BASE # 08 by BASE magazine

ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

V I A F ERRATA | ANDORRA

SW IM | SC OTL A ND

B I KE PAC K | S OU TH TYROL

C L I MB | G R E ECE

Find, plan, and share your adventures with komoot. komoot.com/adventure-is

exped.com

2022 Trekking Range Exceptional Comfort Carbon Neutral Products Recycled Fabrics The scope of adventure is limited only by our imagination. Jenny and Calum walked 73km over 4 days in a perfect straight line for their project The Longest Line. Photo: @Johny.Cook

Where will your imagination take you?

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Features

14 T H E I R O N P A T H

60 M U M S O N M O U N T A I N S

Kirsty McDonald & Johny Cook

Carla Imbrenda

A foray into the world of via ferrata

Empowering women in the outdoors

22 A L P I N E X

64 F R E E R E I N

Ambition and difficult decisions - attempting to

An introduction to Pony Trekking

climb and ski the ten highest peaks in the Alps

Eliza Brown

Aaron Rolph

34 T H E R O C K A N D T H E P A R T Y

Regulars

A long weekend at the Petzl RocTrip 2022 Tom Livingstone

12 B A S E N O T E S The latest in adventure

40 T H E T H R O A T O F T H E D O G

BASE

36 Hours on the Zillertal Trail Chris Hunt & Tristan Bogaard

68 M A K E R S A N D I N N O V A T O R S

48 M Y A D V E N T U R E P L A Y G R O U N D

Water guardians: a closer look at water filters for

Ben Horton

Hannah Mitchell

56 I M M E R S I O N T H E R A P Y

74 T H E B A S E I N T E R V I E W

adventure

The Alabama Hills

A basic guide to swimming in different bodies of water Calum Maclean

A catalyst for change: Marc Langley talks with Neil Gresham

Contributors Kirsty McDonald

Ben Horton

Johny Cook

Calum Maclean

Tom Livingstone

Carla Imbrenda

Aaron Rolph

Marc Langley

Triston Bogaard

Eliza Brown

Editor Chris Hunt

Digital Writer and Sub-Editor Hannah Mitchell Publishing Director Emily Graham

Social Media Manager Sam Andrews

Publisher Secret Compass

Enquiries hello@base-mag.com

Submissions submissions@base-mag.com Advertising emily@base-mag.com

Brand Director Matthew Pink

COVER: Lined up with Mt Whitney (the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States) in the background, Ben Horton remotely self-shoots beside Lilian Agar in the Alabama Hills. Full story on page 48.

- ©MathisDumas - *Collection Haute Montagne, Haute Protection.

Hervé Barmasse et Lise Billon Arête Nord du Grand Flambeau, Mont Blanc, Alpes

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L E A R N M O R E AT M S R G E A R . C O M

s I’m sure is the case for most of you reading

this, I have a thing for spending time outside. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a yearning for

exploration, a need for the extreme or an innate curiosity for the undiscovered. Nothing as epic as any of that. Just a taste for

long days outside doing nice things in the company of good people. And that’s intensified over time.

Going further, pushing harder and being the first are

prominent narratives often associated with adventure, and while I am as fond of a big push as the next person and do

love a story of endurance, for many of us, those concepts can feel esoteric and a little insular. First and foremost, adventure

is an open-ended and relative concept, there to be constantly redefined. For me, the concept of new is inherent. Unlocking new routes, trying new things and developing new skills.

Which brings me to introduce the following pages.

We’ve pegged issue 08 as the Navigators Issue, in which

we celebrate the trailblazers of our community carving

out new pathways for the story to be continued. Not the polar explorers, record breakers and 8,000m peak pioneers

— although as usual we do throw a nod to a bit of that in

BASE Notes — instead, we’re looking at the people opening up routes and shifting perceptions. The ones who, through

their own experiences, are opening up the doors for others to continue the story.

From those shunning the preconceived ideals of society

to put trust in themselves and their own abilities, to those

looking at maps with a fresh perspective to craft routes in places others overlooked; those who by choice face their fears head on and those who move with the winds of change to forge something new.

In the Iron Path, Kirsty Macdonald dips her toe into

the world of via ferrata; in The Rock and the Party, Tom

Livingstone takes a trip to the newly developed climbing

destination of Manikia to ponder its future as a worldfamous climbing destination. Ben Horton shares the

secrets of his personal adventure playground and in Mums on Mountains, Carla Imbrenda explores what it means to continue to chase adventure as a mother. In Throat of the

Dog, I meet the designers of the Zillertal Trail, a brand new

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

bikepacking route traversing the border of Italy and Austria, and join them on the route’s first ever group ride.

Thanks as always to the legends that helped put the

following pages together and those who trusted us to help tell their story. Don’t forget too that you can get a daily hit

Summer 2022 – The Navigators Photography | Weronika Szalas

of BASE adventure news, reviews and stories on our website: www.base-mag.com.

Enjoy your summer and the issue.

Chris Hunt, BASE Editor

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ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

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BA S E N OT ES The latest in adventure

ABOVE: The Full Circle team on a training expedition to Mt. Ranier. Photo by The North Face / Full Circle Everest.

Full Circle become first all-Black team to summit Everest On the 12th May this year, members of the Full Circle expedition team successfully summited the world’s highest mountain, becoming the first all-Black team to do so. Along with ten highly-skilled Nepali Sherpa guides, American climbers Manoah Ainuu, Rosemary Saal, Demond ‘Dom’ Mullins, Abby Dione, Eddie Taylor, Thomas Moore and Kenyan climber James Kagambi proudly reached Everest‘s peak, with all team members and guides safely returning to Basecamp afterwards. The expedition led by Philip Henderson is a landmark event in Everest’s 60-year history and for mountaineering itself, diversifying the face of expedition and bringing representation to the highest point on Earth. It is understood that prior to Full Circle, of around 6,000 recorded ascents since the first in 1953, only 10 of those were by Black climbers. Kristin Harila Smashing 8,000m Peak Records Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila is on track to summit all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000m within six months, as part of her Bremont 14 Peaks expedition. In completing the challenge, she will become the second person ever, the first person from a Scandinavian country, and the first woman in history to do so. At the time of printing, the 36-year-old former crosscountry skier-turned-Arctic guide had successfully ticked off seven of the peaks in the challenge, summiting Nanga Parbat on the 1st of July to take her to the halfway mark. The record for summiting all 14 ‘eight thousanders’ in the fastest time with supplemental oxygen is currently held by Nepal-born Nimsdai Purja, who led the Project Possible expedition in 2019. Completing the first six peaks in just 29 days, breaking Nimsdai’s record of 31, Kristin and Sherpa guides look poised to match or surpass his time. Deadly Marmolada Glacier Collapse Linked To Climate Change A glacier collapse that triggered an avalanche on the highest peak in the Dolomite range is thought to be the result of rising temperatures linked to climate change. At the time of printing, nine people had been confirmed dead in the disaster and it is feared that a further three more may have also perished. Temperatures near the Marmolada’s 3,300m summit are believed to have reached over +10°C on the day of the collapse as much of Italy experienced an early summer heatwave, causing previously stable glaciers to become more unpredictable. Scientists say the collapse that took place near the town of Canazei in northern Italy, was indicative of the effects of climate change on the region. According to studies by the Italian National Council for Research (CNR), the Marmolada glacier will have completely melted by 2050 if climate change continues at its current rate.

Fell Runner ‘Back From The Dead’ After Miraculous Mountain Rescue In January, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist a fell runner who had suffered what was described as a ‘delirious episode’ whilst descending Blencathra, a mountain in the Lake District. The Keswick team responded swiftly, suspecting a hypoglycaemic, hypothermic runner, owing to the freezing conditions, strong winds and sleet. The team climbed to the location, only to find an empty survival bag, folded up, and weighed down with stones. 26-year-old Tommy Price was located a little further uphill, face down and showing no signs of life. Rescuers attending the scene began CPR, and a defibrillator was used to administer shocks in an attempt to restart his heart, which were ineffective. Tommy was winched into a Coastguard Rescue helicopter, whilst receiving automatic CPR from an Autopulse. In what was looking like a very grave situation for him, Tommy was hooked up to a specialist extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which removes blood from the patient and gradually warms, oxygenates it and returns it to the body. He was put into an induced coma for four days and remained in intensive care for two weeks – miraculously, and to the amazement of all the rescuers and medical professionals involved, Tommy woke up, requesting a Coke. ‘I was dead for between 2 hours 14 minutes and 3 hours 20 minutes,’ said Tommy. ‘If it wasn’t for the volunteers and doctors that work for mountain rescue, I wouldn’t be here today!’ Tommy’s core temperature on arrival at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle was 18.8°C. A normal body temperature is around 37.7°C, making Tommy’s one of the lowest known survived body temperatures. Icelandic Whaling Ban Expands Opportunities For Tourism There are just three remaining countries in the world to still operate a commercial whaling program; Japan, Norway and Iceland, and earlier this year, Iceland announced that by 2024 it will no longer be one of them. With no further permits to hunt the sentient mammals being issued, when the current three-year quota concludes in 2023, hunters will be hanging up their harpoons for good. As Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 and demand for Icelandic meat plummeted, the decision to end the practice in Iceland was ultimately economically motivated. ‘Japan has been the largest buyer of Icelandic whale meat, but its consumption is declining year by year. There is little proof that there is any economic advantage to this activity,’ told Svandís Svavarsdóttir, the Icelandic Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture. The decision means that as whale populations recover in Icelandic waters, the tourism industry will continue to benefit from the growing popularity of whale watching tours, which brought in around ISK 3.2M in 2017.

THE IRON PATH A foray into the world of via ferrata Story by | Kirsty McDonald

Photos by | Johny Cook

Originally designed to connect villages to high pastures, rudimental protected paths involving carved footholds, hand hooks and iron pin ladders have existed in the Alps for centuries.

During World War I, vie ferrate — ‘ iron paths’ in Italian — were constructed across the Dolomites to enable soldiers and equipment access to strategic positions. Local Alpine clubs then

adopted the routes, equipping them with steel cables and iron bars to make them more accessible. Today, many of those same

vie ferrate are major tourism attractions, maintained by local communes and volunteers.

In the spring of 2022, having clipped into their first

via ferrata route while travelling around Andorra, Kirsty

McDonald and Johny Cook found themselves hooked. This is the story of their introduction and progression along the iron path.

“No way I was going to downclimb what we had just come up, so upand-over was my only option.”

PREVIOUS PAGE: The views of the La Panoramique route make it hard to not stop every few metres and take a look around. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A nervous moment on a Tibetan Bridge. Thankfully there was a cable each side to keep me balanced; Looking back over the town of Saillon on La Farinetta; Climbing up the ladder rungs on La Panoramique, it's easy to see why the route is called this; Leaving the Tibetan Bridge behind, this little section needed a bit more concentration; It's always rewarding when the via ferrata takes you to a stunning summit, even better when it's timed with sunset; Fingerless gloves are good to give you protection on the palm from the metal on the cable and rungs but give your hands some breathability.

‘Of course this is how we spend our Saturday evening,’ shouts

Johny beneath me, as I try not to have a complete meltdown.

With my entire bodyweight I cling to a small metal rung overhanging far above the ground below.

This is the Roc Del Quer, a short, punchy via ferrata route

350m above Canillo, Andorra. Here we are, on the most technical and exposed section of the route. I’m not entirely sure how high this part was off the ground, so I’ll just say it was pretty bloody high!

After slowly but successfully traversing across the flat

wall face, we now needed to get over this small overhang to

continue moving upwards – there was no escape route, and no

way I was going to downclimb what we had just come up, so up-and-over was my only option. And looking down was the

worst thing I could have done. This was more than enough for my second ever via ferrata experience!

Originating in the Italian Dolomites, via ferratas are

now found in a number of other countries including the UK, France, Spain, and Germany to name a few. Essentially the

practice of ascending steep routes by a series of metal rungs, chains and ladders fixed to the rock.

Equipment-wise, at a bare minimum you’ll want a

safety harness with a duo of lanyards and carabiners that are required to clip into the safety cable. You can buy kits which

have the specific lanyards and Klettersteig carabiners that are needed for via ferrata.

A helmet is also essential – not only for the obvious

benefit of protecting your head if you fall, but also to protect

your head when you inevitably smack it off the overhead rocks (which I have done many a time, not entirely paying attention to how much I need to duck under an overhang).

On the first couple of routes that Johny and I tackled,

I just used my bike helmet... not ideal, so I invested in a

climbing helmet soon after. And lastly, an optional extra, but I would highly recommend gloves – not only do they protect

your paws from being chewed up by the wires, but they also help with grip.

Using the Hüsler scale, routes are graded as K1 – K6,

with K1 being the easiest and generally suitable for kids.

Easier routes can still be quite steep, but rungs tend to be closer together, and there are less exposed sections. As routes

progress through grading K3 and above, these become more

exposed, with longer climb sections, more overhangs, and

less climbing aids. A common yet daunting feature on many routes are ‘Tibetan bridges’, which consist of one cable for

your feet, and one for each of your hands – I don’t think I’ll ever be at ease crossing one of these things, particularly when a gust of wind hits them and sends you wobbling around!

The first route that we tackled was in Andorra earlier

this year, and was graded K2. I have a bit of a fear of heights

- I know what you are thinking ‘why on earth would you try

this if you are scared of heights?’ but Johny and I had convinced ourselves all would be fine. Standing at the bottom of the first section, I was quite nervous. It wasn’t falling that made me

nervous as I knew I was connected to the safety line, but I was FACING PAGE: Sometimes all there is is a chain to pull yourself up the route, the gloves come in very handy when it's like this. ABOVE LEFT: Odd rock formations to get around on the Teletubbies y Olmo Soler route. Teletubbies is really what it's called! ABOVE RIGHT: The Teletubbies y Olmo Soler route ends on the top of a cliff next to the stunning Pertusa Chapel.

more worried that at some point, I would freeze, not be able to move on and inevitably need rescuing. As soon as I started climbing, I knew I absolutely bloody loved it!

My focus was on climbing up the ladders, so I found I

wasn’t really paying attention to how high I was. And when

we reached a flatter part of the route, I would turn around and dare to look down, surprised at how much height we had

gained in a short space of time. As we moved up the rocks, I 19

actually started to really enjoy the height, the view, and the

strength that my body was displaying. Getting to the top was an outstanding feeling of achievement, and I couldn’t stop smiling the whole walk back down – so much so that we

jumped at the chance to challenge ourselves with our second via ferrata the very next day.

RIGHT: Crossing the Tibetan Bridge on La Panoramique, these are always a bit more difficult when there is just one cable to hold instead of one each side.

Roc Del Quer was a K3 graded route, and although

that flat wall and overhang were quite scary, I got a rush of excitement and pride once I passed that section. And now

that we have done a few more routes and my confidence has grown, I would love to go back and try it again one day, and (hopefully) see how I have progressed.

Since those first couple of routes, we have tackled another

seven routes throughout Andorra, Spain, France and, most recently, Switzerland. These have been of varying difficulty, although we have stayed away from anything harder than a K4 grade. I have loved them all except one.

Nestled high in the mountains of Encamp in Andorra,

this route was supposed to be easy and was labelled as suitable for kids. Unfortunately the higher parts of the route were

covered by snow and ice. After negotiating the climb – which was slightly sketchy and in hindsight we probably should have turned back not long after ascending the first few ladders

– we found that the exit route was down a steep hill which

was completely covered in snow, to the point we couldn’t go

down that path. Instead, we had to go back and downclimb the ladders we had just come up. It was scary and stupid for

both of us – despite the safety cable, these routes aren’t made for climbing back down. We both felt a huge relief when we arrived at the bottom.

So what is it that I love? My family and friends keep

asking me exactly that – they see pictures of us climbing

the routes and wonder why we do it; tell me that they never

could. The thrill of the climb is a hard one to explain. There is a sense of achievement and pride, but it’s more than that. The routes feel safe but risky at the same time – safe because

it is effectively like climbing a ladder and there are usually 20

“Getting to the top was an outstanding feeling of achievement, and I couldn’t stop smiling the whole walk back down.”

solid points for your hands and feet, but risky because of that

come across him resting back on his carabiner, just ‘hanging

Exploring my body’s strength during some elements of

and agile on the routes, he is often surprised and delighted

potential safety line drop.

these climbs is a good feeling, and of course many of the

routes are quite scenic, and provide outstanding views from a different perspective. And yes, I have had a few ‘moments’

where I think ‘I can’t do this’ (usually when struggling to curl

my fingertips around the next metal rung), and have to have a word with myself to keep going – but it’s a huge achievement for me to get past that fear. My confidence is growing with each route that we do, and I find I’m becoming nimbler on my fingers and toes, and more agile moving up the course.

I’ve always referred to Johny as ‘the mountain goat’

because he ascends rocks so quickly, and I would eventually

out’ as he waits for me! But as I become more sure-footed to see that I am right behind him, turning round and then

gasping ‘oh, you’re right there!’, before proceeding on. And although I definitely don’t want to fall, and my fear of heights

is absolutely still there, I find that I’m not really phased when

I look back down from exposed heights. It’s almost as if I have a different focus. The growing confidence means that I

enjoy each route more and more, and I think I have instantly

proclaimed ‘that route was my favourite route so far’, after each route we have finished.

My love story with via ferratas has definitely begun and I

look forward to seeing where it takes me.

Ambition and difficult decisions - attempting to climb and ski the ten highest peaks in the Alps Story and Photos by | Aaron Rolph

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

“I look down at my leg, my ski still attached, dangling over a vast, airy chasm.”

PREVIOUS PAGE: Jess bootpacking through deep snow on the Monte Rosa ridge. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Big Italian vistas on the glacial tour after summitting Castor (4,223m); First light hitting Corno Bussola; Reaching the Col de la Forclaz after 1000m climb with heavy loads - captured by Mark James Chase; Big smiles on top of Zumsteinspitze (4563m); Aaron shredding fresh powder off the summit of Mont Blanc.

It’s been a strange season. A short-lived dump of snow followed by a long spell of warm, high pressure and repeat. Despite good intentions and the delight of lift-accessed freeride, my first full

winter spent in Chamonix hadn’t yielded as much success as I’d have liked. The steep north faces were rarely, if at all in condition,

and all too often the snow was getting hot, making many of the more committing lines pretty unsafe. A little bored of the

Vallée Blanche at this point (ok for sure, first-world problems admittedly), I decided when spring touring season arrived, I was going to go after it.

Alpine X was born. My good friend Jess and I would attempt

to climb and ski the ten highest peaks in the Alps, in one continuous human-powered journey. This one big ski-mountaineering

adventure would make up for a winter that never quite delivered, right? Well, not exactly.

Trips to far-flung and exotic places are at times a wonderful perk of being a ‘professional adventurer’, whatever that

means, but such trips aren’t without a palpable feeling of climate guilt. Yes, I offset my emissions but that doesn’t stop my actions from being a part of the problem. Anyway,

that’s a debate for another time. Lucky enough to live in the French Alps, we wanted to make this trip genuinely climate-

conscious, powered by flapjack rather than hydrocarbons. Human-powered and self-supported, we’d pedal ourselves, our skis, boots and kit between the peaks.

Almost all of our objectives stood over 4500m, meaning

we’d desperately need to get some acclimatisation before going too high, and thankfully the iconic Swiss town of Zermatt isn’t short of options. We set our sights on nearby

Breithorn (4164m) which provided a simple enough start to our campaign.

It feels good to have ticked off a new 4000er, albeit not

on our Top 10 list. We ski down into Italy and traverse the heavily-crevassed glaciers to the Ayas Guide refuge. As the

only guests, we find ourselves welcomed with especially open arms, treated to lavish Italian food and a shot of limoncello or three with the staff.

After chatting with the guardian, it becomes apparent our

next peak that stands in the way, Castor (4000m) is in pretty

“It was clear that nothing about this trip was going to come easy.”

THIS PAGE: Dropping in off the Lyskamm ridge.

traverse onto the eastern summit. The peak was in a pretty

laughable state, covered entirely in blue ice from this aspect.

Turning to Plan B, we’re forced to descend and skirt numerous

cliff bands making for a long day at altitude. As we climb the only peak that lies between us and a warm bed, Naso del

Lyskamm (4272m), Jess is starting to struggle, complaining of blurry vision, and I can see definite signs of overexertion.

Issues with endurance are rarely left unsolved after

eating, so forcing some chocolate bars down her, we make it

slowly over the summit, cramponing one step at a time. The

weather quickly closes in around us and the mood in the fresh mountain air becomes increasingly unsavoury. Descending

on some of the worst snow I’ve ever had the displeasure of skiing, we carefully navigate our way across the crust in an intermittent white-out until I find myself confused as I come to an abrupt stop. I look down at my leg, my ski

still attached, dangling over a vast, airy chasm. I’d broken poor condition, having been scoured of snow by relentless high

winds. Castor, which is usually known to be an approachable summit, is littered with large patches of ice on the higher

slopes, but avoiding this mountain would mean a diversion of at least a couple of extra days.

We set alarms for 4am and head up to see for ourselves. Jess

and I both feel strong for the early morning skin up the glacier,

through a weak bridge and found myself halfway into a deep

crevasse. Precariously holding on with no room to spare, I’m fortunately able to use my upper body to drag myself away from the 10m drop and back to safety.

Having now been on the move for over 15 hours, we

finally reach the Gnifetti refuge, relieved to see the back of the day.

With some bad weather passing through, we’re treated to

and the mountain vista only gets more impressive as cool blue

an enforced rest day allowing us to relax, acclimatise, eat and

As we reach the upper slopes, it’s clear the normal route

beta from the guardian didn’t prove particularly fruitful as it

hues are gradually displaced by vivid pinks and oranges.

that traverses to the right won’t be passable, the ice is thick and too brittle to sink our lightweight axes into. We find ourselves

plan our next attempt on the Lyskamm ridge. Getting the becomes clear no one has tried to climb the peak yet this year. Heading out early the next day, we navigate the same

in a maze of deep crevasses attempting to navigate around the

complex glacier terrain, moving with other groups who are

the rock band where the snow is softer and deeper. Jess builds

Parrotspitze. Even this relatively straightforward terrain

ice, until we decide the only workable route is to traverse into

an anchor with her ski for me to cross a wide open crevasse which appears to run deep into the glacier, and thankfully the bridge holds until I reach solid ground.

The mixed climbing up the shoulder is manageable, and

heading towards neighbouring peaks Vincent Pyramid and wasn’t without difficulty, we witness an Italian group losing a member of their team into a crevasse. Thankfully they pull him out without injury.

Parting ways with the other groups, we’re now trail

from there we walk a knife-like ice arête which feels like

breaking towards this beautiful and intimidating peak.

climb, carefully protecting it with a series of three ice screws.

bergschrund [a deep and broad crevasse] meaning that despite

walking the icey plank and onto the final ice ramp which we While we were pleased to be up and over this all-important

peak, it was clear that nothing about this trip was going to come easy.

We follow the beautifully exposed ridge, revealing a view

of Lyskamm West. Although ambitious, we’d loosely hoped to

We find the usual marked route impassable with a colossal

our best efforts, we are unable to make the snow bridge safe

to cross. We do however find an alternative way up, bootpacking up the steep face to meticulously traverse the snowy

ridge for around a kilometre before reaching Cima di Scoperta (4335m).

Now close to the final summit face, the ridge steepens to

a point where the gradient no longer holds the soft snow and it’s clear we have no choice other than to try the arête. After fighting through the snowy cornice, I get eyes on the

impossibly exposed north face and can properly assess the conditions. Much to our frustration, one side of the ridge is

covered in deep, soft wind slab, and the right has a firm wind crust on top of similarly soft powder snow. We have absolutely

no way of knowing where the actual ridge itself is. We’re a

short distance to the final summit face which looks passable,

but we’re forced to make our first of many difficult decisions of the trip. A fall down either side of the arête would almost

certainly result in the worst possible outcome, and without knowing where solid ground is we just can’t take that risk.

We turn, clip on our skis, put some careful turns down the

steep and warm south face before dropping the bergshrund and skiing back to the Gnifetti refuge. Back to safety, it’s

hard to not let the decision go round in your head, wondering whether we could have got through and therefore opened

Lyskamm Oriental (4527m) but as always, the mountain will be there for another day.

The following day, we set about touring back up the same

glacier, instead now heading east via Balmenhorn (4167m) and Ludwigshöhe (4344m). After a short descent in soft fresh

snow, we reach the foot of our two main objectives. We first make our assault on Zumsteinspitze (4573m) which has no

tracks and an exposed ridge. We combat a short section of ice, crossing the bergschrund and onto the ridge. There is another

soft snow cornice but the pack feels stable and before too long we’re able to get onto the arête itself. With some mixed

climbing we move upwards, and take our final steps onto the

summit. The feeling is one of joy and relief that our project is underway and being surrounded by 4000ers in every direction

makes for pretty incredible views. From here the true enormity of the Lyskamm north face becomes very apparent, and

the Duffourspitze summit almost as impressive. Once back

touring across the plateau, we set our sights onto Signakuppe (4554m) where we switch to crampons on yet more firm snow. Although the ascent proves relatively straightforward, a long

day spent at altitude catches up with both Jess and I, and we’re forced to follow a pretty sedate pace near the top.

We’re smiling despite our pounding heads, excited to clip

into our skis and enjoy the big descent down to the hut. Having successfully bagged the two big peaks, we’re now skiing perfect light powder, weaving through enormous crevasses and taking in some of the most impressive scenery the Alps has to offer. ABOVE: An exposed transition and time for a quick snack. RIGHT: The serious and complex glaciers above Rifugio Gnifetti.

After almost 2000m of wonderful glacier skiing, we reach the impossibly modern Swiss refuge and enjoy a beer.

Accessible from Zermatt, this area is renowned for hosting

moving up the first pitches, it’s apparent there’s more to

highest peak in the Alps – Monte Rosa. To our amazement,

powder is just a covering for the very hard ice. Before long

some of the best ski touring in the world, not least the second

this 120-bed refuge is almost entirely empty as we take advantage of a dreary grey snow day and take a day’s rest

and prepare for our assault on Monte Rosa the following morning.

Weather forecasts are mixed and conflicting, and

this. Our fears are confirmed as we realise the soft and light our calves are burning while we front point up the 50-degree slope. With plenty of ascent still to cover, we try to move fast

and light, agreeing to not put in protection just yet, instead relying on the rope between us and our ability to self-arrest.

Nearing a steeper section of this exposed ridge, Jess loses

although there’s no obvious window, if we are to continue to

a crampon footing and I find myself pulled abruptly tight

only for the bomber windows. Setting off just before first

into the ice, holding both of our weight above a place you

get anywhere on this project we can’t get away with waiting

light, it’s eerily calm and feels akin to a clagged-in day in

the Scottish highlands, or maybe the Moon. Thick clouds

roll in and out all morning, leaving us at times with only a few metres of visibility. With a fresh dump and seemingly no one else anywhere near this mountain, cutting the skin track through a couple of feet of fresh snow is hard going, but nevertheless, we make good progress. As we near the

summits, the clouds lift enough to reveal the daunting face of Nordend and the summit ridge of Duffourspitze.

on the rope from below. I sink my axes as deep as possible definitely wouldn’t want to fall. Jess calmly regains her footing and we agree to place ice screws from here on in. Covering this ground while putting in ice screws is slow

going, but we are safer, at least. After the second band of

ice, we move through the rocky arête covered by deep snow. Every step is a case of trial and error as we wait to see what will hold. Time marches on and what we hoped to be a simple enough route has thrown everything at us.

It soon turns 5pm and from here, with the summit only

Advised by the refuge guardian that no group has

50m above us, it feels like I could throw a stone to it. In

between the peaks this year, we opt for the ridge at the fork.

two and even then we’d be a long way from home, late in the

successfully crossed the large crevasses on the glacier route Crossing the bergschrund proves tricky but not impossible,

using both tools and our crampons to climb the icy wall. We

can see plenty of fresh snow on the ridge, but as we start

ABOVE: Once the bikes were left behind, this was Aaron’s kit for each summit assault.

current conditions however, this could easily take an hour or day. With the weather expected to worsen and nightfall only a few hours away, we make the impossibly difficult decision – to turn around without the summit.

“With the weather expected to worsen and nightfall only a few hours away, we make the impossibly difficult decision.” To be so close is salt in our wounds, but deep down I know

and equipment onto our rigs making for a seriously heavy

measured influence. We’re forced to build a rappel down the

we’re rolling, we’re both enjoying a change of scenery and the

this is the right call to make and I’m grateful to Jess for her worst of the ice and spend the next few hours retracing our steps, downclimbing into the darkness. The heavy snow has

setup of around 40kg. It takes some getting used to but once therapeutic process of spinning pedals.

As we get closer to our destination, we turn our attention

since returned but Jess and I hold our composure, battling

to the long and relentless Col de la Forclaz (1527m) which with

we carefully follow our skin track down through the nighttime

the slightly less severe Col des Montets (1461m). Big smiles

down to where we know we can get our skis on and eventually, blizzard.

After an 18-hour effort on the mountain, we return to

safety and although I’m gutted not to have reached the top, the knowledge that we did all we could that day leaves us with some pride,and of course relief to be back down in one piece.

The following day, we return to Zermatt and even that is

more of an ordeal than it would normally be. Faced with large

the weight on our bikes provides an impressive leg burn before all round as we roll down to our home town of Chamonix,

with it the sense of familiarity providing a noticeable increase

in confidence. With no time to waste, we secured our refuge bookings at the Cosmiques, as the traditional ski route via

Grand Mulet was fully booked (surely a good sign for our chances of success).

No rest for the wicked, we head straight up the following

glacial pools which can’t be navigated, not without a boat at

day, and although no one had been over the three Mont route

to spare, we avoid reflecting too hard and unpack and repack

we meet a friendly local team also looking to get up Mont

least, we’re forced to climb to the next valley. With no time ready for our next objective, the Dom (4545m).

The access refuge is closed at this time of year, meaning

after a short cycle, we find ourselves carrying supplies to the

minimalist winter room. The 1500m scramble approach is involving and largely on foot. Despite the mellow forecast,

we find ourselves climbing with loaded bags, skis and boots, enduring snow, rain and hail. Upon arrival, the winter room

yet this year we’re confident we can open it up. At the refuge,

Blanc, meaning we’re able to share the hard graft. Another

early start, and we’re enjoying a clear cut track up the Mont

Blanc du Tacul (4248m) which we’re able to tour up almost entirely on our skis. Still feeling strong, we deviate to reach

the Tacul summit itself before continuing onto Mont Maudit which is where the uncertainty will begin.

We observe the French pair ahead with a watchful eye as

is extremely rudimental, with emergency bunk beds and

they slowly navigate the crevasses, knowing our fate is likely

much of our clothing damp and without a source of heat, any

problems our way, other than a couple of short sections of ice

blankets, but we make do. The persistent precipitation has left attempts to dry our clothing prove largely futile.

Waking to an early alarm, we find the settled high pressure

system we were expecting is nowhere to be seen and instead we’re greeted by yet another whiteout. After waiting an hour

or so, the clouds lift enough for us to start touring and as the morning progresses, we’re treated to some spectacular pearly light with glistening snow. Once again we’re completely alone,

breaking trail through a metre of deep, heavy snow. This is not the cruisy spring touring we’d signed up for. Despite a strong

forecast, the clouds are once again building and before long

to be similar to theirs. Mont Maudit doesn’t throw any major and before long we’re over with our final peak in sight. Each

time I climb the north face of Mont Blanc it’s a longer grind than I remember, however with so much acclimatisation under

our belts this last couple of weeks, we feel strong all the way to 4810m. Jess and I take our final steps together, which of

course feel significant after the never-ending hurdles on this trip. Putting in turns through deep powder on the highest peak in the Alps certainly provides some consolation for our big adventure.

But this journey is far from over. Admittedly, planning

we’re back in heavy snowfall.

a back-to-back Alpine ski mountaineering trip is inherently

bad luck. After a frank conversation, it becomes clear that

were required to constantly make serious decisions in the face

At this point, we’re both getting a little bored of our

the epic we had on Monte Rosa has knocked Jess more than

we’d realised. In spite of this, she says she’s happy to continue

through the bad weather, but we decide it’s not going to be our

ambitious, but it was also a trip we learned so much on. We

of very challenging conditions and potentially life-threatening situations.

In the end we successfully climbed and skied a total of 12 x

day and turn back just under 4000m.

4000m peaks including three of our Alpine 10, but our biggest

more favourable around Mont Blanc so we pack up the bikes

the adventure remains unconcluded, and the anticipation of

Tired and frustrated, it appears the forecast looks much

and begin the 200km ride to Chamonix. We strap our skis

achievement was probably coming back in one piece. For now,

returning next year for round two, has already begun to build. 31

THE ROCK AND THE PARTY A long weekend at the 2022 Petzl RocTrip 34

Now in its second decade, after an eight year hiatus, this year the Petzl RocTrip graced the limestone faces of the quintessentially Mediterranean village of Manikia on the Greek island of Evia.

Since its first visit to southern France in 2002, the event

has ventured far and wide to both famed and overlooked locations in China, Canada, Turkey and Argentina to name

just a few. Whether establishing new routes or attempting to ‘ flash’ (climb a route on the first attempt without falling)

existing test-pieces, the RocTrip offers some of the world’s strongest, most skilful climbers the opportunity to test their metal on sport crags the world over.

The storied events give the rest of us a taste of the climbing

and culture of the area, whilst Petzl work closely within the

surroundings to establish and maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships between climbers and communities.

Climber, Mountaineer and BASE Collective member,

Tom Livingstone, joined his Petzl teammates in Manikia, enjoying not only the sun, sea and ‘sends’, but a deeper understanding of the sustainability of climbing tourism too.

Like most days, I take a quick dip in the Mediterranean

before starting the 30 minute drive towards Manikia. The

road twists and turns through small villages before finally, the road gains altitude, climbing into a wide valley, where the village sits at the top.

Here, there isn’t the industrial feel of Leonidio with its

polytunnels, farms and tractors, or the impressive views of the Grande Grotta like in Kalymnos; I got the impression

of something altogether different. Manikia is quiet, almost forgotten. It feels like discovering a secret.

I drive on, and as the cliffs in the distance grow, so does

my excitement

The first route in Manikia was bolted in 1995 by an

Athenian named Dionisis Stravogenis. He decided to bolt a line ‘to see what climbing was all about.’ I don’t know what I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

inspired him, but I’m glad it did!

It wasn’t until 2005, though, that the first sector appeared.

Locals developed Dragonera, one of the most visible and

impressive crags in the area. The rock in the cave is a striking burnt red, with tufa blobs dripping from the walls and roofs. Despite looking improbable, on closer inspection there are plenty of holds – as I would later discover.

In 2019, visiting French climbers opened several sectors,

and Manikia became close to what it resembles today. The region however remained quiet and seldom visited. In the Story by | Tom Livingstone

village itself, old men sat outside the only bar, most youngsters

from the region have relocated to nearby cities. The prospects of the residents in the valley weren’t optimistic.

LEFT: Cécric Lachat belaying Dave Graham at the North Face sector - Manikia Greece. © Petzl - Marc Daviet

“Manikia is quiet, almost forgotten. It feels like discovering a secret.”

ABOVE: Conveniently close to the coast for hotter days, you can find deep water soloing spots like this under an hour away from Manikia. © Petzl - Marc Daviet.

Over the last two years, the RocTrip team has worked with

It was great to see something for everyone at this year’s

non-governmental association to manage what’s become

to all, covering sport climbing, canyoning, deep-water

residents of the Manikia region to set up a long-lasting, known as the Manikia Project – a collection of about 40

locals aiming to continue the development of climbing, trekking and mountain biking in the area. It also handles the continuous maintenance and improvement of the climbing infrastructure.

The concept of the Petzl RocTrip is simple: find an

interesting sport climbing destination, add climbers from all

event. Throughout the festival there were clinics open soloing, bolting a route, wilderness camping, and a night in a portaledge. Evening presentations illustrated paraclimbing,

bolting, and the bird ban which was temporarily in place for

some sectors (rare and protected eagles nest in the ‘North

Face’ and ‘Canyon’ areas so climbing is not allowed there between January and June).

Now Manikia has over 700 routes from 4c to 9a; combine

walks of life and enjoy a festival with routes, superstars and

this with a reliable, pleasant year-round climate and you

the Balkans, Argentina and China and now here: Manikia –

climber’s radar. The routes are mostly brand new, so there’s no

parties. Since 1998, the event has been to France, the U.S,

nestled on the sleepy Greek island of Evia, a few hours north of Athens.

But this time there was an added twist. The aim was to

leave something long-lasting and sustainable, which locals

and climbers from around the world could both benefit

from. They revived and encouraged development of a sport

have a destination which I’m sure will soon be on every sport

polish and the limestone is sharp and grippy. There are giant, pumpy routes where you carry 20 quickdraws and swing between tufas – with plenty of knee bar rests (a European-

style climber at heart, this is the style I enjoy the most something to do with the amount of rests perhaps).

‘We have visited other areas, like Leonidio and Kalymnos,

climbing destination which was already known but rarely

to understand what climbing can bring,’ tells Kostas Argiris,

a quiet and dwindling village and organisers put an emphasis

the opportunity to speak with others, listen to what they say,

visited. Local Greeks welcomed the tourism, bringing life to on reducing the event’s environmental impact.

‘We didn’t want to encourage or participate in just

flying thousands of people to visit this region for a weekend,’ explains Manu Moreau, one of the organisers of the RocTrip.

‘We wanted to inspire them to visit for longer, to return and stay in the coming years.’

chairman of the Manikia Project association. ‘We have had and improve the Manikia Project. We can bring climbers to

the area, share routes with them, and provide tourist services.

Petzl became our partners, helping us to understand the best way to develop the region. It’s a beautiful island, with the sea,

hills, and nature all around. We have great weather, mountains, canyons, beaches, rivers… and very good climbing!’

BELOW, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Lary Arce, putting the new routes through their paces. All © Petzl - Hugo Pedel; Said Belhaj is one of the legends of Petzl RocTrips having attended them all! © Petzl - Hugo Pedel; Spanakopita, one of the many benefits of a climbing trip in Greece. © Petzl - Jan Novak; Another of RocTrip’s legends, Steve McClure has almost been to them all. © Petzl - Jan Novak

“What a blast! Camaraderie like that doesn't come along very often. Now back home in Sheffield, I feel I was part of something very special indeed.” In Manikia, the climbing is split into about five major sectors: Mpougazi, Upper Valley, Lower Valley, Canyon and North Face. Teaming up with friendly locals and wads

for the day, we headed to ‘Dragonera.’ A ten-minute sweaty

walk-in saw us at the base, craning our necks at the frozen wave of rock. Being May, the temperatures were high, so we

chased the shade. It was great to see climbers of all levels getting advice from Anak Verhoeven, Benjamin Bouissou,

Symon Welfringer and Federica Mingolla during their clinic; the crag was busy but the atmosphere was friendly with everybody giving it their hardest efforts.

We should keep an eye on the young Greek climbing scene.

Several schools near Manikia hope to build small climbing walls for the children. Other local area actions (such as

footpath renovation, updating the guidebook and bolting) are also part of the Project. To avoid competition and to distribute benefits, actions are shared amongst the nearby villages.

With the setting sun on my back, as the festival wraps to a

field. We feast on fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and moussaka.

the village, opposite, grey and yellow limestone cliffs drip

After our day’s climbing, we return to the Base Camp

Meeting good friends and making new ones, we share our impressions of the day and recommended routes, miming

moves in the air and laughing at our falls. The cleared area

close, I take stock. To my right lies the terracotta roofs of with tufas. Greek locals and international climbers smile and swap stories over bowls laden with feta and tomatoes.

Climbing tourism is interesting – just think of Kalymnos

of the Base Camp would soon become a car park for nearby

or Leonidio before they were world-famous destinations.

sequences in the dust. The clearing of vegetation leaves it up

ageing populations. Now, they welcome tens of thousands

sectors like Kentro and Bal con, but for now we danced crux

to the Manikia Project to make something of this area… or let it grow back into shrub land.

‘I've been to a lot of Petzl RocTrips over the years,

nearly all of them, and this one has been the best!’ says Steve

McClure. ‘As with all Petzl trips, the underlying principle has been to bring people together, and this time they really nailed it. Perhaps it’s been the last few years, but everyone was

For decades, they were quiet, relatively poor areas, with of climbers every year with hotels, bars, restaurants and

gear shops. Youngsters see the benefits of tourism and an

outdoor lifestyle. But of course there’s another side to all this development: severe environmental and wildlife degradation,

combined with resentment from nearby regions which don’t reap the same benefits.

I’m curious as to how Manikia will change in the coming

just so happy to connect and share. And the Creative Onsight

years, should climbers continue to visit. I hope the locals

along very often. Now back home in Sheffield, I feel I was

development. I expect there will soon be places for people

concept; what a blast! Camaraderie like that doesn't come part of something very special indeed.’

The band begins to play at dusk. Shorts and shirts are

covered by down jackets and trousers in the cool air. Local beer and souvlakis keep coming throughout the night, climbers of all nationalities dancing side by side under the

stars. As Sunday morning dawns and the church bells of Manikia peeled, there are still a few characters enjoying the festive vibes!

will remain friendly and welcoming, and not put off by the to camp, park their vans, or rent apartments (but these

facilities need maintenance and to be treated with respect; from Siurana to Céüse, popular destinations have had to build

toilets and bring fresh water to parking areas – but usually at a small daily fee to climbers). I hope the access arrangements

continue and people respect the bird bans here. Time will tell and although there might be some growing pains, I’m optimistic.

FACING PAGE: Nico Favresse trying to get back to the belay ledge after climbing one of Manikia's steeper routes. © Petzl - Jan Novak. ABOVE: Petzl Basecamp perched above the village of Manikia. © Petzl - LaFouche.

I’m not sure anyone else has really noticed, but it’s hot… like,

really hot. Sweat drips from my nose, eyebrows and chin,

and my t-shirt, stained with salt, tells of what has already

been a long morning. My bike — loaded with three days of kit — is across my shoulders. The sharp angles of a modern

cross-country mountain bike geometry dig awkwardly into my spine.

For three hours now we’ve been hiking up a steep, loose

scree slope somewhere in the Zillertal Alps on the border of Italy and Austria and I still can’t see the top of the pass where

we’re heading. There’s little in the way of shade up here. Yesterday’s message on the WhatsApp group haunts as it laps

my brain - pack light we’ ll need to carry our bikes. Seems I didn’t pack light enough.

When I was first sent the details of the route — 177km over

two and a half days, I agreed and barely gave it a second thought. But now, having moved about three kilometres in as

THROAT OF THE DOG

many hours, I curse my former self. I should have heeded the packing warning more wisely.

After a fast, dreamy descent this morning from the

Pfitscher Joch refugio alongside glacial rivers, vibrant wild

flowers and snow-capped peaks, I don’t think I’m alone in

having been lured into an unrealistic idea of what the rest of the route would entail. Those easy morning kilometres feel

36 Hours on the Zillertal Trail Story by | Chirs Hunt Photos by | Tristan Bogaard

like a long time ago. Today’s objective, the Hundskehljoch – The Throat of the Dog — will take us all the way to sunset.

We’re an eclectic group from all corners of Europe:

ultra-racers, first time bikepackers, full-time tourers and

experienced route designers. What has brought us together I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

is the opportunity to ride — and in some significant sections hike – a new route crafted by Tristan Bogaard and Belén

Castelló for the first time. In summer 2021, making their way towards the Italian Alps, put off by the sheer number

of people on the trails, the full-time cycle touring couple reached for the map in search of something new.

‘We looked a little northwest of the Dolomites and found

this chain of mountains on the map. We didn't even know its name. So we did some research and found out they were the Zillertal Alps – mountains shared between Austria and Italy,’ Belén tells me. ‘But as soon as you start digging into it,

it was very difficult to find routes. While there were a lot of existing bike paths, they all just followed the valleys around the edge of the mountains. There's traffic, there's houses,

there's people. You don't get this peaceful sensation, being integrated with nature. So using komoot we started studying the possibility of crossing them.’

LEFT: The joy of descending as a group in the crisp Alpine morning air. These were the first metres of day 2, as we left as a team from the Pfitscherjoch Haus, the beautiful mountain refuge on top of the first pass.

Their new route, the Zillertal Trail, links together three high

paths up high. You cannot get to them unless you hike your

gravel tracks and hiking trails with 4,700m of cumulative

at the geography here, there's a lot of valleys going into the

passes in the Zillertal Alps: 177km of remote mountain roads,

elevation gain crossing the Italian — Austrian border twice. There is no perfect bike for a trail like this. Smooth tarmac is interspersed with grassy singletrack, rocky scree, smooth slabs and river crossings. Across our team we’ve got the full

spectrum of options, from lightweight carbon gravel racing

rigs with 35mm tyres to full suspension mountain bikes.

Inevitably different machines find success and failure in

bike at the top of the passes,’ continues Belén. ‘If you look

mountains, but they stop as if in the past they used to be glaciers. So they're not connected. But with the bicycle, you

can reach the end of all the valleys on gravel tracks, then,

there's usually something like three kilometres of a hike-abike. So for us, the experiment was going there and seeing if those kilometres of hike-a-bike were actually doable or not.’

A quick glance at the elevation profile shows distinct

different parts of the trail but they do so in equal measure and

objectives in the form of three mountain passes either side

or later.

over 4-5 days, in this instance - the result of other project

make no mistake, we’ll all be walking with our bikes sooner

‘The thing about including hiking trails is that they

allow you to connect incredible sectors like these sick gravel 42

of 2500m to complete a circular route. Designed to be ridden commitments within the team, we’ve got just 2.5 to complete the trail.

“You know it’s hot when you’re seeking glacial rivers for respite.”

Since starting at the bottom of the valley – today’s view has remained pretty constant. I’ve zig-zagged over asphalt, gravel, and now a narrow hiking path between boulders the size of a

small hatchback, hauling my bike up and over sections as I go. With Austria to our backs, eventually cresting the pass at

2550m, ahead of us stands the Durreck mountains over the CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Max Reise soaking it in at the Schlegeisspeicher reservoir; Sunset on the Pfitscherjoch; A triumphant high-five at the top of Pfitscherjoch between Belén Castelló and Maria Muntane. This is what group bikepacking trips are all about; Weronika, a full-time bikepacker from Poland, Max an ultra-racer from Austria and Belén – one of the brains behind the Zillertail Trail design – from Spain, take the steady climb of day one up to the Pfitscherjoch pass; Silhouetted in the evening light, crossing the Hundskehljoch with the peaks of the Durreck mountains ahead; Ice cold glacial melt on the flanks of the Pfunderer Joch; Gaby Thompson all smiles on the morning of day 2 ahead of the group descent; The glory of sunburnt faces and beer, Max finds his reward on the evening of day one.

border into Italy. With the valley beneath us already cast into shadow, the jagged snow-capped summits light up in the last

of the evening’s golden light. The brutal efforts of the last few hours fade into the cool air of the evening.

While there’s a shared relief within our group having

reached the top, with the descent before us we’re far from done with The Throat of the Dog. The trail is steep and technically demanding. Somewhat cooked, this isn’t the time to push my

mountain biking prowess. The hike-a-bike is not over yet. 43

ABOVE: The long winding hike-a-bike pass on day 3 of the Zillertal Trail where the day’s struggle and reward are finally met.

Adding a layer of clothing and taking a bite of whatever

easy going as we strike the balance between minimal output

While I’m glad to have the long gruelling ascent behind us,

carbohydrates and sugar and prepare ourselves for the final

is close to hand, we continue with our bikes on our backs. the leg shaking downclimb is no less tricky.

Eventually, having traversed yet more snow and rock, we

and maximum breeze. In Brunico we stock up on caffeine, objective of the trail.

After little snowfall over winter and a particularly dry

reach the gravel road at the foot of the mountain and the pack

spring, water levels are low. So low in fact that many of the

one another, our eyes the only thing to give away just how

green valleys strewn with wild flowers we soon arrive at the

regroups. Morale is high as we pass our sugary choices among deep we’ve each gone.

We’ve rejoined on a fork in the road, an inviting winding

gradual descent or a sharp straight climb ahead. I take one

village's fountains have already been turned off. Following bottom of the climb. You know it’s hot when you’re seeking glacial rivers for respite.

As we steadily ascend, the allure of cascading snow melt

look at Tristan and realise we’re destined for the latter.

is too strong to resist. The asphalt runs out in Pfunders.

see the asphalt in the valley below is salt in my now gaping

Weiterbergalm mountain hut. This is our last checkpoint

Climbing switchbacks at this late stage in the day while I can wounds but eventually the path flattens, my tyres spin freely and the burn in my legs starts to subside.

Despite completely emptying our tanks, you’d never

know it by the time we hit the tarmac. Like school kids, none

From here, we transition to the gravel that leads us up to the before we venture off the path to the foot of the Pfunderer

Joch, the third and final pass of our journey. We order plates of sweet and savoury pancakes to share before the final push.

‘Where are you headed from here?’ The hut’s owner / chef

of us can resist the tempting thrill of speed as we race each

enquires with us about our plans.

we arrive at our guesthouse in Lutago. Hungry and tired, we

Clearly used to hikers rather than cyclists hauling their

what’s left of the route over pizza and beer with Tristan and

‘Camping at the top?’

other down the valley and into town. It’s gone 10pm once call around in search of takeaway sustenance. We interrogate

Belén, sleeping soundly to the idea that the worst of the hikea-bike is behind us.

The following morning marks our final day on the

Zillertal Trail — 98km and 2250m of elevation. After the previous day, I’ll keep any preconceptions of what the day holds at bay.

‘Up and over Pfunderer Joch.’

bikes over the pass, his expression is one of mild confusion. ‘Nope - we’ll try and make it over and back down to

Vipiteno.’

Hmmmm,’ the man glances at his watch. ‘Still a big day.’

Collectively, the group looks to Tristan. ‘We’ll be fiiiine,’

he protests in defence.

Gathering ourselves and our bikes for the final climb of

By the time we set off, it’s already even hotter than

the trail — as well as a four pack of molten Snickers I have

villages within the valley between Lutago and Brunico. It’s

reshape — a group of hikers arriving at the hut wish us luck.

yesterday, but we make quick progress through the traditional

stashed in the ice-cold drinking fountain in the hope they’ll

“I’d love to see someone’s reaction to meeting eight cyclists and eight bikes on top of this remote mountain pass.” 45

“Suddenly it feels more akin to the alpine valleys of Kyrgyzstan than what I’d ordinarily associate with this part of Europe.”

With various ridgelines standing tall in front of us, it’s hard to visualise from here exactly where we’re aiming for. In the

foreground, sharp singletrack switchbacks scale a steep grassy

mound. A good enough place to start I guess. I figured we’d be riding 95% of today’s trail but once again the bike finds its place on my back.

The gap between now and yesterday’s hike-a-bike

suddenly shrinks as once again we prepare our bikes and our

bodies for a lengthy stint of hike-a-bike. ‘Trust me, you’re ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM : Maria Muntane descending along the dream gravel from the top of the Pfunderer Joch - the third and final pass; From the valley just before this pass, local legend David Niederkofler - and all round bike handling master - splashes his way through the final river crossing of the Zillertal Trail; No yard is earned easily. Ali Gibb step by step on the Pfunderer Joch; Tristan Bogaard, who with his partner Belen designed the route of the Zillertal Trail celebrates crossing the final pass.

gonna lose your mind when you get to the top!’ insists Tristan, sensing the team’s collective displeasure.

Progress once again slows to a crawl but eventually we

arrive at a small hut atop the first ridge. From here, the trail flattens out into level singletrack through a stunning green alpine meadow scattered with blue and white alpine daisies.

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE ROUTE

MAIN: The Italian Zillertal Alps or Mordor? BELOW: The final tarmac descent back to the town of Vipiteno as the light fades. Riders from left to right: Max Reise, Ali Gibb, Maria Muntane, David Niederkofler, Chris Hunt, Weronika Szalas and Gaby Thompson.

There’s not a single other soul up here — but I’d love to see

someone’s reaction to meeting eight cyclists and eight bikes on top of this remote mountain pass. Opening out into the

valley ahead of us, the other side has a totally different feel

to where we’ve come from. Huge jagged spires of granite and

gneiss tower over the valley floor beneath. Northern Italy or Mordor, I’m not 100% sure. Before us winds dream gravel singletrack all the way to the valley floor below us. This is

the apex of this trail, the moment the past two days have been leading to. Damn it Tristan, you were right!

We afford each other plenty of space, descending in groups

of two, leapfrogging each other as we wait and snap photos of

the pair behind us as they flow through the gravel switchbacks. We reassemble at several river crossings along the way, making

sure each of us makes it across safely, firing off photos with each turn.

The rocky exposed singletrack turns to sheltered forested

doubletrack which eventually transforms to asphalt and soon we’re back on the road to Vipiteno. We’ve done it, the first complete group traverse of the Zillertal Trail.

We regroup where trail meets road and once again like

children we descend at maximum velocity back to town. Behind us, the mountains seem to close the gates to the view of where

we’ve just come from. From here, you’d never the know the valley, glacial rivers or the pass we’ve crossed even existed.

Ahead of us a small river crossing and the path soon dissolves

into a wide scree bank before bending a corner rendering the pass out of sight. Where are we? The landscape has changed, suddenly it feels more akin to the alpine valleys of Kyrgyzstan

than what I’d ordinarily associate with this part of Europe. We come to another steeper scree slope with patchy snow either side of us. The group detaches to match our individual

paces. Concentrated on sure-footing and keeping my bike

comfortable either on my back or by my side, I realise my head has been largely down or facing straight ahead. I take a second to do a quick 360 and take in my surroundings. With

the added altitude I now can see far across the valley to a huge

glacier opposite. The trail we’ve followed winds relentlessly

down the valley from which we came, around the corner and out of sight.

“I’ve always found it interesting how the scale of a map can completely change the way we see the world.” The vast majority of our world has been explored, people have stood on top of every significant peak, crossed every ocean, jungle, desert, and have descended to the furthest depths of the

ocean. Exploration has had to change in the modern age, most

of it now arguably happens through a telescope or a microscope. But those of us whose appetite for exploration and

adventure is etched in our DNA, need to think laterally and imaginatively; if we do that, we see territories differently that we might recognise or be intimately familiar with. We can look again at the options around us with fresh eyes and a different

lens. We don’t always have to put serious airtime between our

regular dwellings and where we let loose on adventures. New opportunities present themselves all the time if we remain open to them. And, oftentimes, those opportunities are closer to home than we might presume.

If you’re like me, you might at times suffer from city

fatigue, urban burnout. It’s something of a necessary evil but I spend most of my time in a built-up environment. Los Angeles

is an incredible city, but it can also be smoggy and suffocating. I need an ‘out’ – and I need to know it’s in ready reach. I don’t think I’m alone in experiencing this sensation.

The Alabama Hills Story by | Ben Horton Photos by | Ben Horton and BASE

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

“It bears repeating that to get that exceptional image, you need to go to exceptional lengths.”

LEFT: It's often said the Alabama Hills is best explored using a mix of engine power and footwork.

One of my very favourite places to explore that is accessible

from my home in Southern California is the Alabama Hills, in the Owens Valley. It's a labyrinth of rocky outcrops, formed

millions of years ago as magma pockets below the Earth's

crust, rising up as the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate smashed together forming the mighty Sierra Nevada

Mountains. And the best part? It's only a three hour drive

from Los Angeles. From the Alabama Hills you can look up at Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous

United States, but you’re only about 100 miles from Death Valley, the lowest point in North America. In that 100 miles,

there’s almost 15,000 feet of elevation gain, going from extreme heat and desert, to icy glaciers and alpine forests.

I’ve always found it interesting how the scale of a map can

completely change the way we see the world. Measured top-

to-bottom, Maine’s coastline is 228 miles long, but once you account for all the bays, points, and islands, it’s 3478 miles. That's 51 miles more coastline than California.

When we look at maps, it’s easy to feel like they are

permanent and irreversible but when you change that scale down to 3mx3m, the map starts to look pretty blank and that

spirit of exploration starts to well up inside us once again. I’ve been using what3words technology to get around the Alabama Hills area and look at it anew. what3words, if you’re

not yet familiar, have divided the entire world into three metre squares and attached a three word address to each.

Essentially, they are GPS coordinates made human-friendly. For example, ///behind.froze.frosty is the three word address for

the famous Eye of Alabama Hills Arch. These new addresses

pinpointed in areas I thought I knew pretty deeply, for me now represent both cherished memories of recent adventures and those new opportunities I mentioned earlier on.

Together with the team at what3words, we wanted to put

together a shortlist of locations in the Alabama Hills that begin to reimagine this beautiful but severe landscape and make it easier to access. We wanted to provide great starting

points, to get a lay of the land, and serve as reference points

for those who might want to explore here too. Each location we talk about is special but they are associated, at least in my mind, with different adventure activities, so we’ve highlighted those connections too.

People often say the Alabamas are best explored using a

mix of engine power and footwork and some of these locations LEFT: It pays to take time to soak up the area's nuances and do test shots first, not least because you might get a serendipitous shot like the purple sky with silhouettes we captured that became this issue's cover.

definitely meet that description. We were lucky enough

to have a Land Rover Defender to capture the starscape project you’ll see later in this article but you can actually use

what3words addresses in a whole range of other cars too. If you’re in a car with what3words, you just input one of these

three word addresses directly into the navigation bar and hit ‘navigate’, even in a wilderness like the Alabamas.

WE’VE ALSO CREATED A HANDY QR CODE SO YOU CAN SCAN IT, ADD THESE ADDRESSES INTO YOUR WHAT3WORDS APP AND SAVE THEM FOR LATER ADVENTURES.

Location

CLIMBING

PHOTOGR APHY

///rambler.diary.jumbled

///pass.growth.anchoring

People have been climbing in the Alabama Hills for decades.

These rock outcrops form an excellent foreground for photos of

Besides being a great place to warm up before heading into the

Mount Whitney, adding depth and perspective to the high peaks.

alpine routes the Sierras are famous for, it can be a pretty great

But the Alabama Hills has something else going for it, it’s one

destination in and of itself. There are plenty of classic routes to

of the darkest areas in Southern California that you can access

choose from, starting with every route on the “Shark’s Fin”, the

easily. The desert air has very little humidity, so astrophotography

most iconic rock in the area. There’s so much rock here, intriguing

can be incredible here. Some of my best Milky Way photos were

cracks in the vast granite walls that have you wondering if they

taken right next to my campsite. If you want it to really stand out,

might just be climbable. Chances are your route probably has

use the jagged rocks as a foreground to contrast the incredible

been climbed before, but it’s so much more satisfying to find it

stars. If you get the set up right, the shadow on the rock clusters

and enjoy it without reading the play-by-play.

can also look lovely and velvety.

Climbing to certain points can help you capture exceptional

We captured the first image you see in this article on a clear

photography too. It bears repeating that to get that exceptional

night. I think we actually got the best image near midnight. No

image, you need to go to exceptional lengths. Even in an area

Milky Way that time, but a stunning starscape taken remotely

as innately photogenic as this. Which leads us to the next

with a Sony A7R III with a 150-500mm Tamron lens, 173mm f/5

location…

8.0 Sec and ISO 1250.

A s h r a m p h o t o c r e d i t : w w w h e r m a n a t o r. n e t

Location

PAR AGLIDING

HIK ING

///cascading.identify.assembles

Trailhead: ///headlight.qualifier.glint Ashram: ///these.timings.baggy

This one is on my list of things to do in the very near future.

One of the great things about Alabama Hills National Scenic

Paragliding in the Owens Valley is some of the most awe-

Area is that it is situated entirely on BLM land (that means it’s

inspiring we have in the USA, and although I’ve gotten to fly

overseen by the Bureau of Land Management). As a result, there

in the Owens a few times, I’m still waiting for the right day to

is no fee for visiting. It’s located in Inyo County; ‘Inyo’ is the

launch from Walt's Point. It’s truly the territory of experts who

Native American name in the Mono language for the mountains

want to push the limits of the sport.

in its area, meaning “dwelling place of the great spirit,” which

On a decent day, you can ride thermals up to 18,000 feet

just adds to the mystique.

(the legal limit for paragliding in the USA) or beyond if you aren’t

The best way to explore here, as I mentioned earlier, is

careful. Launch is right above the Alabama Hills, and once you

almost certainly by balancing driving and walking. You can drive

catch a decent climb, you can fly over Mount Whitney to start a

to the jump off points or trailheads and then either follow those

cross-country adventure.

trails or make your own way across the fiery orange rocks, either

Flights that cross hundreds of miles into Nevada have started here, but the enormous terrain can generate some of

to the collection of naturally formed and creatively named arches just to find another vista, or soak up the weird wilderness.

the wildest conditions imaginable. The Sierra Wave is a weather

I love the solitude of the Tuttle Creek Ashram, an abandoned

phenomenon where the westerly winds create huge upwellings

set of stone buildings, built for spiritual or religious purposes,

of the atmosphere, only to come crashing back down. Sailplanes

tucked away under the shadows of Mount Langley. A 4x4 is

that can handle these conditions much better than a slow

advisable to get to the trailhead. It’s a good half day session but it

paraglider or hang glider have ridden the wave over 43,000 feet.

is steep. At the end though, the sheer ravine views down toward Lone Pine can steal your breath in every sense but will still give you the stillness and space to savour that moment.

TEAM EXPEDITIONS CUSTOM-BUILT TRIPS TV & FILM BRAND PROJECTS SECRETCOMPASS.COM Pictured: Greenland Wilderness Traverse

T H E R E’S A LWAY S A WAY

IMMERSION THERAPY A basic guide to approaching different bodies of water Story and Photos by | Calum Maclean

‘You never feel more alive.’ It’s a sentiment that underpins why so

many of us love to swim outdoors. But the simple act of immersing yourself in a body of water isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem. Author of 1001 Outdoor Swimming Tips and

passionate wild swimming campaigner Calum Maclean gives us some of his top tips for swimming in different types of water.

MAIN: Leaping into the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro TOP LEFT: Forgot your tow-float? Just grab hold of a nearby boat. The extra resistance makes for great training. BOTTOM LEFT: Always pack your swimming gear. Many of my favourite pools, including this one, have been accidental finds. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM LEFT: My favourite swims involve a good view, such as the hills of Glen Coe. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM RIGHT: Ice swimming involves embracing the cold and accepting that any training and habituation can be painful.

I love being in, on and around water, and it’s the process of

putting myself into it, either for a dunk or a swim lasting hours, that brings me happiness. When I look at water,

immediately the questions start to fire: Could this be swum? What kind of adventure could I have here? What’s below the

surface? What’s around that headland? The more I swim, the more I want to explore. But turning up to a new body of water can be confusing. Lakes

Swimmers are generally great at sharing advice and helping to keep others safe. Before you head somewhere new, seek out local swimmers and ask their advice. This can be through local swimming groups online, guidebooks or often just turning up

at a carpark and looking out for the group with smiles on their faces donning the changing robes.

In summer, some lakes see blooms of blue-green algae

which can be harmful, especially to dogs. Blooms can be quite localised within sections of lakes and should be quite obvious to the eye: like a bright pea soup or scummy covering on the surface.

Remember, if deep water is not something you enjoy, there

is often no need to go right out into the depths of a lake. You can

swim quite easily once you are around waist deep, and if you are swimming somewhere that other watercraft regularly use, then a tow-float can be very useful. This inflatable, brightly-colour

bag makes you visible to others and also to anyone on shore. Some can be used to carry snacks as well on longer swims. In Scotland – never call a loch a lake!

Rivers

Swimming in a river can be one of the best ways to make a

swim into a journey. Choose a route that takes in something

of interest, like a wild section that drifts away from houses and people, a journey between bridges, or even a swim that

finishes at a pub or cafe. If you are towing a bag or float, be careful to ensure your leash doesn’t get caught or tangled on branches or bushes.

Before entering the water, decide where you will be getting

out – it might be impossible to get back to your entry point once in the water. A good way to recce a potential route can

be to walk alongside the river beforehand but that’s not always practical. I’ve often paddled a section of river with a canoe or paddleboard, using the time to consider if it could be swum.

This is also a good way to spot hazards such as weirs and make a note of them for any swim.

When you reach more shallow sections of river, there

are a few potential options on how to tackle them if normal

swimming is no longer an option. If the flow keeps you moving, then swimming defensively is a good idea. Lie on your back with feet in front of you and arms out to the sides, sculling. This lets you look downstream and identify any

hazards and if you do come across anything – it’s your feet

and backside that usually meet them first. But be aware: the more you lift your head, the more your bum drops and might

bounce you off rocks! Sometimes you might have to walk, but keep your body low in case you fall.

A slightly more reckless and fun option (only to be used

in places that you know well!) is to Superman! Basically take on Superman’s flying pose: arms stretched overhead, making your body into one long line, with a deep breath to keep you as buoyant as possible and fly over short shallow sections. The Sea

For me as a lover of water, one of the most beautiful sights is

surf conditions, or when an onshore breeze sprays wavetops

below the surface correctly, you can be quite safe as it whips

of a challenge initially.

the curl of a wave as it spins away above you. Timing a dive

towards shore, creating a temporary piece of art in your very

into your face, when getting into the water can feel like a bit

If you are swimming in waves, it is important to learn

own wild viewing gallery.

to spot what a rip looks like. Learn over time what you

life, with them being clearer. Picking a swim that takes you

according to weather and tidal states. Take your time to build

Calm waters are generally where you will see more sea-

by kelp beds or close to rocks can allow you to encounter fish, crabs, seaweed and more.

But don’t restrict yourself to only swimming in flat, calm,

pristine water. I rarely feel more alive than after swimming in the sea when the water itself feels alive. This can be during 58

are capable of, and how different coastal locations change up to wilder seas, and always respect the water.

If you swim front-crawl then try to learn to breathe

bilaterally – breathing on both sides. This can be vital when

you are faced with a rough sea, or even a glaring sun that stops you opening your eyes.

“In Scotland – never call a loch a lake!”

FACING PAGE, TOP LEFT: A stranger dives into the Bimmah Sinkhole, Oman. MAIN: The 'lobster-red glow' starting to appear on my body in Lochan Coire Mhic Fhearchair, Torridon. RIGHT: Practising some shallow water rock running, a training used by lifeguards and surfers. Never to be practised alone.

MUMS ON M O U N TA I N S Empowerin g women i n t he ou t d oors Story and Photography by | Carla Imbrenda

As a Mountain Leader and a mother of three, Carla Imbrenda wanted to put her wealth of knowledge to good use, to advise,

support and encourage more women in the outdoors. With that in

mind she established Mums on Mountains – which she’ll launch

in 2023 – with a course to cover the basics, from finding the right

taring up at the last section of snowy slope ahead of us,

the skies are bright blue and the sun is warm and friendly

with a good few hours left in the day, but we are at the very limit of turnaround time.

A huge pair of green eyes look out at me from under her red

kit needed for hiking with children and babies, to plotting routes

bobble hat, ‘I think we can do it Mummy’. Positive, energised

‘Pregnancy and motherhood is a phase of life that can often

worthy-snow, Awen, who has just turned 5, stands with me

and basic navigation skills.

leave you feeling more vulnerable than ever before,’ says Carla. ‘I wanted to see friendships formed with other women who share their concerns and cravings, and create a safe space for like-minded mums and mums-to-be to stretch their legs and their boundaries.’

Here, she explores what it means to adventure with kids,

sharing her own valuable insights to get more mums on mountains.

and excited simply from finally reaching fluffy, snowman-

at 2700m looking at the summit of the Pic Du Bigorre in the French Pyrenees. As much as I would like to push through

the last 187m of what has been a fairly straightforward hike, experience tells me this would not be sensible.

With the decision made, we turn and take one last look

at the long-awaited summit observatory building and cast our eyes wide across the huge open view of endless mountain

peaks around us. We descend to an abandoned refuge a little way back, swig some lukewarm hot chocolate and layer up

ready for the long descent, arriving back at our car just as the last light fades from the sky and the ground turns back into a deadly ice rink.

With a thirst for adventure and a love of all things

outdoors, finding a way to combine motherhood with spending time in the mountains has made me resourceful,

resilient and probably a little selfish too. That’s the thing with becoming a parent: your magical little folk are born and along

with them comes a fairly long stretch of ‘parental guilt.’ You’re suddenly very aware that the world feels the right to have an opinion on everything you do!

Whether planned or not, pregnancy is really only the

beginning of the different challenges that rise up. While

“Keeping your body and mind healthy while it goes through the incredible process of growing your baby can only be good for you.” 60

physical and hormonal changes are taking place and the body

adapts to growing another human being, women can also

often feel that the expectation for life to carry on as normal is high. Work, exercise, socialising and all the bits in between. But what is realistic? Is continuing to be adventurous and active in the outdoors even possible?

ABOVE: Mountain top breakfast cuddles.

SIGN YOURSELF UP FOR A NAVIGATION COURSE Get the basics down by learning simple techniques of how to source, plot and enjoy a route of any level will

make the whole event better. Paying for a professional

course doesn’t cost that much and often you will find

that you learn far more than just how to read a map. Any outdoor professional should be able to organise this

for you, at Summit Seekers we run a variety of courses suited to all levels of ability throughout the year.

INVEST IN YOURSELF Whether you are starting this in the early stages of In my case, hiking until the seventh month of my third

pregnancy went a long way to helping me manage my perinatal

depression and my body did feel strong enough to carry on. I’m often asked whether you can take up hiking, adventuring and other such activities for the first time during this period.

I think you can. Perhaps a night hike to the summit of Ben

Nevis in late January might have to wait for another time, but

pregnancy or shortly after having your baby, comfort

is key. You want to give yourself the chance to be fully present and remove the chance of accident or injury.

This can be achieved simply with a decent pair of hiking shoes or boots, a functional waterproof and

comfortable bag or baby carrier. Free yourself to fully focus on the moment you have given yourself.

there are endless hikes, walks and even mountains that can be

PRACTICAL PREPARATION

body and mind healthy while it goes through the incredible

someone who will notice your absence in the case of an

enjoyed safely and give you that fix of nature. Keeping your

A fully charged phone, leaving your route with

process of growing your baby can only be good for you.

emergency and having several contingencies in place

There are plenty of rational arguments to support this

approach. As mums-to-be and new mums in the West, we are

supported by expert medical professionals such as midwives, health visitors and consultants. Help is often within easy reach

if a concern arises. Modern tech also means we are contactable wherever we are and nearly all the time, so reassuring worried

loved ones or getting help in an emergency is easier. Moreover,

awareness of the importance of a healthier work-life balance (despite ever-increasing financial pressures) is higher than ever,

we have access to more leisure activities than ever before and both the means to enjoy them and locate them.

That said, and forgive me if this seems obvious, but

- these are all basic but essential things to prepare. On top of that, I have a screenshot on my phone that details who to call in the place of an emergency

should something happen to me and Awen is found alone. Now she is older, we also talk about emergency

procedures and I make sure she knows where we are and where we’re going so she can relay this information

if she needs to. Letting people know when you go and when you expect to be home gives them and you peace of mind.

STAY WELL WITHIN YOUR CAPABILITIES

your choices and decisions no longer only affect you. This is

Listen to your body and relax into the mindset that the

now on. You are now thinking about yourself and your little

and turn around. Accept that these limits may not be as

unavoidable and will be a continuing theme in your life from one but also your loved ones who celebrate this news with you.

It’s natural for those people to feel protective so addressing this

adventure will be there another day if you have to stop they were before pregnancy and postpartum.

early on and taking extra precautions to calm the worries of your

GO ON A MOTHER/BABY FIRST AID COURSE

and allow you a lot more room to enjoy your adventures.

for both of you. Knowing you can deal with the issues

nearest and dearest will immediately alleviate a little pressure One of the biggest barriers to women wanting to step

out into the great outdoors for the first time under these

Make sure you’re up to speed with the basics of first aid when they arise is a massive confidence booster.

circumstances is actually the worry of their families and

JOIN A MOTHER AND BABY HIKING GROUP

take up something that, on the surface at least, might appear to

good way to reduce the risks.

friends. They can find it pretty crazy that you would want to them to be dangerous or even reckless.

With that in mind, knowledge is power, so here are some

suggestions of how to make this all smoother and easier for you and yours… 62

And if there isn’t one, start one! Safety in numbers is a

BOOK WITH A GUIDE Let them worry about all of the above while you find your mountain feet.

“Extra snacks, a group shelter and the ability to talk about unicorns for seven hours straight have seen me grow my experience and skills in ways I could not have imagined.” There are additional risks to heading into the outdoors with a baby, regardless of whether they have arrived or are still

cooking – but ultimately they can all be managed, reduced or completely avoided without having to give up on what you

want to do. While you can suddenly feel more vulnerable, you are still capable and that is something that at times society would have you forget.

After posting about one of the long fell hikes with my

girls, Awen (4) and Gabby (now a trainee mountain leader

This is where it gets complicated – when is enough ‘enough’

for you and your little ones? How much advice do you take? Who do you listen to?

The truth is you need to trust yourself. You know the

difference between pushing for it and sailing past it. This will develop and change as you and your little ones change.

I am happy pushing the limits of my children because

I know when they are ‘over it’ and when they have had enough. Extra snacks, a group shelter and the ability to talk about unicorns for seven hours straight have seen me grow

my experience and skills in ways I could not have imagined. You could say it has become my niche. Kids will complain, they will drag their feet and they will be ‘over it’ way before you – but keep their little minds active and they will keep going and the reward for you all is happy smiles and a sense of achievement. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Sharing outdoor spaces and making them safer is what it

herself but at the time aged 17), I received a number of

is all about and with an ever increasing reliance on technology

a decent 18km. While to many this seems like a really long

younger, it’s important for us parents to keep the magic of

negative comments on the length of the hike in question –

day to have your children out, without the full background of information it is impossible to make a fair judgement.

and ‘screen time’ addiction seemingly starting younger and

nature alive for our little ones. After all, as our mums said before us – 'we do it for your own good!’

LEFT: ‘Going to work with mum day’ Awen helping me introduce another family to scrambling in Snowdonia. ABOVE: Big views across the French Pyrenees before heading up to 2800m.

FREE REIN An introduction to Pony Trekking Story by | Eliza Brown

Multi-day self-supported wilderness expeditions are some of the most immersive and bonding experiences on Earth, but

what does that adventure look like when you introduce a pack animal into the equation?

Eliza Brown recently walked the length of the Scottish

Highlands with a pack pony. Here, she recounts some of her experiences from the trail and her practical guide to undertaking an expedition like this yourself.

My four-legged companion had a wild and unkempt look.

Hades Hill Pansy is a dark bay Fell Pony with a long and matted main, her wispy ears always seem to point the way. She is full of heart and personality.

Against the untamed backdrop of the Scottish Highlands,

she was at home, a picture of pure contentment. Together, in

the spring of 2022, we navigated our way over what is known to be Britain’s most wild, remote and challenging terrain. Away from the comforts and luxuries of modern day life, just me, a pony and the remote Scottish wilderness.

Working with pack ponies all began when I stumbled

across Fell Pony Adventures whilst browsing the travel section in the paper over breakfast one morning. I learnt to ride horses before I could walk and saw this article as a

potential opportunity to combine my love for horses with my work as an expedition guide. In 2019, I started working with Tom, the owner of the Hades Hill herd of fell ponies and the

founder of Fell Pony Adventures. As a qualified Mountain Leader and Wilderness Guide, my job was to take clients on

the wild camping pack pony treks to hidden corners of the Lake District.

On the first expedition I led, we took a team of five fell

ponies over to High Street. The weather was horrendous.

As a team we faced strong winds, snow and torrential rain. But despite the cold, wet and general misery, these ponies

didn’t bat an eyelid, they weren’t phased by a thing. And the clients were so distracted by their trusty companions, that the extreme weather couldn’t sap their spirits either.

I knew from that experience this wholesome way of travel

No matter the location or the distance one intends to

completely suited my personal ethos as an outdoors lover. I

travel, when exploring with a pack pony, every day is a rite of

ponies instilled self-confidence in people.

– you constantly have to think: four legs! Obstacles such as

was completely overwhelmed by how travelling with pack

The reason why the ponies leave such a profound

impression on us, I suspect, has something to do with the fact that we, as a species, have worked with horses since the

very beginning of our existence. They are ingrained into our human psyche. As I continued to work with Tom and his herd,

passage. There are unexpected challenges around every corner

fences and cattle grids, which are not always marked on the map, will force you to alter your intended route. Despite this, tackling and overcoming these hurdles is all part of the fun and the unique nature of travelling with a pack pony.

The experience teaches you to problem solve, to think on

it didn’t take long for the lightbulb in my head to spark and I

your feet and to adapt to changes in your route. It is these vital

My grand idea: to walk the length of the Scottish Highlands.

inhibit us from exercising. I have witnessed first hand how

was soon planning my own big adventure with a pack pony.

practical skills that the comforts and luxuries of modern life

FACING PAGE: Scottish Highlands at the the beginning of a long journey. © Grace T.S.P ABOVE, TOP: Pansy’s whispy ears seemed to always point the right way. She would always seem to make the right decisions, especially when reading the boggy ground. © Eliza Brown ABOVE, BOTTOM: Once you gain the trust of a fell pony they will do almost anything you ask. © Noel Thom

“She was the master of this landscape and I a mere student.” travelling with pack ponies can help to equip individuals with

practical tools and skills that improve confidence, resilience and the ability to adapt, survive and thrive in nature.

some emergency pony nuts on the ground and pitched my tent on the flattest ground I could find.

I laid out my sleeping bag and boiled water for my

I remember one particular occasion, when my survival

dehydrated meal and peered out of my tent door. Wow!

Kinloch Horn to Sheil Bridge over the Falcon Ridge in the

standing, her back leg resting, also admiring the view. After

instincts were put to the test. Pansy and I were walking from Scottish Highlands. Miles from civilisation, it felt extremely

remote. We had survived the torrential rain that fell the day before, but that mass of water was now flooding the mountain

rivers. I encouraged Pansy across the fast-flowing, powerful

water. Navigating to the other side of rivers like this was just

The rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted. Pansy was

a challenging day, this was our reward. It was all worth it for

that glorious panoramic of the valley below us. We were safe, dry and fed and would be ready to tackle the rest of the big descent the following morning after a good night of sleep.

This style of travel has taught me how to be more prepared

one of the many trust-tests we faced on our long journey. I

to adapt both mentally and physically. With a pony, you can’t

navigation was challenging but we gradually worked our way

With every hurdle and challenge you face together, the closer

remember feeling a little nervous about what lay ahead. The up to the saddle that sat just below the Falcon Ridge.

After summiting the ridge, the descent I had hoped to

plan too far ahead. But that’s the beauty of this style of travel. you become as a unit and begin to move as one.

I grew up racing horses, but nothing can compare to the

take was lined with giant boulders, making it impossible for

bond I built from walking alongside a pony, for the 19 days I

Apparently they’d been placed here by estate owners centuries

different experience. I learnt to understand her, read and

a pony to pass. Those boulders weren’t visible on any map. ago, to restrict peasants from crossing territories. There was a hiking trail, which I had hoped we would have been able to

follow down the mountainside to the safety of Sheil Bridge,

but there was no way I could get a pony across these giant

spent walking the highlands, at her eye level. It was a whole

predict her movements. Pansy would always seem to make the right decisions, especially when reading the boggy ground. She was the master of this landscape and I, a mere student.

Travelling with a pack pony forces you slow down, not

lumps of rock. It was a route that was going to be challenging

something I personally have ever found easy. I learnt that all

It was getting late, we were both tired and the weather

rush, no stress, no deadlines, nothing but the here-and-now,

with two legs, let alone four!

was deteriorating, and I felt the pressure to make a decision.

We could turn back, perhaps add another 24 hours onto our

I ever need to do is follow the pony, move at its pace, with no focusing on the pony and the adventure together.

Once I could adopt that rhythm, despite the slow

journey or, we could weave our way down the very uninviting

and steady pace, it was astonishing the distances we could

us to bypass the boulder section. It looked disgustingly boggy.

experience, the gentle pace has allowed me to notice nature's

bowl of the steep glaciated valley below that might just allow After exchanging a look of uncertainty with one another,

Pansy broke into a walk and started to make her way down

into the valley, as if to say, come on Eliza… follow me down, we’ll be fine! This was a moment when I really had to learn to trust that pony. She was far more experienced than I at

rack up – just tackling the day one step at a time. From my

more intricate details, its colours, shapes, smells and sounds. I

always seem to absorb the entire experience more holistically. I remember minute details of each day. Something I have never truly observed to this extent on any other expedition.

Of course, the greatest benefit of travelling with a four-

reading the soft ground. With the occasional slip and slide,

legged companion, is that they can carry the heavy load –

contour where we then hand-railed to rejoin the other end

when you have, for example, 400km of walking ahead of you,

and the odd stop and change in direction, we made it to a

of the footpath, the one that I had originally intended to descend. We were back on course! Phew!

as much as 50kg. A rather fancy feature, a luxury, especially over unforgiving terrain.

This is, after all, what this species is built for. Cumbrian

By now, we were both exhausted and it had just started

fell ponies were bred as pack ponies for carrying slate and

weather of the previous day, but there was no running river,

roads were built. They are now an endangered breed, with just

to rain. The ground was still extremely sodden from the wet just trickling puddles. With very limited grass and no flat ground in sight, this was far from an ideal place to set camp

for the night, but I knew we needed rest. We just had to make do with where we were. I removed the load from Pansy’s back,

hammered her tether into the soft ground, filled her folding bucket with water from the nearest peaty puddle, tipped out 66

charcoal along the old drover tracks before the railways and 200 breeding mares left out in the fells, and many semi-feral

herds and important blood lines have been lost. To maintain a gene pool of hardy fell ponies, for them to thrive, they need to

keep doing the job that they’ve done for centuries. Carrying

the heavy load. Where better to put them to work and support a dying breed than on an expedition?

The SH A K EDOW N What you carry on a pack pony adventure depends entirely on the adventure in question! It is also subject to the number of ponies you have with you! For example, a four day trek with four ponies through the Lake District, Tom and I would load up all the grandeur. A teepee, a stove, pots and pans, delicious food, a bottle of wine. That is the beauty of travelling with a pony. It can be comfy, it’s idyllic, a wholesome holiday. Packing for a longer expedition is another set of logistics entirely. I have, in time, learnt from my work as an expedition guide, how to pack only the essentials systematically. It wasn’t long ago that I returned from the Arctic. I learnt a lot from polar exploration and polar travel and I was able to transfer a few of these skills into expedition travel with a pack pony. Packing pulks and packing ponies are surprisingly similar and I have developed a few nifty tricks that work for both styles of endurance travel. The key to packing successfully is compacting everything so that you keep within that 50kg load. So for my recent 19 day expedition through the Scottish Highlands, this is how I did it.

FOOD

How do you minimise weight but carry enough calories to ensure sufficient energy levels are maintained throughout a long expedition? To put it into perspective, my step count would be an average of 50,000, and I would be burning about 3,000 active calories per day. My priority was taking nutrient dense and high calorific meals and snacks that I could compact down. To keep things simple, all three of my main meals

would only require hot water to make them consumable. There was no real cooking involved. It kept things efficient and ensured I always had food to hand. I didn’t have to rely on building a fire. I needed instant food so that if I caught myself on a mountain side where it was bitterly cold, and I was trying to make a big decision, I knew I had a sufficient meal ready for me to fuel my body and my brain. Crucial.

THE MENU

Breakfast: The Brekkie bomb - Quick oats (complex carbs), protein powder (protein), Nesquick chocolate milk power and crushed pecans (fats). Each meal had been measured out into portion sizes for each day. All I would need to do is boil water using my jetboil to add hot water. At breakfast I would also boil enough water to fill my flask for lunch. Lunch: 39p instant pot noodles, with a lump of cheese. I would add the pre-boiled hot water from my flask to the noodles and let them sit for 5 mins whilst I made an instant coffee. Every time I opened the packet, a curious nose would appear over my shoulder. Pansy would always try and steal some! Who knew ponies liked noodles? Dinner: Expedition Foods rehydration meal which was 800kcals. Snacks: On top of my three main meals I would have 150g of chocolate, fruit and nut mix, four Belvita biscuits and a protein bar. And of course, I always carry Polo mints in my pocket for my companion.

It takes a lot to prepare for 19 days, but it is super efficient. There was nothing luxurious about my food, I wanted to make it as simple as possible. The pack pony saddle is custom made in British Columbia, Canada by a company called Custom Pack Rigging. The two canvas packs hang from pronounced hooks that make up the aluminium saddle. The saddle is secured in place by two woven girths, a tail strap which prevents the saddle from slipping forward on descents and a chest strap which prevents the saddle from slipping back during ascents. I would use the numner – the pad that sits beneath the saddle – as a sleeping mat at night. Each pack must weigh the exact same. This is where the fun begins. For my Scottish expedition, I got the weight down to 24kg each side, which sounds like a lot but everything I carried I really needed. I carried with me a hanging digital travel scale so that I could weigh the bags to ensure they were even. My biggest piece of advice when packing for any adventure is to categorise your kit into its use. A day bag, a night bag, a grab bag, medical kit, your personal gear, pony kit and camping kit. Colour code and label it. I categorised the two packs by their contents – one pack was my day bag and the other my night bag. The day pack would contain my grab bag. This would hold any instant tools I may have needed during the day, such as my Leatherman, bail twine and climbing rope for big river crossings. I would also keep a spare coat and a jumper in there, hats and gloves, and the medical kit. This pack would also host Pansy’s gear – her tether, a sponge, hoof pick, boots, emergency nuts and tick repellent. The night pack would contain the camping gear, food and my personal clothing and toiletries. Any remaining items, such as water, snacks and my water shoes for river crossings, I would use to spread amongst the two packs to even out the last few kilos of weight. The last few bits, my Akubra hat, Garmin Inreach and Brechfa knife, I attached to the saddle with carabiners. As time went on, I would get better at predicting the weights. The heaviest item I carry is a hammer and the tether for the pony. The most useful, a rope, for bigger river crossings. I would cross the river first, rope around my waist, using the pony as an anchor. Once safely to the other side, I would then use my voice and a gentle tug on the line to encourage the pony across. I would also need rope if we found ourselves in a bog, something I hope I will never experience! Whether you are a horsey person or not, travelling with a pack pony is hands down one of the most rewarding, wholesome and immersive modes of adventure travel I have experienced. If you fancy exploring the hidden hills of the Lake District, while also helping save the endangered fell pony population, then get your walking boots on.

M A K E R S & I N N O VAT O R S Water guardians: a closer look at water filters for adventure 68

For many of us in developed nations, these days it can be easy to take for granted access to clean water at our fingertips.

Getting safe drinking water to our taps is a hugely complicated

process; from the engineering of the water systems – the network of pipes and pumps below our feet and behind our

walls, the water treatment process, urban infrastructure and of course, the water source itself, right down to how and where it is stored.

For those of us then who actively choose to spend time in

places where our water sources are not treated – be that in the

backcountry or abroad where those same, meticulous systems aren’t always in place – accessing safe drinking water can

present a major challenge and the repercussions of getting it wrong are no joke.

While reliable filtration on the move can greatly reduce

the chances of waterborne illness, today the environmental impacts of filtering our own water on the move are equally

valid. The less we can rely on single use plastics to provide us with safe drinking water, the better.

Below, Hannah Mitchell takes a closer look at the

history and development of water filtration systems and the innovators within the outdoor industry making a mark today.

While the pollutants themselves have evolved alongside

industrial advances and population growth over time,

filtering water is a practice that can be traced back over 2500

years. The first ever example of the water filter is thought to date as far back as 500 BC, the creation of the famous Greek physician Hippocrates. This early incarnation utilised

a simple cloth bag to sieve impurities from the water drawn

from aqueducts, which had been first boiled in order to make it somewhat more palatable, and less fragrant.

Moving forwards, the evolution of water filtration for the

home began to incorporate more sophisticated methods and materials as our knowledge of bacteria, parasites and other unpleasant entities that can lurk in liquids grew. The Doulton

Filter was designed in Britain during 1847 as an answer to the increase of raw sewage in water sources such as the

Thames which were causing widespread cases of Typhoid and Cholera. The invention by Henry and John Doulton of the

English fine china brand, comprised a porous ceramic bowl which was placed above another bowl, and the dirty water

poured into it. Larger particles could not pass through the

pores of the first bowl, so cleaner water could be collected from the bowl underneath.

Microscopically, viruses are a lot smaller than bacteria,

Story by | Hannah Mitchell Photos by | Lisa Paarvio and Scott Rickenberger / MSR

and this makes them pretty tricky to filter out. For reference, a human hair measures approximately 30 microns, bacteria

0.3-5 microns, and viruses between .005 and 0.3 microns. Previously, common methods of removing viruses from water

were boiling, UV light or by adding chemicals. Common chemical purifiers include chlorine that is often present

in our tap water, or Iodine which is common in germicidal

water tablets. Developments including the use of Chlorine Dioxide in tablets, drops and powders mean that this form of purification is highly effective in removing microorganisms

when water is of questionable quality. But whilst they are

lightweight and easy to carry when camping, chemical tablets won’t remove physical particles like dirt, and ironically, that

dirt can actually impede the effectiveness of chemicals and UV light.

Now, it’s important at this stage to differentiate between

a filter and a purifier. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but if you’re in the market for either, it’s not only important to ascertain which you need based on its

Physical water filters and purifiers operate in largely the

The difference lies in the level of protection the system

aforementioned nasties, but with a few variables depending

intended use - it could be critical to your health too.

provides against harmful substances and microorganisms

that might have entered the water. Filters such as Doulton’s, and later counter-top incarnations that we might associate nowadays with brand names like Brita, will usually fall

under the category of a filter. This means that generally speaking, their membranes will improve turbidity (the clarity

or lackthereof caused by particles like mud and silt), remove bacteria, parasites and protozoa, but not viruses. Purifiers

on the other hand, will improve turbidity, remove bacteria, parasites and protozoa, and viruses too. 70

same manner in terms of form and how they remove those

on their purpose. The most common and effective method of filtration and purification involves passing unsavoury water

through a porous membrane of some sort, which catches the

waterborne baddies. Put simply, a purifier will work in the

same way, but utilises a finer internal membrane system than that of a filter, so as to capture those much smaller, pesky viral particles. It’s sort of like using a sieve, and the smaller the

holes in that sieve, the smaller the particle or organism it will

catch. As for function, some use a pump mechanism, others a gravity feed to draw water through the system.

“The most common and effective method of filtration and purification involves passing unsavoury water through a porous membrane of some sort, which catches the waterborne baddies.” Nowadays, home filtration is commonplace, but what about when you’re moving fast and light? You can’t take the kitchen sink with you on a long-distance run, ride or hike.

explorers, but the military and philanthropic organisations in aid efforts too.

Contemporary

filtration

and

purification

systems

Lucky for us, water filters and purifiers have come a long

for outdoor activities now commonly use hollow-fibre

available to suit your activity choice that won’t weigh you

comparatively fast flow rate. Open to incoming water, hollow-

way since the days of Doulton, and there are many options down. Larger capacity, pump or gravity-fed systems are a

great option for expeditions where they can be left in situ at

a basecamp, whilst portable options range from systems that syphon into your water bottle or cooking pot to versions that

you simply fill up and drink from directly – and some that do both.

In the ‘90s, outdoor gear manufacturer MSR (Mountain

Safety Research) began to explore how they could develop a

membrane technology because of its lightness, efficiency and fibre cartridges are made up of hundreds of tiny, closed loop

tubes made from a thermoplastic called polysulfone.The straw-like tubes which are filled with microscopic pores are

bundled together to form a matrix. As water passes through, either by pump, suction or gravity, particles are trapped inside and clean water passes through the pores, making it safe for you to rehydrate.

In many trekking, camping or expedition scenarios, a

better water filter for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts.

filter is a perfectly acceptable means of making your drinking

the cost, the heads at MSR began to explore the extrusion

sanitising water from backcountry sources, they aren’t always

Aware of the effectiveness of ceramic filters but inhibited by of ceramics, a process that greatly reduced production costs.

Several years later, the MiniWorks ceramic filter was born, and in 1998, was recognised by the American Ceramics

Society as one of the most important ceramics innovations

of the century. Since then, the brand has continued to forge ahead with developments in filtration with its own team of

water scientists and microbiologists operating out of their lab in Seattle, pioneering systems for use not only by intrepid

water safe. Whilst purifiers might be the gold standard in entirely necessary. Parasites including protozoa and bacteria

are transferred inter-species via faecal matter in water, viruses

are a little more picky though, and will usually only jump between members of the same species. This means that if human activity levels are high around your water source, there

is a greater threat from viruses and you’ll be wanting to use a purifier. If human activity in the area is relatively low, there’s a good chance you’ll only need a filter.

“That crystal-clear stream could be harbouring a myriad of microorganisms ready to give you the bellyache of your life, or worse.” ‘When you’re backpacking in an area where there’s a crowded

it’s called worst-case water.

abroad in an area where sewage treatment isn’t that well

because we can grow bacteria and microbes that users might

Weitz, who is the Water Lab Manager for MSR.

he continues. ‘Being able to grow our own microbes on site is

campsite and there might be human waste present, or if you’re established, you need that virus protection,’ explains Kevin

Originally developed for military use, MSR’s Guardian

Purifier has a plunger or pump mechanism that is connected

‘It is very important to have a biohazard level 2 lab

encounter in the backcountry that would make you very sick,’ a huge advantage to our product development process.’

For most of us, safe water at home is something we give

to a flexible tube which syphons water from the source,

very little thought to as we freely top up our glasses. In the

your bottle. Weighing in at 0.49kg and with a flow rate of 2.5l

the idyllic aesthetics of that crystal-clear stream could be a

directing it to the hollow-fibre filter cartridge and then into

per minute, the Guardian is now a firm favourite amongst global travellers and backcountry campers for its efficacy in removing everything except chemicals and toxins and

wild however, it requires a little more consideration. Behind myriad of microorganisms ready to give you the bellyache of your life, or something far worse.

On expedition, a quality filter or purifier eliminates the

eliminating the need for single-use plastic water bottles.

limits of clean water access as well as the need for bottled

eye, it’s one of the very few filtration systems publicly

impact too. To do so is of course is a privilege in itself, and

But there’s more to MSR’s Guardian than meets the

available that meets U.S military standards – able to provide

deployed personnel with the capability to produce sustainable quantities of safe drinking water in any environment. MSR

is able to achieve this certification because of their in-house

microbiological testing and ongoing research at their factory

water, saving you money, and lessening our environmental the brains behind MSR’s systems are developing solutions not only for their adventurous customer base, but also for

communities around the globe for whom safe drinking water is a precious commodity.

So, whilst a water filter or purifier might not be the

in Seattle, U.S.A. ‘The Guardian technology is unique

sexiest, most flashy item in your pack, with its ability to take

the P248 standard,’ explains Weitz. ‘P248 is a rigorous 10-

to save lives and the planet as it goes, it could be the one to

because it’s one of the only water filters out there that meets day test that uses both clear water and water so contaminated 72

you beyond the limits bound by clean water and potential change the game completely.

SO, WHY FILTER YOUR WATER?

01 MICROORG ANISMS These microscopic nasties are the primary focus of treatment devices because of the immediate risk they pose to your health. This might include bacteria such as E-coli or Salmonella, protozoa like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and viruses like Hepatitis A or Norovirus.

02 SEDIMENT/ T URBIDIT Y Sediment gives water a dirty appearance, this could be sand, silt, mud or glacial flour that enters the water naturally by the erosion of river beds, banks or rocks. Whilst generally harmless, it’s not very nice to ingest!

03 TANNINS & HUMICS These are what gives water that tea colour, decaying plants and leaves leach organic matter into backcountry sources. They’re not harmful in small quantities, but they do impart odours and a bitter taste that even milk and two and sugars won’t sort out.

Contaminants can mean a whole range of different things, from the not-so-dangerous to the straight-up life threatening. The key thing to remember is that many of these contaminants are undetectable to the human eye but may still have the ability to cause serious damage to our health. If you’ve ever suffered sickness from unclean water you’ll know what we’re dealing with here. Generally speaking, water contaminants can be categorised by the following:

04 ORG ANIC & INORG ANIC CHEMICAL S Pollution of water sources with pesticides, herbicides or inorganic chemicals from both industrial activity and natural erosion can cause health risks, usually from long-term, repeated exposure.

05 ORDINARY SALT S The result of natural erosion or seawater contamination, the primary problem with salts is that they simply make water taste bad, and high concentrations can dehydrate you.

06 ME TAL S Metals can enter water sources through industrial contamination or natural erosion and cause poisoning. The metals most commonly associated with poisoning of humans through water sources are lead and mercury.

NEIL GRESHAM A catalyst for change Interview and Portraits by | Marc Langley

he year 1971 was a signif icant one, bearing witness

to some profoundly inf luential events across the

globe, culturally and politically. Sinn Féin ended a 65-

year abstentionist policy at a party conference in Dublin, Satchel Paige was the f irst black league player to be

elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Edward Heath

was the UK’s PM – leading a Conservative Government

that steered us into joining the European Communities that then became the European Union.

In rock music, The Doors were singing about riders on

the storm, Led Zeppelin introduced Stairway to Heaven

to the world, and Pink Floyd played their subversively

crowdless gig in Pompeii where the music emphasised

the scale and beauty of the natural environment. Music and pop culture seemed to galvanise a generation more

awake to alternative futures, driven by a greater sense of self with a hunger for more political engagement. Change was in the air.

1971 also marked the birth of one the UK’s most historically

significant climbers. Neil Gresham has influenced the world’s

climbing scene for more than 35 years, with seemingly no signs of slowing down. With a first ascent of Lexicon – graded

E11, and a plethora of significant repeats including Indian

Face, Equilibrium and Meshuga. It is perhaps no surprise that his influence has been so far reaching, born into an epoch

which nourished such significant cultural and political change.

I caught up with Neil in Kendal, a place we both now call

home. I wanted to seek insight into one of the world’s living climbing legends and understand how life, and its changes,

have played out for Neil. During our time together I learnt

that we all bear the witness marks of our time in the universe and that some are more visible than others. Most importantly though, not all scars are bad – they just serve to remind us

that we are alive and moving forward with the arrow of time. So, Lexicon, tell me about that.

I certainly couldn’t have predicted the amount of interest in the route so quickly after completing it, that’s for sure. I knew

Steve McClure was super keen to get straight on it after but

I absolutely didn’t foresee the likes of Dave MacLeod, Neil Mawson, Craig Matheson, and Franco Cookson paying such interest.

Reflecting back, I wonder if the post-Olympic hangover

played its part? Indoor climbing being as popular as it is and

On the surface it seems the Lake District is all climbed out. Would you agree with this?

You have to cut between the hearsay and what you see with

your own eyes. For me it was about going out and seeing for myself. Sure enough, I’ve heard soundbites singing

the narrative that all the obvious lines have been done and what’s left are just fillers – contrived gaps between already

established routes or totally blank protection devoid death walls. The truth I think is somewhere in the middle.

If we use Lexicon as an example, it is the super direttissima

its relationship with Generation Z, I think outdoor climbers

on the crag, but it shares some climbing with another route

zeitgeist. I heard people talking about indoor climbing – how

likes of Dave Macleod and Steve McClure certainly didn’t

wanted to rise up and be counted riding the post-lockdown it’s all well and good but when is the channel going to change?

I did feel like the tide was being held back somewhat, everyone

in the middle section. Is that to say it’s not worth doing? The think so.

Another example would be If 6 was 9 at Iron Crag,

was waiting for the Olympics which didn’t go entirely to plan,

realising the original route only goes two thirds of the way

people saying it was an anticlimax. Then suddenly BOOM!

was a ludicrously obvious feature to me. I agree it was still a

then there was a bit of clamour surrounding the format with There was this new hard, and dare I say cutting-edge trad route on Pavey Ark – so for me it felt like a personal antidote to the boom of indoor climbing and recent global affairs.

“If you look historically at all our best trad climbers, they are a bunch of total lunatics, oddball misfits somewhat unhinged and unpredictable.”

up the crag with a huge headwall which hadn’t been climbed

new finish to another route but with that came significant

amounts of additional climbing. It goes without saying that everyone is going to have their own opinions on whether

they think something new like Lexicon or Final Score is worth

climbing, but if you look at every other popular crag in the UK like Malham or Raven Tor for example, routes are getting extended all the time.

There has been a bit of resistance regarding some of the

new routing I have done. A feeling of indignation and this

perception that I’m the first person to do what I have done, which to me is just utter nonsense. It’s always the case that

the obvious lines of weakness get climbed first with things evolving afterwards with harder starts or the more direct

FACING PAGE: Finding the obvious line of weakness - Neil claims the first ascent of Sabotage, 8c+ at Malham Cove in 2016. RIGHT: © Ben Grubb

lines. I think this is the somewhere-in-the-middle I referred

to earlier, not super independent lines or features but more direct lines to already well established routes.

“I realised then that the desire to live was actually pretty huge after all, and there I was, alone on that huge wall, fighting for my life.”

There’s a theory that as you get older your appetite for risk

declines. Having just established a new E11 at 50, almost 28 years after climbing the Indian Face, I’m curious to know how this theory plays out on you… how has your appetite towards risk evolved?

To answer this question in its broader sense it’s probably worth pointing out that in my early teens I was quite timid. I was

trad climbing then but I built my way up through the grades quite steadily. I certainly wasn’t pushing the envelope – I was quite cautious. But then, after a turn of events aged 24 I ended

up climbing Indian Face which triggered a whole decade of big number trad routes, some of which were on-sights up to

around E7 but mostly head pointing on E9(s) and an E10.

It was a sustained period where I was definitely pushing the envelope. After about a decade of climbing right on the edge, I basically just called time.

If I kept going at the rate I was, the law of averages would

indicate that things probably wouldn’t work out so well for me. So instead, I started heading out on more adventurous trips and climbing whatever style I came across - sport, trad, deep

water solo, I didn’t really care. Then I moved even further

away from the riskier end of climbing and dedicated nearly all my time to sport climbing.

In my early twenties I had climbed 8b+ but I came back

to sport in my late 40s and climbed 8b+ again, then 8c and

a new 8c+ at Malham which I called Sabotage. I certainly didn’t predict a return to traditional climbing at all but then

I moved to the Lake District and things changed. I started exploring my new backyard and seeing new route potential. Quite frankly, I became incapable of walking away from these obvious lines which looked like some of the juiciest lines I had

seen. And so I began climbing hard trad again starting with a direct finish to Fear of Failure (E8) at Dove Crag, which I

called Fearless (E9); this whetted my appetite for sure and I

soon set out and established Final Score (E10) the direct finish to If 6 was 9 further embedding my inability to walk away from these lines I had spotted.

However, after I climbed the new line of Dove Crag it

really started to sink in that my family’s financial dependency lay entirely on me – I did start to question should I actually being doing this? I realised that I had pushed my sport grade

up significantly and I had all the previous trad climbing

experience to fall back on, plus my psychological strength,

which I feel has always played a much more prominent role in my climbing than my physical strength.

Bizarrely, Fearless on Dove Crag was probably the most

dangerous of the routes I have done in the last three or four

years; if you mess the start of that up there is no ambiguity about what will happen to you. However with Final Score, the

gear might hold on If 6 was 9 but who knows? If it does then it’s as safe as a sport route but if it doesn't then you’re in some serious shit.

THIS PAGE: Commitment comes with sacrifice – mega projects can become all-consuming.

With Lexicon there was the classic backlash from the armchair

After bumbling around for a bit, I got a job in Cotswolds in

of them had even been on it! It was safe to fall off with maybe

subsequent zeitgeist began. Basically he was fishing for a

checkers saying it is safe, so how can it be E11? For starters none the exception of the last two moves. This was based on the

knowledge that the gear is bomber. But it is a massive fall, so

with the included rope-stretch you would come very close to the ground.

Despite that, I convinced myself that you wouldn’t actually

hit the deck, even if you fell the entire 90ft of the crag. I had

done the usual bag fall tests, measured the distance etc and I genuinely felt confident with the aforementioned conviction.

Betws-y-Coed and that’s when I met Nick Dixon and the belay on Indian Face but because he’s a super nice guy, rather

than just dragging me up to Cloggy all the time for his own benefit, he encouraged me to get on it. Initially I was dismissive

but then things played out in this bizarre fatalistic way, and

I found myself playing a very high stakes game. It wasn’t a suicide mission or a death wish, I know that much. It was more complicated and nuanced than that.

I don’t think I’ll ever understand the narrative I was

Steve McClure however was not convinced. When I first took

experiencing back then. I remember thinking that Indian

bottom of the route. I wasn’t sure why he was looking at this at

cathartic sounding board for the bereavement process. Sure

him to take a look, he immediately looked at the slope at the first, he explained after that he genuinely thought you might deck if you come off higher up. I realised that in fact I knew this all along but had shut this proposition from my mind in order to justify going for the send.

Subsequently having belayed Steve on it and seeing him

come so close to decking after a monster fall with two moves

still to go. I know now that a ground fall could well be likely

Face would create a new chapter in my life and it became this enough, if that exercise had gone wrong I would have been none the wiser because I wouldn’t have survived to benefit from it, but it went well and I did the route.

Things really changed for me after Indian Face. I still had

elbow tendonitis when I climbed it but it suddenly disappeared. Strange, now I’m recounting that 25 years later. One thing

that did stand out for me after climbing Indian Face was that

unless you get your belay system exactly right and have a lot of

I finally started looking forward with my life rather than back

Reflecting more critically on my climbing now, compared

being injured and stuck in a bit of a vacuum, and it was all very

luck on your side.

to the Indian Face era. Back then I would climb any type of route regardless of whether they were chop routes or not – the risk factor was almost certainly higher back then. But these recent

trad routes are much more like hard trad-sport hybrids. If you

to that event. It was all very much sliding doors, meeting Nick, weird the way it played out. There was no doubt that climbing

Indian Face was a way of exercising the demons which resided in my subconscious as a consequence of losing Rachel.

ask Steve McClure the same question he’ll tell you that being a dad, he’s not wanting to climb things like Meshuga or Indian

Face. He is much more interested in routes that effectively enable him to fuse his sport climbing ability with trad; and

to be honest that’s the way I see Final Score and Lexicon – not safe but spicy, the gear might rip but you shouldn’t deck. I feel

now I’m a more calculated climber building in a much higher safety threshold, whilst simultaneously drawing on 25 years of experience.

In 1993 your girlfriend Rachel Farmer died unexpectedly and in 1995 you climbed the Indian Face. I’m curious to learn

if there is a correlation to the dramatic change here, given

your trad climbing experience prior to this was way below the grade of Indian Face?

You are absolutely right to draw this distinction. Losing Rachel and the whole experience derailed me like nothing I’d

experienced before or since – I was so lost after that. I was 21 and living in Sheffield immersed in the sport climbing obsessed

“There was no doubt that climbing Indian Face was a way of exercising the demons which resided in my subconscious.”

scene, a scene which was very much my entire world. I’ve subsequently learned that the body can become traumatised by emotional injury, we don’t always notice the true effects.

As you have aged do you feel differently about climbing

up, despite never really feeling like I was overtraining. I was

Even now there has always been an element of guilt about

Very quickly after Rachel died, my elbows started packing

probably in a state of shock. All I knew was that I couldn’t

continue in that Sheffield scene. Basically, all my mates were

training in the cellars and climbing at Raven Tor, so I fled Sheffield and moved to North Wales. 80

Indian Face and its relationship to Rachel?

pursuing that goal. It was a fairly selfish endeavour and as an

inward looking young man, I was feeling disillusioned about

what had happened. I wasn’t thinking about my parents or my friends, I was just existing inside this bubble.

When I think about that now, if it had that gone wrong, then

of these amazing modern facilities. It makes me laugh when

and reflect on the Indian Face in a more positive way now,

mattresses from skips to put in our damp, mould-infested

that would have been another sad waste of life. I can look back despite continuing to climb dangerous routes like Meshuga and Equilibrium afterwards, I was no longer approaching

them with the same fatalistic outlook. I was climbing those routes to live and for the sole joy of climbing and no longer possessing the attitude of ‘well let’s just see how it goes’.

I remember how we used to scavenge mangey, flea-bitten cellars and then climb on splintery home-made holds under a

flickering fluorescent strip-light. I can’t help but wonder if the chasm is too big to make the jump from the world of gourmet coffee and designer volumes onto a loose, vegetated sea cliff.

That’s not to say that any climber who climbs a route like

How does this current phase in your climbing compare to

pertains to my own feelings at the time, which related to me

There are no more routes like Lexicon to come from me despite

Indian Face is being selfish, this feeling of guilt and selfishness

losing Rachel. I remember thinking this ridiculous idea that I had climbed 8b sport and the Indian Face is only 7b so I

had this huge physical margin. I had climbed winter routes on Ben Nevis with no protection and run the rope out for

your early career? Do you feel there is more to come?

feeling like I could climb the equivalent or maybe even harder. I was recently with Craig Matheson who has just climbed Hard Cheese, which is the other joint hardest route in the Lakes.

Craig is younger than me and you can see he is on this

over 50 metres, so at least there is some gear on Indian Face.

steep curve and really going places. I feel like I’ve been

physical resilience of sport climbing, so if I just put the two

unhappy person if you constantly think you haven’t climbed

I’d developed the boldness from winter climbing and the

together, it would be alright! However, this was totally flawed

logic and it quickly unravelled as I climbed the route. The aforementioned bubble burst and I was left wondering, what the hell am I doing here?

I realised then that the desire to live was actually pretty

huge after all, and there I was, alone on that huge wall,

fighting for my life. The trouble with Indian Face is you can’t just shut your eyes, take a breath and sprint for the top like

you can on a short spicy grit route, you are on this climb for the long haul.

The face of climbing is changing at an unprecedented pace.

It’s no longer just an outlet for the anarchists and social introverts but a much more mainstream sport. How do you think this explosion in climbing is playing out, specifically regarding traditional climbing?

on that curve for a long time now. I think you could die an

hard enough and need to keep driving forward. There was

this element of dissatisfaction that kept driving me forward.I think I needed that in order to really push my limits – but

not now at this current phase in my life. If you look at other climbers who are just cruising, without obsessing about goals,

then I guess they are having more fun in the conventional and immediate sense.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved doing Lexicon but

this commitment came with a fair amount of sacrifice. I was

very much in my own world, analysing every aspect of my performance in pursuit of marginal gains. In some ways it can

feel a bit dehumanising, operating like some sort of highlytuned performance car and I don’t want to live my whole life like that anymore. I want to spend more time with my family and close friends.

I have made a conscious decision now to feel happy and

A really good friend of mine, Patch Hammond, likened

satisfied with Lexicon and this hit me like a steam train when I

an intellectual, so I was curious to see how he was going to

to start a new chapter of sorts.

climbing to snooker – specifically trad climbing. Patch is

back this observation up. He said the Chinese have decided

topped out. I knew I had totally rinsed the tank and it was time

that they want to dominate at snooker and consequently they

In the past three years you have put up some significant new

investing in psychology coaches, similar to the British Cycling

After Lexicon, I’ll be totally satisfied to be one of those

have thrown billions at it, opening up snooker academies and approach – but they are not winning. Whereas, if you look at all the British snooker players they all come out of working men's clubs and pubs, drinking, fighting, smoking with a bit of

grit and anarchy about them. That’s trad climbing, with sport climbing you can sort of do it with the academy approach, but

hard routes. So what’s next?

50-something-hustlers, who can still rock up to Malham or Kilnsey and climb middle 8 routes or onsight E6 trad. I still

want to climb at a solid level but not go for these mega projects that are all consuming.

My family has been amazingly supportive throughout the

there is a sort of X-factor to trad.

big projects, so now, taking my daughter swimming or my son

they are a bunch of total lunatics, oddball misfits somewhat

I’m an all-rounder. I really like ice-climbing for example, but

If you look historically at all our best trad climbers,

unhinged and unpredictable. Even in the modern era we have the likes of Franco Cookson, Robbie Phillips and Anna Taylor

to name a few. They are all pretty unusual, colourful people

to Cubs feels like a higher priority than training. In my heart I had to give it up when training for projects like Sabotage and Lexicon.

I’m looking forward to rediscovering the variety within

with big personalities. I actually think there is a lot of truth in

climbing and also rekindling the friendships, which to an

The modern generation of climbers seem a bit pampered

dedicated goal. So, it’s not the end but also it is the end of one

what Patch said.

to me, and we see quite a lot of grumbling online about some

extent are sacrificed when you're striving so hard towards one element of my climbing, if that makes sense.

We started this business championing the vertical wilderness and putting style over summit. 50 years later, we still are. In 1972, Chouinard Equipment bet the farm, urging climbers to stop using the company’s best-selling product to protect the rock. Clean climbing—making the switch from pitons to chocks—fundamentally changed both the art of the sport and the ethos of the community. It was climbing’s first environmental movement and instilled the values that drive Patagonia to this day. But more importantly, it was a challenge—what were climbers capable of achieving in order to protect the places they love? 50 years later, we’re asking that question again. We’re still committed to clean climbing and putting style over summit. We climb to feed our souls, not our egos. Celebrating the ethic laid down in the 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog means bringing humility, intention and creativity to every climb and inviting all climbers to build this legacy with us. It’s a commitment to the sport we love, to everything we make and to the planet we’re still working to save.

Learn more at patagonia.com/cleanclimb

Manikia, Greece. It’s the perfect climbing destination for Sasha DiGiulian and Alex Megos: incredibly colorful and overhanging walls, tufas and caves — a sport climber’s dream! For the best performance, they’re wearing SIROCCO helmets and HIRUNDOS harnesses from our PERFORMANCE range. © 2022 - Petzl Distribution - sambie.fr

BASE # 08

Articles inside

THE BASE INTERVIEW

MAKERS AND INNOVATORS

FREE REIN

MY ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

THE THROAT OF THE DOG

IMMERSION THERAPY

THE ROCK AND THE PARTY

BASE NOTES

MUMS ON MOUNTAINS

ALPINE X

THE IRON PATH