25-litre rucksackS testED
issue 317 scafell pike | chrome hill and parkhouse | Norfolk coast path | dartmoor's top 10 tors | everest base camp | his 'n' hers rucksacks
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britain's best-selling walking magazine
Perfect walks for
summer l The best ridge walk in the Peak District l Enchanting Dartmoor's Top 10 tors l The stunning scenery of Skye
three peaks weekenders
Climb Britain's three highest mountains the civilised way uPart 1: Scafell Pike
win gps gear worth ÂŁ1000! GARMIN SAT NAVS UP FOR GRABS
july 2013 ÂŁ3.99
july 2013
25
great new walks all around the UK: There's one near you!
free magazine
fantastic family days out
THE norfolk the world's Get the kids off COAST PATH best walk? the couch and The best sections to walk over a Fit enough to scale Scafell? Then into the country! day, a weekend or a whole week you can do Everest Base Camp
theview Miles of ideas for a brilliant month outdoors
8 Country Walking july 2013
The big picture
where’s this? This magnificent view can be found on one of the routes in this very issue – but do you know where it is?
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ribbon of river snaking its way into a deep wooded valley, a pronounced hillside on the horizon, and a perfect little path carrying the walker into a grassy paradise: our teasing picture hails from a truly fabulous walk that features somewhere in our routes section, Britain’s Best Walks. But where exactly? Using your skill and knowledge, have a go at pinpointing where our photographer was when he took this shot. You can use paper maps, GPS or dead reckoning, and whoever gets closest to the actual location wins a prize from our gear cupboard and bragging rights for at least a month… ◗to enter: Email your answer, including a short description of the location and a six-figure grid reference to: bigpicture@lfto.com In the event of several correct entries, a winner will be chosen at random. Full terms and conditions at greatcompetitions.co.uk
AND THE LAST ONE WAS…
JUly 2013 Country Walking 9
Photo: Richard Faulks
… the eastern slopes of Stac Pollaidh, looking to Cul Mor and Cul Beag, in the north-west Highlands. The exact grid ref was NC113104. A huge number of you knew it or went close, but well done to Jonathan Collinge of Hampshire, who got it right and was first out of the bobble hat!
Destinations | the three peaks
1 scafell Pike 978m/3,209ft
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2 snowdon 1,085m/3,560ft
The
three peaks weekenders
Forget time-limits and Transit vans: we’ve got three perfect walking weekends which will turn the quest for Britain’s highest points from a chore into a joy…
I
1,344m/4,409ft
Photos: Jon Sparks/Alamy; Dual Aspect Photography/Alamy; Eli Pascall-Willis/Alamy
3 ben nevis
t’s a prize that beckons most walkers at some point in their life: to stand on the rooftops of England, Scotland and Wales. Whether you want to do it by yourself, with friends or for charity, the prospect of standing atop Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike drives hundreds of walkers to the feet of these three magnificent mountains every summer. But let’s say this quietly: racing to do them all in 24 hours isn’t much fun. The 4am starts, the clock-watching, the endless driving, the head-down yomping; it’s an adventure, yes, but is it walking as we know and love it? Definitely not. Besides, these are three fascinating, enigmatic hills which deserve better than being treated as a racetrack. It is much, much nicer to give them the time they deserve. To go slow. So we sat down to think of a way to make it fun. And our solution is a trio of ‘Three Peaks Weekenders’. For each of the three mountains, we’ll offer you a weekend walking plan which really shows you what the hill is all about. The first day focuses on the peak itself, giving you time to appreciate it as a walk rather than just a trophy. For the second day, we’ve found the perfect companion walk: a neighbouring hill, lower, easier and less well-known, which offers a spectacular view of ‘the big one’. By the end of these three weekends, you’ll have a better appreciation of the Three Peaks than any clock-racer – and the chance to see it from a gobsmacking new angle and say proudly, “I did that.” We start with the summit of England, and in many ways the least well-known of the three. Tucked away in the most remote corner of the Lake District, invisible from almost any road, this is Scafell Pike… » july 2013 Country Walking 29
The
three peaks weekenders
1 Scafell Pike In a bid to get to know England’s highest mountain better, Rachel Broomhead spends a whole weekend in Wasdale. Yes, a whole weekend… Photos: Tom Bailey
W
asdale Head National Trust car park, Cumbria: a place of expectation, fulfilled dreams and hillwalking legend. A few metres away lies the path to England’s highest mountain, a mountain which Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge almost broke his neck trying to reach and which has the considerable honour of topping Wainwright’s list of the finest Lakeland fells. Everyone here has one thing on their mind: Scafell Pike. “Actually, I’m going to do a deleted Nuttall.” “I’m sorry?” “A deleted Nuttall. It’s called Pen, just behind Scafell Pike. It was once a Nuttall, but it’s not anymore.” “Ah, right. Er, good luck?” My car neighbour, Rob, booting up next to me in the watery morning sunlight, belongs to an exclusive, highly organised and slightly scary club. They call themselves hill-baggers. “I’ve done all the Munros twice, all the Wainwrights and all the Nuttalls,” he tells me. “Oh, and about 1,440 out of the 2,009 Marilyns.” Now, I’m all for categorisation. At home, I have an incredible filing system. I know exactly where to find my car insurance policy and last month’s overdue credit card bill. But surely our beguiling hills and mountains shouldn’t be methodically filed away and classified like paperwork? Most ill-treated is the file labelled ‘highest’. It’s the file which possesses people to climb the three loftiest peaks in Scotland, Wales and England in 24 »
“Surely our most beguiling hills and mountains shouldn’t be methodically listed and classified like paperwork? I think they deserve more respect.” 30 Country Walking july 2013
On the final stretch to the roof of England, with Great Gable in the background.
national trails | norfolk coast path & peddars way
The
norfolk coast path & Peddars Way
Combining Roman army highway, crashing surf and colossal saltmarsh with the biggest skies and best seafood imaginable, this two-for-one trail is the ultimate tour of England’s wild east… Words: Nick Hallissey and Mark Sutcliffe
Y
ou CAN WAYmark the Norfolk Coast Path and Peddars Way in sensory moments: the scent of pines above the warrens of Breckland; the taste of smoked prawns from the Cley Smokehouse; the sound of the sea thrashing the shingle at Weybourne; the feel of soft sand between your toes at Holkham; and the clifftop view at Skelding Hill, where the edge of England races off to the horizon, offering the promise of a coastal adventure like no other. Comprising a Roman military road built to keep Boadicea’s Iceni tribe subdued and a modern coastal footpath created to celebrate, well, coastal walking, this two-part chalk and cheese national trail is an extraordinarily atmospheric way to explore and understand the east of England. The two components are almost equal in length: the Peddars Way runs for 46 miles (74km) from Knettishall Heath in Suffolk to Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk seashore. Here it meets the Norfolk Coast Path, running 45 miles (72km) from Hunstanton in the west to Cromer in the east. The landscape of the Coast Path changes from red-and-white striped cliffs to teeming saltmarsh, from pine forest to wild heath. It’s also a bird-lover’s paradise: a haven for some of Britain’s rarest fliers, from waders to raptors. So whether you’ve a week or a weekend, a single day or a desire to do the whole shebang, we’ve got a plan for you. Turn the page and let’s get started… »
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Edge of England: walking the shingle and sand of the Norfolk Coast Path near Weybourne.
Photo: Tom Bailey
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Your big summer questions...
Should I attempt longer walks? Summer is traditionally when we expect more of ourselves on our walks: we might aim for longer routes, higher hills or bigger challenges – or maybe even a longdistance walk or charity challenge such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks. But if your customary walk is a six-miler and you’re suddenly scaling up to 15 or more miles, it’s important to prepare properly and to manage your expectations.
Is it alright to drink beer? The mid-walk or post-walk pint may be one of the joys of a good summer walk, but is it the best thing for you? The midwalk drink probably isn’t, as it will dehydrate you and make you a little less steady on your tiring legs. But at the end of the walk, no problem: a pint or two will trigger your endorphins without undoing the fitness benefits of the day. Peter Sheard also recommends Pimm’s or Sangria, as they have low alcohol levels plus the antioxidant benefits of fruit. Pimm’s O’Clock, then. 52 Country Walking july 2013
Andy Simpson, spokesperson for England and Wales Mountain Rescue, says: “Exhaustion is a huge problem, especially if people bite off more than they can chew and get tired on the final stages of a walk, or the descent off a mountain. They fall and they injure their arms or legs as they try and steady themselves. So please only
embark on walks you know you are fit to do, which may mean building up your fitness gradually in advance.” Peter Sheard agrees: “In the weeks before your big walk or big holiday, try to get in two walks of at least three miles per week, on nonconsecutive days,” he advises.
Above: Ingleborough is the last of the Yorkshire Three Peaks on the traditional challenge trail – and by this stage you're pretty knackered. Make sure you're ready to walk through that barrier… Left: Beer. Better at the end than halfway round!
“Do them briskly to burn a few calories. Then at the weekends, do a longer walk on Saturday and a shorter one on Sunday, using the latter to ‘assess the damage’ from the former. Did my pack chafe my shoulders? Do I have ‘hotspots’ on my feet that might develop into something nastier on the big day? Which muscles
are sore and can I do anything to strengthen them in the next few weeks? “Build your mileage slowly – add about 10 per cent per week, mainly on the long day at the weekend.” Ensure any recurring weak spots you might have, such as ankles or knees, are protected by a thermal bandage or neoprene support. Walking poles will help take the weight off your feet, knees and joints on longer walks.
“In the weeks before your big walk or big holiday, try to get in two walks of at least three miles per week.”
Photo: Tom Bailey
And don’t forget the weather…
Photo: Tom Bailey
Andy Simpson says many Mountain Rescue callouts happen because people go out unprepared for changes in weather. “Take clothing that will help you adapt; remember it is always markedly colder and windier at the top of a hill than it was at the bottom,” he adds. “So take extra warm layers in your pack even if it’s brilliant sunshine in the car park, and please don’t be tempted to leave your waterproof behind either.”
more SKILLS FOR SUMMER Want to beat pesky midges and ticks? Just turn the page…
The contents of a well-prepared walker's rucksack.
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great british classic
Peak perfection Chrome, Parkhouse & Hollins hillS, peak district Forget Alton Towers – if you want a thrilling day out in the Midlands then head to three little hills near a hamlet called Hollinsclough. Words: Jenny Walters Photos: Tom Bailey
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W
hen a four and threequarter-mile walk takes all day then either something has gone very wrong – maybe you’ve lost the map or are glued with terror to an airy ledge – or you’ve been having the absolute time of your life. The bite-size hills of Chrome, Parkhouse and Hollins fall squarely into the latter category – packed with thrills, adventure, staggering views (and just a little bit of terror on an airy ledge). Look east next time you drive the A53 south of Buxton and you’ll see what I’m talking about. In the sea of pretty green hills, you’ll spy a couple of stand-out ridgelines, all lumpy, toothy and interesting. You’d expect traffic jams along the lanes to Hollinsclough – who could see these peaks and resist? – yet all is quiet. The only sound is the brisk thud of boots as I march down the lane, past a sign for the deliciously named Glutton Bridge, to the hills. And they’re even better up close. Chrome Hill curves in a plump green arc to my left, its spine »
punder the sea Parkhouse Hill and Chrome (seen here from Hollins Hill) are limestone reef knolls, formed below a tropical sea south of the equator before tectonic plate movement shifted them north and thrust them skywards.
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gear no-nonsense reviews for real walkers
this just in...
Garmin Oregon 600 £319 Update of Garmin's mid-range GPS promises the most accurate navigation and location positioning ever… Garmin's popular mid-range GPS series gets a swish makeover this month. The designers promise "the most accurate navigation and positioning ever", staying spot-on even if the device isn't level and showing direction of travel even when standing still. When using the GLONASS satellite system, it'll fix your location 20 per cent quicker than it would by conventional GPS, and stay accurate even in thick tree cover or in secluded valleys. Fitting in between the tiny eTrex and titanic Montana ranges, it's compact enough to be pocket-friendly but carries a wide range of topographical mapping options. The series includes four units, 600 (£319), 600t (£380), 650 (£380) and 650t (£440), with mapping and sharing options increasing through the range, and 8-megapixel geotagging cameras on the 650 and 650t. Full test to follow… ugarmin.com/uk
Photo: Tom Bailey
COMING UP 15-28-LITRE RUCKSACKS • WALKING SANDALS • CW'S LONG-TERM TEST april july 2013 2013 Country Country Walking 65
GEAR The big test
Rucksacks The 20-litre rucksack has been the staple of a summer day-walk for ages, but you will now find cleverly-designed 15 and 18-litre packs which can carry the same amount with much less weight. So here we’ve set the limits at 15l and 28l to show a good range.
What to look for...
our testers
Tom Hutton is an award-winning outdoors writer who has been testing gear for CW for more than ten years along with partner Steph Duits. Tom is author of several Welsh walking guides. He and Steph have explored virtually every inch of the nation, but are especially fond of the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia – or as they know it, the back garden.
FIT/SHAPE/SIZE Taller, slimmer packs look good and stay out of the way of your arms; but they can obstruct head movement if they are too tall. Broader, shorter packs are the exact opposite and tend to be easier to rummage around in; but they can feel less stable as they don’t spread the load over such a large area of your back. Personal preference and the length of your back will help you decide what’s best for you.
POCKETS Pockets are great for dividing things so that you can easily find sun cream, camera, flask etc but they do add weight, bulk and cost. A few will generally be useful but watch out for packs with too many.
BACK SYSTEM Airflow-style back systems provide ventilation by holding the pack away from your body. This is cool but is also heavy and it affects stability a little. A good compromise is some kind of groove/channel that encourages airflow without altering the weight distribution. The lightest packs may have neither so here you make a choice of weight over comfort.
MAIN COMPARTMENt Traditional-style packs still use drawcords and straps to close the main compartment; a lid then straps down on top of this. This is reliable and reasonably weatherproof but it’s harder to pack and access and uses more fabric so tends to be heavier. Modern, zip-opening packs are much easier to get into but zips can be fiddly to do up, especially around bends, and they can also break.
HARNESS/STRAPS COMPRESSION STRAPS
WOMEN’S PACKS
Full packs don’t hold their shape – compression straps enable you to keep them as tidy and manageable as possible. Conversely, if your pack is nearly empty, the few bits that are in it will move around. Again, compression straps can cinch it down and keep it tidy. They can also be used to hold things like poles/wet waterproofs etc.
Most packs are unisex, but women's-specific packs have shorter backs and specially designed harnesses. read the full REVIEWS
16 rucksacks tested in the field!
july 2013 Country Walking 67
Illustration: Steven Hall
On smaller packs a little padding on the shoulders is really all that’s needed. On larger ones, a little on the hip fins will help too. Some mesh incorporated into the straps will prevent a build up of perspiration. If they are particularly shaped/contoured, make sure they feel right on your frame. A chest strap is vital to hold the main straps in place.
Destinations | dartmoor
The
Top 10
Tors Dartmoor is the wildest land in the south, a tempting expanse of lonely heather and rocktopped peaks. We reveal the finest tors on the moor, all picked for you by local experts... Words: Sarah Baxter
A
breeze tickles the tussocks, the sphagnum moss hints at the bogs beneath, all signs of the 21st-century seem sunken into the mire, and I think: Conan Doyle was right. A quote from his Dartmoor-set Hound of the Baskervilles resonates: ‘If you [saw] a skin-clad hairy man... fitting flint-tipped arrow onto bow, you would feel his presence there more natural than your own.’ This landscape feels other. Or nether – a netherworld where ghosts might lurk behind the boulders; as I tail my guide around Fur Tor’s meads, he tells me to beware of pixies. I look about – all is godforsakenly bleak, but I’m grinning. More Doyle occurs: ‘The longer one stays here the more does the spirit of the moor sink into one’s soul, its vastness... its grim charm... ’ Comprising 953 sq km of Devon upland, Dartmoor is a peculiar beauty; its sense of wildness is absolute. There are few roads, but 470 sq km of Open Access land and 730km of public rights of way. Walkers can follow well-marked paths or tramp off-trail – so long as they
have a compass and know when the MoD, which owns chunks of the moor, is firing its guns. Dartmoor also has around 170 ‘tors’ – rock outcrops of varying size and splendour that top its hills. Following their genesis 280 million years ago, when the area’s molten granite began to solidify, the tors have fractured and eroded into today’s heaps. They now provide excellent waymarks and good missions for a hike. They’re also key to the region’s Ten Tors Challenge. Every May since 1960, teams of youngsters attempt this exercise. Each group is assigned a route, via ten different tors; their task to navigate between them over a weekend, camping overnight. It’s a substantial undertaking, which Dartmoor’s weather often makes tougher: in 1996, 2,100 of the 2,400 participants had to be evacuated due to unseasonal snow. But exploring ten of Dartmoor’s tors doesn’t have to be so arduous. Here, local experts recommend their personal favourites whether you’re a film buff or a historian, a wilderness seeker or a geologist. »
Capture the essence of Dartmoor at Leather Tor (see No. 8). Photo: Alex Nail
july 2013 Country Walking 81
Destinations | everest base camp
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Total guide: Everest base camp
On top of the world It’s 60 years since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to stand on top of Everest, but you don’t need to be a heroic mountaineer to take on the awesome trek to Base Camp... Words: Vincent Crump Photos: Stewart Perry/Help for Heroes
Prayer flags add a splash of colour to a snowy morning on the Everest Base Camp trek above Dingboche.
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25 ’ Britain s best
easy-to-follow walks with full ordnance survey maps cut-out & keep routes! JUly 2013
South west
South east
midlands
east
North west
Undiscovered Britain Where will you explore this weekend? Choose a route and go!
North east
Wales
Scotland Ireland
inside this month uExquisite coastline in Cornwall uSix Peak District dales in one walk uWild views from Lancashire moors u A family-friendly hill in Snowdonia and many more...
The British Bahamas? Porth Curno beach and Treen cliffs in Cornwall. uTurn to route 1 Photo: Š David Pick/Alamy
the country walking promise: More walks, in more places, than any other magazine!
Britain’s Best Walks created by our experts
Welcome…
to Britain’s Best Walks, Country Walking’s fantastic routes section. Packed into the next 30 pages you’ll find 25 day-walks all over Britain, selected by our expert team and complete with OS maps, step-by-step directions and all the info you need to plan your next adventure outdoors. They’re sorted into nine geographical regions for easy filing: cut them out, collect them and enjoy brilliant walks for years to come.
south west south east midlands east North west North east wales
25 24
Scotland ireland 19
15 16
THIS MONTH…
17
18
I’m willing to bet that no one reading this has walked every single route on offer this month (if you have, we want to hear from you!). So why not let one of the following 25 walks take you somewhere new? From Cornish coves to exposed Scottish ridges via rolling Leicestershire countryside, there are walks the length and breadth of the UK to sink your boots into. Let me know how you get on!
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23
13
10 09
22 21 07
11 08 12 06
20 03
05 04
02
Rachel Broomhead, Walks editor 01
There’s a great walk near you... 01 Cornwall Treen & Porthgwarra 02 Devon Fur Tor 03 Somerset Ebbor Gorge 04 Hampshire Stockbridge
6 Hertfordshire Norton 0 07 Worcestershire Bewdley 08 Leicestershire Hallaton 09 Staffs/Derbys Chrome & Parkhouse Hills 10 Derbyshire Monsal Head 11 Lincolnshire Bourne Woods 12 Suffolk Sutton 13 Cheshire Beeston Castle
9 Northumberland Belford 1 20 Monmouthshire/Glos Chepstow reader’s CHOICE 21 Powys Castle Caereinion family 22 Gwynedd Moel Smytho walk 23 Isle of Anglesey Moelfre 24 Fife Balmerino ighland Lochaber: The Mamores challenge 25 H walk Feature walk: The Ring of Steall
108 Country Walking JUly 2013
Photo: Sarah Baxter
05 Surrey Frensham Great Pond & Barford Feature walk: A southern classic
4 Lancashire Darwen & Longworth Moors 1 15 Cumbria Scafell Pike 16 Cumbria Middle Fell 17 North Yorkshire Pickering 18 North Yorkshire Horse Head Moor Feature walk: Yorkshire Dales delight
Wild and beautiful Fur Tor on Dartmoor - Route 2