Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Trail

Tickets for Kendal Mountain Festival are now on sale. Whether you’re into clawing your way up mountains, sliding down them, jumping off the top, or just watching others do any of the above, this gathering of adventure sports fans makes for a top date in the diary. Here’s what’s in store this year… ■ SPEAKERS There’s a huge programme of on-stage sessions and events, with up to 200 speakers. World-renowned climber Leo Houlding (right), environmental activist George Monbiot, and global explorer and social justice leader Silvia Vasquez-Lavado are among the first to be confirmed. ■ FILMS The festival is well-known as a launchpad for international mountain and outdoor films, having showcased such classics as Hard Grit, Touching The Void and Free Solo. Films are at the core of the event,…

I know you know how I feel. I’m sitting in a wooded car park in Snowdonia, impatiently watching the rainwater stream down the windscreen. I’ve almost become accustomed to the incessant drumming on the car roof, like some kind of low-frequency tinnitus. I’ve got no signal on my phone, so I can’t check if the forecast for a sunny evening that I’ve been hanging on for all afternoon is actually going to materialise. It certainly doesn’t look like it. It’s already 4pm, but I’ll wait a bit longer. Some of you might brave it, don your waterproofs and get on with it. And I’ve been there and done that too, but it’s always harder to start off in the rain don’t you think? Plus, this is my second Trail trip…

■ ASK AN ANIMAL: SALMON “Why don’t you just stay in the river where you were born?” The river might be safe but it doesn’t have as much food as the sea. After spawning, we swim out to the Norwegian Sea and fatten up on crustaceans, fish and sandeels. We often stay out for about four years before going back and we don’t eat in the rivers, so we need to gorge before we get there. ■ PUB QUIZ TRIVIA A What does Yr Wyddfa, the Welsh name for Snowdon, mean? B Which is the highest bothy in England? C Where in the Lake District were two beavers recently reintroduced? ■ GEAR BASICS: KEEP YOUR NIGHT VISION It takes 30-45 minutes to develop full night vision. Close or cover one…

THE LATEST INNOVATION IN OUT DOOR KIT Truth be told, we hadn’t heard of Föhn either until the company got in touch. As it turns out, Föhn is a range of outdoor kit and clothing from Wiggle – you know, the online retailer of cycling equipment. Except, that description is well out of date. These days Wiggle has its fingers in all manner of outdoor pies, including running, swimming, and – most I relevant to us – hiking. So that’s Wiggle, but what’s the deal with Föhn? Launched as an ‘own brand’ line from Wiggle and currently available exclusively from its website, Föhn covers hiking clothing, a few rucksacks and water sports gear. The range looks good – Polartec features quite heavily in the fabric offerings, and most of the…

What the heck is a soft shell? It’s a rather elusive, nebulous clothing concept – one that is difficult to define precisely but easy to get confused by. You only have to visit the soft shell section of brands’ websites for a taste of this uncertainty and disorder – often everything from fleecy windproofs, lightweight waterproofs and miscellaneous mid layers are listed under this catch-all category. It’s a mess, in all honesty. Let’s see if we can unpick it. Ultimately, the name soft shell has been coined as a counterpoint to the hard shell (a ‘proper’ waterproof outer layer). While a hard shell jacket is stiff, strong and not that breathable, a soft shell is the opposite – softer, smoother, comfier, stretchier and better ventilated. In some ways it’d be…

STITCHING The toughest trousers have double-stitched or even triple-stitched seams in high stress areas for added durability on the hill. REINFORCED PANELS High-wear areas like the knees and seat often have thicker, reinforced fabric panels. Many trousers also have scuff or kick patches at the ankle to protect from boots and crampons. WAIST DESIGN An elasticated or Velcro adjustable waist ensures a better fit, though some prefer to wear a belt. A lined waistband offers extra comfort and a high rise protects the lower back better, particularly when scrambling or wearing a rucksack. STRETCH Adding elastane (also called spandex or Lycra) to a fabric provides stretch, giving better freedom of movement. Two-way stretch fabrics stretch either vertically or horizontally. Fourway stretch fabrics stretch in both directions, crosswise and lengthwise. FABRICS…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 9.4KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 831M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 4 There is something wonderful about a horseshoe walk. The looping circularity of it all has an appealing logic. When you get high, you stay high – and along the tops and on the ridges is exactly where you get the best views, freshest air and strongest sense of freedom. You can tick off summits quickly, there are no boring out-and-backs or repeated sections, and at the end of the day you’re straight back to your car. That is why horseshoe walks in the Lake District are so popular, and there are lots to choose from. Classics include Mosedale, Newlands, Kentmere, Deepdale and Coledale, but this lesser-known loop should be up there in every list of…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 20.1KM TIME 7 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1074M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 5 Red deer have been wandering the eastern Lake District fells for centuries, and the animals that live here today are said to be members of the oldest pure herd in England. If you’ve got good eyesight (or binoculars) and you’re not making too much noise, you’re almost guaranteed to see these graceful creatures at some point on this exploration of Martindale. At this time of year, you might also hear the eerie bellowing of rutting stags as they gather their harems for mating. The head of this remote valley is split in two by The Nab, a big, peaty lump that forms the focus of the ancient deer forest. We use a roundabout but interesting…

DIFFICULTY EASY DISTANCE 8.5KM TIME 3 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 417M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 1 Is Hen Comb “the sort of fell sometimes climbed, but rarely twice” and a walk for “anybody who doesn’t want to get excited”? That was the rather harsh criticism Wainwright levelled at the 509m fell in the western Lakes. But, without wanting to disrespect the much-loved guidebook writer, we politely disagree. Hen Comb may be devoid almost entirely of dramatic cliffs, crags and rock, but its grassy, rounded slopes still hold a trump card. The panoramas during the climb over Loweswater and the Vale of Lorton are delightful, while the summit serves up an unexpected view of Buttermere in all its glory. If that’s not exciting, we don’t know what is. 1 NY141209 From Church…

The Cambrian Way starts in the south of Wales at Cardiff Castle in the country’s capital city and ends at Conwy, the mighty northern fortress of a town. Both castles were built in the 12th century by the Normans to keep the rebellious people of Wales under control. Between the two lies glorious verdant countryside featuring steep-sided valleys with streams and waterfalls, picturesque rolling hills, an abundance of high ridges and, in the north, rugged, cragged and challenging mountains. Much of the route runs through two national parks – Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia – as well as most of the areas in Wales that have been designated as wilderness. But tempting as it may be, the Cambrian Way should not be the first outing attempted by the novice trekker. It…

LAKE DISTRICT PILLAR Let’s get the downside out of the way. Pillar’s summit – the actual physical ground on which you stand on top of this fell – is rather dull. It’s a flat, grassy plateau adorned by an unexceptional trig pillar. It looks better suited to the high-adrenaline sport of crown green bowling rather than anything thrillingly mountainous. But taken as a whole, Pillar might be one of the most mountainous fells in the Lakes. It’s the high point of a 10km ridge that twists and writhes from Black Sail Pass to Caw Fell. Its northern face, which plunges into the wild Ennerdale valley, is a scooped and fluted gathering of coves, ridgelines and battered rock. Take the connoisseur’s route to the top of the mountain via the path…

The key to all of it – the microbial world in glaciers and why they’re important to us as human beings – starts with water,” says glaciologist Jemma Wadham. “Glaciers are the biggest freshwater store on the planet and while most of that’s obviously in Antarctica, we’ve got really important glacial coverage in many high mountain regions of the world. Something like 10% of the Earth’s population live in high mountain areas, in close contact with the cryosphere.” The cryosphere is the frozen world. The permafrost crystallised beneath the Siberian tundra. The massive – in places 3km thick – Greenland ice cap. The Poles. The glaciers bearing slowly down from high mountains. Marmolada, the only glacier in Italy’s Dolomites, is part of it, and on July 3rd this year, a…

Our monthly fitness tips from personal trainer and mountain leader Matt Le Voi will help you get ready for any mountain adventure. LMGPERSONALTRAINING.COM STEP IT UP MATT SAYS: The best way to train for hillwalking is by getting out into the hills – but what if there aren’t any near you? I recommend a multi-size step box. Unlike the stairs in your house, you can change the height of the step, which is more akin to the variable terrain on the hill. Add weight in the form of a pack or some dumbbells and you’ve got an awesome little training area. THE STEP-UP The most straightforward way to work legs and glutes. Alternate the lead leg and repeat for time or repetitions. Great for: Working your legs, glutes and core.…

■ REPURPOSE POLARTEC NEOSHELL NeoShell is, according to Polartec anyway, “the world’s most breathable waterproof fabric technology”. That’s quite a claim, but our own experience of NeoShell goes some way to backing that up. It’s soft and comfortable, feeling more like a soft shell, and does indeed offer excellent breathability along with a hydrostatic head rating of 10,000mm. The Föhn jacket uses re-purposed fabric to limit environmental waste, adding eco credentials. ■ CHUNKY ZIP-PULLS Zippers can be a nightmare when wearing gloves, and the easily grabbable pulls on the Föhn jacket make this one less hassle to worry about. ■ PLENTY OF STORAGE There are four pockets – two waist pockets (clear of a rucksack hipbelt) and two chest pockets. They all have YKK AquaGuard zips, but they’re mesh-lined so…

LEVEL OF INSULATION Cheaper, lighter flasks tend not to offer the same level of insulation as more expensive, heavier models. For maximum performance you may need to spend a little more and carry a few extra grams. The length of time the flask will keep the contents hot or cold for is usually quoted by the manufacturers, but these are often optimistic in a real-world scenario. VOLUME Are you just carrying hot drinks for yourself or for a few of you? Will you be carrying the flask onto the hill or leaving it in the car? Bear in mind that larger volumes tend to stay hotter for longer. WEIGHT One litre of water weighs one kilogram. If a flask is heavy when empty, it could become an unwieldy burden when…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 14.5KM TIME 6 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 950M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 5 TRAIL 100s 1 There is something very satisfying about a circular ridge walk in the Lake District. A slow ascent at the start of the day to warm you up, a nice central arc with undulating summits, then a slow descent back to civilisation. Ideally with perfect weather and 360° views, with mostly obvious paths and straightforward navigation so you can look up from the map occasionally. Well, this walk ticks all of those boxes – although we can’t guarantee the weather! This is a hike that I do again and again. It’s easy to make an early exit, just past Dale Head, if the weather’s turned sour, and you can skip Cat Bells if…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM SCRAMBLE GRADE 1 DISTANCE 11.5KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 850M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 1 TRAIL 100s 1 From afar, when eyes spy the notable Lakeland massif of Blencathra, there’s a unique, mountain completeness to enjoy. Its gracious south-westerly slopes give good shelter to the village of Threlkeld from biting northerly winds. From the east, the mountain’s glacier-chiselled character exposes the stark lines of Sharp Edge and Hall’s Fell Ridge, willing the traveller to immediately stop from their advances on the fast-moving A66 below. From the village of Threkeld, one can’t help but design a line up and up, using one of the repeating ridgelines that descend from its heights. This route enjoys a direct ascent of Hall’s Fell Ridge, with short scrambling sections, as well as…

ROUTE 8 Loughrigg Fell ROUTE 9 Dove Crag & Red Screes ROUTE 10 Latterbarrow & Blelham Tarn I sometimes think Ambleside should be formally re-named. Wouldn’t Rambleside be more appropriate? Not just because dozens of people seem to spend all day wandering from one outdoor shop to another, but because ou can walk, stride, scramble and ramble right from the middle of town. And if you combine the high fells and hidden valleys with some peaceful tops and placid tarns you’ve got the makings of a great weekend. Highlights include a memorable horseshoe walk which stars Dove Crag and Red Screes and a scenic circuit up and over Loughrigg Fell. There are plenty of interesting features too: the vast slate cavern by Rydal Water, a classic packhorse bridge at High…

9.1km DISTANCE 830m ASCENT Grade 1 SCRAMBLE RATING The Y Gribin ridge in the Glyderau gets a not insignificant amount of traffic. It does, after all, form one half of the spectacular Cwm Bochlwyd Horseshoe. However, the opposite half of the Cwm Bochlwyd Horseshoe is formed by Glyder Fach’s Bristly Ridge, and the nation’s favourite peak, Tryfan. With two scrambling heavyweights like that as your neighbours, it’s not surprising that Y Gribin is usually treated as something of an afterthought. As such, boots are usually heading down as they negotiate Y Gribin, with their owners still reminiscing about the day’s great scrambles and the fantastical summit of Glyder Fach, and paying less attention to the ridgeline they’re descending than it probably deserves. Giving Y Gribin a little more love is…

One of the most beloved long-distance trails, Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, has been awarded new National Trail status. The 197-mile route stretching from St Bees, through the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, to Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors will receive £5.6million of funding for Natural England and partners to improve the popular route. It will be the first National Trail to build in social and economic benefits for users and communities from the start, with improved accessibility for people of different abilities; for example, removing stiles and using accessible gates where possible. High quality signage, waymarking, path surfaces and infrastructure will also be improved across the whole route, while circular paths and link routes will be developed to enable shorter walks. It is estimated that work will…

VIEW WITH A ROOM CHOOSE YOUR CAMPER We love a view with a room, so we’re completely sold on the idea of a different view every day. If you’re thinking, like us, that it would be very nice to have your own camper, with the freedom to choose any view you want and fill every weekend hiking and exploring the UK and beyond, the Motorhome and Caravan Show is taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 18-23 October 2022. A whole hall is dedicated to campervans and you can book 20-minute campervan test drives, and check out the latest from top converters and dealers, with expert advice on hand. Don’t write off a caravan for convenience either – some of the latest models are seriously cool, a far cry from the…

HEAD OUTSIDE AWARDS This November, at the prestigious Kendal Mountain Festival, a new awards ceremony will take place celebrating the people and organisations who champion the mental health benefits of outdoor activity. The Head Outside Awards will be hosted by mental health charity Changing Horizons, whose founder Stu Skinner will present the awards alongside broadcaster and passionate hillwalker Mary-Ann Ochota. Trail recently caught up with Stu to find out what inspired him to create the very first outdoor industry awards centred around mental health. “Whenever I’ve experienced severe episodes of depression I’ve turned to the outdoors or nature as part of my healing process,” Stu explains. “Whether that’s going on an arduous trek or simply chilling on my paddleboard with my toes in the sea. “I’m passionate about the mental…

Rob was staring, his arm, hand and finger outstretched, pointing at something behind me as he tried to get the words out of his mouth through the handful of homemade trail mix he’d just tossed in there. “Ben… Ben!” was all he could manage to mumble through pieces of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate. Jesus Christ. I was terrified by what might be lurking at my back. Was I about to be lifted off the Aonach Eagach by an Aonach Eagle? Would a bear, forgetting for a moment that bears don’t tend to be found wandering anywhere around Glen Coe, be up on the ridge at this height? Had the spectral Old Grey Man taken a vacation from Ben Macdui to haunt some alternative Munros? I turned away from Rob’s…

Sometimes it’s the sounds of a great mountain walk that get you, just as much as the views. The cronking call of a gliding raven, the crackle of dry bracken beneath your boots, the soft thump of a distant helicopter blade, the gulp of bog swallowing a careless footstep, the whistle of wind through splintered rocks. They can lift you up and carry you a million miles from the endless, engulfing muffle of urban noise. Like a lot of people, I grew up in the countryside then gravitated towards towns and cities once the usual trappings of nightlife, university, work and a grudging desire for convenience (pretty much in that order) made more sense than living on top of a weatherbattered hill in deepest, darkest Yorkshire. But I never forgot…

SKILLS, TIPS & TRICKS TO GET YOU HIKING LIKE A PRO 1 Bring candles and a lighter. They don’t weigh much, create a cosy atmosphere and will help save your headtorch battery. 2 Bring something to share, whether it’s a dram of whisky, a packet of biscuits, a story or a song. You might find you’re in a bothy on your own (in which case, you can share the song with the spiders), but more often it’s a cheery, hodge-podge gathering of hill-goers. Having something to share can help build friendships. 3 Get chatting. You never know who you might meet, what adventures may lead from that, or what secret places they might have discovered and be willing to share with you. Bothies are full of people with knowledge. 4…

COMMON HAIRCAP MOSS (POLYTRICHUM COMMUNE) Looks like One of the most common mosses after sphagnum, common haircap tends to grow in large clumps, usually yellow to bright green in colour. The stems are very straight with the ‘leaves’ pointing sharply out in all directions. Surprisingly Its red stems can be used in basket weaving and examples have been found from 100AD. BOG ASPHODEL (NARTHECIUM OSSIFRAGUM) Looks like Spires of bright yellow, starshaped flowers, from June until August, which turn fiery orange in early autumn. The pale, dried-out flower stalks remain standing through the winter months. Oddly The Latin name means ‘bone breaker’ and comes from the belief that eating it made sheep’s bones brittle – which was probably more due to the nutrient poor soil it favours. COTTONGRASS (ERIOPHORUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM)…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 20KM TIME 8 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1105M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 1 TRAIL 100s 1 Pillar is one of those mountains that you don’t actually visit for the summit. Sure, it’s exhilarating to be up there, among the bronzing fells with the distant gleaming streak of the sea beyond, but it’s what’s below the high point that is the real, well, high point. This route approaches the fell via Ennerdale Valley, where rewilding efforts have been taking place since 2002. Twenty years later, the young broadleaf saplings are more established, the River Liza has been allowed to take her own course, green woodpeckers have returned, arctic char numbers have increased 1000% and beavers might be on their way back. The riverside path moves with the waterline but…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 20KM TIME 8 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1050M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 1 TRAIL 100s 1 Helvellyn is a big beast, and the Ullswater side offers magnificent scrambles. Actually, maybe not once autumn damp turns to rain and gales… So as the leaves fall and the wind rises, it could be time to take this beast from the west. The route up from Swirls offers a fine little ridgeline above Browncove Crags. Lower Man has the great views into those exciting eastern hollows, with the clouds swirling below and the rain coming straight up into your face. And given Helvellyn’s October weather, the route above Wythburn Church is the quick way down onto more sheltered ground. Forget about the fairly dull forest track back to Swirls, and instead…

ROUTE 11 St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge ROUTE 12 Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite ROUTE 13 Rosthwaite to Grasmere Alfred Wainwright’s famed coast to coast walk is a long-distance trail traversing the width of northern England from St Bees Head in the west to Robin Hood’s Bay in the east. Hikers start on the shores of the Irish Sea and two weeks and 182 miles later arrive at the North Sea, having travelled across the Lake District, Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. The highlights are plentiful, but – perhaps – these three days between St Bees and Grasmere are the finest of them all. The countryside covered is “beautiful almost everywhere, yet extremely varied in character, with mountains and hills, valleys and rivers, heather moors and sea cliffs combining…

GLEN COE, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WALK IT The actual instructions for tackling the Aonach Eagach are simplicity itself. Climb up from Glen Coe to its eastern end, bag a Munro, scramble a gnarly ridge, bag another Munro, then descend from its western end. Sounds easy, huh? Except, that gnarly ridge bit makes it far from straightforward. It’s a Grade 2 scramble at best, with some difficult downclimbs and awkward obstacles thrown into the mix. And that’s assuming the weather’s good. Factor in high winds or wet rock and the ridge rapidly becomes the stuff of nightmares. So there’s lesson number 1: wait until the conditions are your allies, rather than your tormentors. Then there’s the inescapable nature of the ridge. Once you’re on it, getting back to the safety of Glen…