SPECIAL SCOTLAND’S SEASONAL WONDERLAND

ISSUE GLEN AFFRIC | CREAG MEAGAIDH | GLEN COE

www.tgomagazine.co.uk

WIN T ER IN T HE
£4.60 | MARCH 2018

HIGHLANDS
12
routes to LAKE
walk this DISTRICT
weekend Walk Bow Fell &
Crinkle Crags

ED BYRNE
tackles a
via ferrata
GET INTO SNOW
Mountains for
winter beginners [ D I S C O V E R ]
PA G E S 1 8 - 1 9
Ski mountaineering
SNOWDONIA Slow adventuring
Walkers’ guide
to Llanberis
PA G E 1 2
EXPERT TESTED
Winter walking boots
Cold weather sleepin
g bags
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 WELCOME
Fantastic conditions above Glen Etive Photo: David Lintern
When Scotland sparkles
THERE’S A VERY GOOD REASON why
walkers and mountaineers get excited about a
quality Scottish winter. When conditions are
good, climbing the hills can feel like entering
another world: a magical, snow-smothered
adventure playground. I’ve had some of the best outdoor
experiences of my life on Scotland’s winter mountains, and no
doubt many of you have too.
In this special issue of The Great Outdoors, we’re celebrating
everything that makes winter in the Scottish hills so extraordinary
– with featured trips from Creag Meagaidh and Glen Coe, a
gorgeous photo essay from Glen Affric, and Cameron McNeish on
the media frenzy that breaks out over mountain accidents, and why
it will never stop him going into the winter hills.
Scotland is also the best country in the world for ski
Get in touch: tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk @TGOMagazine
mountaineering, according to our expert Andy Townsend at
Glenmore Lodge, and on page 72 he explains why – as well as
offering some tips for those looking to try this most challenging
and dynamic of winter sports.
Of course, not every winter turns out how we’d like it. The
general consensus is that last year’s was something approaching a
write-off. But so far (and the season has barely begun) there’s been
plenty of snow on the tops, and a good few blue skies under which
to enjoy it. If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, the hashtag
#scotwinter is a great way to find out what conditions are like and
how other people have been making the most of them. Take care
up there – and have fun!
Emily Rodway, Editor
@EmilyOutdoors
/TGOMagazine www.tgomagazine.co.uk
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 3
 CONTENTS
March 2018

Escape
Inspiration to get away
8 Ill Bell and Froswick,
Lake District
30
Creag Meagaidh
Almanac A sublime but demanding day
In the outdoors this month on a classic winter mountain
10 In the Frame Llyn Idwal
11 Stories George Borrow
12 Walkers’ Guide Llanberis
14 In Numbers & News
16 Q&A Andy Kirkpatrick
18 Top 10 for winter beginners
20 Events Calendar
22 Roger Smith
24 Letters
114 Readers’ pictures

28
Arenig Fawr
Jim Perrin pays tribute to a mountain
Under cover of WKDWèVRIWHQWKHĆUVWLQ6QRZGRQLDWR
snow, every gully gather winter’s early snows
and corrie is picked
out in stark shades
of black and white
Cameron McNeish, page 48
42 Cameron McNeish
Why nothing will keep him
RIIWKHVQRZFRYHUHGKLOOV

On the cover
On Creag Bhan, Glen Coe, by
David Lintern

36 Glen Coe
Explore the glen’s little visited Munro,
6JXUUQDK8ODLGKDQGLWVVLVWHU
Corbett, Meall Lighiche

4 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 “Rope bridges and cargo nets? This was supposed
to be little clamber about on a rock face; now
it’s turned into a hillside assault course”
Ed Byrne, page 68

Hill Skills
The Great Outdoors
Guide to Ski
Mountaineering
72 The basics

48
74 Gear Skis, boots,
bindings, spikes...
76 Techniques
and safety

)%ŰǕ
Stunning photography
depicting the most iconic
of Scottish glens

54 Bow Fell &

Crinkle Crags
Route from new guide to winter
in the Lakes, plus interview
Gear
The latest news, reviews and
product comparisons
78 New gear
80 Sleeping bags
86 Winter boots
90 Trekking pole technology

SUBSCRIBE TO TGO
Turn to page 70 for details

Wild Walks
Walking routes across England, Scotland and Wales

And also... 93 Dun da Lamh, Strathspey 95 Ben Lomond, Southern Highlands

58 Coleridge Way Introducing the ‘Slow
Adventure’ approach to trail walking
66 Ed Byrne The outdoor comedian checks
out the via ferrata at Honister Slate Mine
97 Culter Fell, Southern Uplands 99 6W6XQGD\&UDJ )DLUĆHOGLake
District 101 Totridge & Fair Snape Fell, Forest of Bowland
103 Melbecks Moors & Rogan’s Seat, Yorks Dales 105 Westerdale &
Esk Valley Way, North York Moors 107 Northern Stiperstones &
Earl’s Hill, Shropshire 109 Dduallt, Snowdonia 111 Steps Bridge &
Mardon Down, Dartmoor

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 5

C O N T R I B U T O R S & C O N TA C T S
Stephen Goodwin Damian Shields
Stephen Goodwin is a former Fleet An award-winning landscape
Street journalist who in 1999 jumped photographer from North
ship to settle in Cumbria’s beautiful Lanarkshire, Damian is also a Picture www.tgomagazine.co.uk
Eden Valley. Author of three Lake Editor for The Herald QHZVSDSHUb,Q THE GREAT OUTDOORS is published by
District guidebooks, he is an this issue of The Great Outdoors, he Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berrys
Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG
active hillwalker, rock climber and shares a collection of wonderfully
EDITORIAL
ski-mountaineer. Right now, he is atmospheric photographs from Editor: Emily Rodway
enjoying superb winter conditions on JORULRXV*OHQ$IIULF'DPLDQbLV HPLO\URGZD\#NHOVH\PHGLDFRXN
Equipment Editor: Chris Townsend
his Cumbrian doorstep - good currently preparing work for two FKULVWRZQVHQGRXWGRRUV#JPDLOFRP
training for a forthcoming ski XSFRPLQJH[KLELWLRQVDSRUWIROLRRI Online Editor: Alex Roddie
Sub Editors: Roger Smith & Amber Evans
traverse of Norway’s Jotunheim images of the Faroe Islands at Atlantic Contributor: Hanna Lindon
Art Editor: Helen Blunt
mountains. Turn to page 54 for a brief Quay in Glasgow and a joint exhibition
interview with Stephen and a route at the Watermill Gallery in Aberfeldy. ADVERTISEMENT SALES
Advertising & Creative Sales
over Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags, <RXFDQVHHPRUHRIKLVSKRWRJUDSKV Manager: Amy Reeves-Clews
excerpted from his new guidebook, at damianshields.com DQGĆQG'DPLDQ (PDLObDP\UHHYHV#WDONPHGLDVDOHVFRXN
7HO
Winter Walks in the Lake District. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PRODUCTION
Production Supervisor: 'LRQQH)LVKHU
(PDLObNHOVH\OLIHVW\OH#DWJUDSKLFVXNFRP
Production Manager:
7HDP/HDGHU0HODQLH&RRSHU

Publishing Operations Manager: Charlotte Whittaker
MANAGEMENT
Managing Director: Phil Weeden
Chief Executive: Steve Wright
Chairman: Steve Annetts
Finance Director: Joyce Parker-Sarioglu
Publishing Director:.HYLQ0F&RUPLFN
Retail Distribution Manager: Eleanor Brown
Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton
Brand Marketing Manager: Kate Chamberlain
Events Manager: Kat Chappell
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Laurence McJannet Hanna Lindon 13 issues of The Great Outdoors are published per annum
UK annual subscription price: e
/DXUHQFHbLVDIUHHODQFHMRXUQDOLVWZKR Freelance journalist and regular Europe annual subscription price: e
worked on a national newspaper in contributor to the The Great Outdoors, USA annual subscription price: e
Rest of World annual subscription price: e
Beirut before returning to the UK to +DQQDb/LQGRQUHFHQWO\LQWURGXFHG
Contact us
write for numerous sports and her toddler to the hills with a week UK subscription and back issue orderline: 
DGYHQWXUHPDJD]LQHVDQGWRGHVLJQ of walking around Fort William. This Overseas subscription orderline: 
Toll free USA subscription orderline: 
cycling maps for sustainable transport year she’s planning plenty of family UK customer service team:
charity Sustrans. He is also the author wild camping adventures, as well as Customer service email address: VXEV#NHOVH\FRXN
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of a guidebook, Bikepacking: Mountain DWULSWR0RURFFRèV+LJK$WODVWREDJ The Great Outdoors Customer Service Team,
Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s
Bike Camping Adventures on the Wild VRPHPRUHVHULRXVVXPPLWVb,QWKH Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG United Kingdom
Trails of Britain, published by Wild PHDQWLPHIRUWKLVPRQWKèVPDJD]LQH
Website
7KLQJVbDQGLVFXUUHQWO\UHVHDUFKLQJ Hanna compiled our guides to The Great Outdoors online WJRPDJD]LQHFRXN
his second book on the best coastal Llanberis and mountain walks for Find current subscription offers at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgo
Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgoback
bike rides around the UK. When he’s winter beginners, and interviewed View our specialist books at shop.kelsey.co.uk/tgobook
not out on his bike, Laurence also en- Andy Kirkpatrick about climbing, Already a subscriber?
joys exploration on foot. Turn to page comedy, and how having kids made 0DQDJH\RXUVXEVFULSWLRQRQOLQHDW
shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount
IRUKLVWULSRQWKH&ROHULGJH:D\ him even more attracted to danger.
DISTRIBUTION
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Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT
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PRINTING
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name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is
forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note
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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
OHWWHUVDQGHPDLOVUHFHLYHG7KHYLHZVH[SUHVVHGLQWKHPDJD]LQHDUHQRW
necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd
accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.
Kelsey Publishing Ltd uses a multi-layered privacy notice, giving you
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For full details, visit www.kelsey.co.uk , or call 01959 543524. If you
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Kelsey Publishing, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG. It is essential that your email or letter is headed WLPHYLDHPDLOGDWDFRQWUROOHU#NHOVH\FRXNRU
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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.

6 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 Palermo Costa Normanna

Every journey
is a unique
experience.

ACTIVE UNUSUAL
CULTURE
SURPRISING
FOOD
CULTURE
FOR KIDS
TOURISM

Enjoy an active vacation amid history

and nature.
Walking, biking, and horseback excursions start first thing in the
morning, discovering picturesque views and historic centers.
The region's territory is the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities
and excursions that everyone from novice to expert will enjoy.
Put together an itinerary that suits you, work out your trip and look
for events that appeal to you the most.

WE INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE

8 The Great Outdoors March 2018
 Escape

Ill Bell and

Froswick, Lake
District
“During winter I often head to the
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preferring instead to be responsive
to an unpredictable landscape. In
addition to the volatile weather
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sculpted canvas awaits.
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rather longer than planned to
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March 2018 The Great Outdoors 9

ALMANAC
MARCH 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

LQëHKLçV IN THE
FRAME
STORIES OF
THE HILLS
WALKERS
GUIDE
IN NUMBERS Q&A
& ARCHIVE PROFILE
TOP 10
WALKS
EVENTS COMMENT
CALENDAR COLUMN
READER
LETTERS

IN THE ARTIST IAN PHILLIPS has been making linocut prints for over 20 years, and in 2001
FRAME moved to Wales to live and work among its mountain landscapes. The view depicted
here is from the west shore of Llyn Idwal, looking towards Tryfan.
“The area around Llyn Idwal and above Llyn Ogwen are favourites of mine to walk
and draw,” says Ian. “I’ll walk around all day and make numerous line drawings. I’m
looking for a ‘finished view composition’. All I have to do is keep walking and exploring
until I find exactly the right place to stand in the landscape, looking in the right
direction, to get the composition for my print. Then I just have to draw it out, making
notes on weather and colour etc, and I’ve got all I need to go back to the studio and
produce the final print.”
Mountain The 'reduction linocut' technique involves printing an image from a single sheet of
lino, with the colours cut and printed sequentially from light to dark. The white part of the

Light
image is cut away from the block and then the first, lightest, colour is printed. The areas of
the image which are the first light colour are then cut away from the block, and a slightly
darker colour is then printed on top. The process is then repeated until the final, darkest

Ian Phillips colour is printed.

“For this print I wanted to work more on using cutting and tonal variation to get the
sense of scale and light one finds in the hills,” explains Ian. “I left out my usual colour
and instead worked with diluted black for the lighter areas and gradually brought in
more black to darken the tones towards the foreground.”
Ian is exhibiting at the Great Print Exhibition at Rheged until 18 February. You can
Linocut 56cm x 38cm see more of his work at www.reliefprint.co.uk.

10 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 +LçZDONLQJKLVWè\
STORIES OF THE HILLS
GEORGE
BORROW
EVENING; the walk back to the car
along the A5 after a long round
of the Glyderau or Carneddau; a
faint suggestion of footfall behind
you along the deserted road
causes you to lean against a wall,
glance behind, call to the mind’s
eye this vision or phantom from
RIDĆJXUHVWULGLQJRXWIRU
Bangor in the dusk. He’s dressed
in black broadcloth, sturdy boots
on his feet, a shock of silvery hair,
over six feet tall and with the
build of a heavyweight boxer – an
impressive man, particularly when
you engage him in conversation,
as, in my imagination, I have often
done. Meet my friend George
Borrow – or “Gipsy George”.
You can certainly argue for him
as an outdoors person, right from
his youth on Mousehold Heath,
where he consorted with Jasper
Petulengro and his Romany
tribe. His description of their
conversations at one time was
known to every literate person
in England: “There’s the sun, moon
and stars, brother – all sweet things!
There’s also a wind on the heath. Life
is sweet, brother. Who would wish
to die?”
That’s from his 1851
masterpiece, Lavengro: The Scholar,
the Gipsy, the Priest – a marvellous
ĆFWLYHPHPRLUDERXQGLQJLQ
graphic incident and setting a tone
entirely at odds with Victorian
society’s headlong rush into
industrialisation and propriety.
It, and its sequel of 1857, The
Drumming
woodpeckers
Of more than 200 species of
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
woodpecker worldwide, only three
are found in the UK: the great
spotted, lesser spotted and green
woodpecker. It’s the great spotted
woodpecker that you’re most likely to
hear drumming on trees. This striking
bird, around the size of a blackbird, is found widely
in Great Britain, although not in the north of
Scotland. Its drumming starts as early as mid
January and continues through the spring.
Romany
Rye, have been favourites since
my teenage years. But the book
with most appeal to the walking
community must surely be his
Wild Wales of 1862. It describes a
walking tour through Wales in the
summer and autumn of 1854, and
LVWRP\PLQGWKHĆQHVWERRNRI
pedestrian travel ever published
about a region of the British Isles.
Its monumental erudition is
certainly one factor. Its historical
interest in giving a curious
snapshot of Wales during the
period of the Crimean War is
another. But towering over those
is the character of the author – his
elliptical humour, his capacity
for invention, his tall tales, liking
for bar-room conversation, his
adventurous spirit. Here he is,
reaching the top of Snowdon:
“Getting up we set about
surmounting what remained of
the ascent. The path was now
winding and much more steep than
it had hitherto been. I was at one
time apprehensive that my gentle
companion would be obliged to give
over the attempt; the gallant girl,
however, persevered, and in little
more than twenty minutes from the
time when we arose from our resting
place under the crags, we stood, safe
and sound, though panting, upon the
very top of Snowdon, the far-famed
Wyddfa.”
Join him there. There’s much
about his company that instructs
and delights. Jim Perrin
Shops Nationwide
ellis-brigham.com
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ALMANAC
WALKERS'
GUIDE
LLANBERIS
7+($70263+(5(2)$1$/3,1(&/,0%,1*
9,//$*(3$,5(':,7+7+(%(6702817$,1
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IT MIGHT BE the starting point for the busiest
route up Snowdon, but don’t let that put you off.
Llanberis is the outdoors capital of North Wales,
crammed with walker-friendly hangouts and
surrounded by some of the best high-mountain
terrain in the country.
With attractions such as the Snowdon Mountain
Railway and Electric Mountain on the doorstep,
the town could easily have morphed into a
tourist trap. Granted, Llanberis gets its fair share
of visitors, but never enough to overwhelm the
locals. Take a stroll down the high street and
you’ll hear Welsh and English spoken in almost
equal measure. Plenty of outdoor obsessives from
around the country have migrated here as well
to take advantage of the adventure scene. The
result is a rash of independent outdoor shops and
climbers’ cafes where mountain folk meet to yarn
about their latest exploits.
Snowdon rears up right behind the town – climb
Wales’s highest peak via the Llanberis Path or
hop on the Sherpa Bus up to Pen-y-Pass to meet
the Miners’ Track, the Pyg Track and the route
up Crib Goch. On the other side of the pass are
the Glyderau, all manageable in a long day from
Llanberis (possibly best saved for summer!). Or
eschew the big boys to bag some of the peaks
closer to town, such as Elidir Fawr and Moel Eilio.
There’s enough to do around Llanberis to fill weeks
of walking holiday.
12 The Great Outdoors 0DUFK
WALK
HERE
1. MOEL EILIO
Wonderful ridge-walking with
OLWWOHWHFKQLFDOGLIĆFXOW\DQG
accessible right from the town.
The views of Snowdon can be
PDJQLĆFHQWRQDFOHDUGD\
2. THE GLYDERAU
7KHPLJKW\*O\GHUVDUH
JHQHUDOO\EDJJHGIURPWKH
north, but the linear route from
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is quieter and just as fun, with
RSWRXWRSWLRQVDORQJWKHZD\
Use the Sherpa Bus to reach
the starting point.
STAY Budget: YHA Snowdon Llanberis
5HFHQWO\UHQRYDWHGKRVWHOZLWKEHGVDQG
FRV\FDPSLQJSRGVyha.org.uk
3KRWR'-7D\ORU6KXWWHUVWRFN
Mid-range: Lake View Hotel
&RPIRUWDEOHHQVXLWHDFFRPPRGDWLRQDQG
home-cooked meals.

Splurge: Seiont Manor
6WXQQLQJWK&HQWXU\PDQVLRQFRPSOHWH
with indoor pool, sauna and award-winning
restaurant. seiontmanor.co.uk
EAT Pete’s Eats
This iconic joint has been serving giant
EUHDNIDVWVWRFOLPEHUVVLQFH,WFODLPV
WREHêSRVVLEO\WKHEHVWFDIILQWKHZRUOGë
ZKLFKLVQèWIDURIIWKHPDUN
petes-eats.co.uk
DRINK The Heights
7KHUHèVDJRRGVHOHFWLRQRIUHDODOHV
DQGDIULHQGO\DWPRVSKHUHDWWKLV
bunkhouse-cum-bar in the town centre.
theheightsllanberis.co.uk
SHOP Joe Brown
Famous independent outdoor
VWRUHIRXQGHGE\RQHRIWKHDOOWLPH
mountaineering greats.
joe-brown.com
TRAVEL Take the train to Bangor and
KRSRQWKH$UULYDRSHUDWHGEXVWR
/ODQEHULV8VHWKH6QRZGRQ6KHUSDVHUYLFH
to link the paths around Snowdon.
DID YOU KNOW?/ODQEHULVLVKRPHWR
the largest working water wheel in mainland
Britain.
MAPS 26/DQGUDQJHU([SORUHU2/
+DUYH\6XSHUZDONHU6QRZGRQLD1RUWK
 “A SUBLIME RUSH OF ADRENALINE”
####
EMPIRE
EMPIRE
#### THE
THE GUARDIAN
GUARDIAN
####
TOTAL
TOTAL FILM
FILM

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF

SHERPA WITH THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

NARR ATED BY WILLEM DAFOE

A B R E AT H TA K I N G VOYAG E IN TO T H E E X T R EME

OUT ON DVD & BLU-RAY

available at
ALMANAC
News
IN NUMBERS
Bridge down
Ǖ#
 Celebrating
SCOTLAND'S
OUTDOORS
2003 Less than
In January, Ramblers
Scotland held an event

5
at the Scottish % of Scotland’s
Parliament to celebrate Fifteen years ago, Core Path
the 15th anniversary of the Land Reform network is on
the passing of the (Scotland) Act secured paths created since
pioneering Land access rights to the the Land Reform
Reform (Scotland) Act. majority of Scotland’s (Scotland) Act.

13
land and inland water

%
We have been advised by They also launched
Ǔ#
!
Ǖ
/ their new campaign,

20,000km
0ǕǓ

 Ǖ
 ‘Out There’, to build Total length of
River Carnach at NM866965 has been more paths on the Scotland’s ‘Core
closed and removed because it had ground and show more Paths’, the most
become too dangerous to use. This of them on maps. important routes,
Unlike in England and
increase in
bridge provided a vital link in the designated by
route from Inverie to Sourlies bothy Wales, where recreational
local authorities as
(NM869951), a popular stopping- Ordnance Survey have
a requirement of
walking in

ǕǕ
Ǔ1) been able to show all Scotland in the
paths on maps since the Land Reform
&

(ǓǕ

Act. There is no past six years

£1.26
Munro-bagging in the area. It’s also a 1949 as part of legal
ǕǕ
#
Ǖ
 protection of rights of requirement for
the Cape Wrath Trail. way, many of Scotland’s these paths to be
The bridge is being removed and paths, including Core shown on maps.
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their intention to replace it as soon as designated by local

BILLION
possible, but could give no timescale authorities as a
as a considerable sum of money will requirement of the
have to be raised and the logistics of Land Reform Act) are members of VisitScotland’s
building a bridge in this remote not on OS maps. Ramblers Scotland, estimate of the annual

Ǖ
Ǖų\ ramblers.org.uk/outthere with 54 local groups economic impact
It should be stressed that the across the country of walking tourism
crossing of the River Carnach is
extremely dangerous and there have
been drownings here in the past. ARCHIVE
There is no alternative route and you “In these degenerate days, even the remotest of mountains is
would have to go a long way up the being tamed by two wheels. Ben Alder’s long walk-in is
Ǖ
ű
Ǖ
Ǖ\3
being replaced by the short cycle.”
will update readers via our website
when we receive further news.
knoydart-foundation.com
RONALD TURNBULL
The Great Outdoors, December 2002

Beinn Achaladair
Beinn a' Chreachain Beinn an Dothaidh
Beinn Heasgarnich Meall Buidhe Beinn Mhic-Mhonaidh

Glas Bheinn
Leathad Mor
THE

View
Photo: Ronald Turnbull

Loch Lubnaig

FROM HERE
A' Chruach
14 The Great Outdoors March 2018
Choose your
DREAM CHALLENGE!
We're ready to help you
Mount
Kilimanjaro
Trek 7 - 18
Sept 2018
Take on this once in a lifetime trek to
the ‘roof of Africa’! Our stunning hike
will be via the quieter Lemosho Route,
giving us time to acclimatise to the
altitude. With experienced mountain
guides you will be lead through pristine
rainforest to barren lunar landscapes
across the Shira Plateau and onwards to
Uhuru Peak. There will be free time in
Arusha to celebrate your achievements
perhaps with an optional safari before
flying home.
Registration Fee: £399
Fundraising Target: £4,600
OR Tour Cost: £2,295
For further information or to register please get in touch:-
01590 646410 | email: events@dream-challenges.com | www.dream-challenges.com
Hike the
Himalayas
26 Oct - 4
Nov 2018
The challenge is on to trek to Poon Hill
in the stunning Annapurna region. The
trek will take us through charming
Nepalese villages where we will
experience the culture of the mountain
people of Nepal first hand. We hike
the beautiful Modi Khola river valley,
climbing ridges and crossing streams.
The challenge will be tough even at
these lower altitudes but the friendship
and camaraderie along the way will be
very special.
Registration Fee: £299
Fundraising Target: £3,000
OR Tour Cost: £1,495
Jordan
Desert Trek
28 Oct - 4
Nov 2018
Trek from the Dead Sea to the
UNESCO World Heritage Site at Petra.
Accompanied by Bedouin guides we
trek through mountain and desert
terrain, using ancient trails and sacred
routes, encountering numerous
archaeological and historical wonders
on the way. We will sleep under the
stars in remote desert camps and
experience Bedouin hospitality. There
will be time to explore world-famous
Petra and surrounding areas.
Registration Fee: £299
Fundraising Target: £2,900
OR Tour Cost: £1,445
 Q&A
I climb,
therefore
I am
INTERVIEW: HANNA LINDON
Andy Kirkpatrick is a mountaineer,
funnyman, and two-time Boardman Tasker-
winning author. He has soloed El Captain’s
5HWLFHQW:DOOPDGHPXOWLSOHĆUVWDVFHQWV
in Antarctica, and led winter expeditions
across the world – but that won’t stop him
from feeling the nerves when he steps onto
the stage this month for a new lecture tour.
Entitled Psychovertical: A Higher Education,
the tour coincides with the release of Jen
5DQGDOO
VQHZĆOP3V\FKR9HUWLFDOEDVHGRQ
Andy's autobiography
Head to our website to read what
happened when Ed Byrne had a day
out in the hills with Andy
www.tgomagazine.co.uk/ed-byrne/
ed-byrne-tries-climbing-with-andy-
kirkpatrick/
16 The Great Outdoors March 2018
You're known as the UK's only 'stand-up
mountaineer'. What’s more fun – comedy
or climbing?
There are a lot of similarities between the
two! When you’re on stage, you’re all by
yourself with no props of any kind to fall
back on. It’s the same when you’re climbing
– if you’re soloing something then you can
only depend on yourself in that moment.
Trying to make people laugh is the hardest
thing you can do on stage, and doing that
for two hours straight…well, it’s probably as
bad as soloing El Capitan.
You get nervous then?
I get really nervous, but when you walk on
stage you can’t let the audience see it. They
don’t care if you’re rubbish, but they care
if you project your rubbishness at them.
That’s another similarity with climbing,
DFWXDOO\å\RXèUHEOXIĆQJWKHZKROHWLPH
What’s the theme of your new tour?
I’ve just been in the Alps for two-and-a-half
months, and the plan was to talk about
P\ĆUVWIHZWLPHVKHUHåKRZGLIĆFXOWDQG [top] Climbing the Lafaille Route of the Dru,
France [above] Geared up and ready to go...
dangerous it was, all the stupid things we [right] Ulvetanna, Antarctica
did – and contrast it with climbing today. But
the weather is so bad that it isn’t working
out. I’ve been thinking a lot about the
ridiculousness of spending your life chasing
the right weather and the right conditions,

and why the likes of me come out here and
spend all this money to climb a lump of rock.
So what’s the answer?
If I give it up, it’s like: what else am I? We’re
living today in this void of identity and
climbing is a manifestation of who I am.
Ok, so which of your climbing
achievements are you most proud of?
I guess the best achievement is still being
alive! The older you get, the more you look
back at your younger self and think how
stupid you were and how blind to so many
things. I still am blind to a lot of things,
actually!
What has been the most exciting
expedition of your life?
Ulvetanna in Antarctica. I did a new route
with some Norwegians who wanted to base
jump from the top but they didn’t really
have any climbing experience. It was pretty
fraught – so fraught that I have trouble
thinking about it – and it’s quite amazing
that we actually got to the top.
How about the hairiest experience?
I tried to solo the Troll Wall in Norway
and failed about 15 metres from the top
because it was just too dangerous. I had
my camera switched on in my pocket and it
started playing some footage I’d taken of my
son emptying lemonade bottles in the car
SDUNDW$OGLUHDG\WRĆOOWKHPZLWKZDWHUIRU
my trip. And I heard this little voice saying:
"Dad, get away". Ten days on the wall, and
ALMANAC
to fail so close to the top… Mind you, I went
back the next year in winter to climb the last
>>
bit – but the success didn’t mean anything.
It wasn’t worth it, going all that way just for Andy
the last 15 metres. IN A NUTSHELL
Did having kids moderate your desire to
court danger?
No. It made it worse. That was the only skill I
had. I didn’t go to uni, I couldn’t get a proper
job – the only thing I had was climbing,
writing about it and getting sponsorship.
So having kids was just a driver to be more
successful.
'LGWKDWFUHDWHDFRQćLFWEHWZHHQZRUN
and family?
It was always a real struggle. If I went away
then I had to make it count, because I was
VDFULĆFLQJDORWQRWWREHWKHUH:KDWPDGH
LWPRUHGLIĆFXOWZDVWKDW,ORYHGP\MRE,I Summer or winter?
you’re going away to do something you love, Winter – I don’t like rain!
you feel like you’re neglecting your wife –
it’s like having an affair. You’re saying: "I still Most amazing summit experience?
love you, but I have to do this for me". Men Climbing El Cap in winter and proposing
nowadays have to try and be what women to my wife on the summit
want them to be, whereas in the past in
wouldn’t have been an issue. Favourite UK climbing spot?
Borrowdale – I love the history of the
You took your 13-year-old daughter up El place.
Capitan. Do you think it’s important for
kids to have adventure in their lives? Ultimate climbing partner?
Of course - we’re physical beings, not Bear Grylls – we can re-enact Touching the
desktop computers. Void and Bear can be Joe!
+RZGLG\RXIXOĆOWKDWQHHGIRUDGYHQWXUH )DYRXULWHDGYHQWXUHERRNRUĆOP"
growing up in Hull? Into the Wild
Hull had all these buried, bombed-out
buildings, so that was my wilderness as a Most fraught situation you’ve ever
child. There were lots of different dangers. been in?
We used to go swimming in these utterly Dropping my boot on the Frendo Spur in
JULPGRFNVZLWKGHDGDQLPDOVćRDWLQJ winter
around in the water. Every year somebody
would drown and the headmaster would tell How about the funniest?
us we couldn’t go swimming in the docks, When a climbing partner crapped into his
but the kids would carry on doing it anyway. boots then got back into the bivvy tent
and got it all over me...
Do you have any regrets?
There’s a line in Psycho Vertical where I say Life philosophy in one line?
that I’m more afraid of regrets than of saying Everything in moderation but
yes. If you’ve got divorced or something moderation.
like that then you can look back and think
how it could have been avoided. But then Finally, if you had to go for a nice,
if you have beautiful kids… well, as long as straightforward hill walk somewhere in
you’re happy where you are right now then the UK, where would you choose?
I think it’s okay. You’re made by all your Tryfan: it’s always an adventure.
mistakes as well as your good judgments.
:KHQ,ZDWFKND\DNLQJĆOPVWKH\DOZD\V
seem to talk about ‘the line’ – when you’re
RQDGDQJHURXVULYHU\RXKDYHWRĆQGWKH
safest or most beautiful line. That’s just like Psychovertical: A Higher Education
life really; there are so many whirlpools and will begin touring in February, visiting 27
rocks, and you just have to make the best venues across the UK. To book tickets, visit
way down you can. www.speakersfromtheedge.com
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 17
ALMANAC

10
The arrival of snow brings both
added magic and additional
challenges to the hills. Here are
MOUNTAINS FOR
WINTER some wonderful mountains on
BEGINNERS
which to hone your winter skills
Nothing compares to a bluebird winter day, with a
duvet of snow blanketing the mountains and rime
ice glittering on every cairn. If you don’t have much
experience of winter, it’s easy to be intimidated
into staying sofa-bound throughout the colder
7
months. But getting out there is less daunting than 3
you might think. Learn how to use your axe and 8
crampons, make sure your navigation skills are up
to scratch (those helpful paths often vanish under
VQRZDQGPDNH\RXUĆUVWIHZWULSVZLWKDPRUH
experienced friend or a local guide.
1. SNOWDON, WALES
Start/finish: Snowdon Ranger YHA
Š:ׄBăƆăăăŏš
Distance:ŏƗĩĵxƁţăĵĜĬåŸ
Ascent:ŏljljljĵ
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ăěƆĘŅƚųŸ
Snowdon has an array of fantastic routes
to its summit. In summer, thousands take
the Llanberis path to the top – but under
winter snow, conditions can be treacherous
on the stretch known as the 'Killer Convex',
where the railway line crosses steep slopes
above Clogwyn Coch. Consider taking the
Ranger Path or another alternative, and don't
underestimate this most popular of mountains.
2. HIGH STREET, LAKE DISTRICT
Start/finish: Mardale Head
Š:×c¥ĊƆŀŏljƁš
Distance: ŏƑĩĵxîĵĜĬåŸ
Ascent: îljljĵ
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ăĘŅƚųŸ
When you tramp your way across this broad
summit, you’ll be following a 2,000-year-old
Roman road that linked forts at Brougham
and Ambleside. Combined with Kidsty Pike
and Mardale Ill Bell, it makes a classic walk.
The rocky Riggindale ridge over Rough Crag
and Long Stile offers a shorter but more
demanding alternative.
3. SCHIEHALLION, CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS
Start/finish: Braes of Foss car park
Š:×ccƁăƗăăîš
Distance:ŏljĩĵxƆĵĜĬåŸ
Ascent: ƁƑljĵåƋųåŸ
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ĊţăĘŅƚųŸ
18 The Great Outdoors March 2018
9
2 10
Photo: DJTaylor/Shutterstock
6
4 Photo: Andrew Fletcher/Shutterstock
1
5
This famous cone-shaped Munro dominates
the skyline above Loch Rannoch and its
summit offers some of the best views
in the Highlands. At over 1,000 metres,
Schiehallion retains its snow cover for much
of the winter – and yet the ascent is relatively
uncomplicated compared to many Munros.
Photo: Duncan Andison/Shutterstock
4. KINDER SCOUT, PEAK
plenty of company on a trek up the Brecon
DISTRICT Beacons’ highest peak in the snow. Good
Start/finish: )Ú±ĬåŠ:ׄUŏƗƑîăƑš conditions might tempt you to complete the
Distance:ŏĊĩĵxŀĵĜĬåŸ full Horseshoe but as a winter warm-up, an
Ascent: Ɔăljĵ ascent of Corn Ddu and Pen y Fan from the
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ăĘŅƚųŸ south-west is plenty enough.
Kinder’s boggy summit plateau can be boot-
suckingly treacherous in all but the coldest 6. WHERNSIDE, YORKSHIRE
conditions, making it a walk best saved
DALES
for winter. The bleak terrain mimics high-
mountain conditions while never leading Start/finish: Ribblehead
you too far from civilisation – but good Š:ׄ%ƁƆƑƁŀljš
navigation skills are crucial. You may prefer Distance:ŏƑĩĵxîĵĜĬåŸ
an out-and-back on the Pennine Way to Ascent:ăƑljĵ
crossing the plateau. „ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ƆĘŅƚųŸ
The views from Yorkshire’s highest point
5. PEN Y FAN, BRECON are rewarding at any time of year, but
snowy conditions around the magnificent
BEACONS
Ribblehead Viaduct make for something
Start/finish: Pont ar Daf special. Whernside is a long, high day out
Š:ׄcŀîîŏŀŀš without bringing much challenging terrain to
Distance: ƆţăĩĵxĊĵĜĬåŸ the table. Follow the railway line north and
Ascent:Ɔljljĵ then turn off alongside Force Gill to begin
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ĊĘŅƚųŸ your ascent, descending to your start point
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself with on the Pennine Journey route.
 Photo: Hanna Lindon Photo: VisitScotland

Photo: Joe Cornish © National Trust Photo: Hanna Lindon

Photo: Stewart Smith/Shutterstock

Photo: Paul Rookes/Shutterstock

Photo: Dale Kelly/Shutterstock

Distance: ŏƑĩĵxîĵĜĬåŸ ascending St Sunday Crag via Birks. For a

7. CAIRN GORM, CAIRNGORMS Ascent: ŀljljĵ longer route, also including Fairfield, turn to
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ page 99.
Start/finish: Ski Centre car park Scotland’s most southerly Munro is a
Š:×cBŀŀljljƆljš straightforward ascent from Rowardennan 10. ROSEBERRY TOPPING,
Distance:ƆĩĵxƑţƁĵĜĬåŸ on a well-tramped trail, the reward being a
NORTH YORK MOORS
Ascent:Ɔljljĵ superb view from the top extending over
„ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ĊĘŅƚųŸ Loch Lomond and its islands to the cluster Start/finish: Car park at
The Cairngorms mountains are famously wild of high hills to the north. This month’s :×c¬ăƆƗŏljƆ
and challenging in winter, but the peak that Wild Walks section offers a route for more Distance: ŏljţăĩĵxƆţăĵĜĬåŸ
gives its name to the range is reasonably experienced walkers, on page 95. Ascent: Ƒŏljĵ
accessible – those wanting a quick taste of „ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ĊĘŅƚųŸ
the plateau can even take the controversial This Matterhorn-shaped North Yorkshire
9. ST SUNDAY CRAG, LAKE
railway two-thirds of the way up. For walkers, peak is the favourite hill of mountaineer Alan
a popular route is via Sron an Aonaich to
DISTRICT Hinkes. It might only be 320 metres high –
the Ptarmigan restaurant (yes... there's a Start/finish: Patterdale but for a winter beginner, that may come as a
restaurant) descending via Fiacaill a’ Choire Š:×c¥ƑŀƆŏăŀš relief. And Roseberry Topping could
Chais, with a view over the ski runs. Distance: ŏăĩĵxŀĵĜĬåŸ hardly be more picturesque
Ascent: îljljĵ under snow.
8. BEN LOMOND, SOUTHERN „ƚččåŸƋåÚƋĜĵå×ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ
Helvellyn is a winter classic, but you wouldn’t More ideas at
HIGHLANDS
want to tackle its ridges in winter as a tgomagazine.co.uk
Start/finish: Rowardennan car park beginner. Instead, check out the scramblers
Š:×c„ƑƆljŀîƆš on Striding Edge from its near neighbour,

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 19

ALMANAC
EVENTS
CALENDAR
ƑěĊ8)Že¥
)ÚĜĹÆƚųčĘaŅƚĹƋ±ĜĹ
8ĜĬĵ8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ
EDINBURGH
Screenings at George Square
Lecture Theatre at Edinburgh
University.
emff.co.uk
ŏljØŏƑØƗƗ8)Že¥
„ƋåŞĘåĹšåűÆĬåŸ
FIFE, PERTHSHIRE,
NEWCASTLE
Lecture: “Four Men On A Mountain
- Everest The Hardest Way” at
Lochgelly Centre, Fife on 10
Feb. Also at Birnam Arts Centre
on 13 Feb and Northumbrian
Mountaineering Club on 22 Feb.
stephenvenables.org
ŏƑ8)Že¥
8ĜĬĵĜĹč±ĬåčåĹÚ
BUXTON
6FUHHQLQJRIQHZĆOPE\7HUU\
Abraham about Alan Hinkes.
Both Terry and Alan will be at the
Pavilion Arts Centre to answer
questions afterwards.
www.buxtonadventurefestival.co.uk
ƗŏěƗă8)Že¥
8ŅųƋœĜĬĬĜ±ĵaŅƚĹƋ±ĜĹ
8ĜĬĵ8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ
FORT WILLIAM
,QFOXGLQJZRUNVKRSVĆOP
competition and the announcement
of the annual Mountain Culture
Awards.
mountainfestival.co.uk
ƗƗ8)Že¥
%ŅƚčĜåƚĹĹĜĹčʱĵ
åƻĘĜÆĜƋĜŅĹ
FORT WILLIAM
Opening of new exhibition
of photography by Dougie
Cunningham, author of
Photographing Scotland and
regular contributor to The Great
Outdoors. At the Highland
Bookshop, which will also host a
talk by Richard Else on 24 February.
mountainfestival.co.uk/
arts-programme
20 The Great Outdoors March 2018
February – May
Walk
Scilly
Mollie
Hughes
will be in
Braemar
ƗƗ8)Že¥ DGYHQWXUHWUDYHOĆOPV-RLQWHYHQW CAIRNGORMS
„±ĹÚƼeĬĬ±Ĺ with the Royal Geographical Outdoor activities, taster
ABERFELDY Society, led by Kendal College’s VHVVLRQVbJHDUWHVWLQJbHYHQWV
Illustrated talk at The Watermill Arts, Media and Design School ZRUNVKRSVĆOPVFUHHQLQJV
%RRNVKRSDERXW6DQG\$OODQèVĆUVW at The Box. Early booking and talks from world leading
ascent of Mazeno Ridge, Nanga recommended. £20 (£10 to RGS- adventurers and outdoor
Parbat. Tickets £5, with £4 discount IBG members). Book through robin. sportspeople.
off Sandy’s book ‘In Some Lost Place’: DVKFURIW#LFORXGFRP aviemoreadventure.org
RUbERRNVKRS# kendal.ac.uk
aberfeldywatermill.com Ɨîe{FXôƁae¥
ƑljaeBôƗe{FX B±ĬƋƵĘĜŸƋĬå„ŞųĜĹč
ƗĊ8)Že¥ô ŅųŅƚčĘÆųĜÚčå œ±ĬĩĜĹč8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ
ĊaeB œ±ĬĩĜĹč8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ NORTHUMBERLAND
ųĜÏĩĘŅƵåĬĬœ±ĬĩĜĹč NORTH YORKSHIRE Both longer and shorter walks each
8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ Locally organised festival based at day, plus special interest walks.
POWYS this Walkers are Welcome town. Bookings begin on 5 February.
9 Days of guided walks and events boroughbridgewalks.org.uk haltwhistlewalkingfestival.org
in and around Crickhowell and the
%ODFN0RXQWDLQVb ĊěŏĊe{FX ŏŏěŏƑae¥
crickhowellfestival.com œ±Ĭĩ„ÏĜĬĬƼ UåĹÚ±Ĭœ±ĬĩĜĹč
ISLES OF SCILLY 8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ
ŏěĊaeB Back by popular demand and KENDAL
ų±åĵ±ųaŅƚĹƋ±ĜĹ8ĜĬĵ extended to 10 days. Three days of guided walking
8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ visitislesofscilly.com for all abilities, set in the scenery
CAIRNGORMS surrounding Kendal, with a number
Speakers include Dave MacLeod, îěŏƑe{FX of evening talks.
Mollie Hughes, Guy Robertson and FŸĬ±Ƽ www.kendalwalkingfestival.co.uk
Greg Boswell. Also includes ceilidh, HEBRIDES
music and food. Six days of walking on the ŏîěŏljae¥
braemarmountainfestival.com +HEULGHDQ,VODQGVRI,VOD\-XUD ‰ųåüųĜƵœ±ĬĩĜĹč8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ
and Colonsay. CONWY
ŀěŏŏaeB walkislay.co.uk 20 walks on the edge of the
„ĘåþåĬÚeÚƴåĹƋƚųå Snowdonia National Park.
8ĜĬĵ8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ(SHAFF) ŏĊe{FX trefriwwalkingfestival.co.uk
SHEFFIELD ±ĬÚåųÚ±ĬåBĜĩå
([FLWLQJSURJUDPPHRIĆOPV WEST YORKSHIRE kc:kFc:
grouped into themed sessions To mark the hike’s 40th anniversary, Ĭ±ÏĩaåĹœ±ĬĩĜĹč
lasting around 90 minutes. the organisers have devised a N A T I O N W I D E
shaff.co.uk new 40-mile route. There is also a Touring production of new play
shorter 22-mile route. about a black men’s walking club –
ƗƗaeB calderdalehike.org.uk in Coventry, Newcastle, Leeds, Hull,
8ĜĬĵĵ±ĩĜĹčüŅųƋĘå 0ROG/RQGRQ6KHIĆHOG6DOLVEXU\
ƚųĜŅƚŸ‰ų±ƴåĬĬåų ŏƁěƗƗe{FX and Liverpool.
KENDAL eƴĜåĵŅųåaŅƚĹƋ±ĜĹ royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/
Evening workshop in making 8åŸƋĜƴ±Ĭ black-men-walking/
 YOUR ULTIMATE
OUTDOORS WEEKEND
LIVE MUSIC | ACTIVITIES | SPORTING EVENTS | INSPIRING SPEAKERS | CAMPING

OFFICIAL CHARITY
 No more than a vision?
Roger Smith looks at the government’s 25-year environment plan
COMMENT
E\5RJHU6PLë Are Michael Gove's new
environmental plans as
good as they sound?

MICHAEL GOVE is a career politician

with a sharp eye for the main chance. If he
spots a bandwagon heading in the right
direction, he will not only jump on it but
take over the steering.
There were a few raised eyebrows
when Mr Gove agreed to take over the
environment brief in Theresa May’s
cabinet. In recent years Environment has
been seen as a comfortable cul-de-sac
for ministers either waiting for their next
step up or as a reward for past service.
Photo; Pete Maclaine/Shutterstock

The previous two incumbents, Liz Truss

and Andrea Leadsom, distinguished
themselves only by their almost total lack
of activity.
Michael Gove had other ideas. He knew
Mrs May was keen on the environment
and saw an opportunity to give both
himself and his brief a high profile. The end
product appeared in January in the form
of a 150-page document called A Green The plan, it is said, will contribute our economy post-Brexit and the extreme
Future,which outlined the government’s to "making all areas more beautiful" unlikeliness of the Conservatives retaining
plans and ideas for environmental and "connect people with the natural power for the next 25 years and you have to
protection and enhancement over the next environment" (politicians love to use the wonder what will happen to this seemingly
25 years. word ‘connect’). The Westmorland Dales bold initiative.
It should be stressed that this document Hidden Landscape Project is cited as an If Michael and Theresa are serious about
only applies to England, a point which example of good practice in these areas. their plans then we should see a whole raft
many of the headline-writers seem to have This all sounds great, and just the sort of costed proposals coming forward over
missed. That said, it contains a remarkable of thing we would like to see happening. the next 12 to 18 months. Sceptic that I am,
number of bold proposals and initiatives However, those of us with nasty devious I don’t see it happening. I would expect A
of just the sort that environmentalists minds start to dig under the surface of the Green Future to resurface in some form
themselves would put forward. plan to see what its foundations are. I’m during the next general election campaign,
It claims a ‘world first’ in the use of a talking money. All these grand schemes but after that it may well take its place
‘natural capital’ approach. If you are not will demand heavy investment, but you among all the other superficially exciting
aware of this phrase, it means treating the look in vain for any costings, or indeed a proposals brought forward at expedient
environment as a manageable asset in the direct commitment to funding: and you times by various governments over the past
same way as you treat more material items. will also be disappointed if you seek the 25 years.
It should allow for a holistic approach to necessary legislative powers to carry all Michael Gove will probably have
overall planning. these plans out. moved on to a higher role in the cabinet,
It is impossible to summarise 150 pages There’s nothing there. It is all surface bequeathing the future of our environment
in the space I have here, but proposals of and no depth. A Green Future received – something that actually matters a lot
interest to TGO readers include a review of a high profile launch with Michael and to all of us – to his currently unknown
National Parks and other designated areas, Theresa side by side at a wetland reserve successor, who will have different ideas and
70 years after the introduction of NPs to looking at the birds and chirping happily will not want to be seen as merely following
England; the development of a new large- to themselves and the assembled press, an inherited policy.
scale Northern Forest; measures to reduce and there were sizeable features in most of Nothing would make me happier
the risk of coastal erosion and inland the papers next day. Less than a week later, than to be proven wrong in this, but long
flooding; and a new land management plan the plan was kicked off page one by the experience leads me to the pragmatic view.
which retains the grant system for farmers collapse of the construction giant Carillion I applaud all worthwhile environmental
while encouraging them to manage their and I doubt if it will ever return. initiatives, but I fear that the chance to set
land so as to benefit wildlife and flora. To formulate a 25-year plan is all well up a strong, fully financed set of protection
There is also to be a Nature Recovery and good, but it is all but impossible to measures, under the auspices of the new
Network to restore greener habitats on obtain funding for that period of time. Add ‘one stop’ agency proposed in the plan –
smaller areas right across the country. to that the huge uncertainties surrounding something we badly need – will pass us by.

22 The Great Outdoors March 2018

     
 

   
 
 
 
 

 
  

 
  

 
  

 !"
   #  $ 
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')* 

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Imagine a place where some of the most beautiful
countryside and breathtaking fells are, quite literally,
, 

on your doorstep - where you can explore the wildness $-')
and isolation of nature, but return home to a warm
and comfortable lodge that has all the facilities you   





need after a day of walking, biking or sight-seeing.
Only a short drive away from the popular town of
Ambleside and Windermere. See red deer, red squirrels,
badgers and birdlife on the fields and hillsides nearby,    
 

 
and find your own corner of tranquillity in the Lakes
this autumn.

Hartsop Fold, Hartsop, Patterdale,

Cumbria, CA11 0NZ
07917 784977
info@hartsop-fold.co.uk




www.hartsop-fold.co.uk
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.
/HWWHUVPD\EHHGLWHGIRUFODULW\RUWRĆWWKHVSDFHDYDLODEOH
"ǘ Ǘ
ǘ@ "ǘ!Ǘì
ǘǘǗC
I wondered whether you
might be able to feature this
photograph of Helvellyn
(below) as part of The Great
Outdoors magazine?
Both myself and my brother
Alastair are subscribers and
it is his 30th birthday on 18th
January, the celebrations being
spent where else but the Lake
District.
I know he is particularly
fond of this photo, which was
taken by myself and features
my younger brother just below
me as we approach the summit
of Helvellyn, having scrambled
Striding Edge on a father and
sons weekend away in August
2017(my father was with us but
I’m afraid was out of view the
moment I took this picture).
There was nothing fancy
about the photo; it was taken
with an iPhone as I caught my
breath on the final scrabble to
the top, but it caught the edge
in sunlight just at the right
moment.
Richard Wilkinson
24 The Great Outdoors March 2018
*UDIĆWLRQWKH
Seven Sisters
.Ǘ  ǖ ǗǘŷǘǘǗ
Just wanted to say how much I I was wondering if you could
agree with Jim Perrin’s words ask some medical expert and
in the February issue about walking enthusiast to comment
the late Harry Griffin. In the on the possible problems
70s, his fortnightly Country of using walking poles. I
Diary encouraged me to buy was discussing the use of
The Guardian every other walking poles with a friend who
Monday, and to begin collecting does not use them, and he said
his books. He did get a bit that he did not intend to do so.
repetitive but I cannot think of The reason he gave was that the
another writer who brought the advertisers say that the poles
Lake District alive as he did.  effectively save the legs from
Peter Wilson carrying 15% of a person’s body
weight. This is probably true.
-ǗǖǗǘǗ But that weight does not simply
I was dismayed to find an disappear, so what happens
unfunny, sexist remark made by to it? Answer – it is probably
Judy Armstrong in  an online carried by a part of the body
report about the Exped Synmat.  that is less well adapted than
“To deflate, press the spike the legs to carrying that weight,
while you roll: yes, men, it’s namely the wrists.
multi-tasking." I do have pain in my wrists
I didn’t think remarks made after using poles for about 20
specifically against women were years. That pain could well be
acceptable these days, so now repetitive-stress syndrome
they are acceptable against men caused by using walking poles. I
instead?  If that’s how you are think the poles have lengthened
going to run the magazine, let’s my walking life and I probably
get all the “weak little women” would have used them even if
jokes back.  I had been aware of potential
John Hansford problems.
In his article about Beinn a’
Chaorainn (TGO, January
2018), Jim Perrin describes
Beinn Teallach as "recently
re-surveyed at just over 3,000
feet". It was re-surveyed, or
more correctly heighted, in
2009. However, according
to The Scotsman, the Ordnance
Survey revised its height from
2,994ft to 3,001ft in 1984, at
which time (and not following
the 2009 heighting) it gained
Munro status. Hence the 2009
heighting confirmed its status
as a Munro rather than adding
it to the list.
Philip Nalpanis
However my friend’s logic
that poles cause a part of
the body that is not as well
adapted as legs to carry the
weight has a rather chilling
logic that your magazine
might find of great interest to
readers if you pursue it further.
Andy Hosking
Ed: We are making inquiries, and if
any readers have expertise in this
area, we'd love to hear from you.
Photo: Richard Wilkinson
 L A S G OW TO T H E
G E E L
K W H
FALK K41.I5RKM IN THE FIGHT
WAL T DISE A S E
AGAINST HEAR
21 July 2018
k
bhf.org.uk/G2ETre

©British Heart Foundation, registered Charity in England & Wales (225971)

and in Scotland (SC039426)
 ISLE OF MAN: NEED TO KNOW
PHOTOGRAPHS VISIT ISLE OF MAN; JANICE FARNON; MANNIN MEDIA
GETTING HERE BY AIR
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seals here. visitisleofman.com/
things-to-do/activities/wildlife-watching
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 MOUNTAIN PORTRAIT

A R E N I G FAW R
Jim Perrin celebrates a mountain set apart from the main
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ǕǕ
A GREAT BACTRIAN CAMEL of a hill, Arenig Fawr sprawls but there is something majestic in its huge bulk. Of all the hills
across the south-eastern horizon from many vantage points in which I saw in Wales, none made a greater impression upon me.”
Snowdonia, its twin humps often the first Welsh heights to The old track over to Rhyd-y-fen by way of Amnodd-wen,
receive a covering of snow. From Carn Fadryn to the west, right that would have been a regular line of communication in
across to Ruabon Mountain or even, on clearest days, the former years, branches steeply off the little road to
Roaches of Staffordshire, it’s an identifiable presence. Set apart Trawsfynydd. I like dawdling up by this route to Cors y Foel
from the other high peaks of Eryri, lording it over the heathery – the bog of the hill. From here the twinned summits of Arenig
barrens of Y Migneint, the larger Arenig is one of the prime and seem a long way off. Buzzards wheel and mew, rising on
holy hills of Wales. It has a less distinguished little brother, thermals off the slopes of Moel Llyfnant. I crossed an exquisite
Arenig Fach, a couple of miles to little stream flowing clear over
the north, and a distinctly pebbles, wheatears and pipits
neglected cousin, Moel Llyfnant, “To go to Arenig Fawr in darting and chasing around its
close at hand to the south-west, banks, and traversed the hillside
and to include both of these in an May is to go at a delicious diagonally towards the bwlch
Arenig round will give you a fine time of year. The approach on the summit ridge. Soon
and arduous day.
I made my first ascent from
from the south is particularly Amnodd-wen was in sight, a tiny
cottage, growing derelict when I
Parc to the south-east, with its delightful just when the last visited, at the corner of a vast
stately and somehow dissonant slopes are loud with cuckoos, quadrant of forestry plantation. In
beech copses, during a 1961 the spring of 1911, the artists J.D.
walking tour on which Arenig and countless pipits are Innes and Augustus John stayed
Fawr was certainly the most coming down the sky in there. Innes in particular took
memorable, though not the
highest, summit, looking out as it
song.” Arenig Fawr as his subject, and
producing a series of luminous,
does over the desolate empty W.M. CONDRY, THE SNOWDONIA NATIONAL inspired paintings of the hill.
quarter of Snowdonia that PARK (NEW NATURALIST SERIES, 1966) There is very little difference in
stretches from Llan Ffestiniog and height between the twin summits.
Cerrigydrudion in the north to The southern is perhaps 20 metres
Dolgellau and Y Bala southerly. Since that youthful lower than the northern, the dip between the two scattered with
introduction, it’s a hill that’s grown in my mind – a stately, wonderfully grotesque volcanic boulders. The higher top has a
resonant, teasing presence about which there is so much cultural cairn that is probably Bronze Age in origin. It’s a place of great
texture and mystery. I made a television programme about it atmosphere and power. There’s a memorial tablet, poppies and
once, on a May day as Bill Condry recommends. We walked up balsawood crosses beneath it. The carved slate tablet, cracked
from Ffridd Bwlch Llestri to the north and by the time we and thin, reads, “In memory of the crew of the Flying Fortress
reached Amnodd-wen we were enveloped in freezing mist, which crashed on the Arenig 4th August 1943.”
which hung round us all the way to the summit at Moel yr So much for misadventure, but there’s a mystery too about this
Eglwys. I did a piece-to-camera from by the cairn, describing the cairn. Let Augustus John explain: “When he was moved to a
view which was to have been the focus of the programme, with nursing home in Kent [Innes died of tuberculosis in 1914 at the
visibility down to about 10 feet. The sound recordist was age of 27], we went with his Euphemia to see him. The meeting of
hypothermiac on the way down. The director and I had to these two was painful: we left them alone together: it was the last
support him all the way back to the cars, and the programme as time I saw him. Under the cairn on the summit of Arenig, Dick
unintentionally comic as anything ever broadcast on Welsh Innes had buried a silver casket containing certain
television. correspondence. I think he always associated Euphemia with this
These days I’ve a perverse preference for the longer and mountain and would have liked at the last to lie beside the cairn.”
boggier approach from Blaen Lliw – chiefly because of the Lliw No-one’s ever found Innes’s love-letters. Perhaps the casket’s
valley, with its continual flitting of pied flycatchers, its ancient still there, hidden from our prying curiosity, unopened and
oak woodland, its rocky spurs and waterfalls and the narrow, undisturbed? I hope so.
twisting road rising on to the high shelf of moor between
Rhinog and Arenig. This is remotest Snowdonia, little-visited, a
place apart. Here’s George Borrow – not always a great Arenig Fawr; 854m; Snowdonia; Map: OS Explorer sheet OL18
connoisseur of wild landscapes – from perhaps the finest of all (Harlech, Porthmadog & Bala); Cafés at Frongoch and Y Bala
travel books in English, his Wild Wales of 1862: “Arenig is
certainly barren enough, for there is neither tree nor shrub upon it, FURTHER READING: AUGUSTUS JOHN, CHIAROSCURO

28 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 Arenig Fawr
Photo: Dave Newbould

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 29

 Creag
Meagaidh
Alan Rowan spends a
sublimely challenging day
on one of Scotland’s most
majestic mountain massifs

30 The Great Outdoors March 2018

The Great Outdoors March 2018 31
CREAG MEAGAIDH
CREAG MEAGAIDH is a spectacular
mountain at any time of year, but under
deep, fresh snow its charms are multiplied
tenfold. The great walls that enclose the
head of Coire Ardair take on an even more
ferocious look, the black ramparts almost
pulsating against the slashes of white which
fill in every gap. Massive cornices hang
precariously, and the steep rise to that
famous nick in the skyline, The Window, is
transformed into a serious winter ascent.
A circuit of the ‘Crag of the Boggy
Place’ is a perennial favourite but I wanted
to see this grand massif from a different
perspective, a traverse from the west,
coming in over that other awesome winter
beast, Beinn a’ Chaorainn. This means a
finish some six miles from the starting
point on the A86 but I managed to team up
with two like-minded souls to sort out the
transport problems and make it happen.
White mountains, dark skies
We started out early on a cold but clear
morning, taking the forest track in from
Roughburn, already kitted out in full
winter uniform. It felt like overkill in the
enveloping warmth of the trees but we
knew it wouldn’t last long. The benign
conditions at ground level were a fraud;
the views all around revealed snow-laden
peaks under brooding skies.
The sweat built up from the initial push
was soon lost as we emerged on to open
ground and into a fierce north-east wind.
Less than 20 minutes later, we were being
pushed sideways by the gusts which were
whipping across
white cover, the huge bites out of the
skyline heavily disguised, lying in wait for
the unwary to step through. This area is no
stranger to accidents. A previous winter
encounter here in zero visibility provided
one of my most satisfying mountain
experiences, dog-legging carefully around
these hazards, counting my steps to
perfection. The satisfaction, I hasten to
add, was combined with a great sense of
relief that my navigation lessons had paid
off when it really mattered.
There were no such problem this
time. The route ahead was clear, the next
two summits easily distinguished as the
highest bumps under the white blanket,
the danger areas between the peaks easier
to avoid. The cornices are hypnotically
beautiful, perfectly pure, not a blemish or a
footstep to be seen. There was a little part of
me that wanted to explore that virgin snow,
to see just how far in the cornices reached,
but the stakes in this game of Russian
roulette would be far too loaded. Best just
to admire from a safe distance.
The sky was broiling black and snow
flurries were stinging our faces, but the route to the main summit for most of the
cloud remained high and we were soon year. In conditions like today, however,
standing at the ice-blasted cairn of the with its rock steps a funereal black
main summit. Creag Meagaidh lay to showing menacingly under a scraped and
the east and the north-east, from this scoured coat of white, it becomes a much
angle a shapeless mass of white which more serious proposition.
filled the horizon, its spectacular cliffs and So far, the stroll down the ramp had
corries under wraps for the time being. been trouble-free, but what happened
We trekked ankle-deep round the next next highlighted how easily things can go
curve to the North Top, the cornice again wrong. The three of us were walking a short
making sure that views into rugged Coire distance apart. I was in the middle, turning
na h-Uamha would around every so often to see that we were

"Spindrift was stinging

the ice-blasted have to stay on hold still a three. We were all in plain sight of
rocks on the open for a bit longer. each other, but the snow was deep, the chill

and dancing with

slopes of Beinn There was no sign biting hard and the wind was muffling
a’ Chaorainn, either of the cairn every sound. Talking was not an option but

gleeful malice as if
spindrift stinging on this top. It was we were moving along at a brisk pace.
and dancing with buried deep beneath Then the backmarker stopped for a

delighted to see us
gleeful malice as if the snow, but with toilet break and to put on another layer,
delighted to see us good visibility but the front man kept going. I suddenly

struggle to walk in a
struggle to walk in we didn’t need became piggy in the middle. Within
a straight line. it as a marker to seconds I had lost sight of both. I hung

straight line"
We progressed
onwards and
upwards, but
nearly almost sideways, like Saturday night
drunks, with glimpses of blue sky and
cottonwool clouds on the horizon luring us
on, the snow cover starting to fill in more
and more of the gaps. Rays of sunlight
penetrated the black at our rear, beautiful
and threatening at the same time.
Then we saw our first objective, the
South Top of Beinn a’ Chaorainn. Great
care must be taken on this triple-topped
Munro, the line between the summits from
south to north blurred by the unblemished
make safe passage
to the Bealach
a’ Bharnish. In poor
visibility, the narrow line on this ramp
between Coire na h-Uamha and Coire
Buidhe could prove tricky to locate, but if
in doubt there’s always a safer option by
staying north for longer until an eastern
turn can be made with confidence. There
is an extra height loss but at least it’s a surer
bet for safety.
Our drop to the bealach was invigorated
by the constant view into Coire na
h-Uamha, in particular the rocky east
ridge which provides a good scrambling
back a bit but then thought it better to try
and catch the leader. Unfortunately, he
then started to go off line, looking for a
temporary shelter spot.
As I caught up, I looked back to notice
the third member now disappearing into
the mist trying to find us on the original
line. Our shouts were lost in the wind and
he continued away from our position, so I
set off to catch him before he vanished.
A savage landscape
The momentary confusion over, we
now continued the long ascent of Creag
Meagaidh on open slopes through

32 The Great Outdoors March 2018

[previous spread] Looking over to The Window and Lochan a’ Choire from the Sron a’ Choire ridge [above] Giving the cornices a wide berth after leaving
the main summit of Beinn a’ Chaorainn [below] Beinn a’ Chaorainn from the descent to Bealach a’ Bharnish

The Great Outdoors March 2018 33

 [above]/RQHĆJXUHRQWKHDVFHQWRI&UHDJ0HDJDLGKèVZHVWULGJHLQGHHSVQRZZLWKWULSOHWRSSHG%HLQQDè&KDRUDLQQRQWKHKRUL]RQ
increasingly deeper snow. We were again
walking beneath wonderful skies, black,
bubbling and threatening one minute,
fluffy white balls of cotton fleeing across a
sea of azure the next. Small flurries of snow
and hail kept blowing in but without any
real conviction – it was as if they were just
reminding us of their territorial rights in
this savage landscape.
We were following a fence-line uphill,
the posts varying in height depending on
the snow depth, sometimes only the head
having managed to break the surface.
Behind us, Beinn a’ Chaorainn was now lit
beautifully by the low winter light, three
summits in perfect profile above their
plunging corries, the ramp we had taken
down so obvious from this line of sight.
We snow-ploughed on, rising all the
time on a ridge of ever-decreasing width. It
would be easy to be lulled into a false sense
of security on this broad rise, but as the
summit cairn comes into view the terrain
squeezes in like a model’s waistline, with
big drops on either side. It’s typical of Creag
Meagaidh, a vast and complex octopus of a
34 The Great Outdoors March 2018
[right]7KHVQRZVWUHDNHGFOLIIVRI&RLUH$UGDLU
mountain with long sections of flat plateau
intercut everywhere by huge corries, long
ridges and soaring cliffs ringing most
entrances and exits. It has more in common
with its distant Cairngorms cousins than
its rockier, more simply defined near
neighbours, and is a dangerous place in
whiteout conditions.
The one minor obstacle on the way
to the cairn was a six-foot deep snow
drift which temporarily cut off our view
of Beinn a’ Chaorainn, our constant
companion over the past couple of hours.
The view ahead was now completely
white, an all-enveloping duvet thrown
over every feature. As we left the summit,
we met a party coming the other way, tiny
dark figures in the palest landscape. They
had needed crampons for their passage
up through The Window, the nick in the
skyline which allows access for the ascent
to the main plateau from Coire Ardair. In
summer this is a steep push up from the
lochan through rubble and shifting scree
but under snow it becomes a far more
serious proposition.
We passed the chaotic Madman’s Cairn,
even its sprawling height and breadth
shrunk by the massive snow cover – and
then came decision time. Should we
descend by The Window or stay high as
long as we could and follow the right-hand
ridge down? We picked the latter option
but this meant another careful navigational
squeeze, this time between Puist Coire
Ardair and the plunging cliffs of the Moy
Corrie on to the Sron a’ Choire ridge,
another link that could prove a nightmare
with limited vision. Driving snow showers
added to the Alpine feel of the walk, our
corries vanishing and then reappearing
as the light shifted and reshaped the
landscape, the walking continually
lop-sided as every step became a lottery as
to how far we would sink.
Mercifully, this eased as soon as
we started climbing, moving onto
rockier, more ice-shaped terrain. This
ridge provides the ultimate in Window
shopping, a superb eagle's eye view of this
prominent V-shaped gap on the skyline
and an appreciation of its steepness which

STAYING SAFE
Tackling the Creag Meagaidh massif in winter
Navigation on Creag Meagaidh can be
very challenging in winter. Huge cornices
of overhanging snow also build up on
both Meagaidh and its neighbour, Beinn
Dèb&KDRUDLQQ$YDODQFKHVDUHRIWHQ
triggered by the collapse of a cornice, so
take great care when walking above, or
underneath them – particularly during or
immediately after snowstorms or heavy
winds or during sudden temperature rises.
The Creag Meagaidh massif is one of six
mountain areas from where the Scottish
7KHPDVVLYHFOLŊVDOOURXQGZHUHWRSSHG
E\ZDYHVRIVQRZJLDQWTXLŊVLQDIRUPRI
VXVSHQGHGDQLPDWLRQKDQJLQJSHULORXVO\DERYH
WKHEODFNDQGZKLWHVWUHDNHGUDPSDUWV
is not always obvious when approaching
from the corrie below. The gradient of
ascent seemed to intensify with every step
along the ridge.
The massive cliffs all round were topped
by waves of snow, giant quiffs in a form of
suspended animation, hanging perilously
above the black and white-streaked
ramparts, looking as though the merest
breath could bring them crashing down
with a fury belying their beauty.
It was a mountaineer’s dream, this
constant unveiling of the Coire Ardair
faces standing guard over the dark ink well
of freezing Lochan a’ Choire far below. The
water nestling at the feet of these titans
was moving through every shade of blue
in a matter of minutes, but it never looked
finer than when mostly starved of light,
conjuring up visions of a dark, bottomless
pit from which there would be no chance of
escape once in its depths.
Before the next rise on the ridge we
CREAG MEAGAIDH
Across the corrie, the long ridge
containing two other Munros, Stob Poite
Coire Ardair and Carn Liath, seemed
to be going through the same emotions.
Sure, these hills had caps of snow but the
inferiority complex was clear. There was no
doubt where the real power lay. They were a
mere sideshow.
Tempting though it was to linger
longer, the cold and the reality of getting
down before darkness meant we had to
get moving. We could have followed the
ridge down to its end, but that would
involve crossing waterlogged ground
– Creag Meagaidh is not named the Crag
of the Boggy place for nothing – and then
the river, probably on icy rocks through
fast-flowing water. I had come to grief here
before, slipping off the stepping stones
while trying to outrun a lightning storm
and ending up taking a good soaking,
so we opted to drop off early and pick
up the much drier path that would take
$YDODQFKH,QIRUPDWLRQ6HUYLFH6$,6
sends daily reports through the winter.
The forecasters use their observations
and snowpack tests in order to provide as
accurate as possible information on the risk
RIDYDODQFKHLQHDFKRIĆYHSRSXODUZDONLQJ
DUHDVDOVR/RFKDEHU*OHQFRH7RUULGRQDQG
took a short stop for a food break, but I
think we all knew that the main reason
was to slow the descent and drink in
the sheer magnificence of what we were
seeing. Everything soared; nothing was
insignificant. Ridges and faces reared up on
all sides, the cliffs glistened in the light and
us out of Coire Ardair. This turned out
not to be so easy, either. We skirted the
Sron a’ Choire crags only to encounter
steep, surprisingly solid fields of snow
which sometimes necessitated bum slides
using the ice axe as a brake, and crampons
to traverse across deep gullies. We were
WKHQRUWKHUQDQGVRXWKHUQ&DLUQJRUPV
then darkened threateningly as the cloud relieved eventually to reach the path in the
Their reports for the Creag Meagaidh area
base lowered for its 15 minutes of fame. We lower corrie.
FDQEHIRXQGRQWKH6$,6ZHEVLWHDW
www.sais.gov.uk/creag-meagaidh, from
were reduced to mere specks, mortals in It was a gentle end to an intense day,
where you can also pick up a wealth of the realm of the gods, but we felt privileged a fitting finish to a tiptoe between the
other information on avalanche safety. to be here to salute their glory. cornices on two stunning mountains.

The Great Outdoors March 2018 35

36 The Great Outdoors March 2018
 Glen Coe

H I D D E N
TREASURES
David Lintern visits two mountains tucked away

Ű 
)(


The Great Outdoors March 2018 37

AS I WRITE THIS,
winter has finally
arrived in Scotland.
Every year it feels more
elusive than the last,
but perhaps that’s just
symptomatic of my
impatience to get out
and enjoy it. I’m assured
by those with more
experience that it often
doesn’t really arrive
until well past asking,
and will similarly
outstay its welcome into
early summer. It’s the
north, silly.
The trip described
here was taken in early
January last year. Decent
winter conditions were
a rare commodity at that
point, and we were feeling
fat from Christmas and itching to get out.
So, when opportunity knocked, we weren’t
about to knock it. A brief dump of snow
in the preceding days meant snow would
be unconsolidated and avalanche-prone
on part of the scrambling route we had in
mind, but our Plan B turned out to be more
than compensation.
THE FORGOTTEN HILLS
OF GLEN COE
A friend had recommended Meall
Lighiche and Sgurr na h-Ulaidh as a brace
when he walked them in the autumn,
and I’d longed eyed the glen from the Red
Squirrel campsite for clues of what lay just
out of view. We arrived in the car park on
the corner of the road in the thick gloom of striated with blue shadows, perfectly serious.
pre-dawn, skidding about on icy puddles
as we pulled on winter boots and warm
layers. The walk-in was a simple affair on
double-track to the farm buildings and
holiday lets nestled between forestry in
the Gleann-leac-na-muidhe, a chance
to wake up and catch up with my hill
sparring partner Mick without having to
concentrate on navigation.
The track petered out at an obvious
junction in the glen, and it was light
enough to pack the torches away. We
both drank some water to dilute the litre
of coffee we’d consumed on the journey
and crossed the burn, wading through
foam-soft snow on our approach to the
7KH*UHDW2XWGRRUV March 2018
[previous spread] Mick reaches the ridge between Corr na Beinne and Sgurr na h-Ulaidh
[above] Looking back west after topping out behind Corr na Beinne
Creag Bhan, which would lead us to our
first top of the day – the Corbett of Meall
Lighiche. It was hard, and hot work, and I
was soon rolling up my jacket sleeves and
occasionally falling face-first into the drifts.
Funny how it hadn’t looked as steep from
down there. It never does.
Topping out was a treat though, with
jagged winter silhouettes in front and
behind. Ahead, the ridgeline of Beinn a’
Bheithir snaked, white and windy, with
sunlight mottling its freezing flanks. I’m told
that one interpretation of its name in Gaelic
is of a giant serpent, and from this angle that
was a perfect, sinuous fit. Behind us, the
Aonach Eagach was similarly dramatic as
cloud and sun cloaked teeth and shoulders
in quick succession, its ancient gullies
We broke out the axes and, after a
misadvised spell of contouring, resigned
ourselves to a seemingly endless series of
ups and downs on the ridge of Creag Bhan,
promising ourselves a second breakfast Essential
(or was that first lunch?) on the top, as the Information
Corbett finally swung into view. The going
got easier underfoot but as we circled the 6WDUWĆQLVKParking on A82 at GR:NN120563
coire on our right and headed out on a 'LVWDQFH14km/8.5 miles
westerly spur for the actual summit, we $VFHQW1300m/4265m
were bullied from the north by freezing +LOOV Meall Lighiche (Corbett, 772m); Sgurr na
gusts. Meall Lighiche translates roughly as h-Ulaidh (Munro, 994m)
‘the rounded hill of the doctor’ – medical 0DSV:OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet 384 (Glen Coe
attention wasn’t required as much as a flask & Etive); Harveys Superwalker (Glen Coe & Etive)
of tea and a samosa, but as with so many 7UDYHO Citylink buses travel through Glen Coe,
Corbetts, height on this healer’s hill was as does Stagecoach service 44 from Fort William
 Glen Coe

High drama, low

sidelighting on the
Aonach Eagach

The Great Outdoors March 2018 39

no indicator of its difficulty. The views were
just as breathtaking as the walk.
THE HILLS UNVEILED
The windchill was very persuasive in
its efforts to keep us on the move, and
it seemed a good idea to start back the
way we came before we lost all feeling in
our hands. We weren’t quite sure how to
tackle the Munro and stopped for a quick
conference, comparing ground with map
while we still had some height. Deciding
our approach was best made by circling
south towards Corr na Beinne, we headed
down to the bealach through deep drifts
40 The Great Outdoors March 2018
clinging to the lee side of the Corbett. As
we did so, the sun came out and the winds
dropped. Bidean nam Bian and the Aonach
Eagach were suddenly out of the doom and
gloom that had crept in, and resplendent in
a raiment of white and gold.
With time marching on, we debated
our options at the boundary gate. Should
we push on or abort? I persuaded Mick of
the virtues of the former and for the next
hour he had plenty of reasons to curse
me. Getting up Sgurr na h-Ulaidh is by no
means an easy feat. We contoured around
the base of the hill, moving up all the while.
The turf was frozen solid, giving good
placements for our axes, but the snow was
deep and soft. It was laborious going.
The angle steepened and before too long,
wondering whether conditions were right
for crampons was academic – we’d run out
of flat ground to sit down and attach them.
We ploughed on deeply, only stopping once
for water and rest. Crossing gullies was both
absurd and exhausting; chest-deep in fresh
snow and struggling to gain any decent
footing. Finally through the second of these,
the cover of snow over scree became more
shallow and windblown. It was a relief not
to be swimming for a change, but loose rock
was the last thing we needed. I led slowly,
trying to kick footholes in the snow for
Mick to follow without dislodging anything.

It became steep enough that another axe
would have been useful, as indeed would
sharps on our feet.
At last, we reached a thin rib of rock that
led upward and offered some security. The
slope began to abate and I caught sight of
the summit mound and relayed the news to
Mick, whose good humour is never in doubt
but quickly improved. “I don’t think that was
the right way up this mountain”, he teased, a
few steps later.
Arriving on the plateau was a joy.
Sun-jewelled, rime-encrusted views
extended across Glen Etive and the Ben
Starav Munros to Rannoch Moor, around to
the mountains of the Black Mount, Creise
and the Buchaillie… all hills Mick and I
had made it our business to visit together
over the last two years. Sgurr na h-Ulaidh
translated means ‘peak of the treasure’. No
small wonder.
We exchanged smiles and a water bottle
and followed a line of fenceposts to the top
itself, stopping to chat to a pair of climbers
who had emerged from a gully. They seemed
as relieved as we were, and had clearly been
tested by their ascent too. A little food,
and it was time to leave. We stopped to put
crampons on for a section of steep ice on the
way down, and by the time we were heading
along the northerly ridgeline,
we were in billowing cloud.
Glen Coe
The best of the light had gone for the
day, and we needed to be off the hill. That
would take another two hours though, over
polystyrene boulders and down through
deep drifts under torchlight. Then our
challenging but incredibly rewarding day in
the mountains was finished off in the best
way possible: with fish and chips and a pint
at the Clachaig.
Mick assumes the victory
pose on the hard-won
Munro of Sgurr na h- Ulaidh
The Great Outdoors March 2018 41
42 The Great Outdoors March 2018

Accidents will always happen in the mountains, particularly in winter. But
the season also brings immense rewards – and it's foolish to suggest that
walkers and mountaineers should stay away, argues Cameron McNeish
DURING THE WINTER of 1979/80 I was avalanched in Coire
Laogh Mor in the Cairngorms. I came down several hundred
feet and thought I was drowning in the snow. The impact of the
avalanche was so powerful that my hat, gloves, rucksack and even
my wristwatch were all ripped from me. When the snow stopped
moving I was buried up to my chest but fortunately my head and
arms were free. I managed to extricate myself and, other than
a few bruises and a badly damaged ego, I was fine. However, it
was a long time before I could cross a snow slope again without
fear. I read everything I could about avalanches, soaked up every
bit of information, because I never wanted to experience such a
thing again. Did I think of giving up the hills? Of course not. The
incident made me want to know the hills better, to understand
them better, to treat them with more informed respect, just as you
would with any lover with whom you'd had a tiff.
The closest I’ve come to losing my life was an accident while
hill-running (of all things). I’d decided to have an afternoon run to
the summit of Creag Dhubh, a lovely 756m hill that overlooks the
village where I live. As I approached the summit on a fine and clear
late September afternoon, I remembered that I had to collect my son
Cameron McNeish
from rugby practice at 5.30. I checked my watch. I had an hour to
jog down the hill and drive back to the house before meeting him,
but then something happened – and to this day I have no idea what
it was. I may have tripped, I just can’t remember, but the next thing I
recall is trying to climb over a wall at the foot of the hill and onto the
Newtonmore to Laggan road. I tried to jog along the road, thinking
to myself that this run seemed a lot tougher than usual. Fortunately,
I was spotted. One of my elderly neighbours was in her car when
she saw me limping along. She stopped but (she later told me) was
reluctant to give me a lift in her brand-new car because of all the
blood that was dripping off me. Fortunately, another neighbour,
Dave Fallows, also stopped and had no hesitation in pushing me into
his car and phoning for an ambulance in what was, for the time, a
new-fangled mobile phone.
We got back to my house just before the ambulance arrived and
I was whipped off to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Whatever
happened obviously involved a long fall down steep ground. I was
covered in cuts and bruises, required 40 stitches in my head, had
broken my left ankle and snapped the end of the radius bone in the
arm, just above my wrist. And I couldn’t recall a thing.
The Great Outdoors March 2018 43
“I rather like the notion that a couple of angels
picked me up, carried me down to the

[previous page] Snowshoeing above Lurcher's Meadow [above] Hills of home: looking across Newtonmore towards the Cairngorms

The consultant who operated on me told
me this lapse of memory wasn’t unusual; it
was the mind’s way of protecting me – and
to this day I’m not sure what happened. I’ve
gone back to the area and can only think
that perhaps I slipped while crossing a
stream, before sliding down a series of short
crags. I reckon I must have lain unconscious
for an hour or more before stumbling down
the hillside to the road. I rather like the
notion that a couple of angels picked me up,
carried me down to the roadside and left me
for my neighbours to find.
I guess I was lucky; my consultant told
me at one point that 10 years earlier he
wouldn’t have had the technology to save
my wrist. A decade earlier my right hand
would have been amputated. Not everyone
is as fortunate.
Mountains and media frenzy
It’s always cruel when we hear of people
dying in the mountains but while every
single death is a tragedy for families and
loved ones, the hysterical ranting from
some sections of the media is neither
helpful nor welcome. The barrage of
ill-informed comment from certain
journalists who know next to nothing
about our love of mountains, about
mountain safety or mountain rescue,
has incensed outdoor folk for years. One
journalist in particular made so many
factual errors on a radio phone-in that the
accident statistician from the Mountain
Rescue Committee of Scotland phoned
in to correct her. Despite that, the same
journalist later went on to an evening
television programme and spouted the
same misinformation.
I don’t want to dwell on poor reporting
or knee-jerk reactions, but it’s worth
examining some of the suggestions these
journalists and others come up with. There
are three general issues that raise their head
after every spate of mountain accidents:
1. Mountaineers should be made to take
out insurance.
2. The mountains should be closed off
during and after bad weather.
3. Mountain rescue teams should be
professional.
Perhaps I can take the last point first.
Here in Scotland, our civilian search
and rescue teams are professional in
every sense other than they don’t receive
payment. There is a certain amount of
funding from the Scottish government
– about £300,000 to Scotland’s 27 rescue
teams – and the teams raise the rest of
the cash they need themselves, much
of it from donations. These teams are
made up of experienced mountaineers
and they understand why people go to
the mountains in winter. They believe
the present system of search and rescue
in Scotland works well and besides, who
would pay for ‘professional’, paid mountain
rescue? Presumably those who had been

44 The Great Outdoors March 2018


roadside and left me for my neighbours to find.”
rescued, as in some Alpine countries, and
that would mean taking out insurance.
But what if someone wasn’t insured?
Would they still be rescued? Would they
receive a court injunction demanding a
rescue fee? The present system of search and
rescue in Scotland seems to suit everyone
very well. Why change it to appease the
baying of a handful of tabloid journalists?
The other hoary old chestnut is to close
the mountains in bad weather. I wonder
how you could do that? Tie red tape all
around the base of our mountains? Call
the military to stand guard and stop us
setting foot on the hills? Change Scotland’s
much-envied Land Reform Act to make it
a trespass to walk in the hills between the
months of December and March? Who
would be responsible for deciding the
weather was bad enough to close down
the hill?
Mountaineering Scotland and the
Scottish Avalanche Information Service
are always trying to think up fresh ways
of getting their messages across. The
Scottish government has always supported
mountain safety and has financially
backed the likes of the Scottish Avalanche
Information Service and Geoff Monk's
excellent Mountain Weather Information
Service. As patron of Mountain Aid, a
charity that supports mountain rescue
in Scotland, I certainly do what I can to
help further the cause of education and
mountain training. This is all positive stuff,
and that’s what required. We need such
positive action – not negative calls to ban
people, to charge them for being rescued,
by making insurance compulsory or by
suggesting that those who encourage people
into mountaineering are irresponsible.
Any death in the Scottish mountains is
awful. It’s nothing less than tragic. But bear
in mind that each year there are some seven
million participation days, when all those
people went to the hills, got themselves
Cameron McNeish
a little bit fitter, cleared their mind of the
rubbish our over-sanitised society has
thrown at them, and came home refreshed
and rejuvenated by the natural world. We
have to put these very sad and unfortunate
accidents into perspective. Most hillwalkers,
climbers and scramblers get untold joy from
the hills.
A lifelong passion
Anyone who has watched any of my
television programmes will be aware of
my love affair with the mountains and
wild places of Scotland, those areas that
have been my lifeblood for more years
than I can remember. I’m proud we can
boast of some of the most beautiful and
diverse landscapes in the world – from
the rolling hills of the Borders to the arctic
landscapes of the Cairngorms, from the
mist-shrouded islands of the Hebrides
to the wild grandeur of the North West
Highlands.
The Great Outdoors March 2018 45
 Cameron McNeish
"Winter mountaineering is like everything else:
you learn to recognise the risks and
you try to manage them"
One of the great benefits of that natural
beauty is that it attracts visitors from all over
the world, in particular those who come
outside the normal tourist season, during
the winter when snow turns our mountains
into a magical playground for hillwalkers
and climbers. Under cover of snow, every
gully and corrie is picked out in stark shades
of black and white and mountain slopes
appear as curved and sensuous lines against
the blue of the sky. In such conditions many
people want to immerse themselves in their
grandeur, soak in the peace of them, take
from them something of their timelessness
and implacable nature. On a personal
level, being amongst mountains makes me
very happy.
46 The Great Outdoors March 2018
I’m aware that the world in which we
now live is very different from the one I
was brought up in. In those far-flung days
there was less fear, less political correctness
and less regulation. Today we seem to live
in a sanitised, prescribed society where
health and safety considerations give the
impression that we should all be bubble-
wrapped and protected from ourselves;
a grossly over-regulated country where
knee-jerk reaction and a persuasive media
regularly shape and bend public opinion.
Many people, perhaps most people,
live in a permanent regime of nine-to-five
repetitiveness with only weekends and an
annual holiday to break the monotony. It’s
perhaps not surprising that an increasing
number of them are discovering a need
to break that regime from time to time,
to escape the monotonous regularity of it
all, to find respite in a landscape that has
a more lasting reality: a world of heather
and rock, big skies and the opportunity for
some kind of adventure. Mountaineering,
particularly in winter, offers all of that in an
environment that is not yet wrapped up in
rules and regulation.
This sense of escapism is important, and
that’s why so many of us become hooked
on what appears, at first sight, to be a
completely pointless exercise: expending
a lot of effort to climb to the top of a
mountain, only to turn round again and
come back down.
 [left] Fantastic conditions on Ben Ledi, on a day out for The Great Outdoors
[above] Mountaineers above the Northern Corries of the Cairngorms
I believe there is a sense of true ‘wildness’
on our high mountains. Signs of man’s
presence are minimal and in winter, under
cover of snow, that perception is heightened,
when even the footpaths vanish from sight.
It’s then that we experience the fleeting
nature of man’s time on this planet against
the more lasting reality of nature. Mankind,
our successes and failures, somehow seem
insignificant against the age-old, slowly
evolving world that gives us sustenance and
life. These words may seem very grand and
worthy but it’s probably the core reason for
my own love of mountains. There is also the
challenge, the adventure, the risk factor and
the cerebral exercise in learning the skills
that minimise the risks.
The natural high
Our winter mountains are not only
beautiful, they are potentially dangerous
places. So are our cities, our road networks
and our own homes. We wouldn’t
handle bare electrical wires; we wouldn’t
knowingly walk out in front of a bus;
we avoid certain city streets late on a
Saturday night. We make every attempt at
minimising the risks involved in everyday
living, and yet people still die from electric
shocks, from road accidents and from
alcohol- and tobacco-related illnesses. In
fact, one of the biggest killers of Scots is
lack of exercise, resulting in obesity and
diabetes. Winter mountaineering is like
everything else: you learn to recognise the
risks and you try to manage them. You find
out what skills you need to cut that risk to
a minimum and you learn those skills. As
mountaineers, we learn how to navigate in
bad weather; we learn how to use an ice axe
and crampons; we learn about avalanches
and how to avoid them and we learn how to
listen to our natural instinct for survival.
In the world we live in today those
base instincts rarely surface. Our bubble-
wrapped society protects us from too
much risk but expose yourself to the bare
elements of nature and they will appear,
like the embers of a small fire. We have to
breathe the embers into a full flame to hear
those base instincts – intuition, if you like –
that protected our ancestors from sabre-
toothed tigers and marauding mammoths.
Such protective instincts are there, lying
dormant in every one of us. We just have
to fan them into life, and we can do that by
going to the mountains.
I appreciate that accidents do, and will
continue to, happen. I will continue to try
and minimise the risks I face when I go
to the hills and even after five decades of
climbing mountains I’m very aware that
I’m still learning. What I do know with
certainty is that I am addicted, completely
and utterly, to the feelings I experience in
the winter hills.
There is considerable physical effort
involved in climbing a mountain and this
exercise releases endorphins in our body
– a kind of feel-good natural drug. The
excitement of tackling risk and challenging
situations also releases adrenaline, which
heightens our awareness and sensitivity.
Add that to the sheer pleasure of being in
a remarkably beautiful environment and a
sense of achievement and the resultant mix
is highly potent: a natural high like no other
I know, a sensation that can last for days. Yes
it’s addictive, but it’s a healthy addiction and
I for one will continue to encourage others
to share that addiction with me.
During the vast majority of Scottish
winters some people die in the mountains.
Such deaths are tragic, but consider those
deaths against the hundreds of thousands of
people who are refreshed and rejuvenated
by winter mountaineering, inspired and
re-equipped to go back to their normal
everyday world. We certainly need to
continue to educate and train people, we
need to continue to warn people of the
dangers of the hills, but we also need to put
the accidents into some kind of realistic
perspective. Going to the hills is not a route
to your own death, as one journalist
suggests. No, it’s the route to life, life in all of
its glorious fullness.
This is an edited extract from
Cameron McNeish's new
autobiography, There’s Always
the Hills, which is published by
Sandstone Press on 15 February,
priced £19.99.
The Great Outdoors March 2018 47
PHOTOGRAPHY

A PHOTO ESSAY BY DAMIAN SHIELDS

WINTER IN
Glen Affric
48 The Great Outdoors March 2018
Affric is the quintessential Scottish glen, the serenity of
its loch framed by majestic mountains and swathes of
ancient pine forest that hint at wilder times. Damian Shields took
this remarkable collection of photographs in the crisp mornings
of early winter when Glen Affric was at its most atmospheric

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 49

PHOTOGRAPHY

BELOW
First light on Glen Affric
Glen Affric on a crisp
November morning from the
classic viewpoint between
Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin and
Loch Affric. I was still
half-asleep and was quickly
losing the feeling in my
ĆQJHUVEXWLWZDVZHOOZRUWK
the wait for the sunrise to
bathe the distant snow with a
wonderfully deep pink light.

50 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 ABOVE

Athnamulloch view
A three-frame stitched
panorama to take in the
wonderful view that met me
at the end of my journey down
the Glen. I almost expected
cowboys to ride past as there
was something about the
vista that reminded me of the
American Midwest.

RIGHT

Scots pine and An Tudair

Winter’s low sun means that
even at midday, the quality of
light reveals wonderful texture
and clarity. The tree stood
proud in its surroundings and
I liked the band of shadowed
forest behind, contrasting
with the light on the trunk. The
shimmering peak of An Tudair
stretched over all and provided
the perfect background.

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 51

 ABOVE

Beinn Fhada and Loch Affric

from Affric Lodge
A view I’ll never forget. I was
lucky enough to capture the
loch while there was virtually
no wind to spoil the mirrored
surface. The heather was
glowing with autumnal ochre
and contrasted nicely with
the chilly blues of water and
shadow.

RIGHT

Four pines, Glen Affric

The sun rising over a clutch of
Scots pine between Loch Beinn
a’ Mheadhoin and Loch Affric, a
wee fragment of the wonderful
ancient Caledonian forest
scattered through the Glen.

52 The Great Outdoors March 2018


ABOVE
River Affric
This is the last stretch of the
River Affric before it runs into
the Loch. I love the natural
bend and adjacent track
leading the eye, wandering,
to the peaks of Kintail in the
distance.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BELOW
First kiss of the sun on
Sgurr na Lapaich
I spent a good hour and a half
rooted to this spot, watching
the shroud of night slowly lift.
The early rise to be here and
the gnawing cold that crept
into my bones from lingering
so long were a just price to pay
ZKHQWKHĆUVWRIWKHPRUQLQJèV
rays began to pick out the
pinnacle of Sgurr na Lapaich.
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 53
 OUT ON
As editor of the Alpine Journal, Stephen Goodwin gained
unique insights into mountaineering culture. In this extract
from his new Lakes guidebook, he describes a historically
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eƵĜĹƋųƼĵ±ĹƋĬåĘåĜčĘƋåĹŸŅĹåűŸ
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ϱĹųåĵåĵÆåų±Ÿ±ÏĘĜĬÚŅŞåĹĜĹč
ƋĘåÏƚųƋ±ĜĹŸ±ĹÚŸååĜĹčƋĘå
č±ųÚåĹÆĬ±ĹĩåƋåÚĜĹŸĹŅƵŠģƚŸƋ±Ÿ
ĜĹƋĘåĀĬĵ‰Ęå„ĹŅƵĵ±Ĺšţ‰ĘåųåűŸ
ŸƚÏʱųƚŸĘŅüƵĜÚåěåƼåÚƵŅĹÚåųţ
„ååĜĹčƋĘåX±ĩåĬ±ĹÚÏų±čŸ±ĹÚ
ųĜÚčåŸƋƚųĹåÚƋŅ±ĹeĬŞĜĹåŸÏåĹå
ʱŸģƚŸƋƋʱƋƚŞĬĜüƋĜĹčåýåÏƋěƵåĬĬ
ĜƋÚŅåŸŅĹĵåţ
Which fells do you head for on a
day with idyllic conditions?
FƋűŸ±ü±ĜųÆåƋƋʱƋƋĘåĀųŸƋčŅŅÚ
ŸĹŅƵƼÆĬŅƵŅü±ĹƼƵĜĹƋåųƵĜĬĬü±ĬĬ
ĵŅŸƋĬƚƻƚųĜ±ĹƋĬƼŅĹƋĘåBåĬƴåĬĬƼĹ
ų±Ĺčåţ‰ĘƚŸĜĹųåÏåĹƋƼå±ųŸƋĘå
ĀųŸƋŞĬ±ÏåFűƴåĘå±ÚåÚüŅųĜŸ
±ƋŸƋƼå±ĵ±ÆŅƴå:ĬåĹųĜÚÚĜĹčţ
FüƋĘåĬŅĹččƚĬĬƼŅĹĜƋŸĹŅųƋĘŸĜÚå
ĜŸƵåĬĬüųŅDŽåűĹÚŸĹŅƵěĀĬĬåÚ
ƋʱƋĵ±ĩ埱üƚűŸÏåĹƋţ‰ĘåĹ
ƚŞ„ƵĜųų±Ĭ)ÚčåƋŅƋĘåŸƚĵĵĜƋŅü
BåĬƴåĬĬƼĹüŅĬĬŅƵåÚÆƼƋĘåčųå±Ƌ
ŏĩĵƋų±ƴåųŸåŅü„ƋųĜÚĜĹč)Účåţ
How many days walking went
into researching Winter Walks in
the Lake District?
{ƚŸĘĜĹčŏljljĵ±ƼÆåţFƋűŸʱųÚƋŅ
ÆåŞųåÏĜŸåƵĘåĹģƚŸƋ±ÆŅƚƋ±ĹƼ
åƻÏƚųŸĜŅĹĜĹƋŅƋĘåƵĜĹƋåųĘĜĬĬŸ
ĜŸ±ŞĬ屟ƚųåţ±Ĺ±Ĺ±ŸÏåĹƋŅü
ĬåĹϱƋĘų±ƴĜ±„ʱųŞ)Účåųå±ĬĬƼ
54 The Great Outdoors March 2018
STEPHEN GOODWIN
Writer and mountaineer
Formerly a political journalist,
ĜĹŏŀŀŀ„ƋåŞĘåĹ:ŅŅÚƵĜĹĬåüƋ
XŅĹÚŅĹüŅųƋĘåĵŅƚĹƋ±ĜĹŸŅü
ƋĘåX±ĩå%ĜŸƋųĜÏƋţ8ŅųŏljƼå±ųŸĘå
Ƶ±ŸƋĘååÚĜƋŅųŅüƋĘåŞųåŸƋĜčĜŅƚŸ
eĬŞĜĹåIŅƚųűĬţ His new book is
œĜĹƋåųœ±ĬĩŸĜĹƋĘåX±ĩå%ĜŸƋųĜÏƋ.
ÆåÚåŸÏųĜÆåÚ±Ÿ‘ųåŸå±ųÏĘ’? True,
ŅƴåųƋĘåĬ±ŸƋƋĘųååƵĜĹƋåųŸFűƴå
ŅüƋåĹÏĘŅŸåĹųŅƚƋåŸƵĜƋĘƋĘåÆŅŅĩ
ĜĹĵĜĹÚØŸ±ƼƋĘåĹååÚüŅų±ŸĹŅƵƼ
ŸĘŅƋŅĹĜččĜĹÚ±ĬåĜÚčåØÆƚƋĜƋ
Ƶ±ŸĹåƴåų±ÏĘŅųåţ
Have you noticed many changes
in the Lake District since you
moved there from London nearly
two decades ago?
FƋűŸÏåųƋ±ĜĹĬƼčŅƋÆƚŸĜåųţ
{±ų±ÚŅƻĜϱĬĬƼƋĘåĘĜčĘåųÏų±čŸ
±ĹÚƋų±ĜĬŸ±Ƶ±ƼüųŅĵ‘ĘŅĹåƼŞŅƋŸ’
ĬĜĩå„ƋĜÏĩĬ剱ųĹŅų±ƋåĬĬŸ
±ųå±ÏƋƚ±ĬĬƼŧƚĜåƋåųƵĘĜĬåƋĘå
ƴ±ĬĬåƼϱųޱųĩŸ±ųåģ±ĵĵåÚţ
BŅƵÚŅƼŅƚåƻŞĬ±ĜĹƋʱƋƵĜƋĘŅƚƋ
ŸŅƚĹÚĜĹčƤåĬĜƋĜŸƋũ
BOW FELL has the distinction of being
the scene of the first recorded winter climb
in the Lake District. However while this
factual nugget would add a sense of history
to an ascent of the fell’s South Gully, the
chances of happening upon the gully with
the same apparently excellent snow cover
as in January 1870 are, frankly, not great.
This therefore offers a choice of itineraries
to what is, whatever the conditions, a very
fine objective.
And having put in all the uphill effort
to reach Bow Fell’s 902-metre summit it is
hard to resist the high-level ramble over
the nobbly eminences of Crinkle Crags,
though there is an easy escape to the valley
if time or energy is running short. Even in
summer, a round of Bow Fell and Crinkle
Crags is a lengthy undertaking. With snow
on the ground and possibly ice on the rock
steps of the ascent and descent paths, the
full circuit is likely to take at least eight
hours. Crampons and ice axe are a must,
irrespective of whether one is attempting
the Grade I climb of South Gully.
Our day begins by the Old Dungeon
Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale (and may
well end in the hikers’ bar there!). The
National Trust car park by the hotel quickly
fills at weekends, or on any day with a
decent weather forecast. There is a regular
public bus service up Langdale from
Ambleside.
After three kilometres of easy walking
up the flat bottom of Mickleden we begin
the steady ascent of a well-engineered path
by Rossett Gill. The craggy east face of Bow
Fell now draws the eye. Towards the north
end of this rampart rises Bowfell Buttress,
an incisor of clean grey rock with South
Gully on its left side.
To describe this feature as a ‘gully’ is
somewhat misleading. Though gently
concave, it is more a broad slope,
steepening towards the top, as indeed John
LAKE DISTRICT

The Great Outdoors March 2018 55

LAKE DISTRICT

[previous spread] On Crinkle Crags [left, top] Descending the ‘Bad Step’ on
Crinkle Crags. Not much snow, but beware of ice [left, bottom] Frost-rimed
summit of Bow Fell [above] Deep freeze at Three Tarns col between Bow Fell
and Crinkle Crags

Stogdon and his friends from the Alpine
Club discovered on that 1870 ascent.
(Incidentally, the party had walked in from
Elterwater, an additional four kilometres.)
In his Alpine Journal account, Stogdon
describes using his axe to hack through
an overhanging cornice, showering ice
fragments on his friends who were stood in
snow nearly up to their waists near the top
of the slope. There are two strong warnings
implicit in this account: one, a fairly
easy snow ascent could end with a tricky
cornice to surmount; and second, snow can
accumulate to quite a depth on this slope,
blown in by prevailing westerlies. In fact
the depth described by Stogdon sounds
like an avalanche waiting to happen, with a
boulder field lying in wait below.
Winters though, are not what they once
were, and it is more likely that South Gully
will be at least partially bare scree and after
careful study you will continue up the path
to the watershed just before Angle Tarn.
From here, as detailed, you can either
scramble up the broad rocky ridge to the
north end of Bow Fell or take the easier
loop around Angle Tarn and up to Ore Gap.
Whichever option is taken culminates
at Bow Fell’s summit cairn, perched on a
rocky knot and affording one of the finest
panoramas in Lakeland, from the Pennines
in the east to the Irish Sea to the west. And
the lofty view remains with us down to the
col of Three Tarns with its tiny, perhaps
frozen, pools and on over the undulations
of Crinkle Crags.
Just south of the highest crinkle (Long
Top on the OS map) comes the so-called
‘Bad Step’, a three-metre cleft which in fact
is not that ‘bad’ at all. Hands will be needed
to lower down on to ledges and care taken,
particularly if the rock is icy, but it is no
horror show. If desired, the Step can be
avoided with a short detour on its west side.
Now begins the long six-kilometre
descent, first over open moor to cross the
outflow from Red Tarn and then down
into Oxendale on a path steep in places
and often with a few ice-glazed stone
steps – a final trial for tired legs. With
some relief you cross Oxendale Beck and
walk by the byres of Stool End Farm – level
ground at last!
WINTER WALKS IN
THE LAKE DISTRICT
is published by
Vertebrate, priced
£14.95

56 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 BOW FELL & CRINKLE CRAGS A circuit of Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags with ESSENTIAL
the option of a Grade I winter climb
INFORMATION
START/FINISH Old Dungeon
Ghyll :×c¥ƗîƆljƆŏ
Š„e‰ceš×XeƗƗŀI¥š
4 Distance: ŏƑĩĵxîĵĜĬåŸ
Ascent: ŏŏîljĵxƑîƁljüƋ
2
Time: eĬĬŅƵîĘŅƚųŸ

3 Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer

sheet OL6 (The English Lakes,
South-western Area)
5
Refreshments: Old Dungeon
Ghyll Hotel (T: 01539 437 272),
6 1
Sticklebarn Tavern (T: 01539 437 356),
and New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel
(T: 01539 437 213)

Routes in Winter Walks in the Lake District ±ųåĵ±ŞŞåÚ±Ƌŏ×ƗăØljljljţ‰Ęåĵ±Ş±ÆŅƴåØŸĘŅƵĜĹčƋĘåŅƵ8åĬĬ¼ųĜĹĩĬåų±čŸųŅƚƋåØʱŸÆååĹųåŞųŅÚƚÏåÚÆƼ‰:k±Ƌŏ×ăljØljljljţ

1 Buttress (in red on map above)
Start
Old Dungeon Ghyll,
Great Langdale.
National Trust car park
by the hotel, usually
busy (more parking
near New Dungeon
Ghyll)
:×c¥ƗîƆljƆŏ
Pass behind hotel and
through gate on to track
heading left/west, then
NW, along Mickleden.
Junction at cairn, just
2 after crossing
footbridge over Stake Gill
beck, c.3km from hotel.
Bear left to follow Rossett
Gill path.
After staying fairly
3 close to the gill, the
path angles away from it, up
leftwards. At the point
where the path turns back
sharp right (c.500m
elevation) there is the
option, if conditions are
right, to depart the path
and head for South Gully (I)
or North Gully (I/II) by
Bowfell Buttress.*
Otherwise continue on the
Rossett Gill path up to the
col at c.615m, overlooking
Angle Tarn.
*Optional Routes: Bowfell
To reach either gully, leave
the Rossett Gill path at
point 3 – that is, where the
path turns back sharp right
(c.500m elevation) after its
long dog-leg leftwards from
the gill. Angle up leftwards
over grass and rocks,
hopefully snow-covered,
aiming for the foot of the
buttress, the slope of South
Gully obvious on its left.
South Gully (c.120m,
grade I) This broad slope
on the left (south) side of
Bowfell Buttress is hardly a
gully at all. However it does
accumulate snow blown
on south-westerlies and
so long as the snow pack
LVĆUPRIIHUVDSOHDVDQW
way of cramponing to
the summit of Bow Fell.
Beware of cornice build-up
along the top rim and the
possibility of avalanche if
the snow is unconsolidated.
North Gully (c.120m,
grade I/II) on the right
(north) side of the buttress
is also said to be an
interesting route but the
author has never had the
good fortune to be able to
test this.
%RWKURXWHVĆQLVKRQWKH
broad ridge just north of
%RZ)HOOèVVXPPLWbURFNV
Col (c.615m) at head
4 of Rossett Gill. *The
most interesting route for
the winter scrambler turns
left on the col and heads
SSW, following the old
Cumberland/Westmorland
boundary. Skirt Hanging
Knotts crag on its east side
and pick the easiest way up
bouldery slopes.
Keep an eye out for
a narrow gully slanting
rightwards. This may give
a few metres of Grade I
climbing and if at all snowy
and/or icy will necessitate
the use of ice axe and
crampons. Alternatively
continue to pick a line up
the rough slope, generally
aiming for the highest
SRLQWbDKHDG
Either way eventually
eases out at the northern
end of Bow Fell’s broad
summit ridge and a
prominent cairn. The
dramatic cliffs of the
mountain’s Mickleden face,
notably Bowfell Buttress,
now plunge away to the left
(east) side.
*Optional Route: (in green
on map above)
For an easier, if slightly
longer, alternative to this
scrambling approach, from
the col at point 4 descend
on the main path NW to
FURVVWKHRXWćRZIURP
Angle Tarn; ascend on
the west bank for 300m
distance (c.50m height
gain), then bear off left
(SSW) and head for Ore
Gap. This path is faint
on the OS map and may
be invisible under snow.
However the dip of Ore
Gap, 500m SE of Esk Pike,
is plain enough. On gaining
the gap turn left and follow
the main ridge path east
then south, to be joined by
the scrambler’s route on
Bow Fell’s summit ridge.
Bow Fell (902m) The
5 summit cairn stands
on a knuckle of broken rock
at the southern end of the
summit ridge. From here
descend generally SE to the
broad col of Three Tarns.
Three Tarns (c.730m)
6 There’s a choice here.
For a shorter, direct return
to ODG go eastwards from
Three Tarns and down The
Band to Stool End Farm.
Alternatively, if you’re on
for the full circuit, continue
southwards on to Shelter
Crags, then undulating over
the Crinkles.
Fourth or Great
7 Crinkle (Long Top
859m) Descend
southwards by the
scrambly ‘Bad Step’ – a
broken 3m wall – into a
gully.* Be aware that even
when there is little or no
snow along the Crinkles ice
can build in the hollows and
pockets of the wall. Exiting
the cleft below Step, trend
SE for 2km down to a path
junction north of Red Tarn.
(*To avoid the Bad Step, walk
initially westwards from the
cairn on Long Top and follow
path – perhaps not visible
under snow – soon swinging
leftwards to unite with path
descending from the Bad Step
towards Red Tarn.)
At Red Tarn junction
8 turn left and descend
northwards – path possibly
slippery in places – to cross
Oxendale Beck and on to
Stool End. Farm road over
meadows leads to Old
Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, car
park and bus stop.

The Great Outdoors March 2018 57

Coleridge Way

A
A D
The 'slow adventure'
your journey as
for an easygoing

Stopping to sketch the scenery

at Walford’s Gibbet on the
Quantocks’ lower slopes

58 The Great Outdoors March 2018

S L O W
V E N T U R E
approach to exploration is about embracing a gentler pace and appreciating
much as its destination. Laurence McJannet packs his sketchbook and poetry
walk along the Coleridge Way

The Great Outdoors March 2018 59

OUR HYPERCONNECTED, always-
on digital culture can get a bit much
sometimes, and escapism, I’ve found,
is often the best antidote. But even then
it is hard to shrug off the constraints of
schedules, timetables and obligations.
Perhaps this is why ‘slow’ seems all the
rage. You may have heard of the ‘slow
food’ and ‘slow travel’ movements – there
are even ‘slow towns’ (such as Berwick,
Llangollen and Aylesham) – but a little-
known concept gaining popularity is that
of the ‘slow adventure’.
Similar to adventurer Alastair
Humphreys’ concept of ‘microadventure’
(short, cheap, local adventures to make
the most of limited hours available) the
slow adventure embraces the simple
pleasure of discovery. Unfettered by time,
a slow adventure tends to involve human- [above] Coleridge House in Nether Stowey,
powered travel to explore our natural where Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived
landscape, and is a celebration of the sense between 1797 and 1800
of place, as well as the history, heritage and [right] Map, compass... and poetry
culture of our land. It’s a return to the ‘good
life’ – whether that be fishing or foraging; National Trust) and wandered these coastal
sketching, painting or photographing; hills searching for inspiration. The 36-mile
writing a journal of your adventure; (57km) Coleridge Way was opened in 2005
travelling under your own steam. to commemorate the poet’s connection to
With that in mind, and with a few days this part of Somerset, and originally ended
cleared of responsibilities, I headed to the in Porlock, but in 2014 was extended west
village of Nether Stowey, nestled among the by 15 miles (24km) to Lynmouth, taking
northeastern foothills of the Quantocks in the route to 51 miles (82km).
Somerset, to retrace the steps of renowned To me, this was a perfect place for
poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This doyen a slow adventure, even in the midst of
of English Romanticism once lived in winter. There may not be much to forage
a cottage here (now belonging to the but I packed a sketchpad and a copy of

60 The Great Outdoors March 2018


[above] Walking beneath blue skies on the outskirts of Sampford Brett on the way to the
Brendon Hills [right] Climbing one of the Quantocks’ many steep-sided, wooded combes
Coleridge’s verse in search of inspiration.
I chose to follow the original route to
Porlock to allow myself a steam-powered
journey home on the West Somerset
heritage railway and, given the time of
year, I’d stay in one of the fine old coaching
inns along the route – though later in the
year a slow adventure such as this would
certainly lend itself to wild camping along
the way. There is year-round camping
nearby (at Middle Stone Farm in Brompton
Ralph), canvas lodges at Lower Rodhuish
Farm near Minehead, and Exford Hostel
just off the route too – but heavy rain and
plummeting temperatures had persuaded
me to turn to the taverns that travellers
of yesteryear would have relied on (the
fact that I could enjoy open fires and fine
Exmoor ales played no part in my decision).
There are plenty to choose from along the
way (at West Quantoxhead, Bicknoller,
Monksilver, Roadwater, Luxborough,
Wheddon Cross and Porlock itself), but to
book one in advance would be to impose
a timetable on my journey – so, true to the
spirit of slow adventuring, I’d seek a bed for
the night when I was done for the day.
Mist over the Quantocks
A wintry mist had settled in the Quantocks’
myriad combes as I started out early one
Saturday morning. Nether Stowey was
coming to life as I surveyed Coleridge’s old
residence. Now under the auspices of the
National Trust, the poet’s residence from
1797-1800 is a popular visitor attraction.
Many intellectual figures visited Coleridge
here, including Charles Lamb, Thomas de
Quincey and William Hazlitt. During this
time, and after Coleridge moved to the
grander Alfoxden House near Holford,
which the route also visits, he and William
Wordsworth enjoyed a period of intense
collaboration, together penning the Lyrical
Ballads, which was to become the poetic
manifesto of early English Romanticism.
Coleridge would also write two of his
most famous poems here: The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan.
Leaving Coleridge Cottage behind,
I climbed a steep, silent lane out of the
village that had me breathing laboriously
by the top. I was watchful for the quill
waymarks that denote the Coleridge Way,
though much of this first section also
follows the Quantock Greenway, so is
well signposted. Though predominantly
a walkers’ route, much of the path is
bridleway or byway; consequently a riding
route runs along many of the same paths,
deviating only occasionally and ending
in Exford. There were times on this steep
early section that I wished I was mounted,
but the path soon levelled, and a muddy
lane took me alongside a sheltered stream
(while the footpath ran parallel to it, the
Coleridge Way
WHAT IS A SLOW
ADVENTURE?
Slow Adventures are inspired by the Italian
Slow Food and CittaSlow movements, which
celebrate the local and the regional, the unique
character of places and the provenance of
good food. Likewise, Slow Adventure embraces
the restorative power of time spent in wild,
natural places, and human-powered journeys
undertaken at an unhurried pace, delighting
in and experiencing the journey as much as
the destination. From sketching or writing a
MRXUQDODORQJWKHZD\WRIRUDJLQJRUĆVKLQJIRU
supper; stopping for a spot of wild swimming, or
enjoying rare encounters with wildlife, there is
an underlying quest for peace and tranquillity,
for new experiences and a reconnection with the
untamed landscape.
bridleway ran into the stream itself).
At the top of Woodland Hill, lovely
views of the Quantocks’ lower slopes
unfurled, and my path dropped along
downland as I skirted the base of the hill.
It lead me to the sleepy village of Holford
and from there a level tarmac drive wound
on to Alfoxden, so I was indeed following
in Coleridge’s footsteps. Crossing the
wooded combes that snake up the side
of the Quantocks, my trail hugged the
contours on my map, meandering close to
the main road before swinging south, and
the glimpses of Bridgwater Bay I had begun
to enjoy were lost behind the woods of
Stowborrow Hill. Signs showing gradients
of 25% on the lanes leading uphill from
Bicknoller left me thankful that my path
along the foothills remained mostly level,
though I remembered from previous
journeys here that the views from the
northwest tip of the Quantocks – its most
open, unsheltered part – are magnificent.
The Great Outdoors March 2018 61
Memories of a simpler time
Down in the valley of Doniford Stream
the scenery had a bucolic charm of its
own. I wandered past the listed 15th and
16thCentury thatched cottages of which
Bicknoller is comprised. A steam engine,
whose whistle I had heard for some time
before, puffed in clouds of steam towards
nearby Stogumber station as I approached.
Pulling a tender, half a dozen coaches and
brake van, it was a scene that transported
me instantly back to boyhood, and to a
simpler time. The faces I could just make
out at the windows, it transpired, would be
the last I’d see until nightfall.
By the time I reached the line, the steam
had dispersed along with the train, but the
whistle still echoed from down the line.
Crossing the stream at Sampford Brett, my
path soon became heavy and saturated.
Then I climbed to firmer ground and
my path weaved over open fields, briefly
touching tarmac lanes before heading over
62 The Great Outdoors March 2018
pasture once more. By Monksilver, the
Quantocks were becoming hazy behind
me as a low, bleached winter sun struggled
to illuminate the land. The village was a
comparative hive of activity, and its inn –
though handsomely appointed – looked
a little too gentrified for this tired, muddy
traveller. Perhaps I should have rested
here because the Brendon Hills lay in wait,
though the boughs at the edge of Combe
Sydenham Country Park disguised the
severity of their slopes.
Noting how weary I was beginning
to feel, I chose instead to rest at the edge
of Bird’s Hill woods, and sketched the
scene before me. Normally on my travels,
I have some transport connection to
make, or place to find to make camp. But
a slow adventure affords this unhurried
exploration of the landscape. I foraged for
juniper berries and rose hips to make an
invigorating brew as I sat in the cold to
finish my drawing. Though not camping
this time, I usually bring a small stove with
me on long winter walks, and was glad that
I had this time.
As I packed up and sauntered from
beneath the park’s skeletal canopy, I
realised how close the weak sun was to
disappearing. Though not having cleared a
huge distance, I had not long until darkness
descended – I’d obviously been dawdling
more than I thought. So, with headtorch
at the ready, I pressed on, gloves on my
hands and jacket zipped up against the
wind. By the time I reached the trig point
on Lype Hill, the sky was almost devoid of
light, so it was in darkness that I dropped
into the Roadwater Valley to seek a bed for
the night. Having relished the silence as I
trudged along the wooded lanes – the quiet
augmented perhaps by the dark – my arrival
at the Valiant Soldier, an old coaching inn
at the heart of the hamlet, was something
of an assault on the senses. A lively, warm
and welcoming place with a huge inglenook
 Coleridge Way

fireplace, it seemed as if the entire village

had descended on the tavern for dinner. Yet
I soon had a room, a steaming stew and a
pint of Porlock ale before me, as I perused
the pages of Coleridge’s verse by the fire,
before the convivial landlord came over to
chat as the bar quietened.

Another quiet day

on the trail
It had been a welcome end to a rewarding
first day’s wandering. Yet despite the
raucous reception that greeted me the
previous night, in the morning I was the
only one troubling them for breakfast.
Setting off under heavy winter skies, the
density of fir and spruce trees offered
some protection from the increasingly
inclement morning. I was glad of the
hearty breakfast as the route would take
me 100m up to Pooltown, then steeply
down to Kingsbridge and Luxborough [above] Climbing out of Luxborough there are lovely views of the rolling hills surrounding Druids Combe
(another handsome inn lay here, which [main] Journey's end at Porlock Bay – though the Coleridge Way now extends west to Lynton

GETTING THERE
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The Great Outdoors March 2018 63

Coleridge Way
[above] Characterful old buildings line Porlock’s unusually quiet high street
I had earmarked for the previous night
had I made better progress). It was a small
hamlet, and deserted on that Sunday
morning, so I left the churning Washford
River behind, the course of which I had
followed all morning, and struck out to one
of the route’s highest points, some 423m up
on Lype Hill.
By now I had left the distinctive red
clay-like mud of the Quantocks behind,
and found myself among the verdant,
undulating land of the Brendon Hills. A
low, white sun had begun burning off the
mist and shrugging off the clouds, and was
now beginning to light up the lanes’ high
hedgerows, between which I could glimpse
the rolling hills taking on a warmer hue.
The constant changes in gradient
had shaken my sleepy synapses into life,
and as I climbed out of another valley –
through which the River Quarme runs – I
decided to rest briefly, gazing out over the
village of Wheddon Cross, and noting its
aptly named Rest and Be Thankful Inn.I
once more flicked through the pages of
Coleridge poetry and could see how a
serene landscape such as this could have
moved and inspired Coleridge so. Could
I be surveying the scene that had inspired
him to remark on "a spot which you might
aptly call the Valley of Seclusion"?
The final stretch beckoned, so I rose and
headed down an open trail that rolled and
pitched over increasingly barren, boggy
gorse-scattered hills so typical of Exmoor,
plunging down another steep-sided combe,
thankfully avoiding the highest point for
some miles, 519m-high Dunkery Beacon
just to the west (that would have to wait for
64 The Great Outdoors March 2018
another visit).
Before, long the final climb to Webbers
Post confronted me. From here, as I caught
my breath, I recalled another Coleridge
verse – "We could hear, at silent noon…
The Sea’s faint murmur". With a lush green
valley below me I could certainly feel a
fresh sea breeze, if I could not yet see it.
My path gradually descended for the last
time, through the woodlands and stables
of Horner, between cantering horses and
their riders – the only souls I’d seen since
breakfast. Over a packhorse bridge I
trudged, emerging through the trees to be
greeted by the hubbub of Porlock. Its wide
main street was devoid of traffic, but plenty
of locals and visitors alike milled around, or
appeared from the town’s many tearooms.
I had time to while away here
too but decided to walk down to the
shingle bank of Porlock Bay, for the last
time surveying these beautiful scenes
through Coleridge’s eyes. Though not
an adventure in the common sense
of the word, I had experienced the
restorative power of one of Somerset’s
wilder places, at my own pace, and felt
a connection with the sensations felt by
a poet here some two centuries ago. For
me that was the perfect way to spend a slow
adventure. All that remained for me now
was to slowly climb to Selworthy Beacon,
wend my way along the South West Coastal
Path some 10km to Minehead, maybe
sketching the seascape from Bratton Ball,
then take a leisurely journey by steam
train back to Taunton to begin my journey
home. Coleridge, I’m sure, would have
approved.
THREE MORE SLOW
ADVENTURES
The Slow Adventure approach could be taken
to any walk – simply by allowing yourself to
meander a little slower, perhaps foraging for food
or taking time out to read, document or explore.
But if you fancy trying something different, here
are Laurence’s suggestions:
Spend a couple of days and nights roaming
the lanes of Penrith, Cumbria, riding in a
traditional wooden gypsy caravan driven by
DSDLURIPDJQLĆFHQWFREKRUVHV7KHUHèVMXVW
HQRXJKURRPIRUDGRXEOHEHGDQGLURQVWRYH
Stop for a pub lunch or picnic before tethering
IRUWKHQLJKWwanderlusts.co.uk
Pack a sleeping bag and camping stove, saddle
up and cycle off-road to one of the Mountain
%RWK\$VVRFLDWLRQèVPDLQWDLQHGERWKLHV
LQ6FRWODQG:DOHVDQGWKHQRUWKRI(QJODQG
)RUDJHIRUĆUHZRRGRUWRVXSSOHPHQW\RXU
VXSSHUDQGHQMR\DQLJKWRISHDFHIXOVKHOWHUHG
DFFRPPRGDWLRQLQWKH%ULWLVKZLOGHUQHVV3ODQ
carefully and you could string two or three
ERWK\YLVLWVWRJHWKHUmountainbothies.org.uk
What could be more rewarding than building
your own boat, and christening it with an
overnight camping adventure? A coracle is
relatively easy to build, lightweight and easy to
SDGGOH7KHQZLWK\RXUERDWRQ\RXUEDFN\RX
can wander down to your nearest waterway,
cast off and wild camp on the shore or search for
an inland island for a real Swallows and Amazons
DGYHQWXUH7KHUHDUHSOHQW\RIUHVLGHQWLDO
coracle building courses or instructions to
follow online: coraclesociety.org.uk.
CHECK OUT NEXT MONTH’S MAGAZINE for
±ÚĜýåųåĹƋ±ÚƴåĹƋƚųåƵĜƋʱ„Ƶ±ĬĬŅƵŸ±ĹÚ
eĵ±DŽŅĹŸƋĘåĵåţ
 Never
F c ‰ B ) e {  F X F „ „ Ž ) k 8 miss an issue
Subscribe on
page 70

Journeys
ON FOOT
• BACKPACKING THE CAIRNGORMS
• SNOWSHOEING COULIN FOREST
• HIKING THE CONISTON FELLS
• LEARNING TO SCRAMBLE

OVERSEAS
ADVENTURES
GUIDE
The best
ON TEST places to
WINDPROOFS, walk in 2018
WALKING
TROUSERS

kc„eX)ƗaeB
 ED
BYRNE
tries
VIA FERRATA
Comedian Ed Byrne pays a visit to the Lake
'LVWULFWWRVFDUHKLPVHOIVLOO\RQ(QJODQG
VØUVW
via ferrata at Honister Slate Mine
Photos: Stuart Holmes
I DON’T LIKE HEIGHTS. There, I
said it. Well, I typed it. I’ve tried to like
heights but I just can’t seem to manage it.
Heights have never done anything to me;
I’ve never fallen from one. I just don’t
like them.
You’d be forgiven for thinking I was
very fond of heights, considering the
amount of time I’ve spent dangling from
them for articles in The Great Outdoors
– rock climbing, sea cliff climbing,
scrambling... – but most of the time I’m
engaged in these activities, I’m clinging
like a limpet to the rock, thinking: “Just
don’t look down, just don’t look down,
just DON’T LOOK DOWN!”
After I’ve finished whatever
vertiginous escapade I’ve been sent to
cover for this magazine, I’m always very
happy to have done it, but while I’m
actually up there, I just keep reflecting on
how much I’d rather be walking up a nice
mountain, rather than trying to scare the
bejeesus out of myself by hanging off the
side of one.
So it was with a degree of trepidation
that I met Tom McNally in the café at
Honister Slate mine last November. Tom
was to be my guide to one of Honister’s
more exhilarating experiences, the Via
Ferrata. Literally translated as 'iron road'
or 'iron way', a via ferrata, for those of
you unfamiliar with the term, is a metal
cable bolted into a mountain that users
can clip a climbing harness onto in order
to move safely over the rock. Originally
used to aid the movement of troops across
the Dolomites in World War I, they’re
now a common sight in the Alps and are
considered a “fun” way to explore the tops
of old slate mines in the Lake District.
They’re also an excellent way of giving Irish
comedians the willies.
After a coffee and a panini in the Visitor
Centre, Tom leads me and Stuart, our
photographer, to the gear room to get our
harnesses on. The via ferrata set-up is not
dissimiliar to a regular climbing harness,
if a little heavier. In a pavlovian response,
my heart starts to beat a little faster as
I slip the harness up my legs and
Tom tightens all my various straps
and checks all my various clips.
Then we jump on a bus for a
short drive up to the entrance
to the mine. Honister has
been a slate mine since
the 18th Century
and as we walk
through
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 67
 ED
BYRNE
tries
tunnels carved into the rock generations
ago, Tom gives us a potted history of the
place which goes in one ear and straight out
the other, completely bypassing a brain that’s
just concentrating on either not panicking
or, at least, keeping any panic concealed.
We emerge into the light and are met
with a fantastic view over Honister Pass.
Tom gives me a safety briefing outlining the
dos and don’ts of safely negotiating the via
ferrata. These I listen to intently and make
sure they stick in my brain, despite having
received a near identical briefing before,
when I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
(I know! Why do I keep doing these things?)
After the briefing, there’s a little via
ferrata taster session involving a short climb
down, traverse across and climb back up,
which poses no great difficulty. We then
have another short walk up to the start of the
via ferrata proper. On the way, Tom points
out things like the old wheel house used to
winch slate down the mountain. I must be
calming down as I’m starting to allow myself
to concentrate on the fascinating history
of the area and I’m also really enjoying the
views. Then Tom points to what's ahead and
I am given the willies all over again.
“We’re going to climb up there, then
down a ladder you can’t see from here, then
back along there and then over that rope
bridge and finally up that cargo net.”
What? Rope bridges and cargo nets? This
was supposed to be little clamber about on
a rock face, now it’s turned into a hillside
assault course. Today is shaping up to be
one of those things that I enjoyed HAVING
DONE as opposed to enjoying doing.
At first, the climbing is very
straightforward. In fact, initially, the
clipping in and out of the cable feels
somewhat unnecessary, more of a sop to
health and safety regulations than a genuine
precaution, but pretty soon I’m climbing
on rock from which a fall would almost
certainly lead to death. As I’m edging round
a particularly exposed corner, Tom calls
from above: “Let your feet dangle. Now let
go of the handhold.” I understand what he is
doing: trying to demonstrate how safe I am.
I resolutely refuse to let go of the handhold.
“You’ll be fine. Just let the safety harness
take your weight.”
“I don’t want to. You can’t make me!”.
“Just let go!”
I reluctantly let go of the bit of rebar I’m
hanging onto and for an immeasurably
short amount of time I let myself hang by the
safety line. “There, happy?”
FIND OUT MORE about the via ferrata and Honister Slate Mine at www.honister.com or call 01768 777 230
68 The Great Outdoors March 2018
"This is going to be a breeze..."
For the "rope bridge", which is more like
a slack line hanging between two other slack
lines, Tom has to clip me in to an overhead
cable before setting me on my way. This, of
course, renders me completely safe but try
telling that to my natural survival instincts.
I inch across the bridge for what is definitely
my least favourite part of the experience.
I don’t even know how far off the ground
I am, as I don’t look down once. As Stuart
and Tom start to follow me across, my sense
of fun departs, along with my senses of
humour, perspective, and balance. “Stop
shaking the bloody bridge!” I yell back at
them. Except I don't say "bloody".
After what seems like an eternity I get
to the other side and wait for Tom and
Stuart who both wander across like they are
strolling down a red carpet. Tom tells me
that quite often they take stag parties on the
via ferrata and it is customary to send the
stag on to the rope bridge first while the rest
of the party try to shake him off. I can tell
you right now, if my stag party had done that
to me, I would have rescinded every one of
their wedding invitations.
After that, the rest of the experience is a
breeze. Certainly nothing felt as vertiginous,
although I will say this about cargo nets:
they’re not the best way to climb a cliff. In
fact, I would go so far as to say cargo nets are
as useful for climbing cliffs as ladders are for
carrying cargo.
As I predicted, I'm glad it's all over
afterwards, but I am also glad to have done
it. If you have a head for heights, and would
love to have a little history thrown in with
your adventure then I can highly
recommend popping into Honister next
time you’re in the Lakes.
"Via ferrata are a common sight in the Alps
and are considered a 'fun' way to explore the
tops of old slate mines in the Lake District.
They’re also an excellent way of giving Irish
comedians the willies."
Slate has been quarried Ed Byrne is currently on tour.
at Honister since 1728; Find out more at edbyrne.com
comedians have been
swearing from the rope
bridge since 2017

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 69

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 Guide to
SKI MOUNTAINE
Looking to reach previously unvisited corners of the winter mountains?
Ski mountaineering requires a challenging combination of ski touring and
mountaineering skills – but Andy Townsend at Glenmore Lodge argues it’s
worth the effort to enjoy this most dynamic of activities

SKI MOUNTAINEERING is, at its most basic,
a combination of skiing, ski touring and
mountaineering. The ski mountaineer will
still slide uphill on skins just like a ski tourer;
and ski down, making left and right turns, just
like a ski tourer. The fundamental difference
is in route choice. Once the angle of the slope
reaches 30° or more, the tourer would usually
start to look for an alternative route, whereas
the ski mountaineer will actively seek out
GLIĆFXOWURXWHVDQGPRUHWHVWLQJVXPPLWV
This gives you access to the whole mountain
– including the sort of terrain, routes and
summits that mountaineers the world over
love and dream of. Unless you access them on
skis, some will remain elusively remote and
challenging to the foot-bound climber.
Scotland is blessed with the best ski
mountaineering terrain in the world: really
accessible and with plenty of variety. My
favourite locations are the North Face of
Ben Nevis – which has lots of really skiable
JXOOLHVWKDWDUHEHVWFOLPEHGĆUVWåDQGWKH
Loch Avon basin behind Cairn Gorm, which

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR

Andy Townsend is Head

of Skiing at Glenmore
Lodge, Scotland’s
National Outdoor
Training Centre, and is
an IFMGA mountain
guide. He spends
most of his winter on
skis – leading, guiding
and instructing skiers
on the Scottish and
European mountains.

“Scotland is blessed with the best ski

mountaineering terrain in the world”
ANDY TOWNSEND, GLENMORE LODGE

72 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 HILL SKILLS

ERING
has very skiable gullies and routes mixing
great skiing and mountaineering.
Even the most simple and
straightforward ski tours will use ski
mountaineering techniques: booting
WKHĆQDOPHWUHVWRDFRORUFDFKLQJVNLV
before wandering up a snowy ridge to
reach a summit. But an experienced ski
mountaineer will happily strap skis to
rucksacks and crampons to boots in order
WRFOLPEDVWHHSVORSHRUXVHDURSHWRKHOS
abseil over a cornice in order to ski the
untouched powder below.
$WLWVOLPLWVNLPRXQWDLQHHULQJFRXOG
also encompass climbing easy grade one
gullies or easy winter climbs in order to
Ski mountaineers will strap their skis to their
ski back down past the open mouths of packs and their crampons to their boots in
mountaineers pitching their way up! order to access otherwise inaccessible routes
Photo: xxxx

March 2018 The Great Outdoors 73

 GEAR
7KHWHFKQRORJ\LV
GHYHORSLQJIDVW
2YHUWKHODVWIHZ
\HDUVWKHUHKDVEHHQD
phenomenal amount
RIGHYHORSPHQW
LQHTXLSPHQWIRU
ERWKVNLWRXUHUVDQG
PRXQWDLQHHUV7KHUH
LVYHU\OLWWOHGLIIHUHQFH
HTXLSPHQWEHWZHHQWKH
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HTXLSPHQWUHTXLUHGDUH
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WRXULQJERRWVDQGVNLQV
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LFHD[HRUD[HVDQGURSHV
DQGFOLPELQJJHDU
74 The Great Outdoors March 2018
SKIS
Ð
-XVWDERXWHYHU\PDQXIDFWXUHUQRZKDVDUDQJHRI
EDFNFRXQWU\VNLVZKLFKDUHHTXDOO\VXLWDEOHIRUVNL
WRXULQJRUPRXQWDLQHHULQJ7KLVZDVQRWDOZD\V
WKHFDVHEXWVNLWHFKQRORJ\KDVLPSURYHGVRPXFK
WKDWWKHUHLVQRZDEHZLOGHULQJFKRLFHRIZLGWKV
OHQJWKVDQGVKDSHV$VDUXOHRIWKXPEWKHVNL
PRXQWDLQHHUVKRXOGFKRRVHWKHLUVNLVHWXSEDVHG
RQWKHLUDELOLW\DQGWKHZHLJKWWKH\DUHSUHSDUHG
WRFDUU\
Choosing a lightweight ski seems pretty obvious,
but be warned: it’s not that simple! A lightweight
ski will certainly improve the uphill experience
but it won’t make for an enjoyable time on the
downhill, as the ski will lack the strength and
stiffness to perform. Conversely, a heavy charging
‘big mountain’ ski will be hard work on the up but
will be sensational for the down. So, for the aspiring
VNLPRXQWDLQHHUĆQGLQJWKHEDODQFHEHWZHHQKHDY\
and light is essential.
Avoid being tempted to go too wide or too short.
A good width for all-round use is between 90 and
100mm – this is the dimension at the narrowest
point of the ski, directly under the foot. If you go
QDUURZHUWKHVNLZRQèWćRDWLQWKHVRIWVQRZDQGEH
harder to steer and going wider will give you more
ćRDWEXWEHVORZWRJRHGJHWRHGJHRQĆUPHUVQRZ
making it harder to ski with style.
Choose a ski whose length from the ground
reaches at least up to your eye level; any shorter and
you risk being pitched over the ‘handlebars’ by the
weight and bulk of your rucksack. The ideal length is
somewhere between your eye line and 10cm above
your head.
The majority of backcountry skis now feature
DURFNHUSURĆOHDWWKHWLS7KLVLVZKHUHWKHIURQW
SRUWLRQRIWKHVNLULVHVXSDOORZLQJWKHVNLWRćRDW
upwards and ride over soft snow. It also make them
HDVLHUWRWXUQDQGSLYRWZKHQWKHVQRZLVĆUPHU7KH
BOOTS
Î
2UE&DPR[RU1DYLV)UHHELUGVNLVPDQXIDFWXUHG
by Black Crows (www.black-crows.com) are all ideal, Anyone heading in to a specialist
lightened versions of their all-mountain ski range. ERRWĆWWHUVWRJHWWKHLUĆUVWSDLURIVNL
PRXQWDLQHHULQJERRWVLVJRLQJWREH
IDFHGZLWKDEHZLOGHULQJFKRLFH/LNHVNLV
“For the aspiring ski DQGELQGLQJVWKHUHKDVEHHQDPDVVLYH
DPRXQWRIGHYHORSPHQWLQERRWGHVLJQ
mountaineer, finding the 2QWKHSOXVVLGHERRWVDUHOLJKWHU
FRPĆHUDQGPRUHIXQFWLRQDO+RZHYHU
balance between heavy VRPHRIWKHERRWVKDYHEHFRPHPRUH
VSHFLDOLVWWDUJHWHGDWDVSHFLĆFDVSHFWRI
and light skis is essential” VNLPRXQWDLQHHULQJ
Boots now range from very light racing
boots to heavier freeride, fast skiing
boots. The lightweight boots will make
the up and mountaineering easy but they
may feel like wellies when you’re trying
WRVNLLQGLIĆFXOWVQRZ2QWKHćLSVLGH
the heavyweight free ride boots will feel
cumbersome on the ascent but the downs
will be delightfully easy.
When choosing a boot the best place

SKINS
Í
These were once made of animal skins; the
hairs point in one direction, which allows the
skier to slide forwards and provides enough
grip to stop them sliding backwards.
Thankfully, today technology has improved
on mother nature. Modern skins have more
grip, better glide and are lighter, some are even
machine washable! Most ski manufacturers
also offer pre-cut skins allowing for
edge-to-edge cover and giving more
grip when the track gets steeper.
Choice of skins is personal but some
good advice would be to choose a
skin from the area that you intend
to travel in – if you are going to ski
in soft North American snow then
go for a brand like Black Diamond
(eu.blackdiamondequipment.com) or G3
(www.genuineguidegear.com). If the majority
of your time is spent on the hard-packed skin
tracks of the European Alps then go for Coll-Tex
(www.colltex.ch), Contour (www.kochalpin.at/en/
brands/contour) or Black Crows.
to start is barefoot! Choose the boot that VNLVRFNVDQGOLVWHQWR\RXUERRWĆWWHU
ĆWV\RXUIRRWLJQRUHWKHFRORXUDQGJDGJHWV Thankfully, some of the manufacturers
focus on the shell shape. Is your foot narrow have designed boots that are both
or wide, boney or podgy? Get the wrong lightweight and stiff enough to allow skis to
shell shape and you will suffer with painful be driven hard. The Scarpa Maestrale 2 and
hotspots, rubs and blisters. Shells can be Maestrale RS2 (www.mountainboot.co.uk) are
PRXOGHGEXWEHZDUQHGWKHVHPRGLĆFDWLRQV both comfy mountaineering boots that at the
are minimal: you can’t put a square foot in a click of a lever become stiff, race-inspired ski
round boot! boots and are both compatible with frame
Invest in custom footbeds, buy some thin and pin bindings.
HILL SKILLS
BINDINGS
Ï
While skis have been undergoing
a dramatic revolution in design, so
have touring bindings, giving the ski
mountaineer a great deal of choice.
All touring bindings will pivot at the
toe – giving a smooth skinning action in
ascent – and then lock down at the heel
to allow the skier alpine performance for
the descent.
There are two main designs available:
frame bindings and pin bindings. The
pin designs are lighter because they
clamp the ski boot using special moulded
sockets in the sole unit of the boot,
meaning that they are only compatible
with certain designs and models. An
example of an easy-to-use pin setup is
the Marker Kingpin binding (www.marker.
net/en).
Frame bindings are more like
conventional alpine bindings and
therefore more versatile and compatible
with a larger range of boot designs.
They have the advantage of being fully
FHUWLĆHGUHOHDVLQJIURPWKHWRHDQGKHHO
in the event of a crash in both lateral
and vertical directions. These style of
bindings are ideal for the occasional ski
mountaineer who would want to use
their skis for general use on and off piste,
as well as for climbing mountains. The
Marker Tour 12 is a perfect all-round
binding, allowing for ski mountaineering
trips and piste skiing all on the same ski/
boot setup.
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 75
 TECHNIQUE
Skiing techniques for ski mountaineering
are similar to ski touring – but as the
terrain is more challenging, you will
need more skills and experience. After
a few years’ experience of ski touring,
you should have developed the required
skillset. Or, if you are competent skiing
on groomed red runs in all types of
condition, you could book onto a ski
mountaineering course.

GOING UP
Skinning (skiing uphill with skins on your
skis) is a bit like lazy walking, quite natural
and easy to learn on gentle slopes. When
the slope gets steeper, a well-practised
skin technique is essential. The skier’s
ZHLJKWPXVWćRZVLGHWRVLGHLQRUGHU
to help anchor the gripping skis to the
snow. Uphill kick turns are fundamental
to success as a ski mountaineer, but many
VNLPRXQWDLQHHUVDQGWRXUHUVĆQGWKHP
FKDOOHQJLQJ$ODFNRIćH[LELOLW\LVRIWHQ
FLWHGDVWKHH[FXVHEXWLWLVRIWHQDODFNRI
SRVWXUHEDODQFHDQGFRQĆGHQFHWKDWZLOO
inhibit a ski mountaineer’s performance.
2QFHWKHVNLVDUHRIIDQGWKHFUDPSRQV
RQWKHVNLPRXQWDLQHHUQHHGVWREHDEOHWR
PRYHFRPSHWHQWO\RQEURNHQPL[HGWHUUDLQ
LQDERRWWKDWZLOOXQGRXEWHGO\EHVWLIIHU
DQGPRUHDZNZDUGWKDQDQRUPDOZDONLQJ
ERRW$VWKHWHUUDLQJHWVWHHSHUFOLPELQJ
VNLOOVEHFRPHPRUHLPSRUWDQWXVLQJDURSH
DQGKDUQHVVEXLOGLQJEHOD\VRUDQFKRUVLQ
URFNDQGVQRZDQGPRVWLPSRUWDQWO\URXWH
ĆQGLQJ7KLVDOPRVWVXEFRQVFLRXVDELOLW\WR
VQLIIRXWWKHHDVLHVWOLQHZKLFKLVERWKWLPH
HIĆFLHQWDQGVDIHFDQQRWEHOHDUQWEXWPXVW
EHPDVWHUHGWKURXJKPDQ\KRXUVRISUDFWLFH
2U\RXPD\FKRRVHWRIROORZVRPHRQHZKR
NQRZVWKHURXWH
WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN
The terrain that a ski mountaineer can access is endless and
can give the most rewarding skiing available. But to be a
master of the backcountry there are a lot of skills to get to
grips with. A solid foundation in ski technique is essential, to
DOORZ\RXFDSDFLW\WRFRSHZLWKJRRGDQGGLIĆFXOWVQRZ
6NLPRXQWDLQHHUVGRQèWJRORRNLQJIRUGLIĆFXOWVQRZEXWLW
LVSDUWRIWKHPRXQWDLQVVRWKH\QHHGWRKDYHZHOOGHYHORSHG
FRSLQJWHFKQLTXHV
$VWURQJDQGDFFXUDWHVLGHVOLSRUVWHPWXUQZLOOKHOSEXWPRVW
LPSRUWDQWO\\RXPXVWKDYHDERPESURRIGRZQKLOONLFNWXUQ
/LNHLWVXSKLOOFRXVLQPDQ\SHRSOHVWUXJJOHZLWKWKLVJXDUDQWHHG
çJHWRXWRIWURXEOHèWHFKQLTXH,WXVHGWREHWDXJKWWREHJLQQHUV
DURXQGWKHZRUOGEXWDVVNLWHDFKLQJWHFKQLTXHVLPSURYHGLW
JRWOHIWEHKLQGDQGEHFDPHXQIDVKLRQDEOH7RWKHZRXOGEHVNL
PRXQWDLQHHUWKLVPRVWEDVLFEXWDGYDQFHGVNLWXUQLVDPXVW
KDYHVNLOO
$VZHOODVEHLQJDEOHWRWXUQVWHSRUMXPS\RXUVNLV\RXQHHG
WREHFRQĆGHQWLQFRQWUROOLQJ\RXUVSHHGWKURXJKFKRLFHRI
OLQHDQGWXUQVKDSH0DVWHULQJ\RXUVNLVZLOOPDNHWKHGHVFHQW
HIIRUWOHVVO\HIĆFLHQWDQGHQMR\DEOH,JQRULQJ\RXUVNLWHFKQLTXH
IRUJRLQJWKHKRXUVRISLVWHEDVHGSUDFWLFHDQGWKHGHVFHQWZLOOJR
IURPHIIRUWOHVVWRDUGXRXVHQGOHVVWRUWXUHLQWKHEOLQNRIDQH\H

76 The Great Outdoors 0DUFK


“Get into ski touring first and
after a few years’ experience,
you should have developed the
required skillset”
TRAINING AND FITNESS
To the uninitiated, ski mountaineers might appear to be
god-like mortals, with honed bodies and an endless supply of
HQHUJ\,QUHDOLW\VNLPRXQWDLQHHULQJLVVXFKDQHIĆFLHQWZD\
to travel in the mountains that stamina is more important
WKDQĆWQHVV
2EYLRXVO\DJRRGEDFNJURXQGLQPRXQWDLQDQGVNLĆWQHVVLV
important but the ski mountaineer does not need to be a huge
FDUGLRYDVFXODUVNLQQLQJPDFKLQH7KHVHFUHWWRHIĆFLHQWWUDYHOLQ
the mountains is maintaining a steady, relaxed pace, not rushing
and then resting. Lots of summer and autumnal hillwalking,
putting in long hours rather than necessarily steep slopes is a good
place to start. Road and mountain-biking are also great stamina
builders giving strong legs to help with the skiing.
Some gym work is also a great way to get your legs ready for
skiing but if you don’t have the time or gyms are not your thing
then watching telly while squatting in a skiing stance is a good
substitute! Add a wobble board or cushion to the squatting and
you begin to train your proprioception balance as well.
If training is not your thing then going on a ski holiday is a good
compromise. Lots of hours spent skiing will get your legs ready
whilst the occasional gentle skin will work on your lungs. Don’t
IRUJHWWRGRVRPHVWUHWFKLQJDQGćH[LELOLW\H[HUFLVHV
HILL SKILLS
STAYING Ski mountaineering
takes place in
SAFE avalanche terrain, so
obviously, the most important safety
consideration is planning to avoid
avalanches. The SAIS ‘Be Avalanche
Aware’ guidelines (beaware.sais.gov.
uk) are a fantastic tool to help steer
your planning and preparations so
you never have to go face to face with
an avalanche. But in order to use
these effectively you will need some
other key skills.
You may be able to identify
avalanche-prone slopes but if you can’t
navigate, then how do you actually steer
clear of them? Skis make travel in winter
HIĆFLHQWEXWWKH\PDNHQDYLJDWLRQUHDOO\
complicated, they disrupt your timing
DQGPDNHLWGLIĆFXOWWRIROORZDFRPSDVV
bearing. Many ski mountaineers will
ORRNWRWHFKQRORJ\WRĆOOLQWKHLUJDSV
in skill or knowledge and while this is a
good thing, don’t overlook the basics.
You will need to be expert in ground-to-
map interpretation, be able to identify
route choice and do all this and more
while travelling on skis in a whiteout
with no visual references. Phew!
WANT TO GIVE IT A GO?
Ski mountaineering beautifully combines
the two sports of skiing and mountaineering
– so perhaps the best safety tip is to become
SURĆFLHQWLQERWKGLVFLSOLQHV,I\RXDUHD
mountaineer, improve your skiing and if you
are a skier, up-skill your mountaineering
knowledge. There are lots of courses available
in the UK and abroad that will help improve
your skills and knowledge. These courses don’t
KDYHWREHFRQĆQHGWRZLQWHUVXPPHUDOSLQH
mountaineering is a great way to improve your
knowledge of glaciers and climbing in crampons.
Orienteering in your local park will help improve
your navigation.
Most important of all is to get some professional
instruction. Ski mountaineering is not a ‘game’ you
can learn on the job: the consequences are simply
WRRVHULRXV0RXQWDLQ*XLGHVZKRDUHFHUWLĆHG
through the IFMGA or UIAGM (see the British
Mountain Guides website at www.bmg.org.uk) are
the only mountain and ski professionals who are
TXDOLĆHGWRLQVWUXFWDQGOHDGVNLPRXQWDLQHHULQJ
tours around the world. Booking on to a guided trip
is a great way to get to grips with the wonders of ski
mountaineering.
Details of the ski touring and mountaineering courses
available at Glenmore Lodge can be found here:
www.glenmorelodge.org.uk or call 01479 861 256.
March 2018 The Great Outdoors 77
 Gear news & reviews
Emily Rodway & Chris Townsend
GEAR
Warm sleeping bags
Chris Townsend
Winter boots
Judy Armstrong
Trekking technology
Chris Townsend

76 78 84 88

New gear
Sprayway
Rador & Selen
New from Sprayway this winter, the
men’s Rador (£110) and women’s
6HOHQeMDFNHWVDUHĆOOHGZLWK
loose-blown synthetic insulation
for a high level of loft and heat
UHWHQWLRQHYHQZKHQWKHEDIćHV
EHFRPHGDPS7KHĆEUHVRI
different lengths, type and
ĆQHQHVVDUHSURFHVVHG Storm
like down and blown Ultimate Down Care Kit
LQWREDIćHVZKHUH This new kit from Storm gives you all you need to
they can expand FOHDQSURRIDQGFDUHIRU\RXUGRZQĆOOHGVOHHSLQJ
to their full loft. EDJVDQGFORWKLQJ6WRUPèVb8OWLPDWH'RZQ&DUH.LW
The narrow LQFOXGHVS+EDODQFHG'RZQ:DVKåGHYHORSHGLQ
EDIćLQJVWRSV partnership with major manufacturers to be gentle
the insulation RQĆEUHVåDVZHOODV(FR)ULHQGO\GRZQSURRIIRU
from bunching UHVWRULQJ':5%RWKFRPHLQUHF\FODEOHERWWOHVDQG
or spreading out. are accompanied by two dryer balls and a dosing cup.
The jackets have stormcare.co.uk
deep pockets,
an inner security
pocket and an
elastane-bound
hood, hem and
cuffs.
sprayway.com Deuter
Futura
'HXWHUèV)XWXUDIDPLO\RISDFNV
has been revamped for this
spring, with a new back system:
the Aircomfort Sensic, which
FRPELQHVDćH[LEOHDQGGXUDEOH
steel frame with lightweight
SHUIRUDWHGIRDPLQWKHKLSĆQV
lumbar pads and shoulder
straps. Shoulder straps with an
ergonomic S-shape design
follow the shoulder
and neck contours
{åƋDŽĬƤ HOLPLQDWLQJFKDĆQJ
Bindi or rubbing, and are
3HW]OèVPLQLPDOLVWLFbQHZ%LQGLbKHDGWRUFKe attached to the body of
ZHLJKVMXVWJEXWRIIHUVOXPHQVRIOLJKW the pack rather than the frame,
Its closest family member in the Petzl range is providing extra points of ventilation. The hipbelt
WKHH/,7(SRSXODUKHUHDWTGO as a lightweight adjusts with the user’s movements. There is a range
RSWLRQDQGHPHUJHQF\EDFNXS7KH%LQGLKDVD of pockets and attachment points, and straps can be
rechargeable internal battery and is rated IPX7 stowed when not in use. It comes in two back lengths,
waterproof (1m depth immersion for 30mins). offered across a range of pack volumes.
petzl.com deutergb.co.uk

78 The Great Outdoors March 2018

Berghaus
Hillmaster First
Designed for year-round hill alking and Look
DYDLODEOHLQPHQèVDQGZRPHQèVVSHFLĆF
versions, the Hillmaster (available from
March, priced £220) is a longer
length jacket that guarantees all
day protection from the rain. It
is constructed from the same
two-layer Gore-Tex fabric that
Berghaus developed last year
with WL Gore for the popular
Hillwalker and Ridgemaster
Slope Angel
jackets. The Hillmaster has an Slope Angel and Temperature Gauge
adjustable hood with stiffened Ɗŏŀ ŏƆč
peak; six pockets, zipped slopeangel.com
hand-warmer pockets and an
When there’s masses of snow on the hills, as there is
internal map pocket; and a
now in the Scottish Highlands, there’s always a risk
two-way front zip with double
of avalanches. Every winter season there are many
VWRUPćDSZKLFKFDQEHXVHG
to combine the jacket with a avalanches, most not involving anyone. But some are
FRPSDWLEOH%HUJKDXVćHHFH triggered by people and can cause injuries and deaths.
berghaus.com The likelihood of being avalanched can be reduced if you
take precautions. Knowing what to do if one occurs is also
wise. Checking avalanche forecasts where available (the
Scottish Avalanche Information Service covers six areas)
and the weather forecast can give an idea of conditions.
Oboz Knowing the slope angle and the air temperature
Sapphire Mid B-Dry (particularly rapid changes in the latter, which can lead
7KH6DSSKLUHePLGKHLJKWERRWXVHVDZRPHQèVVSHFLĆF to the snowpack becoming less stable) can also help
ODVWGHVLJQWKDWKDVEHHQFUHDWHGVSHFLĆFDOO\IRUDQGWHVWHG in making safe route decisions and assessing snow
E\ZRPHQWRJLYHDQLPSURYHGVFXOSWHGĆWIRUFRPIRUWDQG
performance. This is combined with an asymmetrical collar
height and tongue, designed to comfortably accommodate
women’s unique ankle bone locations and articulate
with typical female ankle motion. But the key
technology, according to Oboz, is the insole,
which features a supportive arch and deep
cushioning heel cup, with extra protection
along the metatarsal and heel. The boot has
nubuck and fabric uppers, breathable
mesh panels and a B-Dry waterproof
PHPEUDQHZLWK':5ĆQLVK
obozfootwear.com
conditions. This is where a new product called Slope Angel
comes in. It combines an inclinometer and thermometer
in a tiny waterproof electronic unit that weighs only 16
grams and is simple to use. It runs on an easily replaceable
1225 3V button battery.
7KH6ORSH$QJHOKDVRQHEXWWRQWKDWOLHVćXVKZLWKWKH
casing so it’s hard to press accidentally. Once pressed,
the display cycles through temperature in Celsius and
Fahrenheit and the angle of the slope. After 16 seconds it
switches off.
Three cue cards are provided with the Slope Angel with
useful information on the device and on avalanches.
The Slope Angel was designed for off-piste skiers
in the Alps but is useful for anyone venturing into
snowbound mountains. Hillwalkers may feel that only
climbers venture into avalanche terrain. However most
avalanches occur on slopes between 34 and 45°, angles
not uncommon on walking routes.
&KULV7RZQVHQGb

TGO’s gear reviewers

Chris Townsend IƚÚƼeųĵŸƋųŅĹč Alex Roddie
Height 5’8” Boot size 9 Height 5’2” Boot size 3.5/4 Height 5’ 7” Boot size 10.5
Clothing size Medium Clothing size 12/Women’s medium Clothing size Large
(with short legs) Judy Armstrong has been Alex Roddie is The Great
Chris Townsend has written 20 books on testing gear for The Great Outdoors Outdoors magazine’s Online Editor and
the outdoors, including the award-winning VLQFHbEXWKDVEHHQKLOOZDONLQJDQG a regular feature writer. A reformed
The Backpacker’s Handbook. Among his mountaineering for 30 climber with a background in Scottish
ZDONLQJDFKLHYHPHQWVKHZDVWKHĆUVW years. Originally from winter and alpinism, he loves nothing
person to complete a continuous round New Zealand, Judy THE UK’S better than long-distance lightweight
RIDOOWKH0XQURVDQG7RSVDQGWKHĆUVWWR MOST
lives in the North York EXPERIENCED backpacking in wild mountain
walk the 1600-mile length of the Canadian Moors National Park GEAR landscapes, particularly the Scottish
Rockies. Chris has been reviewing gear TESTING
and also has a base TEAM +LJKODQGVDQG6ZLVV$OSV5HDGbKLV
for The Great Outdoors since 1991. in the French Alps. reviews online at tgomagazine.co.uk.
Gear comparative review

Sleeping bags
Chris Townsend tries out a range of options for winter camping

D
DO YOU NEED a four-season sleeping bag for winter camping?
:KDWLVDIRXUVHDVRQEDJDQ\ZD\"7KHĆUVWDQVZHULVQRWKH
second is that there’s not really any such thing.
The idea is that a four-season bag is one you can use
year-round. Such a bag would need to be comfortable over a
temperature range of 30°C+. I’ve never used a bag that came
anywhere near that. A bag that is warm at -10°C will be far
too hot at +20°C for most people. The only way a single bag
can be comfortable year-round is if you sleep in plenty of
clothes in winter and have it unzipped in summer. The ideal
VROXWLRQLVWZREDJVHLWKHUVHSDUDWHRQHVIRUFROGDQGZDUP
ZHDWKHURUHOVHRQHVWKDWĆWLQVLGHHDFKRWKHUVR\RXFDQ
XVHERWKLQZLQWHUDWKLFNHURQHLQVSULQJDQGDXWXPQDQGD
thinner one in summer.
Winter nights may drop well below freezing (the coldest
recorded in Britain is -27°C) but temperatures in the +5
to -5 range are far more common. A sleeping bag that’s
comfortable in these temperatures can be upgraded with
clothing on colder nights. Which sleeping bag is another
matter and depends on whether you sleep hot or cold.
,èPOXFN\DV,VOHHSKRWDQGFDQRIWHQVWD\ZDUPLQDEDJ
EHORZLWVUDWLQJ+RZHYHU,NQRZSHRSOHZKRèYHIHOWFROG
LQEDJV,èGbKDYHRYHUKHDWHGLQDWWKHVDPHWHPSHUDWXUH
,Ib\RXbVOHHSbFROG,èGWDNHDWOHDVWrRIIDEDJèVUDWLQJ NOTE: All the
Even though there is a standard for ratings they should bags have hoods
and shaped
VWLOOEHWDNHQRQO\DVDQDSSUR[LPDWHJXLGHDQ\ZD\$VZHOODV footboxes.
ZKHWKHU\RXVOHHSKRWRUFROGRWKHUIDFWRUVFDQGHWHUPLQH The weight
is without
KRZZDUPDEDJIHHOVåDQ\FORWKLQJZRUQKRZWLUHG\RX stuffsacks. All
DUHZKHWKHU\RXèYHHDWHQUHFHQWO\KRZFROG\RXDUHZKHQ bags weighed on
my digital scales.
\RXJHWLQWKHEDJDQGKRZWKLFN\RXUVOHHSLQJPDWLV7KH The ratings are
last is particularly important as much heat can be lost to cold those provided
by the company.
ground. Many mats that are warm enough in above freezing
temperatures will be cold when sleeping on snow.
All cold weather sleeping bags are mummy-shaped. Some
are much roomier than others though. These can feel more
FRPIRUWDEOHEXWWKHH[WUDVSDFHFDQPHDQFROGVSRWV&ORVHU
ĆWWLQJEDJVDUHZDUPHUEXWPD\QRWKDYHHQRXJKURRPWR
ZHDUWKLFNFORWKLQJLQVLGHDQGFDQUHVWULFWPRYHPHQW
The bags tested should all be suitable for most people on
mild winter nights – that is ones where the temperature is
zero or above. Some are roomy enough that warm clothing
FDQHDVLO\EHZRUQLQVLGHRQFROGHUQLJKWVVRPHDUHVRZDUP
that at +5°C I’m too hot! Weights range from 760 to 1950
JUDPVDKXJHGLIIHUHQFH/LJKWZDUPEDJVDUHJHQHUDOO\WKH
PRVWH[SHQVLYHåWKHYHU\EHVWPDWHULDOVDUHQHHGHGWRNHHS
the weight down.

Features
ŏţ„ĘåĬĬ8±ÆųĜÏ
Shell fabrics normally have a DWR treatment
so they will resist drips. Some also have a light
coating that gives more water-resistance.
Waterproof shells are available but for the bag
to be fully waterproof the seams must be sealed,
which is expensive. Very light fabrics allow the
ĆOOWRH[SDQGIXOO\EXWUHTXLUHPRUHFDUH
WKHWRSWKDQWKHERWWRP7KLVLVĆQHDVORQJDV
you turn over in the bag rather than with it, as
otherwise you'll move the thinner section to
the top and reduces the warmth of the bag.
ĊţLength
Some bags come in more than one length. A bag
should be roomy enough that your feet aren’t
pushing against the end but there shouldn’t be
a large gap as this will just hold cold air (though
some people like a long bag so they can store
Ɓţ%ų±üƋÏŅĬĬ±ų
$QDGMXVWDEOHGUDIWFROODURUQHFNEDIćHLQWKH
mouth of the bag can be used to cut out drafts
when you don’t want to close the hood.
îţ8ŅŅƋ
Extra tubes in the foot gives more room
IRU\RXUIHHWDQGLVZDUPHUDVWKHĆOO
LVQèWbFRPSUHVVHG
ŀţ¬ĜŞ
Ɨţ8ĜĬĬ
The choice is between down and synthetic.
Both come in different types. With down, the
KLJKHUWKHĆOOSRZHUWKHKLJKHUWKHTXDOLW\
Fill power is a measure of the volume a given
DPRXQWRIGRZQZLOOĆOO
ƑţŅĹŸƋųƚÏƋĜŅĹ
To ensure there are no cold spots at the seams,
sleeping bags should either have short walls
FORWKLQJLQWKHIRRW
ăţœĜÚƋĘ
1DUURZEDJVDUHWKHPRVWHIĆFLHQWDVWKH\
FXWRXWFROGVSRWV0DQ\SHRSOHĆQGWKHPWRR
restrictive thouhh. If you sleep with your legs
bent you’ll want a wider bag than if you sleep
with them straight. If you might want to wear
warm clothing there needs to be room in the
EDJIRUWKLVZLWKRXWFRPSUHVVLQJWKHĆOO
A zip lets you ventilate a bag and makes
JHWWLQJbLQDQGRXWHDVLHU%DJVZLWK
IXOOOHQJWKb]LSVFDQDOVREHXVHGDVTXLOWV
RQZDUPbQLJKWV=LSVGRDGGZHLJKW
though, so some bags only have short ones
RUHYHQbGLVSHQVHZLWKRQHDOWRJHWKHU
7ZRZD\bVLGH]LSVJLYHWKHEHVWKHDWFRQWURO
DVb\RXFDQRSHQWKHPDOLWWOHZD\IURPWKH
WRSbRUERWWRPåH[FHOOHQWLI\RXVXIIHUIURP
KRWbIHHW&HQWUH]LSVDUHQRWTXLWHDVYHUVDWLOH
as side zips for ventilation but do make getting
NQRZQDVEDIćHVWKDWVHSDUDWHWKHOLQLQJIURP ƆţBŅŅÚ in and out of the bag easier and can be opened
the outer, or overlapping sewn-through layers. $JRRGKRRGVKRXOGĆWVQXJO\URXQGWKHIDFH slightly at the top when sitting up. There
7KHĆUVWLVIRXQGLQGRZQEDJVWKHVHFRQGLQ and have a drawcord that is easy to adjust when VKRXOGbEHDQLQVXODWHGWXEHEHKLQGWKH]LSWR
V\QWKHWLFRQHV6RPHEDJVKDYHPRUHĆOORQ it’s dark and you’re half asleep. prevent heat loss.

80 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 comparative review Gear

TEMPERATURE RATINGS: THE EUROPEAN STANDARD

7KH(1UDWLQJSURYLGHVDPHDQVRI ZRPDQ
ZHLJKLQJNJLQDUHOD[HGSRVWXUHVXFK PDQQHTXLQLVGUHVVHGLQWKHUPDOORQJVOHHYHG
FRPSDULQJVOHHSLQJEDJVIRUZDUPWK0RVW DVO\LQJRQWKHEDFNVKRXOGEHFRPIRUWDEOH WRSDQGOHJJLQJVSOXVORQJVRFNVDQGSODFHGLQWKH
FRPSDQLHVXVHLWRUDQHTXLYDOHQWWHVW,WVKRXOG • Lower Comfort Limit:WKHORZHUOLPLWDWZKLFKD VOHHSLQJEDJRQDPDWWUHVV
RQO\EHXVHGDVDJXLGHKRZHYHU,WGRHVQèWPHDQ
VWDQGDUGPDQ
ZHLJKLQJNJLQDUROOHGXSERG\ 7KHNH\UDWLQJVDUH&RPIRUWDQG/RZHU
\RXZLOOEHZDUPDWWKHORZHVWWHPSHUDWXUH SRVLWLRQVKRXOGEHFRPIRUWDEOH &RPIRUWDVWKHVHJLYHDQLGHDRIWKHORZHVWUDQJH
• Extreme Temperature: WHPSHUDWXUHZKHUHD RIWHPSHUDWXUHVIRUFRPIRUWLQDEDJ0RVWSHRSOH
EN 13537 gives four ratings for a sleeping bag: VWDQGDUGZRPDQZLOOIHHOYHU\FROGDQGWKHUHLVD DUHOLNHO\WRIHHOWRRFROGIRUFRPIRUWORQJEHIRUH
• Upper Comfort Limit: WKHKLJKHVWWHPSHUDWXUH ULVNRIIURVWELWHRUK\SRWKHUPLD WKH([WUHPH7HPSHUDWXUHLVUHDFKHG,èGbWDNHWKH
DWZKLFKD
VWDQGDUGPDQ
ZHLJKLQJNJVKRXOG ODVWDVPHDQLQJWKDWWKHEDJLVXQVXLWDEOHIRUWKLV
IHHOFRPIRUWDEOH 7KHUDWLQJVDUHFDOFXODWHGXVLQJDPDQQHTXLQZLWK WHPSHUDWXUH,QGHHG,WKLQNWKH([WUHPHUDWLQJLV
• Comfort:WKHORZHUOLPLWDWZKLFKD
VWDQGDUG KHDWLQJ]RQHVDQGWHPSHUDWXUH]RQHV7KH SRWHQWLDOO\VRPLVOHDGLQJWKDWVKRXOGbEHbVFUDSSHG

WHICH FILL?
SYNTHETIC FILLS
Disadvantages
Advantages
8,QLWLDOO\H[SHQVLYH
9/RZHUFRVW
8&ROGZKHQVRDNHGXQOHVVK\GURSKRELF
Ɔ 95HWDLQVRPHZDUPWKZKHQZHW
86ORZGU\LQJ
95HDVRQDEO\TXLFNGU\LQJ
8+DUGHUWRFOHDQ
ŀ
Disadvantages
Ɓ 8+HDY\
The ethics of down
7KHGRZQXVHGLQVOHHSLQJEDJVFRPHVIURP
8%XON\
JHHVHDQGGXFNVEUHGIRUIRRG8QWLODGHFDGH
86KRUWHUOLIH
DJRWKHUHZDVOLWWOHFRQFHUQDERXWWKHFRQGLWLRQV
82QO\FRPIRUWDEOHRYHUDQDUURZ
LQZKLFKWKHVHELUGVZHUHNHSWRUKRZWKH\
WHPSHUDWXUHUDQJH
ZHUHWUHDWHG+RZHYHULQYHVWLJDWLRQVE\
DOWN HQYLURQPHQWDODQGDQLPDOULJKWVRUJDQLVDWLRQV
Advantages VKRZHGWKDWVRPHZHUHIRUFHIHGIRUIRLHJUDV
9/LJKWZHLJKW ZKLOHRWKHUVZHUHOLYHSOXFNHGDQGPDQ\ZHUH
9/RZEXON NHSWLQSRRUFRQGLWLRQV7KLVUHVXOWHGLQPDQ\
9/RQJOLIH FRPSDQLHVVHWWLQJVWDQGDUGVIRUGRZQVXSSO\
9&RPIRUWDEOHRYHUDZLGHWHPSHUDWXUHUDQJH +HUH,èYHJLYHQWKHLQIRUPDWLRQFXUUHQWO\
9%LRGHJUDGDEOH SURYLGHGE\FRPSDQLHVRQWKHLUZHEVLWHVLIDQ\
ă

Sea to Summit it excellent value for money.

,WèVĆOOHGZLWKZDWHUUHVLVWDQW
Talus TSII
GRZQDQGKDVDZDWHU
ƊƑĊlj ŏljăljčŠåčƚĬ±ųš resistant shell so it’s a good
choice for damp places. There
light weight, hydrophobic down, are side walls to ensure the down lofts fully.
ŏ cost, Responsible Down The inner neck collar extend round the rim of
Standard
the hood so the latter feels snug without the
drawcord having to be very tight. The zip has
nothing
RQHRIWKHEHVWDQWLVQDJVWULSV,èYHXVHGSOXV
Ɨ DWKLFNEDIćH
DOWN
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUK\GURSKRELFGRZQ 7KHĆWLVGHVFULEHGDVçUHOD[HGPXPP\è
Shell: '1DQR6KHOOPLFURSRURXVFRDWHGQ\ORQ
Construction: RIIVHWEDIćHV
which means it’s a bit roomier than bags like
Zip: IXOOOHQJWKVLGH the Firelite but not as wide as the Exped Lite.
Sizes: 3
Rating:&RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
I could easily wear insulated clothing inside
VHDWRVXPPLWFRXN but didn’t feel as though there were cold
spots to warm up.
Ƒ
The Talus TSII isn’t quite as light as some 7KHGRZQLVFHUWLĆHGE\WKH5HVSRQVLEOH
of the bags providing similar warmth but Down Standard and so comes from birds that
it does cost considerably less, making have been reared humanely.
î

Ċ
The Great Outdoors March 2018 81
Gear comparative review

2 Robens
ŅƚĬŅĜųŏljljlj
RECOMMENDED ƊĊljlj ŏƆƆăč

warmth, centre zip,

2 hydrophobic down
3
quite heavy, expensive, only
one size

DOWN
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUK\GURSKRELFGRZQ
Shell: 7DIIHWDQ\ORQ
Construction: ER[ZDOO
Zip: FHQWUH
Sizes: 1
Rating:&RPIRUWr&
&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
UREHQVGH

If you want maximum

warmth, this is a good bag
to choose. It’s the heaviest
down bag reviewed and
RECOMMENDED the equal warmest. The
down doesn’t have as
KLJKDĆOOSRZHUDVWKH
Rab Neutrino 800, which
SURYLGHVVLPLODUZDUPWK
hence the higher weight.
7KHGRZQLVK\GURSKRELFDQG
so resists moisture well. The design
4 LVJRRGZLWKDKRRGDQGQHFNEDIćH
WKDWĆWZHOODQGDUHHDV\WRDGMXVW
DQGDELJVKDSHGIRRW,OLNHWKH
FHQWUH]LSDVLWPDNHVJHWWLQJ
LQDQGRXWDQGVLWWLQJXSLQ
the bag easy. There’s a wide,
RECOMMENDED WKLFNGRXEOHEDIćHEHKLQG
WKH]LSWRSUHYHQWKHDWORVV
7KHbDQWLVQDJ]LSJXDUG
ZRUNVbZHOO
5 The Couloir 1000 comes
LQRQO\RQHOHQJWK,WèVĆQHIRU
PHEXWDQ\RQHWDOOZRXOGĆQG
WKHLUIHHWSXVKLQJDJDLQVWWKH
end. The bag is quite heavy too
DQGIDLUO\EXON\ZKHQSDFNHG
7KHSURYLGHGVWXIIVDFNLVQèW
ZDWHUSURRI
RECOMMENDED 7KHSULFHLVTXLWHKLJKWKRXJK
OHVVWKDQEDJVZLWKKLJKHUĆOO
SRZHUGRZQ
6

82 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 comparative review Gear
DQ\ZKHUHåIRUYHQWLODWLRQDQGWRVWLFN
\RXUKDQGVRXWWRFRRNRUUHDG7KHORRNLV
3 Mountain Equipment 4 Exped XQXVXDODVPRVWRIWKHEDIćHVUXQGRZQWKH
Firelite XĜƋåƁljlj EDJUDWKHUWKDQDFURVVLW,KDYHQèWIRXQG
ƊĊƗlj ƁƆljčŠåčƚĬ±ųš ƊƑŏlj ŏƗƑljčŠaåÚĜƚĵš DQ\DGYDQWDJHVRUGLVDGYDQWDJHVWRWKLV
7KHIRRWER[LVUHDOO\URRP\7KHKRRGKDV
DEDIćHURXQGWKHULPDQGĆWVZHOO7KH
warm, ultralight, Down Codex down roomy, quite light, cost, Responsible
Down Standard GUDZFRUGVDUHKLGGHQLQVLGHWKHIDEULFEXW
expensive easy to operate once you learn where they
not as light as some DUH7KHUHèVDQLQVXODWHGVKRXOGHUEDIćH
DOWN LQVLGHWKRXJKWKLVLVQèWDGMXVWDEOH7KHEDJ
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUGRZQUHJXODUVL]H
DOWN
LVIDLUO\URRP\7KHVWXIIVDFNSURYLGHGLVQèW
Shell: GHQLHU
Construction: VODQWZDOOHODVWLFDWHGWRSVHDPV
Zip: IXOOOHQJWKVLGH
Sizes: 2
Rating:*RRG1LJKWèV6OHHSr&RPIRUW
r&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
PRXQWDLQHTXLSPHQWFRXN
Part of the Extreme Light range, which
Mountain Equipment says are "the lightest,
PRVWHIĆFLHQWZHKDYHHYHUGHYHORSHGWKH
Firelite is amazingly warm for the weight.
,èYHVOHSWLQLWDWr&DQGEHHQZDUPZHDULQJ
MXVWOLJKWEDVHOD\HUV,WKDVHODVWLFDWHGVHDPV
DQGVRKXJVWKHERG\ZHOO$WWKHVDPH
WLPHLWèVURRP\HQRXJKWKDW,FRXOGZHDU
LQVXODWHGFORWKLQJLQLWLIQHFHVVDU\0RXQWDLQ
(TXLSPHQWèVRZQ*RRG1LJKWèV6OHHSUDWLQJ
LVORZHUWKDQWKH(1RQH7KHFRPSDQ\VD\V
WKLVLVWKHPRVWDFFXUDWHJXLGHWRWKHRYHUDOO
SHUIRUPDQFHRIDEDJEDVHGRQRXUDYHUDJH
XVHU,WLVEDVHGRQPRUHWKDQ\HDUVRI
H[SHGLWLRQKHULWDJHĆHOGWULDOVDQGFRQVWDQW
IHHGEDFN,WèVFHUWDLQO\DFFXUDWHIRUPH
7KHORZZHLJKWFRPHVIURPWKHXOWUDOLJKW
VKHOODQGWKHKLJKĆOOSRZHUGRZQ7KHUHèV
DORZYROXPHVHYHQEDIćHKRRGWKDWZUDSV
URXQGWKHKHDGZHOODQGDQHIIHFWLYHQHFN
EDIćH$QRWKHUWKLFNEDIćHSUHYHQWVKHDW
EHLQJORVWWKURXJKWKH]LS7KHVKHOOIDEULF
LVVRIWDQGFRPIRUWDEOHDJDLQVWWKHVNLQ,WèV
DOVRYHU\EUHDWKDEOHDQGEHLQJVROLJKWDOORZV
WKHĆOOWRORIWZHOO0RXQWDLQ(TXLSPHQWVD\V
LWKDVçH[FHSWLRQDOWHDUUHVLVWDQFHè7KHVLGH
VHDPVDUHDWJURXQGOHYHOVRWKHDUHDZLWK
HODVWLFDWHGVHDPVLVODUJHUWKDQWKDWZLWK
SODLQVHDPV7KHVKDSHGIRRWLVURRP\7KH
5HJXODUVL]HZKLFKĆWVPHZHOOLVFP
ORQJLQVLGHWKH;/LVFP
Mountain Equipment was one of the
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GRZQFRPHVIURPDQGLWV'RZQ&RGH[DXGLW
HQVXUHVWKDWWKHUHèVQROLYHSOXFNLQJDQGWKDW
ELUGZHOIDUHVWDQGDUGVDUHKLJK<RXFDQHYHQ
WUDFHWKHVRXUFHRIGRZQLQDVOHHSLQJEDJ
XVLQJDXQLTXHFRGHRQWKHODEHO
7KH)LUHOLWHLVH[SHQVLYHEXWLWLV
H[WUHPHO\ZDUPIRUWKHZHLJKWDQGWKHRQO\
FRPSDUDEOHEDJVUHYLHZHGIURP3DWDJRQLD
DQG3+'FRVWFRQVLGHUDEO\PRUH
7KH)LUHOLWHFRPHVZLWKDZDWHUSURRI
VWXIIVDFNDQGD]LSSHGPHVKFXEHIRUVWRUDJH
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUJRRVHGRZQPHGLXPVL]H ZDWHUSURRIåDWWKLVSULFHPD\EHLWVKRXOGEH
Shell: PLFURĆEUHULSVWRSQ\ORQRXWHUSRO\HVWHULQQHU
Construction: KRUL]RQWDODQGYHUWLFDOER[ZDOO
Zip: IXOOOHQJWKVLGH
Sizes: 3
Rating: &RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
H[SHGFRP
7KH([SHG/LWHLVDEDJIRUWKRVHZKRDUH
KHDYLO\EXLOWRUZKRĆQGPRVWPXPP\EDJV
UHVWULFWLYHDVLWèVZLGHUWKDQDYHUDJHDQG
OHVVWDSHUHG,WèVELJHQRXJKWRĆWDQDUURZHU
WKLQQHUEDJLQVLGH7KHH[WUDVL]HDQGD
VOLJKWO\WKLFNHUVKHOOIDEULFPHDQVLWèVKHDYLHU
WKDQVLPLODUEDJVEXWLWèVVWLOOTXLWHOLJKW
&RPIRUWLVH[FHOOHQW7KHKRRGĆWVZHOODQG
WKHUHèVDJRRGGUDIWFROODU%RWKDUHHDVLO\
DGMXVWHGIURPLQVLGHWKHEDJ7KHUHèVDWKLFN
EDIćHEHKLQGWKH]LSWRR
([SHGXVHVGRZQFHUWLĆHGE\WKH
LQGHSHQGHQW5HVSRQVLEOH'RZQ6WDQGDUG
ZKLFKHQVXUHVWKDWLWFRPHVIURPELUGVWKDW
KDYHEHHQWUHDWHGZHOO7KHVKHOOIDEULFVDUH
DOVR%OXHVLJQFHUWLĆHG
7KHFRVWRIWKH([SHG/LWHLVORZHUWKDQ
IRUOLJKWHUZHLJKWGRZQEDJVRIFRPSDUDEOH
ZDUPWKVRLIZHLJKWLVQèWFUXFLDODQG\RX
SUHIHUDURRP\EDJLWèVDJRRGFKRLFH
5 {±Ƌ±čŅĹĜ±
îăljŏŀ8xěƁ
Ɗăljlj îăljč
warmth, ultralight, centre zip,
Traceable Down
expensive
DOWN
Fill: ĆOOSRZHUJRRVHGRZQ
Shell: 3HUWH[4XDQWXP
Construction: GLIIHUHQWLDOEDIćH
Zip: FHQWUH
Sizes: 3
Rating: &RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
HXSDWDJRQLDFRP
7KLVLVDORYHO\XOWUDOLJKWEDJEXWLWLVYHU\
H[SHQVLYH,SDUWLFXODUO\OLNHWKHFHQWUH]LS
IRUHDVHRIJHWWLQJLQDQGRXWDQGVLWWLQJ
XSLQWKHEDJDQGDOVRIRUXVLQJ\RXUKDQGV
ZLWKWKHKRRGXS7KH]LSKDVWKUHHVOLGHUV
ZKLFKPHDQVVKRUWVHFWLRQVFDQEHRSHQHG
3DWDJRQLDXVHVGRZQWKDWLVFHUWLĆHGWRWKH
*OREDO7UDFHDEOH'RZQ6WDQGDUGHQVXULQJ
WKDWELUGVKDYHEHHQWUHDWHGKXPDQHO\
6 ±Æ
cåƚƋųĜĹŅîljlj
ƊĊƁlj ŏƗŀƑč
warmth, lightweight, hydrophobic
down
cost
DOWN
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUK\GURSKRELFJRRVHGRZQ
Shell: 3HUWH[4XDQWXP
Construction: WUDSH]RLGDOEDIćH
Zip: €VLGH
Sizes: 2
Rating:5DE/LPLWr&
UDEHTXLSPHQW
7KH1HXWULQRLVWKHHTXDOZDUPHVW
EDJWHVWHGEXWLWZHLJKVJUDPVOHVV
WKDQWKH&RXORLUGXHWRWKHKLJKHUĆOO
SRZHUGRZQDQGWKHOLJKWHUZHLJKWVKHOO
IDEULF)RUWKHZDUPWKLWèVYHU\OLJKW7KH
GRZQLVK\GURSKRELFWRRXVLQJDWUHDWPHQW
GHYHORSHGZLWK1LNZD[7KH3HUWH[
4XDQWXPVKHOODOORZVWKHGRZQWRORIWIXOO\
7KHKRRGLVH[FHOOHQW7KHUHèVDZDUP
DGMXVWDEOHLQWHUQDOFROODUDQGDJRRGEDIćH
EHKLQGWKHWZRZD\]LS&RPIRUWLVH[FHOOHQW
WKHEDJEHLQJQDUURZHQRXJKWRFXWRXWFROG
VSRWVEXWVWLOOZLWKHQRXJKURRPWRPRYH
LQVLGH,FRXOGZHDUDOLJKWGRZQMDFNHWLQVLGH
WKRXJK,FDQèWLPDJLQHHYHUQHHGLQJWRGRVR
$Wr&,ZDVYHU\ZDUPLQVLGHZHDULQJ
MXVWWKLQEDVHOD\HUV)RUFROGVOHHSHUVWKLV
FRXOGEHWKHLGHDOZLQWHUEDFNSDFNLQJEDJ
,WLVH[SHQVLYHEXW,GRXEWWKHUHèVDQ\WKLQJ
lighter that’s this warm.
5DEXVHVGRZQWKDWèVWUDFHDEOHXQGHU
WKH(XURSHDQ'RZQ )HDWKHU$VVRFLDWLRQ
&RGH[ZKLFKHQVXUHVWKDWWKHGRZQGRHV
QRWFRPHIURPELUGVWKDWKDYHEHHQOLYH
SOXFNHGRUIRUFHIHGDQGWKDWWKHLUZHOIDUH
KDVEHHQSURWHFWHGIURPWKHWLPHWKH\ZHUH
KDWFKOLQJVWRZKHQWKH\DUHVODXJKWHUHG
The Great Outdoors March 2018 83
Gear comparative review

cost. However although it has a lower

comfort rating of -5° it’s not that warm
7 PHD with only about half the loft of bags like the 10 Therm-a-Rest
Firelite and Patagonia 850. It should be åĹƋ±ųĜ
BĜŸŞ±ųĊljljU„åųĜåŸ adequate for those who sleep warm on mild
ƊƆŏƑ ƁƗăč Ɗŏîă ŏîƗă芄š
winter nights but overall it’s best kept for
three-season use. Whilst the cost is low the
weight is on the high side for the warmth Ƶ±ųĵƋĘØÏŅŸƋØŸĬååŞĜĹčĵ±ƋŸƋų±ŞŸ
ƚĬƋų±ĬĜčĘƋØƵ±ųĵØÏƚŸƋŅĵĜŸ±ÆĬå SURYLGHGERWKWKHUHVXOWRIWKHORZHUĆOO
power down and the heavier shell fabrics. Ęå±ƴƼØÆƚĬĩƼ
ƴåųƼåƻŞåĹŸĜƴå
The Elite 550 has a half-length zip with a
ĆOOHGEDIćHEHKLQGLWDQDGMXVWDEOHVKRXOGHU
SYNTHETIC
DOWN EDIćHDQGDJRRGER[HGIRRW7KHRXWHU Fill: NJHUD/RIW3RO\+ROORZ)LEUH
Fill: JĆOOSRZHUGRZQ
shell is water-resistant, the inner is very soft Shell: 'SRO\HVWHU
Shell: 8OWUDVKHOOFRDWHGULSVWRSQ\ORQ
Construction: GRXEOHOD\HU
Construction: ER[ZDOO against the skin. The bag is reasonably roomy. Zip: IXOOOHQJWKVLGH
Zip: OHQJWKVLGH]LSIXOOOHQJWKRSWLRQ
Sizes: OHQJWKVZLGWKV
Rating: r&
SKGHVLJQVFRXN
This is the lightest bag tested and the
warmest for its weight. It’s also the most
H[SHQVLYHGXHWRKLJKĆOOSRZHUGRZQ
and the fact it's made to order in the UK.
7KHVSHFLĆFDWLRQVIRUWKLVEDJDUHIRUWKH
standard length and width with a half-length
side zip and water-resistant shell. This is the
right size for me, but a full-length zip would
be nice for ventilation and use as a quilt (it
would add 95g and £21). You can customise
using PHD’s Design Your Own Bag service.
The sleeping bag has a draft collar, a well-
ĆWWLQJKRRGDQGGRXEOHGUDIWWXEHVEHKLQG
WKH]LS7KHUHDUHDOVREDIćHVLQWKHVLGHV
to prevent the down from shifting top-to-
bottom. The bag tapers more than many
and is quite narrow around the legs. Though
roomy enough around the body, I can't turn
over in it.
If money isn’t a factor and you want the
warmest bag at the lightest weight, the
Hispar 400 K Series is a superb choice. PHD
visits the producers of the down so know
that it’s not live-plucked.
8 Terra Nova
)ĬĜƋåăălj
ƊƗƆlj ŏƗljljč
cost
ŸĘŅųƋDŽĜŞØĹŅƋƋʱƋƵ±ųĵ
DOWN
Fill: ĆOOSRZHUGXFNGRZQ
Shell: Q\ORQ
Construction: ER[ZDOO
Zip: KDOIOHQJWKVLGH
Sizes: 1
Rating:&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
WHUUDQRYDFRXN
For a down bag, the Elite 550 is quite low
84 The Great Outdoors March 2018
7KHGHVLJQWKHQLVĆQHDQGWKLVLVQèWDEDG
bag, especially given the cost. It’s not really
for winter though unless you wear thick
clothing or use it inside another bag.
9 „Ĺƚ誱ĩ
„ŅüƋĜåŏƗ)ĹÚå±ƴŅƚųxkŸŞųåƼ
Ɗŏălj ŏŀăljč
warmth, cost
ƵåĜčĘƋØÆƚĬĩ
SYNTHETIC
Fill: 6RIWLH3UHPLHUSRO\HVWHU
Shell: 3DUDWH[6WHHOSODWH3DUDWH[/LJKW
Construction: GRXEOHOD\HU
Zip: IXOOOHQJWKVLGH
Sizes: 2
Rating: &RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
VQXJSDNFRP
Snugpak’s well-established UK-made Softie
12 Endeavour is a warm sleeping bag at a
JRRGSULFH7KHĆOOLVVRIWDQGćH[LEOHDQG
doesn’t stand away from the body like some
synthetics. The outer shell is windproof and
water-resistant, the inner shell soft and
FRPIRUWDEOH7KHUHèVDWKLFNEDIćHEHKLQGWKH
]LSDQGDQHTXDOO\WKLFNDGMXVWDEOHFROODU7KH
KRRGLVZDUPWKRXJK,GLGĆQGWKHDGMXVWDEOH
cord a bit uncomfortable when it was done
up tight as it lay across my forehead. Turning
my face into the bag solved this.
The bag is quite roomy so extra clothing
could be worn inside if necessary. If you
want more room, one of Snugpak’s insulated
H[SDQGDSDQHOVFDQEHĆWWHG7KHEDJLVTXLWH
long – my feet don’t reach anywhere near
the end.
For warmth and comfort the Softie
LVĆQH+RZHYHULWèVDOVRWKHKHDYLHVW
and bulkiest bag tested. It comes with a
compression stuffsack but even so takes up
quite a bit of room in your rucksack.
Sizes: 3
Rating: &RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
WKHUPDUHVWFRP
Like other Therm-a-Rest sleeping bags, the
Centari has stretchy bands underneath so it
can be attached to a sleeping mat, ensuring
that you don’t roll off it. These bands are
removable but as there’s more insulation on
the top of the bag than underneath, if you
don’t attach the bag to a mat and turn over
with it you’ll have less warmth around you.
There are also loops for attaching a Therm-a-
Rest quilt or blanket for extra warmth.
The bag is quite roomy, especially around
the torso. The test sample is the small size,
which is a little short for me. However as I
haven’t needed to use the hood this hasn’t
been a problem. At temperatures around
zero the bag is very warm. As well as the
V\QWKHWLFĆOOZKLFKLVVRIWDQGFRPIRUWDEOH
WKHLQWHUQDOVHDPVKDYHDUHćHFWLYHFRDWLQJ
The bag has a snug hood, a thick neck
EDIćHDZHOOLQVXODWHG]LSDQGDJRRGIRRW
box with an internal insulated pouch.
The Centari is a good sleeping bag but l it’s
heavy and quite bulky.
11 Mountain Hardwear
BƼŞåųX±ĵĜű8Ĭ±ĵå
ƊƗŏlj ŏŏŀljčŠåčƚĬ±ųš
ƵåĜčĘƋØƵ±ųĵƋĘØÏåĹƋųåDŽĜŞ
ʱĬüěDŽĜŞ
SYNTHETIC
Fill: 7KHUPDO4JP2
Shell: '7DFWHO1\ORQ'REE\
Construction: ZHOGHG
Zip: KDOIOHQJWKFHQWUH
Sizes: 3
Rating: &RPIRUWr&&RPIRUW/LPLWr&
PRXQWDLQKDUGZHDUFRP
Synthetic sleeping bags designed for
cold weather usually have a double-layer
 comparative review Gear

construction with offset seams so the 7

stitching that holds the insulation in
place doesn’t let cold air in. This is
WKHUPDOO\HIĆFLHQWEXWDOVRKHDY\DV
LWLQYROYHVH[WUDPDWHULDO0RXQWDLQ
Hardwear has come up with a
design that welds the insulation to the RECOMMENDED
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seams so only one layer is needed. The result
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The design is good too. I like the centre
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dots to keep it closed. The wide draft collar
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a light down jacket inside if necessary. The
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cost

heavy, bulky, not very warm

SYNTHETIC
Fill: 350g/m2 60% polyester/40% Hollow Fibre
Shell: ripstop polyester/brushed polyester
Construction: offset double-layer
Zip: full-length side
Sizes: 1
Rating: Comfort +3°C, Comfort Limit -2°C RECOMMENDED
regatta.com

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warm sleeper. The design isn’t really that of
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The Great Outdoors March 2018 85

TAKE
TAK
THREE
WINTER
BOOTS
1\K`(YTZ[YVUNPU]LZ[PNH[LZyour
options for cold weather walking
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOOTS for winter walking depends on
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another for warmer weather, or one pair for all seasons. If you
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you have the luxury of targeting your footwear to the climate
and terrain, which means you can select boots with more
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for walking or mountaineering.
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but in the cold season I look at things slightly differently. For
winter conditions I like ankle support, insulation if possible, a
reasonably rigid midsole, a rand and an aggressive lug pattern
ZLWKWKHSURYLVRWKDWLWPDWFKHVWKHFUDPSRQV,èPZHDULQJ
NOTES: Weights from my digital scales for
VL]HVDVVSHFLĆHG
Fit, in a winter boot, is absolutely crucial. The last thing you need
in a stiff boot is for your heel to lift or your feet to wallow. Some
winter boots feature asymmetric lasts which more closely echo
the natural shape of the foot but can reduce room in the toe box.
7KH\WHQGWRKDYHVOLPPHUVROHXQLWVZKLFKDUHZDLVWHGDQGĆW
well with curved crampons.
Also note that footbeds supplied in boots are universally
rubbish. Stiff boots are hard work on your feet at the best of
WLPHVVRJLYHWKHPDĆJKWLQJFKDQFHDQGLQYHVWLQRIIWKHSHJ
shaped footbeds or custom orthotics.
In terms of price, winter boots are grouped fairly tightly.
Our Budget option, Asolo Greenwood, represents a lot of boot
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PRUHRQWKDWbVKRUWO\
Crampons are a fact of life for winter walking, and
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compatibility has improved for hillwalkers. Modern strap-ons
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and stay attached to, virtually any boot. They are more than
adequate for easy climbing, but if you want to tackle more
WHFKQLFDOWHUUDLQ\RXèOOQHHGVWLIIERRWVZLWKDKHHOOHGJHVR\RX
can use crampons with a heel clip and a front cradle.
86 The Great Outdoors March 2018
for less. At the top end, La Sportiva Cube is a serious piece of
kit for technical terrain and also offers good value for what it
offers. Scarpa Rebel Lite, in the middle on price, is another top
performer for its level.
The key in choosing your winter boot is to be honest with
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EX\LQJWKH&XEHLI\RXUJRDOVGRQèWLQFOXGHVRPHGHJUHHRI
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the hard stuff in the Greenwood.

ANKLE SUPPORT: Winter boots are cut higher than three-season
boots in order to provide optimal ankle support. This is particularly
important when traversing on rough, icy or rocky ground, and when
wearing crampons. Because they lift your foot further from the
ground, crampons tend to increase the leverage on your foot, and a
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FIT: Heavy-duty boots are often smaller inside than a lightweight
ERRWLQWKHVDPHVL]HIURPWKHVDPHEUDQG,WVHHPVVL]HLVEDVHGRQ
footprint, not internal volume. The critical points are to have a secure
(not pinched, but not loose) heel, a secure forefoot that does not
compress your toes, and comfort/security (not compression) along
the sides. Also ensure the back of the cuff does not press on your
Achilles tendon.
RIGIDITY: Lateral rigidity allows you to balance body weight on
Ƌ±ĩåƑGear
affects walking comfort, but can be balanced with a sole rocker.
Stiffer boots will make the soles of your feet and your Achilles
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RAND: This strip – usually rubber, occasionally fabric – protects the
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rocks, ice and frozen debris. A high rand at the back of the boot can
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crucial component in a winter boot.
SOLE UNIT: Mud and snow are the main enemies in winter. A narrow
tread pattern is more likely to get choked with mud and debris; a
wider pattern will self-clean more readily. A sole with a squared-off
heel will offer better purchase on descents. Very hard rubber will
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going to wear crampons regularly ensure the boot sole matches the

1
the edge of your boot (useful in hard snow or ice). Forefoot rigidity crampon for shape/curve and length.

ASOLO £190
GREENWOOD
GV
A revamp of the best-selling Tribe,
Greenwood is a leather boot with a one-
Photo: Marta Kobiela/Shutterstock

piece upper and some high-spec detailing.

budget Changes include a Vibram Megagrip
OPTION rubber compound outsole for improved
grip, especially on wet rock, better ankle
Sizes: men 6-13.5, cushioning with a combination of supple
women 3.5-9 leather and lycra around the collar and
Weight: 1500g QHZPLFURĆEUHOLQLQJV,WKDVDVPDOOUDQG
(men’s 10) around the front of the boot but none
Upper: water- where the sole joins to the upper.
resistant Perwanger Despite the lack of all-round rand, this
leather 2.2–2.4mm; is a solid, semi-stiff boot with plenty of
Gore-Tex
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slightly tapered toe. Lacing is smooth and with this boot (and others in the ‘traditional
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(dual density EVA) a heel hook plus two at the ankle. The WKHPVXLWHGWRçVWUDLJKWèFUDPSRQV,IWKH\
asolo.com tongue is softly padded with supple leather are mounted on ‘curved’ / asymmetric
at the bellows, and is sewn in to the lower crampons there is too much boot to the
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more mountaineering-oriented styles, doesn’t follow the crampon curve), which
such as those from Scarpa and La Sportiva, makes them feel unstable.
which tend to be somewhat slimmer with The sole pattern itself is aggressive, with
narrower, waisted sole units. a squared-off heel for slippery descents and
Greenwood is more of a traditional deep lugs for munching into mud. Overall
winter walking boot, with a sole unit that Greenwood are supportive, protective
splays slightly from the upper to create a and cushioned without being remote
ZLGHVWDEOHSODWIRUP,WZRUNVZHOOZLWK from the ground, and a good option for
crampons equipped with front and back ZLQWHUbZDONLQJ
cradle harnesses as there’s plenty of
volume for the cradles to hook onto. The ALSO AVAILABLE: Aku SuperAlp GTX
point made elsewhere, about boots being £210, aku.it/en

The Great Outdoors March 2018 87

 2
Gear Ƌ±ĩåƑ

SCARPA £260
REBEL LITE GTX
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Sizes: men 40-48,
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women’s 37
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Micro Tech (synthetic FRPELQHVGXUDELOLW\ZLWKORZZHLJKW6FDUSDGROLNH /LWHKDVDVPDOOKHHOOHGJHVRLVFRPSDWLEOHZLWKKHHO
‘leather’), S-Tech WKHLUMDUJRQ7KHJLVWLVWKDWWKHXSSHULVPDGHRI
(water-resistant nylon), WRXJKOLJKWZHLJKWV\QWKHWLFIDEULFZLWKVXHGHDURXQG
suede; Gore-Tex WKHORZHUVHFWLRQDQGDUXEEHUUDQGEHWZHHQVXHGH
Performance Comfort and sole unit. The updated tongue is interesting: made
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LA SPORTIVA
TRANGO CUBE GTX
Cube is a striking-looking boot: it has a streamlined,
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thermoplastic covering. That’s the clear, gel-like
premium stuff on the sides and cuffs, plus the lacing hooks,
OPTION ZKLFKDGGVVXSSRUWDQGVWUXFWXUHWRWKHQ\ORQ
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Sizes: men 40-48,
women 36-43 IRUFRPIRUWZLWKFUDPSRQVHLWKHUFDJHRUKHHOFOLS
Weight: 1585g /DFLQJLVHDVLO\DGMXVWDEOHUXQQLQJVPRRWKO\WKURXJK
men’s 44 WKHSODVWLFORRSV7KHWRQJXHZKLFKLVFOHYHUO\
Upper: Synthetic SDGGHGWRDYRLGSUHVVXUHSRLQWVZKHQWKHERRWLV
with thermoplastic ODFHGWLJKWO\LVVHZQLQWRWKHWRSRIWKHFXII,WKDV
clip crampons and front and back cradle harnesses.
There is a small amount of sole rocker and a
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etiso.com
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but in these it’s
instinctive to
keep the feet
straight.
The sole unit, like Scarpa’s Rebel Lite, has quite a
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with EVA core /
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’Cube’ Vibram sole
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lasportiva.com
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meindl.co.uk

88 The Great Outdoors Marc

March 2018
 READ MORE FROM

ON OUR WEBSITE

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TREKKING
TECHNOLOGY
Gear Editor Chris Townsend is a long-term user of
trekking poles. Last year, he got the opportunity to
ĆQGRXWPRUHDERXWZKDWJRHVLQWRPDNLQJWKHP

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT how trekking poles are made? I

hadn’t until last autumn when I visited Komperdell in Austria with
a party of outdoor writers. On the way there I considered what I
knew about pole manufacture. Nothing really, though I assumed
it must be fairly simple. A tour round the Komperdell factory
showed me I was completely wrong.
Making poles is a complex business involving many stages and
much specialist machinery – in the case of Komperdell, some
of it purpose-designed by the company’s staff. For tasks such as
lacquering, the temperature and cleanliness of the air is critical and
the rooms in which these take place are sealed. Poles have to be
cut to the right lengths, internal and external adjusters slotted in
firmly, grips attached. In all, I found seeing and hearing about the
process much more fascinating than I expected. I’ll never look at a
pole the same way again!

A brief history
Komperdell is one of the oldest pole companies, founded in
Vienna in 1922 to make hiking and billiard poles out of hazel
wood. Ski poles followed soon after and by 1928 the company
had 50 employees. Bamboo replaced hazel in 1939 and the first
stainless steel poles arrived in 1948.
By the 1970s, lighter-weight aluminium had replaced both steel
and wood. And in 1970 more than 150,000 pairs of poles were
produced for the first time. Today 23,000 pairs are made every
THE POLES week. The 1980s saw the introduction of telescopic and anti-shock
Komperdell’s poles are poles and the takeover of the company by the Roiser family who
all made at the factory in moved production to St Lorenz in the Salzkammergut region near
Austria, including these, Mondsee (Moon Lake) where they had been making water sports
the Carbon Expedition products since 1968. Further developments in the 1990s saw the
Tour 4 Compact first ultralight carbon-fibre poles. Komperdell are now the only

90 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 Trekking poles Gear

ALPINE ADVENTURES
[Far left] Chris and other visitors to the
factory tried out the poles on a walk up
1278m Predigstuhl

KOMPERDELL HQ
[Left] Komperdell are now the only
company still making trekking poles in
Europe

FACTORY TOUR
[Below] Pole-making machines aren’t
simple!

THE FINISHED RESULT

[Bottom] Racks of poles in the Komperdell
factory, awaiting their handles and
accessories

company still making poles in Europe – all its poles are made in
the St Lorenz factory I visited.
We were shown round by CEO Thomas Roiser, whose passion
for his family company and its products shone through as he
enthusiastically described every aspect of pole manufacture and
introduced us to members of his staff, who demonstrated some of
the many complex machines involved.
Thomas also told us that production is quite environmentally
friendly with recycled materials such as aluminium used where
possible, packaging kept low, and only water soluble coatings used.
Poles are thoroughly tested and there’s a repair facility for any that
do come back damaged. All trekking poles come with a three-year
free repair guarantee: “No matter how it happened, we repair your
pole, no questions asked, no receipt necessary, at absolutely no
charge for you!”

A trip to the Alps

Komperdell is situated in a beautiful location in the limestone
foothills of the Alps, and after the factory tour we went on a walk
up 1,278m Predigstuhl to try out some poles, specifically those
with a new grip material designed to be soft, grippy and non-
sweaty. This is being introduced across the whole range this year.
It also has the cosmetic advantage that graphics can be printed on
it, doing away with the standard plain black grips. The material
was originally developed for tennis rackets and has a ‘fine pored
microstructure’, ‘a special substructure on the grip that absorbs
sweat’, and a ‘special non-slip coating.
I certainly found the grips very comfortable, non-slip and
non-sweaty – though the weather wasn’t very hot. We also tried the
Stiletto poles, which have a button adjustment on the grip so you
can alter the length as you walk. This took a little while to get used
to – sometimes I pressed the button unintentionally! Once I learnt
not to do this, I found the feature very useful and altered the length
far more than I would normally do.
Our walk on a wet, cloudy day was mostly in steep forests with
narrow, stony paths and many rocks and boulders to clamber over
and around. It was certainly a place where poles were often useful.
From the edges of limestone cliffs we had dramatic views over the
valley below, across lakes and green fields to distant cloud-capped
mountains. Komperdell has all this on the doorstep. If I didn’t live
in the Cairngorms I’d have been jealous!
I returned home impressed with the care and technicalities
involved in making top quality poles. I also brought with me a
pair of Carbon Trail Foldable poles. These are designed for trail
running but they serve just as well for walking. They’re four-
section poles with the bottom three screwing together and the top
one providing the adjustment via an external clip. They can quickly
be folded down for carrying. As the length can’t be adjusted as
much as on poles with three adjustable sections, the poles come in
four lengths from 100-130cm (in 10cm steps). I have the 120cm
ones, which extend to 145cm, and fold down to 44cm. The weight
is 600 grams for a pair. They have the new grip material and this
is extended down the shaft for when a shorter pole is needed. The
adjustment system is quite firm and there’s no wobble or give when
the poles are weighted. The grips are very comfortable and overall
these are excellent poles.

The Great Outdoors March 2018 91

Wild WALKS
10 varied walks in Scotland, England and Wales
CONTRIBUTORS
WALKING IN WINTER
Any walk, and especially those in the hills,
can become much more serious in winter
conditions. If going out in winter, and
especially in snow, ice or strong winds you
should ensure that you have the correct
equipment and the necessary skills to use it
should the need arise.
David Lintern

Ronald Turnbull

Ian Battersby

Roger Butler
Atmospheric old farms, barns and tracks at the south end of the
Gunnerside valley, with the ridge of High Carl in the background
Photo: Roger Butler

2XUZDONVëLVPRQë Paul Richardson

1 Strathspey Dun da Lamh

2 Southern Highlands Ben Lomond 1

3 Southern Uplands Culter Fell 2

3 John Gillham
4 Lake District6W6XQGD\&UDJ )DLUĆHOG
5 Forest of Bowland Totridge & Fair Snape Fell 4
6 7
6 Yorkshire Dales Melbecks Moor & Rogan’s Seat 5

7 North York Moors Westerdale & Esk Valley Way Andrew Galloway
9
8 Shropshire Northern Stiperstones & Earl’s Hill 8

9 Snowdonia Dduallt
10 Dartmoor Steps Bridge & Mardon Down
10 Tim Gent

92 The Great Outdoors March 2018

1 Ɔĩĵ/ƑţƁĵĜĬåŸ/ƑěĊĘŅƚųŸ
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Dun da Lamh
Strathspey SCOTLAND

1
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400
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David Lintern takes a short family walk to the heart of Pictish Scotland
OUR LAST FEW family outings had been
a mixed bag, with a couple of aborted
attempts mixed in with others curtailed
altogether, so I was keen to get the gang
out on something short but sweet that we
could achieve in the limited daylight hours
of winter. This walk was a realistic target
for us based in Strathspey, without leaving
too early, and we were blessed with crystal-
clear winter weather into the bargain.
As the name suggests, Dun da Lamh
is a hill fort – specifically the ‘Fort of Two
Hands’ – which may refer to the wooded,
twin summits overlooking the Spey.
Nearby Laggan is a secluded crofting
township tucked out of harm’s way to the
east of the Creag Meagaidh massif. There
was snow on those summits, and even
at this low altitude the wind sucked the
warmth of the car from us in seconds.
We wrapped the kids (and ourselves) in
plenty of fleece and down and began the
walk down a newly widened forestry track,
until a quieter turnoff took us underneath
Black Craig.
The larches had turned flame orange
and were backlit by low sunshine, and

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 93

/RFK6SH\DQGWKH
0HDJDLGKPDVVLI
from the fort
7KHĆQDOSXOO
XSWRWKHIRUW
my ever eagle-eyed partner spied three
birds of prey circling above us. Once in the
shadow of the hill and out of the sun, it was
bitterly cold, but we increased our pace
(our eldest lured by her favourite snack de
jour – nuts and apricots) and soon made it
to the turnoff for the top itself.
The final few metres lead through
Further information
Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet
35 (Kingussie & Monadhliath
Mountains)
Transport: None convenient
Information: Aviemore TIC,
i 01479 810930
94 The Great Outdoors March 2018
windblown spruce interspersed with Scots
pine still standing tall, before a narrow
path teeters up the side of a white, rocky
pile. A plaque had informed us that the
rock was brought in from another glen,
and it’s believed to be an early Pictish fort,
but the precise details remain a mystery.
Like nearby Ruthven, its location is at a
key junction in the Scottish Highlands,
guarding the old Corrieyairack pass from
east to west. There are walls near the top,
which run around both summits, and a
tiny shed with a geocache inside.
It may have been the stunningly
beautiful winter sunshine, but I was
enchanted by this tucked away place. The
combination of natural beauty and human
history is often a winner for our family
outings, and gives us a reason to aim for
Walking in on a
forestry track
Sunset on Newtonmore’s
Creag Dubh
‘the top’ – forts and castles usually hide
witches and wizards but today, I was told
they hid ‘friendly Gruffalos’!
This is also an area under threat from
new development. Nearby Glenshero
Estate is in the early stages of a plan for
54 wind turbines, designed to power the
smelter at Fort William recently sold by
Rio Tinto Alcan, as well as a factory in
Lanarkshire rolling the steel for more
turbines. I’m in favour of renewables in
the right place, but I’m not convinced
that sacrificing all our hill country is the
right way to go about it. I hope the views
from the Fort of Two Hands will remain
as magical as they were on our visit, into
the future. In a place like Dun da Lamh
on a day like that Sunday, it felt as if our
ancestors were watching
2 ŏŀţăĩĵ/ŏƗţăĵĜĬåŸ/ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ
AscentŏƑljljĵxĊƑljljüƋ

Ben Lomond
Southern Highlands SCOTLAND
5
4 At high point of track, head SE
5
Pass below house, 4 over rough moorland onto Cruinn
then take small path a’ Bheinn.
back R to join access
track uphill.

6
6
Descend S. Squeeze through deer
3 3 fence at col. Head S up spur.
In 4km, path rejoins track.
Follow it N to cross long
footbridge to Cailness.
7
At second level shoulder, path joins
along ridgeline from R (escape
7
8 route down to Rowardennan).
Zigzag SE up steep spur to summit
trig point.

2 8
After 1.5km, West
Follow ridge SE, with summer
Highland Way path
2 path just down R of crest. At ridge
forks down L.
end, go down wide shoulder S.

1
Start/Finish 9
Ben Lomond car 9
park, Rowardennan At small gate, path heads
:×c„ƑăŀŀîƁ down SW to another gate
From old pier, take shore into plantation, and down to
path N to join track. 1 car park.

:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level

500

0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

Ronald Turnbull tackles Ben Lomond the back way

ROWARDENNAN, a chilly breeze
blowing, and the first sunbeams just
touching the Arrochar Alps. Do I really
want to go up there on the cold, cold
mountain? Wouldn’t I rather just enjoy a
wee walk in the woods?
I do want to go up that mountain, of
course I do. But perhaps not right now
in the shivery pre-dawn. And no need:
because when it comes to choosing
between the lochside and the mountain,
I can have both. Ben Lomond; but Loch
Lomond beforehand. So no need for the
poles, hands in pockets, fleece zipped up to
the neck, and along the leafy track, going
just quickly enough to get warm. And
gradually the sky behind the branches goes
from grey to dingy yellow, then pink.
There’s snow on the tops, but the clouds
are down. It’s going to be a tricky day for
the photos. Except it isn’t – as I’ve managed
to leave the memory card back home in the
little slot in the card-reader.
So I can relax without the camera, and
enjoy the way the track turns into the well-
built proper path they made a couple of
years back for the West Highland Way.

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 95

Photographing the Crianlarich
hills from the summit plateau
of Ben Lomond
The path goes up and down among the
little crags and twists among the tree roots
like Rob Roy escaping from the redcoats.
Sometimes the water’s just a grey light
down below the tree trunks, sometimes it’s
chattering away right beside the path.
The grey sky’s brightening to off-white,
and it’s even getting a little warm as I leave
the shoreline up the zigzag track above
Cailness cottage. First light on silvery Loch
Lomond is sufficient distraction to make
the first 400m of ascent go unnoticed. Just
as well. The next bit is a tough, tussocky
chunk of moorland across a consolation
Further information
Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet
56 (Loch Lomond and Inveraray);
Harveys 1:25,000 Mountain Map,
%HQb/RPRQG
Transport: Cruise Loch Lomond
waterbus Tarbet to Rowardennan
provides bus and train links to Glasgow.
Info from cruiselochlomond.co.uk or
01301 702 356
Information: Balloch TIC,
i 01389 753533
96 The Great Outdoors March 2018
Descending Ben Lomond’s
south ridge... on a trip with a
functioning camera
summit called Cruinn a’ Bheinn. If I were
a bagger of Grahams, then it’s a Graham
bagged. Otherwise it’s a chance of spotting
some deer.
At first I have the steep, slightly rocky
north spur to myself. But those sticky-up
shapes along the right-hand skyline aren’t
all old fence posts. As the ridgeline flattens
to a shoulder, a big path and plenty of
people arrive from the lower top called the
Ptarmigan. Anyway, it would be selfish
to seek solitude on the excellent bit of
ridgeline above. Little landslips on either
side have made it interestingly steep, and
also all jumbly. Level shoulders, tiny rock
towers, slanty terraces below grey and
wrinkly schist.
A couple of years back, the National
Trust for Scotland built a good path up
here, jammed rock steps all the way, rather
than the rubble and small rockfaces there
The steep north ridge of
Ben Lomond on a blue
sky winter’s day
used to be. So it’s all quite easy, while still
airy and exciting. Well it is in summer, on
the day when I come back carrying the
memory card. But right now it’s winter. So
I’m poking the ice axe through the fluffy
snowdrifts, and grabbing the occasional
solid rock handhold. It’s my bad luck to
be here the morning after the snowfall;
normally there’d be footprints treading
down the drifts into fairly firm lumps.
Or is it in fact my lucky day? With
its head in the clouds, and covered in
untrodden soft snow, Ben Lomond feels
slightly like an early attempt on Everest.
The floundering about is a bit unsettling.
But when I arrive at the trig point, and see
the big wide path to take me down again to
Rowardennan – yes, I’m enjoying a truly
great day on Ben Lomond.
Shame you aren’t going to see any
pictures of it.
3 Ɨljĩĵ/ŏƗţăĵĜĬåŸ/ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ
AscentîljljĵxƗƁljljüƋ
Culter Fell
Southern Uplands SCOTLAND
2 3
Walk E by Nisbet Burn for
1.2km, then up hollow NE, with
stony gulch to ridgeline.
1 plateau to Chapelgill Hill.
Start/Finish
Minor road near Birthwood
ü±ųĵØƑĩĵ„ŅüŅƚĬƋåų
:×c‰ljƑljƑŏlj
Take driveway towards Culter
Allers Farm, then fork R on
rough track N to hill fort.
:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level
600
400
200
0
0 km 2 4
Ronald Turnbull urges you to lose yourself in the Culter Fells
WHEN YOU WANT SOLITUDE, you
usually have to go somewhere that’s not
all that nice. Like that boring old Back o’
Skiddaw, say. But the Southern Uplands
have secrets because they’re just so big.
You get some pretty good hills – steepish
sided, enclosing a little ancient reservoir,
and views for ever in all directions –
surrounded on all sides by more pretty
Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17
2 then slant NE to Cardon Hill.
1 Bowrock). Head SE around
6
7 Take rough track down Culter
6 8 10 12
good hills. And so on, all the way to the
other side of Scotland.
The Culter Fells are squashed into a
corner of that not awfully well known
adventure area called Ayrshire. Around
them are the pretty good Broughton
Heights, the pretty good Pentlands, the
pretty good Manor Hills. So where does
this put the Culter Fells? Nobody knows,
3
Follow fence over Scawdmans Hill
and down to col. Fence up slope
opposite until vegetation eases,
4
4
Fence SW to slight rise (Birnies
5 5
Return to fence, walk SW
over King Bank Head and
up Culter Fell.
6
Follow fence S along ridge
over Moss Law to sharp col
at Holm Nick.
7
Water and past reservoir. Follow
lane N to start.
14 16 19
that’s where. Even the locals can’t work
out whether it’s Coulter (the village,
the reservoir) or Culter (the river and
the hills).
With no trodden paths, I have to look
back to the Iron Age for the interesting
approach route. Nobody really knows what
hill forts/settlements were for either, except
that standing around and enjoying a nice
The Great Outdoors March 2018 97

Culter Fells:
fences and
grassy ridges
view over Biggar has to be part of it.
A long-dead electric fence crawls like
a wounded spider into the hollow of the
Nisbet Burn. It’s one of those curvy shapes
the Southern Uplands specialise in, shapes
which are otherwise seen on the more sexy
sort of Grecian statues. Last time I was on
Further information
Maps: OS 1:50,000 Landranger sheet
72 (Upper Clyde Valley)
Transport:Coulter village is on the
101/102 Edinburgh to Dumfries bus
route travelinescotland.com,
0871 200 2233
Information: Lanark TIC,
i
01555 661661
98 The Great Outdoors March 2018
this route, I kept to the valley all the way,
‘cos I just so like the steepening at the end
and the sudden arrival on the ridgeline.
This time I headed up an earlier side-valley,
‘cos I just so like the steepness as soon as
possible and straight onto the rounded
summits with their guiding fencelines.
Coming off Scawdman’s Law, there’s
a lump of rock sticking out. It’s there to
show that under the velvety roundness
these hills hide some solid stone. But
it does also make a sitdown spot for a
midmorning snack.
The tussocks are small and gentle, but
they’ve been frozen to a crispy texture
and then the snow blown over. Here and
there, a browner sort of snow indicates a
place not to be walked on. Ten miles of this
would be tiresome. But the Culters (sorry,
Coulters) aren’t 10 miles big. There’s just
enough snow-tramping to fill a fading
winter afternoon, enjoying the hoar frost
on the fence and the ever-extending hills
under a yellowish sky.
In which case, who wants a boggy flat
Chapelgill Hill and Cardon
Hill from the north
Coulter
Reservoir
side trip to Chapelgill? Well, if you did,
the boggy flat top turns out to have near-
vertical snowslopes dropping suddenly
on three sides. Also, you’ve grabbed
a Graham. And the 800m back to the
ridgeline has the added comfort of some
steps already trodden down.
At 748m, Coulter (sorry, Culter) Fell
could be a considerable hill. But no. It’s
just one snowy bump among lots of other
snowy bumps. And that leaves 3km of
gentle downhill, with ankle deep snow and
a grassy path underneath it, and a fence to
save any need to think, and slightly tired
legs, and slightly soggy toes, and a little
breeze to cool the cheekbones.
Rather sooner than I wanted, it’s time
to turn off the ridgeline on a well placed
rough track. It zigzags into the darkening
valley, with murky sunset reflected in the
little Culter (sorry Coulter) Reservoir.
Starlight twinkles in the forming frost
above the silvery Coulter (sorry Culter)
Water. And against the black sky stand the
grey shapes of these unspellable fells.
4 ŏăĩĵ/ŀţăĵĜĬåŸ/ăěƁĘŅƚųŸ
AscentŏljĊljĵxƑĊljljüƋ

6W6XQGD\&UDJDQG)DLUĆHOG
Lake District ENGLAND 1
Start/Finish
White Lion car park,
2 {±ƋƋåųÚ±Ĭå
:×c¥ƑŀƆŏăŀ
Path climbs ridge SW then Take path SW climbing
becomes lost in the grass as through birch trees, then
public footpath leaves the track contouring W for 500m
for the ridge above Black Crag. 1 to ridge that drops from
2
Continue along ridge-top Black Crag.
SW to summit of St
Sunday Crag.

3 3
Follow ridge SW crossing 6
Deepdale Hause, and
climbing Cofa Pike to
UHDFK)DLUĆHOG 6
Take bridleway NE
crossing the valley,
track NNW to Rooking
and lane SW back to
Patterdale.

4
Walk SW for 200m then E 4
and SE to Link Cove. Climb
SE to Hart Crag.
5

5
Drop ESE descending Hartsop
above How, keeping to the ridge
all the way to Bridge End.
:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level
800
600
400
200
0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15

Cloud closes in on Ian Battersby as he rides a wave of adrenaline

A SPINDLY BELT of birch trees cloaks
the slopes above Patterdale, and my path
threaded through it, rounding a frozen
pond, before climbing out of the trees
for a magnificent early morning view
of the village at the head of Ullswater.
Sunlight brushed the golden landscape as
shadows retreated into blue frosted winter
strongholds, and the valley drummed
with the drilling of a greater spotted
woodpecker. Above the birches dark
skeletons of more mature trees held sway
before the path veered away, to climb the
nose of a breathless ridge.
Across the valley, Place Fell, a mere
657m, won my admiration, with its
position dominant at the head of the lake,
but from the crest of the ridge the snows
of the long Helvellyn ridge came into view,
with its magnificent corries of black rock
set among vast fields of snow and ice. A
single cloud toyed with the 3,000ft giant.
Looking east the snows of High Street
were confined to scarring gullies, and
following the path of Ullswater led the eye
out to a vast cloud inversion languishing
in the vale of Eden.

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 99

Dollywaggon
Pike from St
Sunday Crag
Mountain bikes arriving
ZLWKGRJVDW)DLUĆHOG
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL5
(The English Lakes North Eastern area)
or 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 90 (Penrith &
Keswick, Ambleside)
Transport: Stagecoach bus 508 from
Penrith goes through Patterdale;
information from Traveline, 0871 2002233
or traveline.info
Information: Keswick TIC,
i 0845 901 0845
100 The Great Outdoors March 2018
The final 200m of climbing was held by
a frozen snowfield, but it was easy going
with crampons on and ice axe in hand.
From the summit I could admire the final
rocky climb to Fairfield, up the steep nose
of Cofa Pike to what looked like a small
cornice at the top. The descent to Deepdale
Hause uncovered the jewel of Grisedale
Tarn, nestled between Dollywaggon Pike
and Fairfield, at the foot of Seat Sandal.
Cofa Pike looked like a wintry
challenge, and lived up to its looks.
Steep passages of smooth, icy snow were
interspersed with bands of rock. Any slip
that wasn’t arrested could have ended in
a nasty collision, but the crampons did
their job and the ice axe was used only for
Ullswater and Place Fell
from St Sunday Crag
balance. Almost there and, although the
cornice was absent, smooth frozen snow
became ominously steep. I scouted around
for an angle of attack, and made it over the
rise on a wave of adrenaline.
With my attention fixed on the
challenge of this final ascent I hadn’t notice
my blue sky day had turned to grey, with
cloud carried on a raw wind darkening the
snow-capped Lakeland skyline. Occasional
sunbeams burst through tears in the veil to
light up distant peaks, but the cold urged
me along the ridge towards the final icy
climb to Hart Crag. From here the long
and curling ridge of Hartsop Above How
provided a lovely descent, back into the
shelter of the valley.
5 ŏîţăĩĵ/ŏŏţăĵĜĬåŸ/ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ
AscentăŏljĵxŏƆƁăüƋ

Totridge and Fair Snape Fell 1

Forest of Bowland ENGLAND Start/Finish
Riverside car park near
Sykes Farm
:ׄ%ƆƑƗăŏŏ
5 From car park, take metal
Cross river and walk E for 1km over footbridge over Langden Brook
grassy terrace to barn called Langden and follow permissive
Castle. Good track continues E for path on S side of river
1 for 1.25km.
2km, on terrace above river, to arrive
at lane by waterworks. Keep ahead Pass through
for 450m to return to car park. gates to reach
lane leading
to Hareden
2 Farm. Turn R,
5 past farm, and
continue through
4 gates to pass the last
Walk NNE on established house (in pine trees). Lane
path to descend becomes a track. Continue
along steep W side of W into valley with
Fiendsdale Water. Hareden Brook on L and
keep ahead for 1km to a
prominent z-bend.
4

2
3 Leave track, cross brook and pass
5HWXUQWRIHQFHMXQFWLRQ through gate onto open hillside and
(this higher ground is broad ridge leading SE, then S, towards
the true summit of Fair Totridge. Leave trig point by walking
Snape Fell) and walk 3 SW, keeping close to fence on L, and
NNW, with fence on R, for continue along the crest of Whitmore
1.5km through eroded peat Fell, Fair Oak Fell and Saddle Fell. Ignore
hags (some sections have been ĆUVWIHQFHMXQFWLRQDQGNHHSDKHDG
ćDJJHGWRREYLRXVMXQFWLRQRI
paths with signs.
:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level
400
200
0
0 km 2 4
Roger Butler enjoys a Royal escapade
A FEW YEARS AGO, the Queen apparently
let it slip that she would be happy to live
in the Forest of Bowland. I dare say most
Royal commentators had never heard of
this empty tract of high moorland which
billows above the industrial towns of East
Lancashire and, once they had checked
their maps, a few were probably surprised
to see there were no trees. Here, the term
Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17
6 8 10 12
Forest refers to those old hunting preserves
– usually set aside for parties hosted by the
monarch or associated aristocracy – where
open moorland and heathland tended to be
the predominant landscape types.
And the word Bowland has nothing to
do with bows and arrows, but originates
from the Old Norse bogi, meaning ‘bend
in a river’. However, when you’re striding
WRDQRWKHUMXQFWLRQZLWKVWLOHDFFHVV
gates. Now walk SW for about 800m,
with fence on L, to reach trig point and
stone shelter on Fair Snape Fell.
14 16 18
across the heart of the Forest it’s boggy will
more often come to mind, since some of
the oozing hags contain knee-deep ankle-
sucking peat. No wonder Arthur Conan
Doyle – who made frequent visits to this
part of the country – is said to have been
influenced by the wild scenery when he
wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles. Eat
your heart out Dartmoor.
The Great Outdoors March 2018 101

Langden Castle, marked on
the map, is nothing more
than an old stone barn – but
it’s a great place to shelter if
the weather turns nasty
Try to pick a fine sunny day when you
walk in Bowland, because mist or low
cloud can quickly cause confusion amidst
the clusters of steep convex contours. I
was in luck and the tall trees at the eastern
end of the majestic Langden Brook threw
dappled light onto the pebbly beach
below the track. A pair of oystercatchers
nervously piped overhead as I followed a
permissive path through to Hareden Farm
and the empty valley sandwiched between
the quaintly-named Miry Ellis and the high
wedge of Totridge.
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet
OL41 (Forest of Bowland &
Ribblesdale)
Transport: Nearest rail station
Clitheroe. Limited bus connections into
the Forest of Bowland, see dalesbus.org for
options
Information: Clitheroe VIC,
i
01200 425566
102 The Great Outdoors March 2018
I crossed the river near Brown Nab,
just as Hareden Brook swung south into
narrowing slopes beyond an isolated
shooting lodge, and bounded up
undemanding ground to the trig point
on Totridge. Deep interlocking spurs
stretched north with place names which
reminded me to take care: David’s Tomb,
Dead Man’s Stake and Beasley’s Steady. A
fence running west from Totridge dips into
or magically glides over several peat bogs
and, even in dry conditions, it is advisable
to regularly check the lie of the land before
walking ahead.
The crest of this broad ridge formed
the pre-1974 boundary of Lancashire and
Yorkshire and a few folk, now marooned in
the county of the Red Rose, still dream of a
return to normality.
The fence skirted the head of Burnslack
Brook, bypassed Saddle Fell and rose to the
featureless moor called Brown Berry Plain.
Fair Snape Fell, complete with a cairn
View north from near to top of
Totridge, looking towards the pass
known as the Trough of Bowland
View west up Langden
Brook, into the heart
of the Forest of
Bowland, from the
north side of the river
known as Paddy’s Pole, offered excellent
views of Blackpool Tower before steady
progress led north to Fiendsdale Head
and an established path which snaked past
eroded cloughs to emerge, dream-like,
onto soft turf near the confluence of several
fast-flowing streams. My feet sloshed back
and forth in the tingling water as I tried not
to imagine a full picnic with crisp napkins
and chilled wine.
My route now led back alongside
Langden Brook and the valley soon turned
into something which could easily be
mistaken for a Scottish glen. The old barn
known as Langden Castle might not be
the baronial landmark you would find
in deepest Perthshire but the gravelly
meanders, the haunting calls of numerous
waders and the dark conifer plantations
near the car park all made me think of
somewhere north of the border. I’m sure
anyone familiar with Balmoral would feel
quite at home here.
6 Ɨăĩĵ/ŏăţăĵĜĬåŸ/ƁěîĘŅƚųŸ
AscentƆîljĵxƗƗƑljüƋ

Melbecks Moor and Rogan’s Seat

Yorkshire Dales ENGLAND

3
Turn S to join 2 1
track by fence and
Go straight across and take good Start/Finish
continue for 1.7km.
track on N side of Mill Gill for 3km. Bå±Ĭ±ƚčĘ
Turn L and fork R
after 300m on path Fork L over Level House Bridge :ׄ)ljŏƁŀŀlj
leading to Botcher 3 and climb W over Melbecks Moor. From Healaugh take lane to
Gill Gate. Follow Keep on track to swing N to head Kearton, turn R after 300m on
good track above of Blakethwaite Gill. Pass isolated bridleway past Thiernswood
W side of valley for building and old dams and contour Hall. Enter wood, veer R through
2km. Fork L (look round valley, over pathless moor, to white gate and next gate, turn L
for cairn) as track Rogan’s Seat. and follow path uphill through
sweeps R and walk bracken. Join track across open
down pasture to moor for 2km, crossing steep
small gate onto valley with small footbridge, and
lane in Gunnerside. continue to road.

4
4 5
Turn R, cross road bridge and take
ĆUVWEULGOHZD\RQ/*RXSWRĆUVW
bend and take rough track on R, 5
soon turning to grass. Pass small After 700m fork L past cottages and
barn and join walled path climbing IROORZĆHOGSDWKWRQH[WODQH&URVV
to plateau. Turn R through gate, onto track, fork L over moor and
keep ahead for 1km to meet continue E to lane above Brockma
tarmac track. Gill. TR to return to Healaugh.
:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level

600
400
200
0
0 km 10 20 27

Roger Butler follows a route for miners, masochists and moonwalkers

A SHINY NEW TRACTOR bumped along
the track and looked set to squash me
against the nearest wall. It was one of those
moments. Here’s me, high above Swaledale,
enjoying the snow and the early morning
frost, and there’s the farmer, feeding sheep
and juggling a hundred and one jobs just
to make sure his show stays on the road.
I never know whether to give a cheery
wave or just keep my head down, but the
dazzling winter sunshine had put us both
in a good mood. He let the engine chug to
a halt for a friendly chat: “Slippy, the quad
was skidding all over the place last night.”
Beyond a series of old smelting mills,
Melbecks Moor was a wild moonscape
with strange leftover mining craters.
One piece of old machinery, a rusty
four-wheeled stone crusher, resembled
a space buggy left by visiting astronauts
and a row of tiny shooting boxes might
have been part of some grand planetary
experiment. It was cold on the lunar
surface, but the temperature jumped
as I dipped into a sun-trap down by
Blakethwaite Gill. This suddenly felt more
like Mercury than the Moon and my

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 103

The impressive ruins
of the Old Gang
Smelting Mills, in the
valley to the south of
Reeth High Moor
wind lashed lips crinkled like crispy bacon.
A traverse around the head of the
valley passed tiny adits that once led hardy
miners into deep but rich veins of lead.
Curtains of icicles hung over the perfectly
crafted tunnels and waterfalls tumbled over
frozen ledges on the eastern side of Rogan’s
Seat. Some years ago, an esteemed outdoor
magazine* described this whaleback as the
front runner in any competition to choose
England’s worst mountain, and went
on to make a clear connection between
masochists, tussock grass and bog. The
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet
OL30 (Yorkshire Dales Northern &
Central)
Transport: Nearest station Darlington,
with bus links via Richmond to nearby
Reeth – see reeth.org.uk for latest timetables
Information: Reeth TIC, 01748 884059
i
104 The Great Outdoors March 2018
Gunnerside Moor, left, and
Melbecks Moor, right, enclose the
deep valley of the Gunnerside Beck
frozen ground and the snow-covered
gamekeeper’s track were therefore a
welcome bonus, though I have to agree that
the top isn’t readily apparent. But the article
failed to mention a soggy dip, just to the
north, called – wait for it – Wham Bottom!
An hour later, the long atmospheric
gulch of Gunnerside Beck was given extra
drama by the low sun and almost black
skies, and deep shade seemed to seal
the narrow gorge beyond Silver Hill and
Blind Gill. On the far side of the valley the
scattered empty settlement at Winterings
was a classic patchwork of random
enclosures and weathered outbuildings
and these south facing slopes had now
lost most of their snow. Any remaining
ice left only a sugary dusting in the lee of
old barns and farmhouses, where hardy
View looking west up
Barney Beck from the moors
above Thiernswood Hall
The unusual pitted
landscape around the crest
of Melbecks Moor, looking
west to Great Shunner Fell
generations once lived and loved by their
draughty firesides.
Lengthening shadows were thrown
over the western end of Swaledale and the
famous stone walls stood out as jet black
bands against the last of the day’s light. An
airy terrace climbed out of Gunnerside
village and wove between ruined gables
that had once supported layers of thick
thatch. At one time, whole families will
have used this route as a way down to the
fields, as a path to the nearest well or as a
quick dash to barter for fresh veg down in
the dale. It was now my route too and the
trail, super-glued to the 300-metre contour,
led all the way to Brockma Gill and a lane
back to the cosy hamlet of Healaugh.
*The magazine was, of course, TGO!
7 ŏăĩĵ/ŀĵĜĬåŸ/ĊěăĘŅƚųŸ
AscentƗŀljĵxŀăljüƋ

Westerdale and the Esk Valley Way

North York Moors ENGLAND
3
Keep on road to High House farm
and follow signs through the farm.
At far side of buildings go through
the gate and veer R uphill, across 3
WKHĆHOG*RWKURXJKWKHQH[WWZR
gates onto open moorland. Follow
narrow track that leads to L of
the summit of Howdale Hill then
continue on the slightly wider
track as it leads onto the main 2
path above Farndale Moor.
Turn R onto Esk Valley Way heading N. TL off
ĆUPSDWKWRIROORZWKH(VN9DOOH\:D\DQGMXVW
after a gate take the R track leading downhill
towards the valley bottom. Keep R of river
through the valley until you reach the ford.
4 Cross stream here and take small road on R.

2
4
TL onto main path to
return to Blakey Ridge.

1
1 Start/Finish
±ųޱųĩŅĹĬ±ĩåƼĜÚčå
:ׄ)ƆîĊŀŀlj
From car park cross the road onto
the road down to Church Houses.
After only a few metres take
track on R. Keep on main path to
the crossroads of tracks above
:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level Farndale Moor.

300
200
100
0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Paul Richardson samples part of the Esk Valley Way

EVEN GETTING to the starting point of
this route around Westerdale is a pleasure.
The drive up from Hutton-le-Hole
leads along the top of Blakey Ridge with
sweeping views down across Farndale.
Getting an aerial view over these moors
only served to increase my anticipation
of the walk itself – a route following
the Esk Valley Way along High Blakey
Moor and a circuitnear Westerdale Moor.
The Esk Valley Way is a 35-mile route
in the northern moors, that loops south
to Blakey Ridge from Castleton before
heading east to Whitby. Within minutes of
setting off from Blakey Ridge to complete
a small section of the route we had an
unusual encounter with one of the locals.
A grouse walked from the safety of the
heather moorland, very purposefully it
seemed, to come right up to me, squabbling
about something all the way. It seemed
to be getting itself into a state because it
was trying so hard to tell me something
really important, and I just wasn’t getting
it. Instead all I did was take photos of
it. I hope it doesn’t try to tell the people
with the guns the same story though

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 105
 You rarely get so
close to the local
wildlife – it’s a pity
this grouse seemed
to be in a bad mood

The Esk Valley Way

near High Blakey Moor

Farndale from
High Blakey Moor

or it won’t be around too much longer.

Although the walk over High Blakey
Moor was comparatively uneventful, the
views across Farndale were magnificent
as the passing clouds swept shadows over
the valley below. We took a (not yet well
deserved) break where the Esk Valley
Way heads northwards, and immediately
afterwards the sky suddenly took on a
more menacing look, but what appeared
to be threatening storm clouds blew The Esk Valley Way
away as quickly as they had arrived near Westerdale Moor
and we returned to blue sky and fluffy
white cumulus. Moor. Until now the route had been something very special about crossing large
Feeling we’d had a lucky let-off, we on firm, clear paths where we could swathes of heather carpeting. Assuming of
turned north to follow the young River Esk concentrate on the surrounding moors course that there’s a track. And this track
as it flows below the slopes of Westerdale without thinking about where to put our was perfect. Not too wide to break the
feet. It was a pleasant contrast to return to covering of heather but just wide enough
Further information more familiar terrain as we left the firm to follow. So, with the heather brushing our
track to drop into the river valley to navigate legs, we made the steady ascent of Howdale
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet the boggy undulating ground alongside the Hill with the Esk Valley away to our left and
OL26 (North York Moors, Western
river. The shelter of the valley combined White Gill down to the right.
area) or 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 94
with the effort of jumping between bits of All too soon we reached the hard
(Whitby); Harvey Maps 1:40,000 British
Mountain Map, North York Moors firm ground increased the temperature as track to return along High Blakey Moor,
we made our way towards the track to High although the views over Farndale were
Transport: Limited bus service in House below Howdale Hill. great compensation. Our grouse friend
summer, northyorks.gov.uk Between High House and the return was nowhere to be seen on the return leg –
to the main track near Farndale Moor maybe it’s given up on humanity. Or maybe
Information: National Park Centre,
i
lies glorious heather moorland. While it was busy telling its grouse pals about the
Danby, 01439 772737, it’s always a pleasure to walk through and time it gave one of the humans a piece of its
northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting between the dales out here, for me there’s mind (a long, narrow piece).

106 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 ŏƁĩĵ/ŏljţăĵĜĬåŸ/ƆěƁĘŅƚųŸ
eŸÏåĹƋƁljljĵxƗƗƑljüƋ

Northern Stiperstones and Earl’s Hill

6KURSVKLUHENGLAND
6
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5 ĆHOGSDWKRSSRVLWH7XUQ5WKHQ/WR
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GHVFHQGVLQVWHSVDWĆUVWWRUHDFK
URDGHQGDW3ROHVJDWH 6
7
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7 WRULGJHDQGVXPPLW'HVFHQG
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EULGOHZD\$WMXQFWLRQWXUQ/
1 5 WKHQ5DORQJIDUPWUDFNVLQWR
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Start/Finish FDUSDUNDW(DVWULGJH:RRG
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ޱųĩĘŅĹåŸƋƼÆŅƻš
:ׄIƑƁƑljƗƗ
Turn R along lane to Stiperstones 8 8
,QQGLYHUWLQJEULHć\DW 1 $WURDGHQGWXUQ/DORQJIRUHVW
Crowsnest onto signed WUDFNZKLFKPHHWVRXWZDUGURXWH
EULGOHZD\RQ5 4 QHDU/RUGVKLOO)DUP)ROORZURDG
GRZQWR6QDLOEHDFK

2 4
Turn L at nearside of inn taking L
IRUN3DWKFOLPEVWKURXJK0\WWRQ
'LQJOHWKHQXSVWHSVWRWKHULGJH
WRMRLQWUDFNDORQJVLGHĆHOGVRI
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&URZVQHVW'LQJOH

:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level

400
300
200
100
0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 17

John Gillham enjoys some of Shropshire’s lesser-known hills

EARLY MORNING frosts enveloped
the countryside. The sun hid behind
the hilltops so the conifers cloaking the
hillsides were still inky black. Beneath
those conifers were the fascinating relics of
the Snailbeach lead mines; more of those
later, because Nicola and I were eager to get
to the hills as soon as possible.
We began with a brisk walk along the
lane to Stiperstones village, where the path
up Mytton Dingle starts. Mytton Dingle
is one of several short but deep valleys
that cut into the western slopes of the
Stiperstones ridge.
The bashful sun still hadn’t fully risen
and there was a crunch under our feet
as we traipsed across frosted grasslands
of the dingle bottom. The path began to
steepen as it made its way through bracken,
whinberry and heather. By now the sun was
colouring the craggy upper slopes of Oak
Hill with a bright orangey gold. Steps had
been cut into the steepest slopes and soon
we were striding along those golden upper
slopes and looking down the shadowy
dingle to the rooftops of the village.
With the highest ground rising to the

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 107

right the path stayed fairly level, passing
between the pastures of Blakemoorflat
and Blakemoorgate. In the 19th Century
Blakemoorgate was occupied by Snailbeach
miners. We diverted onto a signed
Shropshire Way path, which followed
the rim of the cavernous Crowsnest
Dingle. Across the dingle, on the heathery
northern reaches of Oak Hill, we could see
the earthworks of Castle Ring Iron Age
fort and across the Shropshire plains to
distant Shrewsbury and the Berwyn Hills
of Mid Wales.
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheets
216 (Welshpool & Montgomery) and
241 (Shrewsbury)
Transport: Nearest railway station:
Shrewsbury. Buses: Service 552 goes
from Shrewsbury to Stiperstones, calling at
Snailbeach and Pontesbury,
minsterleymotors.co.uk, 01743 791208
Information: Visit Shrewsbury,
i 01743 258888, visitshrewsbury.co.uk
108 The Great Outdoors March 2018
Climbing out of
Mytton Dingle
We left the Stiperstones ridge beyond
Lordshill Farm for a lovely track through
Snailbeach Coppice. After a brief traverse
of some high fields, we descended through
Maddock’s Coppice. This is part of the
Forestry Commission’s Eastridge Woods,
where you’re more likely to encounter
mountain bikers than walkers. More
field paths led us to Poles Coppice, a
Countryside Heritage site. A partly stepped
and hand-railed path took us down
through mixed woodland of oak, hazel,
birch and rowan. In spring the forest floor
would be thickly carpeted with bluebells
and the white-petalled stitchwort, but
today it was crisped up with fallen leaves.
After passing through the village of
Polesgate and the pretty cottages of Nills
Farm, more pastoral paths led up to the
bridleway at the foot of the hill. The ascent
through a hollow between the heavily
wooded Pontesford Hill and Earl’s Hill
is steep. A right turn along the ridge led
to the outer rings of Earl’s Hill Camp, a
large multivallate Iron Age fort. Its outer
walls occupy almost the entire length
of the summit ridge. The views from
the fort are magnificent, with the Long
Mynd and Stiperstones ridges and the
Early morning in
Mytton Dingle
Earl’s Hill from
near Nills Farm
wooded Wenlock Edge spread across the
southern horizon.
The descent south to the bridleway
in the woods is steep and, on this day,
the farm tracks that led us to the village
of Habberley were muddier than usual,
following recent snows and the morning’s
melting frost. Resisting the temptation of a
pint at the Mytton Arms we took a series of
narrow country lanes past the cyclists’ car
park at Eastridge Wood and onto a wide
forestry track to Lordshill. Another lane
led us down to Snailbeach with just enough
time for a diversion to see the Snailbeach
lead mines. Although Romans are believed
to have mined for lead at Snailbeach,
mining on a large scale didn’t start until
the 18th Century. By the 1840s it was
the biggest lead mine in Shropshire and
produced the greatest tonnage of lead per
acre of any mine in Europe.
After passing various old mine buildings
and shafts we returned at twilight to the
village hall. The chill was back but we were
comforted by the fact that we were booked
in to the convivial Stiperstones Inn, where
we could sit by a fire, tucking into chips
and their famous chicken and leek suet
puddings. Oh, and a bottle of Sauv blanc!
9 ŏƆţăĩĵ/ŏljţƑĵĜĬåŸ/ƆĘŅƚųŸ
AscentƁƑljĵxƗĊljljüƋ

Dduallt
Snowdonia WALES
1
Start/Finish
Bridge over River Mawddach at
end of minor road into Cwm yr
eĬĬƋěĬƵƼÚţ
Note: there are no designated parking
places here so please park with
consideration on the road verge or layby.
:ׄBƁƁîƗŀƑ
From the bridge, head N towards the
homestead of Cwm Hesgen. Follow
the right-of-way E to a gate leading to
access land. Follow the visible track for
1km to the settlement of Allt-lwyd.
7 continue to follow the boundary for a
Cross the bridge and continue NW
along the track for 1km to reach the
settlement of Dol-cyn-afon. Follow
the obvious farm track NW for 1km to
return to the start point.
2
Take the obvious track from behind the farm buildings
for 1.3km to reach a ford. Cross the river here
following the continuation of the track to a fence.
3
Just 100m E a second fence follows
1 2 3
the line of the ridge. Use this fence as a
handrail feature for 1.6 km to reach the
top of Dduallt, marked with a small cairn.
7
4
4
Head W from the summit for 300m
to reach the forest. Follow the forest
boundary for 2.2km towards the S. At
a point where the boundary turns to
the W (SH803254) you can elect to
further 2km to a gate where a minor
road enters the forest or head due E
5
for 350m to reach the hut circle and
sheepfolds.

5
6 From the sheepfolds follow a wire fence
6 roughly SSW for 2km over Y Fron until a
Follow the forest track due N for 3.3km
until a marked bridleway branches to the minor road is reached. Follow the minor
NW. Follow the bridleway for just under road W for 450m to a gate where the road
1km until it leads you out of the forest at a continues into the forest.
footbridge.

:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level

600
400
200
0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 17

Andrew Galloway explores Wales’s empty quarter

THERE ARE VALLEYS among the hills of
Snowdonia, remote, post-glacial, frost-
shattered, which are no longer inhabited.
The architecture and accoutrements of
rough pasture agricultural occupation can
still be seen, the stone barns with purple
slate roofing, corrugated iron sheepfolds
and aluminium farm gates tied up with
bright orange synthetic twine are still
in use at the appropriate season for the
shearing and dipping of sheep, but the
incumbent families have gone. The names
of former settlements such as Hafod,
Hendre, Tyddyn, have become a litany,
a cultural echo of times past when the
seasonal movement of people and livestock
from winter refuge in valley plains to the
higher, more fertile pasture meadows of
summer, known to anthropologists as
pastoral transhumance, was at the heart
of the agricultural cycle. These buildings
are now unoccupied, empty, decaying; an
occasional shelter for the farmhand from
the worst of the inclement Welsh weather,
a place to brew panad, perhaps laced
with something a little stronger, before
retreating to more salubrious hospitality.

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 109

Cwm Hesgen
homestead
Nestled in the heart of Coed y Brenin –
the Forest of the King – is one such valley,
source of the majestic River Mawddach,
known as Cwm yr Allt-lwyd, which on
the morning I ventured out from the
homestead of Cwm-hasgen to traverse the
slate-grey screes of Allt-lwyd, blanketed
beneath an equally slate-grey sky with
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet
OL18 (Harlech, Porthmadog & Bala)
Transport: None to the start
Information: Snowdonia National
i Park, eryri-npa.gov.uk/visiting
Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre, Dolgefeiliau,
01341 440747, coedybrenin@
cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
visitsnowdonia.info/coed_y_brenin_forest_
park-173.aspx
110 The Great Outdoors March 2018
white sheets of precipitation visible to the
west, was devoid of all human life. At a
ford above the valley I was able to cross
the swollen river and began to ascend the
ridge of Braich-y-Dduallt as the anticipated
rain swept in. I consulted the map and was
pleased to see that not 300 metres to the
west lay an extensive forestry plantation,
which provided a good windbreak from
the savage westerly squall. In the lee of the
towering Sitka spruce of Cefn yr Eryr and
Bryn Melyn there was relative calm.
Eventually, I elected to head out into
open country again, following the course of
a mountain stream that had over millennia
carved a bijou ravine through the tough,
black volcanic rocks. Here I came upon a
circle of stones some 10 metres in diameter,
built against the protecting wall of a small
crag, whitewashed with lichen and piled
waist-high. Undoubtedly a hut circle,
just a stone’s throw downstream were the
accompanying sheepfolds of a settlement
that may have originated during the Bronze
The Afon Mawddach
close to its source
Cwm yr Allt-lwyd
Age, eventually being abandoned some
time during the post-Roman period, when
the uplands of Wales bore a forest rich in
deciduous birch, hazel and mountain ash.
Gradually, with the advancement of
industrialisation, the agrarian existence of
our ancestors become unsustainable, the
mountain settlements were abandoned,
and the uplands of Wales given over to
rough pasture and large-scale mechanised
coniferous forestry, to which I have to
confess a certain gratitude, for it was by
the broad forest operations track that I
made my retreat in the failing light of early
evening among the relative shelter of the
saturated trees. As the deep blue of twilight
made shadow play of the Rhinog hills to
the west I made my own departure for the
bright lights, warmth and hospitality of
Dolgellau, while behind me the shadows
of Cwm yr Allt-lwyd deepened, a solemn
moon, rising through the now broken
cloud above the head of the valley, its only
inhabitant.
10 ŏƑĩĵ/îĵĜĬåŸ/ĊĘŅƚųŸ
AscentĊƆljĵxŏăljljüƋ

Steps Bridge and Mardon Down

Dartmoor ENGLAND
9
Leave the road on the right at the
entrance to Dunsford Wood, following
tracks, sometimes a Public Footpath,
back to Steps Bridge. 1
Start/Finish
ųĜÚüŅųÚœŅŅÚc±ƋĜŅűĬ
8 Trust car park
Turn R onto the road, heading :ׄ£îljƑîîƑ
downhill to a T-junction; turn R From the car park, take the
over the bridge, then right again path (right fork) into the wood,
9 crossing the stream and heading
(Steps Bridge signs).
uphill alongside it.
7
Beyond the stone, take the
left-hand path uphill to 8
6
1 2
Giant’s Grave, turning
At Burnicombe turn R and follow
right here to drop
footpath signs to Thorn.
downhill to the north to
visit a ring of cairn stones.
From here head back to 7 5
2
3
the Headless Cross, taking 3
Turn R onto the road, leaving it to the
the path to the left of the one 4 left, just before Middle Heltor, to follow
you arrived on.
a footpath uphill.
6
Follow a wide path up over 4
the Down, before dropping 5 Turn R onto the road, then left,
to the Headless Cross (or Turn R onto the road, leaving it to towards Westcott, at the corner,
Maximajor Stone). the left just before Snaresbrook, almost immediately leaving the road
and follow the footpath signs on the right to follow footpath signs to
uphill to join a track that ĆQGDVXQNHQODQHKHDGLQJGRZQKLOOWR
continues to climb to the Down. the B3212.

:ų±ÚĜåĹƋŞųŅĀĬå Metres above sea level

300
200
100
0
0 km 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Tim Gent goes in search of a legendary giant

MARDON DOWN might be only an
outlier to Dartmoor, and a pretty far-flung
outlier at that, but this small patch of
unenclosed heath still lies just within the
National Park boundary. That seems to be
enough. There’s a legend.
This one seems quite upbeat though,
with not a hag, ghoul or devil in sight, and
only the one death. Even the key figure
seems quite likeable, especially for a giant,
and anyone who can talk to cattle has
my vote.
It seems the locals liked Maximajor too,
and were quite happy to see him living on
the Down, gazing out over the Teign Valley
and Dartmoor proper to the west. In return
for a regular supply of sheep for his mutton
stew, the giant would act as some sort of
bovine counsellor, trying to help with
any problem bull or heifer brought to his
moorland abode for a quiet chat.
That is until two youngsters, delivering a
fresh batch of snack ewes, found him dead,
and the farmers had to gather together to
bury him there on the hill. Well, giant that
he was, there was no moving him after all.
Which might have been an end to this

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 058/17 The Great Outdoors March 2018 111

Heading through
Dunsford Wood
towards Steps Bridge
Further information
Maps: OS 1:25,000 Explorer sheet
OL28
Transport: Country Bus 359 stops at
Steps Bridge, 01626 833664
Information: Moretonhampstead TIC,
i 01647 440043, visitsouthdevon.co.uk
112 The Great Outdoors March 2018
tale, except that Maximajor, for reasons
known only to himself, decided he didn’t
care much for it there, buried at the end of
the ridge. So one night, after climbing out
of his generous grave, he set off downhill.
Where, with no explanation that I can
determine, he was turned to stone.
After an impressively steep and long
climb from Steps Bridge, through some
lovely woodland and farmland, and a
A ring of cairn stones to the
north of Giant’s Grave
Heading out onto
Mardon Down
Headless Cross, or The
Maximajor Stone
surprisingly large collection of gates,
you can visit the stone yourself… or at
least you could until the 1980s. At this
point, someone driving a camper van,
and presumably short of sight, sense
or both, knocked it down, breaking
the monument in two in the process.
Alas, the current stone is therefore a
replacement, and no petrified giant
origins can be guaranteed.
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Aletsch Glacier, Bernese Oberland Photo: Adam Bannister Sticks Pass, Helvellyn Photo: Graham Simpson

Lobuche Khola, Nepal Photo: Michael Henley Ice pool near Carn Pica Photo: Seren Wildwood ,FH:DIćHV6RXWKHUQ8SODQGVPhoto: Ellie Taylor

In our readers’ photography series, we invite you to send in Send your pics to tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk
\RXUEHVWSLFWXUHVRQDVSHFLĆFWKHPH1H[WLVçH[SHGLWLRQè or The Editor, The Great Outdoors, Kelsey Publishing,
E\)HEUXDU\DQGWKHQçWKDZèE\0DUFK Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent, TN16 3AG

Tag your Instagram shots with #TGO

Next month: ‘expedition’ #TheGreatOutdoors and we’ll share them!

114 The Great Outdoors March 2018

 Discover, learn and experience the winter mountains
with Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre.
Glenmore Lodge instructors
We run a wide range of winter courses and qualifications, including
are kept warm and dry Winter Skills, winter navigation, winter mountaineering, winter climbing
thanks to The North Face
Summit Series Range

Ellis Brigham is the

official retail partner
of Glenmore Lodge www.glenmorelodge.org.uk
 ADAPTABLE
FOR A LIFE TIME
IN NATURE
G-1000 – the durable & versatile fabric.
Adaptable using Greenland Wax.

Singi Trekking Jacket

a dense weave of polyester and cotton impregnated
with our Greenland Wax. That’s the simple formula
we’ve been using for the past 50 years to create one of
the most versatile and durable outdoor fabrics around:
Fjällräven’s G-1000.Simply apply more wax to increase
water- and wind-resistance and durability.To improve
the fabric’s breathability during warmer conditions,
simply wash the wax out. The equipment we make
using G-1000 is engineered to keep you comfortable
in the outdoors for a lifetime.No matter who you are.
No matter what you do.
fjallraven.co.uk/storelocator