Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Trail

Record breakers Hats off to Calum Maclean and Jenny Graham who recently became the first people to walk Britain’s longest linear distance without crossing a road. The route identified by Ordnance Survey is 72km and has a total ascent of 5394m over rough, off-path wilderness from the A9 to the A939 in the Cairngorms. Sticking to the line meant the pair had to cross Munros, peat bogs, rivers, heather, thick forest and steep crags with 16kg packs on their backs, at times travelling at less than a mile an hour. It took them just under 84 hours. Calum said: “I’m happy I’ve done it, but I wouldn’t do it again.” VIEW WITH A ROOM SEAVIEW ECO COTTAGE SCARISTA, ISLE OF HARRIS If missed overseas holidays this year has left you…

Of all the creatures you’re likely to see in the British mountains, few compare to the startling brilliance of humans. Several types can be observed; the walker, runner and the mountain biker. Unique to the animal kingdom, humans have the ability to be any or all of these types. They truly are an adaptable species, so let’s take a closer look at them… Adult humans are generally 5-6ft tall, and unusually for wild creatures can vary hugely in their overall size. Mountains aren’t their normal habitat though, and they tend to just visit for reasons biologists have yet to understand. The general pattern of behaviour in upland areas is demonstrated best by the ‘walker’ humans, the oldest of the types. They have been repeatedly seen to walk up a mountain,…

Everest Anywhere partner Marmot is giving away a travel bundle worth £130. Win yourself this Marmot Long Hauler 35-litre Duffel bag and a Marmot Mini Hauler washbag for your next mountain trip! To enter go to: www.livefortheoutdoors.com/marmotcomp Competition closes 24 November 2021. Full T&Cs on website. EVEREST ANYWHERE 2021 SEW-ON PATCH Whether you’re on your way to Everest Anywhere 2021 or have completed your challenge, mark your achievement and wear your patch with pride. It costs £4.99 inclusive of postage from everestanywhere.com…

You can’t polish a turd, and a boring mountain will always be boring. So goes the long-standing narrative against poor Skiddaw. The persecuted Northern Fells giant has been derided as tedious, dull and lacklustre for decades. Back even in Wainwright’s era, writers lambasted the 931m peak as totally bereft of the traits a ‘real’ mountain should possess: rugged rock scenery, frightful precipices, craggy playgrounds, and serrated ridges. Instead all they saw was a yawnsome lump of smooth, grassy slopes; a soulless place of all-too-easy trudging, rather than proper hill deeds. Such condemnation has continued apace into the 21st century. Indeed, all it takes is a cursory Google search to unveil a flurry of hilariously negative Tripadvisor reviews about Skiddaw. “I was very disappointed with the experience. There was sod all…

Have you ever given much thought to the humble path? For walkers, they carve a way through the mountains, leading us to the most spectacular sights. They guide us. They keep us away from danger. They ease our passage, offering the line of least resistance. They protect the busiest mountains from erosion. Sometimes the path itself is the main attraction, adding exposure or a scramble into the mix. People are drawn to the trail, even this magazine’s name is dedicated to them. It’s not just people either. All around us are animal trods, faithfully used for navigation and easier travel. It turns out that the path is pretty useful in revealing what kind of walker you are too. The variety is vast, but I’ve started putting walkers into three distinct…

ON YOU Helmet (optional) Hat (if carrying a helmet, make sure the hat can go under it) Sunglasses or goggles Sunscreen/Lip balm Buff Thermal top/Mid layer, like a fleece Waterproof jacket Watch Light gloves and thick, waterproof gloves/mitts to wear over the top Thermal long-johns (optional) Warm/windproof walking trousers Gaiters Waterproof trousers Warm walking socks Crampon-compatible winter boots Crampons/Ice axe 40-45l rucksack IN YOUR BAG Food (more than summer) and water Hot drink Extra warm layer and insulated jacket Spare hat and gloves Map in a waterproof case, attached to your pack via paracord Compass First aid kit and whistle Emergency shelter Phone & power bank Headtorch Walking poles (optional) Snow shovel (optional) GPS device (optional)…

This is the perfect smaller peak that you may never have heard of – on the doorstep of a city (Lancaster) yet a world away from the crowds of the Lakes. Although rightly popular with locals, its ‘summit’ isn’t even a true peak (Grit Fell actually holds that title), but the Clougha Pike viewpoint is the prominent point on the ridgeline from below and its views far outstrip those of Grit Fell. So actually it would be doing it a massive injustice to pass it by in favour of the marginally higher rounded plateau that’s Grit Fell. Of course, you can do both if you wish! There’s a hidden aqueduct (Ottergear Bridge) and a crowd-escaping edge path which starts high above a wooded valley, before sidling into it. Quiet moorland…

Hillwalking and summer go very well together... long days, friendly temperatures, Lakeland beer gardens, sometimes even the occasional bit of sun. But winter? Well that’s a different story altogether. The arrival of snow and ice transforms our hills and mountains, both in terms of visual allure and the levels of difficulty and technicality. So whether you’re planning to walk in Scottish winter or climb an Alpine giant in summer, you’ll need to add some specialist kit to your collection. To help you get started, this guide features the best winter kit we’ve tested in recent years, plus our pick of the best new releases for 2021.…

FIND YOUR FABRIC There are essentially only two kinds of waterproof – the shell variety that uses a water-repellent outer fabric with an internal membrane such as Gore-Tex, or those that use a directional fabric like Paramo’s Analogy to move liquid water away from the body. The choice comes down mostly to personal preference, but either way it’s important to choose a jacket that is robust enough to keep biting winter winds out and can cope with scraping about on rock and ice. Lighter weight packable jackets are much less suited to winter use. LEARN ABOUT LAYERS Shell jackets are either 2,2.5 or 3 layers. A 2-layer jacket has a water-repellent outer fabric (layer 1) bonded to an internal waterproof membrane (layer 2). 2.5-layer fabrics also have an outer layer…

BASE LAYERS Since it is worn next to the skin, a base layer is arguably the most important element of your clothing system. For maximum efficiency in terms of insulating and wicking performance, the fit should hug the body. You also want plenty of length in the arms and torso for full coverage, even when stretching up or bending down. Thicker, heavyweight layers will deliver more warmth, although for high-intensity activities, a lighter, fast-wicking layer is often a better choice. For stop-start winter hillwalking, midweight varieties tend to strike a good balance. WOOL VS SYNTHETIC Renowned for its excellent temperature regulation, moisture wicking ability and natural odour resistance, merino wool is often the fabric of choice for winter base layers. But it is also expensive, and despite the fact that…

It was about 1pm on 22 December 1926, and a solitary hiker was sheltering from the winter winds by Helvellyn’s summit cairn. Suddenly he heard the hum of an aircraft engine and, looking up, saw a two-seater biplane circling three times in a descending spiral. It then came down to land on the mountain’s stony plateau – just 27 metres away from the steep drop down to Red Tarn. Flabbergasted, he watched as one of the pilots, John Leeming, leapt out of the open cockpit and began piling rocks behind the plane’s wheels to stop it rolling backwards. Eric Dodds had just witnessed Britain’s first mountaintop landing of an aircraft. The story of this Indiana Jones-like escapade on snow-dusted fells begins at Chez Victor, one of the most exclusive clubs…

1500 years ago, a deer had to be careful in the woods. Behind every fallen branch or tangle of bramble might stalk a silent hunter. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), sharp in eye, ear, tooth and claw, once across Britain and Europe, its favorite prey. In the UK, habitat and prey loss and hunting for its pelt led to the lynx’s disappearance sometime in the Middle Ages. The latest fossil evidence was found in Kinsey Cave in Yorkshire, radiocarbon-dated to around AD500, though a carving on a 9th century stone cross on the Isle of Eigg hints that it might have been present later than that. Since then, the lynx has largely slipped out of our folklore and mythology, out of our woodlands and out of our general knowledge and…

1 THINK OF YOUR DEVICE AS A WELL-TRAINED MATE That is to say, it’s good but not infallible. Most of the time, GPS devices are very accurate, but not always, and being off by just a few millimetres on the map can lead to being off by a few hundred metres on the ground. Check what it’s showing you against the landscape you can see. 2 LEARN HOW TO READ A MAP You don’t need to be a military level navigator, but it’s important to be able to identify basic features on the map. Being able to read rising and falling contour lines, and knowing how to set the map, will make your readings much safer and more precise. 3 LOOK AROUND Check what the GPS is telling you against…

Jenna Maryniak Trail’s deputy editor has a passion for the Lake District. Ronald Turnbull Creator of a whopping 33 guidebooks and 18 unique coast-to-coasts. Kate Worthington Professional mountain leader, living and working under Snowdon’s shadow. Martin Sweeney Professional mountain leader and outdoor writer. Chiz Dakin Award-winning writer, photographer and film-maker. Avid traveller. Roger Butler Roger likes to tick off remote Hebridean islands as well as mountains. Matt Jones Snowdonia-based outdoors writer and Trail gear tester. 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 variety of scales. EXCLUSIVE 50% DISCOUNT FOR TRAIL SUBSCRIBERS! GET TRAIL ROUTES ONLINE Trail has partnered with the Ordnance Survey’s digital service OS…

If December’s doing its thing and dropping off some snow, we want a proper snowy ridgeline. Grasmoor, taken from the west, gives us two of them – one on the way up, one coming down again. Above Lanthwaite Green, the slope of Whin Ben is eroded back to bare rock here and there. If it’s covered with soft snow, this can seem pretty serious. At least it does until the slope of Whiteside End above, which is even steeper, with the soft snow even deeper. It’s at the top you realise that Whiteside is the right side, with 2km of elegant ridgeline along to Hopegill Head. Whiteless Edge is the second ridgeline treat, which belies its name in winter when it becomes White-full and snowy all over. Sadly it’s rather…

THE INSULATION LAYER The winning formula for staying warm and dry in the great outdoors is layering. Insulated jackets can be used as a thinner mid layer, under a shell or worn on their own as required. Brands such as Rohan (pictured) use a variety of insulation fabrics which are surprisingly warm for their size. All are compressible and won’t take much room in your pack, so you can carry them on mountain trips and throw them on when you need them. KNOW YOUR BAFFLES Baffles keep loose down or synthetic insulation in place by holding it in separate chambers. Stitch-through baffles are when pockets of insulation are created by stitching the outer layer and inner lining together. Relatively simple and less costly to produce, this can create cold spots…

3-4 VS 4-SEASON 3-4 season boots are stiff enough to handle some snow and take a walking crampon, but offer enough flex to make walking relatively comfortable, meaning they can be used all year round. However, they will not be as comfortable as a regular 3-season boot for general walking in spring to autumn, nor will they be capable of coping with full winter conditions. If you intend to do a lot of walking in snow and ice, and possibly some mountaineering, a dedicated 4-season boot is the best option. As well as being stiffer and tougher, they also tend to be warmer. THE SOLE AS A TOOL Rather than just being used to walk on, the sole, grip and lugs of a boot are an important winter tool. It…

FABRICS Most hillwalking trousers are made from tightly-woven nylon or polyester, with elastane for stretch. They may have a durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment for added water-resistance. Other outdoor trousers are made from polycotton fabric, a polyester and cotton blend, which can often be waxed for additional weather protection. VENTS It can be easy to overheat in winter hillwalking trousers. Thigh vents help solve this problem, enabling you to increase breathability as required. Vents can also be unzipped for better temperature regulation when wearing waterproof overtrousers. CUFFS AND HOOKS Adjustable ankle cuffs with a press stud, tab or strap closure permit a closer, more streamlined fit. This helps you to see where you’re putting your feet for greater precision on technical terrain. Some trousers also feature an integrated lace or boot…

WHAT DO SLEEPING BAG COMFORT RATINGS MEAN? The ISO 23537-1:2016 is the current international standard that is used to test the warmth of sleeping bags and produce the following key measurements: • Maximum Temperature is the upper limit where an average user will not overly perspire while sleeping partially uncovered in an unzipped bag. • Comfort Range is the temperature range between the Maximum Temperature and the Comfort Temperature. • Comfort Temperature is the lower limit where an average user will have a comfortable night’s sleep in a relaxed position. • Transition Range is the temperature range between the Comfort Temperature and the Limit Temperature. • Limit Temperature is the lower limit where the user will be able to sleep in a curled body position without being woken by the…

“Snowdon!” Anna Humphries “Summit of Pen y Fan on Saturday with Black Dog Outdoors wellness walk. A great day had by all.” Phil Bingham “The Cobbler (Ben Arthur) Arrochar – my beautiful Scotland. A very significant and emotional hike for me after suffering from Covid.” Hayley Kennedy “The North and South Strollers met up for a superb day on the Coniston fells, first stop was Wetherlam.” Jill Grantham “Got very lucky with the most amazing weather on the CMD Arête to Ben Nevis. It was incredible! Was having a tough time mentally and managed to get away to the mountains for a week and it totally refreshed me.” Coco Moore “Dodd Woods in the Lake District.” David Salter Join our 15,000-strong community by searching for the ‘Mountains for the Mind’…

Chris Delinikajtis +630m “Beautiful skies out over Kinder Scout, via Jacob’s Ladder, during yesterday’s walk.” Ron Oranje +610m “Millfore in Dumfries and Galloway, with another 2000ft added to this year’s total. 30+mph winds and no view! Oh well, good excuse to climb it another time.” Neil Pennington +700m “Our short trip up to Malham this afternoon looked like it was going to be a washout, but the weather picked up after we got there. Oh yes, and a swim at Janet’s Foss! 24 miles walked this week for another 700m towards our total.” Paul Batham +592m “Bamford Edge, Ladybower, Stanage Edge and Robin Hoods Cave. Not bad considering we weren’t going out anywhere today, but you have to be ready when gaps in the schedule appear!” Ian Evans “Just completed…

Jamie Rooke is a Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor living and working in Snowdonia. ukmountaindays.co.uk Different seasons bring unique challenges and offer their own rewards. You can get away with a lot on a warm summer’s day and life is mostly stress-free in the mountains. Autumn brings the end of summer and a return to the cold winds and rain but sweetens the deal with beautiful light and magical moments of colour. And then there’s winter. Winter is what many of us chase; the adventure levels are up, the stakes are raised and the rewards are sweeter. If you’ve ever stood on a snowy mountain above the clouds, you’ll know. But you have to work harder for these magic moments. There’s less room for ‘getting away with it’. Winter…

Pizzo Tre Signori In July 1910, two Italian pilots successfully landed a biplane on the summit of Pizzo Tre Signori (2554m), a popular peak in the Bergamo Alps. Mont Blanc The Alpine icon was ‘conquered’ by plane on 30 July 1921, when Swiss aviator François Durafour landed his Caudron G3 biplane on the sloping summit of Dôme du Goûter (4331m), part of the Massif de Mont Blanc. He then took off and returned to Lausanne. The record remained unbeaten for 30 years. Everest The tale of amateur British aviator Maurice Wilson’s attempt to land a plane on Everest in 1934 was recently told in The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar. Wilson eventually died near Camp 3 while trying to ascend on foot. A keen newspaper reader, there is…

GO THERE… on a long, dry, clear day when you’ve plenty of energy Before we go any further, take a look at the stats in the top left corner of the opposite page. Straight away this will give you some idea if this route is for you; it’s a big day with a fair amount of distance to cover and height to gain. Plus, there’s that not-so-insignificant matter of the scramble rating. Grade 3 takes this scramble perilously close to climbing territory, and given the exposure, big drops, and occasionally tricky moves this route throws up, it’s a fair and accurate rating. But, and this is an important ‘but’, the moves that bump this scramble from a Grade 2 up to Grade 3 (and possibly even ‘moderate’ graded climbing) are…

Oli Reed Trail’s editor is an experienced winter walker and wannabe mountaineer, who has tested kit from Scotland to the Alps. Jenna Maryniak Trail’s deputy editor recently bagged her first 4000m Alpine mountain and is a big advocate for better women’s gear. Ben Weeks Mountain Leader and long-serving Trail senior writer Ben is a big fan of gnarly winter mountain routes. James Forrest A prolific peak-bagger and wild camper who’s climbed hundreds of mountains around Europe, he gives gear a serious thrashing. Matt Jones & Ellie Clewlow are Snowdonia-based outdoor writers and photographers with a passion for mountain adventure.…

Polartec’s fabric innovations have been revolutionising outdoor adventure since way back in 1981, when the US-based company (then known as Malden Mills) invented the technical fleece. Fabrics, fashion and demands on outdoor gear have changed a lot in the four decades since, and Polartec’s story has continued to grow and evolve along the way. They’ve created the widest range of performance fabric technologies in the world and been the driving force behind everything from historic first ascents to surviving wet and windy walking weekends in the Lake District. Over the next four pages, we reveal the story behind a brand that has always been at the cutting edge of performance outdoor clothing by showcasing the standout pieces of kit they’ve produced over the past 40 years. There’s a good chance…

START WITH THE THICKNESS Thicker socks generally provide more cushioning (useful in stiff winter boots) and warmth. Thin liner socks can be added to help improve fit and reduce blisters. PAIR SOCKS WITH BOOTS Thicker winter socks may make your normal boots feel tight, so it’s good practice to try on your socks with your mountain footwear before you buy them. Likewise, if shopping for winter specific boots, wear thick winter socks to get the size right. MATERIALS MATTER With cotton best avoided for hillwalking socks due to its tendency to absorb water, should you go for synthetic fabric or natural merino wool? Synthetic materials are great at transporting moisture away from the skin, while merino wool is soft, lightweight, durable, insulating, moisture-wicking, and very good at managing odour. Some…

YOU’LL NEED MORE ROOM Crampons, an ice axe, extra warm layers, more food, and potentially even a helmet – you’ll be carrying more gear in winter than summer and will need a bigger pack to hold it all. As a rough guide, around 40 litres is good for a daypack. If you’re carrying overnight gear, which in winter is likely to be chunkier, then you’ll need to go bigger still, and a 60-litre pack would not be overkill. DO YOU WANT A BREEZE ON YOUR BACK? A ventilated back system can stop your back from becoming uncomfortably sweaty, and if you know you get hot and sticky then it’s definitely worth considering. However, you may decide that in cold climates you neither need nor want a draughty back, and the…