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Mountains • Walking • Camping • Adventure www.tgomagazine.co.uk

£4.50 | DECEMBER 2017

MAJESTIC Where to see Scotland’s best mountain views

LAKE DISTRICT Escape the crowds at the Back o’ Skiddaw

FIRST AID

CROSSING BORDERS

LIFE-SAVING SKILLS FOR THE HILLS

Trek the untouched Peaks of the Balkans

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WINTER WILDLIFE WALKS

• Ptarmigan • Seal pups • Mountain hares

“Could you wish for a better place?”

Wainwright’s final visit to Haystacks

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Beautiful, exhilarating, inspiring, essential

Wild places are special. That’s why the John Muir Trust is dedicated to protecting and improving the breath-taking mountains and coastline, dramatic gorges, native woodlands and beautiful meadow in our care. Over 11,000 members support our work to care for wild places now and for future generations.

Become a member.

johnmuirtrust.org/lovewildplaces The John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitable company limited by guarantee, Charity No. SC002061, Company No. SC081620, registered office: Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AN

Cared for by the John Muir Trust: Sandwood Bay in stormy winter light by Peter Cairns/ scotlandbigpicture.com

WELCOME Backpacking in Ardgour in autumn Photo: David Lintern

Mountain memories “WHAT IS THIS LIFE if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare…”

When was the last time a landscape stopped you in your tracks? Not just for long enough to reach for your camera and snap the view into record, but to truly take it all in? As a reader of this magazine, a hillwalker or a backpacker, it might not have been that long ago – and you’ll know that those moments are invaluable.

In an age of frenetic activity and instant gratification – when smartphones are always nearby to gobble up spare moments – time spent walking in the hills is about so much more than exercise.

After all, in what other part of your life do you get to witness such jaw-dropping sights as the mountain views reproduced in the first feature of this month’s magazine? We may not all have Dougie Cunningham’s photographic skills but we can all get out there and experience the majesty of the mountains. On page 37, he has recommended eight of the best places to go and do it.

Get in touch:

tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk

@TGOMagazine

Dougie’s recommendations are all in Scotland, but if you’re up for travel, the mountains of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo are relatively unfrequented and equally worth witnessing. The Peaks of the Balkans Trail is the perfect way of introducing yourself to the area, as you’ll see on page 44. And on page 60, Alfred Wainwright reminds us, via the memories of Richard Else, that a hill doesn’t have to be lofty or magnificent to be worth a visit. For AW, little Haystacks had the best fell-top in the whole of the Lake District.

You’re possibly familiar with the two lines of poetry reproduced above, the frequently quoted beginning of William Henry Davies’s short poem, ‘Leisure’. He ends the poem with an answer to his initial question: “A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.” Wherever you choose to go out and explore, you won’t regret taking the time to do it Emily Rodway, Editor @EmilyOutdoors

/TGOMagazine

www.tgomagazine.co.uk

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CONTENTS December 2017

30

Escape Inspiration to get away 8 Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons

Scotland’s best mountain views

Almanac In the outdoors this month 10 In the frame Liathach 11 Stories Anglesey 12 Walkers’ Guide Hay-on-Wye 14 In Numbers & News 16 Q&A Tina Page 18 Top 10 Winter wildlife walks 20 Events Calendar 22 Book Reviews 24 Roger Smith 26 Letters 114 Readers’ pictures

A stile took me into an oakwood of writhing branches and leaves rimmed with fire-tones of autumn

Spectacular images from across the Highlands, plus location guide

28

Mountain portrait A celebration of Cnicht, “as shapely a hill as you’ll find in Britain”, says Jim Perrin

44

Jim Perrin, page 28

Peaks of the Balkans

Explore this new trail through the mountains of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro

On the cover Climbing Bla Bheinn, by Dougie Cunningham

38

Back o’ Skiddaw

Two perfect routes to introduce the quiet fells away from the crowds in the north of the Lake District

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A patchwork quilt of misshapen fields, a puzzle of yellows, light browns and greens, is punctured only by the odd farmhouse and towering church spire James Forrest, page 44

52

Backpacking Ardgour Three days of autumn walking from Fort William to Glenfinnan

70 H i l l S k i l l s First Aid Four expert perspectives on treating incidents on the hill, including first aid kit guides and what to do if you’re first on the scene

Gear The latest news, reviews and product comparisons 78 New gear 80 Winter trousers 86 Take 3: Down jackets 90 The Classics

SUBSCRIBE TO TGO Turn to page 76 for details

Wild Walks

And also...

60 Wainwright on Haystacks The legendary author’s last trip on to his favourite fell 64 Peak District Roaming through history on the Roaches and at Lud’s Church

Walking routes across England, Scotland and Wales 93 An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chean-dearg, Torridon 95 Stob Binnein, Southern Highlands 97 Aberlady Bay, East Lothian 99 Scandale Horseshoe and Red Screes, Lake District 101 Conistone Moor, Yorkshire Dales 103 Cadair Idris, Snowdonia 105 Pumlumon Fawr, Powys 107 Freshwater East, Pembrokeshire 109 Tarr Steps and Withypool Hill, Exmoor 111 Kingley Vale from Stoughton, West Sussex

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C O N T R I B U T O R S & C O N TA C T S James Forrest

Dougie Cunningham

Former newspaper reporter turned adventure travel writer James Forrest spent six months of 2017 on an ambitious peak-bagging adventure.

As reported in last month’s magazine, James climbed every 2,000ft mountain in England and Wales – the 446 peaks known as “the Nuttalls” – in six months, the fastest known time.

His favourite experiences included scrambling on the knife-edge ridge of Crib Goch, feeling like the only man on earth on Rhinog Fach and gazing out over Lakeland from the glorious summit of Steeple. In this month’s magazine, he explores the quiet fells at the Back o’ Skiddaw (p38-43).

Photographer Dougie Cunningham is about to publish his first book, a photographers’ guide to Scotland. To mark the occasion, in this issue Dougie recommends the country’s finest mountain viewpoints. A regular contributor to The Great Outdoors, he also shot the image on the front cover.

As we went to press, Photographing Scotland was also about to make its way to the printers. Before that, Dougie took the chance to capture a few last images – starting on Arran with a climb up Goat Fell, followed by a trip to Argyll where he spent a few days on low-level walks exploring the wonders around Kilmartin Glen.

www.tgomagazine.co.uk THE GREAT OUTDOORS is published by Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berrys Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG EDITORIAL Editor: Emily Rodway emily.rodway@kelsey.co.uk Equipment Editor: Chris Townsend christownsendoutdoors@gmail.com Online Editor: Alex Roddie Sub Editors: Roger Smith & Amber Evans Contributor: Hanna Lindon Art Editor: Helen Blunt ADVERTISEMENT SALES Advertising & Creative Sales Manager: Sara Clark Email: sara.clark@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445302 Classified Sales: Cathy Jinks Email: cathy.jinks@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445325 PRODUCTION Production Supervisor: Dionne Fisher 01733 363485 Email: kelseylifestyle@atgraphicsuk.com Production Manager: Team Leader Melanie Cooper 01733 362701 Publishing Operations Manager: Charlotte Whittaker MANAGEMENT Managing Director: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chairman: Steve Annetts Finance Director: Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Publishing and Commercial Director: David Townsend Retail Distribution Manager: Eleanor Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Brand Marketing Manager: Kate Chamberlain Events Manager: Kat Chappell

Chris Townsend

Rudolf Abraham

With visits to Assynt with the John Muir Trust, the Austrian Alps with Komperdell, and the Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall with the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, Gear Editor Chris Townsend has been on the move this autumn. Back home in the Cairngorms he’s had some enjoyable wild camps. But all these trips had something in common: rain!

It’s been a good autumn for testing the waterproofness of gear. The wettest windiest weather was in the Lakes where Chris recorded a wind gust of 48mph on Causey Pike.

Award-winning writer and photographer Rudolf Abraham has been a regular visitor to the mountains of south-east Europe for the best part of 20 years. Recent trips into the hills have taken him to northern Finland and to Austria’s Salzkammergut and the Dachstein.

Rudolf’s new guide to hiking the Peaks of the Balkans, a circular trail through Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, is published by Cicerone and on pages 44-49 of this month’s magazine he guides us around this spectacular route.

SUBSCRIPTIONS 13 issues of The Great Outdoors are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £58.50 Europe annual subscription price: £ 71.49 USA annual subscription price: £71.49 Rest of World annual subscription price: £78.99 Contact us UK subscription and back issue orderline: 01959 543 747 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 Customer service email address: subs@kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: The Great Outdoors Customer Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG United Kingdom Website The Great Outdoors online tgomagazine.co.uk Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgo Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgoback View our specialist books at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgobook Already a subscriber?

Manage your subscription online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel: 020 7429 4000; www.seymour.co.uk PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Kelsey Media 2017 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

Complaints – Who to contact The Great Outdoors adheres to the Editors’ Code of Practice (which you can find at www.pcc. org.uk/cop/practice.html). We are regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Complaints about stories should be referred firstly to the Editor by email at: complaints@tgomagazine.co.uk or by post at The Great Outdoors Magazine, Kelsey Publishing, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG. It is essential that your email or letter is headed “Complaint” in the subject line and contains the following information: • Your name, email address, postal address and daytime telephone number. • The magazine title or website, preferably a copy of the story or at least the date, page number or website address of the article and any headline. • A full explanation of your complaint by reference to the Editors’ Code. If you do not provide any of the information above this may delay or prevent us dealing with your complaint. Your personal details will only be used for administration purposes. If we cannot reach a resolution between us then you can contact IPSO by email at complaints@ ipso.co.uk or by post at IPSO, c/o Halton House, 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD. If complaining about third party comments on our website articles, you should use the “report this post” function online next to the comment.

Kelsey Publishing Ltd uses a multi-layered privacy notice, giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information.

For full details, visit www.kelsey.co.uk , or call 01959 543524. If you have any questions, please ask as submitting your details indicates your consent, until you choose otherwise, that we and our partners may contact you about products and services that will be of relevance to you via direct mail, phone, email or SMS. You can opt out at ANY time via email: data.controller@kelsey.co.uk or 01959 543524.

The Great Outdoors is available for licensing worldwide.

For more information, contact bruce@bruceawfordlicensing.com

6 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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T H G I F R U O N I S JOIN U HEART DISEASE! T S N I A G A You can join the fight for every heartbeat by taking on a British Heart Foundation event.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to get fit, a keen fundraiser looking for a challenge or a regular sportsman or woman, we have an event that is perfect for you!

Saturday 12 May 2018

Saturday 30 June – Sunday 1 July 2018

Back by popular demand for 2018, our London to Henley Trek is a fantastic way to take in some stunning sights, challenge yourself with a trek, as well as joining the fight against heart disease. bhf.org.uk/L2HTrek

Our most famous trek which takes you from the city, through the countryside to finish by the sea front – this event has some of the greatest views in the UK. Available as a day trek, or a full 100km challenge. bhf.org.uk/L2Btrek

LONDON TO HENLEY TREK

Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 May 2018

LONDON TO OXFORD TREK

From the Capital to the historic university city of Oxford, heart trekkers can walk 100km through the day and night in one of our most difficult endurance challenges. bhf.org.uk/L2Otrek

Sunday 20 May 2018

HADRIAN’S WALL HIKE

LONDON TO BRIGHTON TREK

Saturday 7 July 2018

YORKSHIRE 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE

Take on the famous Yorkshire 3 Peaks, covering 24 miles of hiking with over 5,000 feet of climbing, whilst enjoying the sights of the Yorkshire dales. bhf.org.uk/Y3P

Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 July 2018

Built in 122AD, Hadrian’s Wall was built to defend against the north … but now it’s your time to conquer it by signing up to our 9 or 15 mile hike. bhf.org.uk/hadrians

GLASGOW TO EDINBURGH TREK

Are you tough enough to take on one of Scotland’s hardest walks? Tackling either the new 45km day or 100km challenge, you will walk between Scotland’s 2 largest cities. bhf.org.uk/G2Etrek

To register for one of our events, please visit bhf.org.uk/treks © British Heart Foundation, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

8 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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Escape

First Light from Pen y Fan “The weather forecast predicted light winds, high humidity and clear skies: the perfect recipe for mist-filled valleys. Even at 5.30am, other walkers with headtorches snaked up the path ahead of me and there were already about 20 people on Pen y Fan’s summit when I got there, all revelling in the stunning morning conditions.

As the sky lightened, I positioned myself at the top of Jacob’s Ladder to include the iconic summit of Cribyn in my shot of the rising sun.”

Photo by Drew Buckley drewbuckleyphotography.com

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ALMANAC

DECEMBER

in the hills

IN THE FRAME

Liathach MJ Forster

watercolour on paper 50 x 70cm

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STORIES OF WALKERS IN NUMBERS NEWS THE HILLS GUIDE & ARCHIVE

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COMMENT READER BOOK Q&A WILDLIFE EVENTS CALENDAR REVIEWS COLUMN LETTERS PROFILE WALKS

MATT FORSTER’S PAINTINGS encompass a broad range of subjects, from human figures to abstract work, but landscapes are his passion. He started painting as a teenager, selling his work while he was still at school. “My very first paintings were always of mountains,” Matt recalls. “My first ascent was Blencathra at the age of six. I can still remember the view over to Derwentwater. There was a squall moving west and to see an entire rain cloud made a huge impression on me. I think seeing that view and watching the weather move across the landscape could have been the reason I became an artist.”

Matt visits and walks at all his locations, where he makes pencil sketches of his subjects, often annotating them. These sketches are then worked up in the studio, in which he takes a disciplined, purist approach to the watercolour medium – “no white paint, no highlights, no masking agents, only the paper.”

He says: “It has always been the immediacy, the instantaneous spontaneity of watercolour that appeals to me.”

The painting of Liathach reproduced here is for sale via Matt Forster’s website at mjforster.com, where you can sign up for email updates and follow the link to his YouTube channel for videos showing his methodology.

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Hillwalking history

STORIES OF THE HILLS

CASTAWAYS OFF ANGLESEY CARMEL HEAD in north Anglesey

is one of the great North Walian coastal features: a great hulk of a hill that broods over the flatlands of the island, it is one of the highlights of the Anglesey Coastal Path, and has an indefinable power about it; a lookout post for the smugglers who haunted this coast in earlier times. One of the strangest outdoor stories I know locates here, in the pebbly little cove of Porth yr Hwch, close beneath Carmel and looking out to the Skerries lighthouse. One stormy day in the early 18th Century, a local smuggler was looking out over the dangerous seaway beneath.

He saw a raft drifting into Porth yr Hwch. Sensing the possibility of contraband, he ran down, but what he found on the raft were two half-drowned children, a boy and a girl, neither of whom had any English.

He carried them up the cliff to the farm of Maes, by the church of Llanfair-yngGhornwy, where the Thomas family took them in. The girl

SIGHTS

died. The boy was adopted, given the name of Evan. He showed remarkable skill as a meddyg hyrn – a bone-setter, for both animals and people. As his reputation grew, more and more came to consult him. He married and had children. His great-grandson was the pioneer orthopaedic surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas, who designed the Thomas splint still used by mountain rescue teams. His great-great-grandson was Sir Robert Jones, knighted for his work in the Great War, who, along with Agnes Hunt, founded the orthopaedic hospital at Oswestry. So strange to think of this dynasty as a mysterious gift from the waves! Jim Perrin

& SOUNDS

Old Man’s Beard Also known as Traveller’s Joy, Clematis Vitalba is a member of the buttercup family. Often found in hedgerows and native to the south of England, it can climb as high as 40 feet, entwining its leaf stalks around adjoining plants or structures. When it has finished flowering, the remaining seed clusters have a fluffy, feathery appearance, hence the name ‘Old Man’s Beard’.

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Shops Nationwide ellis-brigham.com #livebreatheoutdoors New Winter Collections Instore & Online Now New Winter Catalogue Out Now

30/10/2017 14:03

ALMANAC

STAY

HAY-ON-WYE Quirky, cultured and convenient for the Brecon Beacons, Hay-on-Wye is a haven for walkers who don’t want to compromise on creature comforts.

IT MIGHT BE most famous for its summer literature festival, but the photogenic Herefordshire village of Hay is also a honeypot for hillwalkers. Crammed with country pubs, tea shops and second-hand book stores, it makes the perfect base for exploring the Black Mountains.

The Offa’s Dyke Path runs straight through the village en-route to the Black Mountains and the Hatterall Ridge. High above Hay, this 177-mile trail criss-crossing the England/Wales border is briefly shadowed by Gospel Pass – the loftiest road pass in Wales and a popular starting point for walks up Lord Hereford’s Knob and Hay Bluff, itself on the route of the Offa's Dyke Path. If you fancy a break from the hills, the 136-mile Wye Valley Walk passes through Hay-on-Wye en route from Chepstow to Plynlimon and offers scenic rambling alongside its eponymous river and over low-level hills.

Visit Hay-on-Wye this month and you might coincide with the Hay Festival Winter Weekend.

Quieter than the famous summer festival but still a highlight of Wales’s cultural calendar, it combines talks from a series of leading thinkers with an annual food festival and Christmas light switch-on.

If you fancy a spot of cultural stimulation to spice up your walking holiday then the festival takes place between 23rd and 26th November this year.

Budget: Tylau Lodge Bunkhouse-style accommodation that can be booked on a room-by-room or bed-only basis. training-activities.co.uk/self-catering.asp Mid-range: Pottery Cottage B&B in a converted pottery workshop with a breakfast basket of locally-grown goodies. potterycottageclyro.com Splurge: Swan at Hay Luxurious en-suite rooms in a central Georgian building with a top-notch restaurant. swanathay.com

EAT St. John’s Place The delicate haute cuisine served in this fancy chapel conversion makes a delicious reward for a long day’s walking. stjohnsplacehay.tumblr.com

Photos © Crown copyright (2016) Visit Wales / Brecon Beacons National Park Authority

WALKERS' GUIDE

DRINK

WALK HERE 1. OFFA’S DYKE PATH Follow the famous EnglandWales border path as it passes through Hay and continues on through the Black Mountains.

Walk the 16 miles to Pandy and catch a bus back via Hereford to your starting point.

2. HAY BLUFF AND LORD HEREFORD’S KNOB A long but rewarding day out, which checks off two of the most famous peaks in the Black Mountains.

Kilverts Comfortingly cosy with a sunny beer garden for the warmer months and a good selection of craft ales and Welsh ciders. kilverts.co.uk The Old Black Lion Everything a traditional pub should be – scrubbed tables, wood-burning stoves, a scrumptious menu and a cosy atmosphere. oldblacklion.co.uk

SHOP PSM Outdoors An Aladdin’s cave of maps, boots, jackets and down. psmoutdoors.co.uk

TRAVEL A Stagecoach bus service serves Hereford Rail Station, a 21-mile journey from Hay.

DID YOU KNOW? There are around 30 book shops in the town – one for every 50 inhabitants.

MAPS OS Landranger 148; Explorer OL13. Harvey Superwalker, Brecon Beacons West

12 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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01/11/2017 07:24

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ALMANAC IN NUMBERS

REAL 3 PEAKS

CHALLENGE

Culture If you take shelter from the weather at one of the 103 shelters maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association this season, you might be lucky enough to be one of the first to read a new publication.

Shelter Stone: The Artist and the Mountain is a collaborative project featuring work from 46 artists and writers, printed on newsprint made from 70% recycled midge trap waste.

Two hundred copies have been hidden among bothies and shelters in England, Scotland and Wales and further afield in Iceland and the French Alps.

Lecturer Edward Summerton at Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art, who led the project, said: “Firstly, Shelter Stone is art, it’s not only something to read but acts as a reference to understanding our relationship with the mountain landscape.

“Secondly, it can also be a survival tool. We encourage those who find it, and who need some extra warmth, to use it to dry your boots, light a fire or even use it as a draft-excluder. It might just be crucial in harsh mountain conditions.”

The publication will also be on display from 23-25 November at Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre, to coincide with the Dundee Mountain Film Festival.

SEVEN MOUNTAINS

The annual litter-collecting event has been running annually since 2013 and is organised

by Kinlochleven-based mountain guide Rich Payne. This October, litter pickers collected an eyewatering haul of rubbish from the hills.

BEN NEVIS

gathered from the seven peaks

132018 Next year’s event – see www.facebook.com/ Real3Peaks for more information.

SNOWDON BEN LOMOND

4kg

LOCHNAGAR

Weight of chewing gum collected from Ben Nevis

BEN MACDUI MAM TOR

Bags of litter collected from Ben Nevis

ONE HUNDRED A N D N I N E

Volunteers who took part

Total waste gathered on Snowdon

ARCHIVE “Village lock-ups are an interesting curiosity, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Usually small and windowless, they were used by the local constable to restrain drunks, hooligans and petty criminals.”

RAYMOND LEA

The Great Outdoors, July 1986

Rhinns of the Kells Millfore Meikle Millyea

Total waste

October

SCAFELL PIKE

21

570 kg

Corserine Carlin's Cairn Carlinsgarroch

The Glenkens

14 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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Coran of Portmark

Cairnsmore of Carsphairn Moorbrock Beninner Hill

THE

View FROM HERE Benbrack (Southern Upland Way)

Ken Valley

Photo: Ronald Turnbull

MOUNTAIN

30/10/2017 21:36

NEWS

SHOULD SKYE BID FOR WORLD HERITAGE STATUS?

PATROL CANVAS & LEATHER DAY PACK

Photo: Shutterstock/Todor N Nikolov

Suggestion mooted in new report to help deal with impact of more visitors

Sunrise at The Old Man of Storr

THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL has published a paper suggesting UNESCO World Heritage Site status could be sought for Skye to attract funding for improvements.

Visitor numbers have soared in recent years, thanks to tourism campaigns and appearances in high profile films. Many people believe the island now has an overcrowding problem There was a 12.7% increase in tourist numbers across the Highlands between 2014 and 2016. And while 10-15 years ago, most visitors were traditional campers, Skye is now seeing increasing numbers of motorhome and coach visitors. High visitor numbers have increased pressure on infrastructure, with a shortage of toilets,

parking and public transport.

In August, false rumours spread that Police Scotland were warning visitors away from the island.

Councillor Ronald MacDonald, co-writer of the paper, entitled ‘Skye and Raasay Tourism Infrastructure: A Dynamic Workshop Approach’, said a dual World Heritage Site listing, recognising Skye's landscape and wildlife as well as its culture, was a possible long-term objective. The paper also suggested the creation of a tall ships race between Skye and St Kilda.

In a recent Twitter poll, the majority of followers of The Great Outdoors magazine, 64% of those polled, felt that Skye should receive UNESCO World Heritage status.

NEWS UPDATE...

THANK YOU to everyone who has already

visited our website to vote in The Great Outdoors Awards 2017.

This year, readers of the magazine can vote in the following categories: pub of the year; café of the year; campaign or campaign of the year; personality of the year; book of the year; independent, chain and online retailer of the year; clothing or equipment brand of the year and the new ‘Extra Mile’ award. Details of all shortlists are available online.

All the winners will be announced in our next issue.

Voting closes imminently but if you pick up this copy of the magazine before 15 November, you still have time to take part.

Vote at www.tgomagazine.co.uk/awards.

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ALMANAC

Q&A

Mountain marathon INTERVIEW: HANNA LINDON Tina Page just became the first woman to run the Three Peaks of England, Scotland and Wales, completing the equivalent of 19 marathons in 19 days. Her aims were to push her own limits, raise money for outdoors organisations and prove that ordinary people can do truly extraordinary things.

What was the challenge you set yourself?

To take on the National Three Peaks Challenge but with a bit of a twist. Most people jump in a car or a warm minibus to travel between Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon, but I decided to run the entire distance solo and unsupported on an epic 500-mile trail through Britain.

Why do this and not just the ‘standard’ Three Peaks?

It really got me out of my comfort zone and I knew it would push me to test my physical and mental endurance limits. Also, the ‘standard’ Three Peaks has become so popular it has attracted some negative opinions in recent years and I wanted to show a different way to do it.

How did you plan the challenge?

I spent a very long time spreading maps across tables and plotting a route as off-road and interesting as possible. I plotted every single place where I would be able to pick up food, but omitted to search out any potential sleeping spots. I think it’s clear where my priorities lay!

How many miles did you plan to run on average each day?

My target was to run a marathon distance each day. The route started at Snowdon and headed north, so in the first few days I did get a few extra miles in the bag knowing it would likely get tougher and slower when I reached Scotland with the more challenging terrain.

Did you stick to your programme?

I tweaked the route slightly in a couple of places. But I completed the run in 19 days

and 18 hours, so it was pretty much on target.

Is it still possible to really enjoy the outdoors when you’re on such a tight schedule?

Definitely! The thing about outdoors challenges like this is that you are truly immersed in the experience. All your focus is on the matter at hand, so you are totally in the moment.

You ran unsupported – how did you manage to cart your kit around?

That was the hardest part! I sent packages ahead to strategic points along the way and I really pared down the weight with super lightweight gear, a bivvy bag rather than a tent and end-of-day footwear fashioned from slipper soles and gaffer tape.

What does it feel like to complete such an epic challenge?

Just brilliant. I wasn’t expecting it, but after descending Ben Nevis safely I was overwhelmed by this amazing sense of zen-like calm which lasted for days afterwards. With this challenge I wanted to demonstrate that ordinary people can do out of the ordinary things. I really am a below average runner, but if you put your mind to something and summon the determination to just keep going, you genuinely can achieve things you might never expect of yourself.

>>

IN A NUTSHELL

The Challenge

FAVOURITE PEAK? Scafell Pike, simply because I arrived late in the day and pretty much had it to myself.

FUNNIEST MOMENT? Trying to change into dry clothes with three other people in the tiny crawl-in shelter on the summit of Ben Nevis.

BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT? Running a half marathon with a local runner in glorious sunshine

on the West Highland Way... and he carried my bag for a bit!

BEST OVERNIGHT STAY? Brattleburn Bothy – I chopped logs at this remote little oasis and the roaring fire really raised damp spirits.

MOST CAKES CONSUMED IN ONE DAY? A runner from Tyndrum brought me some delicious homemade flapjacks. I ate three big slices that very day!

Read more at adventurehobo.blog

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ALMANAC

10 winter

WILDLIFE WALKS

From white mountain hares to migrating birds, the hills this month are alive with winter wildlife.

Early winter is a prime time for wildlife spotting across the country. With migrating birds arriving from colder climes, newborn seal pups taking their first dip in the ocean and a few unique mountain-dwelling animals swapping their summer coats for snowy camouflage, there’s plenty to see in the hills and beyond. Whether you fancy an easy amble or a full-blown winter ridge traverse, these fauna-rich walks showcase Britain’s winter wildlife at its most enchanting.

2 8 4

1. CADAIR IDRIS & MYNYDD

3

MOEL, SNOWDONIA

6

Start/finish: Minffordd

Distance: 9.5km/ 6 miles Ascent: 875m Suggested time: 4 hours

Follow the Minffordd Path up Cadair Idris for the chance to see a stoat in its white winter coat hunting among the screes. Views of frozen waterfalls and the glacial lake of Llyn Cau are added enticements.

TURN TO PAGE 103 FOR A ROUTE GUIDE

2. BEINN EIGHE, TORRIDON

Start/finish: Car park at NG958569 Distance: 18km/ 11.25 miles Ascent: 1120m Suggested time: 8 hours Outside of Cairn Gorm’s Northern Corries, Beinn Eighe is one of the best places in the country to spot ptarmigan. Bag the Munros of Ruadh-Stac Mor and Spidean Coire nan Clach as you keep your eyes peeled for these wintery-white game birds.

9 5

1 10

Photo: Visit Britain

7

Photo: Visit E ngland

4. MEALL A’ BHUACHAILLE, CAIRNGORMS

Start/finish: Glenmore Forest Park visitor centre Distance: 8.5km/5.25 miles Ascent: 540m Suggested time: 4 hours What could be more festive than watching reindeer herds roaming the snow-caked Cairngorms? The slopes above Aviemore are home to Britain’s only herd of free-ranging reindeer, and this gentle but viewpoint-rich walk to the summit of Meall a’ Bhuachaille will take you right through their grazing grounds.

3. DEADWATER FELL & KIELDER STANE, NORTHUMBERLAND

Start/finish: Kielder Castle

Distance: 13km/8 miles Ascent: 700m Suggested time: 5 hours

Kielder Forest is one of the last bastions of the red squirrel in England – and early winter is the perfect time to go looking for this endearing native creature. Combine forest trails with an ascent of 571-metre Deadwater Fell, which straddles the border between England and Scotland.

5. BLAKENEY POINT, NORFOLK

Start/finish: Cley Beach car park Distance: 11km/7 miles Ascent: 1.5m Suggested time: 3 hours

Swap hills for coastal flats this month to see one of the country’s most breath-taking natural events – the birth of hundreds of seal pups at England’s largest seal colony. It’s crucial not to disturb the seals while strolling along Blakeney Point’s shingle spit. A fun alternative is to walk the Norfolk Coast Path

to Morston Quay and catch a boat to view the pups from the water.

6. BASSENTHWAITE LAKE & SKIDDAW, LAKE DISTRICT

Start/finish: Dodd Wood car park Distance: 11km/7 miles Ascent: 920m Suggested time: 4.5 hours

Wildfowl congregate on Bassenthwaite Lake in the winter, with pochard, wigeon, goldeneye, tufted duck and great crested grebe all in attendance. Combine a stroll down to the quieter eastern side of the lake with a circuit of Skiddaw via Dodd and Longside Edge.

7. TALYBONT RESERVOIR, BRECON BEACONS

Start/finish: Car park at SO099197 Finish: Oxwich Bay

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Photo: Ondrej Prosicky /Shutterstock

Photo: Hen Robinson/ Cairngorm Reindeer Centre

Photo: Rick Thornton Kielder Partnership

Photo: Justin Minns/National Trust Images

Photo: Paul A Carpenter/ Shutterstock

Photo: Craig Fast

Suggested time: 6 hours Taking in endless waterfalls, a WWII plane crash site and the spectacular ridgeline east of Fan y Big, this would be a superb walk even without the flocks of migrating birds that descent on Talybont Reservoir during the winter months.

8. BEN NEVIS VIA THE CMD ARETE, WEST HIGHLANDS

Start/finish: North Face car park Distance: 17.5km/ 11 miles Ascent: 1506m Suggested time: 10 hours

Snow bunting are a familiar site on the summit of Britain’s highest peak. You’re more likely to spot them if you ascend via the quieter and far more dramatic Carn Mor Dearg Arete, but bear in mind that this is a full day out and you’ll need winter mountaineering skills to tackle the ridge in snowy conditions.

Photo: Franke de Jong /Shutterstock

9. DERWENT EDGE,

10. PLUMSTONE MOUNTAIN,

PEAK DISTRICT

PEMBROKESHIRE

Start/finish: Visitor Centre at Fairholmes (GR: SK172893) Distance: 14km/ 8.7 miles Ascent: 350m Suggested time: 4.5 hours

Start/finish: Plumstone Mountain car park (GR: SM918233) Distance: 6km/4 miles Ascent: 130m Suggested time: 2.5 hours

The Peak District is the only place in England to have a population of mountain hares. Their territory ranges from Black Hill in the north south across Crowden, Bleaklow and Kinder, and east to the Howden and Derwent Moors.

These nimble mammals, whose plumage turns white in the snow, are frequently spotted around Derwent Edge. If you don’t set eyes on a hare then the bleakly beautiful views from this Millstone Grit escarpment offer ample compensation.

Seeing thousands of starling swooping together in a gigantic living cloud is something you’ll never forget. Most ‘murmurations’ take place over wetlands or piers, but Pembrokeshire’s boulder-strewn Plumstone Mountain is an exception. Flocks of over 30,000 birds have been reported here in the winter months and the hill is also an important winter hen harrier nesting site.

Parking is limited, so an alternative is to approach from the village of Cuffern.

More ideas at tgomagazine.co.uk

December 2017 The Great Outdoors 19

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ALMANAC EVENTS

CALENDAR

November – February

Heather Morning

Reel Rock

16-19 NOVEMBER Kendal Mountain Festival

KENDAL This leading international mountain film festival will feature a Mountain Literature Festival this year for the first time. mountainfest.co.uk

18-29 NOVEMBER Reel Rock 12

VARIOUS VENUES, UK WIDE This adventure film tour will premiere four new films, with the focus on climbing, bouldering and deep water soloing. reelrock.co.uk

21 NOVEMBER-13 DECEMBER Winter mountain safety lecture tour

SCOTLAND Free lecture series bringing talks

by Mountaineering Scotland’s Safety Advisor Heather Morning to various Tiso and Cotswold stores. mountaineering.scot/safetyand-skills/courses-and-events/ winter-safety-lectures

23-25 NOVEMBER Dundee Mountain Film Festival

DUNDEE The UK’s longest-running mountain film festival hosts award-winning films, exhibitions and an international programme of speakers. dundeemountainfilm.org.uk

24 NOVEMBER An Evening with Nigel ‘Mr Frostbite’ Vardy

YORKSHIRE Join record-breaking mountaineer, speaker and author Nigel Vardy in Brighouse for an evening of adventurous tales. bradleywood.org.uk

27 NOVEMBER – 3 DECEMBER Mountains on Stage

ACROSS THE UK Touring film festival featuring the world’s best skiers, snowboarders and alpinists on screen. mountainsonstage.com

13 DECEMBER Pole of Cold: a journey to chase winter

BRISTOL Felicity Aston has been appointed an MBE for her services to polar exploration. In this talk, she seeks to answer the question "What does winter mean to you?" wildernesslectures.com

23 DECEMBER- 7 JANUARY Ramblers Festival of Winter Walks

UK WIDE Choose from hundreds of group walks during this Ramblers-led festival, which brings countryside lovers across the UK together. ramblers.org.uk/winterwalks

13 JANUARY ONWARDS Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

VARIOUS VENUES, UK WIDE The best new films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival. banff-uk.com

17 JANUARY Jamie Andrew & Ness Knight BUXTON

Dundee Mountain Film Fest

Jamie Andrew, the first quadruple amputee to climb The Matterhorn, appears at Buxton Adventure Festival. Tickets £17.50. buxtonadventurefestival.co.uk

3-4 FEBRUARY 2018 Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival EDINBURGH Screenings at George Square Lecture Theatre at Edinburgh University. emff.co.uk

ONGOING A Crawl Down the Ogre

VARIOUS VENUES, UK WIDE To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Doug Scott’s successful ascent of the Ogre, Doug is showing newly discovered images of the climb alongside an inspirational lecture series. canepal.org.uk

20 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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30/10/2017 21:33

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NEW

Book REVIEWS

Ascent - A life spent climbing on the edge

by Chris Bonington Simon & Schuster, £20

ASCENT TELLS the enthralling life story of one of the greatest British mountaineers.

It reveals so many years of remarkable adventure which started with the first step of discovery out of a garden gate and into the unknown. The magic had begun.

Mountaineering is largely what it is because of its rich and treasured history.

In Ascent we read of some of the most well remembered British expeditions around the world. Chris climbed, and indeed led, during one of the most exciting and productive periods in British climbing. The first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970 and the first ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975 still stand as two of the finest British achievements in world mountaineering history.

Chris shares with the eager reader his immense love for the mountains, his powerful words describing the beautiful landscapes he has enjoyed for so many years. And yet we also read of times when Chris severely questioned his ability as a climber and leader as he worked with strong, highly motivated, working class lads with huge egos and demanding personal ambitions, eager for success and recognition. It was incredibly challenging to understand and meet the needs of all.

Along with outstanding success almost

inevitably there came tragedy. Chris writes with heartfelt emotion of leading climbs during a period of just 12 years which saw the loss of Ian Clough, Tony Tighe, Mick Burke, Nick Estcourt, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker. It was, in some ways, a time when climbers lived a today when too many tomorrows witnessed the loss of good friends in the mountains.

Wendy Marchant, a beautiful young woman, was determined to marry an outdoor man, a sort of Canadian lumberjack. She married Chris! Some of the most powerful passages in Ascent describe this amazing woman who smiled through Chris’s boy-like ambitions, who comforted him through too much pain, who enriched his life and nurtured two rebellious boys, Joe (Daniel) and Rupert, through difficult years to emerge as fine young men. Chapter 22, ‘The Cruellest Challenge’ describes Wendy’s battle with motor neurone disease and the devastating effect it had on her family and many friends. It makes very hard reading.

Ascent is a well paced book illustrated with a small but very carefully chosen selection of photographs. It is edited by Ed Douglas who Chris thanks for "firmly cutting where necessary". The chapters are sensible in length and always leave the

reader feeling a strong desire to read on.

There are so many familiar stories. One of the beauties is that you can read about each famous expedition in a chapter rather than having to read a whole book. As always, Chris really wears his heart on his sleeve and gives the reader an honest and enthralling insight into his extraordinary life.

Chris has found love again in his life with Loretta and he is so proud and happy to face the fresh challenges that his grandchildren puzzle and amaze him with on so many family occasions. The reader is left in no doubt that every morning Chris Bonington wakes with a plan; that every day remains a fresh challenge and that still the next step for Chris always leads to the wonderful unknown. Noel Dawson

Book review Among the Summer Snows

By Christopher Nicholson September Publishing, £14.99

This is a startlingly beautiful book. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect when I started reading it – a history of Scottish snow patches, perhaps. Although plenty of interesting historical facts are sprinkled throughout, this book is so much more than that.

The story is simple: the author decides to spend a few weeks looking for late-lying summer snow in the Scottish Highlands. In doing so, he struggles with the question of why he has always felt such a magnetic attraction to snow – and especially the strange and beautiful formations that survive high on cliffs and in corries each summer.

Mortality, aesthetic beauty, deep time and loss are themes never far from the surface in this exquisitely written book. The author draws symbolic links between snow patches (or snowbeds, as he prefers to call them) and death: “But what fuels the debate is the aching desire

for survival. We admire longevity… because we long it for ourselves.” But while Christopher Nicholson explores this theme from several angles, the prose is never morbid. There’s a sense of quiet resilience and hope throughout, the renewal of life even in the blinding awareness of one’s own fragility.

The snowbeds themselves are described as complex, sensuous, enigmatic things – objects on the cusp of life. The author digs his hands in the snow and examines the “leaves ripped from the stems of bracken, sprigs of heather, tips of club moss, the wings of a beetle” to be found there. He feels that walking on the snow is somehow an act of sacrilege.

Among the Summer Snows is at once haunting, moving, silent, and profoundly beautiful. An essential read for chionophiles and lovers of good landscape and nature writing.

Alex Roddie

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Only Connect

Roger Smith weighs up nature’s balance sheet COMMENT

AS THIS ISSUE of the magazine appears, so does my birthday: always a time for reflection, the more so as you get older. It’s a time of year with little to commend it. The last pale autumn colours are fading into the monochrome chill of approaching winter, and the sun drags a low arc across the sky, any vestige of warmth being more of a memory than a fact.

It makes connection with nature difficult, yet this is a time when that connection is more vital than ever. I firmly believe this priceless connection is hard wired into us, but we overlay it with so many artificial facets of modern life that it struggles to get to the surface. This is especially true at the start of winter when much of the natural world seems to be in a state of decay and decline.

We need to see that process of decay as part of the continuum of natural life, a yearly process which we ourselves share in.

The American backpacking philosopher Ray Jardine says that we are part of the earth and the earth is part of us: the two are inextricable.

Or at least they should be. But over the past 300 years we have taken from the earth far more than we have given back, and in doing so we have seriously upset the balance, leading to the undeniable process of global warming and climate change which is occurring at an ever accelerating pace. That’s not just my view: it is shared by eminent commentators such as Sir David Attenborough. What he also has, and fortunately for us is able to communicate vividly to us, is an abundant connection to the natural world and a continual feeling of wonder and awe at what he finds there.

This is the feeling that needs to be encouraged in every single one of us if we are to rescue our home planet from what is otherwise becoming an irreversible decline. We’ve all got it: it’s actually the reason we go for a walk, every time we go out, whether we recognise it or not. I was interested to read that in trying to get over the bitter disappointment of losing the US Presidential election last year, Hillary Clinton found the best way of easing the pain was to go for long walks in the woods.

This comes as no surprise - trees are magnificent and incredibly sophisticated

Photo: Shutterstock

by Roger Smith

Thirlmere

organisms which regulate their own hydration, and we gain great solace from simply being among them. Wouldn’t it be fun if making the connection was an integral part of ‘hard life’ such as business and politics? Brexit negotiations not going well? Put your papers away and go for a walk together. Find a park and look at the trees. Surely you would go back to the negotiating table with a clearer mind?

This instinctive feeling of connection leads to a date in December which for me is far more significant than Christmas or Hogmanay, enjoyable though they are.

It is the winter solstice, the day when the whole year turns and from which daylight spreads its benison all the way up to June.

It’s a day of hope at what is often a pretty dreich time of year; a day on which it is always good to get out, even though the whole world of nature may appear to be sleeping around you.

Much more eloquent voices than mine have preached the message of connection, and still do. John Muir of course, taking President Theodore Roosevelt camping to

convince him of the importance of national parks. Tom Stephenson doing the same with a group of MPs to get the Pennine Way set up. Colin Fletcher, Ray Jardine, Seton Gordon, Nan Shepherd – it’s a long list which is still being added to, yet for all their eloquence the message somehow lacks that final effectiveness which would make a crucial difference.

We need to stop raping our world and start nurturing it instead. It gives us so much in terms of beauty, variety and joy, as is reflected in the glorious treks featured in our pages every month. We are without doubt at a crossroads and our destiny depends on which way we turn. One path leads to inexorable global warming with all its catastrophic consequences; the other leads to a life lived in full harmony with nature. The choice – and more importantly the responsibility – is ours.

The next decade will be crucial, and the ‘connectors’ must make their voices heard above the cacophony of modern life. It won’t be easy but I believe it can be done.

Get out there and make the connection!

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ALMANAC LETTERS

Readers’ page Share your views, your experiences and your favourite photos tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk Postal address The Editor, The Great Outdoors, Kelsey Publishing, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG Please include a phone number and postal address.

Letters may be edited for clarity or to fit the space available.

Building over the Granny Step

Trip Advisor

I recently spent two weeks walking some stages of the Yesterday afternoon I headed Tour du Mont Blanc. I trekked up to do the high circuit of independently, making use of Llyn Idwal, a walk we often undertake if time is short or the gîtes and mountain refuges.

Many, if not all, of these weather on the tops inclement; it gives you great views and feels accommodation options now appear to be signed up to Trip as if you’re in the hills without Advisor and I made a mental gaining too much height.

A thousand other TGO readers note to read some of the reviews on my return home. have probably done this walk While many of the reviews – either as the circuit or as were accurate and reflected well a means of getting on to the upon the services provided, I Glyderau through the Devil’s was disappointed to read several Kitchen – and have crossed which suggested a vindictive, what was locally known as the negative attitude on the part of the ‘Granny Step’, a short crossing reviewer. There were complaints of the Idwal Stream that gave a of high noise levels, lack of sense of adventure to the walk.

But we were amazed to find that privacy in dormitories, expensive and limited availability of food, this is no longer the case, as the National Trust have decided that poor washing facilities and bad a huge bridge was a better option attitudes of staff.

I find it hard to believe that to the ‘natural’ crossing and are there are people who go to the in the process of constructing trouble of walking or climbing platforms with concrete bases to a refuge and expect a five-star, on either side, which are to be personalised service. I have made spanned by a huge slate slab. considerable use of gîtes and Are we in danger of losing refuges ever since my earliest our sense of adventure by trips to the Alps and Pyrenees spoon-feeding people and over 30 years ago and have never removing every vestige of expected luxury. danger from them by creating a I’m sure that many, like me, ‘motorway’ around what is after will recall fumbling around all a mountain environment? by torchlight long before the I, like many of my mountain advent of electricity in huts, colleagues, are appalled at this having to “wash” in cold water measure, but there seems to be almost straight from the very little consultation or much glacier and, of course, squat protest from bodies such as the lavatories. Nowadays there is BMC or Snowdonia Society. almost unlimited electricity I always thought that the and electronic device charging National Trust were protectors of the countryside and not there facilities, not to mention WiFi. hot showers and other things that to police our ‘adventure’ by despoiling such an iconic area as we tend to take for granted.

Before posting such reviews I Cwm Idwal. believe people should pause and Ken Latham

Graffiti on the Seven Sisters

A short trip to Dingle

I’ve always admired Jim Perrin’s writing and am really enjoying his series of Mountain Portraits but I was surprised to see in his piece on Brandon Mountain in your November issue the statement that the Dingle Peninsula “is an awfully long way from Dublin on for the most part terrible roads.”

Perhaps it was 30 years ago, Jim, but not now. Thanks to lavish EU investment the Irish road system has been massively improved, so today the majority of the route is easy. The stretch from Dublin to Limerick is now nearly all motorway, and not very busy, once you get away from Dublin itself. Then there’s a good road, the N20, from Limerick to Tralee. The last section might be a bit more winding and, if you take the Connor Pass option after Blennerville, you might find it a bit “adventurous”, but there’s an alternative route via Camp village.

Admittedly, once you are there some of the minor country roads are very narrow and might have grass growing in the middle, but most of the driving is easy. So don’t let TGO readers be put off. It’s marvellous country! Alternatively, go to Killarney (four hours from Dublin) for wonderful walking in MacGillycuddy’s Reeks or on the Kerry Way.

Vin Knowles

consider the logistics and expense of running and maintaining a gîte or refuge. It cannot be particularly gratifying to try to make a living for four or five months of the year trying to satisfy the needs of a very wide spectrum clientele, only to read a petty-minded comment about something as minor as lack of privacy or people snoring!

Refuges provide a highly desirable service in what can be a hostile environment and I find myself wondering if those who cannot get on in such places, rub shoulders with all and sundry and accept a slight reduction of “creature comforts” are really cut out for such holidays.

Maybe they should confine themselves to beaches and leave wild country devotees to enjoy decent accommodation amidst some of the finest scenery that nature can offer.

Michael Hobby

Lakeland fleshpots

I think you missed a trick with your Autumn features. The coastal walks are a welcome change but your obsession with the fleshpots of Lakeland, North Wales and the Pennines causes blindspots.

There are some fantastic broad-leaved woodlands in the South of England, which are simply magnificent this time of year: the Hampshire Hangers, Lincolnshire Wolds, Savernake, Westonbirt, Thetford, the Chilterns or even Epping.

And don't forget that in less time than it takes to get to Skye or Torridon, people in the South can be climbing in the Pyrenees or the Alps where the weather's good and the wine's even better! The colours are nice this time of year, too.

Happy days!

John Gibbons

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MOUNTAIN PORTRAIT

C N I C H T Jim Perrin takes a blustery walk above Cwm Croesor

from it that of the late Oxford mathematician Robin Gandy, BIGGEST NOT ALWAYS BEST? Cnicht’s a prime example of whom I remember in his college rooms, dressed in black that principle. Look across from Porthmadog and it’s as shapely motorcycle leathers, preparing toast at his fire and serving it a hill as you’ll find in Britain, a perfect pyramid that acts as with Patum Peperium – “the gentleman’s relish”. He was centrepiece to the view of these southern and western hills of associate and lover of Alan Turing, whose input was central in Eryri from the Glaslyn estuary. With their refined ridges, their long and secluded sylvan valleys, rapid streams and proximity to the development of modern computing, whose contribution to the breaking of the Enigma codes was vital, and who was killed the western sea and the going-down of the light, their retained by the ruthless homophobia of the post-war years. Just over the sense of Welshness and otherness, these hills for me are one of ridge towards Rhyd was the poet Geoffrey Hill’s Welsh base. In the heart-places, with which few others compare. A half-day’s the doll’s-house cottage tucked walk will easily see you to Cnicht’s beneath the Croesor quarry incline 689m summit. If you want a longer lived Patrick O’Brien, author of the circuit, the continuation round the “Not a soul moved in the Aubrey/Maturin Napoleonic naval head of Cwm Croesor, over whole, elemental landscape. warfare novels. This was a galaxy of Moelwynion Mawr and Bach and down the west ridge of the latter I paused before the last climb talent, a thrilling and cosmopolitan in the latter half of the will take you the best part of a day, - a slatey buttress leading to community 20th Century – perhaps still is, give you some of the finest views the summit, dappled with though I’ve scarcely known it these you’ve ever seen, and lead you back recent years. hungry and thirsty to the excellent may-green lichen” Today I forced myself to head Croesor community café. up the Roman road that climbs I watched from there as steeply out of the village. A stile took me into an oakwood of columns of warm October rain strode past the windows this writhing branches and leaves rimmed with fire-tones of week. The day was not ideal for the Cnicht/Moelwynion circuit. autumn. A path branched north-east and made directly for Trickle and merge of drops on the outside of the pane kept pace with the blustering wind, and promised no let-up any time soon. Cnicht. The name of this shapeliest and most striking of Eryri’s lesser hills is an oddity. Saxon in origin, the same word as the I zipped myself into waterproofs, pulled down my hood and English “knight”, it’s thought to have been bestowed on the hill stepped out through the door to scan round the houses of by sailors a millennium ago, because of its fancied resemblance Croesor village; found myself recounting histories and to a Saxon knight’s helmet. As I toiled up the path along the revivifying faces and characters of those who lived in them. approach ridge, its hero-head remained stubbornly in the mist.

Here’s Clough Williams-Ellis, architect and play-master of A mile to the west, little rock-girt lakes amidst the crags of Yr Portmeirion, aquiline, spare, angular, marching up the road to Arddu (good bivouac cave by the lower one at SH634466) had a survey his valley-domain in plus-fours and brogues and canary cold, pewter sheen. stockings with green garters, looking every inch of the six-andNot a soul moved in the whole, elemental landscape. I paused more-feet of him the last of the line of 18th Century aristocrats before the last climb – a slatey buttress leading to the summit, from which he was descended. He’s stooping now to chat with dappled with may-green lichen, holds for a direct ascent slick little Nellie Jones who had eight or nine children by different fathers and lived in the top terrace here, always ready to talk and with moisture. A slight breeze ushered away the capping cloud. I arrived suddenly on the sharp ridge-crest and looked down into offer tea as you came down parched from the hill.

Cwm Croesor, its farms and cottages miniaturised in the Here’s Dei Huws, poet, former volunteer in the Free Wales plunging perspective, yet at the same time brought into focus by Army, who claimed to have blown up with quarrying blackthe mist occluding all distant views. It felt like peering into a powder the monument in the square at Tremadog; a selfsmall, precious and secret world, glimpsed only momentarily professed shaman, face twinkling with roguery, tongue – and so it proved, as the cloud swirled round again. quicksilvering around a torrent of new-age chicaneries, lapping the credulous in; a good man for an hour in a pub any day of the week or time of the day; years dead now, of liver cancer – too common a cause of demise downwind of the old Magnox station Cnicht; 689m; Snowdonia; map: OS Explorer OL18 at Trawsfynydd. Down there among the trees is the second home There’s a brilliant community-run café at its foot and a marvellous pub in the nearby village of Llanfrothen. of Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm; a half-mile down-valley BOOKS: PATRICK O’BRIEN‘S TESTIMONIES, IN WHICH CNICHT APPEARS AS Y SAETH, IS A NEGLECTED MASTERPIECE SET IN CROESOR AND DEALING WITH CALVINIST HYPOCRISY.

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Photo: Dave Newbould

Cnicht, proving that the biggest aren't always the best

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PHOTOGRAPHY

MOUNTAIN majesty Dougie Cunningham has spent the past four years researching Scotland’s most incredible views for a new photographic guidebook; here, he shares a few of his favourite shots and the stories behind them

Beinn a’ Chearcaill, Torridon

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IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that you land your dream job. What landscape photographer wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to write a guidebook to Scotland? Along with the contract from the publisher five years ago came a licence to take off into the mountains at every opportunity, not as a skive or as a dis traction from the daily grind, but as work. It was an irrefutable justification to get out and explore my home country as often as I possibly could.

The years between then and now have provided me with a constant procession of mini-adventures: brief (and sometimes not-so-brief) forays into the mountains and glens to explore, research and

photograph locations both familiar and new. It has become a way of life. Through a combination of planning and good luck, I have witnessed a perfect inversion flowing through Glen Coe and experienced the most extraordinary wild camp on An Teallach. I have photographed the Carn Mor Dearg arête cloaked in pristine snow and showers of stars above the Cuillin of Skye.

Without the project to provide momentum and motivation I would never have had many of the most profound experiences I have enjoyed over the last four years. As the book goes to print, I can’t help but wonder what’s now going to take its

place? I have always resisted the temptation to count my summits, but for the first time I think I understand why people want to complete a round of the Munros or bag the Wainwrights. It’s a project; something that provides that little bit of extra incentive to get you out the door in the morning when you’re tired or the weather forecast isn’t as good as it could be.

More than that, I understand why people go on for a second or a third round… It’s because they come to pity that poor shadow of themselves in an alternate universe, the version of themselves that chose a long liein and the comfort of home over a beautiful moment that they will never experience.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

AN TEALLACH, DUNDONNELL Of all the mountains in Scotland, An Teallach - the Forge - is perhaps the most often quoted as being “the greatest” or “the best”. It had long been on my wish list for a day out and I suddenly had not only the excuse, but the obligation to tick it off.

The weather forecast was far from conclusive, but it is often the borderline days that yield the most atmospheric photographs.

The sun set with a whimper rather than a blaze of glory that night, and I settled in for an uncomfortable camp on the tiny summit of Bidein a’ Ghlas Thuill. I woke the next morning to the gentle patter of rain on the tent, and was sorely tempted to roll over and go back to sleep.

I had a book to write though, and with no small measure of reluctance I dragged myself out of my sleeping bag to photograph the sunrise, fully expecting to be crawling back into it within a few minutes.

Never before or since have I experienced a sunrise like it! With the base of the clouds just skimming the summit and blazing intense pinks and purples, the colours were so vivid I had to tone them down when editing the photographs afterwards. While on the summit I darted from position to position, grinning like a maniac and with a genuine adrenaline rush as I tried to

make the most of what was sure to be a fleeting moment. A moment that I would have missed if I were there solely to walk the route.

As the sun climbed higher and the light faded, I enjoyed the feeling of perfect contentment that only comes with the knowledge that you’ve just experienced something you’ll always remember. A couple of hours later, as I traversed the ridge beyond Lord Berkeley’s Seat I passed another solo walker - a woman taking the circuit in the opposite direction. We made eye contact on the way past with an understanding smile and a nodded greeting, and by unspoken agreement

neither of us risked breaking the morning’s spell by slowing our pace to say hello.

Eighteen months later I found myself photographing another incredible sunrise over An Teallach, this time from the tranquil shore of Mellon Udrigle beach. Again I worked alone while nature performed quietly for a sleeping audience. As I packed away my gear I was surprised to see someone sitting on the rocks nearby. This time I did say hello, and we sat and talked for an hour before going our separate ways. Another candid moment with a stranger, made possible through a shared experience.

[above] Rich colours in the forge of An Teallach [below] An Teallach at sunset from the beach at Mellon Udrigle

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SGURR NA STRI, SKYE One of the most satisfying things about being away from the city is the night sky. With only a very few stars managing to break through the layers of light pollution surrounding my home town of Glasgow it is easy to forget they are there, and when you plan a trip it is normally the landscape or a specific route that I am focused upon, rather than a good view of the stars.

Sgurr na Stri offered me the perfect opportunity to combine both. The diminutive little hill above Loch Coruisk on Skye offers one of the great mountain views of Scotland.

From its summit, you have an unsurpassed vista across the Black Cuillin. A 2am alarm had me out of the tent in time to photograph the milky way erupting vertically from the remains of the ancient volcano. It was a technically difficult photograph to take, and while the camera worked its magic I found the opportunity to take a moment to refamiliarise myself with the stars as nature intend them to be seen.

[top] The Cuillin from Sgurr na Stri [above] The Milky Way erupts from the Cuillin ridge [left] The perfect pinnacle of Sgurr nan Gillean from Sgurr na Stri

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STAC POLLAIDH, ASSYNT Not every encounter with the night sky during the project has been anticipated in advance.

One of my most memorable nights away saw me taking in sunset from the summit of Stac Pollaidh – easily one of the most satisfying summits in Scotland to photograph. Once the sun had gone down I decided against staying on the summit for some night photography and returned to the van to make dinner. “Stretching my legs” after eating, I spotted a glowing cloud directly above me, on a night with no moon… Sure enough, a quick test shot showed it to be the start of an aurora display.

A quick dash round to the Aird of Coigach gave me a clear view north over Suilven just as the lights stepped up in intensity. I had chased similar photographs several times in the past, and had long ago given up on ever succeeding.

To come the opportunity completely by chance after so many failed attempts seemed almost too easy, as though I hadn’t earned it on that particular night. It was not a sentiment that stayed with me long!

[above] The Northern Lights dancing above Assynt [right] Suilven in daylight, looking over some of the intricate sandstone features of Stac Pollaidh

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PHOTOGRAPHY BEN NEVIS My first experience of Ben Nevis was an ascent of North East Buttress with two friends. I had never been on anything with anything like the exposure encountered on that climb, and have to admit to having had a bit of moment to myself half way up. It was years before I returned to the mountain, this time tackling Tower Ridge.

The intervening years of experience and the slightly less technical route made for a much more enjoyable day, but the mountain remained very much a climbing venue rather than a photography venue.

It was only a couple of years ago that I was out shooting a feature for The Great Outdoors that I looked at the place with fresh eyes, and realised that I’d been completely overlooking the incredible photographic potential of the huge northern coire! On that trip we took in the Carn Mor Dearg Arête, a stunning day out and easily the best walking route to the summit of Britain’s highest mountain. I vowed to return again to see what the coire floor had to offer.

While researching the guidebook I finally made that return visit and found that the view which had filled me with a mixture of excitement and adrenaline when I was carrying my rack and rope still filled me with awe as I approached with my camera instead. The scale of the ridges and crags is overwhelming and makes for powerful images. With the Allt a’Mhuilinn and countless rocks and boulders littering the coire floor there was no end of compositional freedom, and on this occasion the clouds that shrouded the tops of the ridges helped rather than hindered my cause. I left that night every bit as satisfied as on previous visits, and all without a hint of fear throughout the whole day!

[above] Tower Ridge and the North East Buttress of Ben Nevis vanish into the mist and cloud [left] Deer pose in front of the crags of the Ben [below] The view along the Carn Mor Dearg arête to Ben Nevis in winter

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BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR, GLEN COE

Mid-way through the project, my much-loved campervan met an untimely end during a trip to Skye. A hastily acquired replacement van needed a new clutch just a few days after I bought it, and lacking any real confidence in the vehicle (or vehicles in general!), I decided to take a short trip to the Glen Coe area before committing to another long journey through the Outer Hebrides.

The first morning I awoke in the new van to a thick fog and very limited visibility. I took a gamble on

it being clear higher up and decided it was time to check out the view from Beinn a’ Chrulaiste, the small hill across the road from Buachaille Etive Mor. It didn’t take long to emerge above the inversion that was rolling from Rannoch Moor into Glen Coe. The air was crisp and clear above the river of fog as the last of the stars faded from the pre-dawn sky. I continued shooting until the sun was well above the horizon, then sat and watched from the summit as it slowly burned through the mists below.

THE BOOK Photographing Scotland by Dougie Cunningham is published by FotoVUE with a foreword by Ed Byrne. It features 289 photographic locations and 600 of Dougie’s own photographs. Buy your copy from www.fotoVUE.com or directly from Dougie at www.LeadingLines.net/ shop. It will cost £27.95 including postage on release at the start of December, but can be pre-ordered for the discounted rate of £22 including UK delivery before then.

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VIEWPOINTS MOUNTAIN FINEST SCOTLAND’S

Some mountains provide the perfect viewpoint on the ascent; others are best photographed from 1

the less exciting hill next door. Here are my personal favourites.

2 1.BEN LOYAL

Ben Hope is Scotland’s most northern Munro, and immediately to the east is Ben Loyal. They are a noble pair, but it is Ben Loyal’s line of huge northern buttresses that steals the show here. There are many places around the Kyle of Tongue that provide excellent photographs, but perhaps the best is the tiny, well hidden Lochan Hakel near the southern end of the Kyle.

3 4

5 6 7

8

2.STAC POLLAIDH

At a mere 612m, Stac Pollaidh doesn’t even manage Corbett status, but is the definitive proof that size isn’t everything.

The panoramic views from its summit ridge are awe-inspiring when conditions are good, and the intricately sculpted sandstone features that line the ridge make for incredible photographs.

9

3.AN TEALLACH

An Teallach is as close to the perfect mountain as I have ever experienced. Knife-edge ridges and great scrambling on good rock combine with stunning views across the Fisherfields.

The view from Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill to Sgurr Fiona is one of the all-time classic Scottish mountain views.

4.BEINN A’ CHEARCAILL

Torridon is known as the Land of the Giants, with the huge massifs of Beinn Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe hoarding all the glory. At only 725m and lacking any dramatic ridges, Beinn a’ Chearcaill (pictured on opening spread) hardly gets a look-in with walkers but its tiny sandstone summit plateau is out of this world, and the perfect platform from which to photograph the larger neighbours.

5.SGURR NA STRI

Like Beinn a’ Chrulaiste, Sgurr na Stri’s main strength is the view over its larger neighbours, the magnificent Cuillin, but this fine little hill is entertaining in its own right too. With a long walk in through Camasunary or the option for an approach on the Elgol to Loch Coruisk passenger boat, it’s a perfect mini-adventure!

6.LOCHNAGAR

Lochnagar sits removed from what most people think of as the main range of the Cairngorms. Its dark north-facing coire is ringed by dramatic cliffs and a beautiful little lochan that often freezes in winter. This one mountain gives a little flavour of everything that the Cairngorms has to offer, with relatively easy access in comparison to some in the area.

7.BEN NEVIS

Those that have only experienced the Ben via the Mountain Trail may wonder what the fuss is about, but a walk into the vast northern coire will answer any doubts.

Towering ridges and faces provide powerful subjects to photograph, and the Allt a’ Mhuilinn provides great foreground features, along with the rocks and boulders that litter the coire floor.

8.BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR, GLEN COE

It’s a classic, bordering on a cliché perhaps, but the Buachaille is popular for good reason. There are countless excellent viewpoints around the base of the mountain for photographs, but perhaps the best views are from along the top of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste, just across the road.

9. GOATFELL

The highest mountain on Arran is a hugely popular walk with visitors to the island, and not just because of the very convenient brewery located right at the start of the path!

The view from the summit is superb, with surprisingly dramatic peaks and linked by fine ridges around the head of Glen Rosa.

“AN TEALLACH IS AS CLOSE TO THE PERFECT MOUNTAIN AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED”

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LAKE DISTRICT

BACK O'SKID Looking

to

avoid

the

Lake

District

crowds?

Head

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nor

IDDAW

ad

north,

says

James

Forrest

BORING, FEATURELESS AND DOWNRIGHT AVERAGE. These are the criticisms regularly thrown at the much-maligned rounded, grassy hills to the north of Skiddaw. Even Wainwright, the great lover of Lakeland, described the area as a “vast sheep pasture... unexciting in scenic quality”. Exhilarating knife-edge arêtes, I’m-on-top-of-the-world summits, precipitous crags and naked cliffs – you won’t find any here. So why did I spend last summer exploring the fells around Uldale and Caldbeck?

Simple. I hate crowds. When I go hiking I want to escape, switch off and be alone – a tricky task when more than 17 million tourists descend on the Lake District annually. For me, the tranquillity and serenity of fellwalking is broken when too many people are around.

Joining a queue of holiday-makers snaking up Cat Bells or atop Scafell Pike surrounded by scores of selfie-snapping summiteers – no, thank you. I’d rather be Back o’ Skiddaw, a land of silence and solitude where the sight of another walker comes as a surprise.

Here you can wander free, unfettered by modern distractions and undisturbed by others. This is the area’s trump card, a redeeming feature that more than makes up for its lack of stand-out scenery.

Actually, Wainwright agreed. Putting it more eloquently and poetically than I ever could, he described walking the northern fells as “days of absolute freedom, days of feeling like the only man on earth. No crowds to dodge, no noisy chatter, no litter. Just me, and the sheep, and singing larks overhead. All of us well content.”

This is how I feel as I park my car near Mosedale. It’s early August, the sun is shining and I’m the only person here. The bleating of a hungry Herdwick lamb and the rush of the tumbling Poddy Gill provide the soundtrack. I breathe in the fresh air, the woody smell of heather tingling my nostrils as I ascend the foxgloves-clad slopes of Carrock Fell.

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LAKE DISTRICT

[previous page] The evening views of Carrock Fell [above] Binsey viewed from Orthwaite [right] Falling into a muddy hole

I gaze over at the giants of Skiddaw and Blencathra. I know they offer more adrenaline, drama and eye candy. Doubts creep in. What am I doing on these monotonous hills? Why am I not scrambling up Sharp Edge, getting jelly-legs as I stand on the razor-thin ridge? Would I be happier ogling the views of Bassenthwaite from the arched bow of Ullock Pike? If I headed out on a weekday or late in the evening, could I hike better trails and escape the summer crowds? But I dismiss the uncertainties. This quiet, intimate, no-frills corner of Lakeland is where I want to be.

Back o’ Skiddaw is not all grassy hill after boring grassy hill.

Carrock Fell, famed for its rich geology and centuries of mining for valuable minerals and rare metals, is a non-conformist with rugged crags and scattered boulders. From its delightful summit – the collapsed wall of an ancient fort crowned by a cone-shaped cairn – my eyes are drawn to the north-east. A patchwork quilt of misshapen fields, a puzzle of yellows, light browns and greens, is punctured only by the odd farmhouse and towering church spire.

It is a quintessentially English countryside scene.

I walk west instead, my boots squelching in the boggy ground to High Pike as white cotton-grass sways hypnotically in the wind. Half an hour later I’m sitting on the slate bench of the

658m summit, indulging in another of Back o’ Skiddaw’s hidden treasures – the view out from Lakeland. I can see Scotland. The Solway Firth shimmers in the afternoon sun and distant Scottish hills glow enticingly golden, as if begging to be explored. There is no-one else here, bar a single hiker on the Cumbria Way path to my left. I’m in a contemplative mood. It’s difficult to envisage the bygone era when these fells were alive with a mining industry so lucrative it was said the “Caldbeck Fells are worth all England else”.

Other days in the Back o’ Skiddaw hills, which lie within touching distance of my home near Ireby, are similarly tranquil. I don’t see a soul as I climb Binsey one lazy, sun-drenched evening.

The gentle 447m hill, located in the extreme north-west of the national park, is a “viewpoint of outstanding merit” with a “grand little summit”, in the words of Wainwright. It is so perfectly clear and haze-free I can almost see Scots, like tiny ants, wandering around in Dumfries and Galloway.

The paths are slightly busier one morning – I see an unprecedented six other walkers – as I walk a horseshoe in the Uldale fells. My brain switches off, everyday worries disappear and I enter that glorious mindlessness of simply putting one foot in front of another. I tick off the tops of Little Cockup, Great

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Caldbeck Fells 19km/12 miles/ 7-8 hours Ascent 680m/2230ft

3 1 2

Start/Finish Stone Ends GR:NY353337

1 Start at Stone Ends and climb Carrock Fell by the Rake Trod path. Use Wainwright’s The Northern Fells for detailed notes.

2 Head W along the ridge before forking N to the summit of High Pike.

3 Head SW on a largely pathless section to Knott via Hare Stones and Great Lingy Hill.

4 Descend SW to the col before climbing to the top of Little Calva.

4

5

6

5 Follow the fence NE and then SE to the top of Great Calva.

6 Descend E to Wiley Gill, cross the footbridge and take the Cumbria

Way path alongside the River Caldew, heading NE and then E back to Mosedale.

Heather in the Uldale Fells

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Cockup and Meal Fell before a trudge of a climb to the summit of Great Sca Fell. I’m struck by the contrast – while its famous namesake would be crawling in walkers, up here I have the mountain to myself. I’m the King of Back o’ Skiddaw, surveying my realm of smooth, rounded, heathery hills and their deeplyeroded, high-sided gills. My descent takes in Little Sca Fell, Lowthwaite Fell and Longlands Fell. From the latter unfolds a scene of rolling hills, quaint cottages, dry stone walls, agricultural fields and corridors of woodland. I watch as a farmer slowly collects and bails his hay. This panorama might not be the most stirring or sensational in Lakeland, but it oozes charm.

My time exploring Back o’ Skiddaw however does not pass without some drama. I begin a hike near Orthwaite when suddenly a terrifying whooshing sound breaks the silence. To my horror, a bird of prey is dive-bombing from on high. It swoops down five or six times, coming closer to my head each time.

Showing no signs of bravery, I leg it away as fast as I can, wailing, cursing and holding my rucksack over my head for protection. I later learn, courtesy of a laminated sign stuck to a lamppost, that an aggressive buzzard has been displaying territorial behaviour.

A week or so later I fall victim to another calamity. I walk from Mosedale past Carrock Mine to Great Lingy Hill, Knott – at 710m the highest peak in the area– and Great Calva. I’m engrossed in

my map, not looking where I’m going, when I fall waist-deep into a perfectly circular, swampy hole. It must’ve looked like something out of a cartoon – but, despite being wet and covered in mud, I don’t mind. No-one is around to witness my embarrassment.

These incidents are, nonetheless, rare. Being Back o’ Skiddaw is not high-octane or dangerous or thrilling. It is the opposite – calm, unspoilt, deserted, relaxing and easygoing. This is my experience as I walk up Brae Fell from Greenhead on a glorious summer’s afternoon. The walk is, in all honesty, monotonous – a featureless, grassy treadmill. But it doesn’t matter. Standing next to the summit cairn I feel like the only man on earth. The larks sing in the unblemished blue sky and the sheep munch on the grass. As Wainwright predicted, all of us are well content.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This summer, James Forrest climbed all the ‘Nuttals’, the 446 mountains of England and Wales, in an incredible six months. He lives in the northern Lake District, close to the area described here.

The Uldale Fells

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LAKE DISTRICT

Uldale Horseshoe 11km/7 miles/ 5-7 hours

Ascent 680m/2230ft Start/Finish Orthwaite GR: NY252340

1 Take the road S and enter the open fell at Orthwaite Bank.

2 Climb SE to the summits of Little Cockup and Great Cockup.

3 Descend E to the pass of Trusmadoor before climbing Meal Fell.

4 Beeline for the summit of Great Sca Fell and then

head N for the summit of Little Sca Fell.

5 Descend NW to the hamlet of Longlands via Lowthwaite Fell and Longlands Fell.

5 Return to Orthwaite by taking the Cumbria Way route SW.

6

5 1 2

4 3

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TREKKING

Peaks of the THE BALKANS Rudolf Abraham introduces a remote and beautiful new long-distance trail

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TREKKING

by this point, clearly with other business in mind) – and sure enough, down below me beyond some rocks and bushes, was the beginning of a clear path. Two hours of steep descent later (during which the dog scampered past again, ears flying) I reached the floor of the Rugova Valley, and followed the road up the other side towards Rekë e Allagës.

BALKAN HOSPITALITY

The Peaks of the Balkans loops north from the Rugova Valley, below Hajla, a peak on the border with Montenegro, then swings south again to the village of Drelaj, where I spend the night at the lovely Shqiponja Guesthouse. One offshoot of the Peaks of the Balkans, in the short number of years since it opened, has been the establishment by some villagers of small, simple but wonderfully hospitable guesthouses, like this one in Drelaj – serving delicious home-cooked food, and offering a genuine slice of rural hospitality which is frankly a million miles away from anything you’ll find in resorts on the coast.

The following day, I hike up from the Rugova valley towards Liqeni i Kuçishtës – a beautiful, secluded lake wedged between steep slopes and a great swath of pine forest.

After following the shoreline, I drop down steeply on a winding forest trail then ascend past another, smaller lake, and across open slopes below the western flanks of Gur-i Kuq, with the sound of a spring bubbling somewhere under a long finger of scree.

Then the clear trail climbs more steeply up to the Jelenkut Pass, above a prominent double rock outcrop, somewhere between the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro. I say ‘somewhere’ and ‘between’, because the Jelenkut Pass lies within a long stretch of disputed border between the two countries – further north, where the road from Rožaje crosses the border heading towards Pejë, it descends through a stretch of exquisitely beautiful no-man’s-land, several kilometres wide.

A couple of hours along the ridge I reach the Zavoj Pass – the point where the Peaks

“I hike up from the Rugova valley towards Liqeni i Kuçishtës – a beautiful, secluded lake wedged between steep slopes and a great swath of pine forest”

of the Balkans joins in the middle like a lopsided figure-of-eight, which I’d passed a few stages earlier. From here a path descends gently through masses of blueberry bushes – here as elsewhere along the route, hiking in berry season generally means progress is reduced to grazing pace – then crosses a small stream and descends more steeply into the valley.

The small settlement of Babino Polje stretches along a 4x4 road on the valley floor. The southern side of the valley is covered in thick pine forest, and it’s through this that the route takes me the following morning, to Hridsko jezero – a lake at just under 2000m, below rocky peaks. Here a small group of German hikers, who I’d met a couple of days earlier in Drelaj, brave

Photographs © Rudolf Abraham

IT WAS A SMALL BLACK DOG which finally pointed me in the right direction.

I had just crossed a nameless pass on the rocky, juniper-studded ridge which forms the southern boundary of the Rugova Gorge in Kosovo, and was looking – with increasing frustration by this point – for the correct trail down the other side. Any trail, in fact. Just not the beginning of that jeep track, which started here and swept off in completely the wrong direction – I’d already tried that one, and had to come back.

I was on my final trip to research a new guide to the Peaks of the Balkans – a recently developed long-distance trail which winds its way for the best part of 200km through the Prokletije mountains, in the rugged borderlands of Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania. It’s a spectacularly beautiful and wonderfully hospitable place, a remote corner of Europe which few people know much about, let alone visit.

I walked back up to the grassy verge overlooking Pusi i Magareve, the shallow lake I’d just passed before the path vanished, and scrutinised the way ahead again.

Not left, since that led to the cliff-like buttresses of Gur i Kuq, one the highest peaks hereabouts. Ahead and to the right, trail-less pastures led down to the edge of the forest, or dropped away steeply out of sight, with no guarantee that they wouldn’t end in a cliff or a wall of dense mountain pine at some point on the thousand-or-sometre descent to the floor of the gorge. I’d already tried finding a lost trail through head-high thickets of mountain pine earlier in the morning, and wasn’t up for a repeat.

Not for the first time, I cursed the map I was carrying.

It was at this point that a small dog suddenly appeared over the edge of the hillside – apparently out of nowhere – tongue lolling and looking immensely pleased with himself. Following the logic that a very domesticated-looking dog might have followed a trail up from a village, I walked off through the long grass to where he’d been standing (he’d bounded off again

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[previous page] Peaks above the Valbona Valley, from the Valbona Pass [above] A man on a donkey, near the PejÎ Pass (Qafa e PejÎs) leading to Theth. [below] Hikers at a waterfall near Theth

THE PEAKS OF THE BALKANS TRAIL Opened in 2013, The Peaks of the Balkans Trail was developed by the German development corporation GIZ in conjunction with national and local tourism organisations and hiking clubs, in order to create a sustainable income for the local population in these mountainous areas of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. It was designed to encourage sustainable local tourism and to bring these parts of the region closer together across political borders. Despite increasing visitor numbers – largely due to the growing popularity of the Peaks of the Balkans trail – the area remains incredibly underdeveloped and unspoilt, much of it having been off limits to foreigners until comparatively recently.

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TREKKING “The Peaks of the Balkans Trail spends about a third of its length in each of the three countries”

[left] Peak near the Valbona Pass [above] Haystacks with Maja Kolata (Kolata e Keq, 2534m) in the background on the section fro mCeremi to DobÎrdol

the icy temperatures for an impromptu dip, while I (rather less energetically) munch on a sandwich.

From Hridsko jezero the route descends to Plav, a small mountain town – in fact the only town of any size encountered on the entire route – located beside the largest glacial lake in the Balkans, Lake Plav.

Then it takes me over Vrh Bora with jawdropping views of the wild jumble of rocky summits that form this part of the Prokletije mountains, and down to the village of Vusanje, at the mouth of the Ropojana valley.

HIKING INTO ALBANIA

The stage between Vusanje in Montenegro and Theth in Albania is one of its most beautiful sections of the Peaks of the Balkans. From the long, broad green floor of the Ropojana valley the trail climbs to a seasonal lake, fed only by snowmelt, below the jagged line of the Karanfili peaks. It was empty on my last visit so I just followed a well-worn trail through long grass – across what, on a previous visit, would have been the bottom of a large lake – and crossed an invisible border into Albania.

Thanks to the Peaks of the Balkans, what was once a closed border crossing here at the end of the Ropojana valley, is – along with some half a dozen other border crossings associated with the trail – now a route open to trekkers. You do however need a special

cross-border permit to hike the Peaks of the Balkans – but this is easy enough to get through a local trekking agency for a very reasonable fee, or (not quite so straightforwardly) by applying to the relevant authorities in Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo yourself. Zbulo in Albania and Zalaz in Montenegro are the best local agencies to contact about sorting permits, or anything else to do with the Peaks of the Balkans for that matter – they were both involved in the development of the trail from the beginning, and their knowledge of it is unmatched.

From the lake the trail climbs through forest to open pastures, where I fill my water bottles at a spring near a couple of simple, low-roofed shepherd huts. These huts are found throughout the mountains of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, and are occupied during the summer months when local shepherds bring their livestock up to the high pastures. Further on the trail climbs past two small, dome-like concrete bunkers, enigmatic remnants of Enver Hoxha’s isolationist regime – the former ruler had some half a million of them built all over Albania between the 1960s and the 1980s.

A shepherd, sitting on the hillside above his flock – guarded over by a Šarplaninac, the large breed of mountain sheepdog kept in this region – waves me on towards a ridge.

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TREKKING at a smidgen under 2700m the highest mountain in Prokletije. The trail ducks left beneath overhanging cliffs, and winds its way down to the valley floor. Here the path becomes a rocky jeep track, then a dusty farm track overhung with fruit trees in the late evening light. After passing a succession of guesthouses on the outskirts of Theth, I take a track on the left which leads up to the old stone church, and just across a paddock, Bujtina Polia – frankly one the loveliest guesthouses I’ve ever stayed at, enormously welcoming, spotlessly clean, with magnificent dinners.

surrounded by massive boulders (and a man riding a donkey back the way I’d come), and up to the Pëje Pass, overlooking the sprawling, rock-strewn floor of the Theth valley.

The views from the Pëje Pass are staggering. To the right, the southern face of Mt Arapit falls in a single, sheer drop of some 800m; to the left, rocky summits stretch off towards Maja Jezerces,

Pejë

MONTENEGRO Babino polje

Deçan Dobërdol Çeremi

tic a

Se

Italy

Albania

ALBANIA

Montenegro Kosovo

ria

Valbona Rragrami

KOSOVO

Ad

Theth

Maja Kolata peak

Milishevc

Greece

Map: Allyson Shields

Plav Gusinje

Maja Jezerces peak

The Peaks of the Balkans spends about a third of its length in each of the three countries through which it passes, and takes around 10 days to complete – maybe a couple more if you factor in one or two rest days or possible side trips.

As a short excursion from Theth, I set off to see the nearby Grunas waterfall, in the company of Silka and Milo from Ghent, and Nard from the Polia Guesthouse. It’s an easy walk, passing a well-preserved 17th Century kula (tower house) and crossing the river on a rickety bridge, then along a grassy track with Nard bounding ahead of us. We follow a water channel uphill, then turn up

Rekë e Allagës

Berane

Vusanje

10 DAYS IN THREE COUNTRIES

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Distance: 192km/119 miles Timings: The route can be walked in 10 daily stages, although there are many opportunities to extend it with peak-bagging trips and visits to local sites.

Seasons: The trekking season begins May/ June and finishes in October, with June-August the driest months. Wildflowers bloom in June.

Snow-patches may linger until June/July.

Difficulty: Moderate fitness is required, though the walking itself is not difficult. The trail passes through some remote areas.

Maps: A 1:60,000 scale map is published by GIZ/ Huber and available locally as well as through The Map Shop (themapshop.co.uk) and Stanfords (stanfords.co.uk) in the UK but beware that it does have some errors.

Getting there: There are various different start points to choose from, which will dictate your travel options.

Trekking agencies: For help with cross-border permits or further information, the best contacts are Zbulo (zbulo.org) in Albania and Zalaz (zalaz.me) in Montenegro.

GUIDEBOOK SPECIAL OFFER The first English language guidebook, Trekking the Peaks of the Balkans Trail by Rudolf Abraham is published by Cicerone in November. Visit cicerone.co.uk and use the code TGO25 for an exclusive 25% discount.

Lake Plav after October snowfall

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a steep rocky path which takes us up to the waterfall, which tumbles over 30m into an emerald-coloured pool.

Over the next few days the Peaks of the Balkans crosses a succession of passes.

From Theth, I set off for the Valbona Pass, on the watershed between the Theth and Valbona valleys, with the huge north-west wall of Maja e Boshit on the right. The following day I cross the Prosllopit Pass – a deviation from the ‘official’ route, which simply follows a road along the valley floor for most of the day. Instead I follow a long steep path up from Valbona, through old growth forest and open meadows with masses of wildflowers, my footsteps setting off clouds of tiny blue butterflies. Crossing the Prosllopit Pass takes me back into Montenegro, below the sprawling summit

of Maja Kolata (the highest mountain in Montenegro), then a trail leads over a second pass and back down into Albania.

Two days later there’s a wonderful saddle overlooking the remote summer settlement of Dobërdol, by the point where the three borders of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo meet (called, not so surprisingly, Three Border Peak) – and of course there’s that nameless pass above the Rugova Gorge, with its elusive trails.

Seeing the pass took me back to a conversation a few days previously. Around half way through dinner, sitting around a long table on the terrace at the Shqiponja Guesthouse in Drelaj, that the dog popped

into conversation. “He followed us for two days, over the border from Albania,” Sebastian is saying. “A small black dog, about this high,” he adds. “Oh, that sounds like the same one I saw too,” throws in another guest, who works for the NGO in Germany which helped set up the Peaks of the Balkans. One of Sebastian’s party pulls out a phone and taps on a photo – and sure enough, it really does look like the same dog.

Apparently he’d been wandering around in the mountains for days, or weeks, happily enjoying his own cross-border ramblings.

Perhaps he’s still there.

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BACKPACKING

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ACROSS ARDGOUR Three friends take an autumnal journey on foot from Fort William to Glenfinnan WORDS: STEFAN DURKACZ PHOTOS: DAVID LINTERN

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[Opening spread] Backpacking, the archetype! Dropping down into Cona Glen [above] Sunrise in the Cona Glen, looking east [right] Expansive remoteness from the 'unnamed Corbett', Stob a’ Bhealach an Sgriodain

“WHEN WE FIRST SAW your route, Stef, we thought it looked like a two-day walk,” David confessed on the eve of our backpacking trip.

“Then we noticed all the ups and downs...” We were bound for the mountains of Ardgour in the west Highlands. Few roads or paths penetrate this slab of wildness, nearly cut off from the rest of the mainland by sea lochs to the north and east, and the great freshwater barrier of Loch Shiel to the west. Together with the neighbouring districts of Morvern, Sunart and Moidart, it’s part of the largest area of the Highlands with no Munros. Yet the quality of the landscape vies with the best in Scotland. The plan was to cross northern Ardgour from Fort William to Glenfinnan, bagging a series of Corbetts along the way. We had three days: our deadline was the Sunday afternoon train from Glenfinnan to the Fort, allowing us a satisfying A to B route without the complications of two cars.

The summits were incidental in a way, really just pegs on which to hang a route through a fabled tract of mountain country that was new to us and had lurked long in my subconscious. My imagination had been fired as much by little-known Caledonian forest remnants, trackless glens and wild corries as by the peaks. The Scottish Highlands have Tardis-like qualities, and although the hills are more popular than ever, there are still more opportunities for solitude and discovery than seem possible in such a small country. We were about to find that out in spades as we met Mick, the third member of our party, early the next morning and sped north through the rain.

DAY ONE: ACROSS THE WATER There was something symbolic about the journey’s beginning – a trip on the tiny passenger ferry that plies the short route from Fort William to the hamlet of Camusnagaul on the easternmost tip of Ardgour. It was a gentle start to a taxing three days. Disembarking, we sauntered south along a single track road by the loch shore, browsing on brambles and soaking up the autumn colours and earthy smells as our way dipped through Atlantic oakwood fragments. This was the perfect entrée, a gentle immersion and a chance to catch up. For me, it was good to settle the nerves – this was officially ‘my’ route, drawn up without reference to a guidebook. Also, while I’d backpacked with David and Mick separately, we’d never made a multi-day trip as a team. How would the dynamic pan out?

After a couple of miles we left the road and turned west up Gleann Sron a’ Chreagain. Ardgour quickly began to fold in on us.

We sensed we were on to something special. The glen was a vibrant delight of birch and gnarly oak, leaves on the turn, the woods fringing a vigorous peat-stained river of little gorges, rapids and plunge-pools. The sun put in a brief appearance as we toiled up a long shoulder towards Stob Coire a’ Chearcaill, peak of the corrie of the circle – that corrie a grand amphitheatre at the head of the glen. Birch woods climbed high up the hillside opposite; this wasn’t

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BACKPACKING

The language and the land Scots Gaelic remains the predominant language on the maps we use in the hills. Learning a little of the meaning and pronunciation of Gaelic hill and place names can add extra depth and appreciation to hill days.

While the words may appear impenetrable to the uninitiated, the translations are often startlingly prosaic, describing colours, weather, terrain, geography, flora and fauna, and other natural features.

When you’re familiar with some of the common meanings, you’ll find yourself looking at the landscape and trying to figure out why things were named the way they were. Tom na h-Eilde, hill of the hinds, in Cona Glen, was an interesting puzzle. Looking around the wet, boggy expanse of the glen, I guessed it was probably the only substantial area of dry ground at valley level – and therefore maybe a favourite place for red deer hinds to give birth to their young.

the barren landscape we’d perhaps expected. Near the summit, mist curled off steep rocky buttresses and the sun spot-lit the long moorland shoulder up which we’d come.

Up and over the Stob, we were just the wrong side of the front line in a weather stand-off. North the mountains basked in sun; south they were smeared shades of grey with showers. It’s good to talk, but not when a little navigation is needed – we romped downhill only to pull up short on a misty bealach where nothing we could see matched what map and GPS were telling us. The clouds lifted slightly and perspective was restored – the distant hill that made no sense turned into a nearby hillock. We’d been taught a gentle lesson.

We laughed at ourselves, and on we went.

The interior was opening out before us now as afternoon arced towards evening. We traversed above the long miles of Cona Glen.

Rain had come and gone; now milky sunlight angled between the rocky knuckles of the ridge to the south across the glen and silhouetted even bigger, rougher things further west - tomorrow’s route giving notice. For now, though, we were tired and strung out as we traced our own ways over trackless, sometimes complex ground.

We pulled together to discuss where to stop for the night.

In those late-in-the-day conferences on the hill, demeanour can say more than words alone. And so it was that we shelved plans to climb up to some tempting lochans on the opposite ridge for a high camp, and opted to look for a site near the Cona River.

Easier said than done. We found a footbridge across the river as the light leached out of the sky and bats took to the wing, and picked our way through the branches of a small tree that had fallen across it. The valley floor was a dispiriting expanse of bog, The Great Outdoors December 2017 55

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heather and huge tussocks. We made for a stand of Scots pine, figuring the trees preferred drier ground, and eventually found our spot, just enough dry land for three shelters – not before I’d copped a boot full of bog juice.

We pitched, we ate, we dished out the drams, and our world came right as the stars appeared. We knew tomorrow would be tough, but with the weather on our side it would be anything but miserable.

DAY TWO: SUNSHINE AND DEEP TIME I woke to quiet half-light, well rested, the previous evening’s stresses forgotten. I crawled outside into the waiting pre-dawn stillness – the skies were clear and a little mist drifted across the hillsides. David was already up and Mick not far behind. In its own sweet time, the light swelled with the approach of the sun.

As it winked over the horizon, shining straight up the glen, the grassy hillsides blazed to life, dazzling gold against a blue sky.

Having arrived in near darkness the previous evening, we now had time to explore around our campsite and make acquaintance

with the ancient twisted pines. David glimpsed an otter slipping into the Cona River. About a mile upstream stood Tom na h-Eilde, a solitary hillock rising from the wide, flat valley floor. As the sunlight crept up and over it, we wondered what significance this striking feature may have had for people in centuries and millennia past. In this place, we middle-aged men were just fleeting young upstarts.

A long day awaited so we were soon off up to the ridge south of Cona Glen, in search of a Corbett so remote it was apparently nameless. (The OS do not name it but in the official SMC lists it is called Stob a’ Bhealach an Sgriodain, peak of the pass of screes.)

As Mick and I puffed our way uphill, already receiving a grilling from the sun, David was way ahead, quartering the hillside with his camera. We reached the lochans of our original camping plan, paused briefly, then pushed on to the crest of the ridge, where we collided face-first with the full glory of Ardgour. Immediately to the south was the great pyramid of Sgurr Dhomhnuill, Donald’s peak, Ardgour’s highest looming huge across the intervening glen.

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BACKPACKING

These are the moments we live for in the hills, where the ancient and cyclical trumps the modern and linear Mick and David are proper winter junkies and straight away saw its potential for alpine adventure with its sharp, steep ridges and commanding summit cone. A few miles beyond was mighty Garbhbheinn, second by a few metres and probably the most popular, especially amongst climbers and scramblers. The realisation hit that we were scratching the surface here. Ardgour is not a destination to be ticked off in one weekend. We had approached respectfully; now the door was ajar for our return.

Focusing back on the task in hand, we embarked on hours of painful progress westwards along one of the roughest ridges I’ve ever walked – never narrow or exposed, but wildly jagged and riven with glacier-scarred upthrusts of bare rock. There was no

rhythm to our progress, just a never-ending succession of scrambly descents, detours from detours and sharp, heart-pounding climbs.

Eventually the summit of our Corbett came into view. We followed deer tracks skirting a final rocky knoll on the ridge and pulled up at last to our nameless nemesis with its tiny cairn. I commented that this hill was so obscure that if it was a record it would be played on BBC 6 Music at 2am. Right then, I struggled to remember when I last put in so much effort to reach the top of a hill. Was it worth it?

Of course it was.

The wind went out of our sails somewhat after that. We were tiring. The mountains were closing in around us as we traversed above the headwaters of the Cona River. The roaring of rutting

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BACKPACKING The ‘unnamed’ Corbett For some reason best known to themselves, the Ordnance Survey have never named the little 770m peak at NM874727 which has Corbett status. It was for some time given the name Druim Tarsuinn, the transverse ridge, after a nearby feature but more recently, this was felt to be inappropriate as it is a peak not a ridge. Just to the west of the peak is a pass named Bealach an Sgriodain, pass of the screes. It therefore seemed logical to rename the Corbett as Stob a’ Bhealach an Sgriodain, peak of the pass of screes, and that is the name used in the SMC Corbetts guide.

Maybe some day the OS will catch up.

A climb before breakfast

stags, which had accompanied us all day, seemed to close in too, intensifying as afternoon slid into evening. The imminence of dark in a wild place spells anxiety for even the most ‘civilised’ souls.

The plan was to dog-leg north-east and follow a ridge onto Sgurr Ghiubhsachain, peak of the pinewood, Corbett number three. Yet an unexpectedly deep bealach and steep climb out was the final straw; we were all now more tired than was safe or sensible. We walked for a while high above the dark trench of Loch Shiel, then veered right

onto a flattish shoulder under our third Corbett’s craggy summit.

Icy springs bubbled nearby. There was little cloud and less wind, and the land lay huge and impassive at the onset of night. This would do nicely.

Later on, well-fed and camp chores done, Mick retired early while David and I stood outside clutching drams under a sky sprayed with stars. Stags roared near and far with an urgency that presaged winter. These are the moments we live for in the hills, when the framework of deadlines and timetables and even human lifespans crumbles into deeper currents, and where the ancient and cyclical trumps the modern and linear. Later that night I woke suddenly, the hairs on my neck prickling. A stag bellowed so close I could hear the rasp of its breath, picture the clouds of vapour. I took some time to drift off again.

DAY THREE: FROM FROSTY TENTS TO ICE-COLD BEERS Reaching out a hand from the bivvy bag, the first thing I noticed was frost. We wanted to reach the top of Sgurr Ghiubhsachain for sunrise. It was a strenuous, scrambly climb, and Mick decided to cut his losses and conserve energy, turning back halfway. David

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Cold, above the inversion, on Sgurr Ghuibhsachain

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Highlands

and I reached the cairn just after the sun appeared, bathing the land and illuminating inversion clouds over Loch Eil. The stags bellowed away tirelessly. We shared an energy bar and picked our way back down to camp. “How was it?” Mick asked. “Amazing” I blurted out. “I mean, rubbish – you didn’t miss anything!” Later that morning, Mick was already plotting the return trip to bag The One That Got Away.

Today was mostly downhill and a carefree counterpoint to yesterday’s trials. We found a way onto the rocky summit dome of our final Corbett, Sgorr Craobh a’ Chaorainn, crooked hill of the rowan, then made a long descent north. David spotted some fine ‘sitting stones’ by the burn and we brewed and lounged in the warm sun. From there, the blessed luxury of a path, then a track, took us down through more Caledonian pines, then beautiful birch woods by the Callop River to Glenfinnan village. Our journey ended with cold pints around a table outside the hotel where a wide lawn sloped towards the loch and the autumn leaves gently shivered. We’d pulled together and pulled through some tough hours, digging deep and supporting each other. I was thankful I’d shared a solid gold trip with two diamond geezers.

The red deer is Britain’s largest native land mammal and has been here since the end of the last ice age, some 10,000 years ago. The Scottish Highlands are its stronghold, although there are populations in the Lake District, New Forest, Exmoor, Norfolk and parts of Ireland.

Humans and red deer have had a long relationship. During the Mesolithic period – the few thousand years between the end of the ice age and the beginning of settled agriculture (the Neolithic) – red deer were central to human life in Britain. They didn’t just provide nourishment: the skin, bone, antlers and sinews were fashioned into weapons, tools and clothing.

Nowadays, that relationship remains close, but also fraught.

The red deer is different things to different people: an impressive

wildlife spectacle, an icon of the Highlands, a sought-after game animal, and a threat to the natural environment.

Red deer numbers in Scotland have soared in recent times, from around 150,000 in the early 1960s to at least 350,000 now.

Some conservationists highlight the damage from overgrazing to native woodland, and argue for large reductions in deer numbers, and even the reintroduction of natural predators such as wolves to restore ecological balance.

Sporting interests point to the economic and employment benefits of deer stalking and the wider tourism benefits of having large, iconic animals in the landscape.

All agree that the red deer belongs in the Highlands, but the nature of its tenure is far from settled.

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WAINWRIGHT

A pilgrimage to Haystacks In the 1980s, director Richard Else brought the normally reclusive guidebook author Alfred Wainwright onto the nation’s television screens via a series of films with Eric Robson, screened on BBC2. In this exclusive extract from his new book, Richard recalls AW’s final visit to his favourite Lakeland fell

AT THE END of a long and very wet day, I was exhausted. We had done it. I couldn’t quite believe it. Wainwright had made an emotional and final journey to the place he loved above all others. It has become the most important of all the sequences we filmed with him. Yet it was not part of our original plan. Or, more accurately, it was not part of AW’s plan for our first series. I had always hoped we could visit Haystacks but there were numerous difficulties to overcome. Not least of these was AW’s reluctance to be filmed in Lakeland and a fear that numerous walkers would want to stop and talk to their hero.

As our filming had progressed I’d noticed a number of changes gradually taking place. Our star was – on a good day, at least – more at ease with the filming process. But there was another key factor. His wife, Betty, enjoyed having new people to talk to and was fascinated by our very different backgrounds. Best of all, she said, was AW being able to visit places they both thought he would not see again.

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Before long the cold winds of spring gave way to the longer, warmer days of summer, but my interest was less with the weather than in waiting for the right moment to talk to AW. I knew I would only get one chance to raise this particular subject and that any rejection would be final. Eventually, and trying hard to conceal my nervousness, I thought the moment might have arrived.

“I was wondering…” I said, faltered and decided to add nothing more. Deep breath. “I was thinking… wouldn’t it be good if we could perhaps visit Haystacks?” I thought the word ‘visit’ was appropriate and would keep the practical details of how we would get a 78-yearold man with failing eyesight to the summit. The film crew weren’t much better equipped for the ascent with their ridiculously heavy tripod, cumbersome camera and many rolls of film, but there was no easier option.

Whilst I was thinking of the obstacles to be overcome, AW was silent. Then he called Betty through from the kitchen, “Richard

thinks we should go up Haystacks…” And that, I thought, would be the end of the conversation. I was expecting a straightforward ‘no’, but, after thinking for a moment, Betty replied: “That could be interesting. Would you like to do that Red?” The week’s filming had been dogged by consistently poor weather: Borrowdale had been awash with water and at Seatoller we had been reduced to filming underneath a bus shelter that failed to live up to its name. The forecast continued to be pessimistic. So on the day we chose for our ascent of Haystacks, it was no surprise when low clouds and grey skies announced that it would not be the ideal early autumn day.

Normally it is a brisk walk to Haystacks, contouring round to Innominate Tarn before the final, easy ascent onto the summit.

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WAINWRIGHT [previous page] Innominate Tarn [below] While Richard fretted about the consistent rain and AW’s wellbeing, he was more worried about whether his matches were damp

WAINWRIGHT AND HAYSTACKS Wainwright adored Haystacks, the relatively humble (597m/1958ft) fell at the southern end of Buttermere.

“For beauty, variety and interesting detail, for sheer fascination and unique individuality the summit area of Haystacks is supreme,” he wrote.

“This is in fact the best fell-top of all – a place of great charm and fairyland attractiveness” His last visit to Haystacks was filmed by Richard Else for the BBC, as described in his extract. After Wainwright’s death in 1991, his widow Betty scattered his ashes near the shores of Innominate Tarn on the fell’s southern flanks.

the rain began. Anyone who has walked in the Lakes will know the kind of rain I’m talking about: consistent, increasing in ferocity and, as an upward glance immediately confirmed, settling in for the day.

Just walking in this kind of weather with AW would have been an incredible achievement but we were also attempting to film. Every scene we shot was a trial – a logistical challenge of working out how long we could afford to spend on it; checking that AW was as comfortable as possible as we set up the camera; working out how long it would take us to reach our goal and, somewhere at the back of my mind, hoping we would be able to get back down again without anyone becoming hypothermic or, most embarrassingly of all, the need to call out the local mountain rescue team.

We should have been a miserable party but we weren’t. We all knew how much this journey meant to AW. Today would be his last time on Haystacks and we needed to capture the importance and emotion of that final journey. The consistent rain, driven by a steady westerly wind, only added to the atmosphere. Familiar views had to be conjured up out of the imagination. In earlier years, AW would probably have waited for better weather, but we didn’t have that option.

What we filmed on Haystacks became just under nine minutes in the final programme, but it is one of the most evocative days filming I have ever undertaken. The dramatic views you get on a good day

were flattened in the mist and rain; we didn’t have time to explore the jumbled landscape of grass and rocks around the summit or investigate the many hidden corners of this fell, but that did not matter. In decent weather, this mountain has spectacular panoramas – north-east to Fleetwith Pike, east to Grey Knotts and Brandreth, south-east to Green and Great Gable, south to Kirk Fell, south-west to Pillar or west to High Crag and High Stile. In spite of its relatively low height it can still catch the wind and I’ve had nights there in May with snow in the air. After the last walkers have descended in the late afternoon, peace returns to the fell. It has a sombre beauty.

When Wainwright was here in the 1950s the summit was rarely visited and you were unlikely to meet any other walkers. Today that has changed. Even in the atrocious weather we had to contend with, between 20 and 30 other people had ventured out. As Eric and AW approached Green Crag, Eric reminded AW of what he had written at the start of his chapter on the mountain – that memorable phrase describing it “like a shaggy terrier in the company of foxhounds” (a beautifully descriptive phrase he also used almost word for word when describing Helm Crag in The Central Fells). AW replied, “I wouldn’t change any of that, that’s what I think about Haystacks”, adding that, “none of the books on Lakeland ever mentioned Haystacks, or rarely, just in passing. The glossy brochures never mentioned Haystacks”. He accepted that his Guide may have

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WAINWRIGHT ON SCREEN By the 1980s, Alfred Wainwright was well-known, most famous as the creator of the classic seven-volume series the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, and also as the originator of the Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. But AW was also famously reclusive.

At that time, Richard Else was a young and unknown documentary producer. An active hillwalker and backpacker, he was passionate about Wainwright’s guidebooks and managed to convince the surly and gruff AW to be interviewed for a single film, Wainwright, screened on the BBC. After that, they worked together on a five-part series with presenter Eric Robson, in which AW visited five of his favourite places. This was later followed by a further series, Wainwright in Scotland and later a programme on the Coast to Coast Walk.

Richard Else became AW’s confidant and a genuine friend. For the last 10 years of his life, he knew Wainwright better than anyone else outside the author’s family.

AW and Eric make their way up the old quarry track above Honister

contributed to a significant rise in popularity and that many people wrote to him describing their own experiences on the mountain.

AW was tentative where the path was strewn with boulders, but on firm, clear sections he made good progress, surprising, as he strode past, some other walkers who had paused for a lunch in the few moments when the rain had marginally relented. During the ascent Wainwright also spoke about his plans for a last book to be published by the Westmorland Gazette – one that would coincide with his 80th birthday and which he was going to call ExFellwanderer.

And then, finally, we arrived at Innominate Tarn. Wainwright and Eric sheltered on the far side in the lee of a large boulder. The wind was rippling across the tarn and everywhere looked sombre and grey. We were all soaked. The electronic cameras of today have an aversion to any form of damp and would not have coped with the conditions we encountered. They announce their displeasure without warning by simply shutting down and refusing to restart.

Traditional film cameras, with their Meccano-like construction, are far more robust - which was just as well as the scene we were capturing would not be repeated.

“I shall end up here…” was how AW began. He was gazing out across the tarn, seeing it as he had many years earlier, with every detail etched in his mind’s eye. “Somebody will carry me up in a little

[left] Wainwright initially refused involvement in Richard's films [above] Innominate Tarn from near the summit of Haystacks [below] In Kendal

Buttermere and Crummock Water at sunset

box and leave me by the side.” He then informed us that he would not be alone, because a few months previously a woman had written to him saying her husband had died and wished to have his ashes scattered near this spot. Other people had told him they would join him when their time came.

“So I’ll be in company… and several others have written and said when the time comes we’ll join you. So I’ll be in company… lots of company”. A wry smile spread across AW’s face at the thought of being with others in the afterlife – companionship he had studiously avoided in this one. Or perhaps anything that involved Innominate Tarn would be acceptable.

“Could you wish for a better place?” were Wainwright’s final words on the subject. A question that required no answer and our final image, beautifully captured by John Warwick, was of AW seated by himself and at peace looking across the water of Innominate Tarn.

Wainwright Revealed is published by Mountain Media Productions on 9 November. On Sunday 19 November, Richard Else will be speaking about the book as part of the Kendal Mountain Festival. www.mountain-media.co.uk

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PEAK DISTRICT

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PEAK DISTRICT

[previous page] Tittesworth Reservoir from the Roaches [above] Dawn at The Roaches [right] The walls of Lud’s Church [far right, top ] A votive money-log, an offering for the gods in Lud’s Church? [far right, bottom ] Rockhall Cottage: Don Whillans Memorial Hut

THE STAFFORDSHIRE MOORLANDS are full of surprises. In my early years exploring the Peak District, I was astonished to discover that a sizeable portion of the National Park’s gritstone uplands – including the village of Flash, at 463m the highest in Britain – lie within the administrative county of Staffordshire, more famous for pottery, Stoke City and Alton Towers. On a more recent visit, it was the tumultuous weather that took me by surprise, making for an atmospheric, if soggy, encounter with the rocky outcrops.

Approaching the hamlet of Upper Hulme along Whitty Lane, the sky to the west began to cloud over and the fresh smell of cold air heralded rain. Before long, I found myself beneath the finger-like battlements of Hen Cloud, the most southerly outcrop of the gnarled and contorted sandstone escarpments collectively known as the Roaches. As the rain evolved into an enthusiastic downpour, I sought shelter in a small wooden shed by the side of the road, where I was accosted by a man bedecked in dark green waterproofs, clasping a large and slightly threatening pair of binoculars.

Fortunately, he was not – as I first suspected – an irate gamekeeper but an enthusiastic Staffordshire Wildlife Trust volunteer named David, who wanted to show me a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons

who had taken up residence some weeks earlier in the sandstone towers.

“Do you see that central finger of rock, up there?” he pointed through the now stair-rod-thick rain to the top of the aforementioned hill. “Well, if you drop down on the crag about 15 feet you can just see where the nest is.” I couldn’t see a thing, and David’s steamed-up binoculars didn’t help, but for a good 20 minutes we stood there, becoming increasingly saturated, trying to spot a pair of nesting birds of prey who probably had far better sense and were bunkered down within a protective crevice, waiting for the storm to pass.

I was tempted to prolong this very British folly – two relatively sane adult men, standing around in the criminally torrential rain – but eventually made my excuses and left David to his stewardship of the mighty peregrines of Hen Cloud.

WHILLANS’ ROACHES

Nestled beneath the lower escarpment of the Roaches, half enclosed by the earthred rocks themselves, stands Rock Hall, formerly a summer house of the Roaches Estate, now owned by the BMC and renamed the Don Whillans Memorial Hut. Whillans, a dour, stocky Salfordian with as much a taste for scrapping as for making breakthrough climbs on northern grit

THE ROACHES & BEYOND Start: Macclesfield station ( GR: SJ919735) Finish: Middle Hulme (GR: SJ999603) Distance: 24km/15 miles Ascent: 1000m/3300ft Time: 8-10hours Maps: OS 15:50,000 Landranger sheet 118 (Stoke-on-Trent & Macclesfield) Transport:The D&G bus service number 16 passes through Upper Hulme from Leek and calls at the Three Horseshoes Inn Accommodation: www.3shoesinn.co.uk, Leek Camping and Caravanning Club site

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[left] The walls of Lud's Church [above] A votive money-log in Lud's Church [below] Don Whillans Memorial Hut

during the 1950s with his buddy Joe Brown, is a hero of mine. Growing up on the hard knocks streets of post-war Salford in Greater Manchester, he quite literally punched above his weight when it came to breaking into the elitist world of British climbing, and put up some of the landmark climbs on Peak District grit, most notably at the Roaches.

In his beautifully written biography, The Villain, Jim Perrin describes how on 21 April 1951, Don had travelled to Leek by bus and having walked up to the climbing crags on the lower tier of the Roaches, watched as Joe Brown’s second had been unable – or unwilling – to follow the line of Joe’s ascent of Valkyrie buttress. Don had quickly volunteered to take up the slack, sprightly following Joe up the route that they later named as Matinee because of the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle. This was the first recorded climb

by these two luminaries who would go on to revolutionise traditional climbing.

As I ascended the climbers’ steps at the rear of Valkyrie Crag to the second tier of the Roaches, the weather turned from inclement to tempestuous, slamming into the elevated ridge of the Roaches with all the malignant force of the wailing Banshee supposed to inhabit the moorland tarn known as Doxey Pool, beside which I now stood. Surmising that the Banshee’s curse had come upon me by virtue of hail stones like shot pellets which now dug themselves into the saturated sandy ground with sufficient velocity to create tiny craters, I struggled away from the accursed pool as swiftly was I could muster, soon arriving at the whitewashed trig point that marks the highest point of the ridge.

I continued north, losing some altitude through the swirling mists and biting hail,

until I caught a glimpse of a sizeable object sheltered in the lee of a dry stone wall. I considered the possibility of hallucination due to early stage hypothermia when the object in question assumed the tangible form of an ice-cream van, its colourful logos enthusiastically advertising ice-cold drinks, various flavours of ice cream and cheerfully exhorting me to “Have an ice day!”

I considered ordering a 99, but my fingers were too cold to open my rucksack pocket to rummage for change. I pushed on, following what sometime earlier that day had been a path but now was a stream, towards Gradbach Wood, where the hailstones ceased their torrent of abuse, replaced with relatively welcome fine British drizzle.

LUD’S CHURCH

Here among the mixed deciduous woodland of Back Forest on the northfacing slopes of the Dane Valley, where larch, pine and hazel give way to a plantation of slender silver birch trees, is hidden a narrow chasm, sunk some 20 metres into the fractured millstone grit.

This geomorphological phenomenon is known locally as Lud’s Church.

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Shuttlingsloe from Birchenough Hill

Church therefore provides the perfect habitat for woodland species that are able to exploit the dank, moist ledges, crevices, corners and fissures. Rock ledges are garlanded with Oak and Holly Ferns. Wood sorrel grows in abundance among Elegant Silk Moss and Crescent-cup Liverwort and where the dominant species allow, waxy green lichens such as Sticta Canariensis take a hold, punctuated by the occasional cluster of Cladonia coccifera or devil’s matchsticks.

Myths and legends have also flourished in this place. Followers of the 14th Century non-conformist preacher John Wycliffe, known as Lollards, were thought to have met at Lud’s Church for religious worship in order to avoid persecution. Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Bonnie Prince Charlie are all supposed to have used the chasm as a

place of refuge from authority. The chasm is also colloquially associated with the ‘Green Chapel’ of the alliterative poem Gawain and the Green Knight. In contemporary times, Lud’s Church is still an important location for those practicing the Wiccan or neo-Pagan path of spirituality to which the presence of a votive coin log in the main chamber of the chasm attests.

Emerging from the rank foliation of the hidden Church, blinking in the now brilliant sunlight of early afternoon, I saw ahead of me the outcrop known colloquially as Castle Rock, where I found a suitable prospect from which to view the valley below. Vaporous pennons of mist rose incrementally upward from the body of the forest, the saturated trees exhaling into the clearing sky, patches of blue breaking apart

the sulphurous clouds. Having rested, I descended through the forest to Gradbach Mill, no longer a place of textile production but a beautifully situated youth hostel, alongside which, by means of a narrow stone bridge I crossed the ebullient waters of the River Dane, into Cheshire.

At Heild End Farm, I crossed the A54 Buxton Road and wound my way past a fine, though slightly dilapidated twostorey barn, its slate roof still more or less intact, and dropped into the Vale of Wildboarclough. By the time I reached the Crag Inn, the weather had turned around again and the fresh smell of rain and the vanguard of distended drops forced me to stop and adjust my clothing. The east slope of Shuttlingsloe is the steepest of the sharks-fin hill known locally as the Cheshire

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PEAK DISTRICT GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT The 14th Century poem known as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the finest examples of medieval poetry in the English tongue. It was first edited and printed in Middle English in 1839 and famously translated into modern English by JRR Tolkien and EV Gordon in 1925.

The poem tells the story of a young knight of King Arthur’s court named Gawain who is challenged to a gruesome duel by a curious and unearthly creature, half man half ogre, who rides into the court on a green horse.

The uninvited guest lays down a challenge before Arthur and his knights, that he will permit any knight brave enough to take up the challenge to strike him at the neck with an axe, on the understanding that the same knight will seek out the green ogre at the turning of the year to receive from him the very same blow. Thinking he cannot possibly lose this strange engagement, the young Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge and with a single swing of his axe cleanly smites the Green Knight’s neck, the severed head coming to rest at the feet of King Arthur.

The assembled guests look on in horror as the beheaded Green Knight steadies himself, then grasping the bright green locks of hair, picks up his own head and turning to Gawain, repeats the terms of the pledge, counselling Gawain to keep his word or be forever known as a coward.

Over the next year, Gawain is forced to overcome many obstacles and temptations before he finds his way to the Green Chapel, with which Lud’s Church is colloquially associated, to keep his ominous appointment with the ghoulish Green Knight…

Matterhorn, and I felt the pull of gravity on my calf muscles as I laboured my way to the hill’s crazy-paved summit.

Sticking my head above the outcrop of Chatsworth Gritstone on the south-east edge of the summit plateau, I was met with a blast of cold, damp air across the Cheshire Plain as translucent sheets of rain swept inwards, propelled by cadaverously oppressive clouds. I elected not to linger and instead descended rapidly to the north and the relative shelter of the Sitka Spruce plantations of Macclesfield Forest, finding shelter beneath the interlaced branches of pine needles as swathes of sleet blew in from the west.

To the north from here, I took refuge from the inclement weather inside one of the jewels of the western Peak District. As

the dates above the gabled entrance indicate, the Forest Chapel, or Saint Stephen’s Church, was almost entirely re-built in 1834 following a fire, but stands on the site of a former chapel of ease constructed in 1673. To step inside the Forest Chapel is to step backwards in time to the austere nonconformist existence of the generations who have eked out a harsh living from the bleak Pennine moorlands since the Royal Forest of Macclesfield became common land in the 15th Century.

I sat for some time as rainwater from the stone-clad roof collected in the lead guttering and splish-splashed onto the paving outside, until ultimately the light in the chapel brightened and brief shafts of sunlight, at acute angles from the south transept windows, blessed the silent nave.

Finally, the rain stopped – like the silence that follows the prayers of 400 years.

Outside, a highway’s sign proclaimed Charity Lane unsuitable for motor vehicles, the very sandstone bedrock having been exposed by years of runoff water from the surrounding hills. As I contoured the higher ridges, the forest below me exhaled again into the now blinding evening light, plumes of vapour rising effortlessly through the suddenly undisturbed forest.

I had been walking for over 10 hours and as I climbed the steep hard-set path towards Tegg’s Nose, my joints began vociferously to complain. Not wishing to chance a sustained injury, I staggered down the Old Buxton Road to Macclesfield Station from where I telephoned a friend and procured a bed for the night.

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Guide to

How to handle emergencies on the hill, by paramedic Nick Wright, director of the MedSkills Academy Most days out in the hills are fun and completely safe. That needs to be said before the alarm bells start ringing. Hillwalking is increasingly popular, and while every walker is likely to suffer wet feet and occasional sore knees or blisters, for most that’s as bad as it gets.

Of course it’s essential to be prepared, which is why planning is so important.

At the time of writing in October, one mountain rescue team alone in the Lakes has been called out 106 times this year, and while many of the incidents were genuine accidents, others were preventable – if routes had been adequately planned, and if walkers had been adequately dressed.

But what if you do come across someone who’s had an accident, or if one of your party takes a fall? What should you do if you’re first on the scene? Let’s look at three potential incidents.

HYPOTHERMIA This is a cold-related illness defined as a decrease in the ‘normal’ core body temperature (37.5ºC) by just under 2ºC or more. The two most common causes of hypothermia in the British hills are exhaustion (which will deplete energy so there’s less available for heat production) and injury (as the casualty becomes immobile and is unable to generate heat through exercise).

Hikers should be able to detect the early signs of hypothermia and be able to stop the condition worsening. Hypothermia affects the brain and normal cognitive function so look out for the ‘umbles’: stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles (see page 74).

It might be necessary to change damp clothing for dry, warm gear; add extra layers, a hat, gloves and waterproofs, and replace lost energy through food and fluid. It may be appropriate to stop walking in order to help hypothermic group members, in which case a group shelter or bothy-tent is invaluable. Then get moving again, and get down off the hill.

For a severely hypothermic casualty it’s important NOT to be so quick and active. The casualty will be very poorly, and movement can cause cardiac arrest. Provide shelter, and call for help. Roll the casualty on to a thermarest or clothing placed on floor, and cover him or her with other clothing. If the casualty is hypothermic and not breathing, CPR should only be started if it can be continued throughout the rescue.

Photo: BMC

FIRST ON THE SCENE

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UNCONSCIOUS CASUALTY

whether you can see it rise as air If your casualty is inhaled, and fall when exhaling. is unconscious, Check for about 10 seconds and immediately call for make a decision whether the casualty help. If there is no major, is breathing or not. life-threatening bleeding, you need If not: start CPR and keep going to establish a clear airway and until more qualified help arrives on visually check whether their airway scene, the casualty starts breathing/ is free from obstruction. regains consciousness, or you are To open the airway, place one too exhausted to continue. If there hand on the casualty’s forehead. is someone else present, switch CPR Tilt their head backwards by placing with them every two minutes to two fingers on their chin and avoid exhaustion. lifting. Moving the head in this way ensures that the tongue does not fall backwards into the mouth and block the airway. A visual check of the mouth should confirm whether it’s free of obstruction. If there’s an Learn how to carry out CPR obvious obstruction, do what you (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation). can to remove it, being cautious It’s a simple skill and could mean the of potential neck injuries in difference between life and death. Short the process. instruction sessions are widely available.

Breathing: put your ear next to their mouth/nose area and VISIT www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/howlisten/feel for inhale and exhale to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr of air. At the same time, look down for an online guide. the casualty’s chest area and check

CPR

POTENTIAL BROKEN BONES If a walker hears or feels a ‘crack’ then a fracture is a possibility. Other signs and symptoms when assessing a limb for a fracture might be: • Pain at the injury site • Inability to weight bear/loss of function • Reduced range of movement at the relevant joint • Swollen limb • Wound with blood loss (suggesting an open fracture) • Angulated/abnormal position of limb • Crepitus (grating of bone as the broken ends rub over one another) It’s worth noting that fractures may be a ‘distracting’ injury. The pain caused by the fracture may be distracting the casualty and a less competent first aider from a more serious injury that could be a threat to life. For example, a mountain biker who has fallen over their handlebars and has an obvious arm fracture may well have neck and spinal injuries because of the forces and twisting motions experienced in the accident.

So know your limitations and call or

send for help at an early stage. Protect yourself from any bodily fluids, including blood, by wearing medical examination gloves if possible. Deal with any blood loss from an open fracture using direct pressure and bandaging. This will also reduce the risk of infection. And be aware of hypovolemic shock (low blood volume) caused by excessive blood loss either internally or externally.

Signs may include: evidence of blood loss, reduced level of consciousness, increased breathing and heart rates and sweaty skin. Shock can kill and requires urgent treatment and evacuation. First aid treatment should involve elevating the legs and stemming blood loss.

i

HILL SKILLS

How to call for help

Ring 999 or 112 in the first instance and ask for police if you think mountain rescue is needed.

No mobile signal? Part of your essential kit is to carry a whistle. Six blasts, repeated every minute until help arrives. The same sequence applies to using a torch to attract attention. Or just keep shouting and hope someone hears you, if you have nothing else.

EMERGENCY SMS If you are unable to get a mobile signal to make a call, you can now contact the emergency services

by SMS text message. You need to register your phone with the emergencySMS service first – do it now, rather than waiting until you need it.

• Send the word ‘register’ in an SMS message to 999 • You will then receive SMS messages about the service • When you have read these SMS messages reply by sending ‘yes’ in an SMS message to 999 • You will receive a SMS message telling you that your mobile phone is registered or if there is a problem with your registration Only use the text service in an emergency if you can’t get through on the phone. Send a text message to 999 including brief information on which service you need, what the problem is and accurate information on your location.

The emergency service will reply to you asking either for more information or telling you that help is on the way. Do not assume your message has been received until you get one back – this could take around two minutes. If you haven’t received a reply within three minutes, send another message immediately.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nick Wright is a paramedic and is director of MedSkills Academy (www.medskillsacademy. co.uk) which offers first aid, clinical and rescue education.

The courses they run cover safe and effective access and evacuation of casualties from hazardous areas, including Mountain First Aid. Nick also has a background in mountain rescue, and is director of a partner company, Event Safety Group.

For further information and details of first aid and other courses offered, email info@medskillsacademy.co.uk.

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HILL SKILLS

BLISTERS

USING YOUR

The key to avoiding blisters is recognition of the early-warning signs and dealing with them before they appear.

Generally, a blister will be preceded by the feeling of a ‘hot spot’. This is the first sign of the skin starting to burn and should be acted on. Applying Zinc Oxide tape or similar is the best course of action; one piece over the hot spot and then further pieces above and below it.

This both protects the injury and will help to keep it sterile.

If you haven’t caught the problem until the skin has started to separate from the flesh below, forming a blister, then use a similar method of taping as before, but this time form layers. Cut a hole in the first layer of tape the size of the blister and once this is applied, cover it with a further layer. This takes pressure off the blistered area to try and prevent it worsening.

EQUIPMENT Tom Durham of First Aid Training Cooperative introduces your first aid kit and looks at how to make the best of its contents, and of other equipment you’ll have to hand

About the author Tom Durham is the founder of the Scotland-based First Aid Training Cooperative.

He has taught outdoor sports for 20 years and has trained 1000s of first aiders.

He specialises in delivering specifically tailored outdoor first aid courses. firstaidtraining cooperative.co.uk

FIRST AID KIT

“The items recommended here will allow you to deal with most incidents, particularly if you are inventive with them” TOM DURHAM

Cut tape to surround blister

VINYL OR NITRILE GLOVES It is important these are latex-free in case of allergies. They should be the first thing you see when you open your kit.

Apply second layer of tape over blister

SCISSORS & TWEEZERS Scissors can be used for cutting clothing if needed, or for cutting dressings to fit. Tweezers are good for removing splinters and ticks.

Stick tape above and below

SAFETY PINS For fixing bandages in place or pinning back clothing if necessary.

ANTISEPTIC WIPES For cleaning small wounds.

Build up into two complete layers

MICROPORE TAPE For holding dressings in place, not very effective if the skin is wet however. Consider swapping or supplementing with zinc oxide tape.

SMALL CREPE BANDAGE A stretchy bandage for supporting sprained joints and applying compression. Includes ‘grips’ to fix in place.

Continued friction will cause blistered skin to tear. In this case, clean the area with water, pat dry and cover with a sterile dressing. This will need securely taping in place if further walking is planned.

Never burst a blister. If kept clean and dry, an intact blister will normally heal of its own accord.

WOVEN BANDAGE Good for keeping a dressing or swab in place if tape won’t stick – use safety pins to fix the bandage, or tie the ends. Can also be used as padding, or folded as a dressing for a large wound and held with tape or the crepe bandage.

SMALL LOW ADHERENT DRESSING Useful for grazes

that are too big for a plaster, they won’t stick to the wound too much. Hold in place with tape.

BLISTER PLASTERS Catch the blisters early before they become a problem.

FABRIC PLASTERS Larger plasters are most useful as they can be cut to shape.

GAUZE SWABS For cuts that are too big for a plaster. Will soak up some blood but you may need to apply more than one.

Hold in place with tape or a bandage.

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IMPROVISED SLINGS A sling will keep an injured lower arm still and supported if you need to move to safety or shelter, walk off the hill or wait a long time for help.

The casualty will tend naturally to find the most comfortable position in which to hold the injured limb; your job is to maintain that position with the minimum of extra movement. If you don’t have the

TOP TIP: Whichever brand of kit you choose, remember that it is the pack that is important as the contents will be used and replaced over time. One that opens out like this is very helpful in a stressful situation, as it lets you see what you have easily.

appropriate equipment to make a proper sling with a triangular bandage and splint, consider the following options: JACKET If you don’t have the relevant equipment, the quickest and often easiest method is to fold up the lower part of the casualty’s jacket around their

arm. This can be made easier by unzipping the jacket slightly from the bottom, if possible. Once in position, re-fasten the zip and fix the jacket in place by pulling the cord in the hem. This should be enough to hold it securely.

plastic stiffening in the pack could also potentially double as a splint of sorts.

PACK If they aren’t wearing a suitable jacket then consider emptying a smaller pack and using that. Start with the straps at full length and adjust them to find a comfortable height.

Foam or

TICK BITES It is important to remove the tick quickly and effectively. When biting, their heads bury beneath the skin so ensure that you have removed the whole tick, not just its body. Tick removal tools are readily available from pet shops and are the easiest and safest way of doing this.

Wearing gloves, just slide the tool under the tick and twist. Alternatively, using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grip the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull steadily upwards.

Avoid more traditional methods

FLEECE Alternatively, use a spare layer such as a fleece in the same way as you would a triangular bandage. Do up any zips first to make it as triangular as possible.

Use the arms of the fleece around the casualty’s neck, with the body of the fleece providing support to the injured arm. If necessary, extra splinting for any of these examples could be provided by using a map case or similar, wrapped around the arm before the sling is applied.

Whatever method you choose, always ensure that the arm is properly supported along its length from elbow to fingertip.

Also ensure that you can access a finger or thumb to check circulation is maintained throughout. such as using petroleum jelly, burning or freezing them. Studies have shown that this increases the chance of infection by stimulating the tick to regurgitate its stomach contents.

After removal, disinfect the bite and your hands. You will be left with a small red lump which should clear up but watch out for a ring shaped rash and/or flu-like symptoms in the following weeks.

If either of these occur, tell your doctor immediately that you have been bitten and when.

PLUS: Triangular bandage | Foil Blanket | Tick remover (easier and more reliable than tweezers) | Duct Tape (wrap a length around a trekking pole or water bottle) PHOTOS: www.bada-uk.org

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Trekking and expeditions overseas Alan Ward is an International Mountain Leader and Senior Trainer with Rescue Emergency Care (REC). As a trek leader and first aider, the situations he ends up having to deal with can be serious and varied, as the following case studies demonstrate

SUSPECTED HEART ATTACK, MERA PEAK On Day 1 of an expedition to Mera Peak, I was aware one of the clients had declared a heart-related medical condition called Cardiac Arrhythmia – the medical term for an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm. I’d met the client in Kathmandu before the group flew to Lukla to begin our trek.

About two hours after leaving Lukla, the client threw his hands up to his face and shouted that he couldn’t see! Blurred vision being a symptom of suspected heart attack caused me obvious concern as he collapsed to the ground. DRS ABC (see sidebar) kicked in immediately but he wasn’t unresponsive so a long period of rest and hydration followed before I deemed it safe for him to continue onto our lodge for the night with a Sherpa carrying his day rucksack.

That evening I advised him that a medievac aircraft would pick him up next morning and fly him to the CIWEC Clinic in Kathmandu for further rest and monitoring.

AVOIDING ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS IN THE HIMALAYAS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alan Ward is an International Mountain Leader (baiml.org) and Senior Trainer with Rescue Emergency Care (REC) based in South Wales. Here he talks through various case studies of treatment he has provided whilst leading worldwide treks and expeditions. In the UK, Alan offers specialist First Aid training for such activities: REC Level 5 Travel/Expedition First Aid (includes the use of Portable Altitude Chambers), REC High Altitude First Aid, BS8848:2014 Workshops and the RGS certificated Off Site Safety Management course. Alan’s company is Bigfoot Services Limited (bigfootservices.co.uk). Alan is happy to be contacted for advice on alanmward@gmail.com.

Having led treks and expeditions for many years, I’ve been monitoring people at higher altitudes without any major problems. Acute Mountain Sickness can develop into more serious conditions such as High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema or High Altitude Cerebral Oedema. Close monitoring of everyone is important, and I monitor client oxygen and pulse twice a day through use of a pulse oximeter. Oxygen intake decreases and pulse increases as altitude increases, so monitoring is quite straightforward.

Training in the UK is also useful and I deliver a REC certificated High Altitude First Aid course which involves a Portable Altitude Chamber.

EARLY NON-SPECIFIC SIGNS OF SOMEONE BECOMING UNWELL (Easily remembered as the ‘umbles’: grumble, mumble, bumble, fumble, stumble) Changes are more significant when they are ‘out of character’.

• Personality changes: anxiety, irritability, anger, excitability, complaining, depression, loss of concentration, making poor decisions.

• Behavioural changes: tiredness, lethargy, coming to camp late and last, social withdrawal, going to bed early and being last to get out of bed, disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, missing meals.

Clumsiness, staggering, falling over, dropping things, inability to tie shoelaces or pack own bag etc.

Excerpted from the new edition of First Aid and Wilderness Medicine by Jim Duff and Ross Anderson, published by Cicerone

74 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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HILL SKILLS

HIGH ALTITUDE PULMONARY OEDEMA (HAPE), GOKYO LAKES Up at Gokyo one year I had a client become ill with a variety of signs and symptoms which were difficult to diagnose.

His condition deteriorated as darkness set in, which ruled out evacuating him down the icy trails to lower altitude.

Helicopters weren’t available at night so my only option was to get him in the Portable Altitude Chamber (PAC) and pressurise it.

PACs are quite noisy and claustrophobic and the

client was unhappy inside it. Fortunately I was able to buy some oxygen so I took him out of the PAC and kept him on oxygen all night until the helicopter could arrive. I was so concerned that I accompanied him into Kathmandu where he was hospitalised but later released. Later on he clutched his chest in extreme pain which I initially thought was heart related but was in fact a full-on Pulmonary Oedema.

Back to the CIWEC Clinic!

FIRST AID KITS FOR TREKKING OVERSEAS You’ll need to carry more on walking holidays in the developing world. In their newly updated Cicerone Guide, First Aid and Wilderness Medicine, Drs Jim Duff and Ross Anderson recommend the following for a pair of travellers in a developing country. Check out the book for full listings (use the code TGO25 to buy your copy at a 25% discount) • Thermometer • Tweezers – fine point and toothed • Scissors, sharp, fine

A way to remember everything is ‘DRSABCS’

D

= Deadly bleeding: check for and treat any life-threatening bleeding. = Response: check whether the victim is conscious, semiconscious or unconscious. = Send for help (if help is nearby). = Airway: open, clear and maintain a safe, effective airway into the lungs. = Breathing: check whether they are breathing. = Circulation: start chest compressions and rescue breathing (CPR) as necessary. = Specific situations: situations that require specific responses.

R

S A B C

HEAD INJURY, MERA PEAK Little did I know what I was letting myself in for when I met my clients in Kathmandu. On this expedition, I treated the clients and local crew to such an extent that I almost ran out of first aid supplies, and arranged four helicopter medivac flights. I provided treatment for a suspected heart attack, suspected pneumonia, sprains and strains, lower leg injury and a head injury. With the latter, the patient was my Sirdar or local leader.

During the evening he’d been playing cards and drinking raksi (rice wine) with his friend, the lodge owner. They fell out over the game and got into a fight which resulted in both requiring treatment for injuries, including a deep head injury that required hair cutting away to clean the wound.

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

S SUSPECTED PNEUMONIA, MERA PEAK Almost at the end of the Mera Peak trip, one client had severe flu-like symptoms which were going to prevent him continuing the following day on our climb over a pass and back into Lukla. After much deliberation

and using the satellite phone to get further medical advice, I phoned the client’s insurers and a helicopter medivac was planned for the following morning. With the respiratory problems he was experiencing there was no way he could have crossed the pass into Lukla. On one Mera Peak Expedition, four helicopter medevacs must be something of a record!

• 1 packet of ordinary sewing needles • 2 safety pins • Syringes, 10ml and 2ml (and needles) • Protective gloves, 1 pair • 10 Band-Aids™ • 1 packet of blister dressing (Moleskin™) • 5 gauze squares, 5cm • 2 sterile non-stick dressings, 10cm • 1 sanitary pad (for absorbent padding) • 1 cotton bandage, 10cm x 1.5m • 2 elastic bandages, 10/15cm • 1 crepe bandages, 10cm x 1.5m • 1 roll duct tape • 1 packet closures (Steristrips™), 6mm

Excerpted from the new edition of First Aid and Wilderness Medicine

by Jim Duff and Ross Anderson, published by Cicerone

• 20 alcohol swabs • 15g hydrocortisone cream 1% • 15g calamine or Eurax™ cream • 10 caps loperamide (Imodium™) • Betadine™, Savlon™ or Dettol™ • Chlorine tablets (NaDCC) • 5 throat lozenges • 2 packets oral rehydration solution PLUS*: antihistamines, altitude illness medication, antibiotic tablets and antibiotic/antifungal skin applications, loperamide for diarrhoea, nausea medication, indigestion tablets, painkillers * See book for detailed information

December 2017 The Great Outdoors 75

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Neutrino Sleeping Bag with Polygiene treatment Rab has partnered with Polygiene to produce the first technical sleeping bag with Polygiene’s anti-microbial fabric treatment. The Rab Neutrino is a minimalist, down-filled bag that comes in four weights offering comfort at different temperatures (RRP £220£450). New for this season, the Polygiene silver salt treatment of the interior lining reduces odour, meaning that it needs less washing. The mummy-shaped bag is hand-filled in Derbyshire with high-quality Hydrophobic European goose down and has a unique trapezoidal baffle chamber design, to eliminate cold spots. rab.equipment

Salewa

Puez TirolWool Celliant Half Zip Jacket TirolWool Celliant insulation is unique to Salewa, a blend of 40% natural TirolWool from Alpine sheep with 60% Celliant, an enhanced polyester fibre developed for use in medicine that reflects and recycles radiant heat back to the body – especially when you’re static. The Puez jacket (£225) has a water-resistant nylon shell, high-reach sleeves, and a deep front zip for temperature regulation. salewa.com

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Mammut

Nordwand Light Mid GTX Men Mammut’s lightest fully cramponcompatible shoe (645g), the new Nordwand Light Mid GTX features patented Contact Control® insole technology, which integrates a reinforcing carbon midsole element in the damping wedge to reduce the weight, improve stability and allow greater precision in use. The shoe has a large elastic zone in the tongue and opening as well as an elastic lining to increase comfort.

Its outsole has been developed

by Michelin for alpine use and has a highly defined tread for optimal grip.

First Look

Macpac Minaret £450

2.3kg

macpac-europe.com

mammut.com

Macpac’s Minaret two-pole tunnel tent has been around for many years in much the same form – any changes being mainly to the fabrics used. The latest version is made from silicone-coated, 30 denier double ripstop nylon with a hydrostatic head of 3,000mm.

This is a bit heavier and with a higher hydrostatic head than the fabric used on many lightweight tents. The groundsheet is also tougher than average, and the poles and pegs are more substantial. The result is a tough tent that should prove durable.

The Minaret has an unusual asymmetrical inner shape that means the inner is longer on one side than the other. I found the room great for solo use but I think two people might feel a little cramped especially if both were tall. Lying on the short side of the inner, my sleeping bag touches both ends.

The Minaret can be quickly pitched by one person.

Four pegs are all that’s needed. However, in all but calm weather I’d always use all twelve pegs. The tent came with four guylines. There are eight attachment points for guys and you could use one guyline per pair of these, which would probably tension the tent best.

However I didn’t feel the guylines were long enough for this so I just attached them to the upper points.

In use the Minaret has proved very stable. It stands up well to strong winds, especially if the rear is pitched into the wind. For year-round high mountain camping it is excellent. It is quite heavy but for the weight you get a storm-resistant tent that should prove very hard-wearing. Chris Townsend

Columbia

OutDry Extreme ECO Insulated Jacket This insulated jacket, available in down (£260) and synthetic (£225) versions, has been designed with an emphasis on sustainability. The main fabrics are 100% recycled polyester, there are no harmful PFCs and the down is responsibly sourced. The jacket is not dyed, reducing use of water, energy and chemicals. The surface can be wiped clean and, when you’re done with it, the jacket can be donated via Columbia’s ReThreads programme. columbiasportswear.co.uk

Read the full version of this review: www.tgomagazine.co.uk

TGO’s gear reviewers Chris Townsend

Judy Armstrong

Alex Roddie

Height 5’8” Boot size 9 Clothing size Medium (with short legs)

Height 5’2” Boot size 3.5/4 Clothing size 12/Women’s medium

Height 5’ 7” Boot size 10.5 Clothing size Large

Chris Townsend has written 20 books on the outdoors, including the award-winning The Backpacker’s Handbook. Among his walking achievements, he was the first person to complete a continuous round of all the Munros and Tops and the first to walk the 1600-mile length of the Canadian Rockies. Chris has been reviewing gear for The Great Outdoors since 1991

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Judy Armstrong has been testing gear for The Great Outdoors since 2005 but has been hillwalking and mounaineering for 30 years. Originally from THE UK’S New Zealand, Judy MOST lives in the North York EXPERIENCED GEAR Moors National Park TESTING and also has a base TEAM in the French Alps.

Alex Roddie is The Great Outdoors magazine’s Online Editor and a regular feature writer. A reformed climber with a background in Scottish winter and alpinism, he loves nothing better than long-distance lightweight backpacking in wild mountain landscapes, particularly the Scottish Highlands and Swiss Alps. Read his reviews online at tgomagazine.co.uk.

01/11/2017 07:44

Gear comparative review

Winter trou s

W

WHILE SUMMER TROUSERS can be beefed up with long johns and overtrousers, if you’re out much in winter weather thicker, warmer trousers are a better idea. A single layer on your legs is generally more comfortable than two or three layers as these can bind together and impede easy movement.

Some winter trousers are double-layer but with these the inner layer is sewn-in and designed to move with the outer.

Warmth comes from thickness which means winter trousers are heavier and bulkier than summer ones. The weight doesn’t really matter though as these are trousers designed to be worn all day not carried in the pack in case shorts aren’t warm enough. Extra thickness is also good in windy weather as it means the wind is less able to press the fabric against you and whip heat away.

Some winter trousers are waterproof, which saves on the need for overtrousers.

However this can reduce breathability, especially on trousers with coatings or membranes. For gentle walking and static activities these may be fine but if you work hard or run hot you may find rather too much condensation appearing. In my view windproofness is more important than waterproofness. Winter winds can strip away heat rapidly. If your trousers aren’t

Páramo Cascada II £145

495g

comfort, fast wicking, waterproof, side zips, three leg lengths nothing Fabric: Nikwax Analogy polyester Pockets: 2 zipped hip Waist: elasticated, belt loops Ankle: studs Vents: ¾ length two-way side zips Sizes: men SS-XXL, women XSS – XL, three leg lengths paramo-clothing.com

windproof you’re likely to end up wearing overtrousers to keep out the wind, which loses the comfort of a single pair of trousers and can lead to overheating.

Many winter trousers come in stretch softshell fabrics. These allow free movement but are also usually less wind-resistant than non-stretch ones. If cut correctly with shaped knees and crotch panels the latter can allow just as much free movement as stretch trousers.

Most winter trousers have a DWR treatment on the outside. This speeds drying time and causes light rain and snow to run off. It doesn’t make the trousers waterproof however. Overtrousers are still needed in rain and wet snow with many of the trousers reviewed.

Because they are likely to be used with gaiters and crampons and often over big boots many winter trousers come with adjustments and reinforcements at the ankle. This is fine if the leg length is correct or if the trousers come in several different lengths. Some of the trousers tested don’t and are too long for me. Zips, gussets, crampon patches and the like make it very difficult to shorten these. Sizes aren’t consistent between brands – sometimes not even within a brand – so ideally trousers should be tried on before buying.

The latest version of the Cascada trousers have a slimmer fit and lower weight than previous ones. The fabric has a slightly shinier look and slicker feel too. None of this has any effect on the performance, which is still excellent. The two-layer fabric is windproof and effectively waterproof – though if you sit in a puddle, water will come through. There’s a double layer of the inner Pump Liner on the knees, seat and thigh area for extra protection.

I have, rarely, had prolonged, heavy, winddriven rain force a way through but this has never been a real problem as the trousers have still kept me warm and have dried quickly. As with all Páramo Nikwax Analogy garments the Cascadas can be reproofed.

2

1

4

5

Breathability is excellent and the Cascadas are comfortable for wearing all day in a fairly wide range of temperatures – though I find them too warm once the temperature approaches 10°C. The long side zips mean they can be easily ventilated and there are studs behind the zips so that the legs don’t flap wide open when the zips are undone. The zips mean altering the length is impossible so it’s good there’s a choice of leg lengths.

The fabrics don’t stretch but the cut, with a large extra crotch panel and shaped knees, means there’s no restriction on movement.

3

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comparative review Gear

u sers

Gear Editor Chris Townsend looks at the options for cold weather legwear RECOMMENDED

Features 1. Fabric Fabrics may be stretch or non-stretch.

The first are wind resistant but not usually fully windproof, the second are usually windproof. In winter non-windproof trousers are likely to need a shell over them quite often as cold winds can chill you quickly. Stretch fabrics move with you and don’t restrict movement so they can be closer fitting. Non-stretch trousers are usually looser fitting and need to be carefully designed so they don’t impede movement. Fabrics should be thicker than for summer to provide extra warmth.

2. Pockets Handwarmer pockets are always useful and most trousers have these. Zipped pockets and patch pockets are useful for items like wallet, compass, phone or map. Ensure the pockets can be easily accessed when wearing gloves.

3. Ankles Many trousers have zips, studs or drawcords at the ankle so they can be tightened round the top of your boots.

These can be useful when wearing gaiters and when scrambling as they help to stop the fabric bunching up. Some trousers have built in internal gaiters and boot hooks so you don’t need separate gaiters. Plain hems are useful if you’re not a standard leg length as they’re easy to adjust.

4. Vents As winter trousers may be worn in a wide range of temperatures and conditions – e.g. calm and relatively warm in valleys, strong winds and freezing temperatures on the tops – vents are useful for controlling temperature, especially in windproof trousers.

5. Fit Trousers should be roomy enough not to restrict movement but not so baggy that they flap about and catch on rocks and vegetation.

Mountain Equipment G2 Mountain £200

680g

windproof, almost waterproof, leg lengths expensive Fabric: Gore Windstopper Soft Shell Pockets: 2 zipped hip Waist: integrated belt, removable braces Ankle: zips with gusset, zip-out stretch Soft Shell gaiters Vents: 2 zipped thigh Sizes: men 30-38, 3 leg lengths; women 8-16, two leg lengths mountain-equipment.co.uk

These are the most expensive by far of the trousers tested and also the heaviest. They’re also one of the best. I’ve used them extensively over the last decade in cold weather and they’ve always performed well and have proved durable. They’re made from Gore Windstopper, a softshell fabric with a breathable membrane inside, that is completely windproof and very waterresistant. Heavy rain and wet snow can eventually soak through the fabric and the seams aren’t sealed so I wouldn’t go out without overtrousers. Most of the time the latter aren’t needed though. Breathability is good and only in calm weather and temperatures above +5°C have I ever felt a little sticky in them. Two zipped side vents help with this. These could do with being a little longer so they are more effective.

The fabric is brushed on the inside and feels warm and pleasant against the skin.

The trousers aren’t very thick but the Windstopper membrane means they’re

quite warm. The fabric stretches a little which, combined with shaped knees and a crotch gusset, means the trousers don’t restrict movement even though the cut is quite slim.

Designed for mountaineering the trousers come with detachable braces, which I generally don’t use, rugged inner leg protection to guard against cuts from crampons or skis, and internal gaiters.

The latter can be zipped out on the latest model, which is an improvement as they won’t fit over all boots. I used them regularly with my bulky plastic ski touring boots but found they weren’t effective with low-cut walking boots. There are also ankle zips with internal gussets so the lower legs can be widened to fit over big boots.

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Gear comparative review Berghaus Ortler £70

451g

RECOMMENDED

vents, 3 lengths, cost not windproof, slightly baggy lower leg Fabric: 90% polyamide/10% elastane Pockets: 2 hip, 1 zipped security, 1 zipped rear Waist: elasticated, belt loops Ankle: drawcord Vents: zipped thigh Sizes: men 30-42, women 8-18, three leg lengths berghaus.com

Made from a four-way stretch softshell fabric the Ortlers are very comfortable to wear. The fabric is only windproof though, so overtrousers are needed in strong cold winds. The fabric

is surprisingly water-resistant – though not waterproof – so overtrousers aren’t needed in drizzle and light rain. Breathability is good and there are mesh-backed zipped vents on the thighs.

The stretch fabric makes for free movement, and there are also shaped knees and an extra crotch panel. Oddly, given the stretch, the lower legs are quite baggy. There are drawcords at the ankles which can be pulled in. I found this useful as even the shortest leg length was too long for me.

The open-topped pockets are roomy and accessible when wearing a hipbelt. The zipped security pocket is small.

Berghaus says the Ortlers are for ‘all season serious hiking’. I’d say cool and cold weather hiking as I’ve found them warm in mild autumn weather. I missed having a windproof fabric. The four pairs of stretch woven softshell trousers in the review are similar in performance. The Ortler is the only one that comes in different leg lengths and it’s the least expensive so it’s my recommendation.

Craghoppers Kiwi Pro Waterproof £75

354g

waterproof, windproof, cost not that breathable, only one leg length Fabric: AquaDry 96% polyamide/4% elastane; lining: polyester Pockets: 2 zipped hip, 1 zipped rear Waist: elasticated, belt loops Ankle: plain Vents: Sizes: 30-42 craghoppers.com

These look like ordinary walking trousers but

Sprayway All Day Rain Pant £80

409g

windproof, waterproof, 3 leg lengths, cost not that breathable Fabric: Hydro/Dry AWP 96% polyamide/4 % elastane; polyester/PU laminate lining Pockets: 2 zipped hip Waist: elasticated, belt loops Ankle: plain Vents: Sizes: men S-XXXL, women XS-XXL, 3 leg lengths sprayway.com

These trousers are fully waterproof but look

they are completely waterproof. The only visible giveaways of this are the water-resistant zips.

They don’t feel like overtrousers either, the stretchy fabric being soft and comfortable.

The outer layer is the waterproof one, with the coating protected by the separate lining.

However whilst the wind and waterproofness is welcome it results in lower breathability than in trousers that don’t have this much weather protection. I overheated quickly on short low level walks in cool breezy conditions. On a strenuous climb I think I’d get quite sweaty. And I think long johns would be needed under them in serious cold as they’re not very thick.

There are two zipped handwarmer pockets, but they aren’t very big. Otherwise the Kiwi Pros are perfectly comfortable. There’s only one leg length but they can easily be shortened.

like ordinary walking trousers. They’re doublelayer trousers and, unusually, it’s the lining that’s waterproof rather than the outer. It's a good design feature as the closer to the body the waterproof layer is, the warmer it will be. However it also means the outer layer can get pretty wet, though it is fast drying. Both layers are very stretchy and the waterproof inner isn’t noticeable against the skin.

The two pockets don’t have waterproof zips as they are outside the waterproof inner, but you need to remember that. The pockets aren’t that big and the openings are quite narrow.

Of the fully waterproof trousers tested these seem the most breathable, but I still overheated in them quite quickly and wouldn’t choose them for backpacking or hillwalking.

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comparative review Gear

Columbia Passo Alto Heat £80

RECOMMENDED

638g

warmth, breathability, lengths, cost not windproof Fabric: 93% polyester/7% elastane MaxHeat SoftShell with Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective Pockets: 2 zipped hip, 1 zipped rear Waist: elasticated, belt Ankle: drawcord, zipped gusset, boot lace hook Vents: Sizes: men 28-44, 3 leg lengths columbiasportswear.co.uk

From the outside these look like a standard pair of softshell trousers. The inside though is rather

startlingly a pattern of shiny reflective tiny silver dots that look more suitable for a disco than the hills. This silver pattern is meant to reflect heat back to the body. It seems to work too. These trousers are surprisingly warm – too warm for me so far this autumn. I’ll need some freezing weather to see what the limits are. The rest of the trousers are made from a fairly thick stretchy softshell that feels as though it would be quite warm on its own.

The dots only cover 35% of the inner – it looks more because they are so bright – and so doesn’t impact too much on the breathability of the softshell fabric. The latter is wind-resistant rather than windproof but the warmth is such that I’ve not felt cold in brisk winds.

They have all the expected design features with shaped knees and a crotch gusset to ensure ease of movement, ankle zips and gusset for different size boots, and zipped pockets. For the cost I think they’re excellent, especially if you feel the cold.

Didriksons Luc £120

632g

waterproof, windproof bulky, quite stiff Fabric: polyamide outer, polyester fill, polyester lining Pockets: 2 zipped hip, 1 Velcro zipped thigh Waist: belt loops Ankle: inner gaiter, Velcro tab Vents: Sizes: men S-XXL didriksons.com

Bulky and baggy, these look more like overtrousers than the other waterproof trousers reviewed. The fairly stiff fabric makes them feel like them too. These

Fjällräven Barents Pro £130

RECOMMENDED

540g

windproof, breathable, unfinished leg length, pockets nothing Fabric: G1000 65% polyester/35% cotton Pockets: 2 hip, 4 stud thigh Waist: belt loops Ankle: unfinished Vents: Sizes: men 44-60 fjallraven.co.uk

Fjällräven’s G1000 polyester/cotton fabric is a durable, breathable, windproof fabric that appears in many jackets and trousers. It’s quite thick and

are insulated trousers and as such very warm. It would have to be exceptionally cold for me to be able to walk far in them without overheating. For sitting and standing around in the cold they’re fine but the weight and bulk would put me off carrying them for camp.

Assessing the breathability is difficult because the Lucs have so far been too warm even when I’m stationary. The waterproof outer and polyester fill don't suggest they'd be very breathable though.

The fabric doesn’t stretch and although the knees are shaped there’s no crotch gusset. The baggy fit means there’s no restrictions on movement though I do feel slightly clumsy in them because of all the material.

The hip pockets are small. The thigh pocket is a bit bigger. The Lucs are clearly designed for snow use as there are nylon gaiters inside the lower legs. These aren’t detachable. There are also reinforced patches on the inner ankles to protect against skis and crampons.

suitable for most winter weather. The Barents Pro come treated with Fjällräven’s Greenland Wax, which makes them fairly water-resistant though not totally waterproof. This wears off, but can be replaced. When waxed the trousers are certainly more water-resistant than when not. They’re also a bit less breathable.

The Barents Pro have double-fabric over the knees and seat for extra durability. The knee patches are very long and open at the bottom. The Barents Pro come in only one long length but the hem is unfinished so it’s easy to turn them up. The fabric doesn’t stretch but a roomy cut plus shaped knees and a crotch gusset mean the trousers don’t restrict movement.

Most of the trousers tested only have two or three pockets. The Barents Pro have six.

I’ve found the Barents Pro comfortable and warm, and for most winter conditions they’re fine.

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Gear comparative review Mammut Hiking SO £120

460g

comfort not windproof, only one leg length Fabric: stretch softshell 88% polyamide/12% elastane Pockets: 2 hip, 1 zipped rear Waist: belt loops Ankle: stud Vents: Sizes: men 44-56, women 32-46 mammut.com

Mammut’s stretch softshell trousers are warm, comfortable and breathable. The fabric feels nice to the skin. They’re a bit closer fitting than the similar trousers tested and don’t have a crotch gusset.

However the fabric is very stretchy – they have a

higher percentage of elastic material than the other trousers – and they do have shaped knees so there’s no restriction on movement. Like similar trousers the Hiking SO aren’t windproof and so overtrousers are needed in strong cold winds. Water resistance is okay and they withstand light rain and drizzle.

The pockets are set high up and the openings are small. I can only just get my bare hand in, with thick gloves on I can’t. There are no zipped front pockets either, just a small one at the back. These aren’t trousers to choose if you use pockets.

Only one leg length is available in each size and this is too long for me. There is a stud adjustment at the ankle so the lower legs can be bunched up.

This isn’t as useful as a drawcord though as the adjustment range is limited. The legs could easily be shortened. I wouldn’t miss the stud adjustment.

The Hiking SO perform much like similar trousers. However they are more expensive and I can’t see what you’re getting for the extra cost.

Sherpa Jannu £80

442g

comfort, pockets not windproof, only one leg length Fabric: double weave softshell 93% polyester/7% spandex Pockets: 2 zipped hip, 1 zipped thigh Waist: belt loops Ankle: zipped gusset Vents: Sizes: men 30-38, women 6-18 sherpaadventuregear.co.uk

Made from a similar softshell to the Berghaus, Royal Robbins and Mammut trousers the Jannus perform much the same. The fabric is comfortable,

Royal Robbins Range £85

431g

comfort, pockets not windproof, only one leg length Fabric: Stretch double weave soft shell 90% polyester/10% Spandex Pockets: 2 zipped hip, 1 zipped thigh, 2 rear patch Waist: belt loops Ankle: drawcord Vents: Sizes: men 30-42 royalrobbins.co.uk

Made from four-way stretch softshell with a brushed inner, these trousers are very comfortable.

The stretch means they move with you and they

breathable, warm and fast drying and resists light rain and drizzle. It’s not windproof so overtrousers will be needed in severe winds. Being four-way stretch the fabric moves with you, aided by a crotch gusset and shaped knees. The fit is on the loose side too.

The pockets are roomy with wide openings and so easily used when wearing gloves. An unusual feature are lower leg zips that stretch almost to the knee. This means the trousers can be opened up to fit over big boots and also pulled on and off over boots. These zips are a problem for me as there’s only one leg length and it’s too long. There’s no drawcord to pull the material in and bunch it up so I have to roll the bottom of the trousers up.

Shortening the legs would be very difficult.

If the leg length is okay these are good trousers but that zip does mean it has to be.

have shaped knees and a crotch gusset. The fit is quite loose. The fabric wicks moisture away fast, keeps out drizzle and light rain, and dries quickly. It has some wind resistance but it’s not windproof.

Royal Robbins describes the fabric as midweight and says the trousers are a ‘technical soft shell for cold weather hiking and trekking’. I’d say that’s so long as it’s not very windy or very cold. The warmth is okay when moving in fairly calm conditions in temperatures around freezing. In stormier weather and colder temperatures I’d want overtrousers.

There are more pockets than with similar trousers and they’re all quite roomy. The lower legs are quite baggy. There’s only one leg length in each size and they’re quite a bit too long for me. However there is a drawcord at the ankle so they can be bunched up round your boots when this is tightened.

The legs could be shortened quite easily too.

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IN THE JANUARY ISSUE OF

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WINTER I S

C O M I N G !

SOUTH GLEN SHIEL RIDGE

DOVEDALE CIRCUIT

LLECH DDU SPUR

SKILLS

PREPARE FOR WINTER On test: Socks and Gloves

Photo: Dougie Cunningham

THE GREAT OUTDOORS AWARDS All the winners unveiled

Christmas books guide

ON SALE 8 DECEMBER 085_Next issue_TGODEC2017.indd 85

30/10/2017 10:53

3

TAKE THREE

NOTES: Weights from my digital scales for sizes as specified.

Fill: FP = fill power, 90/10 = down/feather, total down weight in g for specified size

DOWN JACKETS IT’S TIME to get down and dirty. Down jackets have always been treated with kid gloves because if they got wet or messy, things turned nasty. Good news: advanced treatments for down, and improved face fabrics, mean it is now possible to get dirty in down without it all going pear-shaped.

In a nutshell, it is about effective, durable water repellency (DWR) for outer and lining fabrics, and the ability to make the actual down clusters highly water resistant. You can sweat into it and wear it through snow showers and even drizzle, plus you can wash and dry it without giving yourself an expensive headache.

Some brands make a big deal about fluorocarbon and PFC (perfluorinated compounds), for good reason. These chemicals contain non-biodegradable toxins and are used in DWR treatments because of their resistance to stains, grease and water.

British company Nikwax has led the drive to find alternative treatments; it claims to be the only company never to have used fluorocarbons / PFCs in their products.

Several brands offer water-resistant down, which is a breakthrough for active users. Nikwax have a PFC-free treatment to make down clusters highly resistant to water, Allied Feather & Down’s HyperDry goose down is fluorocarbonfree and water resistant, and PrimaLoft have created

Judy Armstrong wraps up warm for the winter hills

water-resistant down bonded to their own synthetic fibres.

Fill quality (European white goose down is superior to duck, for example) and provenance are important; most brands will specify where their down comes from and whether it has been gathered humanely. The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is a benchmark for responsibly sourced down. Of the many figures swirling around down jackets, fill power is probably the most important. It is the amount of space a sample of down will occupy under pressure. In essence, 750 is good, 850 is excellent but the new pinnacle, being used by PHD in Britain, is 1000. Fill power, along with the quantity used, will reflect the jacket’s warmth. Down clusters naturally loft, or puff up; it is the trapped air that insulates and creates warmth.

Higher fill powers will loft more. Down/feather ratio is less critical as the samples taken are so small (the standard is 90/10).

Fabrics used either side of the down are vital: they should be lightweight, abrasion resistant, breathable and water resistant.

Breathable DWR treatment is effective in mist and snow; used inside, it protects the down against moisture vapour from sweat.

Down jackets come in a startling choice of fill power options and For this Take3, we are looking at ‘base camp’ duvet jackets – warm enough for cold-weather camping, and active use in sub-zero conditions.

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01/11/2017 07:47

1 budget OPTION

Shell: Drilite Loft water resistant outer, polyester inner Fill: FP 700 duck down, 90/10; 296g men’s Large, 225g women’s 12 Weight: 823g + 20g stuff sack (men’s Large) Sizes: men S-XXL, women 8-16

2

Photo: Alex Brylov/Shutterstock

mountainequipment.co.uk

mid-range

OPTION

Shell: Pertex Quantum with superDWR outer, Pertex Quantum lining Fill: FP 800+ RDS European goose down, 90/10; 236g men’s Large, 200g women’s 12 Weight: 405g + 40g stuff sack (women’s 12) Sizes: men S-XXL, women 8-16 montane.co.uk

take 3 Gear

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT

£200

LIGHTLINE

Happy 40th birthday, Lightline. This chunky duvet has been flying the flag for Mountain Equipment since 1977, and it remains a best-seller for the British brand. It has been updated in recent years, notably the hood, but fill power remains static at 700 (compared with 850 for Rab’s Infinity G), and it’s duck rather than more expensive goose down.

There is a lot of it, though: 296g in a men’s Large is hefty. Mountain Equipment have their own Down Codex scheme, launched in 2009, to ensure their down supply chain is ethical, traceable and transparent, and Lightline obviously adheres to that. Despite its name, Lightline tips the scales at 823g, reflected in the use of heavier-duty fabric for both outer and inner (compared with, say, Pertex Quantum which is exceptionally light for the strength), a wide collar fully lined

with microfleece, and a zip-detachable hood.

This is all about warmth, not weight saving. So the hood is fully-featured with a stiffened peak, shock-cord adjustment and a Velcro back tab. Zipped side pockets are huge, as is the inner chest pocket, cuffs have Velcro tabs rather than skinny elastane. Horizontal baffles are well lofted and stitched through. The cut is generous, with a two-way zip backed by an insulated windflap. If you’re after finesse and gramcounting, Lightline isn’t for you. But if you want a good-value duvet that will keep you warm, this jacket ticks the boxes. Pack size is of sleeping bag proportions, but it is best suited to wearing, not carrying.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Alpkit Phantac, £195, alpkit.com

MONTANE NORTH STAR LITE

Montane have a diverse range of down jackets, from the super-warm Deep Cold Jacket (400g of fill) to Black Ice with new Primaloft Gold, a blend of down and synthetic for damp climates. I chose North Star Lite as a versatile combination of warmth and low weight. The down component is pretty special: 800+ fill power of HyperDry goose down which is water-resistant and hydrocarbon free and has the RDS certification. It’s wrapped in 20 denier Pertex Quantum Y-Fuse with a DWR coating, in a stitched-through construction. Baffles are in different sizes and shapes depending on which part of the body they’re keeping warm: narrow under the arms, wider chevrons across the back, smaller box at the front.

I’d describe the cut as tailored, but with room for technical layers. This keeps

£250

warmth close to the body and is effective. Cuffs are elastane bound and the hem has a drawcord. The front zip has an insulated inner stormflap, bound to avoid snagging, and zips into a fleecy garage at chin height. The hood is close-fitting and elastane bound, adding real warmth.

On the women’s version two large zipped side pockets can be accessed above a rucksack hipbelt if you are wearing this jacket on the move; there’s also a large, internal, zipped, chest pocket. Montane provide a waterproof stuff sack.

North Star Lite represents real value for money in the Mid-Range sector.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Rab Electron, £240, rab. equipment/uk

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3

Gear take 3

£325

SEMI-STIFFENED PEAK

premium

OPTION

BAFFLE BOXES

Shell: Pertex Quantum 7D, nylon inner Fill: FP 850 RDS European goose down; 240g men’s Large, 200g women’s 12 Weight: 385g + 12g stuff sack (women’s 12) Sizes: men S-XXL, women 8-16

TWO-WAY FRONT ZIP

rab.equipment/uk

RAB INFINITY G Premium down jackets are expensive for a reason: the quality and quantity of the down fill, and the fabric enveloping it. Along with PHD’s Yukon Ultra K (see ‘also available’), Rab’s Infinity G, new in 2017, is a perfect example of a top-level duvet. It genuinely feels as though you are dressed in a puffy cloud: the Pertex shell fabric is exceptionally lightweight and supple, and the down is of very high quality.

Rab uses fluorocarbon-free, water-resistant down developed in conjunction with Nikwax; along with the effective DWR on the Pertex outer, this results in a warm, versatile duvet.

Stitch-through construction is used in a variety of ways throughout the jacket. The sleeves have a continuous baffle, with just one seam down the inside of the arm. Box baffles in different sizes are used around the torso: smaller at the front to accommodate pocketing and body flex,

longer around the sides and full width over the back. There are two large side pockets and one internal at the chest, all zipped. Rab categorise the fit as ‘slim’; there is room for technical layers, and the length is generous. The two-way front zip has an internal windproof flap and zips into a microfleece garage covering the chin. The hood has a semi-stiffened peak and is roomy enough to take a helmet, but can otherwise be held back with a small Velcro tab. A stuffsack made of Pertex Quantum has a hefty grabhandle, which means it can also be slung off a rucksack. The pack size of this jacket is small given the jacket’s warmth: in fact the overall package of down fill, total weight, design and construction give Infinity G a “Please, Santa, I’ll Give Up Everything Else” status.

ALSO AVAILABLE: PHD Yukon Ultra ‘K’, 1000 fill power, £398, phdesigns.co.uk

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READ MORE FROM

ON OUR WEBSITE • Weekly reviews of brand new kit • The latest news from the outdoors • Archived walking routes and gear reviews • Ed Byrne’s adventures across the UK

PLUS NEW CONTENT THIS MONTH 7 of Scotland’s best bothies

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @tgomagazine

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10 tips for mountain navigation in bad weather

Report: why are British backpackers heading to Scandinavia?

tgomagazine.co.uk 30/10/2017 10:54

The Classics Chris Townsend introduces groundbreaking kit from across the decades

09 THERM-A-REST

[above] Chris using a Therm-a-Rest in the Canadian Rockies in 1988

BACK IN THE 1970s, when I began backpacking, sleeping mats were all made from closed cell foam. These were bulky and not very comfortable but also nearly indestructible and good insulators. Bright yellow ones – the ubiquitous Karrimat – could be seen strapped on every backpacker’s pack. However, the same decade saw change coming from far away Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, where, in 1971, climber John Burroughs suggested to two mountaineering friends that he’d like a better mat. At the time engineers Jim Lea and Neil Anderson had just been made redundant so they were able and keen to take up this idea.

The breakthrough that would lead to the first ever self-inflating mat came when Jim Lea was gardening and noticed that the foam cushion he was kneeling on let air out when he shifted his weight.

He realised that if you sealed that foam in an airtight fabric, you’d have a comfortable mat.

To make a prototype, Lea and Anderson used a sandwich maker to melt the fabric onto the foam. They then added a valve so the air could be sealed in and squeezed out and their first mini mat was

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[above right] On the Pacific Crest Trail in 1982 [right] The original 1972 Therm-a-Rest [below] The current Therm-a-Rest Prolite

complete. Further work improved and refined the design, which was patented in 1972. Two years later production began under the name of their new company, Cascade Designs, founded by Burroughs, Lea and Anderson.

As with many innovative products in those pre-Internet days knowledge of the Therm-a-Rest mat was slow to spread and it didn’t arrive in the UK until the end of the 1970s. But in the 1980s it became popular worldwide. A manufacturing plant was opened in Ireland in 1984. In the beginning there was just one model, simply called the Therm-a-Rest. It was 47 inches (119cm) long and weighed 1lb 7oz (652g). This was considerably heavier than a closed cell foam mat. However the difference in comfort was so great that I took one on my Pacific Crest Trail walk in 1982 and

found it excellent. It lasted the whole trip, was very comfortable and kept me warm sleeping on snow in sub-zero temperatures at altitudes above 10,000 feet (3,050m). I also liked the fact that when compressed it was compact and could be stored inside my pack rather than strapped on the outside. I used one again on the Continental Divide Trail in 1985.

That first mat had a solid foam core, a plain nylon shell, a metal valve and a rectangular shape. Today the name Therm-a-Rest covers a whole family of mats in different weights and lengths that have cored foam, curved sides, different fabrics top and bottom, plastic valves, and different models for women and men. The closest to the original mat is probably the Prolite Plus. The 72 inch (183cm) Regular size weighs 592g.

Today there are many companies making self-inflating mats and it’s difficult to realise just how revolutionary the first Therma-Rest was. All the current mats derive from that 1972 model though and from the ideas of a climber kneeling on a gardening cushion. And without Therm-a-Rest, wild camping would be far less comfortable.

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Wild WALKS 10 varied walks in Scotland, England and Wales

CONTRIBUTORS

Craig Weldon

Keith Fergus

David Lintern

Roger Butler

Walkers on the way up Low Pike Photo: Roger Butler

Paul Richardson

Our walks this month 1 Torridon An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chean-dearg 2 Southern Highlands Stob Binnein

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3 East Lothian Aberlady Bay

Sarah Stirling

2 3

4 Lake District Scandale Horseshoe and Red Screes 5 Yorkshire Dales Conistone Moor

Fiona Barltrop

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6 Snowdonia Cadair Idris

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7 Powys Pumlumon Fawr 8 Pembrokeshire Freshwater East

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9 Exmoor Tarr Steps and Withypool Hill 10 West Sussex Kingley Vale from Stoughton 92 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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Tim Gent

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10 Giles Babbidge

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16km/10 miles/6-8 hours Ascent 1310m/4300ft

An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chean-dearg Torridon SCOTLAND 4 From the summit, retrace your steps to the Bealach a’ Choire Ghairbh. A hillwalker’s path can be followed up to a boulderfield. Keep going up to Maol Chean-dearg’s summit.

5 5

Retrace your steps back down to the glen of the Fionn-abhainn.

3 2

4

3 At the Bealach a’ Choire Ghairbh, the going gets rougher. Continue on pathless ground past small lochans for the rocky east ridge of An Ruadh-Stac.

2 Follow the path past Coire Fionnaraich bothy and the Clach nan Con-fionn.

In a further 500m a path marked by a small cairn heads uphill to the left – obvious in good weather.

1

1

Start/Finish

Coulags on the A890 GR: NG958451 Take the track to the east of the bridge over the Fionnabhainn. Go through a gate in a high fence.

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Craig Weldon finds the Torridon hills working their familiar magic SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT to get away and reconnect with places you know are good for you. Such a place for me is Torridon. A trip to Torridon is a world away from normal suburban life. The eerie keening of wildcats echoing off the banded tiers of Liathach at night. An eagle soaring on thermals during the day. An absorbing day on the hill, and a perfect pint in the

Torridon Inn after talking to a stalker. It can rain of course but I’ve always been lucky with the weather. This is the stuff of Torridon.

I arrived in Strathcarron at lunchtime on a fine early autumn day. The walk-in to the well-maintained bothy of Coire Fionnaraich is straightforward. The glen in which it sits is beautiful. There is a

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strikingly phallic white rock in the glen, the Clach nam Con-fionn, to which legend says the hero Fingal tied his dogs when he went off hunting. (Why he didn’t take his dogs hunting isn’t explained.) There is a feeling of rightness about this glen, the arrangement of water, land and trees.

My targets were a Corbett and a Munro, An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chean-dearg.

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Liathach from Maol Chean-dearg Stalkers’ path

Fionn-abhainn

Further information Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 25 (Glen Carron & Glen Affric); Harveys Mountain Map Torridon Distance: 16km/10 miles (13km/8 miles if you stop overnight at the bothy) Transport: Lochcarron Garage (01520 722205) operates a twice-weekly bus service between Inverness and Applecross.

Or take the train to Strathcarron, 5km from the start of the walk.

Information: Coire Fionnaraich bothy is closed during the stalking season. The nearest Tourist Information Centre is in Inverness (01463 252401).

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A good stalkers’ path heads up to a bealach at 600m, making the initial ascent easy.

Deer streamed across the flanks of Meall nan Ceapairean. I stopped at the lochans sitting in a rocky bowl below An RuadhStac and bathed my feet. Any stress drained out of me into the ground. Contentment at the situation welled up in its place.

The hills of Torridon are singular, rocky and full of character. The way up An Ruadh-Stac looked intimidating, but on a clear day is more straightforward than it looks. (It would be a different prospect in mist.) From the summit, precipitous drops cast shadows over corrie lochans. West, the hilly islands of Rum and Skye interlocked with the sea. North, my target for sunset: Maol Chean-dearg.

An Ruadh-Stac is grey. Maol Cheandearg is made of different rocks, red and pink underfoot as I puffed my way to the summit cairn. I could sit up here for hours, nursing a dram and simply enjoying the moment. To the south, An Ruadh-Stac caught the evening light.

But it is the view north to Liathach that commands attention. This is the place to be as sunset approaches and the shadows lengthen, on the airy summit of Maol Chean-dearg with a hipflask of Talisker.

I waited until an hour before sunset before reluctantly retracing my steps back down to the bothy, more content than I had been in a while.

Torridon had worked its magic yet again.

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2

10km/6 miles/5 hours Ascent 1055m/3460ft

Stob Binnein Southern Highlands SCOTLAND 3 A good path crosses the plateau of Na Staidhrichean, heading NNW. Ridge narrows as steadier pull eventually reaches Stob Coire an Lochain.

5

2 4

Climb gradually across marshy, open hillside. Follow northerly bearing, the gradient steepening as route reaches the crest of Creag Artair.

4 Once past the lochan, short dip leads to final climb. Well-worn path steepens considerably and zigzags upwards, the final section through rocky slabs, to reach Stob Binnein’s 1165m summit.

3

1 Start/Finish

2

Car park near Inverlochlarig, 9.75km west of Balquhidder GR: NN446185 From car park, cross road then stile, signed for Am Binnein. Very steep, sustained climb begins, along well worn, at times muddy, path. Follow path N towards Stob Invercarnaig. After a while, path reaches stile in fence. Once over head NE around crags of Stob Invercarnaig, crossing burn. Path then veers N above Stob Invercarnaig.

5 Return by route of ascent, taking care on very steep descent from Stob Invercarnaig back to Inverlochlarig.

1

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Keith Fergus enjoys superb views from Stob Binnein FOR ME, STOB BINNEIN is one of Scotland’s finest mountains and its shapely outline can be seen from a number of points across the Southern Highlands.

However, you only get a sense of its scale and physical beauty when your boots are firmly planted on its brawny slopes.

Perhaps the best route begins from the remote house at Inverlochlarig, where a car

park sits at the end of a long, narrow road that runs from Balquhidder alongside Loch Voil and Loch Doine. Beginning from here means expending plenty of energy but it is worth the effort as Stob Binnein offers an outstanding mountain walk with incredible views in all directions.

Inverlochlarig is set deep within a mountainous landscape with the likes

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of Stob Breac, Stob a’ Choin and Beinn Tulaichean rising sharply from the glen.

Rob Roy MacGregor, one of Scotland’s most famous historical figures, lived part of his life at Inverlochlarig, and may have died here in 1734. He is buried in Balquhidder churchyard.

A cold autumnal wind meant I got moving quickly, crossing a stile The Great Outdoors December 2017 95

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Stob a Choin from above Inverlochlarig The mountainous landscape of Inverlochlarig

Ben More Loch Doine and Loch Voil from Stob Invercarnaig

Further information Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheets 57 (Stirling & The Trossachs) and 51 (Loch Tay & Glen Dochart). Harveys Mountain Map Crianlarich: Ben Lui & Ben More Transport: None to start

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Information: Callander TIC, 01877 330342

signposted for Am Binnein (the historic name for Stob Binnein). I soon warmed up on the relentlessly steep climb that led me to crags beneath Stob Invercarnaig. Over 500m of ascent in just over 1km meant I was happy to rest awhile and take in the magnificent view along Loch Voil to Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin.

A pathless section then saw me picking my way across wetter ground but the terrain improved as I crossed Creag Artair. Here I traced my route along the wonderful high plateau of Na Staidhrichean, with its flowing line drawing the eye towards Stob Coire an Lochain. Exquisite views opened out towards Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean with dotterel and skylark flitting around this stunning landscape.

Stob Coire an Lochain offered a fine vantage point to view Stob Binnein and the

final part of the ascent. Stob Binnien may translate from Gaelic as The Anvil, which would correlate with its conspicuous flat top, but its definition seems to be far more prosaic, simply meaning The Peak.

A steep climb up a winding path led to the 1165m summit where Ben More’s conical profile dominated the northward view. Beinn a’ Chroin and An Caisteal sat to the west while the Ben Lawers massif rose grandly above a distant Loch Tay. I sat as long as the cold wind would allow before taking the marvellous tramp, in full view of Ben Ledi and a litany of Southern Highland peaks, back to Stob Invercarnaig. Now the knee-crunching descent, which was almost as tough as the ascent, led me slowly back to Inverlochlarig but yet again Stob Binnein had proved that a lot of pleasure can be gained from a little bit of pain.

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3

6km/3.7 miles/2-3 hours Ascent 55m/180ft

Aberlady Bay East Lothian SCOTLAND 3

4

From Gullane Point, handrail the coast above the shoreline along a network of small paths through the marram grass. Drop down to the beach or stay above for views from the dunes. At a signposted path, turn east, back inland for a short while to reach the junction met earlier.

3

Return by the outward path to the car park.

4

2

1 Start/Finish

2 Continue on the path to a junction of paths. Take the greenway straight ahead, marked ‘golf course’. Cross the fairway carefully, aiming for a low gate. Continue uphill on a track, passing tanktraps, go over another junction to reach the sea.

Gullane Point is ahead of you.

1

car park at GR: NT471 804

If using public transport, from Aberlady High Street, head north out of the village on the A198 and walk around the coast to reach the carpark. From the car park, walk over the footbridge and follow a clear path NW. Go through a copse of bramble and sea buckthorn to reach more open ground by Marl Loch.

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David Lintern crosses the ‘bridge of enchantment’ WHEN I LIVED in Edinburgh, Aberlady was a regular local haunt of mine. It was easily accessible from the city, but once out on the dunes, the music of breaking waves, birdlife and wind in the marram grass would envelop me totally. I’d go back often, to take photos and let my feet take me where they would. The more I explored the more there was to discover.

I went back recently for an overnight camp, and found an old friend waiting patiently. There are as many ways to wander here as there are blades of dune grass or grains of sand, but I’ve settled on a circular route, one which takes a old track over a small hill, the relative height over all that flat coastal ground giving a great perspective.

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I once saw short-eared owls jousting here, but this time it was curlews, bats and roe deer that welcomed me back. And some tiny toads so small I mistook them for spiders. Crossing the golf course green is like crossing a rubicon – once past, it’s me, the sea, these creatures and the ghosts of the Forth’s military past. It’s a much maligned and misused word, but yes, it The Great Outdoors December 2017 97

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X-craft submarine at low tide Kingdom of Fife, across the Forth estuary

Tank traps The bridge to enchantment

feels wild here. Wildness, juxtaposed with some kind of sadness.

The high ground on my right once held an iron age hill fort for the Gododdin people defending the fertile plains of the Lothian. At low tide it’s possible to visit the wrecks of midget submarines, prototypes

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 351 (Dunbar and North Berwick) Transport: First Bus 124 from Edinburgh to Aberlady High Street.

Details from www.travelinescotland.com Information: North Berwick TIC, 01620 892167. Note that dogs are not allowed in the Nature Reserve.

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of the X-craft used against the German battleship Tirpitz in 1942. Blocks of roughhewn concrete designed to prevent landing

by German forces litter the landscape, their fading brutalist architecture providing a convenient metaphor for our ambivelent relationship with nature. The deer use them as cover, flitting between them in the gloaming.

Gullane Point lay just ahead, as the track narrowed to a thin path through a tangle of buckthorn and blackberry bushes.

It juts out at the head of a vast, sandy arc of beach, its rocky ramparts strewn with logs and other flotsam brought in by the tide. There are often eider ducks and oystercatchers here, less often cormorants and grenshanks.

Aberlady was the UK’s first Local Nature Reserve, established in 1952. A big

job nowadays is attempting to control the invasive sea buckthorn, introduced in the 1960s to stabilise the sands. Many of the seabirds love the distinctive orange fruit which flowers in the cooler months, but it grows voraciously, smothering everything else if not kept in check.

In the morning, I struck camp and walked along the tops of the dunes, listening to the sea breeze in the marram, before heading back over what historical novelist Nigel Tranter called the ‘bridge to enchantment’ to our supposedly real world. For me, Aberlady holds up all the warnings and contradictions of our anthropocene world in a perfect, miniature example, but Tranter was right – despite our interventions in the past, and because of our interventions more recently, it’s a tiny cradle of light and magic.

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15km/9.5 miles/5-6 hours Ascent 1025m/3350ft

Scandale Horseshoe and Red Screes Lake District ENGLAND 4 Head S to wall, cross Scandale Pass and walk SSE up slope, soon crossing large slabs of rock.

Veer E at top of slope to arrive at summit of Red Screes after 400m.

3

3 Leave top in SE direction, over grassy slopes, and pick up path leading E by old wall. Walk downhill to cross Bakestones Moss and follow well-worn path trending SE to Little Hart Crag.

4

5

2 Cross bridge, pass through small gate and take path uphill with wall on R. Pass through another gate (ignore new track) and join path on broad ridge. Turn R, follow path N over ladder stile to Low Pike, with wall on R. Keep steeply ahead for 2.75km, over High Pike, to reach gentle slopes leading to summit of Dove Crag.

5 Leave top by path leading SW over plateau towards Snarker Pike. Keep wall on L and descend over steep bluff to join walled grass track leading down to lane.

2

1 Start/Finish

Ambleside town centre car park GR: NY375046

6

Cross A591 and walk up Smithy Brow. Fork L onto Kirkstone Road and then L onto Sweden Bridge Lane.

Continue past houses until road ends to become a walled track. Keep on, through gates, for 1.8km to High Sweden Bridge.

6 Turn R for 1.3km to return to Ambleside.

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Roger Butler enjoys mint cake and muffins on the fells IT WAS HARD to drag ourselves away from the autumn colours by mirror-calm Windermere but this was just the day we had been waiting for. The eastern arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe rose crystal-clear above Ambleside and this knobbly ridge would form the western side of our long loop over Dove Crag and Red Screes at the head of Scandale Bottom.

The walled track leading to High Sweden Bridge was as inviting as ever.

Copper-coloured leaves framed dark peaty waterfalls and breaks in the trees gave glimpses of the hills ahead. A university group with nets, trays and ID charts were busy sampling waterborne invertebrates, but I wondered how future field trips would be affected by the new, albeit small-

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scale, hydro station a little further up the valley. The bulldozed track was a shock – and an eyesore – but rigorous planning conditions mean careful restoration work will take place.

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View from Sweden Crag looking north to the valley of Scandale Beck with Little Hart Crag on the horizon

View into Scandale Bottom from the rocky slabs on the way up to Red Screes

View north-east from Dove Crag looking down to Brothers Water and Hartsop Dodd

towards Fairfield and, way in the distance, a solitary figure could have been a yeti struggling through thick snow. Deep drifts had collected by the ridge-top wall and we skated and slid across every pool. Today, we could almost have played a rough game of croquet.

A dozen people were enjoying the warmth of an Indian summer on top of Dove Crag and the silence was broken only by the croak of a raven and the rustle of

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL7, The English Lakes: south-eastern area Transport: Nearest station Windermere, with regular buses to Ambleside

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Information: Ambleside TIC, 0844 225 0544

crisp packets. Great Gable rose above the western hills like an over-cooked muffin that had come straight from the oven. The huge dome deserved a decorative frilly wrapper and this angle of view might result in a bit of head scratching if it is ever included in a photo-quiz of the fells.

We stopped for mint cake on the rocky slabs halfway up Red Screes. I hadn’t tasted any for at least ten years and, thankfully, it wasn’t quite as sickly as I feared. This, however, was Rowan’s first ever chunk and I’m pleased to say he took to it like a seasoned Everest climber. Four walkers passed by and immediately spotted the famous blue and white wrapper: “Better not tell his mum he’s eating all that sugar!”

Ten minutes later, we met one of them coming quickly downhill and I asked if he had lost something: “Yes, my wife!” He soon disappeared and it wasn’t long before we could hear “Jill! Jill!” echoing over the fellside. His search must have been

successful because the group seemed to be fully reunited when we saw them walk south from the summit.

A delicate mackerel sky was reflected in the tarn by the trig point. Mist was starting to gather in the valleys whilst pink hues already hung over Morecambe Bay and the wind turbines beyond Walney Island. The technology out there is quite extraordinary but once the track has mellowed and the weir is coated in moss I think I would prefer that hydro scheme.

The mint cake must have given us a sweet tooth because we raced down to Ambleside in the hope that an irresistible chocolate shop would still be open. The tension built as we passed a series of dark windows until, at the far end of town, we were greeted by bright lights and a cheery lady dipping home-made truffles into a bowl of liquid brown goo. Champagne, Cointreau, Cognac – which flavour would we choose?

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14km/8.5 miles/5 hours Ascent 390m/1280ft

Conistone Moor Yorkshire Dales ENGLAND 2 Go through gate and turn immediately R, keeping L of the wall uphill. On the plateau, follow the wall, ignoring first stile near Langcliffe Pot. At path junction, don’t take track sharp R back to Kettlewell, but take path slightly to the R signed to Conistone.

2

1

1

Start/Finish

Car park in Kettlewell GR: SD967723 Take the road directly opposite the toilet block and TL at junction.

Keep straight ahead at the King’s Head pub. Just before the road crosses the small river bridge, take track R and keep to main path east over Rain Slack.

5

3 Just above trig point go through gate and follow track downhill, along Conistone Turf Road track then Bycliffe Road track.

3

5

4

Take track L through the wood on Highgate Leys Lane and at road, TR. In about 500m, TR to cross fields, turning L on path just ahead of the houses, back to the village centre.

4 TR onto Dales Way just beyond the limestone outcrops and stay on main track until it meets the southern edge of Crookacre Wood.

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Paul Richardson skirts the open fells above Wharfedale CONISTONE MOOR sits at the western edge of a wide expanse of open fells that stretch from the southern slopes of Great Whernside above Kettlewell, over to Nidderdale on the eastern side. The western rim of this far-reaching plateau overlooks the section of the Dales Way footpath that winds between Kettlewell and Conistone village.

Strong, gusty winds were forecast as we climbed out of a very still, peaceful Kettlewell, towards the high-level open moorland that meant wherever the wind was coming from it would be sure to find us.

The early part of the ascent towards Rain Slack offered wonderful views of Dowber Gill straight ahead, and Starbotton

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Fell with Buckden Pike beyond over to the left. Reaching the slightly higher ground of Rain Slack extended the views even further as the slopes of Old Cote Moor beyond Wharfedale appeared behind us. I felt very grateful for such extensive vistas for a comparatively small amount of effort – it’s probably an age thing!

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Dowber Gill

Leaving Kettlewell behind to head onto Slatepit Rigg

Gill Beck down in the valley to our left, we made our way uphill onto Slatepit Rigg on the lower slopes of Great Whernside.

The track here follows a particularly tall, solid wall southward, and although we could hear the gusty wind that had been accurately forecast, we were superbly sheltered from it on our side of the wall. It’s this kind of good luck that makes you feel

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL30 (Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas) and sheet OL2 (Southern & Western areas); OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 98 (Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale); Harveys 1:25,000 Superwalker, Yorkshire Dales South East Transport: Bus service to Kettlewell: www.dalesbus.org; Traveline: 0871 200 2233 Information: Grassington TIC, 01756 751690, email: grassington@ yorkshiredales.org.uk

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The view from Rain Slack

inclined to buy a lottery ticket.

On the ascent from Rain Slack there had been several lapwings showing off their impressive aerobatic skills and up here they looked to be having a great time in the windy conditions above wall level. With their wings fully open, they would flip sideways to expose the full wing area to the wind and within seconds, they’d be away into the distance. Just image the routes we could cover in a day if we could do that.

We settled for skirting Conistone Moor at ground level, eventually dropping below our protective wall at Capplestone Gate. From there a firm grassy track led us downhill along Conistone Turf Road.

As the slope began to level out we came to one of the many limestone outcrops that are exposed on this section of the Wharfe valley. The rocky terrain to the right of the track seemed slightly surreal, almost as if it had been put there as a decorative afterthought. Amazingly, amid this harsh rocky environment, trees have managed to gain a foothold and grow successfully.

Using the rocks at the far side of the

outcrop as seating, we stopped for a welcome snack looking across to the fells of Kilnsey Moor on the far side of the River Wharfe below. From here we joined the Dales Way footpath northward, passing the aptly named Conistone Pie (it looks like a pie, albeit a very large one – even by my standards) before heading over Swineber Scar.

Suddenly the weather made its presence felt and we were hit with a succession of alternating bursts of sunshine and hailstones, both with a howling gale for company. This was supposed to be the easy bit – a nice low-level route back to Kettlewell. Calm was soon restored as we dropped through Crookacre Wood and then passed through fields near the valley bottom to return to the start.

As we sat outside the café in Kettlewell (Simon, my walking mate had a cream tea that could have fed a small country for a fortnight) the sunshine continued to battle with the hail for dominance. Whatever you feel about Yorkshire Dales weather, you certainly get plenty of it.

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6

9.5km/6 miles/4 hours Ascent 875m/2885ft

Cadair Idris Snowdonia WALES 4 Head NE across grass towards the obvious lump of Mynydd Moel.

5 Descend S/SE - there’s no obvious path in places. Cross the stile onto the path that handrails a stone wall down to the original path fork that you met. Walk down through woodland to the car park.

5 4

3 From here a steep path climbs around the rim of the cwm, past the small summit of Craig Cwm Amarch then drop to the col at Craig Cau. Continue N/ NE over rocky boulders to the summit cairn.

3 2

1

1 Start/Finish

2

Minfford car park on the A487 GR: SH732115

Above the treeline the path splits: take the left fork to reach Llyn Cau.

Follow the path up past the old National Trust building and climb steps through woodland alongside river.

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Sarah Stirling goes Stargazing from Idris’s Chair IT’S EASY TO FORGET that one of Snowdonia’s best mountain horseshoes lies at the southern end of the National Park.

There are four routes up Cadair Idris to its summit, Penygadair: two approaches from the north, and two from the south.

Arguably the prettiest and most satisfying route is the southern Minffordd path. It leads to a picturesque glacial lake

tucked inside the huge, towering arms of a horseshoe-shaped ridge, then climbs up and around the rim of this ridge.

Cadair Idris, ‘chair of Idris’, refers to a Welsh mythological giant who used this horseshoe as a backrest from which to admire the view long ago. And what a view!

The flora and fauna are fascinating, too. Cadair is one of the most southerly

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‘high’ mountains in the UK, and this is as far south as you’ll find many upland species, including the dwarf willow, one of the world’s smallest woody plants. It’s essentially a very tiny tree, evolved to creep along the ground and to survive in harsh, arctic-like environments. Mammals you may spot include otters and hares and among the birds are peregrines.

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In front of Cwm Cau

The sunset over Tally-Llyn at the end

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The walk began with a drive along the shores of the beautiful Tal-y-llyn lake, where little has changed for centuries. From the car park just beyond the lake, steep steps follow cascades of the Nant Cadair up through ancient oak woodland to emerge in a huge

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 23 (Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid); Harveys 1:40,000 British Mountain Map, Snowdonia Transport: Bus service T2 (BangorAberystwyth) passes through Minffordd Information: Snowdonia NP Centre, Beddgelert, 01766 890615, beddgelert@eryri-npa.gov.uk

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Descending, handrailing the stone wall.

cwm, dominated by the Cadair ridge.

We followed the path contentedly to reach Llyn Cau. The water was appealingly turquoise and clear; I contemplated a dip, but decided to press on as the light is dimming. My mother elected to rest here, and meet me later, so I hurried on into the last of the light. Cairns studded the steep, rocky path leading to the summit of Craig Cwm Amarch (791m). From here I dropped to a col, peering over at stunning views of Llyn Cau below, then scrambled up over boulders to find the white summit trig pillar of Penygadair (893m).

The view extended west to the Barmouth estuary, east to the Cambrian Mountains, south to the Brecon Beacons and north to the Rhinogs. Skipping happily by the shelter hut on this warm evening,

helped along by light gusts, I strode across the grass towards the obvious lump of Mynydd Moel, accompanied by my own long shadow. The moon was out, along with the first star.

From the summit, I dropped south on the grass, then crossed a stile to pick up a more obvious path, hand-railing a stone wall steeply down. The setting sun lit up the pink heather to my right, and beyond I could see the whole of the Cadair ridge.

Pottering down, down on loose scree with a sore knee – the descent seems to go on forever – I finally found my mother sitting on a bridge, quite content. As we drove around Tal-y-Llyn nd the rosy sunset was reflected in the water, and we paused at an old hotel for a drink, to soak up the colours and swap stories.

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7

28km/17.5 miles/10-12 hours Ascent 1080m/3545ft

Pumlumon Fawr and Afon Hengwm Powys MID WALES 7

7

1

Retrace outward route to return to start.

6

1

6 2

Drop to cross Nant Goch, walk uphill on steep grass (fence on R) and proceed to cross fence junction. Go R with fence on L. Cross next fence junction and walk over Y Grug to two gates. Go through L gate, follow line of bridleway and trend R to farm gate by line of fir trees.

Walk to gate onto track and go L through another gate.

Car park at Dylife GR: SN861940

2

5 Go NNE and pass through gap in fence after 1.5km. Meet good track to W of lake and continue over concrete bridge between lakes. Go through gates to ruined farm at Bugeilyn. Continue on track, past metal barn on L, over a couple of cattle grids and at next junction head E over pathless moor.

Start/Finish

Walk uphill to barn, pass through gate and take track W for 300 m.

Fork L by ruined building, cross stream and climb Banc Bugeilyn.

Descend SSW to cross fence by S end of lake. Walk S over valley floor and climb gradual slopes to reach fence on broad ridge. Turn R and follow fence around bend to stile giving access to source of River Severn.

3

5

4

3

Return to cairn, cross fence and veer L over tussocky slopes to Pen Cerrig Tewion. Meet fence and follow this steeply down to Afon Hengwm. Old gate leads to riverside, cross on rocks and boulders (if in spate, walk E to find a safe crossing) and walk N to meet path below Banc Lluestnewydd.

Return over stile, go L and continue until fence bends L to meet gate by edge of battered forestry plantation. Go through gate and follow series of white marker posts to a pair of ancient cairns on Pen Pumlumon Arwystli. Return to fence and pass through a small gate after 1.5km – the steep slopes on L are the source of the Wye. Keep ahead to meet another fence on R, descend to col with large quartz cairn, and climb W to summit of Pumlumon Fawr.

4

From car park go through gate on S side of road, take rough track soon turning to grass path with valley on L. Continue through two small gates and join grass track. Look for huge walled pit on L – this once held the biggest waterwheel in mainland Britain. Cross stream to reach next gate, walk up overgrown track, go L at gravel track and pass through farm gate. Continue uphill, take R hand gate, go through another gate and after 100m take small gate on R (signed Glyndŵr’s Way). Keep ahead, with low bank on L and cleared forestry across valley. Good path leads down to next gate and edge of Afon Clywedog gorge. Stony path drops to cross substantial footbridge by waterfalls.

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Roger Butler tackles ‘The most dangerous mountain in Wales’ MIST SHROUDED THE HILLS and a couple of lonely wind turbines stood silent as if waiting for someone to put 50p in the meter. Confusing bands of forestry rumbled over the near horizon but the slopes had been cleared beyond the little-known gorge of Afon Clywedog.

Thundering tree-felling machinery had left great swirling stripes with unexpected

bumps and textures which resembled one of Grandma’s knitted jumpers.

Dark cliffs rose from marmite-coloured pools as I climbed south to the soggy summit of Banc Bugeilyn, where nibbling sheep had turned a solitary fir tree into something which might be mistaken for a miniature baobab. Pale patches of blue sky were starting to appear but the long ridge

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leading south to Pumlumon – described by a timid 19th century traveller as ‘the most dangerous mountain in Wales’ - still looked distinctly unpromising. I gave an almighty cheer when the clag appeared to have finally cleared the higher tops.

But it was not to be and cloud returned as I found a faint path which wriggled above the damp ground at the foot of The Great Outdoors December 2017 105

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View looking north from Banc Bugeilyn to Llyn Cwm-byr and the steep escarpment of Clipyn Du

Llyn Llygad Rheidol, immediately to the north of Pumlumon Fawr, is surrounded by steep crags and rough pathless hillsides

Tough going at the end of the day – moorland to the east of Glaslyn

Carn Brydain-uchaf. By the time I reached the source of the Severn – a peaty hollow which would be more or less inaccessible if it wasn’t for the flagstone path – rain had arrived in the sort of stair rods you would find in an architectural salvage yard. Half an hour later, I was happy to skip the slide down to the clumps of reeds which mark the head of the Wye, but it was strange to think the two great rivers would eventually meet, many miles downstream The wistful call of a golden plover cut through the gloom and a break in the clouds revealed numerous dark valleys and even darker skies. Chunky slate posts, inscribed ‘WWW 1865’, were not lonely precursors of the world wide web but markers which once delineated an important estate boundary up to the summit of Pumlumon Fawr. They were certainly useful pointers on the way to a large quartz stone cairn at the foot of the final climb.

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheets 213 (Aberystwyth & Cwm Rheidol), 214 (Llanidloes & Newtown) and 215 (Newtown & Machynlleth) Transport: Nearest stations Machynlleth and Caersws, but no bus connections to Dylife – consider a taxi

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Information: Machynlleth TIC, 01654 702401

Early evening horizons looking north towards the hills above Machynlleth

The weather improved, of course, as I retraced my steps from the top to the col above Llyn Llygad Rheidol and within ten minutes deep cerulean skies were winning the overhead battle. Sunshine tried to force its way over the ragged cliffs above the corrie – Pumlumon’s hidden gem – and I contoured north over Graig Las and Pen Cerrig Tewion.

A fence slithered steeply below Craig y Fedw and a hop, skip and jump took me over Afon Hengwm and into the heart of one of the wildest valleys in Wales.

Pumlumon now rose behind me like a real mountain, its rocky profile above the sweep of Cwm Gwerin reminding me of tramps into Knoydart. The narrow path sneaked below Foel Uchaf and continued north to

meet the track by Llyn Cwm-byr, where glorious evening light made the water sparkle in shades of bright sapphire.

The ruins at Bugeilyn are all that remain of a former mansion which catered for guests who treated themselves to fine fishing and shooting. A girl who grew up here remembered the bountiful supply of peat, the five mile walk to chapel and the thrill of being snowed in.

Pumlumon finally disappeared from view as I dipped over Cerrig Brithion but there was still more than an hour to go and the last couple of miles included deep wiry heather, steep bumpy pasture and more hidden waterfalls. A walk like this makes you realise that Wales is a pretty big place.

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8

16.5km/10.5 miles/6 hours Ascent 800m/2625ft

Freshwater East Pembrokeshire WALES 1 Start/Finish

Freshwater East car park (near beach) GR: SS015978

5 Retrace steps along CP to Freshwater East.

1

Turn R out of car park towards coast, cross bridge and follow Coast Path signs, which lead you up to grassy headland of Trewent Point. CP cuts across Point but worth walking out to the end and round it. Next promontory, Greenhala Point, notable for its Iron Age fort.

4 Turn R over bridge and follow track (permissive path) across fields to car park and tearoom at Stackpole Quay.

2 4

2

5

Stackpole Quay’s tiny 18th century harbour is one of the smallest in Pembrokeshire. NT café, the Boathouse, is here. Leaving the harbour, climb a long flight of steps to reach the grassy cliff-top.

Before long path descends to Barafundle Bay. Continuing along coast, keep near to cliff edges rather than taking short cuts across headlands in order to enjoy views of splendid cliff scenery.

Once round Saddle Point, path turns inland at Broad Haven and descends towards a small footbridge across the river.

3 Stay on east side of river and continue to cross a wide footbridge, known as Grassy Bridge (in fact a dam built in the 18th century by the Estate to create the first lake here). Turn R on far side of bridge to follow west bank of eastern arm up to Eight Arch Bridge.

3

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Fiona Barltrop enjoys a delightful coastal walk ALTHOUGH ALMOST ANY STRETCH along Pembrokeshire’s superb Coast Path is sure to prove a fine walk, when it’s National Trust owned land too, you’re guaranteed quality. While OS Explorer maps are perhaps the best for walkers on the whole, one feature of the Landrangers that I particularly like is the mauve band denoting National Trust land. Spread

the Landranger maps out and at a quick glance you can pick out the mauve-edged stretches of coastline that are certain to provide some of the best walking there is. On the Explorer maps, Trust areas are shown as sandy-shaded access land, so it’s not obvious it is theirs, and along a coastline where you’ve got sandy coloured beaches, too, and closely-packed contours

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of a virtually identical hue, it’s far from easy to identify NT land.

In south Pembrokeshire, the NT’s Stackpole Estate includes not only spectacular limestone cliff scenery and two of the best beaches in Wales, but also, inland, woodland and lakes: the picturesque Bosherston Lily Ponds (as they are known). These artificial lakes The Great Outdoors December 2017 107

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Freshwater East beach, near start

Eight Arch Bridge over eastern arm of Bosherton Lily Ponds

Limestone cliff scenery west of Stackpole Head

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL36 (South Pembrokeshire); 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 158 (Tenby & Pembroke) Transport: Coastal Cruiser bus from Pembroke to Freshwater East: daily in summer, Thurs & Sat only in winter; nearest stop on regular hourly bus route (349 from Tenby to Haverfordwest) at Hodgeston, 15 min walk to Freshwater East along very quiet lane; nearest train station at Lamphey.

Traveline: 0871 200 2233, www.traveline. info Information: Pembroke TIC, 01437 776499, www.visitpembrokeshire.com; www.twohootscottages.co.uk.

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were created by the Estate in the 18th and 19th centuries by flooding three narrow limestone valleys through the building of a series of dams, weirs and sluices. Today they are a haven for wildlife and famous for their water lilies, hence the name.

It was my last day at lovely Two Hoots cottage in the hamlet of Hodgeston where I’d been based, and a beautiful day it was.

I’d walked to Stackpole earlier in the week along the highly scenic stretch of NT coastline south-west of Freshwater East, but the heavens had opened, and they meant business that day. So I was keen to do the walk again.

A 15-minute stroll down a peaceful country lane brought me to a small car park overlooking Freshwater Bay, from where I dropped down to the Coast Path and beach. The old red sandstone cliffs from here to Stackpole Quay contrast markedly with the limestone scenery

beyond, and the walking is more strenuous along the up-and-down cliffs of the former than the level grassy limestone cliff tops.

Not far from Stackpole Quay is beautiful Barafundle Bay, which has been voted the best beach in Britain and one of the top 12 in the world; such popularity-boosting accolades have an obvious downside but today, being low season (and a weekday), I was glad to find only a few others.

I kept as close to the cliff edges as possible, spotting a pair of choughs en route. Access beyond Broad Haven is restricted by the MoD, but that wasn’t a concern today as I headed inland alongside the eastern arm of the lakes to the aptlynamed Eight-Arch Bridge and then via a track back to Stackpole Quay. From there it was simply a matter of retracing my steps to Freshwater East, enjoying the views once more, but in the opposite direction. A truly delightful day.

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13km/8 miles/4-5 hours Ascent 330m/1070ft

Tarr Steps and Withypool Hill Exmoor ENGLAND 1 Start/Finish

2

Withypool car park GR SS845354 From the car park TL to cross the bridge and walk through the village.

As you follow the road uphill, find a stile on R (signed Footpath Tarr Steps), then follow the river.

2 1

7 At burial mound, take broad path to the SW to pass Withypool Stone Circle, before taking a pair of right turns to follow a path that contours around the northern flanks of the hill back to Worth Lane. TL to drop back to the village and the car park.

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Immediately after crossing Tarr Steps, take bridleway on R, following signs to Parsonage Farm.

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Start by following the path, soon veering off R to head for the low summit.

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TR onto Worth Lane, climbing until a sign to Withypool Hill directs you to TL onto open moorland.

4 As you meet the farm, TR (signed Withypool Hill), to follow path to Westwater Farm.

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Tim Gent goes barrow-hunting on Exmoor WHILE THIS WALK may wend its way out to Withypool Hill, with its stone circle and burial mounds, it would be hard to argue that the star attraction is anything other than its popular river crossing.

Even on an overcast grey morning, with the full glory of spring still to arrive, the Tarr Steps are pretty spectacular. In contrast to almost all TGO Wild Walks then, the high

point of this route is actually the lowest, at least in terms of altitude. It certainly felt a little odd to set off downhill, even if the gradient was shallow and easy-going – and very pretty.

The River Barle is a corker. If flyfishing sits anywhere in the ranking of your favourite outdoor pursuits, then walking the bank without a rod is going

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to be a bittersweet experience. I certainly spent much of the time imagining a wet fly tumbling among the bubbles between waterworn rocks, or sweeping alluringly over the gravels at the tail of a pool. Nonanglers will have to make do with dancing water set tight below steep banks of ancient oak and beech woodland, primroses and wild daffodils, dippers and kingfishers.

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Heading down the Barle valley from Withypool

The Barle

A short section of rugged path

Tarr Steps

The Bronze Age burial mound (and small modern cairn) at the summit of Withypool Hill

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL9 (Exmoor) Transport: Possibly bus 401 in summer, but check with Park Centre

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Information: Dulverton National Park Centre, 01398 323841

As soon as you leave the clapper bridge, the path rears up. After a few miles of almost flat walking, it’s quite a surprise to have to climb so steeply; one minute skipping from rock to rock along the wooded riverbank, the next heading out high over open fields, then open moor.

There are actually two early Bronze Age burial mounds at the top of Withypool Hill. No prizes (other than a fine view) are offered for finding the main mound, but you might enjoy the challenge of locating the much smaller barrow, hidden among the vegetation just off to the southwest. You can then go in search of one of

the more idiosyncratic of Britain’s stone circles.

Fans of Avebury, the Callanish Stones or the Ring of Brodgar might be a little disappointed by the find, if not distinctly puzzled. When we arrived, a ring of cut gorse, put in place during a recent imaginative attempt to protect the monument from horse hoof and foot erosion, was rather more obvious than the stones themselves. This late Neolithic or early Bronze Age monument certainly seems to take subtlety as its theme, but then that’s a feature of most Exmoor stone settings.

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10

16.5km/10.5 miles/4-5 hours Ascent 430m/1400ft

Kingley Vale from Stoughton West Sussex ENGLAND 9 After rejoining B2146, take footpath towards Lordington then Manor Farm and continue a few minutes through Walderton (a short diversion takes you to the Barley Mow pub, if required).

10

11

At sign by house ‘Finchfield,’ take path through to field and bear R to keep to outer edge.

After a few minutes, cut through into adjoining field and continue in same direction.

After passing though several fields (20 mins approx), walk through gap in trees and immediately TR to walk down towards Stoughton. Keep to grass at edges in wet conditions, as this section can be very slippery. At end of path, turn L back to start.

1 Start/Finish

Roadside parking by the Hare and Hounds pub GR: SU803115 With pub on L, follow road to signpost at Old Bartons, then continue past barns and take L fork onto the Monarch’s Way.

2

Turn R onto bridleway, then bear L onto track through the trees.

Continue up the gentle slope and along the narrowing path to Bow Hill.

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With cottage opposite, bear L onto road, then R onto main road. Continue past Racton Park Farm and go L at junction.

Take bridleway up past buildings on R to Racton Monument.

7

At Bow Hill, follow path up past ‘Welcome to Kingley Vale’ info board on R. Continue, passing trig point after a couple of minutes, until you reach the open land surrounding the Devil’s Humps.

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7 At remains of old building, go over stile at 90° and continue S until bearing R past farm buildings. After about 10 mins, at an open-fronted barn, take path down the R side, then cut through woodland, turning R onto bridleway.

5

6 After 8-10 mins, fork L and head towards woodland. Shortly after entering, bear L and follow bridleway until it emerges by a large metal gate with open land either side.

Shortly after passing the fourth barrow (on R), leave main path and head through a wooden gate towards Yew Tree Grove. Continue slow descent, gently bearing L to reach the entrance to Kingley Vale.

After visiting the wooden sculpture and information hut, exit by gate on R and follow path uphill to R. Take fork R and continue uphill with Stoke Down on L and Kingley Vale on R.

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Giles Babbidge enjoys a South Downs gem I OFTEN FEEL THAT, sadly, the South Downs are overlooked by walkers in search of more interesting or challenging routes. While this part of the country may not have the dominating, mountainous topography found further north, on a fine day there is much to be said for the quintessentially British panoramas of rolling hills and punchy skies.

And so it was that, after a swift pre-walk coffee at the Hare and Hounds in Stoughton, we set off with the sun on our backs, picking up the historic Monarch’s Way with farmers’ fields on either side and a gentle coolness in the air, it felt like spring wasn’t far away.

At the crest of a gentle slope leading to Stoughton Down, we paused and looked

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back to take in the views back towards the coast, the Isle of Wight visible in the hazy far distance. A bird of prey hovered on the breeze above understated long barrows and a pheasant was clearly having fun among the trees which would soon play host to the next stretch of our route. It wasn’t long before the first glimpses of deep woodland appeared, a bridleway pointing us in the The Great Outdoors December 2017 111

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The Monarch’s Way towards Stoughton Down Capturing the atmosphere in Yew Tree Grove

The Devil’s Humps

The remains of Racton Monument , known locally as Racton Tower or Racton Ruin

Further information Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL8 Chichester (South Harting & Selsey); 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 197 (Chichester & the South Downs) Transport: Nearest bus services from Havant, Southbourne and Chichester.

Nearest train station: Chichester (with connections to Havant and Southbourne).

Information: South Downs Centre, Midhurst, 01730 814810, info@ southdowns.gov.uk

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right direction as we navigated puddles created by the previous night’s rain.

For anyone who has never visited Kingley Vale, the vistas that its upper ridge offers towards Chichester appear as if by magic, thrust upon an unsuspecting eye.

After a few short minutes following a gentle incline, we reached one of the highlights of our walk - the Devil’s Humps. This set of four Bronze Age barrows, steeped in folklore, offered the perfect spot to pause for refreshments.

From the bright, open expanses atop Bow Hill, we were soon plunged into the subdued tones of Yew Tree Grove. Notable for its dark and twisted trees (some of which are thought to be 2,000 years old), this place has a calm, eerie beauty all its own. The sound of birdsong and distant

traffic were our only companions.

At every turn, a walk in the South Downs is punctuated with history and our route later took us to Lordington, a stone’s throw from the Racton Monument, a 16th century folly commissioned by the second Earl of Halifax and designed by Theodosius Keene. It is in a sad state of disrepair these days, yet its appeal is hard to avoid and so a small diversion was inevitable.

Before long, a relatively level passage through a series of lower-lying fields nestled between the small hamlet of Walderton and Stoughton village returned us to our starting point, and a chance to reflect on the hidden delights we had enjoyed. I think my companion summed it up well: “I didn’t even know these places existed in the South Downs”.

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GIFTS

that don’t cost the earth

CICERONE CICERO ONE E getting away this Christmas? for snow Ski touring and Snowshoe-ing in the Dolomites Alpine Ski Mountaineering

NEW guides to the sun Sierras of Extremadura Walking in Cyprus Walking and Trekking in the Sierra Nevada (for snow and sun!)

25% off from mid November cicerone.co.uk i k

To advertise please call 01732 445302

READERS’ PHOTOS

‘Breeze’

Rusty the English Setter, enjoying a walk on Skye Photo: Dennis Flynn

Annapurna Photo: Michael Henley

Kite surfing in Scotland Photo: Michael Henley

Windswept on Skiddaw Photo: John Turner

Bolivian flag Photo: Michael Henley

In our readers’ photography series, we invite you to send in your best pictures on a specific theme. Next is ‘Cosy’ by 18 November and then ‘Pure’ by 15 December.

Next month: ‘Cosy’

Breezy Blencathra Photo: Stuart Shipp (@CityMountaineering)

Send your pics to tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk or The Editor, The Great Outdoors, Kelsey Publishing, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG Tag your Instagram shots with #TGO #TheGreatOutdoors and we’ll share them!

114 The Great Outdoors December 2017

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Inspiring

Adventure

Glenmore Lodge instructors are kept warm and dry thanks to The North Face Summit Series Range

Ellis Brigham is the official retail partner of Glenmore Lodge

We are Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre.

We run a wide range of skills courses and qualifications in 12 different mountain and paddle sports including scrambling, walking, navigation, climbing, skiing, mountain biking and sea kayaking.

ALL WINTER COURSE DATES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

Övik Scandinavian Sweater W

forever warm Forever Nature

out here,nature is waiting for you.And sometimes nature is cold.Fjällräven have kept people warm for almost half a century now. Forever is our goal.

The Övik Scandinavian Sweater is a comfortable sweater knitted in Sweden. It’s made from a soft and warm wool blend with a jacquard knitted inspired by Scandinavian folklore.

No garment will last forever.But with its timeless and functional design,long-lasting material and the right care,this sweater will keep you warm for a very long time.

w w w. f j a l l r av e n . c o .u k