B R I TA I N ’ S B E S T- S E L L I N G WA L K I N G M AG A Z I N E www.livefortheoutdoors.com
In search of Avalon in Somerset Finding the Yorkshire Wolds’ lost village Playing with fire on the South Downs
Enchanting journeys through legendary landscapes
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GEAR
24 PAGES OF WINTER KIT TO TAKE YOU FROM STREET TO SUMMIT
27
Exploring Whitby’s darker side
THE LONELY SPLENDOUR OF THE HOWGILLS TOP 10 WINTER HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
POCKET-SIZED ROUTE CARDS WITH MAPS MORE WALKS IN MORE PLACES THAN ANY OTHER MAGAZINE
◆ NORTH YORKSHIRE ◆ PEAK DISTRICT ◆ SNOWDONIA ◆ SOUTH DOWNS ◆ THE HIGHLANDS
CONTENTS November 2014
42 DE ST I N ATIO N S 18 THE BLAZING SKYLINE COVER STORY
68
Walk high in the Sussex Downs and watch the sparks fly over Lewes, scene of Britain’s wildest bonfire celebrations.
32 MYSTERIOUS BRITAIN COVER STORY
Venture on foot into a world of myth, legend and ancient history – from a magical tor in Somerset to a vampire’s haunt in Whitby, from Lancashire witches to a lake monster in Wales, and a ghostly village in the Yorkshire Wolds.
58 THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN COVER STORY
Discover wild valleys, incredible views and a towering waterfall on a walk to a summit you’ve probably never heard of in the undiscovered country between the Lakes and the Dales.
4 COUNTRY WALKING NOVEMBER 2014
68 WINTER WONDERLANDS Ten top destinations from around the world to pull on your boots and explore on foot this winter. Choose from snowshoeing in Switzerland, trekking in Sri Lanka, sun-drenched hiking in Spain, aurora-spotting in Sweden...
SUBSCRIBE FOR LESS THAN HALF PRICE! u TURN TO PAGE 56 FOR DETAILS
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R E GU LA R S 8
THE VIEW Author Tom Moorhouse picks his favourite wildlife trails. Plus: how to walk home for Christmas.
24 YOUR VIEW Your letters, emails and photos.
29 STUART MACONIE How strife shaped our landscape.
GE AR
NOVEMBER ROUTES
GET YOUR FREE ROUTE CARDS!
79 RUCKSACKS Our complete buying guide to bigger backpacks for winter walking, plus 10 top models for men and women tested.
Step-by-step directions and Ordnance Survey maps for all 27 walks in this issue.
u TURN OVER FOR MORE DETAILS
31 FIONA REYNOLDS On what’s missing from Snowdonia National Park...
76 COMPETITIONS COVER STORY
Win a luxury stay in Devon and new custom-fit boots – and try the devilishly difficult CW crossword.
86 THE DIRECTORY Where to eat, drink and stay.
FREE GUIDE!
COVER STORY
YOUR STREET TO SUMMIT AUTUMN/ WINTER GEAR SPECIAL PAGE 91
D E S Ti N aTi O N S Lewes B onf ire walk
q BURNiNG
aMBiTiON
The Cliffe Bonfire Society, one of the societies of Lewes Bonfire, on the march in their 17th-century smuggler uniforms.
PhOTO: roB orchard
The
blazing skyline
On November 5th, the sky above the Sussex Downs burns redder than any other sky in Britain – and we’ve got the perfect walk for witnessing it…
p WHEN THE SK Y EXPLODES
Five different bonfire parties, each with their own firework displays, take place during the evening of Lewes Bonfire.
18 COuNTry WaLkiNg novemBer 2014
PhOTO: © James Barrett/aLamy
PhOTO: © superstock
M
ardi Gras, HoGmanay, the running of the Bulls, Up Helly aa: Lewes Bonfire has been compared to all of them. and yet even with those comparisons, it’s still something else altogether. This year, as every year since the 17th century, there will be carnage and fire in the streets of this small sussex town on november 5th. But while the town gets hot and crazy, there is a better option for walkers. The madness and pageantry of Bonfire is best seen from above, and handily, Lewes is surrounded by gorgeous hills. if you want to see a town erupt in flame and the sky burn with smoke and rockets, these are where you should come. Bonfire night in Lewes (pronounced ‘Lewis’ not ‘Loos’) is something special: joyous, manic, spectacular, angry, reflective and rooted in tradition. The story behind it is complex, but one fact is simple: historically, Lewes has been a stronghold of Protestantism. Bonfire night, of course, recalls a major Protestant triumph: the arrest of Guy Fawkes on november 5th 1605, and the foiling of a plot to blow up Parliament and King James i, and restore a Catholic monarchy to England. But there’s more to it in Lewes. Five decades before the Gunpowder Plot, between 1553 and 1558, there was a Catholic monarch on the throne: mary. in a short but bloody reign, mary sought to purge the nation of dissenters, and burned more than 280 Protestants at the stake. among them were 17 from Lewes, who met their awful fate in the streets of their own home town. This is why the centrepiece of Lewes Bonfire is the procession of 17 burning crosses through the town. u
q CaLM BEFORE THE SWaRM
this viewpoint on the kingston ridge is the perfect spot from which to watch the mayhem unfold.
Mysterious No nation on Earth has such a rich and remarkable trove of myths and mystery – and they can all be investigated on foot. Mystical hilltops, lost villages, standing stones and vampires: walk with us into the otherworld…
EXPLORE THESE AMAZING PLACES ON FOOT
Follow the ley lines to mystical Glastonbury
A vampire weekend in weirdest Whitby
Stalking the lake monster of the Brecon Beacons
A petrifying tale of intrigue at the Rollright Stones
Trace the final footsteps of the Pendle witches
Raising the ghosts of abandoned Wharram Percy
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PAGE 42
PAGE 44
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PAGE 50
PLUS: THE SPOOKIEST PL ACE-NAMES IN BRITAI N PAGE 45
u CELESTIAL PATHWAY
St Michael’s Tower frames a perfect sunrise over Glastonbury Tor – focus for some of ancient England’s most enduring legends. PHOTO: STEPHEN SPRAGGON/ALAMY
32 COUNTRY WALKING NOVEMBER 2014
Prehistoric ley lines, Arthurian legend and whispers of a divine visitor swirl around the epicentre of mysticism that is Glastonbury. WORDS: MARK SUTCLIFFE
mysterious island amid an impenetrable waterworld where the water levels fluctuated according to the tides and the seasons. This possibly pinpoints Glastonbury as location of the Arthurian legend of Avalon, and plenty of pilgrims visit the town convinced that England’s first monarch is buried somewhere in the grounds of the 6th-century abbey. But that’s just one of the myriad myths that swirl around Glastonbury – a place where history and folklore are blurred together in a colourful multi-stranded tableau in which it’s almost impossible to separate fact from fiction. Some people believe the Tor is a man-made edifice, denoting a vortex of primal energy at the junction of two of the most important ley lines in England. They say those who walk the spiral of terraces to the top of the Tor will be reborn.
The other legend – celebrated in William Blake’s poem Milton, then immortalised by Charles Hubert Parry in the seminal English anthem Jerusalem – suggests that Joseph of Arimathea either visited the town accompanied by a youthful Jesus Christ, or buried the Holy Grail at the foot of the Tor after Christ’s death. Modern-day visitors can see the Chalice Well – said to have first flowed when he buried the Grail – which inevitably is claimed to have healing powers. Whatever the reality, Glastonbury is certainly one of the earliest British strongholds of Christianity. Stretching even further back in time, there’s evidence of one of the earliest man-made roads in Britain, just to the west of town, and the remains of an Iron Age settlement built on a reinforced island in the marshes. And the beauty of it is that these layers of history are all eminently explorable on foot in a weekend. u
q FANTASY
ISLAND
St Michael's Tower picked out in the early-morning light atop Glastonbury's distinctive Tor. PHOTO: STEPHEN SPRAGGON/ALAMY
NOVEMBER 2014 COUNTRY WALKING 35
MY ST ER I OU S BR I T A I N
Pe n dle Hill
The last journey of the notorious Pendle Witches may have a macabre backstory, but following in their footsteps traverses some of the ďŹ nest walking country in the north.
p HILL OF HAGS
The lonely moorland setting adds to the malevolent atmosphere of Pendle Hill, famous for its links with 17th-century witchcraft. PHOTO: ANDY LATHAM
NOVEMBER 2014 COUNTRY WALKING 47
the
lO s t v i l l ag e
it is 500 years since the last villager perished at Wharram Percy in the Yorkshire Wolds. Walk here to discover the story of the hamlet’s heyday, its abandonment, and the skull-cracking scraps between its medieval inhabitants... w O r d s : J e n n y wa lt e r s
phOtOs: tOm bailey
november 2014 Country Walking 51
D e s ti N ati o N s th e h owgills
q lightiNg up
Descending the south-eastern spur of Great Dummacks, with streams of sunlight illuminating Middle Tongue and the ridge to Arant Haw beyond.
NOVEMBER 2014 COUNTRY WALKING 59
ten best winter destinations
winter wo n d e r l a n d s From snowy trails and cosy log cabins to sun-bleached peaks and exotic jungle treks, here are ten top destinations around the globe for incredible winter walking. words: Hanna lindon
B est for snow
HAslitAl, Switzerland Embodying all those fabulous Swiss clichés about log cabins, meringue-capped mountains and cosy evenings powered by Schnapps and fondue, the Haslital valley, a couple of hours south of Zurich, is almost too perfect to be true. and thanks to more than 40km of marked and prepared hiking trails, you won’t need to bring crampons – just lace up your regular walking boots and head out to enjoy the spirit-lifting splendour that is winter in the mountains. you’ll have to compete with skiers for accommodation around the main resort of meiringen, but access to the infrastructure of free buses and cable cars, and views up to the Wetterhorn and the Eiger, make up for any inconvenience. and if you’re feeling adventurous, strap on a pair of snowshoes and hike a bit higher into Haslital’s diamondcrested peaks, either with a guide or on 10km of dedicated trails. Go witH: swiss (swiss.com) and easyJet (easyjet.com) both fly from london to Zurich, with prices from £75 return. the train on to meiringen takes around two hours. schweizer schneesportschule in meiringen (skischulehasliberg.ch) organises tailored snowshoeing tours for individuals and groups. More info: haslital.ch
Don’t imagine that winter in the Alps is reserved wholly for skiers. Haslital welcomes walkers – with or without snowshoes. Photo: © HAslitAl tourism
november 2014 Country walking 69
GEAR
OUR TESTERS Gear editor Nick Hallissey and feature writer Rachel Broomhead have notched up thousands of miles on foot and understand the importance of good kit at the right price. This review took them to Snowdonia, Leicestershire, the Sussex Downs and Germany’s Bavarian Alps.
No-nonsense reviews for real walkers
Your complete buying guide to
20-40L RUCKSACKS I
n this test we are looking at largercapacity rucksacks for long daywalks, or weekend or three-day walks where you need to carry overnight kit such as washbag and changes of clothes, as well as your usual layers and provisions. They won’t easily carry camping equipment (you’d need a 60 or 70L pack for that), but if you’re walking a trail between hotels or B&Bs, these are perfect.
They’re also excellent if you walk with children, as they can carry extra layers and a decent picnic with ease. There’s a wide range of styles and capacities, and we’ll explain the kind of walks for which each is best suited. ABOUT OUR REVIEWS Our reviews aren’t comparative tests. Instead this is a buyer’s guide to a wide range of products found on the
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR... HYDRATION STORAGE Almost all these packs have storage for a hydration system. But check that the hole for the hose is big enough for the bite-valve to go through. And if you can, check how the weight and shape of a filled bladder affect the fit and balance of the pack.
CAPACITY More strippeddown packs have just one compartment, others as many as eight. Check if there’s a removable internal divider. These are handy for shrinking the main compartment when it isn’t full, or separating wet kit.
EXTRA POCKETS Most kit should sit in the main section so it stays dry and keeps the pack wellweighted. There may be side pockets, and there’s usually one in the lid. Don’t overload them, as it can make the pack top-heavy. Hip-belt pockets can store a GPS, phone or compass.
NB: In all reviews we give the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) for consistency. Discounts may be available online and in stores.
LID VS ZIP Most packs of this size use a drawcord and strapdown lid rather than a simpler zip, which makes it easier to open the pack wide when loading or rummaging.
BACK SYSTEM Airflow systems suspend the load away from your back. This allows air to circulate freely but can affect the weight of the pack and your balance. A ribbed channel system keeps the load close and lets air escape down the sides. Padded panels are the simplest idea, but can run hot.
COMPRESSION STRAPS These make the pack stable when it’s full, and shrink it down when it isn’t (e.g if you’re wearing your extra layers).
RAIN COVER These are fitted as standard on 90% of rucksacks these days. Most are stashed in the bottom of the pack, some in the top. This can affect the weight and balance of the pack, so check you’re happy with it. All packs reviewed here include a rain-cover unless stated.
TURN OVER TO READ THE TESTS...
PHOTOS: TOM BAILEY
GENDER Most packs are either unisex or specifically for women. Unisex packs are more common, so we have divided the test into seven unisex rucksacks and three for women. Nick and Rachel both tested the unisex packs – see Rachel’s views on P.82.
high street and online. We explain what you can expect for your money at each price-point, without using jargon. We don’t pick an overall winner, as it can be like comparing apples and oranges and no single option will suit every walker. Instead we focus on the kind of walking that each product suits best. Finally, we always test products for men and women in equal numbers.
27 ROUTES WITH ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS
Britain’s best
ON
E TH E NE R AR E ’ S YO U
WALKS
SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST
MIDLANDS
EAST
Autumn highs
NORTH WEST NORTH EAST
NOVEMBER 2014
WALES
SCOTLAND
IRELAND
I N SI DE TH I S MONTH . . . u Treading ancient ground in the Peaks u Big Lakeland views on a classic round u A Snowdonian summit with no crowds
and more of Britain’s best walks...
Higger Tor in the High Peak in coppery autumn garb: climb it on Walk 17 this month. PHOTO: ©ROBERT MORRIS/ALAMY
WE PROMISE MORE WALKS, IN MORE PLACES, THAN ANY OTHER MAGAZIN
READY TO USE!
POCKETSIZED A5 CARDS
!
Britain’s Best Walks FIND A GREAT WALK NEAR YOU... 01 Cornwall Bude to Crackington Haven
SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST 26
MIDLANDS EAST
CHALLENGE WALK
02 Somerset Maesbury Castle
NORTH WEST
03 Dorset Hardy Monument Walk
NORTH EAST
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04 Gloucestershire Lechlade
WALES
05 East Sussex Kingston Near Lewes
SCOTLAND
06 Kent Pluckley
IRELAND
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07 Buckinghamshire Hughenden & Downley 08 Herefordshire Woolhope
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09 Staffordshire Down Banks
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10 Nottinghamshire Dunham-on-Trent 12 Lincolnshire Scamblesby
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13 Norfolk Hunstanton to Brancaster Staithe 14 Lancashire Anglezarke Moor 15 Cumbria South Walney Nature Reserve
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11 Leicestershire Beacon Hill
22 FAMILY WALK
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16 Cumbria The Calf
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17 Derbyshire/South Yorkshire Grindleford
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18 North Yorkshire Little Fryup Dale 19 Northumberland Haltwhistle
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20 Pembrokeshire Carew
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21 Powys Corndon Hill 22 Gwynedd Garn Boduan 23 Gwynedd Mynydd Mawr
ROUTE UPDATES
24 Scottish Borders Yarrowford & Minchmoor 25 Highland Ben Hiant 26 Highland Strath of Kildonan 27 Cumbria The Rannerdale Horseshoe
CLASSIC ROUTE
uExmoor Epic, Day 1, September 2014, Walk 3 At point 4, take track west from summit (as on map), not east. uMorville, Shropshire, October 2014, Walk 8 We are investigating reports of impassable paths and currently advise against walking the route. Check next issue for update.
GRADE Our routes are graded easy, moderate, challenging, or occasionally extreme, depending on distance, terrain, elevation and ease of navigation. Easy walks are usually short and flat. For an explanation of the tougher grades, see page 7.
How to use your routes... 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. 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. ABBREVIATIONS We have abbreviated left to L and right to R.
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.
92 COUNTRY WALKING NOVEMBER 2014
DOUBLE-SIDED FORMAT One route on one card, front and back. Find all the planning information on the front and the map on the back.
OUR EXPERTSAll of our routes are written by experienced and knowledgeable walkers who are experts at finding the best walks possible, and describing them clearly and accurately.
GRADIENT PROFILE Check the ascent and descent (hilliness) of the route with a quick glance at this profile. MAPS (on reverse of route card) Follow the red route marked clearly on the map. Maps are based on Ordnance Survey Landranger (1:50,000) and Explorer (1:25,000) maps, where each square represents 1km x 1km. 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.
A G E A R E XC L U S I V E F R O M C O U N T R Y WA L K I N G
St re et to
SUMMIT Walking kit that works on the hill and on the high street
PLUS: FIVE FASCINATING CITY WALKS
AUTUMN WINTER 2014 FOOTWEA R ◆ JACK ETS ◆ SHIRTS ◆ PAC KS ◆ ACCESSORIES
FOOTWEAR
Go from city to summit in one move – without even changing your shoes. WHY PACK THREE pairs of shoes for a weekend away when one will do? It may be a fate worse than death for fully fledged fashionistas, but it's a godsend when you just want to chuck your kit in a bag on a Friday night and hit the high road. Here are seven pairs of multi-functional shoes which look fantastic on the street but pack enough grip, toughness and weatherproofing to take you into the hills, too.
SCARPA MOJITO £150 The Mojito looks as cool as a Converse, especially with its sumptuous range of colours for both genders, including lime, plum and aquamarine. But it has the style and grip of a rock-climbing boot, including a Vibram sole. There’s even a Gore-Tex version. An utterly reliable companion on the hill and a major talking point at a party. scarpa.co.uk
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F R O M S T R E E T. . .
G E A R T H AT W O R K S O N T H E H I L L A N D O N T H E H I G H S T R E E T
MAMMUT SLOPER LOW £100 The Sloper might look like your average pair of über-cool sneakers, but beneath the sleek urban styling sits the gutsy, adventurous heart of Mammut’s more specialised footwear. What could almost pass for a canvas upper is actually water-resistant calf leather, and the sole is borrowed from one of the brand’s best trail-running shoes. A comfy insole and robust toecap finish it off in style. mammut.ch
ASOLO EMBER £100 The Ember is a more technical-looking approach shoe, but with enough subtlety and style to look good in town. It uses Asolo’s Natural Shape technology, which cradles your foot beautifully and provides exceptional traction. We’ve done miles in the Ember and its male counterpart the Plasmic – including CW’s cross-London walking trail – and it has performed magnificently. asolo.com
KEEN DURAND MID £140 It may be less easily disguised around town than the Asolo, but the Durand still looks about as cool and subtle as a walking boot ever can. With its polyurethane rubber outsole and Keen waterproof membrane, it’s a tough prowler in a very funky frame. And if the boot is a bit too full-on for your urban hikes, it also comes in a low shoe version. keenfootwear. com
HI-TEC PHOENIX SPORT £60 A classic, reliable Hi-Tec walking boot disguised as a downtown high-top. As well as looking great, there is genuine outdoor DNA here: an Ortholite insole, a deep-lugged outsole for good grip, and the same Dri-Tec waterproof membrane that appears on Hi-Tec’s Altitude walking boots. Perfect for a long day’s sightseeing around town and a country park the next day. hi-tec.com
MERRELL ANNEX GTX £125 A huge amount of thought has gone into the Annex to make it genuinely useful in both urban and rural jungles. The upper is an oily leather which is naturally waterproof and looks great, and there’s a Gore-Tex membrane under the bonnet too. The memory foam insole cradles your foot superbly, and the eye-catching Vibram outsole is as tough as a dodgem car’s bumper. Stunning. merrell.com
ECCO BIOM HYBRID WALK £145 You might be tempted to call this a “loafer”, with its beige leather skin and casual styling. But it’s actually a superb walking shoe. The “hybrid” name relates to its blend of yak and cow leather, which makes it light, supple and very durable. It’s built to last: the upper is heat-bonded directly to the outsole with no need for glue (which can come unstuck) or stitching (which can fray). The outsole isn’t as grippy as some, but it still gives good traction on rock. ecco.com
. . .TO S U M M I T
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SHIRTS & TEES Next-to-skin layers that mean you don’t need to look like an athlete… MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE AGRA TEE £20 As seen on almost every high street in the land, Mountain Warehouse offers functional, no-nonsense kit at bargain-basement prices. But they can have fun, too. The Agra is a gorgeouslooking, rather slinky top which looks great socially but also uses an IsoCool fabric to wick away moisture on a walk. Especially good if you’re chasing winter sun this year. mountainwarehouse.com
SALOMON NEKA POLO £35 The Neka may look similar to the Agra (above), but when it comes to materials and function, it’s a good few steps up, with 50+ UV protection and an active fit which is carefully built around the bust. It’s also luxuriously soft, and the collar keeps the sun off your neck nicely. Great as a base-layer worn beneath warmer layers in the UK, and as a travel top as well. salomon.com
The Katmai is perhaps the perfect technical/casual shirt. It’s made with Páramo’s ground-breaking Parameta A fabric, which is silky-smooth, windproof and UV-resistant, and even converts your perspiration into a coolant on hot days. And yet it looks like something you threw on for the pub. Hidden security pockets make it great for travel, too. paramo.co.uk
JACK WOLFSKIN EDMONT £75 This was one of our favourite finds. The Edmont is made from flannel, which makes it perfect for winter walks when you need breathable warmth next to your skin. Wolfskin are past masters at making technical kit that looks casual, so it’s little surprise that when we wore this, it was the shirt most people asked us about. Rugged, stylish and a social talking point: that’s what this is all about. jack-wolfskin.co.uk
FJÄLLRÄVEN OVIK £70 If you want something a little more substantial than a slimline base-layer, the Ovik is a great shout. At first glance it looks a bit unflattering, but it somehow magically moulded to the CW lady's hips on its run-out in the Peak District, and became a firm favourite. And in the pub afterwards, it has genuine country chic. fjallraven.co.uk
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PÁRAMO KATMAI LIGHT £60
ICEBREAKER LODGE £140 Icebreaker products are made from New Zealand Merino wool, which is naturally thermostatic and almost completely odour-free. Thus it tends to be at the higher end of the cost scale. The Lodge is 100% Merino and looks beautifully fitted, with sharply defined shoulders. It’s a thicker weave than standard Icebreaker fare, so perfect for walks in colder conditions. icebreaker.com
F R O M S T R E E T. . .
. . .to s u m m i t
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