Country Walking magazine September 2013

september 2013

More walks in more places!

25 route cards with maps PLUS where to walk, eat and stay www.livefortheoutdoors.com

issue 319 ben nevis | canal walks | maconie's musical landscapes | cat bells | the shropshire hills | pembrokeshire coast path

britain's best-selling walking magazine

Easy walks with

epic views On the roof of the nation

48 hours in the...

SHROPSHIRE HILLS

The best time to climb Ben Nevis is right NOW!

Tales from the towpath

The Lakes...

DISTILLED

Map-free walks besides Britain's beautiful canals

Try this perfect 12-mile walk which packs in the best bits of Lakeland

september 2013 £3.99

WALKS

DESTINATIONS

GEAR

Stunning seascapes on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Stuart Maconie explores 12 locations behind the hits

14 pairs of his ‘n’ hers leather footwear reviewed and rated

Wales’ Wild West

Musical landscapes

The great big boot test

The

three peaks weekenders

Ben Nevis

The perfect walking weekend for the summit of Britain.

We start with the classic ascent of the mighty Ben itself, then climb little Banavie Hill, which offers this epic view of the grandest mountain in the nation‌ Words: Nick Hallissey Photos: Tom Bailey and Matthew Roberts

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26 Country Walking september 2013

B

en nevis might be the highest peak in Great Britain, but it is more than sheer altitude that makes the ascent of it an alluring, magnetic prize for a walker.

The facts and figures are compelling enough: at 4,409ft it tops its fellow national summits by a huge margin; it is 849ft taller than Snowdon, and a staggering 1,209ft taller than Scafell Pike.

But there is so much more to Ben Nevis. First, it is virtually free-standing, which makes it irresistibly obvious to any traveller who passes through the Great Glen. It is dominant and visible in a way few other mountains are, particularly not Ben Macdui and Braeriach, its closest challengers for height, which hide far from public view in the remotest corries of the Cairngorms. Ben Nevis is impossible to ignore, and thus for the millions who pass by its haunches, so is the urge to climb it.

And as a piece of mountain architecture, Ben Nevis is a Michelangelo. It is utterly fascinating when viewed from any direction. Its western aspect rises in a vast and dead-grey bulk above the town of Fort William, while from the south, its steep skirts billow down upon Glen Nevis, crimped by tremendous gullies and near-vertical 600ft waterchutes. And to the north are the sheer and savage precipices of the Ben’s world-famous North Face, rocketing out of the hollow bowl of Coire Leis in 3,000ft of evil black rock.

The North Face betrays another element of the Ben’s magnetism: it’s really a volcano. In fact it was once one of the tallest volcanoes in western Europe, a colossal dome which exploded around 350 million years ago, its northern side blasting out in a cataclysm that would have rivalled the eruptions of Thera in the Aegean or Krakatoa in Indonesia.

qfrom a distance Ben Nevis in all its glory, showing the friendlier side climbed by walkers and its more savage North Face.

u

The

three peaks weekenders

Day 2: Banavie Hill To fall in love with Ben Nevis completely, you need to see it from here.

A

S a general rule, the Scottish Highlands are just that: High. The clue’s in the name: Highlands. Easy, breezy tiddlers – so common in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales or Brecon Beacons – are crowded out in this land of giants, where size and scale are redefined with every glen.

So looking for a companion walk for our Ben Nevis adventure was a challenge. It had to be lower and gentler; a walk rather than a climb. But most importantly, it had to offer a view of the Ben that would help you appreciate the scale and grandeur of Britain’s highest mountain; to reflect on the labours of yesterday and take you somewhere which, unlike the Ben itself, isn’t trampled by the feet of a thousand pilgrims every day during the short, Highland summer.

But Meall Bhanbhaidh – or Banavie Hill – fits the bill perfectly.

It sits across the Great Glen from Fort William, and the reason it isn’t better known is very simple: it dwells in the shadow of its taller neighbour and occupies the blind spot left by everybody staring up at Ben Nevis. It’s a little green dome of a hill notching up a mere 327m, or 1,072ft. And it is beautiful.

‘Bhanbhaidh’ is the Gaelic form of Banavie, the small satellite town of Fort William above which the hill hovers. The pronunciation is the same and locals use the Gaelic form and ‘Banavie Hill’ interchangeably.

That’s if they know about it – even locally, the hill is known only to a select few who seem resolved to keep it a secret. In which case, we apologise for revealing it.

Another reason Banavie Hill isn’t well-known is that it exemplifies a problem encountered by most Sassenachs north of the border when looking at a map:

where do I go? Scotland’s Open Access laws are a wonderful thing because you can wander pretty much wherever you like, but they also mean that many lesserwalked hills are quite trackless, with no marked paths appearing on either OS or Harvey’s maps. This certainly applies to Banavie Hill, but happily, once you’re on the hillside here, the destination is obvious, and the nonnative’s reliance on marked paths melts away on these tame slopes.

The walk couldn’t have a finer start. Neptune’s Staircase is the longest flight of locks in Britain, which lifts or drops vessels travelling along the Caledonian Canal a height of 64ft through eight graduated locks. It is stunning – and the adjacent Moorings Hotel makes the perfect base.

Climbing above Banavie to its impressive war memorial, the walk heads out onto the open hillside, making first for a transmitter station and then skirting a massive asphalt quarry, before striking out across the rough, grassy slopes to the ridge.

It is about as far removed from the long hike up Ben Nevis as you could imagine. All is grass and peace. You can pick your own route to the horizon, breaking the contours however you wish. On this baking-hot day the terrain was freakishly dry (the usually spongey sphagnum moss had turned into hamster-cage lining), so you should expect to find it fairly boggy in normal conditions. But whatever the degree of squelch, it feels wonderful to embrace the core virtue of Scottish Access, and go where you will.

And what’s your reward? Not much really… just the greatest view of Ben Nevis you’re likely to see. Ever. u

“Your reward?

The greatest view of Ben Nevis you’re likely to see. Ever"

qDOWN TO THE SEA...

The great views don’t just focus on Ben Nevis.

Looking south -west from the summit, this superb panorama opens up over Fort William and Loch Linnhe.

Photos: Tom Bailey

uPerfect view Ben Nevis as seen from the top of Banavie Hill, a rare view seen by few walkers. The precipitous North Face is on the left and the Pony Track to the right.

september 2013 Country Walking 33

destinations canal walks

Bridge over

untroubled water

I

f Josiah Wedgwood, Thomas Telford and the other great pioneers of the canal network had set out to build a 2,000-mile network of footpaths, they couldn’t have done a better job. In fact, the canals grew piecemeal in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; a slow motorway network, ferrying cargoes such as coal, stone and Wedgwood’s delicate pottery, which fared much better by water than on the bumpy roads.

This great project drove the early stages of the industrial revolution, and left an enormous system of waterways reaching most parts of England and some parts of Scotland and Wales. Some urban backwaters creep through our cities; some arrive with a flourish, as in Birmingham’s Gas Street Basin.

Others meander through wonderful scenery like the Calder and Hebble around Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, or the Peak Forest at Buxworth, near Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire. The North Oxford, with its many

our expert Jo Bell is the UK’s Canal Laureate, appointed by the Poetry Society and Canal and River Trust. She lives aboard a 67ft narrowboat, currently making its way to a winter mooring in the Midlands. Find more of her work at jobell.org.uk and on the Waterlines blog at waterlines.org.uk, or follow her @CanalPoetry on Twitter.

36 Country Walking september 2013

wiggles and curves, and the Trent and Mersey ubeautiful bridges as it skirts Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, The bridges of are equally lovely. the Kennet & What they all have in common is the Avon Canal are towpath, made for the horses which pulled the distinctive and elegant, cut first canal boats. The canal builders liked to from the famous Bath stone. This avoid steep hills and the expensive horseshoe engineering involved in building locks, so arched example these paths are mostly flat – ideal for a gentle at Bathampton dates back to adventure, for family outings and for those the construction who like to walk without their nose in a map. of the canal in The ten miles between Bradford-on-Avon the late 18th-century. and the city of Bath is one of the prettiest and most varied stretches on the whole canal system, starting from one of the most beautiful market towns in England. The yellow stone used in the distinctive facades of the monumental crescents of Bath is here cut into a higgledy-piggledy tumble of cottages, mill houses, terraces and tempting tea shops.

The houses clamber up the hill between cottage gardens, forming walled lanes which are rather charming to explore on foot, but only just passable by car with judicious use of a long-suffering clutch.

If a boat is coming through the lock as you set off, you can watch the boaters working the gates. Congratulations – you are now a ‘gongoozler’ or canal onlooker. The poet Roy Fisher called the canals ‘working water’. This is not a river, but a built waterway, and its machinery has to be worked slowly, at the pace of the water, to raise or drop boats between levels of the canal.

The joy of a canal lies in its contrasts.

Beside the still, peaceful water are traces u

Photo: © nobleIMAGES/Alamy

Once the motorways of the industrial revolution, Britain’s canal network now offers 2,000 miles of tranquil waterside walking.

Jo Bell, boat-dweller and poet, delves into their fascinating history and reveals her favourite stretch of towpath...

Caer Caradoc from the slopes of the Long Mynd above Church Stretton, Shropshire.

48 H

URS IN the…

shropshire hills

Now is the perfect time to explore the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – one of the most overlooked areas of upland wilderness in Britain…

Words: Simon Whaley

Photos: © BANANA PANCAKE/Alamy; © Ashley Cooper/Alamy; Simon Whaley

Stuart Maconie's

Musical landscapes Stuart Maconie walks in the footsteps of our greatest songsmiths in search of the places that inspired their most famous songs…

Some waggisH TYPE once remarked that the British weather has been the world’s greatest civilising influence, sending generations of English men and women across the globe in search of sunnier climes to explore and settle.

In the same way, I’d argue that the landscape of Britain may have inspired more great art than any other natural feature; not just literature and painting, but music too. And while the pastoral tradition of the 19th-century produced some truly magnificent

Strolling through the heather-clad footpaths on Ilkley Moor in late summer.

Headwear is optional.

Photo: SuperStock

pieces, we’re not just talking classical music here. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a truly eclectic canon of pop, rock, folk, electronica and even jazz tunes which are rooted in the landscapes of this sceptred isle.

Here I’ve put together a selection of that music: 12 of the best and most interesting tunes inspired by our countryside. It’s a choice that I hope is as diverse, complex and varied as the British landscape itself, and by following the accompanying walk, you can discover just what was so special about these places that moved British musicians to create such extraordinary music. u

september 2013 Country Walking 49

national trails Pembrokeshire coast path

on sacred

shores

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a 186-mile trail along a divine shoreline teeming with wildlife both above and below the waves.

Rachel Broomhead becomes a convert on the road to St Davids.

pblue lagoon During a storm in 1904, sea water flooded the slate quarry at Abereiddy to create the stunning Blue Lagoon. The water, which owes its enticing greenish hue to the mineral-rich rocks, plunges to depths of 25m and now hosts the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

Photo: © CW Images/Alamy

S

ome things in life are sacred, and a walk along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of them. The 186-mile long national trail wriggles its way from Amroth in the south to St Dogmaels near Cardigan in the north, passing 58 beaches, 14 harbours and countless wave-lashed cliffs on the way. Before hikers discovered Pembrokeshire’s fringe of lonely peninsulas, saints and prophets roamed the clifftops, performing miracles and finding quiet inspiration. The patron saint of Wales gave his name to his birthplace, St Davids, while St Govan was so enamoured of the cliffs at Stackpole, he built a chapel in the rockface. Small wonder the medievals called it ‘the land of mystery and enchantment’.

With the exception of the oil town of Milford Haven, nature holds this coastline entirely in its own hands. Neolithic chambers and crumbling castles still teeter where early adventurers left

them, wildflowers rampage unbridled across the clifftops and the ocean eddies below in distilled pools of turquoise. Civilisation, if you want it, can be found in time-capsuled fishing villages, strung out in between headlands like rosary beads, each house a different shade of pastel technicolour. The coastline is blessed with fewer saints these days, but more wildlife. Dolphins, porpoise and seals; puffins, guillemots and razorbills; stonechats, meadow pippits and yellowhammers: for these creatures, Pembrokeshire is a kind of coastal Eden.

The whole Path can be walked in two weeks, though in that time there’s 35,000ft of ups and downs to negotiate. That’s 6,000ft more than the height of Everest. If that sounds like a step too far, we’ve cherry-picked the trail’s finest sections and come up with the Path’s absolute best day-walk and the best weekend. Turn the page to start walking it with us now… u september 2013 Country Walking 59

the pictorial guide

Borrowdale &

cat bells Summit views, high ridges, intimate valleys, ancient woodland, and of course, a lake, this walk along Borrowdale and up Cat Bells has it all...

Words: Rachel Broomhead; photos: Tom Bailey

Photos: Š Stewart Smith/Alamy; Tom Bailey

ta walk of contrasts The intimate waters of the River Derwent are a world apart from the soaring crags of Cat Bells, but you’ll see both on this walk.

The river runs through the lush valley of Borrowdale, which nurtures roe deer, otter and the elusive red squirrel.

GEAR Men’s boots HI-TEC

BERGHAUS

Sizes: UK 6-13 Upper: Waterproof nubuck Waterproof/breathable lining: DriTec Sole: Vibram Weight: 1,220g Women’s version: Yes Contact: 01702 541741; hi-tec.com

Sizes: UK 6-11 Upper: Waterproof full-grain leather Waterproof/breathable lining: Gore-Tex Sole: Alpha Compound hiking rubber Weight: 1,190g Women’s version: Yes Contact: 0845 607 2477; berghaus.com

One of the lowest and lightest boots tested and at £75 it’s excellent value for a leather walking boot. But the Jura lacks the stiffness for high-level rough going and is definitely best-suited to easier walking on well-surfaced paths or grass. It is a fairly roomy fit but it laces well to hold the foot steady. The nubuck upper looks good and a rubber rand helps protect it from knocks. The midsole is

Another slightly lower-cut, softer boot; but the Explorer Ridge has a stiffer midsole than the Hi-Tec and therefore performed notably better higher up the hill; even coping with typically rocky Snowdonia going. It’s quite a broad fit, so those with narrower feet will need to work hard with the laces to get a really secure feel.

But the laces work well, courtesy of a locking hook on

Jura WP £75

Explorer Ridge GTX £125

very soft, making it easy to walk in on good surfaces, but combined with a low, soft ankle cuff this means it doesn’t offer much support on rocky ground or scree. The DriTec lining kept water out, even on dewdrenched grass.

VERDICT

VERDICT

Good value entrylevel boot bestsuited to easier going.

Lightweight, comfortable boot best-suited to easier hillwalking and moorland.

6/10

8/10

the ankle, so this shouldn’t prove a problem. The outsole has deep lugs, definitely better suited to softer/muddier going; and this is where this boot excels really. At £125 it’s excellent value, with fabric in the tongue and around the ankle cuff to help keep the cost down.

SALOMON

ZAMBERLAN

Sizes: UK 6½-12½ Upper: Nubuck Waterproof/breathable lining: Gore-Tex Sole: Contagrip Weight: 1,200g Women’s version: No Contact: 01276 404 860; salomon.com

Sizes: UK 4-12 Upper: Waxed full-grain leather Waterproof/breathable lining: Gore-Tex Sole: Vibram Weight: 1,760g Women’s version: Yes Contact: 0161 432 0319; zamberlan.uk.com

The Comet is a fairly broad boot that feels great straight from the box. And it scores well on the scales too. But it’s a little soft for really rough going with a fairly flexible midsole that doesn’t really protect the foot from hard, uneven going. The nubuck upper looks great and combined well with a Gore-Tex lining to keep water out throughout the test. I liked the Contagrip sole

The Vioz Plus is definitely a mountain boot. And it does a superb job high in the hills; softening rough, rocky ground and offering plenty of ankle support on scree. The leather upper looks great and benefits from a decent rubber rand that’ll keep it looking that way.

Fit-wise, it’s fairly neutral and the lacing is excellent, meaning most walkers should be able to achieve comfort and stability. It has a

Comet Premium 3D GTX £150

which offered good grip on most surfaces - including soft mud and rock - but the lacing could be better: the bottom eyelets are quite high up making it hard to really clamp down around the toes. It’s also worth pointing out that size-wise these come in quite small, with a 9 feeling more like an 8.

Vioz Plus £195

VERDICT

VERDICT

Nicely-designed, good value allrounder at a good price.

A good-looking pedigree mountain boot that excels on rougher ground.

8/10

8/10

80 Country Walking september 2013

highly commended

good, high ankle cuff which is adequately padded and feels very stable when laced properly, and the Gore-Tex liner kept water out throughout the test, despite some very boggy ground. The Vibram outsole offered good traction on a variety of surfaces.

GEAR Women’s boots KARRIMOR

ANATOM

Sizes: UK 4-8 Upper: Full-grain leather Sole: Vibram Phoenix Waterproof/ breathable lining: eVENT Weight: 1,200g Men’s version: Yes Contact: karrimor.com

Sizes: 37-42 Upper: Full-grain leather Sole: Vibram Ushba Waterproof/ breathable lining: tri.aria waterproof, breathable membrane Weight: 1,400g Men’s version: Unisex Contact: 08000 323505; anatomfootwear.co.uk

KSB Skye X Lite Ladies £100

Well-made boots with a very attractive price tag. The women-specific fit is comfortable, with soft and forgiving leather uppers that will suit a variety of foot shapes.

There’s a good lacing system too, although it doesn’t offer the support of more expensive models. A comfortable yet supportive ankle cuff provides stability on uneven ground, although the flexibility in the

midsole makes them better suited to lower level walks and easy terrain. They feel nice and light on the feet, with an aggressive sole that grips well.

There’s a good quality lining to keep your feet dry and an Ortholite breathable footbed.

Q3 Trekking £120

Rugged-looking boots with lovely plush footbeds. The soft lining makes them feel very comfortable without too much padding, so they’re not too hot.

A good lacing system and high ankle cuff means they’re very supportive, with a stiff midsole too, so they’re well-suited to tough and rocky terrain. The flex point is quite far back, though, and can feel quite

VERDICT

VERDICT

Lightweight walking boots that are wellsuited to yearround use on low/ mid-level terrain.

High-performance unisex boots but check the flex point at the toe is comfortable before you buy.

7/10

7/10

uncomfortable, so make sure you have a good walk around the shop before you buy.

Anatom’s membrane will keep your feet dry, and the hydrophobic lining helps wick away sweat. A chunky Vibram sole provides good shock absorption and grips well.

MEINDL

HANWAG

Sizes: UK 3½-8 Upper: Full-grain leather Sole: Vibram double-density Waterproof/breathable lining: Gore-Tex Weight: 1,250g Men’s version: Yes Contact: 01539 560214; meindl.co.uk

Sizes: UK 3½–9 Upper: Waxed nubuck Sole: Vibram AW Integral Waterproof/breathable lining: Gore-Tex Weight: 1,400g Men’s version: Yes Contact: 02392 528711; hanwag.de

Nice looking boots with single piece, full-grain leather uppers.

They felt a bit sloppy to walk in, though, and are probably bestsuited to women with wide feet.

They’ve got really high, soft yet supportive ankle cuffs, which lace up tightly for a secure fit, so they’re a great bet for weaker ankles. They feel a little flat to walk in, though, something that could perhaps be improved

A great-looking boot in a nice distinctive colour. Lots of padding means they’ll be comfortable from the box, with an air pulse system to prevent them feeling too hot. They’re definitely worth trying if you’ve got fairly wide feet, although an excellent deep-pull lacing system means they should offer a really secure fit for a variety of foot shapes. The ankle cuff is high and very

Toronto Lady GTX £150

with more arch support. They have a nice stiff midsole which flexes easily at the toe to spur you forwards as you walk, and an aggressive Vibram sole that provides great shock absorption and excellent grip. A Gore-Tex lining will keep your feet dry.

Tatra Lady GTX £195

VERDICT

VERDICT

Slightly sloppy boots that are best-suited to women with wider feet.

Very comfortable high-performance boots with a high price tag to match.

6/10

9/10

82 Country Walking september 2013

supportive and the stiff midsole provides excellent protection and shock absorption on tough terrain. A good Vibram outsole means they grip well, especially on rock, and they’ll shed mud easily too. The nubuck uppers stayed looking good throughout the test.

25 ’ Britain s best

easy-to-follow walks with full ordnance survey maps cut-out & keep routes!

SEPTEMBER 2013

South west

South east

midlands

east

North west

Big skies & huge views 25 brand new walks with fantastic views and inspiring scenery

North east

Wales

Scotland Ireland

inside this month uBeautiful lakes in the Cotswolds uDramatic Peak District escarpments uA quiet corner of the Yorkshire Dales uScotland’s most southerly point and many more...

The 19th-century lighthouse on the Mull of Galloway, Scotland’s most southerly point. uTurn to route 23 Photo: Keith Fergus

the country walking promise: More walks, in more places, than any other magazine!