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Escape the office for a night in the hills
Navigate in fog
The Lakes’ biggest view Best gear for autumn
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Snowdon Bwlch Glas Watkin Path
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UNSEEN SNOWDON Amazing ‘impossible’ 360º route! Llyn Teyrn
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7 VALLEYS 6 RIDGELINES 14 MILES
CONTENTS p32
‘IT’S NOT JUST THE BEAUTY OF ITS ATTRACTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE DISTINCTIVE, WILD AND HARD-WON PEAKS...’ TRAIL FINDS THERE’S NO END TO THE APPEAL OF GLEN FINNAN
BASECAMP
SKILLS
Dream peak
6
Bonington on Hoy
8
It’s craggy Rois-Bheinn, way out west in Moidart
Sir Chris revisits a very old Scottish friend
Bonington 10 looks back Our best-known mountaineer on hitting 80
High lights 13 A month of outdoorsy things to put in your diary
Mountain Guide
ADVENTURES 78
How to find your bearings if lost in fog PLUS Map vs GPS; a better bow for your shoelaces; dealing with a sprained ankle; picking the right boots for you; identifying the North Star; best food for winter; grooming for hillwalkers
YOUR TRAIL
Snowdon
20
Glen Finnan
32
Ardgour
40
A complete circumnavigation of Wales’ highest
We find solitude, just past Fort William (amazingly)
A seven quid ferry trip brings stupendous views
In Box
14
Coniston Fells
44
The world of hillwalking, according to you lot
A dark pilgrimage to a haunting aircraft wreck
Out There
16
Black Combe
50
Subscribe to Trail
30
Wildboar Clough
54
Yorkshire Dales
60
Microadventure
70
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Is this the best panorama in all of Britain?
Ghyll scrambling in the Dark Peak (gills helpful)
It’s not all Hovis, you know; there’s hills, and more!
After work, don’t go home; head outdoors
WHERE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE WILL TAKE YOU Well, it was either this or Holby City...
A sombre scenario in the Coniston Fells.
p44
TOM BAILEY
p70
p20
Snowdon, circumnavigated! TOM BAILEY
ALL-NEW TRAIL GEAR
Llanberis
p86
Foel Goch
Eastern Terrace Ranger Pa th
AN BE
Crib y Ddysgl
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Cwm Clogwyn
Snowdon
N O RT H
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Rid ge So uth
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Llyn Llydaw
Mosquito crash remains
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Best for your budget
90
Waterproof jacketsAbroken down by price tag 4 98
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109 111 113 117 119 121 125 131 136
Waterproof overtrousers 94 Beddgelert
Llyn Dinas
Kit for cooler weather
96
First Test
99
The extra gear you’ll need now autumn is here
A Sherpa jacket using new down-and-synthetic fill
What’s in your rucksack? 101 Leo Houlding reveals what he hauls into the hills
102
It’s Team Trail’s actual kit, rated and slated
YHA Pen-y-Pass A4 08 6 Pen-y-Gwryd
Wildboar Clough: wild,Bwlch yes;y boring, Gwyddel no.
Gwastadannas
9-11
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A range of legwear for all uses and budgets
Blake Fell 2 Illgill Head 3 Cwm Pennant Bethania 4 IsleNantgwynant of Jura YHA 5 Ladhar Bheinn 6 Moidart Corbetts 7-8 Patterdale 9-11 Aviemore CLASSIC Yr Elen ROUTE 1
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base camp Old and young, united in success: Sir Chris Bonington (80) and Leo Houlding (34) on top of the Old Man of Hoy in August. © berghaus
Bonington: “why I
Britain’s most famous mountaineer turns 80 – and marks the milestone by
L
egendary British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington has described an extraordinary climb he made to mark the start of his ninth decade as “hugely satisfying”. In an exclusive interview for Trail looking back on his remarkable 60-year career (see overleaf), Sir Chris also described the climb as something he ‘needed’ to do following the death of his beloved wife Wendy, who passed away on 27 July. 8 Trail november 2014
On 20 August, led by 34-year-old British climber Leo Houlding, Sir Chris reascended the Old Man of Hoy at the age of 80 years and two weeks. Forty-eight years earlier, in 1966, he had made the first ascent of this Orkney sea stack. A repeat ascent the following year was shown live by the BBC; the three-day broadcast became one of the most sensational TV events of the time, attracting 15 million viewers. “[This time] I was worried, as in 1966 I was climbing fairly well. I was 32 at the time and
just sort of drifted up it,” he said. “Whereas these days, at the age of 80, one is stiffening up. One doesn’t really drift up things any longer.” The Old Man of Hoy – one of the tallest sea stacks in Britain at 137m (449ft) – is famed for its volatile conditions. Ravaged by erosion, the sandstone tower is continuously crumbling, and experts believe it will soon collapse completely. The pair reached its top – rated an E1 climb, ‘E’ meaning ‘Extreme’ – at 5pm in ‘deteriorating’ conditions. The successful
happenings from high places
© mark ferguson / Alamy
The Old Man of Hoy is less than 300 years old – and geologists believe it will collapse ‘soon’.
needed this climb” revisiting a (very) old friend in Orkney. ascent was all the more remarkable given the fact that the veteran mountaineer sustained a back injury immediately after the climb began. “It started hurting right at the beginning, but I climbed through the pain. Pain is your body’s way of saying ‘look, don’t do this’,” said Sir Chris. “By climbing through you tend to exacerbate the damage. But I’m very glad I did it. Even if I did bugger my back up as a result.” Sir Chris is now believed to be the oldest person to have reached the top of the Old Man
of Hoy. The previous holder of this record was Mike Banks, who was 77 at the time of his climb, and passed away in 2013. Leo Houlding first did the climb at the age of 11, and remains the youngest person to have done so – meaning that as he and Sir Chris stood together on the summit, they held the records for both the oldest and youngest ascents. In an inevitably age-related quip, Leo took to Twitter to kick-start the monumental climb, tweeting: ‘Sir Old Man on Hoy, here we go.’
Sir Chris has described caring for his wife – who was suffering from motor neurone disease – as the toughest thing he has ever done. He told Trail: “When you lose someone like that, who is the love of your life... life has to go on. And I felt this climb would help me, which it did. I think I needed it.”
turn over for an exclusive interview with Sir Chris...
s ec r e t r o u t es
GIRDLE SNOWDON
360°
SNOWDON
How do you avoid the crowds on the world’s busiest mountain? Simple. Walk all the way around it, over every valley and ridgeline, without ever setting foot on top. You won't believe what you'll discover... WORDS BEN WEEKS PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
20 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
Crib Goch’s ridge slicing the sky. The ‘Parson’s Nose’ arête chopping the landscape The llyn. The waterfall. The rainbow. Cwm Glas has got it going on.
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 21
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s ec r e t r o u t es AN GLEN FINN
WEST HIGHLAND WILDERNESS Just past Fort William there lies a glen. In this glen there is nobody. Just you. WORDS DAN ASPEL PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
32 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
Looking down into Glen Finnan from the slopes of Sgurr Thuilm, one of the valley's two Munros.
november 2014 Trail 33
s ec r e t r o u t es
A PENINSUL ARDGOUR
THE ATLANTIC COAST’S
LOST WORLD
How a quick trip on a ferry can unlock a clutch of Scottish peaks hidden in plain sight. WORDS SIMON INGRAM PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
40 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
The view from Coire Dubh, looking towards the mouth of Glen Coe and its bristled gatekeeper Beinn a' Bheithir (right).
‘THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT ARRIVING IN A PLACE BY BOAT. IT LENDS IT AN AIR OF SEQUESTERED SPECIALNESS’ NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 41
s ec r e t r o u t es
FELLS CONISTON
â?Ż
DARK PILGRIMAGE
Seventy years after it crashed into a Lakeland mountainside, Trail goes in search of one of England's most secluded plane wrecks and considers: should anyone be doing this? WORDS SIMON INGRAM PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
44 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
Prayer for a wing: a piece of Halifax bomber LL505 in Broad Slack, beneath Great Carrs.
november 2014 Trail 45
s ec r e t r o u t es
ISTRICT THE LAKE D
FROM HERE YOU CAN SEE... ANGLESEY INGLEBOROUGH SNOWDONIA SCAFELL PIKE BLACKPOOL TOWER PILLAR THE MOURNE MOUNTAINS WORDS OLI REED PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY
50 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
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SNOWDONIA GALLOWAY ESKDALE THE ISLE OF MAN THE FOREST OF BOWLAND MORECAMBE BAY ANGLESEY BUT WHERE IS IT? GREAT GABLE TURN OVER TO FIND OUT... mile
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Approaching the top of England's most underrated mountain, with Scafell Pike and the Lake District’s famous South-Western Fells looming large behind.
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 51
s ec r e t r o u t es PEAK THE DARK
Topping out on the strange, scary and secretive scramble of Wildboar Clough.
PEAK DISTRICT
SUPERSCRAMBLE Slap your waterproofs on: the wild moors of the Dark Peak just got interesting. WORDS DAN ASPEL PHOTOGRAPHS BEN WEEKS
Q
“
uake! Shudder! Gibber! Gibber!” – hardly words to inspire confidence in a reader. And they were to get worse: “I’ve done some pretty tough scrambles in the UK including Crib Goch… Tryfan North Ridge… Bristly Ridge, Aonach Eagach (in the wet!), Liathach, An Teallach, plus I’ve soloed parts of the Cuillin Ridge and done a complete traverse (including the In Pin) with a guide. I’d do them all again in a heartbeat…” and here came the punchline: “I’ve done Wildboar Clough once. Never, ever, again!” ❯
54 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 55
Go: the South Downs Do: a microadventure
An out-of-office experience What did you do when you left work last night? If the answer isn’t swam in the sea, cooked dinner on a cliff and slept under the stars, then you need to keep reading... Words oli reed Photographs tom bailey
Sun sets over the Seven Sisters cliffs, one of the many landmarks on the 100 mile South Downs Way.
70 Trail november 2014
From London Victoria to the rolling countryside of the South Downs... in just 90 minutes.
“
T
he key to living an adventurous life isn’t what you do between 9am and 5pm, it’s what you do between 5pm and 9am.” All it took was that simple sentence, and I was hooked. It was 5pm on a Wednesday evening and we were on a train bound for Eastbourne. Not your usual kind of Trail destination, but then this wasn’t your usual kind of day. Our four-person party had gathered at London Victoria train station just 10 minutes earlier and were now crammed into an overcrowded commuter carriage, heading at full pelt towards the chalky cliffs of England’s south coast. Our window of opportunity was small. For a variety of reasons we all had to be back in London by 9am the following morning, so the plan was to squeeze as much outdoor adventure in to the following
16 hours as possible. But as most Trail trips tend to involve multiple days, petrol-sapping car journeys and endurance slogs up inhospitable mountains, we needed some help. Someone to show us that a single night escape from the capital can provide the same adventurous thrill as a week-long expedition to the Scottish Highlands. Enter Alastair Humphreys – a man who knows a thing or two about living life to the full. The 37-year-old Brit has trekked across India, Greenland and Iceland, canoed through the Yukon, swum beneath the ice at the North Pole, rowed the Atlantic, run a six-day marathon in the Sahara Desert, and even taken a little cycle trip all the way around the world; but after finally settling back in England with his young family he’s contented himself with discovering adventure closer to home. A few years ❯
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 71
Mountain
guide
EXPERT ADVICE: PLAIN AND SIMPLE™
Simple navigation techniques can keep you safe if you are ever caught in clag.
Scenario:
LOST ON A SUMMIT What’s up? You’ve reached a summit in dense cloud. You locate the trig point or a cairn – and then realise that you’ve completely lost your bearings. You need to get down safely. Lyle Brotherton says: If you have found a trig point you are safe, because there is only ever one on a mountain. Find the trig point on your map, place the map on top of the actual trig point, put your compass on top of it and simply orient your map to it (don’t worry about the metal plates on
78 Trail november 2014
many trigs – they won’t affect your compass). If you have found a cairn be careful, for there can be many, many of these on one mountain! Completely losing your bearing does not mean you are totally lost. You may not know exactly where you are on the map but you should know
which mountain you are on at least, and re-location (finding your current location) is straightforward. Because you are on top of a mountain, using a simplified version of the technique known as ‘slope aspect’ will enable you to do this….
Jeremy Ashcroft
Graham Thompson
Rob Johnson MIC
Lyle Brotherton
GT has been Trail’s technical editor for over 20 years, and he’s our walking gear guru.
Rob is an international expedition leader and a highly qualified mountain instructor.
Navigation expert Lyle is one of the world’s leading search and rescue authorities.
Trail mountaineering editor Jeremy has a lifetime of outdoors experience in the UK and abroad.
Map vs GPS
COST With off-the-shelf maps costing less than £8, plus digital mapping allowing you to print your own maps for even less, it’s difficult to beat paper when it comes to navigating on a budget. MAP WINS!
SLOPE ASPECT You can use this technique anywhere there are slopes and in any weather conditions, so long as you have visibility of at least 10m.
BULK A printed A4 sheet plus a compass will be lighter than even the sveltest GPS. But if you need to cover multiple areas, a single GPS is easier to manage than several folded maps – especially in the wind. IT’S A TIE!
N W
E S
In this scenario, from the summit, find a slope and face directly down it.
Hold your compass away from your body and point in the direction of the fall-line down the slope. Note the nearest cardinal point (north, east, south, west) to this direction of travel.
2
RELIABILITY Regardless how tough your GPS unit is, batteries can go flat, electronics can break down and the thing becomes useless. With the right skills and basic protection, a map is far more dependable. MAP WINS!
N W
ADVANCED NAVIGATION
E
When the going gets tough and you need to plot your route over landscape using just bearings and features, the small screen of a GPS is nowhere near as user-friendly as an unfurled map. MAP WINS!
S
Observe the steepness of the slope – if it is steep, expect to see the contours close together, and conversely more widely spaced if the slope is gentle.
3
Search the slopes on the map in the area where you are for one which faces the same direction as the established cardinal and where the contours approximately represent its steepness.
4
PLANNING Ever sat around a pub table or on a lounge floor with friends, making plans for your next big adventure as you plot trails, identify features and spot wild camping sites on a 2 inch GPS screen? Us neither. MAP WINS!
R E S U LT MAP WINS
Once you have isolated the correct slope on the map, look around you to identify other features to confirm this judgment.
5
6
Having established your location you can now descend the mountain by the safest route. TOM BAILEY
ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING © CROWN COPYRIGHT. CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP. LICENCE MEDIA089/12
1
EASE OF USE With GPS offering the ability to simply push a button to find out where you are, it’s understandable that newbies find this easier to get to grips with than the complexities of map navigation. GPS WINS!
Only a fool would ignore the usefulness of GPS in today’s world of navigation, but only a bigger fool would believe that the days of paper mapping and traditional navigation are over.
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 79
Test of the Best Where top hill kit goes head to head
TOP-END waterproofs Gear Special: Part 1 For hard, all-weather use and superior freedom of movement, comfort and performance... sometimes only the very best will do. tester profile Graham Thompson Trail technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Weight 11st 10lb Size large
photographs Graham Thompson & tom bailey
fabrics Higher-priced jackets are featured on these pages so you can expect to find the fabrics used are the most waterproof and breathable available. While there may be small differences between them, this will be difficult to notice on the hill and your comfort will often be dictated by features such as hood, pocket and sleeve design. The more robust the fabric, generally the warmer and better it is for hard winter use, though this can affect breathability. For this reason many jackets here feature ventilation such as pit zips.
pockets Rucksack belts obscure access to some pockets so make sure they’re well-positioned to avoid this problem. Big pockets are great for maps, guidebooks and gloves, but they can also be used to protect hands from wind and rain.
86 Trail november 2014
Ventilation While the jackets featured here are premium, even the best waterproof and breathable fabrics allow condensation to form. Ventilation of the jacket is therefore important. A front zip can be used for venting, as can underarm zips (also called pit zips), while mesh linings in pockets can increase airflow through the jacket – but it may also allow water to pass through into the jacket.
GEAR
TEST OF THE BEST
MAGAZINE
BEST VALUE
£260/395g (size L)
m n
HOOD Top-end jackets must feature an excellent hood as the chances of them being used in foul weather are higher. The hood should fit the head snugly so it doesn’t blow off, but also must move with your head so you can see where you’re going. The hood peak may become bent when the jacket is stashed in a rucksack, so look for a wired peak that can be easily reshaped.
FIT
COMFORT
ZIPS Normal zips used on jackets aren’t waterproof so they’re normally covered by an external single or double stormflap. Water-resistant zips are commonly used on high-priced jackets but they aren’t waterproof either. As these zips may leak, they are often fitted with an internal flap that’s designed to channel away any water that enters this area.
IN USE
VALUE
VERDICT
m
Rab Myriad
Lowe Alpine Wildfire
+ weight; hood; soft-feeling fabric – only two pockets
+ weight; pit zips; good price for performance – one chest pocket is small; no women’s model
www.rab.uk.com
FEATURES
£260/506g (size M) www.lowealpine.com
This jacket is lighter than most here at 395g (size L), but you still get the essential features. There are two very large chest-mounted pockets for easy access to maps and gloves on the move while wearing a pack. There is an internal zip pocket too. The helmet-compatible hood has face and volume drawcords. These are about the minimum features you need, but enough if you want to save weight. 3/5
This is the latest release from the reintroduction of Lowe Alpine clothing. It features three external chest pockets with an additional zipped internal pocket and an internal stretch mesh pocket. The third chest pocket is small though and won’t take an OS map. There are pit zips for ventilation, while the hood gets a wired peak, as well as face and rear volume drawcords. 4/5
Available for men in sizes S-XXL and for women in size 8-16, this is a similar length to most jackets here. The sleeves have a very good fit, though, being slightly closer than some others and allowing exceptionally good freedom of movement without riding up. The hood fits perfectly and moves with the head without obscuring vision. 5/5
This is available in S-XXL for men only. A size medium (M) was supplied so it was naturally a closer fit than the size large (L) jackets here, but it still appeared fine and was of similar length to many others, meaning it only just protected my crotch. The hood and sleeves fitted well, though, and both allowed great movement. 5/5
The Myriad is made from Polartec Neoshell, a 3-layer fabric that boasts extremely high breathability and has proved itself over the last couple of years to work well on the hills. This is also a thinner, softer and lighter fabric than some others, which may reduce durability, but the result is a softer handle that makes the jacket more comfortable than many other 3-layer jackets. 5/5
The Wildfire is built with 3-layer Triplepoint fabric featuring an eVent membrane, so it performs as well as other top-flight jackets here in terms of waterproofness and breathability. Jackets with mesh linings are comfier and so are lighter jackets, but this is good comfort for a jacket that offers the durability needed for mountain trips in all weathers. 5/5
In terms of comfort, fit and weight this is a superb jacket, but you are getting only two external pockets and I’d certainly prefer a third pocket big enough to hold an OS map or a GPS receiver. But the hood is great and everything you actually have here works really well. There are no pit zips, however, so if you like that extra venting control then this model won’t be for you. 4/5
The Wildfire performs as well as many higher-priced jackets here. I’d like that third outside chest pocket to be large enough to accommodate an OS map though. But if you can live without that then the price and weight benefits are good compensation. The hood moves well with the head to allow easy vision, and the hem and cuffs don’t ride up when scrambling. 4/5
This jacket is a superb price for the features, and you also get the added benefit of low weight. 5/5
The pockets aren’t perfect and there are lighter options, but if you can tolerate that then the price is excellent. 5/5
A very good jacket with low weight and high performance, ideal for many hillwalkers.
A good jacket at a very good price, but you may want to pay more for fine-tuning the details.
4.4/5
4.6/5
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 87
BEST BUDGET FOR YOUR
HOODS The hood should fit your head snugly so it does not blow off, but also it must move with your head so you can see where you’re going. The peak may become deformed 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. Lower-priced jackets generally have hoods that don’t fit or move so well with the head and often lack wired or stiffened peaks.
Outdoor kit to suit everyone’s wallet... tested! TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Trail technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Weight 11st 10lb Size large
POCKETS
PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY & GRAHAM THOMPSON
Big pockets are great for storing maps, guidebooks and gloves, and they can also be used to protect your hands from wind and rain. Rucksack belts obscure access to some pockets, so make sure they’re well-positioned to avoid this problem. Lower-priced jackets often have pockets that aren’t easily accessed while wearing a rucksack.
FABRIC On the 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 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.
ZIPS Normal zips used on jackets are not waterproof so they are normally covered by an external single or double stormflap. Water-resistant zips are commonly used on high-priced jackets but these aren’t waterproof either. As these zips may leak, they’re often fitted with an internal flap that’s designed to channel away any water that enters this area.
WATERPROOFS
Gear Special: Part 2 Bag the right jacket for your wallet... 90 TRAIL NOVEMBER 2014
VENTILATION Even the best waterproof and breathable fabrics allow condensation to form, so it’s important that you can increase ventilation of the jacket. A front zip can be used for venting, as can underarm zips (also called pit zips), while mesh linings in pockets can also increase airflow through the jacket. However, mesh pockets may also allow water to pass through the jacket. Lightweight jackets often feature mesh pockets but this may not be ideal for really wet weather.
GEAR
BEST FOR YOUR BUDGET
WATERPROOF JACKETS £75-100 MAGAZINE
APPROVED
£75/251g (size L)
m n
COMFORT
IN USE
VALUE
VERDICT
£100/1032g (size L)
m n
Sprayway Tyrant
+ and has wired peak management not ideal; – condensation pocket access not perfect
+ external pockets, wide size range for women + an OS map; good hood hood movement; hem, cuffs ride up; heavy; loose lining; higher price – weight; – slightly can get better breathability/waterproofness brings better breathability/waterproofness
At just 251g (men’s L) this jacket definitely won’t weigh you down – and that is the big feature here. To save weight, however, it is a little lacking in features. So there are just two body pockets, no external stormflap on the main zip, and no pit zips. But you do get a hood with wired peak, plus rear and face drawcords that can be rolled to the collar. 4/5
There are two main chest pockets on the body plus a third dedicated OS map pocket on the chest behind the main zip stormflap, and this is ideal for hillwalkers. The stormflap over the front zip helps prevent rain and wind penetration. The hood can be rolled and secured at the collar while on the head, and has a wired peak, volume adjustment and face drawcords. 5/5
A much longer jacket than most. (The Kiwi is also available in a standard-length version for £90.) A drawcord at the waist helps improve the fit too. This jacket is also ideal for those who love pockets as you get six on the outside with an OS map fitting in the chest pockets. The hood has a stiffened peak with volume and face cord adjustment. 5/5
The men’s Saxon comes in sizes XS-XXXL and the women’s Storm in sizes 8-20. The body is short (as are most lightweight jackets) and did not quite cover my bum. The body does fit very well though with excellent movement in the sleeve without the cuffs or hem riding up. The hood fit is outstanding with excellent movement to allow really good vision. 5/5
Comes in size S-XXL for men, but there's no women’s version. It was slightly longer than average, without being too long for scrambling. The fit is loose around the waist, but with a pack on this isn’t a big problem. The overall fit is great as the cuffs or hem don’t ride up easily, and the hood fit and movement are superb. This makes the fit great for hillwalkers. 5/5
The men’s Kiwi comes in sizes S-XXL with the women’s Madigan in sizes 8 to 20 – a wider women’s size range than most jackets, which stop at size 18. The Kiwi Long covered my bum with ease and extended to the mid-thigh area. The sleeves and hem tended to ride up a little when stretching though, and while the hood fitted it didn’t move with my head easily. 3/5
It’s made from 2.5 layer Flylite Aqua, which won’t be as comfortable as those made from 3-layer laminates or those with mesh linings. But it is still waterproof and breathable of course. There is no external stormflap over the main zip, so it’s possible this area may be cold or even damp in really bad weather. Also, as this is quite a thin fabric, it generally does feel a little colder than stiffer, air-trapping fabrics. 3/5
The body is made from Hydro-Dry, which won’t offer the long-term waterproofness and breathability of higher-priced fabrics but is still a good option. The weight is slightly high at 593g (size L) but it doesn’t feel restrictive, in part due to a loose lining that helps the jacket feel supple and comfortable. Some people will prefer a 3-layer jacket without a loose lining to snag when putting the jacket on and off. 4/5
This is a heavy jacket at 1032g (size L) so it weighs your rucksack down when stashed and also feels quite heavy on. The fabric is heavy and there is a mesh lining too, which all adds weight. The waterproofness and breathability from the Aquadry-coated polyester works well enough, though, although higher-priced fabrics would probably offer better performance in the long term. 3/5
The low weight is a real performance benefit. The pocket access is not ideal when wearing a rucksack, however, which is a drawback, but the hood is superb and really is better than many higher-priced options. So it’s a mixed bag of pros and cons here depending on what your performance preferences are. 4/5
Great for hillwalkers. Pockets allow easy access with a rucksack. All three chest pockets are OS map-sized and the hood allows great vision and moves well with the head. The length gives good protection without being restrictive, while the sleeves and hem don’t easily ride up. More cash brings better fabric/weight, but this is good. 4/5
The perfect jacket for many walkers due to that length (I am a big fan of longer jackets). But if you want a jacket for scrambling then the hem and cuffs riding up is annoying, while in foul weather the fact the hood doesn’t turn easily with the head is a drawback. But overall it’s better than many jackets across all price ranges. 4/5
The performance and features are limited and I suspect many would prefer a more general hillwalking jacket for a few pounds more. 4/5
The performance is up there with the best yet the price is superb, making this outstanding value for hillwalkers on a budget. 5/5
It’s hard to find a great jacket at £100, so when you get one with lots of good features it has to be excellent value.
www.sprayway.com
weight; price; hood fits and moves well
FIT
m
Keela Saxon www.keela.co.uk
FEATURES
£100/593g (size L)
Ideal if on a budget and low weight is your main need.
4.0/5
price; well-positioned pockets that take
Great for hillwalking and usable for scrambling.
4.6/5
Craghoppers Kiwi Long www.craghoppers.co.uk
price; long body plus standard length, 6
The long body will make it ideal for many walkers.
5/5
4.0/5
NOVEMBER 2014 TRAIL 91
bagging Corbett-nzy fre
nW highlands
route
6
25.7km/16 miles The Bheinn Odhar group (left) and little-known Croit Bheinn, from Druim Fiaclach.
■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■ 5
The Moidart Corbetts If you fancy a real challenge, join Dan Bailey for a linear stamina-fest on a bunch of gnarly west-coasters (Munro-baggers need not apply).
T
he neighbouring Rum, Eigg and the Rois-Bheinn group. regions of Moidart and Ardgour boast some of the toughest mountains in Scotland. But if your Scottish walking begins and ends with the Munros you may never even have heard of them. Well, it’s time you did. A baffling tangle of peaks and troughs that lurks mysteriously to the west of Loch Linnhe and south of the Road to the Isles, this vast upland area can’t lay glens these gnarled hills demand claim to a single 3,000-footer. The result? Fellow walkers are thin on the ground here, mountains of stamina and sacks full of and likewise the easily followed motorways determination. But the terrain’s utter refusal to compromise is part of its unique that pass for paths in busier regions. With appeal. The Moidart peaks are a great their rock-studded flanks and bog-riddled
place to start. In the east the Beinn Odhar twins rear giddyingly out of the long ribbon of Loch Shiel, secretive, little-trodden and unremittingly rough. Further west and better known – though only relatively – is the Rois-Bheinn massif, a clutch of shapely stunners offering spectacular islandscattered sea views. The two groups tend to be done as separate outings, but access via the Mallaig railway allows them to be linked in one long linear route, a big challenge that scores you five Corbetts and a couple of equally worthwhile non-listed summits. At this time of year it may be best as a wild camping two-dayer; suitable spots abound.
november 2014 Trail 121
Dan Bailey
STRENUOUSNESS NAVIGATION TECHNICALITY corbett COUNT
always take a map out with you on the hill
6
NY343115 Head east over the broad summit slopes, then descend a steep and eroded trail into the saddle of Grisedale Hause. Go straight over at a path junction, then tackle the relentless scree grind up Fairfield’s precipitous west spur. At least Fairfield offers superb views back to the Helvellyn massif, and there’s a windbreak on top if needed.
7
NY358117 Go east over the summit plateau and descend rough ground into the little col of Link Hause at the head of dramatic Link Cove. It’s a short climb onto Hart Crag,
then a rocky descent to the broad grassy col beyond. As the approximate mid point of the walk this is a good spot to think about camping. There’s little shelter on the high ground, but down to the north-east grassy pitches are soon found. Those heading for the Priest’s Hole should carry on down the Dovedale-bound path until level with the steep face of Dove Crag (the cliff, not the summit). The Priest’s Hole is invisible from above but obvious from below, a narrow horizontal slot in the crag immediately above the cliff’s crazy overhangs. A rough, scrambly path traverses out left onto the crag to reach the cave.
St Sunday Crag (right) and Grisedale Tarn, from Seat Sandal.
Bedroom with a view: dawn in the Priest’s Hole. In the distance, just right of centre, is Place Fell, today’s final destination.
On day 2, enjoying the view to Red Screes from Caudale Moor.
Looking back to the Helvellyn range from Angle Tarn.
november 2014 Trail 127