ve jammed your head inside a nuclear reactor. Up for it? Then read on… The Isle of Skye’s mountains probably aren’t too dissimilar to the mountains you dreamed of climbing as a kid. Sharp and pointy, dark and dangerous, cut from the remains of collapsed volcanoes and battered into mountainous perfection by ice, wind and the relentless drumbeat of…

stood in the middle of a cracked and fissured landscape. A bold wind-twisted tree stretched clawed branches up from a gap between limestone blocks and pads of grass found homes in shallow hollows. I hopped over a crack to another block, then another and another. This was like a game of ‘the floor is lava’, when you toss a bunch of cushions on the living room floor and have to cross it without ever stepping foot on the boiling, threatening carpet. The floor was not lava though, and unlike some mountain areas in the UK, it never has been. It’s the opposite. Rather than being born of violence and fire, this hill is born of water. Hutton Roof Crags cap a 274m hill, an extraordinary example of carboniferous limestone pavement.…

■ How do I get there? We travelled to Tanzania with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. As well as flying to Kilimanjaro International Airport, their Amsterdam hub combined with Fly Local options allow you to fly from a local airport. Details at klm.com ■ What guide should I use? Our experience was organised and led by Jagged Globe, who for 32 years have been at the forefront of planning mountaineering expeditions and high-altitude treks, offering reliable expertise, organisation and advice. Find more about their trips and courses at jagged-globe.co.uk ■ What kit do I need? For a full list of Trail’s Kilimanjaro kit visit livefortheoutdoors.com/ kit-for-kilimanjaro…

“THESE MOUNTAINS AREN’T JUST THERE FOR US TO TRUNDLE UP AND DOWN” Based in Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon, Kate has spent more than 10 years organising and leading mountain challenges, from climbing Snowdon to multi-day Welsh adventures and the National Three Peaks. “The Three Peaks is the first challenge of this nature that a lot of people hear about, whether that’s through the press, social media, friends or a family member. And in my experience most people doing the challenge are pretty new to walking on a mountain, let alone doing three of them back-to-back. Their eyes are on stalks when they get on some of the more technical paths. “The challenge can throw up issues with pace, confidence and knee pain. Walking in headtorch light makes some…

Mild: Shivering (controllable); pale, cold and dry skin; quick, shallow breathing; lethargy. To treat: Stop, shelter, insulate, eat something sugary, drink something hot. Moderate: The Umbles (stumbling, mumbling, fumbling and grumbling); shivering becomes violent or uncontrollable; irrational behaviour. To treat: Treat as for mild hypothermia and keep a close eye on them. Make sure their skin feels warmer, looks pinker and their normal character has started to return before walking off the hill by the shortest route. Severe: Shivering stops; pupils are dilated and unresponsive to light; casualty is unconscious or unresponsive; pulse and breathing may be hard to detect and casualty may appear to be dead. To treat: Call Mountain Rescue; shelter and insulate. If you must move them, do so as little and as gently as possible, as…

While down jackets certainly still have their place in an outdoor wardrobe, more and more people are turning to synthetic insulation as an alternative, and for a variety of reasons. Synthetically insulated garments tend to be less expensive, more tolerant of damp conditions (an excellent benefit here in the UK) and of course don’t require the use of any animal products. The North Face’s ThermoBall insulated jackets and hooded jackets have won many a fan for their light weight, packability and reliable insulation, so why has the company changed it? After all, fiddling around with a classic is a bold move. Like many outdoor brands, The North Face is keen to reduce its impact on the planet. The new ThermoBall Eco Hoodie uses 100% recycled polyester in its Primaloft insulation…

Walking in the UK mountains can be dangerous, with rough terrain, exposure and changeable weather. Always check weather forecasts and make sure you have suitable clothing and navigation tools. Ice axes and crampons are essential for walking in snow and ice – as are the knowledge and skills to use them. USEFUL RESOURCES Met Office Mountain Weather Forecast: metoffice.gov.uk Mountain Weather Information Service: mwis.org.uk Avalanche forecasts: sais.gov.uk Mountain rescue: Phone 999, ask for police, then mountain rescue Skills courses: mountain-training.org We take all reasonable steps to ensure Trail routes are safe and correctly described. However, all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. The publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions, or for any injuries or accidents that occur while following these routes.…

FITNESS Some hill fitness useful, but taken as a full day walk you can take climbs slowly TECHNICALITY Mountain level walking, with no exposure or scrambling TERRAIN Some steep ascents/descents and stony paths, but mostly on rolling grassy fells, some boggy patches NAVIGATION Follows existing paths throughout, but compass bearings would be useful in bad visibility GET THERE Park at High Row ( NY379219) or extend route from Stagecoach X4/X5 bus at Threlkeld or the 208/508 seasonal service to Aira Force. EAT & DRINK Nearest pubs are The Royal at Dockray and The Troutbeck Inn on the A66, or Glenridding and Threlkeld. STAY OVER The Royal and The Troutbeck Inn offer accommodation. Gill Head Farm camping and self-catering. Bunkhouse at White Horse at Scales. BEST MAPS • OS Explorer OL5…

FITNESS Good hill legs required due to almost 800m of ascent – some of it pretty steep and relentless TECHNICALITY There are a few fairly easy but committing Grade 1 scrambling sections between Y Garn and Mynydd Drws-y-coed TERRAIN Clear mountain paths with a Grade 1 scrambling section and some forest tracks to finish on NAVIGATION Generally pretty straightforward but care needed in poor visibility GET THERE Start at the main Rhydddu Snowdon car park ( SH571525). EAT & DRINK Wonderful Ty Mawr tea room at Rhyd-ddu, or great food at the Cwellyn Arms. STAY OVER YHA Snowdon Ranger. Various accommodation options through Cwellyn Arms, including B&B and camping at Llyn Cwellyn. BEST MAPS • OS Explorer OL17 (1:25k) • OS Landranger 115 (1:50k) • Harvey Superwalker XT25 Snowdon (1:25k)…

1 SK056735 Rise up Manchester Road. After roughly 350m pass Devonshire Road, then after a further 350m look right for a set-back footpath fingerpost. This leads into woodland, then through a gate into Corbar Woods. There are many ways to reach the top of this woodland; the best wiggles up through former quarries, then takes a long loop around the upper left woodland, with (in late spring) a carpet of bluebells. If in doubt, keep heading upwards – to a walkers’ gate in the centre of the upper woodland edge. Rise up a grassy field then through a narrow cleft in a rocky edge to an enclosure surrounding a prominent wooden cross. 2 SK051743 Head west from the trig point and along the edge to a fence. Cross this, then…

1 NF827386 Where a signpost indicates ‘Path to Caolas Mòr 2km, Footway to Hecla 5½km’, follow the maintained path past some old shielings to a ruined croft house where it comes to an end after 1.2km. Follow an ATV track then path that bears south-east, keeping to the west (right) of Loch nam Faoileann, and then winding cross-country making for the obvious notch near the tail of the ridge between Maol Martaig and Beinn na h-Aire. Follow the vague path up the left side of the gully to gain the bealach at 200m. 2 NF845363 Bear south and begin climbing the long ridge that culminates in the summit of Hecla. The ascent is initially rough going over rocky bluffs, peat and heather climbing southwestwards up the rugged knuckle of Beinn…

Jutting out of the southern face of Great Gable like a great fossilised crochet hook, Napes Needle is one of the most identifiable landscape features in the Lake District. The star of many a postcard, fridge-magnet and tea-towel, Napes Needle first came to prominence in June 1886 when its ascent by Walter Parry Haskett Smith helped give birth to the sport of rock climbing in the UK. Rock climbers still traipse along the traverse from Sty Head to the base of the pinnacle with the aim of bagging this classic ascent, but the actual climb (graded at Hard Severe for those who know and care about these things) is beyond the abilities of the humble hillwalker. While this puts the very pinnacle of the pinnacle out of bounds, there’s a…

“MORE THAN 10,000 OF YOU HAVE SIGNED UP TO SUPPORT WHAT WE’RE DOING” Trail’s campaign to promote the benefits of spending more time outdoors to improve mental health is now officially a year old – and what a year it’s been. The Mountains for the Mind message has reached hundreds of thousands of people online, with more than 10,000 of you signing up to support what we’re doing. And we’re not done yet! The plans for 2020 are even bigger and better, with more fantastic partners coming on board to help us spread the word. Most excitingly, this year we’ll be delivering a full calendar of monthly walks in the UK’s most popular mountain regions, all completely free to attend and organised specifically for people experiencing mental health problems. So…

From the darkest of places, Mountains for the Mind ambassador Kerry Irving has changed his life and the lives of many others, with a little help from the mountains and one special dog. In 2006 my car was hit by a truck. It was a game changer. I went from spending all my time outside and in the mountains to not being able to walk to the end of the street. At the time I didn’t really know, but I was suffering from depression. I felt depression was something men don’t get. They don’t talk about it. People say, just shrug it off. But you just have this feeling that you’re in a tunnel that you can’t get out of. It got to such a bad stage that I started…

This year, there’s more to play for than bagging the height of Everest by adding up the ascent of your hillwalks. Marmot will be giving away prizes to recognise the achievements of five very special people taking part in the challenge. And one of those people could be you! Throughout 2020 we will be collecting your adventure stories, and at the end of the year there will be five categories with prizes to be won: The Most Everests Young Everester of the Year Most Inspirational Everester Most Unusual Everest Anywhere Best Everest Anywhere Companion Entries will open later in the year, so in the meantime, document your challenge, share your photos on our Facebook Group and keep your eye out for more details to come!…

“This photograph is special because it takes me right back to that moment. It was after a couple of days climbing around the Ogwen Valley with friends. The sun had just set, we had enjoyed spending time and laughs together, and were beginning to settle for the evening to enjoy an ale and some chat whilst preparing dinner.” KIT USED FUJIFILM X-T2 (1st prize from last year’s Trail photo comp) & XF16mm f/1.4 lens. ABOUT THE WINNER Gareth is a North Wales local who, when not in work, can usually be found walking, climbing, camping and photographing the mountains. WHAT THE JUDGES SAY Louise Parker, Trail art editor “You see this photo and you want to camp there. The light from the tent and the sky tie the image together,…

At 10.30am, on a bright May day in 1926, Charles Hadfield, W.G. Pape and H.P. Cain set off on a ‘motor-mountaineering stunt’ that, on first glance, they had considered impossible. Bundled in capes against the billowing wind and spattering drizzle, Pape and Hadfield trudged towards the snow-caked summit of Ben Nevis, where they would begin the first recorded attempt at the National Three Peaks Challenge. Despite a punctured tyre and a loose wheel on their 1925 21 H.P. Chrysler, they crested Scafell Pike at 1.12pm and after a brief stop to pick up and reply to a telegram, reached the summit of Snowdon at 10.56pm. Hadfield later reported it as “a thoroughly perfect and enjoyable day” that was “well within the powers of the most ordinary fellslogger who can do…

In October 2013, Rich organised a litter pick across Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike, since when over a tonne of rubbish has been carried off Ben Nevis alone. The annual event now covers 30 different mountain locations. “The Real Three Peaks Challenge started when I found a load of rubbish on top of The Ben. I filled a couple of carrier bags in as many minutes, put a post on Facebook and someone said, ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’ So I did. “It’s generally not guided Three Peakers or regular hillwalkers creating a problem. I work on a lot of Three Peak Challenges and it’s a good opportunity to educate the average townsperson about the environment and looking after it. Nobody within these specific groups drops litter,…

GOLDEN EAGLE The golden eagle breeds in mountains and upland forests in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and can most often be seen soaring along valleys, around peaks or perching in treetops keeping watch. ■ WINGSPAN 190-225cm (6-7½ft) ■ BEAK TO TAIL 80-93cm (2½-3ft) ■ LOOK FOR Long periods of gliding with one or two occasional wing beats; long, slightly fanned tail feathers; size (only the sea eagle is bigger). BUZZARD Frequently mistaken for an eagle, the buzzard is actually much smaller, more vocal and more common, found all across the UK in summer and winter. ■ WINGSPAN 110-130cm (3½ -4¼ft) ■ BEAK TO TAIL 48-56cm (1½-2ft) ■ LOOK FOR Pale underwings and tail feathers with dark edge when gliding, but also frequently spotted perching on fence posts. Listen out for…

■ SAVING PLASTIC FROM LANDFILL The recycled insulation is sourced from Primaloft. The fibres within each jacket are spun from no fewer than five plastic bottles, which that would otherwise end up in landfill. ■ ELASTICATED CUFFS The stretchy cuffs are elastic bound on the inside and don’t require the use of Velcro straps to tighten. This simplicity means they either fit or they don’t, and can be a little baggy on slim wrists, so check how snug they are on you before buying. ■ TOUGH OUTER The nylon shell has been treated with a durable water-repellent treatment to aid water shedding, and feels tough enough to deal with all but the sharpest rocks. ■ SLIM HOOD The hood is insulated but still thin enough to go under a helmet.…

Ventilated winter pack Lowe Alpine Airzone Pro+ 35:45 £110 I love climbing winter mountains, but hate lugging around all the extra gear required to do it safely. Crampons, axes, extra layers, storm shelters, headtorches, more extra layers... it all results in heavy packs and creaky knees. I’ve tried a lot of good winter rucksacks over the years but never one with a ventilated back system like the AirZone Pro+, because I’ve been wary of taking on the extra weight that usually comes with that kind of design. But I love this bag. At 1650g it never feels too heavy, and left my back sweat-free despite a relentlessly steep climb from sea to summit on the Isle of Skye. It’s got all the features you’d want for winter walking – axe…

FITNESS For strong winter walkers only TECHNICALITY Straightforward, but potentially serious TERRAIN Well made path in Coire Ardair, then rougher ground on the hills, take an axe and crampons, also infamous for avalanches so always check the forecast at sais.gov.uk NAVIGATION Summit plateau is featureless, and in snow/poor visibility demands pinpoint navigation, beware corniced edges GET THERE Start and finish at the Creag Meagaidh NNR car park ( NN483873). EAT & DRINK All options entail a long drive – Tipsy Laird pub, (Kingussie), Stronlossit Inn (Roybridge), Snack Shack café (Dalwhinnie). STAY OVER Newtonmore Hostel, Strathspey Mountain Hostel (Newtonmore), or Grey Corrie Lodge Bunkhouse (Roybridge). BEST MAPS • OS Explorer 401 (1:25k) • OS Landranger 34 (1:50k) • Harvey Superwalker XT25 Ben Alder (1:25k)…

FITNESS Once up on the ridge, the climbs are short and easy on nice, smooth paths TECHNICALITY Easy walking, unless you embark upon the optional scrambling TERRAIN Wide, grassy paths, sometimes muddy and boggy but soft underfoot unless you scramble NAVIGATION The paths are easy to see, but if the mist was down you’d want to use a compass GET THERE Starts Rosebush, ends 10 miles east at Mountain-bach. Use two cars, or do an out-and-back from the car park at Bwlch-gwynt ( SN074321). EAT & DRINK The community-run local pub at Rosebush, Tafarn Sinc, is a charming, red tin building where the old Pembrokeshire dialect is alive and well. STAY OVER Rosebush Holiday Park offers camping and caravanning, camping pods and self-catering bungalows, with prices from £19 per night.…

1 SK025671 Take the side road opposite the church gates and pass The New Inn pub. Near the village edge, fork right up a steep, stony driveway to a gate by Far View Cottage. Turn right through a yellow walkers’ gate and follow waymarkers across three fields bending gently left in the third. Take a green lane between fields, then stay right of a small headwater valley in grassy pasture. 2 SK024676 Fork left at a gateway and up another green lane between fields. Head diagonally right past Wolf Edge, then left of a fence line surrounding rough heather. Cross the fenceline, then head downhill on a deeply rutted path. Towards a country lane re-cross the wall line and go over a small clapper bridge. 3 SK019680 Turn left up…

1 NF849332 If you stayed at the bothy, retrace your outward route to the bealach at the head of Gleann Uisinis ( NF818339). From the bealach head southwards, through rocky terrain with peat hags, climbing steadily at first and passing two small lochans. The ridge rises in a series of steps towards the rocky peak of Beinn Choradail. As the climb steepens, skirt around on grassy slopes to the south-west of the buttress crowning the north-west face of the summit. The last 100m or so are very steep, but there are no difficulties. Look for an easy way through the crags to gain the summit ridge then head a short way north-east to the summit (527m) marked with a small stone cairn. 2 NF820328 From the summit there are fantastic…

Ben Nevis CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WALKED BY Oli Reed I know, I know. Boring choice. But then, Ben Nevis is far from boring. I’ve climbed it via the popular hillwalking plod on the Mountain Track from Glen Nevis, via the fabulous scramble of the Ledge Route that weaves a weird and wonderful route right up the North Face, and via a rather foolish winter climbing route on Tower Ridge that scared me half to death and made me realise I’m far more of a walker than I’ll ever be a mountaineer. My point is, this mountain has something for everyone, and there’s also the small matter of it being the highest peak in Britain by some distance. I still feel the same crackle of excitement every time I set eyes on…