Trail magazine July 2016

In pictures: Ireland’s most spectacular mountains

11 Routes + OS MAPS

LIVE FOR THE OUTDOORS

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Kinder Scout Glaramara

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING HILLWALKING MAGAZINE

JULY 2016 £4.60

JULY 2016

SUMMER Glen Coe Snowdon

ICONS

Crinkle Crags Bristly Ridge

Must-do mountain experiences made for days in the sun T

Birds’ Rock

Have you heard of this secret mini peak?

SPECIAL REPORT

What next for Everest?

Go further for less Strip the costs out of hillwalking + save £1000 without noticing!

Solo tents & lightweight jackets on test

the one that is on the lookout for a new good-weather god

PLUS 32 PAGE SPEC

IAL

S WILD NIGHkT es,

Macfarlane, Hin Bradbury & Maconie on the joy of camping

Dartmoor by night

A magical sleep under a tor – no tent required!

Contents

WHERE TRAIL WILL TAKE YOU BASE CAMP Climb it

SKILLS 6

Walking on a budget

ADVENTURES 52

Crinkle Crags: ‘at once beckoning and twee’

Get even more mountains for your money

Experience it

Expert advice

8

Ultimate hydration: in-tarn head-dunking

Take the challenge!

10

It’s not too late to sign up for the 7 Summits!

The Mountain Inquisition 12 Greg Boswell, who once escaped a grizzly bear

68

How to find a great wild camping spot; indestructible edibles; using a watch as a compass; lacing boots; confidence ropes; best hills for kids; inverting gas canisters

YOUR TRAIL In box

18 20 42

Sign up today and snaffle a substantial saving On Stob na Doire, the second highest peak on Buachaille Etive Mor – page 24.

Win the best new gear!

Outdoor kit worth £625 is up for grabs

It’s the mountain that guards all others beyond it...

4 TRAIL JULY 2016

Bristly Ridge SUMMER ICONS

SUMMER ICONS

32

N Wales’ most exciting G1 scramble

Crinkle Crags

38

A classic Lakeland ridge traverse

Dartmoor

Your top mountain moments + Face of fatigue

Subscribe to Trail

Gatekeeper of the Highlands

44

Wild camping in a tor-studded landscape

The world of hillwalking: your thoughts

Out there

Buachaille Etive Mor 24 SUMMER ICONS

88

Birds’ Rock

48

Where personality surpasses modest stature

Ireland on camera

58

Scenery from ‘another continent’, a hop away

Everest 1996: 20 years on 64 Two decades after tragedy, what’s changed?

The ‘tump’ that thinks it’s a mountain – page 48.

Turn dosh into dreams – page 52.

ROUTES

GEAR GUIDE Hot new kit

74

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

One-person tents

76

Superior shelters to suit solo mountain sorties

Lightweight waterproofs

80

Ethereal outerwear for repelling the elements

Short-sleeved base layers 84 Minimalist tops = maximum summer comfort

Kit me out for...

86

An arsenal of items with which to beat bugs

First test

89

An ‘affordable’ two-person tent from Vango

Used & abused

1 Glaramara 2 Crookdale 3 Grey Friar 4 Dolmen Ridge 5 Glen Etive 6 Maol Chean-dearg 7-9 Yorkshire 3 Peaks 10-11 Knoydart

101 103 105 107 109 111 113 117

PLUS Walks of a lifetime Ridge guide Map of the month

122 127 129

90

Where Team Trail appraises its paraphernalia Lightweight waterproof jackets – page 80.

GRAHAM THOMPSON

Maol Chean-dearg 6 Knoydart Glen Etive

5

Map of the month Ennerdale 1

4

Glaramara

10 11

Crookdale Grey Friar 3

Dolmen Ridge

Yorks 3 Peaks

Ridge guide Snowdon south Walks of a lifetime Kinder edges

● CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE AND GO HILLWALKING!

2

7

8 9

TOM BAILEY

Trail rocks up for a kip on Dartmoor – page 44.

Go west Highlands Do a Scottish legend Heading toward Coire na Tulaich in the early-morning sun, with the famous outline of the Buachaille rising above a thin layer of mist.

24 TRAIL JULY 2016

SUMMER ICONS

BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR GATEKEEPER OF THE HIGHLANDS

Buachaille Etive Mor is one of our most well-known and best-loved peaks. Trail takes a trip to investigate whether it’s worthy.

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

JULY 2016 TRAIL 25

SUMMER ICONS

BRISTLY RIDGE

NORTH WALES’ MOST EXCITING GRADE 1 SCRAMBLE

Snowdon is hardly lacking in pointy, rocky bits; but for a solid scrambling challenge when the weather’s come good, this is hard to beat.

WORDS BEN WEEKS

32 TRAIL JULY 2016

At the top of Bristly Ridge, with the proud pyramid of Tryfan behind.

MATTHEW ROBERTS

JULY 2016 TRAIL 33

SUMMER ICONS

CRINKLE CRAGS THE CLASSIC LAKELAND RIDGE TRAVERSE

Superb in any season, but best enjoyed in sizzling sunshine, Trail reveals why this rocky ramble should be right at the top of your summer tick-list.

WORDS OLI REED PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

38 TRAIL JULY 2016

High on Crinkle Crags, scrambling on one of the rockier sections.

The mountains in shadow are Scafell and Scafell Pike, with the fluted southern crags of Bowfell catching sunlight to the right.

I

t’s a tricky walk to explain, Crinkle Crags.

Officially it’s a ridge, but with almost zero exposure. It fidgets its way above a series of very wrinkly cliffs, without ever forcing you to set foot on any of them. There’s no proper summit to speak of, just one pile of rocks in the middle that’s marginally higher than the ones before and after. And it’s quite easy, really, because although you can get your hands dirty on a few scrambly sections, you don’t have to if you’re feeling a bit wimpy. But perhaps the hardest thing to explain is that despite all of that grumbling and nitpicking, it’s actually quite brilliant. One of the finest mountain routes in England, in fact.

Allow us to explain why…

It’s very accessible You know those bulging mountain shapes that look a bit like oversized traffic cones on the skyline when you approach Windermere from the M6?

Those are the Langdale Pikes, which share a valley with Crinkle Crags. That valley is of course Langdale, snaking west from Ambleside in a perfect concoction of thick woodland, green fields, welcoming inns, steep-sided peaks and voluble mountain streams. Whatever means you arrive by – be it car, bus, pushbike or walking boot – that last little kink in the road as you burrow into the innards of the valley will stop you dead in your tracks. You’re still less than 8km from Ambleside as the raven flies, but you’ll feel like � you’ve been teleported into another universe.

JULY 2016 TRAIL 39

GET 13 ISSUES OF TRAIL FOR JUST £31! *

*When you choose the ‘digital only’ option

+ FREE ACCESS TO 1,000 ROUTES AND UNLIMITED PRINTABLE OS MAPPING FOR A YEAR! (A TrailZilla subscription is only available with a digital subscription if you purchase it through Great Magazines.)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GET THESE BENEFITS: ● You’ll never miss an issue ● Free UK delivery of your print magazine directly to your door ● Get instant access to your digital magazine whenever, wherever you are

0 on the 8 .

5 2 £ e Sav ice! cover pr

GET TRAIL JUST HOW YOU LIKE IT: PRINT ONLY from just £34 DIGITAL ONLY from just £31 PRINT + DIGITAL from just £44

Terms & conditions *13 issues for £31 when you choose the ‘digital only’ option. Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. Minimum subscription term is 13 issues. Payments made by direct debit payments will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise and you will not receive a renewal reminder. This offer closes on 13 July 2016. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximately) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximately) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. Overseas? Please phone +44 1858 438828 for further details. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions

Subscribe!

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/trail Or call 01858 438884 and quote GCAA Lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). Overseas readers please call +44 1858 438828

Go Dartmoor Do sleep under a rock

Be A ROCK

The tor-studded wilderness of Dartmoor

44 TRAIL JULY 2016

Settling in for the night below the protective granite folds of Dartmoor’s Saddle Tor.

tween AND A WILD PLACE may seem inhospitable, but the National Park’s geology can be surprisingly accommodating.

WORDS BEN WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

T

he thundering hooves are getting nearer. I close my eyes tight and hunker down. If the fold of solid granite above my head doesn’t protect me from the beasts about to plough through our bivvy site, I’m hoping that a feather-filled sleeping bag and not being able to see will do the trick. As the noise grows, I feel a sudden surge of courage mixed with a dash of curiosity. I peel back the hood of my bag, and peek through barely open eyelids.

About 30 metres away half a dozen Dartmoor ponies, significantly smaller than the sound of their approach would suggest, saunter past giving precisely zero attention to the two horizontal humans wedged below an overhang on the granite outcrop of Saddle Tor. The dry, taut earth amplifies the drum roll of the hooves as they drop down the slope and out of sight. And then it’s quiet, save for the distant mooing of cattle and the rustle of Tom’s camping mat. It’s a perfect night, warm enough to sleep unencumbered by the claustrophobic confines of a tent, but cool enough to allow for comfortable, perspiration-free sleep. There’s not a cloud in the sky. The stars are pin-sharp and the dark air is full of them. I roll back into my nocturnal nook and let my focus rest briefly on the gritty texture of the rock � before closing my eyes and drifting off into dreams of wild horses.

JULY 2016 TRAIL 45

Go west Wales Do a little cracker

TOP OF THE

TUMPS Unknown to most, this little Welsh hill was the childhood dream of a top climber and the regular haunt of one of our most important naturalists.

WORDS SARAH RYAN PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

48 TRAIL JULY 2016

Looking towards the pronounced lumps of Birds' Rock, unmistakeable in the distance to the left.

O

ne of the UK’s most remarkable hills is less than 10km from Cadair Idris. As a child, climber Andy Kirkpatrick used to dream of it. As a student, Charles Darwin frequented its top. If you search it out on an OS map, it’ll be marked with one of those little blue stars indicating ‘something cool here’; there’s a hill-fort, a castle and loads of birds. Can you name it? I wouldn’t have been able to. We went because, seen from the summit of another hill, it looks really good: two rough tops, one of which bulges out over a dead flat valley and is half sliced away in steep cliffs.

It’s different to every other hill on the horizon, the kind of thing you gawp at and say, “What is that?”

And what that is, is Craig yr Aderyn or Birds’ Rock; and the reason you probably haven’t heard of it is because it’s just 258m high, and in all the hill lists of the UK, it’s classified only as a ‘tump’ – a British hill with a prominence of 30m. But we did say it was one of the most remarkable hills in the UK, and it is. Top climber/storyteller Andy Kirkpatrick reflects on it in the first chapter of his Boardman Tasker Prize-winning autobiography, Psychovertical, saying: “My first high place was a hill named Bird Rock, a mountain carved in half by some geological fluke, exposing a limestone face

set in a valley not far from our house, and visible from our tiny garden. It always seemed strange and exotic, always there on the horizon, mysterious, its summit seemingly inaccessible amongst the more pedestrian rolling green hills that surrounded the Welsh village where I grew up. I’d seen films like King Kong, Tarzan and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, where strange rock faces yielded prehistoric lands and lost species. I wondered if Bird Rock was the same, its craggy face perhaps hiding dodos, pterodactyls and giant eagles that would have to be fought off.”

Pterodactyls maybe not; but Birds’ Rock’s crags are visited by barn owls, little owls, redstarts, wheatears, linnets and peregrine falcons. Sixty breeding pairs of cormorants nest here (1 per cent of the UK’s breeding population and the only inland colony), and a high number of choughs roost and breed on the crags, identifiable by their striking red beaks and legs. It’s this wealth of birdlife that gives the hill its name, as well as its protected status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It also means that, despite having some goodquality climbing routes in an excellent location close to the road, access to the crags is restricted from 1 March to 31 July so that nesting can progress undisturbed. �

JULY 2016 TRAIL 49

Go Ireland Do lesser-known peaks

A WORLD APART

58 TRAIL JULY 2016

1

“The iconic shape of Benbulbin symbolises County Sligo.

Known as Yeats Country, its landscape was an inspiration for the late Irish poet WB Yeats. The limestone escarpment was carved by glacial forces, and is adorned with deep gullies and fluted buttresses. The mythical Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill and his tribe, the Fianna, were said to have hunted on its slopes. This image, taken at sundown, captures the mountain at its dramatic best in evening light.“

It’s separated from mainland Britain by just 22km of water but has scenery that belongs to another continent. Photographer and author Adrian Hendroff explains why Ireland’s lesser-known mountains should be on your to-visit list.

2

“I was driving along the N59 from Clifden one crisp November morning, with hardly a cloud in the sky, and this reflection on Derryclare Lough stopped me in my tracks.

The mountains in the background, some of the oldest in the world, are the quartzite peaks of Beanna Beola, also known as the Twelve Bens of Connemara. Legend suggests the ruthless ruler of the O’Flaherty clan and his men were drowned here in a flood that formed the lake.“ JULY 2016 TRAIL 59

1996

abandoned by his ‘guide‘; 336 summits.

2010

summits, only four from Nepal.

A storm causes eight deaths on Everest (attempts recommence the day after the tragedy); 15 deaths by the end of the season; 95 summits.

2006

Eric Larsen sends the first ever tweet from the top; 513 summits.

2015

Conrad Anker finds George Mallory’s body; 117 summits.

David Sharp lies nearcomatose beneath an overhang, is passed by 40+ climbers on their way to the summit and later dies; later, Lincoln Hall, in a similar condition, is successfully rescued; 479 summits.

2004

2008

Seven deaths, including 69-year-old Nils Antezana, reportedly

The Olympic torch is taken to the summit; 1 death; 425 summits.

1999

2013 Eight deaths; tensions flare and a fight between Western and Sherpa mountaineers escalates; 660 summits.

2014 An avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall kills 16 Sherpas and climbing is soon abandoned on the Nepal side; 127

Avalanche caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake kills 21; No summits from either side; for the first time, the mountain is closed to summit attempts.

2016 Everest reopens.

At the time of writing this article, more than 600 people have summited, and five people have died.

1996 EVEREST 20 YEARS AFTER THE

DISASTER...

HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?

T

wenty years ago, John Krakauer and a group of fellow clients being guided to the summit of Everest survived a violent storm high on the mountain. It led to the deaths of eight people, two of whom were highly experienced mountaineers and expedition leaders. The rest of the group made it back down; and in an attempt to process the trauma and make sense of events, Krakauer wrote his best-selling book, Into Thin Air. The crux of it, and the reason he was there in the first place, was to explore a troubling but lucrative young trade: high-altitude commercial guiding.

In the immediate wake of that disaster, little seemed to change. The very next day, people continued to summit; in the years following, business flourished.

64 TRAIL JULY 2016

Even now, climbers must often pass corpses on their way to the top. And the number of people who make it there has sky-rocketed: 4,100+ and counting.

British climber Leo Houlding once told Trail, “Without wanting to belittle the challenge, Everest is not the mountain it was. It is a fraction of the challenge – I mean, it is a freakshow.”

Reinhold Messner, legendary Tyrolean alpinist and the first man to climb Everest solo without oxygen, said, “We were very lucky [that] in the 1970s, we found an empty Himalaya. Today, Everest is payable. It is still hard, still dangerous... but not mountaineering anymore. Mountaineering ends where tourism begins. I’m not criticising: mountaineering is one thing, tourism �

The memorial to Scott Fischer, an American guide who died on Everest in the 1996 storm. © COLSTRAVEL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

JULY 2016 TRAIL 65

EXPERT ADVICE: PLAIN & SIMPLETM YOUR EXPERTS

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

FIND THE PERFECT PITCH The difference between a rotten night and a cosy kip under canvas is mainly down to location. Here’s how to get it right, says Guy Jarvis…

Rob Johnson MIC Rob is an international expedition leader and mountain instructor.

1. ON THE MAP

CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP. ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2016 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 042/16

What to look for

Everyone wants a comfy night’s kip, and choosing a good wild camping site is essential for this. The key elements are flat, dry ground; running water sources nearby; and shelter from wind. Finding these on a map can be a challenge, and local knowledge always helps.

A water source Look for rivers with flowing water.

Do not rely on ponds with no marked watercourse. Beware of flat areas with shallow streams that can change course in the night. (I have woken up in the middle of the night with a river running through my tent before!)

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.

68 TRAIL JULY 2016

Protective slopes or rock walls If you know which direction the wind will be blowing from, look for an area in the lee (downwind side) of a slope that has the right aspect to give you protection. But also bear in mind that wind direction can change overnight.

Widely spaced contours, indicating flat ground. But beware of ‘bowls’ that can quickly become marshy or flooded after rain. Avoid any areas marked with blue lines or blue ‘boggy ground’ symbols.

There is often flat ground around ponds or lakes, but again beware of marshy ground or lakes that expand after rain.

Choose your wild camp spot carefully, and a comfy night’s sleep should follow!

Once you’ve arrived at your chosen camping area you may have to hunt around a bit for the best site to pitch on. Consider what might happen to your campsite if conditions were to change overnight. What will happen if it rains? What if the wind increases, or changes direction?

Flat, dry ground that is not at the lowest point The vegetation will often tell you if it is prone to becoming boggy or flooded. In the UK, short green grass is a good sign.

Look for areas where the ground is soft enough to get your pegs right in.

What to look for

Extra shelter from the wind – in the lee of a slope, by a stone wall or next to a large boulder. Pitch your tent so the entrance doesn’t face into the wind.

Comfort Before you peg the tent out, unroll it and lie on it to check that your chosen area is comfortable. Often you only have to move the tent by a few inches to get the premium camping spot.

Clear water Check your water source is clean and running, and look as far upstream as you can to make sure there isn’t a dead sheep in it!

Trees and loose cliffs Beware of pitching under or near trees in windy conditions. Branches can fall off, or in strong winds the whole tree can fall over. Some trees (like beech) can drop branches ‘spontaneously’.

Similarly, steer clear of camping right underneath large cliffs due to the potential danger of rockfall.

What to avoid

Sloping ground Do not pitch the tent on a sideways slope – you will end up sliding into the tent wall (or your partner) all night. If you have to pitch on a slight slope, sleep head up. Head down, you will have a terrible night’s sleep.

Guy Jarvis

Guy is a qualified International Mountain Leader, holds the Mountaineering Instructor Award and is currently executive officer for Mountain Training England.

He has a lifetime of experience leading groups outdoors on expeditions in the UK and abroad. www. mountaintraining.org

JULY 2016 TRAIL 69

MATTHEW ROBERTS

2. ON THE GROUND

TEST OF THE BEST

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in

TOP HILL KIT GOES HEAD TO HEAD

ONE-PERSON TENTS When you’re camping solo every gram counts. Here’s Trail’s test of the best one-person tents for the more discerning camper.

HEADROOM

FLYSHEET

This provides protection against the rain. It’s made from ripstop nylon for maximum durability or polyester to reduce cost. The material is treated with polyurethane or silicone to make it waterproof. Broadly speaking the heavier and thicker the fabric, the longer it will last; but lightweight nylons are often treated with ultraviolet (UV) light inhibitors to improve their long-term performance.

Ripstop construction limits the chance of small holes becoming long tears.

A flysheet that reaches the ground around the edges will keep more rain out, while one with a big air gap around the base will help reduce condensation.

To be sure you can sit up, get a friend to measure your height when sitting, then compare this to the maximum internal height of the inner tent (but note that many tents taper down so you may not be able to sit up throughout the inner tent).

INNER TENT

You sleep inside the inner. It protects the occupant from the condensation that will inevitably form on the underside of the flysheet as well as midges that will get under the flysheet. Some inner tents have large mesh panels that improve airflow while reducing weight, but they can be colder and more draughty.

PORCH

This space outside the inner but under the flysheet is ideal for storing rucksacks, wet gear and to act as a cooking area. If this is too small you’ll have to think carefully where you are going to store your wet gear overnight.

POLES

The poles create a tent’s shape and are often made of metal alloy. A shock-cord links the pole sections together for easier assembly.

Lower-priced tents may use more fragile glass fibre poles, but in wild weather these may snap more easily than metal poles, particularly in cold and windy conditions.

76 TRAIL JULY 2016

GUY LINES

A set of cords are sometimes provided to help stabilise a tent in high winds. Some tents need fewer guy lines than others, as some models are mechanically stronger due to clever design.

PITCHING

Inner-pitched-first designs save weight, are more stable and are ideal for pitching in dry conditions. Outer-pitched-first designs are better for use in wet conditions, as the inner can be more easily protected from the rain during pitching and striking of the tent.

This can be an important consideration if camping in the UK!

WEIGHT

Manufacturers supply weights but it is not always clear what these weights include. All weights in this test are for the tent inner and outer, poles, pegs as well as any stuffsacks and guy lines provided.

BEST BUDGET FOR YOUR

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Clothing size large

LIGHTWEIGHT WATERPROOF JACKETS

HOODS

The hood should fit snugly so it does not blow off, but also it must move with your head so you can see where you are going.

The peak may become bent when the jacket is stashed in a rucksack, so look for a wired one that can be easily reshaped to allow good vision even in the wind.

With a lightweight waterproof you’ll have more energy available to explore the hills.

Here’s Trail’s choice of the best jackets weighing less than 350g.

VENTILATION

Even the best waterproof and breathable fabrics allow condensation to form, so it is important that you can increase ventilation of the jacket. A front zip can be used for venting, as can underarm zips (aka pit zips), while mesh linings in pockets can also increase airflow through the jacket.

However note that mesh pockets may also allow water to pass through into the jacket.

Lightweight jackets often have mesh pockets but they may not be ideal for really wet weather.

POCKETS

Big pockets are great for storing maps, guidebooks and gloves, and they can be used to protect your hands from wind and rain. Rucksack belts obscure access to some pockets so make sure they are wellpositioned to avoid this problem.

FABRICS

On high-priced jackets you can expect to find that the fabrics used are the most waterproof and breathable available; and while there may be small differences between them this will be difficult to notice on the hill and so your comfort will often be dictated by features such as hood, pocket and sleeve design. In contrast lower-priced jackets generally have fabrics that are less breathable and may be less durably waterproof in the long term too.

80 TRAIL JULY 2016

WEIGHTS

Manufacturers often give average weights across all sizes or the weight of the medium jacket. All weights given here are for jackets in men’s size large as weighed at the time of this test.

ZIPS

Normal zips used on jackets are not waterproof so they are normally covered by an external single or double stormflap, but these increase weight so are often omitted on lightweight jackets.

Water-resistant zips are commonly used on high-priced jackets but these are not waterproof either. As these zips may leak, they are often fitted with an internal flap that is designed to channel away any water than enters this area.

Routes

THE BEST HILLWALKS BY THE EXPERTS Ben Starav, seen from Meall a’ Bhuiridh – route 5.

DAN BAILEY

WALK HERE THIS WEEKEND! p109

Where to walk this month...

Welcome to Trail’s routes section: your cut-out-and-keep guide to the best days in the UK hills. Whether it’s an airy mountain scramble, a classic Lakeland fellwalk or a multi-day backpacking epic, you’ll find it here... written by experts, walked by you.

Maol Chean-dearg 6 Knoydart 5

5

10 11

Glen Etive

Map of the month Ennerdale 1

4

Glaramara

Crookdale Grey Friar 3

Dolmen Ridge

Y'shire 3 Peaks

2

7

Ridge guide Snowdon south ridge Walks of a lifetime Kinder edges

EDITED BY HANNAH JAMES (HANNAH.JAMES@LFTO.COM)

● Trail Routes use OS mapping and gradient profiles, and are available to download at www.lfto.com/routes JULY 2016 TRAIL 99

8 9

North Yorkshire

JULY 2016

Yorkshire 3 Peaks

Here’s an alternative Three Peaks Challenge! Ange Harker gets under the skin of Yorkshire’s most famous mountain trio.

W

hernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent owe their fame to the 24 mile, 12 hour Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, which attracts thousands each summer.

It’s a spectacular day out; but a full weekend offers even more.

In addition to the usual highlights of Ingleborough’s ‘hill-fort’, the Ribblehead Viaduct and the black void of Gaping Gill, take the time to discover hidden tarns on Yorkshire’s highest peak, vast lunar limestone pavements on Ingleborough and an enormous collapsed cavern below Pen-y-ghent. Throw in a breathtaking escarpment route, and a ride on the Settle-Carlisle Railway, and you’ve got a challenge more than worthy of celebration. fries art

-upon-T

Carlisle Penrith

Keswick

Middlesbro

Windermere

3 Peaks

North

Ingleton Bentham

Lancaster

Yo

Skipton Leeds

Liverpool yl

Manchester

Route 7 Ingleborough by rail Route 8 Pen-y-ghent

TRANSPORT Trains from Leeds and Settle to Horton-inRibblesdale and Ribblehead www.settle-carlisle.co.uk; Ingleborough Pony bus 831 (summer) www.dalesbus.org PUBS/GRUB Horton: Crown Hotel (01729) 860209; Pen-y-ghent Café (01729) 860333; Blindbeck Tea Room (01729) 860396; Ribblehead: Station Inn (01524) 241274

ACCOMMODATION Horton: Golden Lion hotel & bunkhouse (01729) 860380; Holme Farm campsite (01729) 860281; Crown Hotel as above; Blindbeck holiday cottage (01729) 860396. Ribblehead: Station Inn as above, also has bunkhouse and‘wild’ camping PRACTICALITIES Banks, petrol, groceries and cashpoint in Settle and Ingleton.

LOCAL INFO Horton TIC (Pen-y-ghent Café) (01729) 860333; Ingleton TIC (01524) 241049; Settle TIC (01729) 825192; see also www.horton-in-ribblesdale.com

Route 9 Whernside tarns JULY 2016 TRAIL 113

ANGE HARKER

The 20m-deep Hull Pot is tucked away on Pen-y-ghent’s slope.

WALKS OF A LIFETIME

TOUR OF

Kinder Scout edges

122 TRAIL JULY 2016

Peak District

25.3km/15¾ miles 8 hours Rock formations catch the light above Kinder Reservoir. © ALAN NOVELLI / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

A magical mystery tour around the high wind-scoured plateau at the heart of the Dark Peak is just the ticket, says Jeremy Ashcroft.

JULY 2016 TRAIL 123

special edition oUt noW!

All you need to climb to the highest points of Scotland, England and Wales!

Available now from www.greatmagazines.co.uk/explore, WHSmith, Waitrose, Tesco and independent retailers.

My

perfect pitch WIN

one of 5 tents from

Twelve love letters to sleeping outdoors

INCLUDING

Robert Macfarlane Terry Abraham Ronald Turnbull Dixe Wills Alan Hinkes Julia Bradbury Stuart Maconie Phoebe Smith Dan Bailey Iolo Williams

The beer With a 75L rucksack that includes a four-pack of Hobgoblin, TOM BAILEY makes a midsummer camp on the summit of Britain’s shapeliest mountain.

FOR 20 YEARS, a wild camp for me has meant an amazing location: camping at the foot of Suilven, bivvying on the summit of Meall a’ Bhuachaille, tarping on a ledge in the Lakes, shivering in a snow hole on Ben Macdui. They were as you would expect: dramatic, epic, an act of survival. But here’s the one I think of as my perfect pitch.

The Lakes last summer. After a long, hot day on the Newlands Round, it was time to think about where to spend the night. Conditions were such that a night out under the stars was utterly irresistible. We could go anywhere in the Lakes, but for me there was only one choice: the summit of Blencathra.

After a day in the hills already lodged in our legs, we decided on a steep, direct line to the summit. We switched to our large rucksacks and packed them to the hilt with fresh pasta, cakes, coffee, pastries – and best of all, a four-pack of Hobgoblin (other fine ales are available).

The plan was an hour and a half of hell (the ascent), then a night of bliss.

Putting on a rucksack so large (75L) and

Morning, world: looking across at Skiddaw from the summit ridge of Blencathra.

densely packed is never easy. I think this time it involved putting it on a wall and reversing into it, buckling up, then transferring the weight to my reluctant legs. Needless to say it wasn’t a pretty sight; red faced, wobbly, soaked in sweat and, on close inspection, stinking.

The summit was reached only after one of those mental and physical struggles that somehow purify the body and soul. Wiping yet  NIGHT MAGIC

Sunset and midnight on Tom’s epic camp atop Blencathra.

14 MY PERFECT PITCH 2016

CAMPING SPECIAL 2016 | MY PERFECT PITCH

“An alarm was set but not needed.

Awake to the rhythm of the light, we stood on the summit to watch the sunrise.”

FACT FILE more sweat from the eyes and hardly feeling the levelling of the land, there it was: the summit.

Collapsing, packs were shed. The summit lay about 200m to the east; we opted to camp away from it, to avoid spoiling other crepuscular adventurers’ mountain top experiences. Then it was time for a beer. Flippin’ ’eck, it tasted good. Backs against our packs, the whole of the Lakes at our feet, sun, warmth, beer in hand.

I shuddered with the realisation that this was one of those moments that, in my vegetative old age, I might actually remember.

Beer sunk, time for the tents. There were two of us, and we’d opted for the luxury of a tent each (I’ve been told I snore, can’t say I’ve ever heard it). Having put up my tent many times it only took about four minutes. That left the whole of the long summer evening to enjoy.

We cracked open another beer. Pasta cooked and eaten, chocolate savoured and devoured, it was time for another beer. Towards sunset we sauntered (swaying slightly) to the summit.

The gaudy sphere sank, and only then did the Lakes really shine. Those subtle hues,

TOM BAILEY is the staff photographer for Country Walking and Trail. Over the course of 20 years he has walked and camped in almost every landscape Britain has to offer.

tones, colours washed out over the next hour or two. The last beer was drained with the last of the light. Time for bed, sleep and the muscle-fixing oblivion of slightly drunken slumber.

An alarm was not needed. Awake to the rhythm of the light, we stood on the summit for sunrise.

Then, Sharp Edge for breakfast.

GEAR ESSENTIAL

Apart from the Hobgoblin, and a good book (Tom recommends Rivers Run by Kevin Parr), Tom’s must-have is the Primus Eta stove, which varies from £70 to £100 depending on spec (www.primus.eu/eta). Primus call it their most versatile, fuel-efficient stove, and it weighs in at just 1200g.

We call it a gem.

BLENCATHRA is one of the most recognisable mountains in Britain, soaring above the A66 at the northern gateway to the Lakes. Some call it ‘Saddleback’, but we don’t.

CREPUSCULAR is a brilliant word meaning ‘of or relating to twilight’.

Shafts of sunlight radiating out of evening clouds are known as crepuscular rays.

MY PERFECT PITCH 2016 15