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22 B I R D M E N O F T H E H I M A L A YA
14 E D I T O R ’ S L E T T E R
Paragliding the high country of India’s Himachal Pradesh
The Origins of Exploration
Horacio Llorens & John Stapels
David Pickford
30 R I T E S O F PA S S A G E
18 B A S E N O T E S
Scrambling as a secret gateway to climbing and mountaineering
Brendon Prince makes the first circumnavigation
Jethro Kiernan
of Britain by standup paddleboard The BASE editorial team
38 O N E W I T H T H E R I V E R Kayaking and environmental action on Slovenia’s Sava river
62 K E M P S T O N H A R D W I C K
Carmen Kuntz
The secret diary of Bedfordshire’s greatest adventurer Dan Milner
46 T H E O L D R O A D A bikepacking journey along the route of Britain’s
72 B A S E G E A R
oldest highway
Cycling innovations for autumn-winter 2021
Chris Hunt & Ben Wormald
The BASE review team
54 T I D E L A N D S
74 B A S E T E C H
Exploring the unexpected wilderness of the Bristol Channel
The Wearable Bubble: the story of personal floatation devices
David Pickford
Chris Hunt & David Pickford
66 T H E B A S E I N T E R V I E W
80 B A S E C U LT U R E
Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja
Mirrors in the Map
BASE talks to one of the best high altitude climbers in history
Tessa Lyons, BASE artist-in-residence
Nims Purja, Catherine Bolado & David Pickford
Contributors Dan Milner
Tyler Roemer
Carmen Kuntz
Catherine Bolado
Tessa Lyons
Mitja Legat
Horacio Llorens
Katja Jemec
John Stapels
Katja Pokorn
Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja
Sandro Gromen-Hayes
Ben Wormald
Christa Funk
Jethro Kiernan
Michael Clark
Editor & Creative Director David Pickford
Publisher Secret Compass
Associate Editor & Digital Editor Chris Hunt
Enquiries hello@base-mag.com
Publishing Director Patrick Tillard
Submissions submissions@base-mag.com
Design Joe Walczak
Advertising patrick@base-mag.com
COVER: High on Bristly Ridge, Tryfan, looking towards mid-Wales as the sun begins to set over the Carneddau: the perfect end to a great day in the British mountains. JETHRO KIERNAN
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EDI TO R ’ S LET T ER The O r i g i n s o f E x p l o r a t i o n
The surface of the bay glimmers darkly, like a distant planet. Dawn is breaking. A group of men and women have gathered on the beach as the final supplies are loaded into the twin hulls of the ocean-going canoe pulled up on the sand. None of them have any way of knowing the outcome of their imminent expedition. Once the last provisions have been stowed, the canoe begins to thread its way through the lagoon. It clears the line of surf on the outer reef, picking up speed as it enters the deeper water beyond, propelled now by the wind and the equatorial current. With a following swell behind them, these unknown explorers pilot their intrepid craft towards the shifting blue line of the horizon. After a while, the island they have departed vanishes astern; the canoe is completely alone on the Pacific Ocean.
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ncient Polynesians first discovered and populated many of the Pacific islands in antiquity, using ocean-going sailing canoes combined with spectacular skills in natural navigation built up over centuries, and passed down through the generations. The largely undocumented voyages these ancient seafarers made are arguably some the most extraordinary feats of exploration in the whole of human history. Using rudimentary but highly effective nautical technology, ancient Polynesians discovered some of the most remote inhabitable places on Earth. The Marquesas, for example, may have been discovered as early as 100 AD. Today, we know quite a lot more about outer space than the ancient Polynesians knew about the ocean they were exploring. How exactly they made their remarkable voyages still remains an active area of enquiry, both for historians and for modern enthusiasts of the art of natural navigation. Why they made these voyages, though, is a question more relevant to philosophers. Why would you leave Tahiti or Hawaii – places as accommodating to human life as any that can be imagined – for a perilous quest across a vast ocean? Why risk death for the chance of discovery? What’s the point of making a dangerous journey at all? Such questions are of huge relevance, I think, for those of an adventurous mindset. NASA’s Frank Borman once famously suggested that ‘exploration is really the essence of the human spirit’. If he is correct, then the ancient Polynesians were certainly enacting that essence, just as Borman was as commander of Apollo 8 – the first human-crewed spaceflight to orbit the Moon in 1968. Despite using incomparable technologies, those ancient Pacific voyages have a central principle in common with modern practitioners of exploration like Command Pilot Frank Borman: the acceptance of risk as a necessary dimension of any exploratory endeavour.
The intriguing, complex links between ancient and modern exploration, however, open a series of large questions. If exploration is indeed the essence of the human spirit, then is some exposure to risks and harms is also a fundamental part of what it means to be human? Perhaps we cannot explore anything without risking something in the process. And if this is true, then does the experience of dealing with risk enable us to properly function as living beings? And what, finally, would happen if we were to live in a world where our exposure to risk was eliminated? These are questions that demand urgent attention in the early twenty-first century, where physical risk is being systematically eliminated, via various cultural and technological processes, from ordinary human experience. At the same time, popular interest in adventure sports involving various degrees of risk is currently surging. This dynamic is, in itself, hugely revealing. First coined by the authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt in their bestselling 2018 book The Coddling of the American Mind, the notion of ‘safetyism’ describes as a belief system which prioritises safety (including emotional safety) as a sort of sacred value. Cultures of safetyism are increasingly obvious as they proliferate in different areas of human activity: from so-called ‘safe spaces’ for undergraduates to Covid-related biosecurity policies (remember that pandemic catchphrase ‘stay safe’?), and from the highly contentious ethical issues of the postponement of death for the institutionalised elderly, and the ever-increasing levels of parental protection of children. It is perhaps the latter that most clearly shows the current cultural dismantling of Frank Borman’s beautiful idea about exploration – and therefore risk – being a kind of key force at the heart of the human spirit. A recent study by the British Children’s Play Survey, for example, concluded that primary-school age children in Britain are losing the freedom to play independently. While their parents were allowed to play outside unsupervised by the age of nine on average, today’s children are eleven by the time they reach the same milestone, according to the survey. The researchers pointed out that not enough adventurous play could affect children’s long-term physical and mental health. Anita Grant, the chairwoman of Play England, said after the study was published that ‘play outdoors is fundamentally important for children to develop a relationship with the world around them. Adults’ protective instincts are not helpful when they restrict exploration and a child’s natural instinct to engage with their environment freely.’ If you’re a naturally adventurous person, Grant’s important point would no doubt also strike you as an obvious one.
FACING PAGE: John Webber’s striking portrait of native Hawaiian priests travelling across Kealakekua bay in a twin-hulled sailing canoe, as seen from the deck of Captain Cook’s ship ‘Endeavour’ in circa 1781. Different versions of this basic design, including single-hulled double outrigger canoes, were used by ancient Polynesians to discover the many islands of the Pacific Ocean in antiquity. The majority of these voyages are completely unrecorded. JOHN WEBBER / PUBLIC DOMAIN
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Returning to ocean exploration, the following story provides an interesting counterpoint to contemporary narratives promoting the idea of safety as a core moral value. The brilliant documentary biopic Following Seas tells the life story of groundbreaking American sailors Nancy and Bob Griffith, who circumnavigated the world several times between the early 1960s and the late 1970s, were at one point shipwrecked on the uninhabited Pacific atoll, Vahanga Island, for 67 days, and later skippered the first sailing boat to circumnavigate Antarctica. ‘We all became highly competent individuals’, Nancy Griffith recalls, as she remembers how she raised her young family on the ocean waves. It is a striking line, and a powerful acknowledgement of the moral value of adventure and risk, as well as the obvious hazards of leading a life directed by ocean sailing. Following Seas is also a remarkable document of the era before any kind of ‘safetyism’ existed; at one point, sailing off New Zealand, Nancy reflects on how she once had to dive off the side of her boat to retrieve her toddler, who had accidentally fallen overboard when playing unsupervised on deck. ‘We need to go ashore until these kids have learnt to swim!’ she wryly admits in the voiceover. Such nonchalance might seem reckless, but it has the advantage of building competence in children from an early age; the opposite of the ‘helicopter parenting’ that Anita Grant talked about. The physical and moral freedom that Nancy and Bob Griffith actively pursued in their sailing careers – and which every adventure-seeker strives for at some level – can be used as a counterpoint to what the American philosopher Matthew Crawford has provocatively called ‘the safety-industrial complex’ of the early twenty-first century. In his brilliant essay The Dangers of Safetyism, which was published at the height of the first Covid outbreak in the West in spring 2020, Crawford writes of how ‘safetyism… has been gaining strength for decades and is having a triumphal moment just now. There appears to be a feedback loop wherein the safer we become, the more intolerable any remaining risk appears.’ Crawford’s insight highlights the profound risks of a culture of safetyism. If left to itself, a society directed by safetyism can
and will develop deeply dystopian features – some of which are already evident, such as the results of the British Children’s Play Survey quoted earlier. But Crawford also offers a way out here for independent thinkers. If safetyism requires ‘a feedback loop’ in which the safer we become, the less we are prepared to take risks, then there’s an obvious way to avoid it: let’s not prioritise safety over other, more worthwhile values. I can think of a few that sound like better options. How about courage, curiosity, kindness, and determination? Being a fierce critic of safetyism doesn’t mean, of course, that you must deliberately expose yourself to high levels of risk; it just means that you don’t seek to elevate safety above all other moral values. Going back to those ancient Polynesian voyagers with whom we began, we might answer the questions raised earlier about why it is that human beings are drawn to take risks in the first place. After many weeks – or even months – at sea, having endured storms that threatened to sink the sailing canoe and privations on an unimaginable level, the master navigator (pwo) leans over the side of the left hull. His eyes light up as he spots a tiny strand of pale green seaweed in the blue water of the Pacific, then a frigate bird high overhead – two signs that land may not be far off. After cross-referencing the frigate bird’s flight pattern with the direction of the swell that has brought that strand of seaweed to the canoe, he tells the captain to aim their course a degree to the west. After a few hours, the ancient explorers shout and sing with delight as a dark smudge appears on the horizon. Green and shining in the sun as they close in, coconut trees growing directly from the sand define the island’s perimeter. They’ve succeeded in their mission: they have found a new world. At the same time, they’ve enacted the exploratory urge that’s the essence of the human spirit. At some deep psychic level, many of us must still take risks in our lives just as those early explorers did – to inhabit different spaces, to be elsewhere, to transform who we are, and to reimagine what we might become. On that note, I hope you’ll delve deeply into another actionpacked edition of BASE. Enjoy the issue. David Pickford
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OPENING SHOT
Photograph | Tyler Roemer / Red Bull
Leading American windsurfer Levi Siver executes a textbook
kitesurfer, or wingfoiler rides multiple waves in a single session by
‘transition’ move on a wave at Gold Beach, Pistol River, on
sailing between them. It sounds easy, but it isn’t. The transitions
the Oregon coast of the USA. Described in the windsurfing
between the waves are one of several highly technical aspects of
community as ‘one of the most talented wavesailors on the
wavesailing, often involving spectacular mid-air jibes and tacks as
planet’, Hawaii-resident Siver travels extensively in search of the
seen in this photograph. ‘[Wavesailing] is the most exciting
kind of epic conditions seen in this image, which can occur very
aspect of windsurfing and never gets old for me’ says Siver. ‘Every
quickly at certain times of the year in the northern Pacific.
wave is unique in its own way, and the challenges are such that
Wavesailing is an advanced discipline in which the windsurfer,
you never stop progressing.’
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BA S E N O T ES
The Long Paddle: th e f i r s t c i r c u m n a v i g a t i o n o f B r i t a i n b y S U P Photography | Will Reddaway
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n late April 2021, Devon-based lifeguard and water safety campaigner Brendon Prince launched his SUP from Torre Abbey Sands,Torquay, to begin an unusual voyage. Dubbed
‘The Long Paddle’, his mission was to make the first continuous circumnavigation of the British mainland by standup paddleboard (SUP), a total distance of over 4000 kilometres. On September 14th, he finally arrived back at his starting point after an epic journey lasting over four months, completing the challenge and making watersport history. Whilst there have been numerous circumnavigations of the British coast by sea kayak – the fastest being Joe Leach’s staggeringly quick 2012 record of just 67 days – standup paddling presents an alternative means of travelling across the open ocean using a lightweight water craft. Standup paddleboards, however, have a slightly lower cruising speed than sea kayaks, they are considerably more affected by wind and swell, and they’re consequently more challenging craft for long distance travel in comparison to sea kayaks. That doesn’t mean, though, that long distances can’t be successfully travelled by SUP. That’s exactly what Brendon Prince has demonstrated with this remarkable achievement: have SUP, will travel. Prince’s world record was preceded by Cal Major’s 2018 paddle, in which she became the first person to travel from Land’s End to John O’ Groats by SUP, using a combination of coastal travel and inland waterways. Prince, however, made his entire journey by sea, using a small land-based support team but no support boats. He thus became the first person to SUP from the most southerly to the most northerly point of Britain by the coastal route, and then became the first person to complete the full circumnavigation of Britain by SUP: two world records in one expedition isn’t a bad result. It should be noted, though, that others have made extremely long trips by SUP. Maverick adventurer Charlie Head has travelled many parts of the UK coast by SUP, including all of Scotland. In November 2020, he continuously paddled a 100km section in under 24 hours between Rosehearty and Wick across the Moray Firth, much of it through the night, and which (in the central part) is up to 50 kilometres offshore. A passionate campaigner for water safety, Brendon Prince left his long career in outdoor education in 2019 to focus on his water safety work, both as the chairman of a Devon-based surf lifesaving club, and as the founder of the charity Above Water, which aims to teach children proper water survival and lifesaving skills. Prince has already visited hundreds of schools and taught over 100,000 children about drowning prevention techniques. Completing the first circumnavigation of Britain by SUP will raise the public profile of the charity, and highlight its important work. Summing up his long adventure, Prince wrote on 23rd August as he rounded Ness Point near Lowestoft (Britain’s most easterly point): ‘That’s the four corners of Britain rounded in 101 consecutive days. North was the coldest, East the windiest, South the most gnarly, and West the wildest!’ Prince’s adventure surely sets the tone for future long distance SUP voyages, as this fast-developing watersport continues to evolve.
FACING PAGE: Brendon Prince paddling past the awesome vista of the Isle of Skye’s Cuillin mountains emerging through the mist during the Scottish section of his record breaking round-Britain SUP voyage, which began in late April 2021 and finished in mid-September. WILL REDDAWAY
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Travelling between islands around the west coast of Scotland is up there with some of the best paddling I have ever done anywhere’ - Brendon Prince
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FACING PAGE: Brendon Prince paddling amid the grandeur of the northwest highlands of Scotland during his record-breaking round-Britain SUP voyage. THIS PAGE TOP: Brendon launching through the early morning surf from Godrevy beach in west Cornwall, during the initial section of his journey around Britain. Here, he is using a rip current to travel through the shore break into the open water.
THIS PAGE CENTRE LEFT: Commenting on the quality of the paddling on his journey, Brendon remarked that ‘travelling between islands around the west coast of Scotland is up there with some of my favourite paddling I have ever done anywhere’. THIS PAGE CENTRE RIGHT: The key aim of the challenge was to raise the profile of water safety and promote the work of Brendon’s charity Above Water, which teaches children drowning prevention skills. THIS PAGE LOWER: Brendon arriving in the small harbour at John O’Groats, the most northerly point in Britain and one of the four ‘compass points’ of his journey around the UK mainland. Find out more about Above Water at ABOVEWATER.ORG
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BIRDMEN OF THE HIMALAYA Paragliding the hi g h c o u n t r y o f H i m a c h a l P r a d e s h Story | Horacio Llorens
Photography | John Stapels / Red Bull
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In autumn 2019, two of Europe’s leading paraglider pilots, Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens, travelled to the high valleys of Himachal Pradesh in the Indian Himalaya. Their mission was to fly across some of the most spectacular terrain on Earth by paraglider, and to reach the highest altitude possible within safe limits. This is the story of their extraordinary journey across the roof of India.
I
t had always been my dream to travel to India; an even greater dream was to fly a paraglider in the Himalaya. As soon as we arrived in the foothills of
the greatest mountain range on Earth, the unique scale and constant drama of the landscape captivated me completely.
It all started in Bir Billing, a small village in the Joginder Nagar valley close to the town of Manali, where we undertook our first flights. Here, we would test our gear in the thin mountain air of Himachal Pradesh to see how it performed. We then spent three days flying in the surrounding valleys; the first major flight took us from Bir to the Manali valley, where we reached over 4000m in altitude, soaring over lush green pastures, verdant forests, and across the flanks of snowy mountains. Luckily we arrived at our first planned stop in time, before the thermal conditions disappeared without warning. This is a constant hazard when flying in such high mountains, due to the extremely high temperature variations at different altitudes. We were able to continue flying from exactly the same point later that day; in the evening, we did a mountain-top landing on a small summit at 3,200m. Just below the peak, we found a little hut that was providing shelter for a shepherd, with his family and his goats in tow. They gave us some dinner, and invited us in to keep warm next to their fire. Despite not being able to understand each other in any language, we had a great evening together and we all laughed a lot. Tom and I went to sleep with dreams of higher and longer flights at the front of our minds. In the middle of the night the wind started to blow really hard: a storm was coming. It rained heavily for hours, and I realised with some trepidation that my lightweight tent was leaking. It was a long and hard night. In the morning we woke to cloud cover, but we were able to take off, flying nearly all the way to Manali. At the end of the valley we hit some heavy precipitation and dangerously windy conditions. We started to fly backwards towards a section of mountainside covered in apple trees – a kind of suspended Himalayan orchard. Luckily I managed to land in a small clearing, but Tom couldn’t make it and had a harder landing. As a result, he slightly injured his shoulder. Our very first day of flying here was a stark reminder of just how challenging flying a paraglider in the Himalaya can be. As Tom’s shoulder healed, I spent the two following days flying in the surroundings of Manali with Debu, a very well known Indian pilot and my friend for several years since we competed together in the Acrobatics World Cup. I became increasingly amazed by the high mountains around Manali in those two days with Debu: the Himalaya had cast its spell over me already. Four days later, Tom’s shoulder was feeling better. Debu, Tom, and myself now planned a major flight. Our goal was to clear the 3,978m Rohtang Pass and enter the high Himalaya.This flight had been completed by very few pilots to date: there’s a lot of commitment involved in flying the complex, technical terrain of steep-sided Himalayan valleys with huge thermal changes, and the sudden winds they can generate.
THIS PAGE: Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens fly across the high ridges of Spiti in the Indian Himalaya. On this expedition, both pilots reached a maximum altitude of over 6,200m. PREVIOUS PAGES: Horacio Llorens flies over the spectacular 1000 year-old gompa [monastery] at Key in the Spiti valley, one of several large Buddhist monasteries in this region.
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We flew among the enormous mountains that encased us, crossing canyons where white rivers flowed fast and wild
We took off from a clearing in the forest above Manali
day, in difficult, turbulent conditions, and were able to land at
early the following morning. At the beginning of our flight, the
4,000m elevation, from where we would continue the following
thermal conditions were not particularly strong, and we were
day. It was bitterly cold that night, even in our advanced four-
finding it difficult to gain altitude. Eventually, all three of us
season sleeping bags. Flying conditions the following morning
managed to reach an altitude of 5000m on the south side of the
were much better; we quickly went up to nearly 6,000m, where
Rohtang Pass, and we decided to cross. Debu, who was a little
we started to see the Spiti Valley from another perspective.
lower than Tom and I, couldn’t quite reach a safe altitude to
At this point, we both realised we had completely fallen in love
cross the pass itself, so he stayed on the Manali side.
with these mountains.
Tom and I now entered the next valley. The landscape was
We did a gorgeous flight to the 1200 year-old Dankhar
totally transformed as we crossed the northern limit of the
Gompa, the oldest Buddhist monastery in Spiti. We flew past
Indian monsoon rain: north of the Rohtang, the mountains were
enormous rock walls and through perpendicular valleys; we both
dry, just stone and soil with very little vegetation. The strong
enjoyed being at Dankhar so much, in fact, we decided to spend
katabatic winds blowing down from the highest peaks around us
the night right there in the lodgings of the monastery.
would be the keynote from now on.
Later the next day, we took off with the intention of flying
As soon as we entered this valley we realised that the wind
to the nearby hamlet of Ki, where the rest of the team were
was very strong and there were few thermals. We were able to
waiting. After our first ascent, we realised the cloudbase was
climb up with a lot of effort and turbulence and we reached the
growing, and it was starting to rain in some areas of the valley,
summit of the mountain above the Rohtang Pass, climbing up
creating dangerous flying conditions. Instead of flying to Ki, we
to a maximum altitude of 5,300m. All around us, peaks more
did a local flight right over the monastery of Dhankar; neither
than 6,000m glittered in the sunlight. By the early afternoon,
of us could believe we were actually flying in such a magical
we managed to reach the isolated village of Keylong. We landed
place. We were told that nobody had ever flown a paraglider in
here on a small rocky plain and waited for the rest of the team.
this particular valley, and having the opportunity to be the first
The next day we decided to go to Spiti Valley by road, since
to do so was worth more than any international trophy.
it was going to be impossible to reach the team by flying due to
On the other side of the valley from Dhankar, above
dangerous turbulence. When we arrived in Spiti, the valley
the village of Key where we met the rest of the team, the
captivated us immediately: a high altitude desert surrounded by
conditions were better. Here, we managed to climb up to an
shining summits and dotted with white-walled villages and
altitude of just over 6,200m – a personal record for both of us.
impressive monasteries surrounded us.
Despite the fact we were already well acclimatised, we decided to
Tom and I now prepared our flying and bivouac gear for the next stage of our expedition. We made a short flight that
leave it there. Cloudbase was at 7000m, but we weren’t carrying supplementary oxygen and we didn’t want to force things.
THIS PAGE: Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens on a test flight above Manali early in the expedition: high winds and turbulence made many of their flights technically complex.
FACING PAGE TOP: The team hiking in to a take off point in the Spiti valley, watched by an ancient stupa covered in coloured prayer flags. FACING PAGE CENTRE LEFT: Checking the flight plan for the day on a detailed map of the Spiti region. CENTRE RIGHT: Fishing for dinner in one of the icy rivers in the Spiti valley. LOWER LEFT: Flying into Manali after one of the test flights early in the expedition. LOWER RIGHT: Relaxing by the campfire after a day of stellar flying in the high country of the Indian Himalaya.
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Soaring across the mountains above the Dankhar monastery was one of the best days of flying we could remember
Above Key, we flew among the enormous mountains that
The following day would be our last at Dankhar, and our
encased us, crossing several shady canyons where white rivers
final flight, as it turned out, of the entire expedition. We flew
flowed fast and wild. Finally, at dusk, we traversed back across
high above the glittering white walls of the monastery as the
the valley again towards Dankhar, where the great monastery
distinctive coloured prayer flags fluttered from the rafters.
was waiting for us; it had been one of the best days of flying
The wind was stronger each time we climbed, though, and we
either of us could remember.
soon decided to land for safety. We were satisfied with what we
We landed above the village of Dankhar, and hiked up
had achieved: we had flown, at last, in the high Himalaya.
until we found a little take-off for the next day, which had a
Without any doubts, technical paraglider flights in the
perfect small lake to get water and camp that night. We spent
high mountains should always be done as a team; a pilot flying
the night by a Buddhist stupa that was near the lake. We made
alone cannot operate at the necessary margin of safety required
a little fire, and reflected over the good stories of the last few
in a place like the Himalaya. But flying as a team with Tom,
days under a sky full of stars.
I always feel safe. As we usually say, ‘we are birds!’
FACING PAGE: Flying over the remote, 1000 year-old monastery of Dankhar in the mountain of Spiti was one of the highlights of the expedition. THIS PAGE TOP: Arriving at high camp in the mountains above Key monastery. CENTRE LEFT: Hiking out to meet the support team after the final flight of the expedition. CENTRE RIGHT: Cloudbase falling over Manali on one of the first flights of the trip. Good communication between the two pilots was crucial for safe flying across the challenging terrain of the expedition, with constant radio communication between them maintained throughout.
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R I T E S O F P AS S AGE The secret gatewa y t o c l i m b i n g a n d m o u n t a i n e e r i n g Story & Photography | Jethro Kiernan
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Scrambling in the British mountains is one of the most satisfying forms of adventure anywhere on our islands. It can also act as a catalyst for progress to more technical and challenging forms of mountaineering. Jethro Kiernan explains his passion for the world-class scrambling close to his home in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, and why it matters in broader context of adventure, both in Britain and elsewhere.
I
t’s a misty evening on Tryfan, one of the great peaks of
level. It forces you to live ‘in the now’ whilst also making you
Snowdonia. We’re four pitches up the immaculate rock of
aware of the consequences of any mistakes. Starting off in UK
Notched Arête, one the classic grade three scrambles of the
mountain scrambling, you need nothing but your usual
British mountains. The cloud rolls in and out, teasing us with
mountain walking equipment and a good pair of boots or
the promise of a glimpse of the sunset. Just a flicker of orange
approach shoes – with the latter often being far superior in dry
light appears then vanishes over the Carneddau to the north.
conditions as they are much lighter. As you progress, you’ll
Despite the classic Welsh weather, it had been another
begin to learn to focus on your balance on steeper and more
memorable evening scrambling with an old friend. The sun
exposed ground. You’ll learn to read the terrain and the quality
did make a brief and magical appearance. In fact, the clouds
of the rock as you move along ridges and around notches, down
parted to dramatically reveal a few glimpses of pristine colour
gullies and across ledges, constantly engaging with the
with the lakes below. A few muted ‘wows’ were all that was
changing terrain and responding to its challenges.
needed to share our mutual sense that this evening had been
Scrambling, by its very nature, takes you away from the
worth the optimism of getting out for a quick after-work hit
crowds. It places you far above the well-trodden paths, and
in the mountains.
affords vantage points where walkers below will become distant
That shared moment got me thinking, too, about the art
dots, and the circling ravens and peregrine falcons are your
of scrambling more widely. In particular, I considered its
nearest companions. (Unless, that is, you’re on Crib Goch on a
place in the intersection between climbing, hillwalking and
bank holiday weekend. During busy times, related issues
mountaineering. Scrambling, more than anything else, is the
around crowds on popular scrambles raise themselves – the
‘gateway drug’ that leads from non-technical hillwalking into
greatest danger on a busy scramble is often from other people
rock climbing and mountaineering. It’s the key to the door.
rather than from the terrain itself, so be careful.)
For me personally, that moment in the mists above the
Scrambling is a wonderfully hybrid kind of activity. You can
Ogwen valley covered so many of the elements of what makes
scramble as a runner, a rock climber, a hillwalker, or a full-blown
scrambling in the British mountains such a special activity.
mountaineer. You can slip on your trainers and shorts and do a
It isn’t just the technical aspect of having to use your hands and
fast round of grade one terrain on a sunlit evening, or you could
feet together, and to move your body creatively to cover
go on a claggy day with big boots and waterproofs for some ‘full
pathless terrain, but also the feeling of being completely
value’ mountain time, or it could be just yourself, a pair of
absorbed by the mountain environment and its unique weather.
approach shoes and a camera. Alternatively, you could wait
On a different level, as a photographer, scrambling allows me to
for the snow and bring out the crampons and axes for the
be a participant in the action who’s able to take pictures whilst
ideal introduction to alpine mountaineering: scrambling in the
on the move, rather than being just an external observer. In this
British mountains in the icy winter months.
respect, scrambling photography can be much more authentic
The mountains of the UK may be relatively modest, at least
than a great deal of modern climbing photography that’s often
in stature, compared to the Alps or the Greater Ranges. But
shot from the contrivance of a fixed abseil rope.
crossing Crib Goch for the first time – surrounded by the
Scrambling has marked my own journey through the
shining summits of Snowdonia with the lakes glittering in the
mountains, both as a climber and as a photographer. My very
cwms below – can only be described as a true mountaineering
first climbing pictures were taken on the super-classic Pinnacle
experience. For some, it maybe a pinnacle of a hillwalking
Ridge in the Ogwen valley on a school trip; my first winter
career on otherwise non-technical peaks. For others, it might
scrambling was with the same club on Y Cribin in the snow;
be the beginning of a road to more adventurous trips to the
and with international travel on hold during the pandemic,
Alps and beyond. Whatever your specific interest in
scrambling in Snowdonia once again became an important
scrambling, the unique sensation of moving effectively through
means of exploration and escape in my local area, and has
pathless, rocky, and sometimes very exposed terrain in the
become a focus of much of my time and photography recently.
British mountains is of huge value in itself, and the multitude
Scrambling, far more than hillwalking, requires you to focus
of other experiences and challenges it can lead to gives it a
and engage with the terrain of the mountains at a fundamental
special place within the echelon of established mountain sports.
FACING PAGE: Elinlois Louise taking the harder variation on Pinnacle Ridge (Grade 3 / VDiff), one of the classic harder scrambles at Craig Braich Ty Du (Pen yr Ole Wen) in the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia. PREVIOUS PAGES: Gareth Owen finishing Cneifion Arête, a superb long scramble at Cwm Cneifion in the Llyn Idwal area of the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia.
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APPETISERS
Tryfan North Ridge
The following scrambles represent the transition from
Starting from the lay-by at the east end of Llyn Ogwen, an
hillwalking to scrambling. These routes, whilst technically
exercise in route finding becomes more ridge-like as you climb
easy, cover steep ground and should be treated with respect,
higher up the mountain. Tryfan really is the climber’s mountain
a good base of mountain knowledge, and proper equipment.
of Wales: the place where the action happens.
Crib Goch, Snowdon
Bristly Ridge, Glyder Fach
The classic and deservedly popular Welsh scramble, on a
A snaggle-toothed ridge rising from Cwm Bochlwyd takes you
visually stunning and wildly exposed knife-edge ridge.
up to the rugged summits of the Glyderau. It’s never too hard, but
Despite its popularity, on a midweek evening it’s still possible
always leaves you feeling like you’re actually mountaineering.
to have the place to yourselves. For many, this is the intersection where hillwalking and mountaineering meet.
Bochlwyd Round
With clean rock and big drops with dramatic views all
Combining the two ridge scrambles above with a descent of Y
around, its technically easy, grade one scrambling, but weather
Cribin gives a proper ‘big mountain day’ of grade one scrambling.
will have a dramatic effect on the difficulty. For a bigger day out try the Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Horseshoe: a truly great
Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Lake District
British round. A layer of snow and ice in winter turns it into
Over in England, this super-classic grade one scramble reaches
a magical (and often intimidating) experience.
the summit of Helvellyn via a spectacular exposed ridge-line.
THIS PAGE TOP: Striding along Y Gribin in the heart of the Glyderau above a sea of clouds. THIS PAGE LOWER: Heading up the North Ridge of Tryfan (Grade 1) as the sun rises. FACING PAGE TOP LEFT: Luca Celarno on an early morning spring ascent of Bristly Ridge (Grade 1), Glyder Fach. FACING PAGE TOP RIGHT: Eilir Davies-Hughes sticking to the ridge line on Yr Cribin, Ogwen Valley. FACING PAGE LOWER: Epic winter light on Clogwyn y Person Arête (Grade 3), an excellent scramble on the quieter northern flanks of Snowdon.
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Far more than hillwalking, mountain scrambling forces you to engage with the terrain that encases you
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MAIN COURSES
Notched Arête, Tryfan
Moving on from the intersection with hillwalking into the
One of my favourite routes on one of my favourite mountains.
territory of true climbing, these routes will need some
Best approached from the north ridge of Tryfan, it heads up
experience of pitched rock climbing, ropework, and route-
steep, clean rock for four pitches high above the Ogwen Valley,
finding on steep ground. This is the real deal!
before finishing on the north summit of Tryfan itself.
Cniefion Arête, Cwm Cneifion
Clogwyn Y Person Arête, Llanberis Pass
A personal favourite of mine, which helped reignite my love of
Another classic North Wales grade three scramble rising high
scrambling and exploring the rockier sections of the Welsh
above the flanks of Llanberis pass and finishing on Crib Y
mountains. Sitting above Cwm Cniefion (an atmospheric
Ddysgl. I’ve had some fine summer evenings chasing the
hanging valley), the arête is a lovely fin of rock that takes you up
evening sun up the arête to finish as the sun sets over the Irish
to Y Cribin, which in turn can take you to the rugged summits
Sea. For a bigger day, turn left, reverse Crib Goch, and then
of the Glyderau. Catching the evening light, it starts with a
descend the north ridge of Crib Goch for a very fine round.
steep short section that is certainly in the realms of proper rock climbing, before following the ridge line in classic scrambling
Rowan Route, Milestone Buttress
territory. This is a favourite of local mountain guides training
A short, sweet, but tricky grade three scramble in the Ogwen
people up for the Alps, and has that ‘summer alpine’ feel to it.
Valley; this is the transition from scrambling to real climbing.
TOP: Topping out to the glorious vista across the Ogwen valley and towards the distant Irish Sea after a days scrambling in the Glyderau. THIS PAGE LOWER LEFT: The transition from winter into spring is clearly visible in the gullies of Bristly Ridge, Glyder Fach. THIS PAGE LOWER RIGHT: Two climbers on the stunning Welsh scramble Cneifion Arête (Grade 3), one of the best of the harder scrambles in North Wales. FACING PAGE LOWER: Crib Goch in all its winter alpine glory: the perfect gateway from scrambling to proper mountaineering.
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BETA
outside your own margins of safety you probably are: go back
Scrambling is a predominantly UK-focused term that covers
down rather than continuing on up. By the very nature of the
what would be called mountaineering in Europe and America.
territory it passes through, scrambling is potentially serious, and
Apart from some summits in the Cuillin Hills of Skye, and a
carries all the same risks we associate with climbing and
few other isolated peaks, you can get to the tops of most UK
mountaineering. Scrambling also has different risks to pitched
mountains by walking rather than mountaineering.
rock climbing: it often carries more risk of injuries from slips, sprains, or short falls from height due to the constant, unroped
Grading
movement. Changing weather is a constant risk in the mountains,
Scrambling is graded from one to three: grade one is
and current conditions should always be checked via the detailed
predominantly exposed walking with relatively short sections
mountain weather information service mwis.org.uk, and of
where you have to use your hands, and grade three can
course via the Met Office local area forecast.
overlap with the easier rock climbing grades, and will often require the use of ropes and climbing gear.
Guiding & guidebooks The best way to get into scrambling is via a professional guide.
Safety
Many guides run specific introduction to scrambling where they
Mountain rescue teams were particularly busy over 2020-21
will help you gain the confidence and knowledge to start tackling
as the UK as the mountains became a much-needed escape
this territory by yourself. The association of mountain instructors
during the pandemic. A few of these incidents were in
is a good place to start looking for a guide: www.ami.org.uk.
scrambling terrain, due to people overextending themselves
Good guidebooks for British scrambling include Mountain Walks
on territory they were not comfortable or proficient with – so
and Scrambles by Mark Reeves (Rockfax guides) and North Wales
be careful out there. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel
Scrambles by Garry Smith.
Scrambling by its very nature takes you away from the crowds, and far above the well-trodden paths 37
ONE WITH THE RIVER Whitewater kayaking and en v i r o n m e n t a l a c t i o n o n S l o v e n i a ’ s S a v a R i v e r Story | Carmen Kuntz Drone photography | Mitja Legat Photography | Katja Jemec & Katja Pokorn
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Put ins and take outs: that’s how whitewater kayakers break down a river. The river is divided in segments, based on the features and the difficulty of the whitewater. Often, we only paddle the most appealing part. When we perceive – or paddle – a river in segments, we don’t discover how she moves and functions. We don’t find out what tributaries feed her upstream sections, or what threats, changes, or pressures she faces downstream. To truly get to know a river, you really want to paddle as much of it as you can.
I
n spring 2021, a small group of whitewater kayakers paddled
source in Slovenia through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
over 250 kilometres across Slovenia on the Sava River as a
to where it joins the mighty Danube River in Belgrade, Serbia.
part of the annual river conservation action, Balkan Rivers Tour
But due to travel restrictions and border crossing regulations,
(BRT). Together, we got to know the river, from its source in the
we were forced to use creativity to bypass our lack of freedom
Julian Alps to where it becomes a lowland river and flows into
of movement, and decided to use our river trip to make a
the plains of northwest Croatia. We were immersed in the flora
documentary about the Slovenian Sava. This way, we still could
and fauna, but we also gained a tangible understanding that
maintain the original objectives of Balkan Rivers Tour – to
humans are also a fundamental part of this river ecosystem.
showcase the Sava River, and to stop the impending
To look at humans and nature as separate entities is like looking
construction of dams.
at each segment of a river as a separate body of water. Humans
Balkan River Defence (BRD) is a Slovenian NGO, which
have an impact on rivers, and rivers impact humans. This is a
for the last six years has been changing the misconception that
natural, traditional and historical connection – especially in this
hydropower is always ‘green’ energy. This once-niche view has
part of the world. The opportunity to understand the complex
gained traction in recent years, and the current situation with the
relationship between humans and rivers, then, made this trip
new mega-dam Ethiopia is constructing on the Blue Nile has
about so much more than just kayaking itself.
only compounded it. Not only environmentally destructive, the
We had originally planned to paddle the entire length of the
so-called Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam clearly shows how
Sava River for 1000 km over the course of a month, from its
future ‘water wars’ might be driven by large hydropower projects.
PREVIOUS PAGES: Paddling the entire Sava River meant two people paddled the south fork, and two paddled the north fork, seen here drifting down the Sava Dolinka just outside of the picturesque town of Bled, Slovenia. FACING PAGE: Whitewater first thing in the morning is better than a shot of espresso. Upstream of the town of Kranj, we left our riverside camp spot to start day 4 with a zing. THIS PAGE: After paddling across the calm blue-green water of Bohinj Lake, Bor and Carmen disappeared into the canyon of the south fork call the Sava Bohinjka and spotted a kingfisher nesting hole in the river bank (and lots of fish underneath their boats).
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As a kayaker and freelance writer, I got involved four years ago. I have since moved to Slovenia where I co-manage the
water to major cities as well as water for agriculture, industry and longstanding traditions and lifestyles.
organisation with my partner, Rok. Frustrated with the all-
We started as two crews at the dual sources of the Sava, with
complaints-no-action approach to river conservation he was
two kayakers on the north fork, called the Sava Dolinka, and two
exposed to, he started the NGO in 2015 just before embarking
on the south fork, the Sava Bohinjka. After two days, we arrived
on the inaugural BRT. With this first tour, he unintentionally
at the point where Dolinka’s milky-blue water mixes with
created a Balkan-wide river conservation movement and a
Bohinjka’s clear green, and continued for the next nine days as
branch of grassroots activism where science and river
one crew. Along the way, we worked together to complete the
conservation blend with kayaking and adventure sports. The
first continuous waterfowl survey of the Sava River during
BRD team, together with friends and supporters, have since
nesting season, and also the first complete environmental DNA
completed four tours, using the unique formula of ‘paddle +
(eDNA) sampling of the Sava, while our media crew captured all
protest + press release + party’ to support local river defenders,
the moments along the way.
raise international awareness, and place pressure on decision
After years of exploring rivers around the world, I have
makers to protect the last wild and free-flowing rivers of
learnt that intentional observation is an essential component of
Europe. So far, BRD has contributed to halting the
any good river trip. Growing up in Canada, I spent my summers
construction of a total of seven hydroelectric dams.
on multiday canoe trips, where I noticed that it takes a few days for my senses to start to properly take in the world passing by
Into the Sava
under, above and beside my canoe. I need to detox from the
On June 1st, 2021, we loaded four kayaks with camping gear and
sensory overload of modern life before my senses wake up to the
research equipment into a van with four friends, all of whom are
natural world.
filmmakers and photographers, and set off for Balkan Rivers
Sight and sound seem to be the first senses to awaken, and
Tour 5: to paddle as much of the Sava River as we were able to.
on the upper portion of the Sava we were focused on looking and
The Sava is a special river. Not only is it the home river for
listening for water birds. The survey we performed would
Rok – where he first learned to swim, fish, kayak and connect
provide information on the species present on both the free-
with rivers – it’s also an integral part of Europe’s greater
flowing and the dammed the sections of the river, to give
freshwater ecosystem. It is the largest tributary (by volume) to
scientists a better understanding of how man-made barriers
the mighty Danube, Europe’s second largest river. And, it is a
affect our feathered friends. And it proved to be a great way to
river that connects four Balkan countries, providing drinking
help us tune into life on the river to boot.
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The opportunity to understand the complex relationship between humans and rivers made this trip about much more than just kayaking
Understanding the flow
to quantify the changes a dam makes to a river. In boats, we
As the days passed, I started to get in touch with the flow of the
carried a basic set of sampling tools, and stopped at
river, becoming aware of the pull of healthy, free-flowing sections,
predetermined locations to collect water samples. Using a water
and the dull current and deceleration of the altered sections.
pump powered by a drill machine, we pushed river water
As we paddled through the middle Sava, we could feel – and even
through a special filter. Later, a crew of ichthyofauna specialists
smell – a dam before we could see it. The once lively water felt
would analyse our results in the lab for the presence of fish
sluggish under my boat, and the power of the river disappeared.
DNA with the goal of getting a clear picture about the fish
With the loss of flow came that unmistakable sickly-sweet smell
diversity in the threatened free-flowing sections of the Sava.
of stagnation, and I watched the water colour change as garbage and natural detritus like pollen accumulated on reservoirs.
After we struggled through flat water and portages, the flow came back, and our collective mood improved. We were amazed
The Sava flows past villages, towns and cities – and has a
by how quickly the river regained life after the chain of
series of large hydroelectric dams on it. Portaging around a
hydroelectric dams. Dippers and kingfishers replaced the ducks
dozen of these dams was an ugly affair, and we negotiated razor
and swans of the reservoirs. As we neared the Croatian border, we
wire, deep mud – and irritated hydropower employees. These
were treated to another set of rapids, which would disappear if
dams and dead reservoirs made the wild and beautiful stretches
these new dams are built. With our blood pumping again, we
of river that we found throughout the trip even more incredible.
were reminded of how resilient rivers are, and that if we keep our
But these wild and flowing sections of the Sava in Slovenia are
impact to a minimum, healthy humans and healthy rivers can
threatened by plans for 10 more dams, so our awe of this river
coexist. Our sense of taste was employed when we met locals
was constantly tinted with gloom.
along the river who, over a shot or two of schnops (Slovenian
These new plans for hydropower sites fed our desire to
homemade liquor) helped us understand the connection locals
collect data that would be used as ammunition in the fight to
have had with this river for centuries. Paddling under castles and
protect the wild stretches of the river. By performing our eDNA
old stone-built houses, we realised that those people living closest
water sampling we were providing new information and a way
and connected to the river still have a respect for her.
FACING PAGE: The Sava Dolinka is a proper alpine river, with ever-changing gravel bars and cold, milky water which rise and fall based on the season and weather in the Julian Alps. THIS PAGE: Kayak, paddle, tarp, sleeping bag and mat + (plus) cold beer, freshly caught fish, crackling campfire and dancing stars = (equals) an awesome river trip.
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These people depend on the Sava for food production,
wandered downstream and were tempted to see what this river
industry, drinking water and tradition. And they are the ones
looks, feels, smells and sounds like as it winds its way toward the
who will lose their farmland, tourism agencies, and way of life if
mighty Danube, which eventually drains into the Black Sea.
these dams are built. They are active members of society, not a
During our time on Slovenia’s Sava, our previous notions of
bunch of off-grid hipsters. They know that spring flooding is a
humans and nature being separate entities was dissolved.
natural cycle of any river, so they don’t build houses too close to
Humans have learned – and in some ways maintained – the
the flood plains. They know their drinking water comes from the
knowledge of how to live with nature rather than separate from
rivers, so they don’t use pesticides on their fields. Too many
it. And watching this in action, from the seat of a kayak, made
people working with and around rivers today have lost this basic
for a unique and colourful learning experience, and a storytelling
understanding that rivers represent life itself.
opportunity too.
The environmentalist George Monbiot has pointed out, for
With a better understanding of the deep connection
example, that the collapse in the wild salmon population in the
between rivers and people here in Slovenian, I’m increasingly
River Wye on the Welsh-English border can be directly linked
convinced that our approach to the environment shouldn't be an
to the unregulated expansion of industrial chicken farms in the
'us–and-them' relationship, but should look at how humans can
surrounding countryside (for which planning permission is a
coexist as part of nature rather than as a force against it. People
grey area at best) and consequent leeching of animal waste into
depend on the Sava just like the birds and the fish do – and we
the water table. There are many other such examples of the
can live harmoniously with the river.
disconnect between big business, environmental regulation, and an understanding of the impact of human activity.
Ensuring no new dams are constructed on the Sava is our main objective, but we also strive to help people of Slovenia, the Balkans and elsewhere see that their backyard rivers are still rich,
Towards the confluence
alive, and have many healthy stretches. The remaining wild rivers
On the evening of June 11th – our eleventh day on the river – we
of Europe are worth fighting for, and that struggle is something
pulled our boats on shore just a few hundred meters upstream of
to be proud of. Our hope for the Sava is that its free-flowing
the Croatian border. With the sun setting upstream, our minds
sections are preserved for generations to come.
FACING PAGE: Parting the Karavanke Mountain range (on the left) and the Julian Alps (on the right), paddling the glacial valley of the Sava Dolinka is a full sensory experience and one of the great kayaking trips in the Balkan region. TOP: Kredar is a pool known for Danube salmon (hucho hucho) fishing and strong eddies. This playground would be flooded by one of the proposed dams, which is why the BRD crew is making a documentary about the stunning Sava River. CENTRE LEFT: Using kayaks to access the environmental DNA sampling locations made for an effective and efficient method of gathering data to help stop the 10 new dams proposed on the Sava River in Slovenia. CENTRE RIGHT: Mavčiče dam is the hydro large dam on the Sava River proper; when constructed in the mid 1980s, it flooded incredible whitewater kayaking spots, fishing locations, and destroyed the endemic plants of the Zarica Canyon.
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THE OLD ROAD A bikepacking journey alo n g t h e r o u t e o f B r i t a i n ’ s o l d e s t h i g h w a y Story | Chris Hunt
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Photography | Ben Wormald
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Southern England might not be the first place that comes to mind when it comes to long distance bikepacking trails. A densely populated region of low-lying, rolling farmland, this isn’t the Southern Andes or the remote expanses of The Silk Road that are the stuff of long-distance cycle touring legend. Dissecting this complex and hugely diverse landscape, though, is a lone chalk vein; an ancient trail used for at least 5,000 years, bridging the English Channel and the North Sea coast. This link between the seas of England is The Greater Ridgeway, Britain’s earliest highway.
A
mixture of well-signposted, well-trodden white chalk
The Wessex Ridgeway
paths
the
The terrain that lines Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is notoriously steep,
extraordinary highway of The Greater Ridgeway once provided
and we’re abruptly reminded of it as we take our bikes for their
a dependable trading route from the Dorset coast to the Wash
first walks of the journey. We struggle our way down
in Norfolk. Largely atop a chalk ridge, the elevated dry terrain
waterlogged singletrack gullies filled with nettles and across
made for safe transit in the past, capable of supporting livestock
rocky streams, pushing our bikes up through steep grassy fields
and carriages alike, and the landscape’s openness provided its
and hauling them over wooden stiles. We’ve been riding for close
travellers with an advantage against potential attackers.
to an hour, and we’ve only travelled 8km. We’ll feel every
Archaeological evidence suggests that this ancient way laid the
kilometre of the five hundred-odd ahead of us.
and
overgrown
grassy
desire-lines,
foundations for the trading of cultures and goods, not only
We make our way up beside the Iron Age hill fort atop the
within England but across the Channel and the Irish Sea.
chalky outcrop of Pilsden Pen, the second highest point in
Today, it provides a modest sense of wilderness that’s easily
Dorset, and the views are expansive. The chalk here is an outlier
accessible from anywhere in Britain.
from the Cretaceous period [145 to 66 million years ago] sat
The route can be divided into four individual trails: The
amongst the Jurassic strata of marl and clay. Here on the border
Wessex Ridgeway, The Ridgeway, The Icknield Way and The
with Devon, it’s a fitting nod to the geographical context of our
Peddars Way. Together, these linked routes traverse more than
route. With our backs to the granite that forms the land to the
five hundred kilometres of secluded, rolling chalkland traversing
west, we follow the chalk north east.
through 11 counties. This is an ancient highway steeped in
Just 30 kilometres in, and I slump my already weary body
history, with Stone Age long barrows, Bronze Age round
onto a bench in the middle of the Beaminster village square and
barrows, and Iron Age hill forts all constructed along its path.
start an assault on the large paper bag of baked pastry obtained
At the end of the long, dark winter of lockdown in 2020-21,
on arrival. Unable to mask the hole left by the effort I put in to
my regular riding partner Ben and I started talking about linking
those first hours, it’s not long before I’m back on my feet
up what remains of the four routes by bike. Much of it, we knew,
returning for more. We soon pass the Cerne Giant – Britain’s
existed as bridleways open to biking and horse riding. What we
best known chalk figure, famous for its enormous phallus. The
weren’t sure of was how well the route would naturally flow
origins of the giant have been contested for centuries, and while
together as one complete entity. How close should we stick to
still not 100% certain, recent soil samples suggest it was first dug
the exact route of the old ways? And – considering the amount
out in the late Anglo-Saxon period.
of rainfall during the 24 hours preceding our departure – we
Today, much of the Greater Ridgeway is signposted as its
were unsure, at best, as to how our gravel bikes would cope with
separate designated trails, but like most prehistoric routes, it
the mud and the notoriously slippery chalk after rain.
would never have been a singular track. Paths would have
Riding the train south from Bristol through the flooded
differed between the seasons and across successive ages. Various
plains of the Somerset Levels – and eventually alongside the
off-shoots provided branches to forts, burial grounds and henges
swollen banks of the River Exe – did nothing to settle our
along the way. The pioneers of this route some 5,000 years ago
uncertainties. As the skies grew darker, we reached the beach at
didn’t have bikepackers or hikers in mind, after all.
Lyme Regis. Our first bivouac spot beside some empty beach-
Whilst riding the full 550km loaded with all our food for
huts on the edge of the Channel marked the beginning of our
the journey was indeed possible, it didn’t sound like much fun.
long journey towards the distant coast of the North Sea.
And, unlike the traders, drovers and druids who went before us,
The clattering of pebbles as the first of the morning’s dog
we live in a world of convenience in the shape of grocery stores
walkers hit the beach was our starting-pistol for the trip. Under
and coffee shops. Detouring to Shaftesbury, we enter into the
an overcast dawn sky, we’re only hopeful that those seemingly
seemingly mandatory ritual of any bikepacking journey –
short hours of sleep were enough to dry the trails. It was time
sprawled across a supermarket carpark floor, we make our way
to get moving.
through a mountain of calories to set us up for the day ahead.
PREVIOUS PAGES: The chalk vein makes for some incredibly scenic riding; this was day two on the Wessex Ridgeway. FACING PAGE: Following Britain’s oldest road, the Old Chalk Way is a mixed terrain bike packing route we developed to cover the best sections of road, gravel, mud and grass which largely follows the ancient highway of the Greater Ridgeway.
In partnership with
Thick with dust and chalk, you’d be forgiven for thinking our bikes had been unearthed as part of an archaelogical dig
From here, we head up over Cranbourne Chase, a high chalk
The Ridgeway
plateau of striking beauty where the county lines of Dorset,
We take a moment’s rest at Avebury henge. Home to the largest
Hampshire and Wiltshire converge. The downland here is
megalithic stone circle in the world, this is where our route picks
scattered with Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, as well as
up The Ridgeway. Sat with my back against the stones, from
the remains of several Iron Age settlements.
deep within my frame pack I dig out the last remaining
The flat gravel tracks traverse interlocking fields of
stragglers from a broken packet of yoghurt-coated raisins. Thick
rapeseed, barley and cattle. After waiting for a gap in a
with mud, dust and dried chalk, I glance at my bike; you’d be
seemingly endless stream of traffic, we intersect the A303
forgiven for assuming it had been uncovered as part of a recent
parallel to Stonehenge. Rolling north, the clouds close in and
archaeological dig at this ancient site.
the first few drops of rain threaten. With the red military flags
Joining the first section of The Ridgeway, our tyres roll with
of Salisbury Plain lowered to indicate no live firing is in
a welcome lack of resistance across the firm chalk channels.
progress, we cut across the training area: 10km of rolling, rocky,
We snake along the trail, weaving and hopping between
hard-packed gravel. Here, we’re totally exposed to the wind and
confused grassy tracks as they connect and reinvent themselves.
the rain; and once we’re committed to the exposed plateau, both
Enjoying the calm of the moment and the silence around us, we
start right on queue. It takes just moments before we’re wet
both come naturally to a stop. Noting the dark sky behind us, a
through, and our bikes, bags and clothes are splatted with the
solitary drop of rain splashes off my shoe. Followed by another,
sand and mud from the now-saturated track. We grind our way
and another. I almost welcome it. In this quiet moment, the rain
across rocky paths alternating between tail and headwind,
feels refreshing on my weary body.
avoiding the kind of potholes which threaten the shape of our
But things soon step up a notch. Forced into the trees for
wheels. If you want to get a taste of what medieval commuting
shelter, we’re stopped on an intersection of several minor trails,
might have been like, just ride a bike cross-country over
all of which are quickly transformed into fast-flowing torrents of
Salisbury Plain in a proper downpour.
white water. We could be in trouble here.
In partnership with
BETA What bike to take Covering road, gravel, mud, chalk and clay, large volume tyres are a must for this route. While we rode on 650B X 47c rubber, we’d recommend anything above 35c tyres with good tread. You could ride anything from a gravel bike to a hardtail mountain bike. The author rode a VAAST A/1 magnesium all-road bike with a full set of Apidura’s expedition bikepacking bags. What kit to take If you’re intending to do it with overnight bivouacs, take a waterproof sleeping bag (pre-booked accommodation is a more luxurious option). A lightweight stove, multitool, chain quick-links, spare tubes, and a puncture repair kit are other must-haves. When to go Despite great drainage on the high chalk, with a large number of miles off road the Old Chalk Way has the tendency to get very muddy and slippery; this is a route best ridden in the summer months, or during a dry spell in spring or autumn. How to ride it While we rode it in one go, wild camping with bivvy bags along the route, with strong train links along the entire route, The Old Chalk Way can easily be divided into much shorter sections ridden separately over individual days. The route passes close to and through several towns making hostels, pubs and campsites all accessible. Scan the QR code here on komoot to view the route in detail.
Sodden chalk is not, it should be noted, the preferred terrain
Ashridge Estate and up to Invinghoe Beacon. Amongst the
for a bike ride. We’re now pushing our bikes uphill through the
remains of another Iron Age fort on top of the beacon, we’re again
inch of water flowing back down the hill against us. The downhill
reminded of those who walked these routes before. East of here,
is worse as we slide around, struggling to stay upright, and it’s
the land flattens into the Fens. As we battle our way through the
made ten times worse by the weight of our loaded bikes. At last,
traffic of Luton, the geography around us transforms itself again.
we hit the road downhill into the nearest town. Waking the following morning in a small, empty barn on the
The Icknield Way
edge of Wantage to a perfectly crisp, sunny spring morning, we’re
Famed by the white coastal headlands and white spires rising
soon stuffing the contents of our bikepacking bags back into
from the waters of the English Channel, it was the warmer
place and pre-breakfast snacks into our mouths. The air is still a
climates of the Cretaceous period that saw higher eustatic sea
little cold, but the trails have mostly dried out. We fly down into
levels creating shallow inland seas, resulting in huge quantities of
town following a mixture of single and double track through the
chalk deposited across the county. Lasting nearly 80 million
forests. Amidst Thameside grandeur, we’re reminded again of our
years, it was a period in which the Earth was free of ice when
proximity to civilisation, and the densely populated nature of
dinosaurs roamed the land, and these inland seas were inhabited
southern England. Even in the most isolated parts of this section
by now-extinct marine reptiles. Much of the landscape of
of the route, we’re rarely more than 10km from the nearest town.
southern England is now defined by those large chalk deposits,
Eastwards, The Ridgeway lines the edge of the Chiltern Hills
and their boundary draws a perfect line from the Dorset coast
through forests and valleys. This is our biggest day as we set off,
to Norfolk’s North Sea. History, so often, is driven by
aiming for 160km through some punchy forest trails. Into
geographical factors: our ancient highway almost perfectly
Hertfordshire, we ride the well-maintained tracks through
shadows this line.
FACING PAGE: Crossing the endless rocky gravel of Salisbury Plain, on a route that has been used by humans for thousands of years. THIS PAGE TOP LEFT: Entering Thetford forest, The Icknield Way takes us through the clay farmland as we cross the county border into Norfolk. THIS PAGE TOP RIGHT: The full route of The Old Chalk Way seen on komoot’s navigation app. THIS PAGE LOWER: Resting against the ancient standing stones at Avebury, our muddy, dusty bikes resemble something more akin to an archeological dig.
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Bruised skies and muggy air threaten another change in the weather, and the vibe is cinematic
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Joining the Icknield Way, we trade the grassy chalk spine
As we come over the brow of a hill, a faint silver line stretches
we’ve become accustomed to for sandy gravel trails passing
across the sky: the North Sea. Side by side our pace quickens, the
pig farms, huge grain stores, and open farmland. The bruised
unmistakable skeletal forest of an offshore wind farm resolves into
skies and muggy air threaten another change in the weather,
view. We wheel our bikes over sand dunes and through beach grass
and the vibe is cinematic. Whilst the landscape here is still
towards the shore. Forming a transect from coast to coast, our
very British, somehow it feels more like we’ve entered the
journey had led us more than 500 kilometres across southern
American mid-west.
England, and the continuous tread of our rubber tyres has
Through the heather and pines of Thetford forest, the
followed the same lines forged by foot and hoof for more than
sandy forest trails extend seemingly without end. The soft
5,000 years. And the ghostly presence of those countless traders
tracks make for fun riding, but thanks to the intermittent
and drovers, druids, soldiers, and ramblers who’d passed along this
downpours, our bikes feel and sound terrible. They’re caked
way before us was never far away.
with wet sludge, mud, grit and sand once again. We’ve got more
This wasn’t an epic, life-changing adventure to the ends of
than 400 off-road kilometres in our legs, and my perception of
the earth. Besides some route-planning, it required minimal
time slips into the realm of the psychedelic.
logistics. Completing the journey in five days including a
Eventually we reach Thetford, stuff our faces with the
weekend, it didn’t require major adjustments to our working
quantity of food only familiar to these kinds of trips, and bed
schedules, either. Yet the trip did provide a welcome escape from
down in the wedding gate of a tiny rural church on the
everyday life, and a chance to ride the hidden contours and by-
outskirts of town. In the morning, we’ll join the final leg of
ways of our home country. At the same time, the journey was also
our journey: The Peddars Way will lead us all the way to the
an opportunity to connect with the texture of history that’s
North Sea.
literally lined into the mud and chalk of England.
The Peddlars Way
With thanks to VAAST, who loaned us the use of their A/1
Widely accepted as a Roman construction, the original
magnesium all-road bike. Extremely light and responsive yet
Peddars Way is likely to have preceded the time of the Roman
remarkably capable, it proved to be the perfect match for riding this
conquest. As we join it, our direction shifts. Having ridden the
challenging route. ‘The Old Chalk Way’ is a new bikepacking route
past four hundred-odd kilometres consistently north east, we
designed by Ben Wormald and Chris Hunt. Set to launch in 2022,
now point our bikes directly north.The energy of the final push
you can keep up to date with the project via Instagram at
kicks in with refreshed minds and refreshed surroundings, and
@theoldchalkway . You can also find the full route on komoot via the
the last 75km is a breeze.
QR code on the previous pages.
FACING PAGE: Holme-next-the-Sea, the end of The Icknield Way, and the end of our coast-to-coast crossing of southern England: The Old Chalk Way. THIS PAGE TOP: Britain’s best known prehistoric monument isn’t on today’s official version of this ancient highway, though artefacts found at Stonehenge come from far and wide, suggesting it was likely part of an extension, with the movement of people and culture from across the country and Europe. THIS PAGE CENTRE LEFT: Endless farmland doubletrack across the high Wessex chalk leads through through quintessentially English countryside. THIS PAGE CENTRE RIGHT: Our VAAST A/1 magnesium all-road bikes and Apidura luggage systems performed brilliantly throughout.
In partnership with
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TIDELANDS Exploring the unexpec t e d w i l d e r n e s s o f t h e B r i s t o l C h a n n e l Story & Photography | David Pickford
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To the bridge
and thinking about purchases at Cribbs Causeway retail park.
In the distance, the bridge stretches across the vast expanse of
Below them, I am in a rather different environment. Alone on
murky water like a curving silver blade. The enormous concrete
the powerful stream between Wales and England, I’m being
supports of the suspended section silently guard the tidal
pulled towards some of the wildest tidal water I’ve ever seen.
cauldron surging beneath them: the Shoots Channel. High
It’s not so much frightening as fascinating; with the skills and kit
overhead, the afternoon light glints against the steel retaining
to deal with what’s coming up, I’m not in any danger here.
rails of one of the UK’s major roads, held in improbable
The huge rapid evolves as I enter it. Upstream of the bridge,
equilibrium above the five kilometre-wide estuary. At certain
multiple chains of small standing waves pile on top of one
times of the year, the difference between high and low water
another for hundreds of metres as the tide flows over the
under this bridge can be over fourteen metres, the height of a
shallow shoals surrounding the limestone reef of Black Rock.
three story building. This is not a place for the faint-hearted.
On either side of the rock, the standing waves morph into
The powerful tidal current is now vectoring towards the
crazed colonies of miniature whirlpools, spinning off from one
bridge as if the body of water itself were attached to an invisible
another like the isobaric map of the central Atlantic during
elastic band. I check my watch: 10.5 knots. That’s not a normal
peak hurricane season. This is the sluicing, surging heart of the
speed at which to be moving on a standup paddleboard. I am
Bristol Channel; even on a perfectly calm day, it’s an extremely
paddling more to maintain a position in the dead centre of the
intimidating environment. The serious nature of the place is
two huge central supports than to propel myself forward. Right
compounded by the infrequency of safe landings; this is a
in front of each of the bridge supports, enormous standing
distinct characteristic of tidal estuaries in general. From here,
waves rise as current meets concrete, forming multiple
there are just two places I can feasibly land in the next twenty
whirlpool-columns at either side; think ‘bow-wave of a
miles: Beachley and Chepstow. I’m aiming for the latter.
supertanker’ and you get the idea. They are clearly things to be
My strategy was to now enter the river Wye on the flooding
avoided. As the bridge rears up directly ahead, I can feel my
tide, the mouth of which lies a short distance beyond the bridge.
heart rate rise as the character of the water begins to change.
After what seems like a disproportionately long time, but on
From a smooth, rolling current with intermittent eddies,
later reference was actually just 15 minutes, I clear the worst
it begins to shift, first to a series of overfalls, then to something
water of the Shoots Channel. With the Welsh coast now just a
different altogether.The crests and swirls of a massive tidal rapid
few hundred metres to port, the hull of the board suddenly falls
now dance in the near-distance. Spanning the entire width of
quiet as the parallel mudbanks of the Wye estuary open up dead
the Shoots Channel, the rapid advances towards me like a
ahead. An oystercatcher lands on the water ahead of me,
monstrous apparition, a kind of hydrological chimera.
breaking the silence with its distinctive cry. I’m now in calm
The water suddenly turns dark beneath the hull; I’ve crossed
water at last, and glide the final two kilometres upriver to land
into the bridge’s shadow. A hundred metres above, drivers on the
on the floating pontoon at Chepstow, which leads – somewhat
Second Severn Crossing are listening to The Archers Omnibus,
auspiciously – to the garden of The Boat Inn.
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And the widening river’s slow presence, the piled gold clouds, the shining gull-marked mud - Philip Larkin
A wilderness apparent
You could say it’s the diametric opposite of a highly curated
Making the crossing from England to Wales via the Shoots
Instagram feed. It’s not obviously photogenic. There’s nobody
Channel by kayak or SUP compresses a big adventure into a
about. And it’s profoundly, exhilaratingly real.
relatively short journey that can be done, potentially, on an evening after work. It also brings you headlong into the
Tales from the islands
liminal, transitory, ever-changing and uniquely beautiful
Perhaps the finest trip of all in the Bristol Channel is the voyage
environment of Britain’s tidal estuaries, of which the Severn is
out to the two tiny islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm – an
the largest by a substantial order of magnitude. As Mark
strange pair of ‘desert islands’ holding an unlikely position
Rainsley points out in his excellent Southwest England Sea
between the fleshpots of Penarth and Weston Super-Mare.
Kayaking guidebook, whilst ‘characterised by mudflats and
These islands are, in fact, fascinating places. They appear to float
motorway bridges… an outwardly unappealing prospect, [the
improbably on the sea from certain angles; Steep Holm, the
Bristol Channel] is actually one of the region’s most
higher of the two islands, has the character of a kind of West
challenging paddles’.
Country Atlantis: an ‘edgeland’ of the highest order.
There’s a deeper point about the relationship between the
It’s essential to do this trip in fair weather, due to the
environment, adventure, and the exploratory imagination here.
considerable tidal vectoring required, and the risk of missing the
Sometimes it’s in the most unlikely of arenas that the most
islands completely if blown off course. It is a complex paddle,
compelling adventures can be found: the Bristol Channel is
and shouldn’t be undertaken by an inexperienced team.
most certainly one of them. Fringed by the industrial outskirts
Whilst Steep Holm is now uninhabited, the relics of human
of two large cities, it remains a haven for marine wildlife and
activity are everywhere; there are derelict Victorian fortifications,
migratory birds, even as large container vessels approach and
abandoned Napoleonic cannons, a spooky WW2 searchlight
depart Portbury Ducks, one of the UK’s major commercial
post, and even a ruined tavern above the island’s only landing
shipping hubs. Despite – and in some ways because of – its
beach. It’s a bit like Mad Max with seagulls.
rudimentary, sometimes post-apocalyptic aesthetic, the Bristol
The best strategy is to head out with the ebb and arrive at
Channel is a place where you can explore the British coastline
Steep Holm just before low tide, and then make the short four
on its own terms, almost totally undisturbed by the exigencies
kilometre crossing from Steep Holm to Flat Holm at slack
of tourism. This vast estuary is a magnificently wild region.
water, which lasts for less than thirty minutes around here.
PREVIOUS PAGES: Gavin Symonds taking a west-south-west tidal vector towards Steep Holm island, one of several islands in the Bristol Channel. Now uninhabited, it contains many interesting historical features including a derelict pub, visible to the right of the landing beach. FACING PAGE: In the dead-centre of the Shoots Channel, heading for the New Severn Crossing. THIS PAGE: Dorka Fekete heading upriver from the Severn into the Avon on an early morning flood tide. The distinctive riverside property on the right is the Old Powder House, built in 1775-76 to store gunpowder for ships, which was not allowed into the Bristol docks for fear it might explode.
57
Even on a perfectly calm day, these waters can be an extremely intimidating environment
Timed right, you’ll arrive on the latter just as the tide is
The Bristol Channel even creates its own weather through
beginning to flood. We took a quick lunch break here on a
various wind acceleration zones. During high pressure spells, it
shingle beach that’s only visible around low water under the
often generates strong north-easterlies when there’s barely a few
striking lighthouse on the southern tip, imaginatively called
knots of wind inland; during cyclonic periods, the Exmoor coast
‘Lighthouse Point’. Suitably refreshed, we headed back for
accelerates the prevailing wind coming in from the Atlantic,
England and our launching spot on Sand Point, the headland
often producing powerful westerly and northwesterly airstreams.
north of Weston Super-Mare. The return journey is more
Because of its status as one of the most navigationally
complicated than the outward leg, as it involves a long ferry-
complicated and dangerous shipping lanes on Earth, this estuary
glide of roughly ten kilometres across the Bristol Channel’s tidal
even gave rise to its own unique design of sailing boat, the
flow. After a while, though, we hit the swirls and eddies of the
‘Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter.’ Developed locally by master
powerful tidal rapid that flows off Sand Point, and arrived back
boatbuilders during the nineteenth century to escort pilots
at our launch spot on the beach to the north after a memorable
quickly to waiting ships, the boat’s combination of speed,
seven hour quest deep into the tidal wilderness.
manoeuvrability, seathworthiness and ease of handling (it could
Our trip out to Steep Holm and Flat Holm was completed
be sailed by just two people) has been described as ‘the best
in early summer 2020, as the UK was emerging from the
sailing boat design ever’ by maritime experts. It had to be that
strange isolation of the first Covid lockdown. International
good, because of where it was used.
travel was all but impossible; the government’s revised guidance
Unexpected stuff always happens out here. The late
was to ‘stay local’. If our island-hopping trip between England
September light refracting in kaleidoscopic gold over the Severn
and Wales was an imaginative interpretation of that advice, so
bridges as we approached from the north on the powerful ebb
be it.
current. Finding that magical landing-spot on a vast shoal of pale,
I’ve pieced together various sections of the English and
tide-washed sand the size of five football pitches just
Welsh coasts of the Bristol Channel during various trips,
downstream of Lydney. The hard graft of battling a sudden
spread over several years, and I’ve now travelled the entire
crosswind as we turned the huge bend at Frampton-on-Severn.
length of the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel by SUP,
Approaching the big rapid upstream of Newnham surrounded by
from the upper tidal limit at Gloucester to the Exmoor coast
floating tree-trunks like prone primeval monsters. Watching the
where the estuary meets the Celtic Sea. The more time I’ve
strange mystery of the tide flowing in both directions at the same
spent on and around these waters, the more I’ve become
time under the bridge at Beachley. Standing awestruck by the
intrigued by them, and the more I’ve come to respect their
primordial roar of the Severn Bore [a tidal wave that takes place
wildness. At dead low water on a spring tide, for example,
at certain times of the year] as it moves upriver. And listening to
there’s nine miles of treacherous mud between Burnham-on-
the constant, eerie sluice of the powerful current under the hull,
Sea and the sea itself. Nine miles!
a reminder of the natural energy of this highly-charged place.
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FACING PAGE: Dorka Fekete heading for Foreland Point on the Exmoor Coast, one of the key landmarks of the English coast of the Bristol Channel. THIS PAGE LOWER: Gavin Symonds coming in to the slipway at Beachley after a 38km trip on the ebb tide from Newnham-on-Severn. THIS PAGE TOP: Gavin Symonds and Dorka Fekete on the crossing between Steep Holm and Flat Holm islands which lie in the centre of the Channel halfway between wales and England; this technical trip requires excellent conditions and proper tidal vectoring to ensure success.
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The vast expanse of this great estuary is a shape-shifting, visionary space of unexpected power and beauty
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The vast expanse of this great estuary, like its counter-
this estuary is a living representation of the adventurous
directional tides, is both a gateway to the past and a portal into
mindset of human beings. The long and arduous voyages to
the future. It’s a shapeshifting, visionary space of extraordinary
unknown lands that once departed from here; the immigrants
power and beauty. With the constant ebb and flood of the
who first arrived here; and the adventures in technology,
tide, the countless ghosts of its nautical history move across
transport and energy that are now enacted here – all of these
the same water that runs past large industrial plants,
are fundamental parts of the human story. By exploring this
monumental bridges, nuclear power stations, wind turbines,
unique wilderness on its own terms, strange secrets might
and other infrastructural components of an advanced twenty-
appear and vanish in its mud and silt: the lost channels of
first century economy.
vanished rivers, abandoned jetties, shifting shoals, and the
Because the notion of adventure itself is a human concept,
ghostly shadow of a medieval harbour now overlooked by
it is perfectly adapted to spaces that have themselves been
cranes assembling one of the world’s biggest nuclear reactors.
shaped and changed by humans over time – just like the Severn
And then the tide roars back in from the Celtic Sea to the west,
Estuary. True adventure doesn’t require a wilderness devoid of
covering the littoral land completely, making it seem for a few
human life to enact itself to the full. In more than one sense,
brief hours as if none of it had ever existed at all.
FACING PAGE TOP: Dorka Fekete in the heart of the Bristol Channel’s tidal wilderness, exactly halfway between Steep Holm and Flat Holm islands at the mid-point between Wales and England. Steep Holm is visible in the background. FACING PAGE LOWER: Gavin Symonds and Dorka Fekete take the tidal route into central Bristol on the river Avon; here, they’re underneath the main rail line between Bristol and London! THIS PAGE TOP: Heading southwest for Beachley and the Old Severn Bridge aided by the powerful ebb current on a perfect September evening. (The famous photograph of Bob Dylan on the front cover of his ‘No Direction Home’ EP was taken whilst he was waiting for the old ferry that pre-dated this bridge. THIS PAGE LOWER LEFT: The tidal rapid off Sand Point, just north of Weston Super-Mare, in a Force 8 gale. The Upper Brahmaputra meets the Bristol Channel! THIS PAGE LOWER RIGHT: Gavin Symonds riding the flood tide under a crowd of gulls on a wild winter’s morning as he enters the river Avon, one of the major tributaries of the Severn. Only a few miles from the centre of one of the UK’s major cities, this place remains a haven for marine wildlife.
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KEMPSTON HARDWICK
The secret diary of B e d f o r d s h i r e ’ s g r e a t e s t a d v e n t u r e r Story | Kempston Hardwick
Illustration | Dan Milner
Part 6: Beyond Adventure!
W
hat I really love about the whole adventure journey is
would have, which was the reason I’d driven in the first place.
how it empowers you to just go do your own thing,
There’s always an XR sticker in the rear window of the Volvo
however and wherever you want. We are a beanie-helmeted
SUV. We support environmental action, as long as it doesn’t
army of liberated, independent wild spirits cut loose in the
involve any personal inconvenience.
wildest corners of our wild planet. Ours is a world constructed
Normally I don’t drive much, and most of my journeys are
from muddy running shoes and bent tent pegs, devolved from
short. I take Luke to Under-9’s soccer and Rose to Young-Yin-
the choking confines of social expectations. We’re elevated
And-Yang-Yoga. And I drive both of them to school. (Kate and
above moral accountability as we graze from a smorgasbord of
me fought to get them into a better school, but to be honest it’s
selfless experiences, whilst exercising our fundamental right to
not strictly in-catchment). And, of course, I drive to reach The
adventure anywhere we want. Hashtag: TrueFreedom.
Big Outdoors. It’s all essential travel. Try telling Luke to walk
My mate says you can find adventure in your own
to his penalty shoot-out, or Rose to her Young-Adults-Down-
backyard, but to me proper adventure means simply pushing an
Dog-Club just to help the planet. No way. It’s hard enough to
envelope of intensity through a letterbox of no return. It means
get them to chew their avocados. So, yes, sometimes it can be
going farther, longer, higher and way deeper into the unknown;
tricky to prioritise planet Earth when heading out of the door
it means going to places where discomfort’s cruel embrace can
to enjoy its wild, untamed beauty.
only be softened by the latest gadgetry.
But believe me, in every other way I am sustainable. I shun
So I am a little envious of those intrepid explorers lining up
the mindless consumerism of others, and only buy essential
to adventure to Mars right now. The red planet represents a
outdoor kit if it’s really essential. I use the Essential=N+1
whole new wilderness to embrace; a brave new world of untold
formula here, where N equals the amount of kit I already have.
risks. Just imagine the buzz of five hundred tonnes of aviation
I wear recycled plastic fleeces, and I even have a bamboo
fuel igniting to catapult you on a white-knuckle ride into the
toothbrush with bristles humanely donated by jungle badgers,
greatest outdoors we have ever gazed across: space itself !
and crafted by an artisan of the Bamboo Whittlers Association
So, I’ve now put Mars on my lengthy ‘places-I must-explore’
of China. (Oh, it actually says ‘Made by Xiang Cheng
list. (The list is on the fridge door next to that NHS rainbow
Corporation’ on the packaging, but I think that’s just the
Rosie painted last year.) Don’t get me wrong: I love Planet
whittlers’ solar-powered co-operative HQ). I got it next day
Earth. Caring for the Earth has been my life. And so it should
delivery then I dropped my two-week-old plastic toothbrush in
be: as an adventurer I breathe the fabric of its life-affirming
the recycling bin with our yoghurt pots, even though our
deliverables, like barefoot running across Kinder Scout’s peat
council says they can’t recycle either. Yeah, take that, ignorant
bogs or skiing one of Morzine’s black pistes. Yes, being
councillors. It’s my war of attrition, you see. They’ll come round
ecologically minded is rooted in my very DNA. Or maybe it’s
to my way of thinking in the end.
even deeper than that. That’s just about possible, isn’t it?
And obviously I buy local, from a superstore just a mile
Okay. So now I have Mars in my sights, but there is still No
away. It has a killer deal on Chilean merlot, so I fill the boot of
Planet B. I held a placard that said as much during a climate
the Volvo with it. And I have reduced my meat consumption as
march three years ago. That day is etched into my memory,
I’m meant to nowadays. I haven’t gone veggie: saving Planet A
mostly because it was near-impossible to find parking nearby.
is about compromise, not extremes. And I get enough ‘extreme’
And when we did, it cost as much as the four train tickets
in my adventures, thanks very much!
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To me, proper adventure means simply pushing an envelope of intensity through a letterbox of no return… So apart from post-pub kebabs and Sunday breakfasts,
minute helicopter ride over a couple of glaciers. Yes, it was
I now only eat organic, free-range cows reared on prime
troubling to see the ancient ice dwindling so fast. But man, it
Somerset land. Apparently it’s too flat for growing anything
was awesome too. The pilot even hovered right over a serac just
except cows, and the label says those cows have a carefree life.
as it fell off. Humbling stuff ! That sight and sound alone was
No, okay, it’s not a model that is quite scalable for feeding the
worth the £300 ticket - a bargain as the helicopter burns 30
world, but I’m alright with that. If everyone could eat organic
litres of fuel a minute. And Kate liked it too, which was a relief.
Somerset cows, there’d be nothing special about them. And
I’d bought the flights for our anniversary.
then we’d be back to square one, wouldn’t we?
Yes, Earth-orbits and trips to Mars are a new chapter in
So, you see, I’m about as green as you can get. And I like to
our right to explore. It’s all extremely important. I mean, that
reaffirm my green credentials by burying myself in the
electric car guy will probably find a solution to everything up
Adventurescapes that sculpt our very outdoor existence; places
there. Maybe he’ll even develop a bivvi bag that doesn’t get
where you can find Quality Planet Time. #QPT is my Zen-
clammy. And the rockets are all re-usable, which is neat. Okay,
Zone. It’s for truly appreciating the planet I call mine, and it’s
so we might have a few issues down here on Earth to resolve,
something that demands a whole hillside to yourself. But a lot
but if we all do our bit, and recycle stuff, and buy more eco-
of British Adventure Life Lovers (#BALLs) want QPT too.
friendly margarine, then it will all be alright. I know it will –
It’s rather irksome. Nothing kills the transcendental buzz as
a toothpaste advert dentist said so. And she was really smiling.
quickly as sharing the South Downs with strangers (except on
Yes, deep space is the ultimate step in adventure’s final
social media). So for my QPT sessions I usually head to
frontiers, and as explorers we have a duty to explore them.
Scotland. I can get there and back on just two tanks of diesel
It’s a letterbox worth pushing through whatever the postage
(I have a ‘two-tank rule’ for QPT outings, FYI).
cost, and for us waiting our turn, we must salute and applaud
Which makes me wonder if there’s a two-tank rule for
these intrepid pioneers.
SpaceX, too? Maybe not. but I’m sure it’s all justified. I mean,
Galactic joyrides, planting flags on other planets, and
how else can someone look down on our planet and
feeling good about it all are just the next essential steps in our
authentically appreciate the juxtaposition between natural
long adventure journey.
beauty and human ruination? It reminds me of that time I took a day off from hiking the Tour de Mont Blanc for a quick 45
After all, without some rich white guys exploring remote places we’d never have got to where we are today, would we?
Kempston Hardwick is a keen-as-mustard-adventurer and dad (in that order). Old enough to remember the Sony Walkman, Hardwick def ies his rapidly amassing years by seeking outdoor recreation at every opportunity, and the exponentially mind-expanding escape from domesticity it offers. His irrepressible readiness to embrace al-fresco challenges has delivered him with worldly-wise opinions that he applies to every turn in life, whether bagging Munros or browsing the organic frozen pizza aisle of Waitrose. He sports a curiosity of self that’s akin to most adventurers, something that is largely attributed to holidays in Anglesey with nonchalant parents. It is believed he was named after the place where he was conceived; a railway station on the Bedford to Bletchley line. He is a good friend of adventure photographer Dan Milner.
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T H E BA S E I N T ERV I EW
Nirmal Pur j a t a l k s t o D a v i d P i c k f o r d
Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja is one of the world’s most successful contemporary mountaineers. Born in Nepal of Magar descent, Nims grew up in the foothills of the Himalaya. Before beginning his climbing career, he served with the British Armed Forces as a Nepalese Gurkha, and later entered the Special Boat Service (SBS), an elite unit of The Royal Navy. Today, after a decade of climbing in the world’s highest mountains, he holds many records that together have redef ined what is possible in high altitude mountaineering. In 2019, Nims climbed all of the world’s fourteen eight-thousand metre peaks in just over six months; the previous record was just under eight years. Nims was also the f irst climber to reach the summits of Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in under 48 hours. In 2021, with a team of nine other Nepalese mountaineers, Nims successfully completed the f irst winter ascent of K2: a sort of ‘Holy Grail’ prize in high altitude climbing, which had seen multiple failed attempts at a winter ascent since the 1970s. BASE recently spoke to Nims about his extraordinary life on the roof of the world, the unique challenges of high altitude climbing, and the big issues facing the people of Nepal and the Himalaya region today.
Prior to your mountaineering career, you served with the British
In 2012 you climbed Lobuche East (6,119m), your first major
Armed Forces as a Gurkha, and then with the SBS. Was your
summit. Did you then realise that mountaineering would
experience in the military also useful in the mountains?
become a major part of your life?
Most of the skills that you learn from the military are
Yes, although it wasn’t just about summitting Lobuche East.
transferable. If you look at really successful people in the world
It was when we were trekking up past Namche Bazaar and I
it’s the same mindset – you wake up early, you’re super
saw this gigantic peak – Ama Dablam – the most beautiful and
disciplined, you’re precise about the decisions you make and
iconic peak of the Himalayas. And from there we started seeing
you have to have that positive mindset, determination and
Everest and Lhoste – and it was such a happy environment for
character. They are transferrable skills from one career to
me, I was in my own bubble; the whole experience of going up
another – hence, what I learnt in the military was transferable
into the Everest region made me want to climb more.
to the mountain setting. The biggest thing that my Special Forces training taught me was about how to operate in a very
You then climbed Dhaulagiri in 2014, your first 8000er, in a
stressful environment and situations. You always have to make
very quick time. What are your memories of this expedition?
the right decision – and that’s the same in the mountains.That’s
I figured out how strong I was at high altitude, because I pretty
one of the key skills I’ve taken from my military career to my
much trail blazed about 65-75% of the summit push. Those
mountaineering career.
were good memories, I remember!
In brief, what are some of the similarities between a military
After Dhaulagiri, did you realise you were particularly well
exercise and a mountaineering expedition?
suited, both physically and mentally, to high altitude climbing?
Planning everything in great detail, and anticipating what
Yes, I realised I could work with massive speed which is a
could go wrong are probably the key similarities. However,
very big factor in successful high altitude climbing, and
I must highlight that high altitude mountaineering is a
mountaineering generally. Obviously being in the Special
completely different game to the military, not everyone who
Forces you had to be very fit, but then I also have some special
climbs mountains can be in the military and vice versa. You still
physiological advantages that mean I can operate very well at
need different skills to climb big mountains – that’s why most
high altitude, so it was combination of those factors.
of mountain guides take six years to finish their guiding course.
FACING PAGE: Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja photographed during his 2021 expedition to climb K2, and the first expedition to ever reach the summit during the winter months. SANDRO GROMEN-HAYES / TEAM NIMSDAI
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When I’m in the highest places on Earth, I become most alive as I’m living only in that moment
You began your Project Possible challenge – to climb all 14
so that was my next mission. It took some time, but I was at
8000ers in one year – in April 2019. Did you expect to complete
last able to buy a house for them in Kathmandu so they could
it successfully when you started?
be together.
In March 2019, I gave up my military career, my pension and everything. This was a huge risk, but I have always believed that
You broke a number of mountaineering records during those
somebody had to do the challenge to show the world that
climbs in 2019. What was the hardest part of Project Possible?
nothing is impossible in terms of high altitude mountaineering.
The hardest part was definitely securing the funding. But in
It was very tough, because I only had 15% of the funding
terms of the climbs themselves, that would be on
I needed. No-one really believed it was possible, so the funding
Kangchenjunga, where we gave up our oxygen at 8,450m to
which was the main vital part of the project wasn’t there, but
rescue two climbers. Only the people with some experience of
I flew to Nepal anyway because I always believed that once I
high-altitude mountaineering can really understand how
started climbing in the manner I said I would, then people
tough it can be up there when things go wrong.
would believe that it was possible. Yes, it was a huge risk, and I had to calculate that for myself and my team, but we managed
You often climb in the Himalaya without supplementary
to make it happen.
oxygen, but you did use it on Shishapangma. How do you decide whether or not to use oxygen in the world’s highest mountains?
You climbed Shishapangma in Tibet in October 2019,
Yes I always used oxygen from higher camps during Project
successfully completing the final summit of Project Possible.
Possible, and it’s purely because we were breaking the trails, we
How did it feel when you’d finished the challenge?
were fixing the lines. For those people unfamiliar with high
Of course, I was very happy that the challenge was completed,
altitude mountaineering, if you are trailblazing in waist-deep
but as soon as I finished that I was straight into my second
snow and fixing lines with oxygen, that is way harder than if
mission which was to buy a place in Kathmandu for my parents
you are following without oxygen on a path that has been
so they could stay under the same roof. My mum was staying in
trailblazed and has fixed lines. And I can speak for both these
one room rented in Kathmandu, and my dad was in Chitwan,
experiences, because I have done both.
THIS PAGE: Nirmal Purja holds a flag with the Union Jack and the Nepali flag together on the summit of K2 (8,611m), the world’s second-highest mountain and the most northerly 8000m peak, during the first winter ascent on January 16th 2021. TEAM NIMSAI FACING PAGE LEFT: The awesome bulk of K2 (8,611m), the world’s second highest mountain, seen from near base camp on the Godwin-Austen glacier. The normal route up the mountain via the Abruzzi Spur is clearly visible on the ridge-line to the right of the summit. MAREK OGIEN / RED BULL FACING PAGE RIGHT: Nims on K2 in January 2021 prior to his successful first winter ascent. SANDRO GROMEN-HAYES / TEAM NIMSAI
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In January 2021, you made history by making the first
You climbed K2 in winter without using oxygen – the only
winter ascent of K2 along with nine other Nepali climbers.
member of your team to do so. How much harder is it to climb
How did it feel to stand on the summit of K2 at the coldest
an 8000er without oxygen?
time of year?
With how the world is today, there will be people that will
It was an incredible feeling, to have all ten of our Nepal team
always criticise no matter what you do. Before I did Project
reach that summit at the same time was amazing. This was a
Possible no one believed that all 14 peaks could be climbed in
team effort, and we are proud to have been part of the history
just over 6 months, then I did it, and people started talking
of humankind and mountaineering – we wanted to show the
about oxygen. Only those people who climb and who ‘walk the
world that anything is possible with a positive mindset,
walk’ will understand.
determination and teamwork. For you personally, what are the key aspects of safe practice Climbing K2 in winter is more challenging than climbing the
in the world’s highest mountains?
other 8000ers in winter due to the extreme weather and high
The key aspect of safe practice is being truly honest with
winds the mountain experiences. I recall that one of your camps
yourself. If you push yourself because of ego and you push too
was destroyed by a storm during your ascent, in fact. What was
hard to climb because other people have done it, and you’re not
the toughest part of K2 in winter?
staying true to your ability then you will be in big trouble.
The weather was very challenging. We had a situation where the
Be honest with yourself and your ability.
forecasts we were getting just didn’t match what was happening on the ground. As you mention, one of our camps was destroyed
There had been multiple attempts to climb K2 in winter since
by the weather, and in that I lost my paragliding kit. I had
1987, and all had failed. Was it a special moment to be able to
planned to speed-fly from the top of K2 with my paraglider, but
stand on the summit with an all-Nepali team?
that wasn’t to be on that trip sadly.
Of course! The Nepalese Sherpas who have have always
The other big challenge was for me as expedition leader –
climbed with Western mountaineers have always been the
because everyone knew that K2 in winter was the last, the
pioneers of 8,000ers, and for me to be able to lead this team and
hardest, the most extreme challenge left in 8,000ers – so, of
to have all ten Nepalese members reach the summit of K2 at
course, every climber on the mountain wanted to make a name
the same time was unique. I don’t believe in one man’s glory,
for themselves and their country. So for me, the biggest
I wanted everyone to feel a part of this great achievement,
challenge was to plan the whole expedition whilst dealing with
because everyone was working hard at the same time. Also,
that pressure and expectation, and to make sure I gave my team
when we were on K2 there was a very bad situation worldwide
the best chance of being the first team of ten Nepalese climbers
with the pandemic, and I wanted to show the world the power
to be able to stand on the same summit after an historic ascent
of unification – we need to unite to deal with the bigger issues.
in the Himalaya.
That was the clear message I wanted to send across.
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I don’t believe in one man’s glory. I wanted everyone to feel a part of the achievement of our winter ascent of K2, because we were all working hard together
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Do you think the current situation of Western companies
What are the biggest challenges at present for the people of Nepal?
operating guiding services in the Himalaya supported by Nepali
The biggest challenges we have right now is obviously with the
Sherpas will change in the future? Will there be more Sherpa-
pandemic – and of course, it’s affecting the rest of the world.
run companies offering their own mountaineering packages?
Hopefully tourism in Nepal will return soon, though, and we
Even now, we can see it’s slowly changing, and I think in future
can get back to normality.
there will be a good balance between Sherpa-run companies and our foreign friends. At the moment it’s not balanced,
What are the biggest environmental issues facing the Himalaya?
I must point that out. But eventually there will be a fair balance
Not only across the Himalaya but also across the world, global
between the Western European world and Nepal, so that it’s
warming and climate change is a big threat. Most of the world’s
fair – and it’s clear it’s moving in that direction already.
glaciers are melting and some are disappearing altogether. The bottom line here is that nature will always heal, but as a
What’s the best thing about climbing in the world’s
human race can we survive what we appear to be doing the world
highest mountains?
right now? Can we heal? So that’s one thing we all need to bear
The best thing for me about climbing the world’s highest
in mind. I don’t think we will survive if we are not very cautious
mountains is that I become truly alive up there. When I come
about it, if we don’t put our hearts into looking after our planet
down to sea level, it can be a crazy, very selfish world. But in the
– and right now. This is the biggest issue in the world today, and
mountains I find my peace. When I’m in the highest places on
I believe we have to act and do something about it.
Earth, I become most alive as I’m living only in that moment.
FACING PAGE: ‘Team Nimsdai’ after the first winter ascent of K2 on January 16, 2021. The group, who all summited the mountain together, consisted of Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Nirmal Purja, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa, Dawa Tenjing Sherpa, and Sona Sherpa. Nirmal Purja was the only climber in the team who reached the summit without the use of supplementary oxygen. At the summit, the temperature that day was -40° Celsius, plus windchill. SANDRO GROMEN-HAYES / TEAM NIMSAI THIS PAGE: Climbers approaching Shishapangma (8,013m), the only 8000m peak which is entirely inside Tibet. The ascent of this mountain was particularly challenging logistically for Nirmal Purja during his ‘Project Possible’ series of expeditions in 2019, when he climbed all 14 8000m peaks in just over 6 months. MARCIN KIN / RED BULL
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BA S E G E A R
Cycling innova t i o n s f o r a u t u m n - w i n t e r 2 0 2 1
Apidura Expedition Saddle Pack Apidura have long been the benchmark in quality backpacking bags. They’ve developed and diversified their range over the years, creating specific bags for different types of riding, from road racing to mountain biking and long distance touring. Having used the backcountry range of bags for sometime, we’ve become particularly fond of the 14 litre expedition saddle pack. Fully waterproof, its minimal profile means it tucks neatly out of the way behind the saddle. Teamed up with a bar bag and frame pack, there’s enough room for a full week of lightweight bikepacking. Yet with an adjustable size dependent on how full you stuff it, the pack is still the perfect companion on longer day rides, and allows space for a towel and swimmers for a quick after work ride and dip. WWW.APIDURA.COM
Hunt Wheels 4 Season Gravel On long, multi-day trips in remote environments, with your bike loaded with your camping system, food and cooking equipment, confidence in your wheelset has to be one of the most important elements of the whole package. It’s also something you’ll take for granted – until the moment it all goes wrong. The HUNT 4 season gravel wheels are a perfect all rounder; they’re stiff and responsive when you need them to be, and perform as well on the road as they do on the trails. With a high spoke count, they’re extremely durable. What we love most about these wheels is their innate versatility. Fast on the road but with a wide rim profile, you can run large volume tyres on them with ease. They’re the perfect wheels for exploration, and a true do-it-all wheelset.
WWW.HUNTBIKEWHEELS.COM
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Komoot Mapping Every now and then, new tech is introduced which streamlines a process so effectively that we forget life before its existence. That’s exactly what komoot have managed with their straightforward and intuitive mapping tool: you can use it through your smartphone, or connect via a GPS device. Komoot allows you to choose from a range of different riding disciplines to help you tailor a route exactly for your style of riding. The thing we really like about komoot, though, are the user-generated highlights. Quick and easy to upload, they allow users across the globe to rapidly incorporate the best sections and discoveries into their own rides, from good coffee stops to shreddy descents. And as so much of the data is user-generated, as more people use it, the better it gets. WWW.KOMOOT.COM
Outdoor Provisions Nut Butters With
fully
compostable
wrappers,
plant-based natural energy bar brand Outdoor Provisions have been our favourite energy bars for multi-day trips for some time. This year, the Manchester duo introduced their range of nutbutters. These are a great companion for any multi-day bike trip to squeeze in those extra calories and a little pick-me up, whilst knowing it’s the good stuff (we particularly like the date and cashew flavours spread over a banana). This autumn sees launch two new flavours: hazelnut and cacao, and peanut, almond and raspberry. WWW.OUTDOORPRIVISIONS.CO.UK
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BA S E T E C H
The Wearable Bubble: the e v o l u t i o n o f p e r s o n a l f l o t a t i o n d e v i c e s Story | Chris Hunt
Waterways and oceans are some of the most challenging and rewarding wilderness environments on Earth. Yet from deep ocean swells to flooding canyons, they’re also some of the most volatile – and potentially deadly. Water is not our natural habitat, and any adventure on it comes with the omnipresent threat of drowning. Some of the most devastating accidents have taken place in the most benign conditions. Developing the skills and equipment required to operate safely in such environments is just another example of the human capacity to evolve and adapt, as we hone the tools to keep us safe. From their first days as rudimentary and often cumbersome pieces of equipment, to their current incarnation as highly evolved, movement-specific wearables, this is the story of personal flotation devices.
History
were tested, including a canvas jacket filled with large pockets
One of the very earliest forms of transport, boats have been
of air, a vest formed of horsehair and rushes, as well as a jacket
used to explore new lands and reach new hunting territories for
made of buoyant woods like baobab and balsa. Ultimately, the
hundreds of thousands of years. From evidence located in
cork lifejacket – the best design at the time – was introduced to
excavation sites on the Indonesian island of Flores, it’s
the volunteer crews of the RNLI.
understood that early humans were navigating open waters as
Just six years later, in February 1861, a historic storm
far back as 900,000 years ago. The very first PFDs known about
wrecked more than 200 ships on the UK’s east cost. The
in the archaeological record were inflated animal skins,
Whitby lifeboat crew launched several times to save victims
evidence of which can be found in artwork in the British
from the damaged vessels. On the lifeboat’s sixth journey,
Museum: an ancient gypsum panel dated to nearly 3,000 years
it capsized and all but one of the crew were lost. The sole
ago depicts Assyrian soldiers holding on to inflated animal
survivor was a man called Henry Freeman, who was wearing
skins to cross rivers.
the new design of cork lifejacket.
Whilst buoyancy would have continued as a vital asset in
Although materials and aesthetics have evolved somewhat
various forms of water travel, purpose-built wearable flotation
since the creation of wearable flotation, the foundations of
devices weren’t introduced until much more recent times.
design have actually remained pretty consistent, providing
In 1854, Captain Ward of the Royal National Lifeboat
straightforward solutions to the simple dilemma of keeping a
Institution (RNLI) developed the very first proper lifejackets
person afloat in rough seas or whitewater.
for the volunteers that formed the institution’s crew members.
At the start of the 20th century, a new moisture-resistant,
Lifeboat crews rely on access to a full range of movement to be
quick-drying, resilient, and buoyant fibre harvested from the
able to perform rescues. But in the 19th century, crews were
fruit of the gigantic tropical kapok tree was now introduced to
also required to row their way through stormy seas; this put
replace the now-ageing and less effective cork lifejackets.
manoeuvrability at the forefront of the jacket’s list of
Kapok fibre is a combination of hair-like follicles containing
requirements. A whole host of different materials and designs
natural oils which make them non-absorbent to water.
FACING PAGE: Top Brazilian big wave surfer Raquel Heckert heading towards the bottom of a huge wave on the Outer Reef, Oahu, Hawaii, in February 2021. Here, Raquel wears one of the advanced modern CO2 flotation suits now common in the big wave surfing arena, giving her maximum buoyancy in the event of a wipeout. CHRISTA FUNK / RED BULL
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At the same time, their air-trapping properties make these
presented to the U.S Government which, with World War II
fibres extremely buoyant. Once kapok had been manufactured
fast approaching, became standard regulation for U.S. Navy
into lifejackets, the supporting buoyant force was three and half
airmen. Further research was then conducted in the UK during
times better than that of cork.
World War II. Edgar Pask OBE, the first Professor of
To maintain a suitable level of buoyancy though, lifejackets
Anaesthesia at Newcastle University, set out his own
remained bulky and restrictive to wear, meaning much of the
experiment in which he self-administered anaesthetics to
time they were cast aside rather than worn. Work soon turned
instigate unconsciousness – sometimes to the point of apnea –
to slimming down the lifejacket profile. In 1900, Gustave
and placed himself into a pool wearing the lifejacket he would
Trouve went one better, patenting a battery-powered lifejacket
be testing. Pask's extraordinary work earned him the OBE and
which could inflate when needed, meaning its wearer was
the description of ‘the bravest man in the RAF never to have
unobstructed while wearing it deflated: it was the very first
flown an aeroplane’.
compact PFD.
The development of synthetic, oil-based foams during the
But despite the advances and how many lives they proved
‘60s though soon lead to the introduction of the Beaufort
capable of saving, international regulations to enforce their use
lifejacket. With a stronger buoyancy once again, the Beaufort
on ships weren’t introduced until the first international
jacket could support the weight of both the wearer and the
convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was held in 1913 – the
casualty and – due to the shape of the design – ensured that its
year after the sinking of the Titanic in the North Atlantic.
wearer would float face-upwards even when knocked
In the 1920s, Peter Markus further developed the design
unconscious. In addition to the added buoyancy, the Beaufort
with rubberised air pockets that would inflate with liquid
jacket was painted bright orange for far greater visibility at sea
carbon dioxide when the jacket cords were pulled. The idea was
and fitted with a light, a casualty recovery loop, and a safety line.
THIS PAGE: Palm and Crewsaver PFDs at BASE magazine HQ. Palm and Crewsaver are two of the leading brands in personal buoyancy technology today. DAVID PICKFORD FACING PAGE: Big wave surfer Wrenna Delgado waits on a wave on Oahu’s Outer Reef, Hawaii, in February, 2021. CHRISTA FUNK / RED BULL
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During WW2, Professor Edgar Pask self-administered anaesthetics to instigate unconsciousness, then placed himself in a pool wearing the lifejacket he was testing
Personal floatation today
Similarly, inflation vests have in some ways revolutionised
Today, of course, the personal flotation device has evolved well
big wave surfing. While almost all water based activities can be
beyond those primitive early days. And while the fundamentals
made safer through the introduction of a buoyancy device,
remain the same, the way buoyancy technology has since adapted
surfing – and in particular big wave surfing – presents itself as
and pushed into new avenues has without doubt saved lives.
somewhat of an outlier. Despite the fact that during a
Kayakers are able to run highly technical and extreme whitewater
particularly serious wipeout (think ‘knocked unconscious in
in narrow canyons using PFDs with a far smaller profile, yet
50ft + waves’) buoyancy will save lives, the requirements of
which remain extremely buoyant. This means that whilst still
surfing itself – particularly navigating out through the line–up
totally capable of lifesaving, the wearer remains unrestricted and
– makes continuous buoyancy largely incompatible with
is able still to negotiate rapids and technical elements of the river.
surfing: you can’t do a duck-dive wearing a lifejacket.
For emergency situations, extremely low profile inflatable
In the past five or six years, vests with inflation-on-demand
buoyancy aids have been designed to fit concealed into a hip pack
technology through the use of CO2 cartridges have made their
or low profile vest [see image on facing page].
way into the big wave arena. Right from day one, it was clear
In the world of backcountry mountain sports, inflatable
that lives were being saved and major injuries being avoided,
avalanche packs (ABS) have undoubtedly saved countless lives.
and surfers could go about their session relatively unimpeded
They are able to keep the wearer above the chaos of moving
by the deflated vest.
snow and debris in the event of becoming engulfed by an
The impact these CO2 vests has had on the performance
avalanche.The first ABS airbag was introduced back in 1985 by
of surfing, particularly in terms of the renaissance of paddling
ABS founder Peter Aschauer, but it remained for some time a
into big waves rather than towing in behind a jet ski, has been
niche product. Today, however, inflatable ABS backpacks are a
substantial. Surfers have been able to take greater risks in
staple for backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
paddling for waves they might have previously been happy to
ABS avalanche packs, it has been suggested, have opened
let roll by them. At the same time, surfers have become more
off-piste mountain environments to a new group of skiers and
comfortable putting themselves in harm’s way in the impact
snowboarders who might lack the required experience and
zone during big sessions with the knowledge of that, if called
knowledge to operate safely in those environments, therefore
upon, their vests will bring them up to the surface.
putting them and others in positions of undue risk.
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The job of any adventure safety gear is to be as unobtrusive and therefore appealing to use as possible
This kind of insurance policy isn’t without its own
But despite concerns within elite circles, there is little
controversy. Many experienced big wave surfers felt that this
doubt that buoyancy and inflation devices not only allow the
‘democratisation’ of big wave line-ups would ultimately prove
boundaries to be pushed within adventure sports, but they also
dangerous, with less skilled or competent surfers tempted to take
save lives on a regular basis.
on waves of a size and power far beyond their real skill level.
Ultimately, the job of any adventure safety gear is to be as
Where surfers previously would only make it out to those biggest
unobtrusive and therefore appealing to use as possible; that
and most dangerous of line-ups with decades of experience and
way, it will at least be used. If safety devices are not worn in the
specifically trained fitness behind them (and perhaps a safety
first place, there’s no way that they can do the job they were
crew on jet-skis), the ease of buying an inflatable flotation vest
designed to do. There’s an interesting parallel here with life-
meant those line-ups would be more accessible to a new group of
rafts for yachts; a modern inflatable life-raft that can carry four
arguably less experienced and less prepared individuals.
to six people now packs down into a 140 litre bag, so virtually
Concerns like this have led to the necessity of waivers
every yacht owner carries one on board – but it’s not always
being signed prior to such products being available for
been this way. And this is exactly what we’ve seen with
purchase, and in some instances certification must be
wearable buoyancy devices, and the evolution towards today’s
presented. Patagonia’s personal surf inflation vest, for example,
highly effective and movement-specific designs maximising
is available exclusively to experienced big wave surfers who
the chances of the personal flotation device being used should
have been certified by the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group.
the scenario call for it.
THIS PAGE: Leading surfer Keala Kennely uses a C02 buoyancy vest on a big day at Jaws in Maui, Hawaii, in January, 2021. FRED POMPERMAYER / RED BULL FACING PAGE: Rafael Ortiz running the rapid known as ‘Chaos’ just below Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon river near White Salmon, Washington State, USA. Advances in personal buoyancy technology have made whitewater kayaking a great deal safer than it once was. MICHAEL CLARK / RED BULL
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B A S E C U LT U R E Mirrors in the Map Tessa Lyons | BASE artist-in-residence
Ben Nevis, Scotland Ink and acrylic on OS map
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Crescent Arête, Peak District, England Ink on OS map
Half Dome, Yosemite, USA Ink, acrylic and chalk on vintage map
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Cloggy (Clogwyn Du'r Arddu), Snowdon, North Wales Ink and acrylic on OS map
A map says to you, ‘I am the earth in the palm of your hand’ - Beryl Markham
Grasmere, Lake District, England Ink and acrylic on OS map
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These map-based drawings attempt to capture the multi-layered nature of our experience in the outdoors. The detailed overlaid ink drawings recall lines in the rock or earth, and the shape of an experience lived. The maps beneath represent the moments before – the planning stage of anticipation. Can we ever capture the actual nature of lived experience, so fleeting and transient? It is never quite as we imagined; and we never remember it exactly as it was. The writer or artist is faced with an impossible task – to distill a palimpsest of experiences into something ultimately motionless and singular. My map drawings are an effort to try and breach these limitations by merging two forms of representation into one. - Tessa Lyons
Brighton West Pier, East Sussex, England Ink on OS map
Shenavall Bothy, Scotland
West Highland Way, Scotland
Ink and transfer
Ink
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