UK’S BEST-SELLING hillwalking mag
LIVE FOR THE OUTDOORS
febRuary 2013
T
13 routes + maps great gable snowdon horseshoe ben lui + more
UNLOCK
www.livefortheoutdoors.com february 2013 £3.99
WINTER HILLS conquer fear and LEARN NEW SKILLS ...IN a WEEKEND! LAKE DISTRICT
SNOWDONIA
HALF DAY HILLS Mini mountains made for a morning
Ogwen Arêtes
A forgotten Glyders ridge with a view to thrill
kit to keep warm
8 destinations...
BEST SERVED COLD! The one that loved snow in the morning but preferred the pub in the afternoon
▲ Brecon Beacons ▲ Dartmoor ▲ Pennines ▲ Peak District + 13 top mountain pubs
DOWN JACKETS + WINTER GLOVES HEADTORCHES cosy gear for winter tested
skills special how to use an ice axe & crampons
free! 24 EXTRA PAGES
EXPERIENCES OVERSEAS 30EVERY WALKER
bucket list! MUST HAVE...
contents out there skills
Where this month’s issue will take you...
Really, really high art
Everest trash turned into collectables
12
Dream peak
16
13 mountain havens
18
Y Garn, an oft-forgotten 3,000ft Glyder
Check out Trail’s top winter mountain pubs
Behind the picture
20
Ace climber Don Whillans: tough yet brittle
p32
51
Trail Skills
All about winter boots, ice axes and crampons – including on-the-snowy-hill safety techniques PLUS Q&A: star trekking, boot fit, touch-screens, a split Sigg bottle
your trail Out there
4
Snow skills in a weekend 24 To the Cairngorms, for some easy, affordable and, frankly, fun winter tuition
Small wonders
34
For best results, chill
42
These ‘grab and go’ hills may be short on stature, but they’ll give a guaranteeed high The UK mountains that take on a whole new allure, given a coating of snow and ice
Your best mountain moments, on camera
Trail talk
22
The world of hillwalking, according to you lot
Subscribe and save!
p42
32
Sign up for Trail, get a Vango kit bag (left)
Last gasp Subscribe and get this Vango kit bag!
p34
130
A ridiculously spectacular photograph of the most recognisable mountain on earth
‘the whitewashed obelisk that is The Bishop stands tall as though preaching a sermon’
Buachaille Etive Mor: nice with ice.
© David Dalziel / Alamy
A very visual way to summon help on the hill
tom bailey
Flares: the new fashion? 10
adventures
a near-religious experience on BARF
new contents feb13 swsi.indd 1
10/12/2012 10:38
FREE! THE ULTIMATE OVERSEAS BUCKET LIST SEE PAGE 98
ROUTES
GEAR
Learn the skills you need to stay safe in the snow.
Aberfeldy: good for a weekend – page 119.
p8
Gear news
64
Lake District
101
Fjällräven Akka Endurance
66
Dartmoor
103
Down jackets
68
Snowdonia
105
Snowdonia
107
The must-have hill kit that’s coming soon
New fabric makes great tent even better! Keep mountain cold at bay with a ‘duvet’
Headtorches
78
Winter gloves
86
Vital kit for hill trips, whatever the time of year Frozen hands could prove fatal. Think on... Protect those pinkies!
p86
RONALD TURNBULL
p24
Route 1 Haweswater Man-made splendour plus natural beauty
Route 2 Belstone Tors A high moorland route with plenty of tors
Route 3 Tarrenhendre Snowdonia, but maybe not as you know it
Route 4 Snowdon Horseshoe ‘The greatest winter ridge traverse in Wales’
South Highlands
109
West Highlands
111
Route 5 Ben Lui A classic that can be approached on a bike
Route 6 Ben A’an A wee Trossachs peak most kids can do
Wasdale Head
Route 7 Mosedale Horseshoe Route 8 Kirk Fell, Great Gable Route 9 Illgill Head, Whin Rigg
115
Take a trip to a corner of the Lake District that has a feast of iconic peaks to hand
Aberfeldy
119
Snowdonia
123
Route 10 Ben Lawers Route 11 Carn Mairg Route 12 Rob Roy Way Base yourself in this comfy country town, then tackle four Munros and a valley ramble
Route 13 Owgen Arêtes Our Classic Route takes you on an easy scramble that forms ‘part of a skyline traverse high above glistening waters’. What’s not to like?!
Classic Route
with 3D maps FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 9
new contents feb13 swsi.indd 2
10/12/2012 10:38
out there Y Garn’s north-east ridge, its 947m top – and some justifiably happy summiteers. © David Harris / Alamy
16 Trail FEBRUARY 2013
dream it, do it!
dream peak
Y GARN SNOWDONIA
The great Glyder most forget comes replete with features more than capable of keeping up with near neighbours Tryfan and Glyders Fawr and Fach. With a name that’s ubiquitous amid Snowdonia’s mountain regions (meaning, simply, ‘the cairn’) it’s not as vulgar, harbouring charms more elegant and subtle. The most distinctive quality of this stunning member of the Welsh 3,000ft club is a beautiful hanging valley – Cwm Clyd – scooped from the top 500m of the east face, and home to a chilly teardop lake and an electrifying view down the Ogwen Valley. Add to this blend an engaging ridge to the 947m peak, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a spectacular walker’s summit.
do it this month! ›› turn to page 121
FEBRUARY 2013 Trail 17
out there
Remembering ‘The Villain’
Dogged, impatient, brittle and tough – there was nobody like Don Whillans. Trail presents the life of the hard-living mountaineer in the words of those who knew him. Words Dan Aspel Photograph John Cleare
“T
his was taken 1972 on Heptonstall Moor,” photographer John Cleare told Trail. “We were adjacent to The Shoulder of Mutton, Don’s pub. A remote place. A couple of years later there was a raid in which Don and everyone else was arrested, turned in by a plain-clothes policeman for after-hours drinking. He was furious with this betrayal by a trusted drinking partner. In the back of the police car he destroyed a police helmet and raincoat.” It was not an isolated incident. It was his style. Salford-born mountaineer Donald Desbrow Whillans had always been a brawler. Even before he climbed Annapurna ‘the hard way’ his anecdotes would typically end with the phrase “…so I ’it ’im.” In that same dark period at the start of the Seventies, he was arrested for driving under the influence. He grabbed the officer by the throat and had to be restrained. In 1985 – aged just 52 – his harddrinking lifestyle led to a fatal heart attack. There was an upside to this aggression, though: nothing daunted him. While leading on the Central Pillar of Freney – regarded as the most difficult climb on Mont Blanc – partner Chris Bonington caught the words “I’m coming off, Chris.” Seconds later a spinning mass of man and rope reached equilibrium at about eye-level. Whillans’ next words were: “I’ve lost me ’at!” His trademark flat cap had come loose during the drop. Despite Don’s fall it was Bonington – as keeper of the expedition’s only wallet – who copped most of the flak that day, Whillans blaming him for the scattered mess of paper notes flung into the air during the drama. Like many climbers, Don rarely had any money. He routinely sold his motorcycle to fund climbing trips. It didn’t seem to bother
him. When Bonington suggested some training climbs before an Eiger attempt, the cashstrapped Don replied, “By the time you get to the top of the Eiger you’ll be fit – or dead!” His early Snowdonian climbs had been just as direct and uncompromising. Those who repeat them say they require a brutish, physical approach, utterly unlike the smoother lines chosen by his earliest climbing partner, Joe Brown. Both Mancunian, both just over five foot tall and both tradesmen (Don: plumber; Joe: builder), that was where the similarities ended. But, despite their differing styles, Whillans remains “the best climber” Brown has ever worked with. “He was a tough man,” Brown told Trail. “The thing was that Don had a habit of ‘saving himself ’. He was capable of fantastic things; but... he would save himself, then, when everything had been done, he’d roar forward.” While the more composed Joe carved a career within the establishment, Don’s path was a self-destructive one. It led to anger and cynicism on the fringe of society. He was rarely easy to work with. “If it was just the two of us,” says Brown, “I’d say well let’s go this way… he’d say okay. But if there was someone else there, he would almost always challenge it. This was the funny thing about him... he was jealous of friendships.” Later, as Brown was invited to climb Kangchenjunga, and Bonington successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger without him, a bitterness grew in Whillans. In Bonington’s words: “He couldn’t bear to see his friends prosper without him.” It forced a wedge between him and all those he’d ever been close to. Yet despite this selfishness, he saved lives on the hill without a second thought. He and Bonington aborted their 1962 Eiger attempt to rescue a fellow climber trapped after a rockfall.
‘Whillans had always been a brawler... his anecdotes would typically end with the phrase “…so I ’it ’im.”’ 20 Trail FEBRuary 2013
“It was like driving down a one way street the wrong way,” Don would say in an interview afterwards. “You’re getting further into the shit when you know you should be going the other way – but what was the option? Leave him? We weren’t going to do that”. It was a lot to sacrifice and he never would successfully climb the Eiger’s north face. Less directly, his two most celebrated inventions – the Whillans sit harness and the Whillans box tent – became industry-standard devices, ensuring safety and security for many climbers of his generation. Having soured to both Brown and Bonington, his greatest achievement came alongside a uniquely cold and complicated man: Dougal Haston. “It’s as though he were behind glass. You can see him but you can’t touch him,” Whillans said of the younger climber. Haston replied in kind, describing Don as “a practical man lacking romantic veins”. Mirrored in outlook and ability, the two became thick as thieves. Whillans would give Haston the last tin of supplies while high on the mountain, saving himself nothing but tea and cigarettes. Dougal, for his part, referred to the older man as ‘Dad’. In 1970 they achieved an historic summit together, announced by Haston (at Don’s insistence) over the team’s radio with the phrase “Aye, we’ve just climbed the Annapurna.” They’d just tackled the mountain’s fearsome south face: an astonishing feat. The Bonington-built expedition was the apex of both climbers’ careers, earning them their place in the history books. This kind of climb does not happen by accident. John Cleare, who climbed with Don through storms on Everest, describes him as “a pillar of solid common sense,” but quickly adds that “if there was one cigarette left in the packet, he’d have it.” Whillans, of course, never saw himself as the aggressor: “I don’t mind fighting my way out of trouble,” he would say, “but I’m damned if I’ll fight my way into it.” �� Further reading: The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans by Jim Perrin, pb Arrow.
behind the picture Don Whillans, with trademark flat cap and ciggie, on a West Yorkshire moor in 1972.
FEBRuary 2013 Trail 21
Where? Lake DIstrict What? ‘Grab and go’ hills
34 Trail february 2013
grab and go hills feb13 swdasi.indd 1
10/12/2012 10:30
Heading up Barf on a spontaneous hillwalk.
SMALL WONDERS
Q: What’s small and easy to climb but will give you a guaranteed hill high for your journey home? A: Any one of these petite fells… WORDS PHOEBE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
A
wise man once said: “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”; and while that man (the great John Lennon) was probably not referring to hillwalking, it could easily be applied to our favourite activity. Because how many of us are guilty of spending days, weeks, even months planning? I for one love anticipating trips, organising every aspect of the ascent in fine detail – sorting the campsite, the pub for the night, the supermarket we’ll stop at for supplies, even the services where we’ll get coffee on the M6 – and that’s before we’ve even started on the actual route. What with the photo stops, the subsidiary peaks we’ll visit and any points of historical or must-see interest on the way, there’s lots to plan. Even once there, in the evenings over some pub grub, and again over breakfast, I’ll pore over the map, fine-tuning ❯ the route. But it’s often niggled me that with all this time
FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 35
grab and go hills feb13 swdasi.indd 2
10/12/2012 10:30
ref OYAA
YES! I’d like to subscribe to Trail and get a Vango Shuttle 100 bag 6 month direct debit
£23
Annual direct debit
£42
Credit/debit card
£51
Rest of world: sorry no gift
£60
(TICK ONE)
YOUR DETAILS
Title Address
Initial
Surname
Postcode Email* Telephone
Mobile*
*Please enter this information so that Bauer Media Group (publishers of this magazine) can keep you up-to-date by email and free mobile messaging with fantastic offers and promotions. We promise that you can unsubscribe at any time if you don’t find them interesting and you’ll only get messages about things we’ve chosen especially for you from ourselves and our network of great partners whose products and services we think you’ll enjoy.
FREE 100
WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO TRAIL!
You don’t need one of these on the mountain. But between leaving the house and hitting the hills, a decent, large-capacity bag is a must for lugging jackets, boots, tents, washbags, axes and undies to and from your base camp. This is why Trail has chosen this superb bag as this month’s gift – be it for the car boot, railway platforms or the aircraft hold, everyone should have one for their kit! Simon Ingram, editor
DELIVERY DETAILS (if different, i.e. purchased as a gift).
Title Address
Initial
Surname
FEATURES
Postcode Email Telephone
Originator’s Identification Number
7 2 4 0 9 6
Please pay Bauer Consumer Media Direct Debits from the account detailed in the instructions (subject to the safeguards of the Direct Debit Guarantee).
Account Name Account Number Sort Code Name and Address of Bank
POST YOUR COUPON TO: MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS, FREEPOST EDO3995, LEICESTER LE16 9BR
Postcode Signature
Date
Direct Debit Guarantee. • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Bauer Consumer Media Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Bauer Consumer Media Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. • If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. • If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Bauer Consumer Media Ltd asks you to. • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
PAYMENT DETAILS
I enclose a cheque/postal order for £ made payable to Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. Please debit £
from my debit/credit card:
Visa
Maestro
Card Number Expiry Date
/
Delta
Valid From
Mastercard
/
Issue Number Signature
❯ Excel 600D polyester ripstop body ❯ Zip access to main compartment ❯ Detachable end pocket ❯ Side zip pocket ❯ Internal mesh pocket under zip opening ❯ Zipped laundry bag compartment ❯ Easy-grip handles at side and top ❯ Detachable shoulder strap ❯ Capacity 100 litres ❯ Dimensions 82x38x38cm ❯ Weight 1.1kg
Date
We have really special offers and promotions that we think you’ll enjoy but if you’d rather not hear from us please tick for post or phone and if you would prefer not to hear from our partners tick here for post or phone . For our Privacy Policy visit www.bauerdatapromise.co.uk. Bauer Media Group consists of Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Bauer Radio Ltd and H. Bauer Publishing Ltd.
SEND TO: Please include completed coupon and cheque (if appropriate) with the magazine name on the back. Magazine Subscriptions, FREE POST, EDO3995, Leicester, LE16 9BR
Subscribers get a FREE MemoryMap TrailZilla subscription, too! Search and download more than 1,000 Trail Routes online, and print OS maps and directions; plan your own walks and share online! Print OS Landranger maps for anywhere in the UK, and download GPX files to your GPS or phone!
❯❯ Call us now on 0844 848 8872 and quote ref: 0YAA or visit the subscriptions website (right) ■ Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. This offer extension, if stocks are exhausted. Please allow up to 28 working days for delivery of your gift. term, as set out above. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Calls from a Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes.
SUBSCRIBE, QUICK!
LITRE VANGO BAG
SIGN UP TODAY FROM £23 AND GET A VANGO SHUTTLE 100 WORTH £45!
www.greatmagazines.co.uk/trail closes on 23 January 2013. We reserve the right to provide an alternative gift of equal or higher value, or a 3 issue We reserve the right to reclaim the gift/value of the gift if you cancel your subscription before the end of the agreed BT landline will cost no more than 4p a minute. Call charges from other landline providers or mobile phones may vary.
Lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat) Overseas readers call +44 1858 438828
Where? Britain’s high places What? Walks made for winter The frozen Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe sentinel Buachaille Etive Mor. Quite a greeting near the end of a long walk...
For best results Sharp peaks aren’t everyone’s game when winter bites, but that doesn’t mean you can’t head for the hills. Trail takes a fresh and crispy look at the places that, given a clear winter forecast, take on a whole new allure… 42 Trail february 2013
Rannoch Moor West Highlands advantage of, especially since it and its southern, road-accessible counterpart Rannoch (NN422578) are connected directly to London by rail. This is a multi-day expedition so you need to be an experienced winter camper, but catch the weather in a good mood and you will be stunned. From either station, heading west through the wilds of the moor will deliver you to either Kinlochleven (via a route north of the Blackwater reservoir over more mountainous terrain, but with bothy) or Glen Coe (south of the reservoir; gentler but without bothy) towards a horizon comprising of some of Britain’s most spectacular peaks. Note: in deep snow, the going is � hard or impossible; snowshoes might be necessary!
Best route
february 2013 Trail 43
© David Dalziel / Alamy
A place of awe and horror in the summer. Midges, bogs and rain – combined with largely pathless ground – can mar the seemingly romantic idea of crossing Scotland’s most storied wilderness. Two of those things can more or less be guaranteed absent from the coldest months of the year – and the third with a well-judged observation of the weather forecast. Rannoch Moor is wild and committing, though as long as you prepare it is perfectly placed to offer an expedition across it. At 409m, Corrour Station (NN356664) is the UK mainland’s highest and is home to its most remote restaurant – a novelty in this wild place it would be remiss to not take
TRAIL SKILLS
HOW TO USE YOUR W
alking in winter is not just about having the right kit. It’s about having the right kit and knowing when and how to use it. After all, you can have the shiniest, most expensive winter gear in the world – but if your crampons are still in your rucksack as you plummet off the mountain and you don’t know how to use your ice axe to perform an
Learning winter skills from an instructor on a snowy Cairngorms slope.
52 TRAIL FEBRUARY 2013
skills winter feb13 swda.indd 1
10/12/2012 10:36
WINTER ESSENTIALS
WINTER GEAR arrest, they’re as good as useless. While this month’s feature (see page 24) should have convinced you of the value of getting instruction in person – for which there is no substitute – for the curious or those who need a refresher, these six pages are a reference guide to the tools and the main techniques you’re likely to need.
GEAR GUIDE WINTER BOOTS Boots are rated by the number of seasons they are suitable for: 3-season boots for general walking, 3-4 season boots for all-round use including a bit of winter trekking, and 4-season boots for tougher winter terrain and conditions. In the UK boots are also often given a ‘B’ rating to indicate their stiffness, crampon compatibility and activity application. Logic applies: flexible (C1) crampons on stiff boots (B2) are OK; stiff crampons (C2) on less stiff boots (B1) aren’t.
B0 – flexible walking boots Not suitable for crampons or winter conditions. Usually 3-season boots. B1 – stiffer mountain boots Can be used with flexible C1 crampons for walking on glaciers or gentle snow slopes. Usually 3-4 season boots. B2 – semi-rigid winter boots Can be used with C2 or C1 crampons for harder snow and ice conditions including low-grade climbs. B3 – rigid winter boots Compatible with C1-C3 crampons.
Walking in winter
Walking in snow or on ice requires you to adjust your movement. The soles of your boots will not have the same traction as they would on solid, dry ground, so a more considered gait should be adopted to avoid slipping. On level ground that may be all that’s required; but on a snow-covered gradient, you’ll need specific techniques.
Uphill – In order to make progress up a smooth, slippery slope use the hard outside edge of your boot to kick a step in the snow and create a stable ledge to place your foot on. This is much easier to do with stiff-soled winter boots. You can then progress up the slope as if ascending a staircase sideways, kicking more steps as you go.
Downhill – With your toes pointing upwards and the weight of your body over your foot, drive the heel of your boot into the snow to create solid steps as you descend. Using these ‘heel plunge’ steps is a reasonably quick way of descending a snow-covered slope, but it’s less suited to hard ice where it may simply not be possible. ❯
FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 53
skills winter feb13 swda.indd 2
10/12/2012 10:37
GEAR
NEWS
A quick round-up of the new kit Trail has been playing with on and off the hill this month...
Fujifilm FinePix XP170 £219 It’s got a 14.4 million pixel sensor, a fivetimes optical zoom, shoots 1920x1080 full HD video and can send images wirelessly to your smartphone for uploading to social networking sites. And that’s all great, but what you really want to know is that this compact and friendly XP170 camera is waterproof (to a depth of 10m), freezeproof (down to -10 deg C), shockproof (from a drop of up to 2m) and dustproof (can
survive student houses). In short, it’s the ideal hill camera that will let you keep on snapping when other cameras have long since quit. ❯❯ www.fujifilm.com
Merrell Norsehund Alpha £170 Best known for the comfort of its approach and multi-activity shoes, Merrell is now out to stake a claim in the winter boots market. The Norsehund Alphas are tall boots that have been created for life in snow, using high surface lugs (7mm in depth) that grip slippery ground like a wolf’s paw. Cool! Merrell’s Norsehund Omega Mid boots are probably better all-round walking gear, while women may want to look at the female-specific Whiteout 8 and Snowbound Mid boots. All are breathable and insulating, but they don’t take crampons so avoid the really steep icy stuff. ❯❯ www.merrell. com/uk
The FinePic XP170 claims to be ‘water / shock / dust / freeze proof’. Explains why this icy-thendamp weekend in Wasdale was no problem...
Ordnance Survey
These happy chaps feature on their own OS Custom Made map!
Alpha boots: snow beaters.
64 TRAIL FEBRUARY 2013
gear news feb13 swdasi.indd 1
10/12/2012 10:50
WIN PRIZES WORTH £465! Snugpack Sub Divide holdall £79.95 We love the cavernous, kit-swallowing capacity of a good duffel bag – that’s why we’ve got one as this month’s subscription gift on p32. What we love less is manoeuvring through a busy airport or crowded train station with one hanging off us. The Snugpack SubDivide offers a simple if not entirely original solution: wheels. The flat bottom section of the bag is ideal for ice axes and trekking poles, while the upper cavity will hold whatever you choose to stuff in it – there’s 90 litres to fill altogether. And when the weight of all that kit makes the platform feel endless, pull out the handle and roll with it. ❯❯ www.snugpack.com
Win 1 x Montane Featherlite Down Jacket worth £170 reviewed on page 71
Snowdon by Jim Perrin £14.99 From its place in the rich geological tapestry of north Wales to its importance in the development of British mountaineering, Snowdon has a place in the heart of all mountaineers. Factor in the industrial history of the area and the folk tales and myths that reside in the landscape, and you soon appreciate that Snowdon’s story is well worth telling. With its fascinating collection of anecdotes, facts and figures all bound in a beautifully illustrated hard cover, in Jim Perrin’s book you have something that is not only an absorbing and informative read, but also an object of desire that’s a joy to own. ❯❯ www.gomer.co.uk
Win 1 x Karrimor Sub Zero worth £200 reviewed on page 74
Custom Made map £16.99 Back in the Spring 2012 issue of Trail we told you about OS Custom Made maps, which let you choose your own area of 20x20km (Explorer 1:25,000) or 50x50km (Landranger 1:50,000) mapping to be produced as a traditional paper map. Well, now OS has added the option to upload your own photo for inclusion on the cover, making the whole product a true custom creation. With digital mapping increasingly taking over for navigation purposes, the ability to immortalise a particular trek or location of special significance in the
form of a traditional paper map is a wonderful thing, either as a gift or a nostalgic keepsake. ❯❯ www.ordnancesurvey leisure.co.uk Win 1 pair of Sealskinz Performance activity gloves worth £50 reviewed on page 88
Win 1 x Silva Ninox Headtorch worth £45 reviewed on page 82 To be in with a chance of winning one of these fab prizes go to: www. greatcompetitions.co.uk/trail
FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 65
gear news feb13 swdasi.indd 2
10/12/2012 10:51
group test What you need to know If you want to stay warm while carrying a minimal amount of extra weight then you need a jacket filled with natural down, because it is the most efficient insulation there is for the hillgoer. As such you don’t need too much of it to stay warm, so it is ideal for producing jackets compact enough to stash in a rucksack and light enough that you won’t mind carrying them onto the hill. There are drawbacks to down, though. It loses much of its performance when wet, which means you need to take care to keep it dry at all times. This is why better down jackets have waterresistant outers; there is even water-resistant down being produced to overcome this drawback.
Another problem with down is that it is not as cheap to produce as synthetic insulation, and so it pays to ensure you spend your money wisely when choosing a down jacket. One of the most important aspects of a down jacket is of course that it keeps you warm – and it will be the quality and the quantity of the down used that dictates how warm a jacket will be. It is actually quite easy to judge this; you just need to feel how thick it is. The thicker the jacket, the more air it will trap to keep you insulated. Thinner jackets won’t keep you as warm as they cannot trap so much air, but they will be lighter and have a lower price tag.
features
What to look for Hoods To stay warm in cold weather it is essential that you insulate your head, and so all the jackets featured here have hoods. In this test it was in fact the hood design that separated the top eight jackets from the rest. Look for a hood with volume adjustment and face cords to ensure that it will fit closely enough to keep you warm.
How Trail did the test Manufacturers were asked to send in down-insulated jackets that would be ideal for camping in the UK in winter and watching the sun set from a summit. We received 22 jackets, and those adjudged the top eight designs are featured here. They were used in the Lake District and the Peak District.
Down insulation The quality of the down insulation used affects how warm a jacket will be, and under identical test conditions ‘750 fill power’ down is warmer than a ‘700 fill power’ down. However… there are two test methods, so a 750 fill power down tested in Europe may rate as a 800 or 900 fill power down when tested in the USA, even though it is the same material! So while the technical specification is useful, care is needed when interpreting what it means. For this reason it is often best to try on a few jackets to see how warm they actually feel before parting with any cash.
Zip protector It may seem like a small detail, but when you are really cold the chin area of a jacket is far more comfortable if it has a brushed polyester lining to protect your skin from the zip.
Water resistance As down loses its performance when wet it is important that either you keep the jacket away from moisture or it has some water resistance. The down jackets featured here are not fully waterproof; but some have a water-repelling treatment, meaning they shed dampness more easily.
70 Trail february 2013
Draught exclusion To stay warm it is essential that the jacket traps warm air inside and locks out draughts. So look for hem drawcords and cuffs that are close-fitting and ideally can be adjusted to provide a snug fit around the wrist.
down jackets Alpkit Filo £120 Like all Alpkit gear the price of the Filo is outstanding, yet it also manages to pack in great performance that almost matches the best on test. The Filo has won a ‘Best Value’ award before from Trail and it remains an excellent option for the price-conscious. It’s very warm thanks to a good amount of good-quality down, and this is well-protected by a waterresistant shell (though this does not shed water as well as some higher-priced options). The removable hood benefits from a wired peak but there is no volume adjuster and it cannot fit over a helmet as some higherpriced examples are able to. The sleeve cuffs are elasticated but you don’t get Velcro adjustment as provided by others, so it is worth checking the cuffs are a close fit,
m n otherwise draughts could enter. Also you don’t get a brushed chinguard at the top of the zip to make this area just that little bit comfier on a freezing cold day. There is an inside pocket but it is not the largest; and the two lower pockets are zipped – but again they are not the biggest available.
Trail verdict
If your budget won’t extend to the higher-priced options then this is a great alternative, and for most walkers in the UK it is perfectly adequate while being better than some higher priced options.
ratings features design comfort performance value
✱✱✱ ✱✱✱✱ ✱✱✱ ✱✱✱✱ ✱✱✱✱✱
overall
✱✱✱✱
Montane Featherlite Down Jacket £170 ‘Micro baffle’ down jackets have become very popular recently. These narrow horizontal baffles contain small quantities of insulation that are adequate for milder winter conditions and as they are relatively light and pack down small they are also ideal for spring and autumn use. This example of the genre is quite well-designed and it benefits from a fixed hood with a stiffened peak and a volume adjuster at the back. The hood does fit very well and there is a nice patch of brushed polyester at the top of the zip to protect the chin. The sleeves are a close and comfy fit but the cuffs are only elasticated, so do check they provide a snug fit to prevent draughts. The body is slightly longer at the back, which helps
m n
to keep the kidneys warm. You get two hip pockets plus a chest pocket on the outside, a feature that is less common but useful. The shell fabric is Pertex Quantum so it is not as water-resistant as other fabrics, but it does benefit from being lightweight. You can get warmer jackets at this price for winter, although this is good for milder conditions.
Trail verdict
A lightweight down jacket that’s suitable for spring and autumn conditions, but others are warmer for the same price. ratings features design comfort performance value
✱✱✱✱ ✱✱✱✱ ✱✱✱ ✱✱✱✱ ✱✱✱
overall
✱✱✱✱
february 2013 Trail 71
BUYER’S GUIDE
Winter gloves In winter the right pair of gloves is a vital asset that, when chosen wisely, shouldn’t hinder your hill activities. With so many models around, this can be a minefield – but Trail’s here to help... TEST GRAHAM THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
A
pair of gloves is essential kit for the winter walker, and on British hills it is important to take them as a backup in summer too! It is always colder on the summit of a mountain than in the valley, so hands can chill rapidly at any time of year; and once this happens it can be very painful and difficult to perform even simple tasks such as unwrapping food or using a compass. Winter gloves need to fend off wind, rain and snow so they use suitably durable outer materials, while to keep the hands warm they have synthetic insulation inside. They also need to be close-fitting as otherwise you’ll
86 TRAIL FEBRUARY 2013
need to take them off just to operate zips, for example. The fact is that it is nigh impossible to find a single product that can do everything a walker demands, so there are lots of designs available with each one having benefits and drawbacks. This means that when looking for a pair of gloves you need to weigh up the pros and cons of each design then choose the model that best suits your needs. The gloves featured here are a cross-section of some of the best gloves currently available to suit a range of budgets and performance requirements, so there is something here for everyone.
WINTER GLOVES
BE MOU ST VA NTA LUE IN W WIN ALK TER ING
GEN BEST ERA VA L W LUE ALK ING
TREKMATES DRY CLASSIC GLOVE £25
m n
Trekmates is well-known for making kit that packs in more performance than its price might suggest. The Dry Classic Glove is an excellent example of what the brand can do, and when compared with other gloves in its price range it is a winner. It benefits from a waterproof lining and a very close fit, which gives it good dexterity. The palm is also a little grippier than an average glove, making it ideal for handling trekking poles or ice axes. The elastication around the wrist helps it stay in place, while the short cuff is neat enough to fit inside the sleeve of a waterproof or down jacket. There is a drawcord at the cuff to lock out rain, wind and snow. As you’d expect at this price you cannot have everything, and this glove is not as warm as others, plus you don’t get a nose wipe, wrist leash or more durable leather palm. So this is not the ideal choice for the coldest of AT A GLANCE winter mountain conditions, MATERIALS nylon outer, textured but it is fine for general winter palm, Trekmates Dry waterproof walking and year-round use in and breathable lining SIZES S-XL (men’s); wet and windy weather when XS-L (women’s) temperatures are relatively mild. WEIGHT 99g (pair, size men’s L) WEBSITE www.trekmates.co.uk
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT m n GUIDE GLOVE £45 A very well-proven glove that has won Trail ‘Best Value’ awards. It benefits from a good all-round set of features: you get a nylon outer with a leather palm for extra durability. There is a waterproof lining plus fleece and pile insulation, and when you put the glove on this does not snag or come loose to trap fingers (as happens with some lower-priced gloves), making it easier to take off and put on than some. It provides a good, close fit that allows the wearer to handle a map, compass or GPS receiver relatively easily. The gauntlet cuff is neat enough to fit inside a jacket sleeve, and it can be tightened down with a drawcord. Extra features include a wrist leash and a nose wipe on the thumbs. You also get a karabiner loop on the fingers. But annoyingly it lacks clips that allow a pair to be attached to one another so they don’t get AT A GLANCE separated in your rucksack. At MATERIALS nylon outer, leather £45 it offers many of the benefits reinforcement, Drilite Extreme of the higher-priced gloves waterproof lining, fleece and although it is not quite as warm; pile insulation SIZES S-XL (men’s); XS-L (women’s) however it is ideal for general WEIGHT 189g (pair, size men’s L) winter walking. WEBSITE www.mountainequipment.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 87
GEAR
USED & ABUSED Trail’s kit sees more action than most. Here’s where we tell you how it did...
Extremities Windy Took Hat £26 It’s warm, it’s snug and it’s comfortable. In short, it does everything a hat should do. However, it also looks like a cross between a swim hat and a rugby scrum cap, so it’s best hidden under a helmet. Which, luckily, it’s perfectly suited to. ❯❯ www.terra-nova.com
SWANN Freestyle HD videocam £280 Now I know what you’re thinking and it does indeed look like one of those; but it isn’t, although it does exactly the same job. Stuck on the side of the helmet it’s a little awkward and heavy enough to feel off-balance. It comes with a plug-on LCD screen so you can view your videos, which is good; but you can’t use the waterproof case when the LCD back is in place and you can’t make any changes to your video settings without the LCD screen, which is annoying. Still, the image quality is pretty good and the camera survived several ice axe arrests, which speaks volumes for the toughness of the case. So yes, for a bit of fun footage (see page 31 for a link to ours) the Freestyle is great; but it’s heavy enough and awkward enough that I won’t be in too much of a rush to take it out again. ❯❯ www.swann.com
90 TRAIL FEBRUARY 2013
TRIP REPORT Ben Weeks & Dan Aspel T R I P R E P O RT
Cairngorms (See page 24)
Julbo MonteBianco sunglasses £55 No more glare. No more stinging spindrift. No more squinting. And, chiefly, they’re tough – a rare necessity in sunglasses. Short of blizzard conditions, I’ve found these a versatile alternative to snow goggles, and they have measurably improved my quality of life. ❯❯ www.julbo-eyewear.com
MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT Couloir gloves £90 These Couloir gloves have a fibre pile and fleece lining, which is exciting for two reasons: (a) they’re very warm indeed; and (b) they’re swift and painless to put on even when wet. This makes them a life-saver when you need to adjust buckles and crampons in poor conditions. Add a Gore-Tex insert and elongated hem for weather protection plus a leather / stretch nylon construction for comfort and you’ve got a truly superb winter glove. ❯❯ www.mountain-equipment.co.uk
Asolo’s Sherpa GV boots won Trail’s ‘Best Value’ award last winter, undercutting all of the competition, so I was immediately keen to give them a go. My experience has been faultless. They boast all the usual 4-season features (deep-lugged Vibram sole, thick rubber rand, Gore-Tex lining); their lean profile makes them agile; and the quality of their build means they’re extremely durable too. In terms of ability, they’re stiff enough to carry any crampon and can tackle the harshest conditions you’ll encounter in the Scottish Highlands or the Alps, whether you’re walking, mountaineering or ice-climbing. As a first pair of winter boots, they’re inspiring. ❯❯ www.asolo.com
THE PRICES GIVEN ARE THE ORIGINAL COST OF THE ITEM
ASOLO Sherpa GV boots £200
FEBRUARY 2013 TRAIL 91
ISLE OF SKYE
Inverness
Portree
Shiel Bridge Aviemore
Inverie Invergarry
Mallaig
Aberdeen
Braemar
13 route Snowdonia
Fort William MULL
Oban
JURA
classic route Glasgow
Edinburgh
Berwick-upon-Tweed Ayr
Jedburgh
Ballantrae
Dumfries
Newton Stewart Stranraer Belfast
facts
Carlisle
Cwm Cywion
Penrith
Keswick
(Grade 1 scramble/Grade I winter climb) Lancaster
Northallerton
Bentham Leeds
Dublin
3 footbridge
3
Llyn Idwal
2 stepping stones
Gribin Facet
Y Garn Manchester
4
Sheffield
Bodelwyddan Betws-y-Coed
2
Llyn Ogwen
Ogwen Ogwen A5 Cottage Cottage
ge
Cwm Clyd
rt No
START/ FINISH
8
Cwm Idwal
Castell y Geifr
Llangollen
Llyn Bochlwyd
Derby Barmouth Aberystwyth
Peterborough Cneifion
Birmingham
Duon
Clogwyn y Geifr
Hay-on-Wye
Total ascent 935m Cardiff
Cwm Cneifio
Bristol
Start/finish Ogwen Minehead Cottage (SH650603) Nearest town Exeter Bethesda Terrain lakeside road, Bodmin Plymouth constructed path, cragringed cwm, hanging cwm, steep mountain side, narrow arêtes, stony summit, broad main ridge, broad col, scree and rocky summit
NSouthampton
Transport Traveline (buses) 0871 200 2233; National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) 110; OS Explorer (1:25,000) OL17; Harvey Superwalker (1:50,000) Snowdonia West; British Mountain Maps (1:40,000) Snowdonia
Cwm Cneifion
7
Bwlch y Ddwy-Glyder
1/2 Kilometre 1/2 Mile
6 Glyder Fawr
the mountains Glyder FaWR 1001m/3,284ft
Accommodation Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel 0845 371 9534; Plas Curig Youth Hostel 01690 720 225 Tourist info Llanberis (01286) 870765; Betwsy-Coed (01690) 710426
Upper Cliff of Glyder Fawr
Brighton
NORTH
Poole
5
^ LlynLlyn y Cwn Cwn
Cwm Bochlwyd
Y Garn 947m/3,107ft
The Glyders' cliffs rise above Llyn Idwal. The big cleft is the Devil's Kitchen.
© Peter Heyes / Alamy
Swansea
Idwal Slabs
Oxford
Pembroke
Time 5 hours
Twll Du
Gloucester
ribin Ridge
Distance 9.2km Brecon (5¾ miles)
YG
Cardigan
© Realimage / Alamy
4
Y Garn
Cwm Cneifion
Guidebooks Scrambles in Snowdonia and Ridges of Snowdonia both by Steve Ashton, pb Cicerone; High Mountains of Britain and Ireland by Irvine Butterfield, pb Baton Wicks; The Big Walks by Ken Wilson, pb Baton Wicks
Cneifion Duon
^ Llyn Cwn LlynyCwn
Llyn Clyd
5 Twll Du Clogwyn y Geifr
Y
Cwm Cywion
3
Pinnacle Crag
Gr ib in Idwal Slabs C WM I D WA L
Llyn Bochlwyd
Gribin Facet
Llyn Idwal
2
Pen y Benglog
stepping footbridge stones
Idwal Cottage YHA
1
A5
N V A
START/ FINISH
WE
RT H
R13 classic route feb13 swsi.indd 2
N
NO
LLE
Y
Ogwen Cottage
122 Trail february 2013
SH650603 The car park at Ogwen Cottage soon fills up, so if you're arriving by car an early start is the order of the day. Ogwen Cottage was originally a coaching inn, built to service traffic on Thomas Telford’s London to Holyhead road (A5). It was a popular watering hole for rock-climbers in the early years of the sport. It is now run as a private outdoor pursuits base. There is a kiosk for drinks and snacks (currently being refurbished) and a toilet beside the ranger station. To start, the well-trodden path up to Cwm Idwal is followed to the outlet stream of Llyn Idwal.
1
Cwm Clyd
OG
rford
Conway
Liverpool Rhyl
Rid
Yorkh E
Skipton
Pen y Benglog
Pinnacle Crag
Middlesbrough
STRENUOUSNESS ■ ■ ■■■ NAVIGATIONWindermere ■ ■ ■■■ Kendal TECHNICALITY ■ ■ ■■■ Ingleton
1
Idwal Cottage YHA
Yr Hafod
Newcastle -upon-Tyne
t
derry
A5
ISLE OF ARRAN
as
ISLAY
10/12/2012 10:54
always take a map out with you on the hill
SH646598 Cwm Idwal was the first nature reserve in Wales, receiving its official status in 1954 (is also designated an SSSI – a Site of Special Scientific Interest). Its interesting mix of geology and botany attracted Charles Darwin for research
2
GRADIENT PROFILE
purposes. Llyn Idwal is nearly 40ft deep at its deepest point. Its waters hold a good head of brown trout and it is popular with the more adventurous fly fishers. Cross the outlet stream by the footbridge and follow the vague path, which snakes west to the foot of the �
Ogwen Cottage
1400 1200 METRES 1000 ABOVE 800 SEA 600 LEVEL 400 200 MILES 0 KILOMETRES 0
1
2
3
Llyn y Cwn
Glyder Fawr
Y Gribin Ridge
4
5
6
7
5
6
2 2
‘these two ridges have appealing lines following graceful curves...’
Y Garn
1 1
Y Garn's hanging cwm and elegant north-east ridge.
3
3 4
Ogwen Cottage
8 4 7
5 8
9
February 2013 Trail 123
R13 classic route feb13 swsi.indd 3
10/12/2012 10:54