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MAKE LIFE EASIER TESTED: walking poles, hydration systems and waterproof trousers
Issue 299 ¤ COAST TO COAST PART 1 ¤ BEACONS HORSESHOE ¤ MAN-MADE WONDERS ¤ GET INTO WALKING PART 1 ¤ NATURAL EXPLORER ¤ POLES TEST
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Coast to Coast Part One:
Lake district to Yorkshire Dales
Plus
brecon beacons
A classic walk on Pen y Fan
MAN-MADE WONDERS
From Avebury to the Falkirk Wheel
GET INTO WALKING
BASIC ADVICE TO GET YOU STARTEd
27
WALKS TO PULL OUT AND KEEP
BRitain’s biggest selection of new routes: FIND ONE NEAR YOU!
march 2012 £3.99
march 2012
GET AWAY
Coast coast to
Part One: St Bees to Keld
34 Country Walking march 2012
Destinations | Coast to Coast
Walk right across England this spring with a two-week adventure on Britain’s greatest long-distance path. Words: Jenny Walters Photos: Tom Bailey
40
years ago, guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright fulfilled a longheld ambition: he walked across England from coast to coast. It took years of planning but he devised a route from St Bees on the Cumbrian coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on Yorkshire’s shores, one he described as “a country walk of the sort that enthusiasts for the hills and open spaces indulge in every weekend. It’s a bit longer than most, that’s all.” The exact distance is still a moot point: Wainwright suggested 190 miles, the sign at the end offers 192, recent measurements nudge it over 200. What’s certain is it walks you through “the grandest territory in the north of England” – the high crag and deep valleys of the Lake District, the curving meadow-rich slopes of the Yorkshire Dales, and the heathery uplands of the North York Moors – in an unforgettable two-week adventure. We think it’s the perfect project for the spring ahead and this month and next we’ll take you every step of the way: all you need to do is book that fortnight off work and start walking.
The view from Red Pike on day two, down to Bleaberry Tarn and Buttermere. Right: The walk starts here: 200 glorious miles to go.
march 2012 Country Walking 35
Destinations | Britain’s man-made wonders
Walk Britain’s
MAN-MADE WONDERS Come with us on a journey from prehistory to the space age, as we seek out seven man-made marvels of the British landscape and the walks that show them off at their best… Words: Rachel Broomhead and Nick Hallissey
Prehistory
AVEBURY WILTSHIRE Where better to start an exploration of our man-made wonders than at the very beginning? Or as close to the beginning as we can tangibly get. Avebury is one of the most captivating ancient sites in Britain. The towering remnants of Neolithic culture in this small Wiltshire village are a magnificent sight and an enduring enigma. A walk from West Kennett in the south to Windmill Hill in the north, passing through the village itself, will reveal wonder after Neolithic wonder. First up is the West Kennett Long Barrow, one of the longest stone burial chambers in Britain. Next comes Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe. But Silbury is something to look at rather than
walk on (the land is private), and in truth it is merely the gatekeeper for Avebury’s parade of Neolithic delights. The village is embraced by three interlinked stone circles, whose menhirs stand around the lush, green meadows like outfield cricketers. The reasons behind Avebury’s circle remain a mystery. It may have been funerary, or ritualistic; an attempt to define the centre of the world, or to cross the threshold between real world and underworld. It wasn’t built as a complete site but developed over time, each addition requiring stones to be hefted to Avebury from the Fyfield Downs 10 miles away. All we know is, whatever its function, the people who created this marvel of early engineering believed in it most sincerely. The mystery only See Route 4 serves to make it that in this issue. more magnetic.
Walk here
Photo: Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd/Alamy
The outer circle has a diameter of 1,088ft, meaning you could fit 130 Stonehenges within it. A total of 154 40-ton stones once stood here; today only 36 remain, but eerily it always seems to be more…
46 Country Walking march 2012
Photo: Rod McLean/Alamy
wow!
Main image: Winter sunrise over the menhirs of Avebury. Far left: An aerial view gives an idea of the sheer scale of the circle, with the village sitting in the middle.
Welcome to the
Country Walking gear reviews This month we have a bit of a gear buffet for you. In our main test we take a load off and try out a selection of the best walking poles around. We’ve also got a round-up of some the best women’s waterproof overtrousers designed to keep your legs dry on the wettest of days. Finally, we have six of the best hydration bladders that have all been put through their paces on a trek to Everest Basecamp. This is the kind of gear that can really make a walk much more comfortable, boost your confidence – and keep you healthy.
Andy Cremin, gear editor
This month I’ve mostly been testing in... uNorth Downs, Kent A few cold and muddy days walking a few slippery slopes. uPeak District, Derbyshire Wet and claggy days up around Kinder Scout. uEpping Forest, Essex Muddy and cold.
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Walking poles W
alking poles have been around for as long as somebody worked out that using a stick to prop you up whilst walking was preferential to overloading tired knees. On first impressions for those getting into walking, poles can seem to be something a bit superfluous and unnecessary. Indeed, jackets, boots and packs come higher up in the priority stakes than a pair of poles. It’s not long, though, before their usefulness really comes into its own. Anybody who has walked over rough ground for long periods of time will no doubt be able to expound the virtues of a couple of poles at saving aching joints. There are various numbers bandied around claiming how much weight you can save your legs exactly, when sharing the load with your arms (a common one is the equivalent of an elephant). An easy way to get a rough idea is to stand on your bathroom scales and then stand on them again, but leaning on your poles. That’s roughly how much weight you will save each step, so you can see it really does all add up. So take a load off your feet, read on and let us help you to save your knees when out in the hills.
What to look for Shock or Anti-Shock More complicated poles have added suspension builtin. This normally takes the form of an internal spring that helps to absorb judder when used on harder ground. They do tend to be heavier than simpler poles, though.
Material Poles usually fall into two types of material: aluminium or an alloy thereof, or carbon fibre. Carbon fibre poles are strong and light, but much more expensive too.
Straps There is a knack to walking efficiently with poles, using the straps to support most of the weight in mid-air so that you don’t have to constantly grip the poles. A decent strap should have a bit of padding to sit comfortably in the hand. It should also have decent adjustment so that you can pull it tight to create the correct swinging action. Many poles even have left and right-hand specific straps for a better fit.
Grips Ergonomically shaped grips are essential for comfort over a long distance. A good grip, combined with decent straps, will allow you to walk efficiently with the poles without having to grip too tightly. Some poles also have an extended grip that stretches down the shaft for use when climbing steep sections, meaning that you shouldn’t have to extend pole length too much.
Baskets and tips The basket is the disc of plastic that wraps around the tip of the pole and will prevent the pole from sinking too far into soft ground. For use on snow, the basket needs to have a wider diameter. Pole tips are made from a hard metal material (usually carbide) but for walking on harder ground, rubber stoppers can be slipped over the tip.
Photo: Tom Bailey
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First footpaths Five terrains, five ideal first walks…
Coast
Cleveland Way, North York Moors uDistance 10.5km/6½ miles uHills Undulating, approx 150m ascent uStart/finish National Trust Visitor Centre car park, Ravenscar
Photo: Matthew Roberts
River
Photo: Nick Hallissey
Photo: Aidan Stock/Alamy
Photo: Jon Bower Oxford/Alamy
Canal
Photo: Graeme Peacock/Alamy
Route: Start from Ravenscar – a proposed ‘paradise resort’ which ran out of cash, leaving only the skeleton of a railway station. Head down the Cleveland Way National Trail from the car park and soon the cliffs will drop down to your right to reveal the vast blue North Sea, all the way to Robin Hood’s Bay and Ness Point. The bay marks the finish of the Coast to Coast, a 200-mile walk from St Bees Head on the west coast in Cumbria, made famous by guidebook author Alfred Wainwright. Turn round here and head back to the start or continue another 11km to Whitby and get bus 8A back to Ravenscar. uBest pub The Dolphin, Robin Hood’s Bay for the perfect pint.
Mini mountain
Big mountain
Oxford Canal River Severn, Walk, Oxfordshire Worcestershire
Mam Tor, Peak District
Snowdon, North Wales
uDistance 10.5km/6½ miles uHills None uStart/finish Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford/Thrupp village
uDistance 15.5km/9¾ miles uHills Negligible uStart/finish Hampton Loade Station/Bewdley Station
uDistance 13km/8 miles uHills One big mountain! 730m ascent uStart/finish Pen-y-Pass car park
Route: From Isis (or ‘Louse’) Lock, this super little walk follows the canal through the Oxford suburb of Jericho, and past Kidlington on a well -maintained and waymarked towpath. It’s a breath of fresh air that feels a world away from city living, as well as a journey into Oxford’s industrial past, with locks and bridges as sights along the way. To return, walk back the way you came or catch the 2C or 2D bus back to Oxford from Oxford Airport, Kidlington (1km from Thrupp). uBest pub The Boat Inn, Thrupp, for a well-earned canalside meal.
Route: From Hampton Station follow the footpath down to the Severn Way and follow this wellsignposted, delightful riverside bridleway to Bewdley. The route is quite flat, but on either side of this sheltered valley you are treated to green and pleasant hillside and woodland views as you curve south with the gentle meanders of the river. Time your walk to catch the Severn Valley Railway from Bewdley back to the start, or start with this railway trip and walk back. uBest pub The Little Pack Horse Inn, Bewdley – great ales and food.
uDistance 11km/6¾ miles uHills Two mini mountains with 450m total ascent uStart/finish Castleton Info Centre car park Route: Walk back to the A6187, turn right and walk up the road for about 200m, then turn right on a footpath down a thin alley between houses. This soon takes you out into livestock-peppered green fields (keep dogs on lead). Follow the yellow footpath signs up the hillside, past Woodseats Farm and steeply up to Hollins Cross for great views of Edale and Castleton valleys, Mam Tor (517m) to your left and Lose Hill (476m) to your right. uBest pub The George Hotel, Castleton for home-cooked food.
Route: Take the signposted, welltrodden Miners’ Track up through the stunning mountainside past Llyn Llydaw with views of Y Lliwedd. From here the path steepens, rising up past Glaslyn to Snowdon’s summit, the highest in Wales at 1,085m! On a good day you can see the spiky ridge of Crib Goch, the scramblers’ route, and north to the jagged peaks of the Glyderau, and Caernarfon Bay to the west. On a bad day, retreat to the summit café for coffee and cake before heading back the way you came. uBest pub The Heights, Llanberis, for the amazing triple-cooked chips.
march 2012 Country Walking 77
Get into
walking
Why go walking? Well the simple answer is because it just feels wonderful. But here are the scientific, physical and mental benefits you get from walking… Mind
Forget crosswords and SuDoku and get your boots on – one year of moderate physical exercise (40 minutes, three days a week) can improve your memory by increasing the size of your hippocampus, say scientists from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Back pain
Don’t let it stop you walking – it could be the cure. Exercise could promote new cells in degenerated discs in the lumbar spine according to recent findings from the Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden.
Belly
Walking for an hour at 3mph burns about 300kcals for an 11 stone person, so if you tackled the 6½-mile canal walk opposite, you’d burn off 650kcals which is roughly the equivalent of three pints of beer, a regularsized roast beef dinner or 1½ regular-sized apple pie portions with custard. Mmm… Source www. weightlossresources.co.uk
Skin
The joy of being ‘away from it all’ isn’t just a vague concept – it’s a measurable commodity. Recent Government-backed research found that humans think better, work better and feel better if they are able to engage with green spaces. Walking changes your perspective – it clears your head, takes you out of the rat-race and makes you use your body in ways the modern world doesn’t often allow. It might be sluggish at first, but pretty soon your body remembers what it is meant to do. And once that becomes more natural, you’ll find that everything from thinking to breathing becomes easier and more fulfilling.
Sleep
If you do moderate to vigorous exercise like walking for at least 150 minutes a week you will sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day, concludes a new study from Oregon State University, Oregon.
Heart
Moderate intensity physical activity(2½ hours per week) can lower the overall risk of heart disease by 14 per cent, say scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Blood
Modest exercise like walking increases blood cells rather than fat cells in bone marrow, say researchers from McMaster University, Ontario. This creates healthy blood which transports oxygen round the body more efficiently and prevents conditions like anaemia.
walking the dog Dog walkers stand to gain even more health benefits as they will on average walk one hour longer per week according to researchers from Michigan State University.
Photo: Richard Faulks
Getting outdoors regularly on a walk could more than halve your risk of heart disease, say researchers at the University of Kansas. They found that most people are not outside enough and recommend at least 20 minutes of daily full-body exposure for sufficient Vitamin D absorption.
Perspective
Destinations | Culbin Forest
Hidden gems
Photos: Tomasz Szatewicz/Alamy
We reckon there are great walks everywhere – and here’s the page where we prove it… #11 NAIRN AND HILL 99 Hill 99? Did I miss Hills 1-98?
You didn’t. Hill 99 doesn’t get its unfeasibly Secret Service name from being on a list; it’s about height. Hill 99 clocks in at the height of… yep, you guessed it… 99ft, and offers stunning views over the 14km/9-mile stretch of the Culbin coastline and Moray Firth in northeast Scotland. I see. Still, hardly compares to other great numerically-based placenames, does it? Route 66, K2, or even Mount E in Japan, while we’re on strange names.
Well, no. Think of it more as the British B-road equivalent: unassuming but wonderfully picturesque in a quaint and
unexpected kind of way. Not of epic proportions, granted, but perfectly formed. But Route 66 has been immortalised in song by Nat King Cole and The Stones, written about by John Steinbeck…
Okay, perhaps this was a bad comparison. But in fact, Charlie Chaplin used to holiday every year in Nairn and the town is currently the home of Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton, who has even set up a film festival there. Okay, so what makes it so special?
Glad you asked. Protected by the mountains to the west and south, the coastline is blessed with one of the driest, sunniest climates in the country and in 1886 was even described by one visitor as “the Brighton of Scotland.”
Photos: Ronnie Leask
So, noisy arcades and deep-fried doughnuts then?
That’s a bit harsh. You don’t actually have to walk far out of Nairn before you reach the vast expanses of Culbin Forest and Culbin Sands. The forest contains 9,000 acres of beautiful Scots pine, Corsican pine and Norwegian spruce while the peaceful, unspoilt beach is a haven for rare birds such as the velvet scoter.
What else should I know about Hill 99?
It’s technically not a hill but a massive sand-dune on an evereroding coastline. The forest was first planted in the 1850s to try and stop the spread of the dune. Today the trees grow up through the sand – meaning their trunks often start thin and grow wider as they break up through the surface.
Above: A grand view of Culbin Forest and the sands beyond from the tower on Hill 99. Below, left: the tower as seen from the sandy floor of the forest.
Okay, you’ve got me interested. When’s the best time to go?
Right now! Winter is the best time to see the birds and, if you’re lucky enough to get a crisp, clear day, you will get the best views from atop the viewing point of Hill 99 (which allows you to climb above the tree canopy). So what are you waiting for? After all, it’s a tad more accessible than K2…
Try it yourself Explore: See Route 26 in this issue. The maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer 422 & 423. Done that. Where else? Go on a Shakespearean journey of discovery by visiting Macbeth’s Hillock where the tragic hero is said to have met the three witches, and visit the nearby town of Forres, where Shakespeare set the home of King Duncan. See Route 26 uFind our previous ‘Hidden Gems’ in this issue. entries at www.lfto.com/hiddengems
Wherever you’re planning on walking this winter Sprayway have the perfect gear for you. Our brand new collection of “urban outdoors” jackets are perfect whether you’re heading for the hill or high street. The Quorum Parka and Willow Duffle combine fashion and GORE-TEX® function for the ultimate winter jackets. Sprayway, for all walks of life.
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