Trail magazine April 2016

WIN over £600 of outdoor gear

LIVE FOR THE OUTDOORS

APRIL 2016

R

12 routes for spring

Tear-out map of Snowdon inside!

Rannoch Moor Coniston Fells Tryfan

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING HILLWALKING MAGAZINE

APRIL 2016 £4.45

Wilderness within reach

Tame Snowdonia’s wild frontier in one stunning day walk Cairngorms Helvellyn’s in winter lost ridge Why this grand natural paradise is best served cold

Unexpected thrills on Nethermost Pike

Rucksacks & base layers

Extreme exposure One man’s astonishing vision of the Canadian Rockies

Our experts test the best

The Cobbler

Best view in England!

Getting friendly with a deep-frozen Highland icon

Climb the hill that unlocks it

PLUS

the one that is ready to get the tent out again, please

How to stop aches & pains in their tracks Hill kit for your dog What’s in Ray Mears’ flask?

Contents

WHERE TRAIL WILL TAKE YOU

The Rhinogs prove an enchanting place for a walk: page 28.

Young beech trees twist up around us, scattering their leaves on the thick moss below BASE CAMP

SKILLS

Climb it

6

Yewbarrow: a ‘tiddler’, yet ‘most entertaining’

Experience it

8

Snowholing: where you dig your own digs

Young Mountaineer

10

These kids have won our inaugural awards!

The Mountain Inquisition 14 What makes survival guru Ray Mears tick?

WOW! Subscribe today, save cash and get great Vango gifts worth £53!

Expert advice

ADVENTURES 68

How to conquer fear of heights; why you should wear gaiters; all about Schiehallion; mountain snack-off; what to do if you lose your map; predicting weather on the hill; the pros and cons of cheap waterproof trousers

22 24 42

Sign up today, save dosh, get kit worth £53

Win the best new gear!

36

A familiar mountain reveals its spikier side

44

Nethermost Pike

52

Scrambling via a less-well-known approach

Your top mountain moments + Face of fatigue

Subscribe to Trail

The Cobbler

Why this place is best seen at this time of year

The world of hillwalking: your thoughts

Out there

28

Its very best bits, condensed into a day’s walk

Cairngorms in winter

YOUR TRAIL In box

The Rhinogs

92

Outdoor kit worth over £600 is up for grabs

Extreme exposure 56 Ten truly out-of-this-world outdoor photos

Hillwalking MOT 64 90 mins with a physio = years more hillwalking

Little-known Lakeland, scrambled: page 52.

Proceeding with caution on The Cobbler – page 36.

TOM BAILEY

TOM BAILEY

Ray Mears: definitely not a sprout person – page 14.

Why the Cairngorms is the place to be in winter –page 44.

GEAR GUIDE Hot new kit

ALL NEW! ROUTES 74

Box-fresh stuff that’s caught Trail’s eye

Base layers

76

The best oh-so-vital next-to-skin garments

55-65 litre rucksacks

80

Whopping packs for a wide range of budgets

Phone cases

84

...‘cos no-one wants a moist or mangled mobile

Kit me out for walkies

86

Gear you need when hillwalking with a hound

First test

89

A Fjällräven tent to tackle the worst weather

Used & abused

90

Where Team Trail appraises its paraphernalia

1 Yewbarrow 101 2 Nine Standards Rigg 103 3 Bannisdale Horseshoe 105 4 Fair Snape Fell 107 5 Tryfan 109 6 Stob Ghabhar 111 7-9 Coniston Water 113 10-12 Applecross 117

PLUS Walks of a lifetime Ridge guide Map of the month

Applecross 10 11 12 Walks of a lifetime The Road to the Isles Stob Ghabhar

1 7

8 9

Yewbarrow

Nine Standards Rigg

Coniston Water Fair Snape Fell 4

Map of the month Snowdon

122 127 129

6

2

5

Bannisdale Horseshoe

Ridge guide Llech Ddu Spur

Tryfan

● CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE AND GO HILLWALKING!

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 5

3

Base Camp

YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE...

CLIMB IT THIS MONTH

YEWBARROW

LAKE DISTRICT

T

he uncomfortable truth is that Yewbarrow is probably Wasdale’s most entertaining peak. We say uncomfortable, as Yewbarrow is a tiddler – especially compared to the company it’s in. Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Scafell and Scafell Pike all look down on it in the most literal sense – but therein

lies Yewbarrow’s great charm. As you’d expect from the above, as a viewpoint for the aforementioned surroundings it is astonishingly good; but this 627m prow offers far more than just aspects on grander hills.

Long and roof-ridged, the scalloped profile from Wasdale makes it achingly pretty – and those steep sides hold some superb scrambles.

...TURN TO ROUTE 1 ON PAGE 101

6 TRAIL MONTH 2016

Yewbarrow (left) from the leafy road to Wasdale Head, with Great Gable beyond.

STEWART SMITH / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

MONTH 2016 TRAIL 7

G MOUNTAINEER YOUN OF T H E Y E A R

YOUNG MOUNTAI Two months ago we asked you to nominate the young adventurers in

0-7 years old

WINNERS!

Rowan and Faith Trollope

Nominated by mum Nina My twins Rowan and Faith have been ascending hills and mountains since before they were born. They summited many Wainwrights in the Lake District while I was pregnant with them, then progressed their hillwalking into a sling, then a back carrier. At the age of 2 they began to climb the last 50 metres of all of our mountains, progressing to 200 metres while on holiday in the Italian Dolomites in June last year – where they were each given koala keyrings by an Australian hiker for making such a great effort. Finally in October this year, shortly after turning 3, they climbed their

8-12 years old

WINNER!

first two Wainwrights unassisted: Catbells and Latrigg (in the pouring rain and wind).

After arriving back down they love nothing more than putting on their headtorches, then going for a drink of cordial in front of a roaring fire in a cosy Lake District pub and comparing their bruises.

Judge’s verdict: “I loved their enthusiasm and their insatiable energy!

They remind me of what I'm like in the mountains – running about as fast as I can, always looking for a bigger and more exciting challenge, relishing every second of being outdoors. I’m jealous to see so many kids doing all this great stuff so young!”

Bonita Norris, Everest summiteer

On Crib Goch in Snowdonia.

Sophie LyonsMontgomery

Nominated by mum Moira In 2014 Sophie challenged herself to do the ‘3 Peaks’ within 2015. Despite being restricted to holidays and the obstacle of living in Dorset, this list escalated into a year packed with mountain activities; chosen at first by reputation, then by panoramic allure, and sustained by a cache of tantalising peaks gleaned from Trail. Accompanied mostly by myself, Sophie has performed almost every possible aspect of mountain activity: scrambling, sport and multi-pitch trad climbing, indoor ice-climbing, via ferrata, and summiting mountains in every variation of weather from full winter conditions to perfect summer days.

Sophie tasked herself with targets, examining maps and routes, sharing navigational responsibility and dispensing constant cheerfulness and chocolate.

On New Year’s Day 2015, armed with crampons and a new ice axe purchased with Christmas money, she began her challenge. A year on, with Sophie still only 11 years old, that equipment bears the etchings of duty gained on Snowdon via the Pyg Track; navigation experience on Dartmoor; Blencathra via Sharp Edge; Helvellyn via Brown Cove, descending via Swirral Edge; Helvellyn via Striding Edge, descending via Dollywagon to Grisedale Tarn; Scafell Pike via Mickledore, Pavey Ark by Jack’s Rake; sport climbing in Portland; via ferrata in Loch Leven; Ben Nevis via the

10 TRAIL APRIL 2016

CMD Arête; Suilven; Quiraing; High Cup; Tryfan; Bristly Ridge; the Snowdon Horseshoe via Crib Goch; and the Corvus and Little Chamonix trad climbs in Borrowdale.

I witnessed an innate sense of exploration, determination and strength, but overall a sustaining sense of humour that carried us both through sun, rain, blizzards and frogs (on Suilven) for miles!

Via ferrata in Loch Leven.

Base Camp

INEER OF THE YEAR your life for this inaugural award, and the entries blew us away. Here are the winners...

13-16 years old

WINNER!

Joe's 2015 travels took him from the Lake District and Snowdonia to snowy Alpine summits.

Joe Haward

Nominated by mum Fiona

Clockwise from far left: high in the Austrian Alps; powering up Latrigg; on top of Hen Comb in the western Lake District.

Left: completing the Welsh 3000ers to raise funds for a voluntary project in Vietnam – with a broken hand!

Above: approaching the top of Striding Edge on Helvellyn in full winter conditions.

Judge’s verdict: “So much ace stuff in this category, but the deciding factor for me was winter conditions. The hills are a very different place in the cold months, their harshness a taste not all will acquire; especially those not yet in their teens. My bias towards making things difficult for yourself by choosing steeper lines or harder conditions is a factor in selecting Sophie Lyons-Montgomery!”

Leo Houlding, leading British rock-climber and adventurer

My 'spider son' Joe is only 15 but already 6ft 1in tall! He first climbed Snowdon independently at 5 years old. Every since, rock-climbing and anything 'mountainous' have been his passion. In June 2015 he did the 50 mile, 24-peak Lake District ‘Hostel Hop’ circuit we read about in Trail.

Stunning! In June he undertook a voluntary project in Vietnam and to raise funds he romped the Welsh 3000ers in 2 days (with a broken hand!), sleeping overnight atop Snowdon. He's always been fascinated by volcanoes so to celebrate the end of his GCSEs we flew to Sicily and climbed several peaks. The magic of sitting on the summit of Stromboli as the sun set, watching the lava fountains, was awe-inspiring. In August he travelled to Chamonix with his father to climb Mont Blanc, but the snow wasn't in condition so they did some cragging on Les

Crochues and the Breithorn. He's itching to return this summer! Joe's currently training on Dartmoor for the Ten Tors challenge and also doing his Silver DofE expedition, plus regular climbing. So why should he be Young Mountaineer of the Year? Not just because of what he's accomplished, but also because of his past and continuing enthusiasm and interest in the delicate ecosystems around him (his dream job is to be the next David Attenborough). Joe’s already planning to climb Mt Erebus in Antarctica!

Judge’s verdict: “For me Joe exemplified a lot of what makes a wellrounded mountaineer: fascination with and appreciation for the landscape, eagerness and true grit!

A demonstration of the positivity and self-growth mountains can promote.”

Simon Ingram, Trail editor

Each winner gets a Vaude waterproof jacket and pack, plus a Trail goody bag!

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 11

Go the Rhinogs Do all the best bits

28 TRAIL APRIL 2016

Mooching around on top of Rhinog Fawr with Rhinog Fach and Y Llethr behind. The peaks of northern Snowdonia may get the headlines, but you get a feeling of real wilderness in the south.

HUNTING FOR TREASURE The Rhinogs is a sprawling range of muddled peaks. We seek out its best... in one day.

WORDS SARAH RYAN PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 29

COLD COBBLER

Go south Highlands Do have chilly thrills

Adventure thrives on the unexpected, and in winter even familiar hills can throw up unfamiliar challenges – as Trail learned on a trip to Scotland.

WORDS BEN WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

G

uidebook writer and Trail contributor Dan Bailey once got struck by lightning on The Cobbler.

He made a full recovery, although it’s left him with a strong aversion to scone-topped casseroles, the mechanical figure in the window of Timpson stores, and Northampton Town football club. Getting frostbite on The Cobbler doesn’t sound much better. As Tom and I left the Old Military Road at its base, it was cold: the sort of cold that, when combined with damp air, pervades the body, making skin tighten and bones ache. With every spare layer already donned, my rucksack flapped with excess capacity. “You’ll be hot,” Tom suggested knowingly.

“Be bold: start cold.” “I’d like to make it to the top,” I replied, “not be hypothermic within sight of the car.”

Tom was, of course, right. Fast forward 30 minutes, and I was stuffing fleeces and thick gloves back into my pack.  In my defence, it had been an unusually exertive start.

Piercing cold - the sharp end of winter in the Arrochar Alps.

36 6 TRAIL APRIL 2016 1

Considering the wisdom of ‘threading the needle’ on top of a frozen Cobbler.

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 37

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Simon Ingram, editor

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TOM BAILEY

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Go NE Scotland Do winter exploration!

WHITE WILDER Why winter is the best time to experience the Cairngorms – and why the Cairngorms are

M

aking tracks between the ancient pines of the Rothiemurchus in the depths of winter, you could be forgiven for thinking you are high up in the Arctic Circle in some lonely corner of Scandinavia.

Tall trees sag with their burden of snow, and the under-canopy of juniper is all but buried with just its topmost branches protruding.

Breaks in the trees reveal the flat expanses of frozen lochs, pristine white except for the odd tracks left by wildlife. Often in this winter wonderland the only way to make progress is to don a pair of snowshoes or

44 TRAIL APRIL 2016

cross-country skis. And the Nordic theme is not confined to the forests; head further up the glen, ascend the wind-scoured mountain slopes and you’ll end up on a white, almost featureless plateau. This is the Cairngorm plateau: the most extensive mass of high ground in Britain, with the bulk of it lying above 1100m, four major summits topping out above the magic 1220m (4,000ft) contour and a further two that are a whisker under it. On our shores it is a place like no other: it is the nearest thing we have to an arctic wilderness.  And anything arctic is best served cold.

Approaching the summit of Braeriach with the Cairngorm plateau stretching away to Einich Cairn. The notch in the cliffs in the middle distance is the top of the Falls of Dee. TOM BAILEY

NESS the best place to experience winter.

WORDS JEREMY ASHCROFT

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 45

Go the Lake District Do unwrap a hidden gem

52 TRAIL APRIL 2016

Rock-hopping and boulder-bashing on the east ridge of Nethermost Pike, with the long, languishing valley of Grisedale below.

THE LOST ART OF

KEEPING A SECRET

There are those who’d rather we didn’t tell you about this neat little scrambling route tucked among some of Lakeland’s busiest peaks. So, naturally, we’re going to.

WORDS BEN WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

W

hat is a secret? Surely it’s something that needs to be kept, protected, like a precious gem. If it’s something that nobody knows anything about, then there’s nothing to be kept and no-one to keep it. As far as the UK hills go it seems unlikely that there are many genuine revelations to be made (although, hopefully, there might be a few left).

No, for something to be a secret, somebody has to know of something that the majority don’t, and, ideally, keep it that way... 

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 53

Images without limits

EXTREME EXPOSURE

Paul Zizka is a photographer who’ll go to any lengths to capture the most extreme outdoor images. Based in Banff, Alberta, the Canadian adventurer specialises in shooting in hard-to-reach mountain locations where the average snapper wouldn’t dare to tread. His work is so spectrally suffused with the kind of light and space that makes the Canadian mountain landscape seductive to the British hillwalker simply by being so different we bet you’ll be packing your cold gear and Googling for a cheap way to get there within seconds.

Often involving colourful auroras or perfectly formed ice caves, his work has been featured in publications around the world; and his first book, Summits & Starlight, is available to buy now. Here, the cameratoting outdoorsman talks us through ten of his favourite frames...

PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL ZIZKA INTERVIEW MATTY GRAHAM

56 TRAIL APRIL 2016

“A climber on an an ice pillar under the stars on a perfect winter night in the Canadian Rockies: specifically Haffner Creek, Kootenay National Park, British Columbia. This image was particularly challenging to put together, with the main difficulty being retaining sharpness in the climber during such long exposures.�

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 57

Go see a sports physio Do a hillwalking MOT

io phys s t r spo th a u up i o w y t n io en se ing. sess h t a – w eath f hillwalk s ho r d e o v t o o EY half AIL ears l disc u i y o MB a y O e r T e T S care PH n-fr RA OG will s any pai T O PH EED for m LI R SO

RD

WO

Alison Rose MCSP HCPC is a director at the Coach House Sports Physiotherapy Clinic and has been working as a physio for 20 years. She’s been a consultant for British Athletics since 2000, working with athletes at the last four Olympic Games.

The MOT starts with a simple assessment of walking style, and already Alison doesn’t look impressed.

“

I

s that how you always walk?”

This slightly alarming question, and the accompanying look of bewilderment on the face of the person asking it, arrives less than one minute into the Full Body MOT I’m being put through by one of Britain’s leading sports physiotherapists. It’s a test I can already sense I’m failing.

So far all I’ve been asked to do is walk barefoot from one side of the room to the other, but judging by the furious scribbling taking place on my examiner’s clipboard I haven’t made an impressive start. What began a few weeks ago with an enquiry about how to treat a longstanding knee injury is ballooning into something ominously more complicated, and a can of worms the size of Snowdonia National Park is beginning to open up.

As well as the aforementioned gimpy knee, after 20 minutes of being pummelled and probed I discover I also have tight hips, short hamstrings, a flat right foot, a twisted right ankle joint, poor balance, an inflexible torso, a stiff neck, weak calf muscles and a body that “doesn’t quite know how to stand up straight”. This is all news to me, and it’s alarming to hear. ve always considered myself to be I’ve fairly fit and healthy. I’m 33 years old; I walk or cycle for at least an hour every day; I’ve been playing competitive football every weekend since I was at primary school; I love tennis, climbing, canoeing, skiing – pretty much any activity that gets me outdoors. But according to Alison Rose, the physio

Joint flexibility is thoroughly tested in the 90-minute session.

delivering the blows, my creaky body is an accident waiting to happen, and I’m a prime candidate to develop some fairly serious future problems that could have a disastrous impact on my hillwalking.

My body, Alison tells me, has a great capacity to deal with small niggles (the first bit of positive feedback!), which has enabled me to keep walking, cycling and playing sport despite a back catalogue of historical injuries that have never properly healed. The result is that I’ve developed a series of linked biomechanical issues over the past two decades that have slowed the healing in my current knee injury, and could also lead to me becoming even  APRIL 2016 TRAIL 65

EXPERT ADVICE: PLAIN & SIMPLETM YOUR EXPERTS

MANAGE FEAR

Fear is a natural emotion, and its purpose is to keep us safe. You can’t get When?

Graham Thompson

It’s quite normal to feel fear in situations that involve potential danger: heights, exposure, unfamiliar territory, when learning a new skill, or if you’re tired or out of your depth.

GT – Trail’s technical editor for over 25 years – is our walking gear guru.

Why? Mullach Buidhe on Arran: an awesome outlook or an awful prospect, depending on how you feel...

Rob Johnson MIC

Everyone has different levels of sensitivity to scary stimuli, and some – by virtue of their genes, early experiences or current life stresses – will be much more reactive in a hill setting than others. If you tend towards that, the best thing you can do is acknowledge

Scared of heights or exposure?

Rob is an international expedition leader and mountain instructor.

■ Make a list of all the types of situation that scare you, even if only a tiny bit, then put them in order with the least scary first.

That’s the order you need to tackle them in.

■ Spend time daily practising belly breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and controlling your attention by focusing on your breath, or the soles of your feet, or some other cue.

■ Then begin your list. Whenever you start to feel fear rising – and this is the important bit – stay still, breathe out, and relax your muscles.

Lyle Brotherton Navigation expert Lyle is one of the world’s leading authorities on search and rescue.

Jeremy Ashcroft Trail’s mountaineering editor Jeremy has a lifetime of outdoors experience.

Avoidance of fear or fear-producing situations is actually the biggest factor in maintaining fear.

Guest expert Rebecca Williams Rebecca is a consultant clinical psychologist and climbing instructor specialising in psychological skills coaching: smartclimbing.co.uk

10 THINGS TO DO IF YOU ARE SCARED 1

Stay still for a moment. Sit down if you need to.

ON THE HILL rid of it; but you can learn how to manage and befriend it...

What happens?

The hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released when we feel fear, and their main effects are increased blood flow to the major muscle groups, heart and brain (pounding

heart, fast breathing, light-headedness due to vasodilation), and decreased blood flow to ‘unnecessary’ functions (such as digestion – that’s the butterflies in your tummy). Psychologically, we become hypervigilant for more signs of danger, and we will experience an overwhelming urge to fight, flight or freeze. These are primitive responses to danger, but they’re often very unhelpful in a mountain situation; for example flight is particularly dangerous, for if you begin to move quickly and blindly you may put yourself in even more danger.

3

Release tension by hunching then dropping your shoulders, clenching then releasing your fists and loosening your jaw. Shake out your legs if they’re wobbly.

4

Centre and ground yourself by pushing into the ground through your feet.

5

Sip water, or preferably sports drink, to counteract a dry mouth.

6

Here’s how to prepare...

■ Stay put till the anxiety starts to fade – you must not exit the situation or make any moves until you feel okay again, or you’ll strengthen the association in your mind between being high, exposed etc and being fearful. It can take up to 90 minutes for adrenaline to fade, so be patient! This is the bit most people don’t do well enough, and why comfort zones tend to shrink: people can’t wait it out, then they begin to avoid similar

Breathe out, making your out breath slightly longer than your in breath. Try not to take a deep breath in – this puts more tension through the shoulders. Think about blowing up a balloon with a long, steady out breath.

situations so they can avoid feeling scared.

■ Don’t rush the steps; repeat them until you feel comfortable.

■ Rate your anxiety overall after you complete each challenge on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the worst you’ve ever felt. As a rule, don’t move on to the next challenge till your anxiety is no more than 3 out of 10, or you risk reversing any progress you’ve made.

Pick something quite close to you – a rock or piece of grass – and get very interested in its colours, shape, texture… then move to that thing.

7

Pause again, breathe out, drop your shoulders, release tension and repeat.

8

Break your challenge into small chunks – whatever’s manageable.

It could be 10 steps or 10cm. After every chunk, breathe out, release tension, centre yourself and refocus.

9

Observe mental chatter but try not to get too caught up in it. Often we tell ourselves it’s daft to be scared.

The reality is you’re scared, and that’s okay! All that matters is what you do about it. Try to focus your attention back into your feet rather than on your mental dialogue.

IT HAPPENED TO ME!

“Had a moment halfway up the north face of Tryfan.

Near-vertical section up, long way down. Thank God for the best bunch of friends around me sticking close. Terrifying at the time, loved it looking back.”

Wayne Richardson

10

Get help. If you’re with someone, ask them to help by reminding you to breathe out, slow down and break the route down into manageable chunks. Who knows, you might be doing the same for them one day – we all have a point at which the fear kicks in, whether it’s heights, exposure or social situations – no one is truly immune to fear, no matter how it may seem.

TOM BAILEY

and accept it, as the biggest problems occur when people try to take too big a step forward in attempting to overcome their fears, then spend weeks afterwards beating themselves up for having been panicky. Avoidance of fear or fear-producing situations is actually the biggest factor in maintaining fear.

2

Gear

BUYING KIT? THIS IS YOUR GUIDE...

JETBOIL FLASH LITE £105 Hot because When Jetboil aimed to make its personal cooking systems even lighter, the company initially looked to titanium.

The Sol Ti was a fantastic product and achieved the weight reduction, but titanium has its drawbacks as a material for stoves: its heat transfer properties mean that, while it’s perfect for boiling water, it can’t be used to cook food (other than boil-in-the-bag or dehydrated camping meals). This led to several titanium stoves being ruined by people (mostly men) who, to be frank, didn’t read the instructions. The all-new 312g Flash Lite solves this by taking the original aluminium and steel Flash stove, redesigning the lid, burner and shroud, and reducing the capacity of the cup from 1 to 0.8 litres. Through these tweaks they’ve managed to shave off an impressive 88g – that’s almost a quarter of the weight of the original 400g Flash removed – without affecting performance. It’ll still boil half a litre of water in 2½ minutes, can still be used to cook food, and you can still store a 100g fuel canister in the cup.

We say All the speed and convenience of the regular Jetboil Flash in a lighter, more compact package. www.jetboil.com

HOT NEW KIT This month’s spanking new objects of outdoor desire LIFEVENTURE SOFTFIBRE TREK TOWELS from £7.99 Hot because: Whether you’re camping, hostelling or just travelling light, these newly improved trek towels will help get you dry. The SoftFibre fabric now comes treated with Polygiene permanent odour control technology for (at the risk of sounding like a wet wipe commercial) longer-lasting freshness. The thicker SoftFibre Advanced towels will absorb 9x their own weight in water, while the faster-drying SoftFibre

74 TRAIL APRIL 2016

Lite towels still hold an impressive 6x their own weight. Available in a range of sizes and magnificent bright colours, there’s a SoftFibre trek towel for every purpose and degree of dampness.

We say: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says: “A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” Same goes for damp campers. www.lifeventure.com

TERRA NOVA SOUTHERN CROSS 1/2 £390/490 Hot because: The one- and two-person Southern Cross tents have been designed in the UK and are a perfect match for the weather we get here. They’ve been created been d as 4-season tents and, d as anyone who’s h ’ camped c d regularly l l in i the h British i i h hills hill knows, k it’s quite t possible to get all ffour in one overnight trip. These tents take their lead from f the award-winning i ing Terra Nova Laser; but unlike that model they and have t are freestanding f an extra pole for f stability, meaning g they h only nl require i minimal i i l pegging i g – a godsend d d on hard h d and d rocky ground. They can be pitched with can b p flysheet fl e and inner together, he which hi h iis advantageous d g in wet weather he – another h

nod nod to the British climate. And despite p this robust b engineering, they’re still relatively light: the Southern Cross 1 has a packed weight of 1.59kg, kg while the two-person version is a perfectly f reasonable 2.10kg. Keep your eyes out for an in-depth ‘First Test’ in the Spring issue of Trail.

Trail We say: The next generation of benchmark backpacking tents from Terra Nova?

Watch this space... www.terranova. co.uk

FORESTIA FINE OUTDOOR MEALS £6/8 (SELF-HEATING) Hot because: Wild camp cooking ki doesn’t d ’ have h v to mean mundane meals. Forestia has taken i i and d made d it i boil-in-the-baggable. b il i h b bl gourmet cuisine The result is an end-of-day The f dinner that can be e savoured, rather h than h simply i l devoured. d d Quality li di dining i doesn’t d ’ come cheap, and you’ll pay a little more ffor these over and above regular meal packs or army rations. But if flavour is everything v (or, at least, near the top off your priorities), Forestia mealss are treats worth tasting. to look forward to..

We say: Pricier than alternatives, but food f f www.weareforestia.com

Inside

BASE LAYERS

76

55-65 LITRE RUCKSACKS 80

HYDRATEMATE HYDRATION MONITOR £40 Hot because: The HydrateMate is a very modern way of addressing this issue with hydration bladders: how do you know how much you’ve drunk and how much you’ve got left?

The HydrateMate uses pressure sensor and accelerometer technology to accurately measure the contents of your pack. It then transmits this info via Bluetooth to your Android or Apple smartphone so you can easily monitor fluid intake without having to stop and remove the bladder from your bag. There is a small catch, however: the HydrateMate is not yet available.

But with your help it will be soon. It’s being funded through a crowdsourcing website, and you stump up the cash (the reduced price of £19.99 at the time of going to press) in advance on the understanding that you won’t get your HydrateMate till later in the year. If the project falls through, you get your money back.

We say: Brilliantly clever, hugely beneficial. Let’s hope it takes off. www.indiegogo.com/projects/hydrate-mate

PHONE CASES

84

Kit for walks with a dog 86 First test: FjŠllrŠven tent 89 Team TrailÕs kit rated

90

Win great outdoor gear

92

WhatÕs in you rucksack? 93

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 75

Lake District

APRIL 2016

3 Coniston circuit ROUTES FROM

Escaping the crowds, Jonathan Cook takes on a superb three-day route in the lower hills encircling Coniston Water.

T

his circular walk takes in the beautiful but lesser-known lower fells around Coniston Water. From the village of Spark Bridge, Coniston is reached via low-lying farms and the Cumbria Way. On the way Beacon Fell and Beacon Tarn afford excellent northerly views to the Old Man of Coniston, the Blawith Fells and Coniston Water. Day two sees a detour to Tarn Hows and the lesser-known/visited Black Fell and Holme Fell, then comes a long final day via Brantwood, climbing Carron Crag with its panoramic views across the lake. The route involves contrasting terrain through Grizedale Forest and onto higher ground before returning via farmland to Spark Bridge.

Route 7 (Day 1)

Jedburgh

Spark Bridge to Coniston

Dumfries Newc -upon-T

wton Stewart Carlisle Penrith

Keswick

Middlesb

Route 8 (Day 2) Coniston fells and tarns

Windermere Kendal

ConistonIngleton Bentham Lancaster

Skipt

No

Route 9 (Day 3) Coniston to Spark Bridge

TRANSPORT Limited bus services to Spark Bridge; numerous bus services to Coniston: Traveline 0871 200 2233 www.cumbria.gov.uk PUBS/GRUB Royal Oak, Spark Bridge www.royaloaksparkbridge.co.uk (01229) 861006; The Farmers Arms, Lowick Green www.farmersarmslowick. co.uk (01229) 861277; The Black Bull Inn and Hotel, Coniston www. blackbullconiston.co.uk (01539) 441335 ACCOMMODATION Royal Oak, Spark Bridge www.royaloaksparkbridge.co.uk (01229) 861006; Coniston: huge array of options; see TIC below; YHA Coniston

Holly How www.yha.org.uk/ hostel/coniston-holly-how 0845 371 9511 Yewdale Hotel www.yewdalehotel.com (01539) 441280 Coniston Hall Camping Site (01539) 441223 conistonhallcampsite. wordpress.com PRACTICALITIES Plenty of amenities in Coniston including bank, petrol and several shops. Nearest supermarkets are the Co-op in Coniston and the larger Booths in Windermere.

LOCAL INFO www.conistontic.org (01539) 441533 mail@conistontic.org

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 113

JONATHAN COOK

Coniston Water with Dow Crag and the Old Man of Coniston beyond.

Lake District

ROUTE 7 APRIL 2016

Always take a map out with you on the hill

DAY 1 17.7km/11 miles 5½ hours

Spark Bridge to Coniston SD306849 From Spark Bridge head west, passing the Royal Oak pub. Soon afterwards take the small lane on the right adjacent to a row of terraced houses, keeping the River Crake on your right. At the end of the lane, turn right to follow a clearly marked sign, indicating ‘Lowick Green 1/2m’. Pass through a gate with a yellow arrow marker and follow the narrow path along the river bank through a series of stone finger-like finger-l stiles. At the A5084 turn tu right for around 300m through Lowick Green.

Green Shortly after a phone b box pass through a stone sstile next to wooden gate on the left where a well-defined signpost marked ‘The Epes 1/2m 1/2m’ clearly points the way. way

1

the right before bearing right to pass through another stone stile and field before joining a well-defined farm track with Esps Farm to the left.

Follow the path away from the farm, through a farm gate, and continue on a faint path to crest a grassy slope where St Peter's Church at Lowick comes into view. At the church and community centre turn right onto a minor road. Shortly after passing a T-junction on the right and several houses, turn left through a small gate by a yellow public footpath signpost.

cross the field to pass through a gate and bear left towards a small beck.

Keep this on your right by heading directly west. At a well-defined farm track cross the beck and continue straight across into another field, aiming for the wooded slope in the distance. A stone stile and marker soon come into view. After crossing the stile bear left,

Approaching Beacon Tarn (‘the perfect spot for a rest’).

stile tile and marker. Continue directly ahead, keeping the he stone wall on your left, eft, to Raisthwaite Lane and the entrance to Lin Crag rag Farm. Follow the track, rack, entering the farm before efore turning left and climbing limbing a grassy slope and joining another well-defined path going west to Kiln Bank Farm.

SD292864 Careful navigation is needed for this section. First

3

SD273872 At the farm turn right to join oin the Cumbria Way, indicated ndicated by blue arrows on n a wooden sign, and pass through a gate to follow ollow the now welldefined bridleway past an old stone building.

Carry arry on north to reach a wall, which you cross via a wooden ladder before continuing ontinuing on the bridleway ridleway to join a road leading eading to the small settlement ettlement of Tottlebank.

4

SD297856 Continue straight straigh ahead across the field, keeping the hedgerow on

2

7

following Foundry Beck before bearing away to the right, climbing the gently wooded slope where you are greeted with excellent views of the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag in the distance.

The faint path flattens out, crossing a boggy section before reaching another

ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING © CROWN COPYRIGHT. CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP. LICENCE MEDIA089/12

ROUTE INFO Strenuousness ● ● ● ● ● Navigation ●●●●● Technicality ●●●●●

6

Distance 17.7km (11 miles) Total ascent 530m Time 5½ hours

5

Start Spark Bridge, SD306849; finish Yewdale Hotel, Coniston (SD302975)

4

Terrain well-marked tracks and paths for the main part with some initial grassy fields

3

GET THIS ROUTE ON YOUR PHONE! In association with

www.viewranger. com/trail Route code TRL0823

114 TRAIL APRIL 2016

SD269882 Shortly before Tottlebank farm arm turn right, following the he clear Cumbria Way markers (a constant presence for the rest off the day’s route). The way rises gently before narrowing and crossing Appletree Holme towards Cockenskell ockenskell to pass through hrough several gates before efore climbing the grassy slopes of Wool Knott to Beacon Tarn –

1

GRADIENT PROFILE

METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL

Start 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200

MILES KILOMETRES

1 0 0

Lowick

2

Kiln Bank Tottlebank

4

3 2

2

4

Beacon

5 6

SD288927 Cross the A5084 following the sign marked ‘Coniston via lake shore’. Descend until you reach the lake shore and Sunny Bank jetty. For tired legs, there is the option to take the ferry to Coniston from here. Otherwise, follow the delightful shore footpath, which takes you all the way to the centre of Coniston.

8

7

Sunny Bank

6 4

SD278906 From Beacon Fell summit cairn zigzag down the track to join a small lane.

Continue north along the lane before rejoining the well-marked Cumbria Way. Keep right over the beck, ignoring a track to the left (to the reservoir) and head down the left-hand flank of the valley to Torver Beck with its wooden bridge. Follow the path to a road ahead.

6

5

2

Maps OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL6 and OL7; OS Landranger (1:50,000) 96

the perfect spot for a rest.

Follow the path to the right of the tarn, away from the Cumbria Way, climbing to the wellmarked summit. Here the view is spectacular: north to the Coniston Fells of Dow Crag, Coniston Old Man and Wetherlam, ahead and east to Coniston Water and Grizedale Forest.

Finish

7 6

10

12

8

14

10 16

WALKS OF A LIFETIME

The Road to the Isles

Jeremy Ashcroft makes a two-day journey through the wild heart of the central Highlands, savouring the best of moor, mountain and loch.

122 TRAIL APRIL 2016

Central Highlands

43km/27miles 12 hours (2 days) The Commando Memorial looks out over the icy landscape around Spean Bridge. Š ANGUS ALEXANDER CHISHOLM / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

APRIL 2016 TRAIL 123