Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Trail

Have you tried booking a weekend away this summer? My word, holidays in this country just got popular. And expensive. If the early rush to hoover up every bit of staycation accommodation continues then we’ll all have to get creative with how we plan our mountain trips. So if your usual hotel, pub, B&B, hostel or cottage is booked up or charging astronomical sums, why not do things the old-fashioned way by loading a big rucksack with everything you need and heading off to walk a long-distance trail? If, like me, big backpacking trips are the kind of thing you keep filing away in the ‘plan for next year’ category, then this is the perfect summer to get off your backside and change that. And if, for example, we showed…

■ TENT WITH A PORCH Nemo Dagger Ridge Porch £550 With a huge porch big enough for camping chairs, but still under 3kg for the two-person version, you can camp in style whatever the weather. ■ TENT WITH A CONSCIENCE Vango Devon 300 £117 As part of Vango’s new National Trust range, this tent is made with 69 reclaimed plastic bottles, plus a minimum £20,000 donation to the National Trust from the range. ■ TENTS FOR SOCIALISING Robens Kiowa Tipi £1140 The head height and circular nature of a tipi is the perfect ingredient for an awesome night out with pals – this one sleeps up to a cosy 10! Add a stove and chimney for the ultimate night out.…

Kinder Downfall Peak District “Thought I’d share Kinder Downfall with you. So lucky to catch it in three states at once – flowing down as normal on the left, frozen in the middle, and flowing upwards, on the top right!” Dave Skyes, Manchester Helvellyn Lake District “2020 was the year of the mountain for Tom. At 5 years old he climbed Snowdon, then Scafell Pike, Snowdon via Pyg and Miners’, Helvellyn via Swirral in winter conditions, and multi 10-milers into the Peak District. He’s raised £2500 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital to do the National Three Peaks in three days over the late May bank holiday weekend before he’s 7. He’s awesome, never moans, never complains, just loves it.” Craig Perry, Rotherham The Wainstones North York Moors “This is a picture…

While my husband always looks a bit worried when I say “Variety is the spice of life!”, when it comes to adventures (not husbands) it’s not a bad motto to live by. The very nature of mountains means that even if you climb the same peak over and over, it will still offer up an entirely new experience each time, depending on the season, the weather, the company, your mood… But there will always be times when a little more imagination is required if you want to experience something really special. There comes a certain time in life when you know what you like, and what you don’t. The desire to dangle from ropes, sleep in ditches and scare the living daylights out of ourselves might diminish, but that doesn’t…

1 Learn If you’re not a confident swimmer, practice in a pool or take some lessons before plunging yourself into open water. Being a stronger swimmer will help keep you out of trouble and give you more freedom in the water. 2 Boot up Neoprene socks or gloves can make a huge difference to how comfortable you feel in the water and how long you can stay in. Boots with rubber grip make it easier to walk over rocks too. 3 Relax It’s natural to brace yourself for the cold water but relaxing can make it more pleasurable. Loosen your shoulders, belly and jaw, exhale and wade in. 4 Look before you leap Found a perfect spot to jump in? Always check the depth before going for it. 5 Swim…

Rob Johnson MIC International Mountain Leader and Mountaineering Instructor 1 WAIT FOR CLEAR SKIES So you can stay dry and enjoy a night looking at the stars. Light winds mean you can sleep high on the hill without the noise or discomfort of the wind blowing your bivvy bag all night. Check wind direction to help find a bit of shelter from perhaps a stone wall or an obliging contour. If a strong westerly wind is blowing, an east-facing cwm will give some shelter. 2 LOCATION IS EVERYTHING My preference is to be up high so that I can enjoy stunning views as the sun rises. Wherever you are, you will want somewhere flat enough to stretch out on, ideally grassy but otherwise not too rocky so you don’t have…

YOUR TESTER Ben Weeks Mountain Leader, climbing instructor, hardened winter walker and Trail’s long-serving senior writer – Ben’s a leading authority on outdoor gear. The sky is blue, sleeves are short, and we’re enjoying a lunchbreak atop a sun-soaked Lakeland fell, admiring the views and appreciating the weather. I look over to Trail photographer Tom Bailey who is delving into the depths of his cavernous rucksack for his sarnies. I glance at the svelte, compact pack I’ve been carrying, then back to Tom’s burly gear-hauler, adorned with extra pouches for cameras and lenses, and with a weighty looking tripod strapped to the side. “Don’t you ever wish you could get away with a lighter pack?” I ask. Tom looks up from his rummaging with a look of utter contempt on…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 13.8KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1052M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 4 This walk is your chance to escape the Keswick crowds, enjoy some tranquillity and bag four Wainwrights. The Lord’s Seat group of fells, which lie between Bassenthwaite Lake and the Vale of Lorton, are the rounded, grassy hills that rise above Thornthwaite Forest. They aren’t rugged, rocky or majestic – but they offer peaceful, enjoyable hiking away from the hoardes on more popular peaks. The real highlight of the route is Barf, a dramatic, rugged fell that belies the gentle nature of the rest of the walk. The ascent from Thornthwaite is ‘one of the very best of the shorter Lakeland climbs’, as Wainwright put it, and it serves up a delightfully eccentric oddity too.…

DIFFICULTY EASY DISTANCE 5KM TIME 3 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 350M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 I magine, if you will, an oversized pudding, heather-clad and largely pathless, dumped on the edge of a vast tract of featureless moorland and adjacent to a magnificent edifice vying for your attention. Then, if it’s not too much of a stretch, picture yourself walking up it. What’s that I hear, the sound of boots being removed and rucksacks thrown into cupboards? It is said that in life the journey is more important than the destination, and it’s a view with which I have a great deal of sympathy, but in the case of Arenig Fach the converse is true. I first climbed the mountain not because I really wanted or needed to but,…

BUTTERMERE TO BORROWDALE, LAKES RIDE A STAR OF THIS ISSUE P34 RIDE IT This month’s Hike, Bike, Swim article (p34) stirred up a world of possibilities for mountainous adventures in the Lake District. Honister Pass takes you from the shores of Buttermere into the heart of the craggy Borrowdale valley on a dramatic route, and is just one classic example of how adding a bike into your hillwalking trips can create new and fantastic experiences. All you really need is a scenic pass and mountains, and there are loads of options in the Lakes… For the tarmac variety, think Wrynose/Hardnott (the steepest at 30%) with the Scafell range, or Newlands Pass and the Newlands or Coledale Round. For a longer trip, take a bike tour of the Lakeland mountains and…

ISLE OF SKYE THE RED CUILLIN We’re making use of a little artistic license with this one, as it’s not so much our peak of the month as peaks. The Red Cuillin hills sit off the eastern side of Glen Sligachan, opposite their darker brethren. From Glamaig in the north – a perfect soft-edged pyramid when seen from the classic Sligachan Bridge viewpoint – to the offset and slightly outlying Marsco in the south, and Beinn na Caillich near Broadford to the east, the Red Cuillin offer a warmer and more rounded counterpoint to the fearsome cold-pointed Black Cuillin peaks which curl around to the west and south. But make no mistake, the Red Cuillin are still very much proper mountains. There might not be a Munro among them (although…

VIEW WITH A ROOM NIDDERDALE COTTAGE Lockdown has taught us to look at the world a little differently. So as we start to spread our wings once more, maybe it’s time to explore an area you may have overlooked in the past. While the west side of the Yorkshire Dales draws the attention of many walking boots, the quieter eastern Dales have much to offer. This cute cottage has a huge garden and is an ideal base from which to explore the area. It’s surrounded by fields and woodland, and just a short walk from Brimham Rocks in Nidderdale, where you can scramble around on the extraordinary gritstone rock formations, then explore the nearby fells and moors of Great Whernside and Buckden Pike. tinyurl.com/nidd-cottage Read it! If your best walking…

I’m shaking. Hard. It could be the cold. It probably isn’t. Rearing 22m above me into the cindery Wasdale sky is a sight to freeze-dry my mouth and turn my knees to sponge. It looks every bit the monstrous, ice-shattered ziggurat as it does in those ancient photographs – minus the ropeladen Victorian standing atop it. Those pictures of this rock spawned rock-climbing as we know it. And even today, that’s how it remains: a monochromatically revered, feared icon. To stand on the top and replicate that classic photograph is the Oscar of British climbing. The Grammy. The Grail. For me, glory day is today. And I’m scared. The great thing about Napes Needle is that it hates you. There are no easy options, no sly shortcuts. It sits in…

■ KNOW YOUR NAV: SETTING THE MAP BY EYE A proficient navigator always keeps the map oriented to the landscape, so it matches the direction you’re looking. In clear conditions or at the junction of a road and adjoining path, you can do this by eye. First match up significant features. Look for high peaks, paths or kinks in the river and hold the map so that it matches what you see. If the summit of Snowdon is slightly on your left in real life, it should be slightly on the left as you hold the map too. Keep the map this way as you walk, and always re-orient it every time you get it out. ■ 1 LITRE OF WATER = 1 KILOGRAM Which is easy to forget when…

Flexible footwear Keen’s latest innovation claims to make walking easier. But what is this new technology, what is it for, and does it actually work? If bootmaker Keen excels at one thing, it’s comfort. Actually, Keen excels at a great many things, but it’s unlikely to object to the acknowledgment that comfort is its speciality. The Ridge Flex Mid boot is no exception. Out of the box it offers almost slipper-like comfort, but with a robustness that makes it clear that this is a boot for gobbling up the miles. So far, so Keen. But in the ongoing quest for even greater walking comfort, Keen has come up with some all-new footwear technology. Keen. Bellows Flex is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Taking inspiration from flexible straws, bendy…

TYPE Closed cell foam mats are relatively cheap, lightweight and durable, but not particularly comfortable. Selfinflating mats (SIMs) have foam insulation, and strike a good balance between warmth, comfort, durability and price. Air mats are comfortable and lightweight but usually only suitable for warm-weather. Insulated versions are available but tend to be expensive. WEIGHT When you’re carrying all your camping gear, weight becomes a key factor. Of course, you might be prepared to carry a few extra grams for the sake of added warmth or comfort. Also consider long-term durability – ultralight gear can be fragile. R-VALUE This rating is a measure of thermal resistance. Basically, the higher the R-value the warmer the mat. For UK use, a rule of thumb is to compare R-values to seasons. So, a mat…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 18KM TIME 7 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 885M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 There are two things that immediately strike a person when they begin a walk in Northumberland’s high moors. The first is the big landscape that seemingly goes on and on, meeting equally big skies above. The second is the lack of people. This is a landscape for walking in solitude, away from the crowds, with peace and quiet accompanying the wildlife and the beautiful landscape. The walk starts near the shooting lodge at Langleeford where a track takes you into the tight valley that sits below The Cheviot. The focal point is Harthope Linn waterfall, a delight that is secreted in the tiniest of gorges and is all the better for it, allowing a…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 25KM TIME 8 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 840M The beauty of hillwalking is the escape you can find from the modern world. Dartmoor has forever held an element of mystery, with some places still capturing that magic. Fur Tor is regarded as this moor’s remotest tor, being the furthest point from any access routes, so for those looking for the real wild side of Dartmoor Fur Tor is the place to head. This route really takes you out into some of the hardly walked places, and into the depths of the moor through its mining history and ancient settlement remains. Following two of Dartmoor’s rivers, skirting the infamous bogs and returning via one of the UK’s ancient oak woodlands, this is one for those who want to venture…

ULTIMATE WEEKEND V3 ROUTES Fed up with the crowds on Skiddaw and Blencathra? Looking for a quieter space for some ‘big sky’ wandering? Then the Back o’Skidda around the Caldbeck/Uldale Fells could be just what you’re looking for. It’s not quite as quiet as it was pre-pandemic, but it’s still relatively so; you’ll pass tens of other walkers rather than hundreds. Mostly the terrain is rounded, grassy fellside with occasional outcrops, albeit with some stiff ascents/descents, but watch out for compass errors on Carrock – the underlying rock is unusual: gabbro, like the Isle of Skye. There are dry valleys, wide open views across to the Pennines and Solway Firth, a foot-wetting ford to cross. Oh, and quite a bit of bog too…! CHIZ DAKIN ROUTE 10 Knott, High Pike…

It’s taken a while, but the secret is out. You can’t beat a night under canvas! Last year saw the sales of camping gear increase by around 126%, and according to coolcamping.com bookings have hit an all-time high. With a new-found love of back-to-nature accommodation gripping the UK and uncertainty surrounding overseas travel this summer, camping is set to become even more popular. And the increase in staycations means that accommodation in the mountains will be at a premium. So, as the UK opens back up, here’s what you need to know about planning overnight adventures in the hills… Coolcamping.com has created a Top 10 ranking of the many styles of camping that are trending in 2021. While 63% of all bookings are still grass pitches, quirky options like bell…

John Muir Trail 216 miles through California’s High Sierra from Yosemite (including El Capitan and Half Dome) to the summit of Mount Witney. Torres del Paine Chile’s 10/11-day Torres del Paine circuit is one of the world’s most famous treks, showing off everything that’s great about the saw-toothed mountains of Patagonia. Pyrenean Haute Route Zigzagging 750km across the Franco-Spanish border, staying close to the main ridge in the highest central Pyrenees, this route involves over 40km of ascent. Chamonix to Zermatt This 225km ‘haute route’ crosses 11 mountain passes between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn and involves more than 14,000m of ascent and descent. Kungsleden The 460km ‘King’s Trail’ lies mostly within the Arctic Circle and includes an optional ascent of Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest peak. Alpine Pass Route Following the…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 15KM TIME 4-5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 618M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 Many who regularly wander in Snowdonia will have sensed a shadowy presence on the southern skyline beyond the Dyfi Hills and Cadair Idris. The curious among them may turn detective and after studying the map discover that this enigmatic dome is Pumlumon, historically regarded as one of the three chief mountains of Wales. Those who enjoy big skies and mile upon mile of easy walking will find Pumlumon a revelation, and although the high point of the range is comparatively short in stature (752m) it is a stately summit endowed with an atmosphere all of its own. When approached by car from the village of Tal y Bont the mountain shies away from prying…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 13KM TIME 5-6 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1250M PEAK BAGGER STATS CORBETTS 1 GRAHAMS 1 This fine route around the Red Hills – or Red Cuillin as they’re also known – takes in the summits of Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach (middle red mountain), Beinn Dearg Mhor (big red mountain) and Glamaig. Whereas the nearby towering, jagged peaks of the Black Cuillin are composed mainly of basalt and gabbro, the rounded summits of the Red Hills are principally formed of granite which lends them a reddish tinge in certain light conditions – hence the name. Though smaller in scale and presenting none of the technical difficulties of their illustrious neighbours across Glen Sligachan, the scree-clad Red Hills should not be underestimated; a round of the Beinn Deargs and Glamaig makes…

Arran’s mountains are proof enough that when it comes to mountains, size isn’t everything. And our three routes here have everything you need – adventurous terrain, wildlife, and a healthy dose of escapism. Escapism from people, mostly. Sure, you’ll probably see a few bodies on Goatfell, but time your trip well and you’ll feel like the madness of life is a million miles away. Highlights of the walks are catching sunrise in Glen Rosa and the turrets of Cir Mhor, looking for eagles on Beinn Bharrain, and scrambling up to a ridge traverse of Cioch na h Oighe. Put the kettle on (or pour a whiskey) and get planning your escape, even if it is only for a few days. JAMIE ROOKE ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ROUTES ROUTE 7 Goatfell…

Okay, so this walk is only half of the Black Mount, but that’s more than enough for a day’s walking, not to mention the fact that it leaves the other half for the future. And what could be better than that? Sitting up near Bridge of Orchy, between the glen of that name and Glen Coe, these are some of Argyll and Bute’s finest hills. The name Black Mount originally comes from the name of the forest that once stood here. Alas today vast plantations cloak the valley floor to the south of our two Munros, and none of the original Caledonian Pine forest survives. Those two Munros – Stob a’ Choire Odhair and Stob Ghabhar – make for a fine horseshoe of a route though, with a ridge or…

More a long, rippling ridgeline connecting a series of craggy summits than a standalone peak, Crinkle Crags is an absolute must for those who like a bit of the rough stuff. Perfectly situated at the head of the Great Langdale valley, there are almost too many great ascents to pick from. And when you add in the quieter approaches from the wilder Eskdale flank, you realise this is a mountain offering something for everyone. LAKE DISTRICT 1 THE BAND MEDIUM ■ 2½ hours ■ 5.5km ■ 809 m ascent Start Old Dungeon Ghyll car park, grid ref NY287061 Terrain Pasture, broad grassy ridge, broad col, rocky ridge, rocky summits The Band provides direct access to Three Tarns at the northern end of Crinkle Crags. It looks steep from Langdale but…