MARCH 2016
WALK MULL: Find sea eagles & fossil trees March 2016 £4.20
BUY THE BEST FABRIC BOOTS 4-wheel-drive for your feet: 14 pairs tested
ISSUE 351 AMAZING A WALKING WEEKENDS ◆ ISLAND OF EAGLES ◆ PEMBROKESHIRE ◆ SOMERSET SOLAR SOLA SYSTEM ◆ INCA TRAIL REBOOTED ◆ FABRIC BOOTS
Britain’s best-selling walking magazine
Amazing walking
weekends
27 ROUTE CARDS
209 miles of tested local walks + OS maps
www.livefortheoutdoors.com
Jonathan Dimbleby
JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
“I don’t know where I’d be without walking”
Find your official progress tracker inside
PARADISE IN COAST TO COAST YORKSHIRE’S PEMBROKESHIRE IN CORNWALL ATLANTIS The best £40 you will ever spend, we promise!
Take on a mini adventure you’ll never forget
Walk the Dale drowned drowne by a beggar’s curse
eagles DARE WHERE
For an unforgettable walking weekend set sail for the Isle of Mull, where Britain’s largest birds of prey soar above empty coastlines and wild hills. WORDS: MARK SUTCLIFFE
LOCH OF THE CLIFFS Scan the skies for sea eagles and the rugged shore for enticing walks as you ride the waves at Loch oc na a Keal. ea
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
DISCOVER Isle of Mull
MARCH 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 31
On Pembrokeshire’s
pristine shores Experience a weekend with the wow factor on the west coast of Wales, for as little as £40 WORDS: PHILIP THOMAS
38 COUNTRY WALKING MARCH 2016
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
DISCOVER Pembrokeshire
BESIDE THE DEEP BLUE A journey along the Pembrokeshire Coast ebbs and flows between moments of enrapturing intimacy and and d jaw-dropping jaw d opp g vistas v stas like e these. t ese
WALK THE 46 COUNTRY WALKING MARCH 2016
SOLAR FLAIR The actual Sun smiles down as a scale model of it sets us off on a voyage through our galactic backyard…
DISCOVER Somerset
F I SAY “picture the solar system”, chances are you’re recalling two pages from The Usborne Book of Space or some similarly cherished childhood book. Yes, there they are, nine planets, neatly in a row, with perhaps a big orange curve on the left to represent the Sun. You can probably rattle off the names in something like the right order, too: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto. But there’s one small problem with that diagram. It’s utter rubbish. There is no atlas big enough to contain an accurate scale drawing of the solar system. The distances and sizes involved are just too mind-bogglingly complex. If Mars really was the astronomical equivalent of two inches to the right of the Earth, we’d have set up a branch of McDonalds on it by now. As Douglas Adams put it in The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.” Happily, there is a walk you can do that will embrace the boggling and actually show you just how big space is. It’s in Somerset. On a canal.
Seven miles in space The Somerset Space Walk was the bright idea of Tauntonian inventor, poet, astronomer and general dreamer of interesting things Pip Youngman. Fed up of the inability of books to portray the solar system accurately, he set about thinking how to do it in a real and exciting way. He found inspiration in the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, which runs for 14 miles between his home town and neighbouring Bridgwater. As he worked it out, 14 miles was a perfect distance to create a scale model of the solar system. Two, in fact. He reduced the solar system to a scale of 1:530,000,000, which means that 1mm on the ground equates to 530km. Then he stuck the model of the sun at the centre point of the canal, and installed two sets of nine planets, one set going north to Bridgwater, the other going south to Taunton. Both models are in the same scale, so in either direction you’ll walk from Sun to Pluto in 6.8 blissful, quiet miles of canalside ambling. u
Blow your mind and invigorate your body with a canal walk that is truly out of this world… WORDS: NICK HALLISSEY
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
MARCH 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 47
LAKE OF MYSTERY Could there be a long-lost civilisation hiding beneath the waters of Yorkshire’s most ost secretive sec et ve dale? da e
DISCOVER Yorkshire Dales
In search of
Walk the length of England’s shortest river on a quest for a mythical lost town. WORDS: PHILIP THOMAS
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
MARCH 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 53
PHOTO: © STEPHEN SPRAGGON/ALAMY
YORKSHIRE’S ATLANTIS
COAST toCOAST y Monday!) (b
YouÕll need a couple of weeks to spare to complete WainwrightÕs classic Coast to Coast trail, but thereÕs a shorter sea-to-sea walk you can do in a dayÉ WORDS: MARK SUTCLIFFE PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
PILGRIM STEPS Reaching the coast at the end of St Michael’s Way, the only path in Britain designated a European Cultural Route for its ancient ancient c e t pilgrim p g heritage. e tage
DISCOVER Cornwall
MARCH 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 59
Walkers of a
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of the world’s most popular walks, but there’s another path to the ancient city. Discover hidden ruins and vast Andean vistas on Peru’s other Inca Trail, while it’s still a well-kept secret… WORDS & PHOTOS: RACHEL BROOMHEAD
66 COUNTRY WALKING MARCH 2016
DISCOVER Peru
lost land
MACHU PICCHU ’S BIG SISTER The Incan city of Choquequirao is more extensive than Machu Picchu and only 30% of itt iss excavated. of e cavated
Expert advice on the kit that makes a difference YOUR COMPLETE BUYING GUIDE TO
OUR TESTERS
W
PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM BAIALILEY
e test fabric boots at this time of year because they are traditionally seen as lighter, nimbler, comfier and cooler than their leather counterparts – in short, they’re nicer to wear in spring and summer, which we hope are on their way shortly. That’s still fine and logical, but most of us in the CW office will happily wear fabric boots even in deep midwinter, when by instinct you might normally want to reach for leather. It all depends what type of fabric boot you go for, of course, but some of them are truly year-round investments, as resilient through snow and sludge as over parched soil, mountain rock and sandy beaches. In this test we’ve got one of the most exciting cross-sections we’ve seen in recent years, with good ideas and new technology carefully and cleverly applied to meet the varying needs of walkers. Leather boots will still score highly for firmness, support and (as a general rule) longevity – but when you want something that’ll carry you fleet-footed into new adventures, these are the boots to consider.
74 COUNTRY WALKING MARCH 2016
About our reviews
We made our choice of fourteen pairs of boots across a broad price range, and shared the testing between our male and female tester. As all the boots are available for both male ( ) and female ( ) you should consider all 14 boots on test as prospective purchases. We don’t pick a winner as it can be like comparing apples and oranges, and no single option will suit every walker. Instead we focus on what type of walking – and walker – each boot will suit best.
q LIGHTER AND COOLER
Fabric boots tend to be more supple and flexible than leather boots, and usually look slightly sexier too. NB: WE ALWAY SPECIFY THE RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE (RRP) FOR CONSISTENCY. YOU MAY SEE THESE ITEMS SOLD FOR CONSIDERABLY LESS IN STORES AND ONLINE.
Country Walking always tests products for both men and women. Our reviewers Nick Hallissey and Rachel Broomhead have notched up thousands of miles on foot, so they know the value of good kit at the right price. This test took them to the Lake District, the Hampshire coast, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the North York Moors.
FABRIC BOOTS
Buying Guide Fabric boots FIT
OUTSOLE
The most important consideration. Every foot is different, so we don’t usually review boots based on how they happened to fit us. We’d also never recommend buying online untried – always try them on to see how they fit in three key areas: the toe, the Achilles tendon and the upper. If it pinches any of these, be cautious.
A flatter outsole allows your foot to roll naturally, generally making for a smoother ride. A more pronounced arch and aggressive heel will bite harder into the ground for firmer traction. The tread pattern affects how the boot grips the terrain: see panel on Lugs over page.
LACING
ANKLE High-collared boots offer more support, especially if you’re on rock-hopping terrain where an ankle can easily turn. Lower-cut boots (often called ‘mids’) have less support but also weigh less and leave you more free to control your moves, if you’re very sure-footed.
Look for a locking eyelet – an extra runner that is usually placed further down the body of the boot than the rest. This helps secure the laces firmly. Just be careful that the eyelets, and the pressure-points where the bow rests, do not sit on top of a tender bone or tendon.
WATERPROOFING All the boots we tested include a waterproof/breathable membrane. GoreTex is still the market leader; you may also find other marques like eVent or OutDry. Or the bootmaker may use their own technology, usually to save weight, reduce cost or improve breathability.
FLEX
TOE-BOX A sturdier toe with toughened rubber bumpers will serve you better on higher, rockier ground. Lighter boots that minimise toe protection work better for lower country footpaths.
INSOLE A soft, squishy insole is very comfy and perfect for low-level walks, especially if you have podiatric issues. A harder insole works better on rock and is less likely to make your foot overheat.
This boot (the Altberg Yan Tan) is an unusually stiff example of a fabric boot; most use softer materials and specialise in flexibility over a range of terrains. But flexibility often means less in the way of protection and support. As a general rule, the higher you climb, the stiffer your boot should be.
Turn over to read the tests… MARCH 2016 COUNTRY WALKING 75
27 ROUTES with Ordnance Survey Maps
Britain’s est
WALKS MARCH 2015
SOUTH WEST
SOUTH EAST
PHOTO: © RONALD EVANS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
MIDLANDS
EAST
NORTH WEST
THE HIDDEN TARN High above Patterdale, Angle Tarn in the Lake District is only revealed on foot. Discover it for you se on yourself o Walk Wa 17.
Walks to relish
Seek out the spectacles of the High Peak l Get up close to Sussex’s Seven Sisters l Link up little lakes in North Wales... and many more great walks!
NORTH EAST
WALES
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
Britain’s est
WALKS
SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST
Find a great walk near you...
MIDLANDS EAST
01 Cornwall St Michael’s Way 02 Devon Slapton Sands
NORTH WEST
03 Wiltshire Pewsey
NORTH EAST
04 Hampshire Upton Grey
WALES 26
05 East Sussex Seven Sisters
SCOTLAND
06 Buckinghamshire Sheepridge
25
IRELAND
07 Essex Harlow 08 Herefordshire Pembridge 09 Warwickshire Hatton Locks
21
10 Northamptonshire Sulgrave
20
17
11 Staffordshire Hen Cloud
19
12 Derbyshire Back Tor & Lost Lad 14 Suffolk Somerleyton
24
16 Lancashire Beacon Fell 18 East Yorkshire Market Weighton
03
26 Isle of Mull Ardmeanach Peninsula
WALK INFORMATION An estimate of how long the route will take, based on a pace of about two miles per hour, with allowances made for slower, hilly routes.
A B
NAVIGATION: Good map-reading and compass skills required in places. DISTANCE: Route is between 8-12 miles from start to finish. TERRAIN: 3,000ft+ with sustained steep ascent/descent; possible scrambling.
W
N
S
E
92 COUNTRY WALKING MARCH 2016
E
TRAILZILLA ID (on reverse of card) We upload all our walks to Trailzilla.com so subscribers can use the unique code displayed on the back of each route card to download and print the route.
TERRAIN: Min 2,000ft ascent, sustained steepness and rocky or boggy ground. S
GRADIENT PROFILE Check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of the route with a quick glance at this profile.
GRADE Our routes are graded easy, moderate, challenging or occasionally extreme, depending on distance, terrain, elevation and ease of navigation. Easy and moderate walks are usually less than 8 miles with relatively gentle gradients. The table below shows how we grade our more challenging walks:
W
ABBREVIATIONS We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.
We published 349 routes in 2015. Find a county-by-country list of every walk, including a print-friendly version, at www.lfto.com/countrywalking routesindex Plus, you’ll also find a regularly updated 2016 index.
N
OUR EXPERTS All our routes are written by experienced and knowledgeable walkers who are experts at finding the best walks in their area and describing them clearly.
CLASSIC ROUTE
04
2015 WALKS INDEX
challenging
25 East Lothian Ravensheugh Sands
07
02
01
extreme
CHALLENGE WALK FAMILY WALK
10
05
21 N’land/Cumbria Greenhead to Lanercost 22 Gower Whiteford Burrows
14 13
06 27
20 County Durham Cronkley Fell
How to use your routes
09
22
19 North Yorkshire Semerwater
27 Somerset The Chains
12 11
08
17 Cumbria Angletarn Pikes
24 Conwy Llyn Crafnant/Geirionydd
15
23
15 Merseyside North Wirral Coast Path
23 Powys The Berwyn Ridge
18
16
13 Suffolk Carlton Marshes
A B
NAVIGATION: Sound navigation skills required; route may be trackless. DISTANCE: Route is more than 12 miles from start to finish.
MAPS (on reverse of route card) Follow the red route marked clearly on the map. It’s essential to take the relevant Ordnance Survey map with you in case you get lost and inadvertently leave the area covered by our map.