Tabla de contenidos para October 2023 en Trail

I went walking in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago. Nothing particularly unusual about that, because I do it a lot. But what was unusual about this trip was the fact it was just me and my seven-year-old son, because although we’ve climbed a few hills together I’ve never previously committed to a full dad-and-lad walking trip. Before we headed north I was worried he’d get bored of staying in a remote mountain hostel, or scared off by the Cumbrian weather, or tired of pounding uphill for hour after hour. But I’m pleased to report I was wrong. In fact, he loved every second of scrambling over rocks, splashing through streams, thrashing me at board games in our hostel, and posing heroically on mountain summits. And it made…

WILD CAMPING WIN We’re still celebrating the successful appeal against a ruling that saw the right to camp under the Dartmoor Commons Act repealed. The case hinged on whether wild camping counted as open-air recreation, and the Court of Appeal panel eventually agreed with the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) and Open Spaces Society that it does. The British Mountaineering Council is now calling for a 12-month trial where wild camping is permitted on open access land across several different National Parks in England and Wales, saying: “We want to see more land open to respectful, responsible, legal wild camping. It is time to clarify the laws around wild camping.” VIEW WITH A ROOM LANDPODS, YHA ESKDALE The YHA has always excelled at well-priced accommodation in handily placed hillwalking locations,…

SNOWDONIA Although it tends to be quieter than most of Eryri’s (Snowdonia’s) honeypots, the snaking Nantlle Ridge is hardly a hidden gem: it’s well known as one of Wales’ finest ridge walks. But this undulating chain that links rocky tors and grassy knolled summits has always posed a problem for would-be hillwalkers, as to do the whole thing means a long, linear schlep that finishes miles from where you start. And unfortunately, there’s no easy way to join A to B. The classic solution for most is a two-car shuffle or an expensive taxi ride, both of which require a fair bit of logistical pre-planning. Of course, hardcore hillwalkers simply walk the whole thing from east to west, then retrace their steps all the way back: a seriously big day…

[HOW TO] SPOT A WILDLIFE SPECTACLE DO get up early. Most activity is seen at dawn and dusk – whether it’s birds flying out to roost, stags rutting or other creatures out foraging. Set an alarm for an early start and, if you see nothing else, you might still enjoy a glorious sunrise. DO pay attention to any signs put up by land managers. These are usually intended to both keep you safe and minimise any stress or disturbance to the animals. DO be the silent type. Try to wear clothing that doesn’t rustle and keep conversation minimal or hushed. Keep your phone on silent too! DO learn to walk quietly. This is a whole different way of placing your feet. Lift your knee and then gently, purposefully, lower your…

1 GET THE KIT In comparison to walking, fell running kit is minimal. Usually just shorts/leggings, a top, pair of shoes, light waterproof jacket, map, compass and (depending on time and distance) food and water. Don’t be tempted to wear normal road running trainers – the lack of grip will be annoying, and dangerous, off-road – but instead opt for off-road ‘trail running’ shoes with studded, sticky rubber soles. 2 FIND A ROUTE On your early runs, it’s best to be conservative. Pick a route with simple navigation on paths or along clear linear features. Start short or, if you’re determined to complete a longer run, make a note of escape routes in case your energy tanks. 3 PRACTISE YOUR DOWNHILLS This can be the most terrifying aspect of a fell run, as…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Inner Hebrides 2 CLASSIC HILLWALK Dominating the island’s skyline, Jura’s three Paps – Beinn an Oir (mountain of gold), Beinn Shiantaidh (sacred mountain), and Beinn a’ Chaolais (mountain of the sound) – are visible on the horizon from as far afield as Mull, and even Northern Ireland. As impressive as they look from the ground though, nothing beats the views from their peaks, with each providing a different perspective on the hills themselves and the surrounding landscape. At 785m, Beinn an Oir is the highest of the three Paps, while Beinn Shiantaidh reaches 757m and Beinn a’ Chaolais 733m. Despite falling well short of Munro classification, their conical shapes and rocky scree have a distinct mountain feel, emphasised by the fact that they are by far the largest…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Lake District 5 HIGH-LEVEL VARIETY While I enjoy striding out over open moorland, mile after effortless mile, I also love the feel of rock under my boots and the grandeur of the mountain landscapes that inevitably accompany such terrain. If, like me, you’ve got a split personality where the hills are concerned, this wonderful ridge walk in the Lake District’s Western Fells will satisfy both your Jekyll and your Hyde. After calling in at secretive Scale Force, an impressive waterfall hidden in a rocky ravine, the walk climbs Red Pike via heather-covered hills. The views are outstanding, particularly from the trail along the top of Lingcomb Edge, but there’s better ahead… Beyond Red Pike, the excitement starts to mount. While great rock chutes plunge valley-ward between the imposing…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Wales (cymru) ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ROUTES ROUTE 10 Yr Wyddfa ROUTE 11 Cadair Idris ROUTE 12 Pen y Fan The Welsh Three Peaks challenge is a less intense and more enjoyable Three Peaks Challenge than either of the National Three Peaks or the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenges. Now I might well be biased but I think it also has the best selection of mountains – Pen y Fan in the south, Yr Wyddfa in the north, and Cadair Idris sandwiched in the middle. All three are lovely peaks and have their own individual characters, so an even more enjoyable way to experience the challenge is to do it over three days and take your time to enjoy them, especially if it’s your first time visiting. Savour the…

MOUNTAINS FOR THE MIND Earlier this year I took a career break to overcome mental stress and burnout. I live in London and am a ranger for the London National Park City, working in a field that aims to make the places we live in greener, healthier, more sustainable and resilient to climate change. As part of my career break I challenged myself by hiking the Cape Wrath Trail, which is considered the toughest long-distance walk in the UK and runs 370km from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the north-westernmost tip of mainland Scotland. I also chose to paint a painting a day while on the trail to record my adventures. In total it took 31 days to complete, and I met wonderful people along the way. KNOCKDAMPH BOTHY LIFE…

NORTH YORK MOORS Many years ago (sometimes referred to as the 1980s) I heard the words ‘Roseberry Topping’ for the first time. I instinctively said “yes please”, expecting a delicious sauce to accompany my dessert. Alas, as with so many things in life, I’d got the wrong end of the stick. It turned out that Roseberry Topping was a mountain. Now, the seminal peaks call out to you, don’t they, towering as they do over your imagination. But it was only after years of climbing mountains all over our glorious lands that I eventually noticed a polite hand raised in the back of my mountain ambitions, a hand in the shape of Roseberry Topping. How could I have been so blind for so long? Because it appeared there was, after…

Insider THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN OUTDOOR KIT GEAR The world is in trouble. You’ve probably noticed, unless you’re the kind of person who believes the Earth is flat and the moon landings were faked. We need to reduce carbon emissions, and one way is to simply make less stuff that results in carbon being released into the atmosphere, or produce said stuff in a way that releases less, or, better still, no carbon. But this isn’t easy. New stuff will always be needed and making it without producing carbon is tricky. There is, however, a new and exciting weapon in the battle against emissions. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, this new technology came to our attention in the form of a fleece from Craghoppers. We’ve talked before about how the humble fleece jacket…

The best of both worlds. That’s what you’re supposed to get with a pair of approach shoes: the comfort of a hiking shoe and the sticky grip of a climbing shoe. Designed as a hybrid between these two footwear genres, approach shoes are so-called because historically they were used by climbers on the long walks in (the ‘approach’) to the base of crags or cliffs before a day of climbing. These gnarly climbers couldn’t be bothered to pack two pairs of footwear. They wanted one multi-purpose, super-versatile, do-it-all shoe – a halfway house between a trail shoe and climbing slip-on that could deliver enough comfort, give and cushioning for big hiking mileage, yet also provide adequate traction, stability and precision for negotiating steep, technical, rocky ground. So the approach shoe…

Rock hoppers Salewa Wildfire Edge Mid GTX £195 Shoes, rather than boots, are increasingly popular. It’s easy to see why: they’re lighter, nimbler, and feel more akin to our regular day-to-day footwear than stiff boots. But they do make it easier for ‘stuff’ to get in over the top. This, then, is the best of both worlds. Light on the foot, but with a GoreTex membrane and stretch gaiter to keep water, stones and anything else out, the Wildfire Edge Mids have been a revelation. Add in their climbing-capable sole, and they’re ideal for fun days out scrambling on the rock. For off-path heather bashing and bog-trotting I think I’d still prefer a full boot, but for nearly everything else these are superb. Verdict The fleet-footedness of an approach shoe…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Worcs & Herefordshire 3 ROLLER-COASTER RIDGE Former Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin described the Malvern Hills as ‘the most beautiful silhouette in England’ and a 1940s Alpine Journal used poetic licence to claim they were ‘higher and lovelier’ than any snowy peak in Tibet. You might debate such opinions but this unique spine of steep commons and perky tops never fails to disappoint. Edward Elgar was famously inspired here and geologists make regular pilgrimages to stand atop the oldest rocks in England. The Malverns date back at least 650 million years! There are paths a plenty – so many you’re often wondering which way to go – but if you begin the long undulating traverse on North Hill it’s really just a matter of heading south. In places the…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Yorkshire Dales 6 GEOLOGICAL GLORIES Ingleborough may be only the second highest hill in Yorkshire but, for many, it reigns supreme. Its neighbour, Whernside, is 12m higher but Ingleborough has the look and feel of a much more ‘serious’ hill. Its north face is a formidable jumble of crags, scree and shattered boulders, and its distinctive, tiered outline visible from many miles away. The substantial, flat summit is a bleak place, largely bereft of vegetation and scoured by the wind. This walk starts by sampling the limestone scenery of Scales Moor on the northern side of the River Doe. Yorkshire’s finest hill dominates the view across this massive expanse of calcareous grassland, but it’s the features closer in that will inevitably grab your attention: delicately balanced boulders, gritstone…

LONG-DISTANCE TRAILS The best long-distance walking trails have two characteristics that make them great - a succession of dramatic landscapes and a broad selection of interesting places to visit along the way. The Southern Upland Way (SUW) scores highly on both. As the SUW cuts across the country, many different landscapes are unveiled: coastal cliffs, high moorland, rolling hills, remote mountains, forests, lochs, mountain streams, majestic rivers and valleys abounding in wildlife. The route passes through regions that are rich in archaeological and historical associations, from prehistoric standing stones to monuments commemorating the Killing Times of the 17th century Covenanters. Long-distance walking is all about exploring new territory, and at a pace where it can be fully savoured. The Southern Uplands of Scotland are probably the least visited area of…

An Teallach Wester Ross “Had a great weekend hiking An Teallach last month, and managed a cloud inversion as well!” Emma Tollan Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Eryri (Snowdonia) “Me, Rebecca and our dog Holly on Snowdon for sunrise. We are so lucky to live here in Snowdonia, with all these fantastic mountains on our doorstep.” Alwyn Parry Blencathra Lake District “Your first mountain summit is special. This pic is from 5-year-old Sofia’s first top-to-bottom mountain, Blencathra. We can’t tell you what it meant to be with her, as she touched the OS trig point with so much pride.” Carolyn and Neil Minshull Ben Macdui Cairngorms “This is Andy and I having summited Ben Macdui on our first day of Trail 100 adventures up in the Cairngorms – no other soul in…

LAKE DISTRICT PAVEY ARK For hillwalkers with a liking for rocky routes, Jack’s Rake is a household name. But there’s one thing no one seems to agree on. How hard F it is. Wainwright famously said it was “just about the limit that the ordinary fell walker may be expected to attempt”. A local guide warned us that it was more a Grade 2 scramble in parts with loose rock, and he wouldn’t take clients on it without a rope and helmets. And yet, it’s generally regarded as a Grade 1 scramble, a rite of passage for Lakeland lovers, with thousands of people scampering up it with no problems at all, including our Trail photographer’s son at the age of 12 (who, by the way, made mincemeat of it!). It seems…

MOUNTAIN LIVES At around 3.30pm on Friday 19 May, in gusting wind and with his oxygen mask encrusted with ice, Hari Budha Magar crunched toward the top of Everest. The prayer flags decorating the summit crest whipped and twisted in the wind as he and his three team members turned to face the one (barely) functioning camera for a brief photo. They would only be up there for a few minutes but his presence set a new record. Hari lost both his legs in an explosion in 2010, so in reaching the top of the mountain he became the first double above-the-knee amputee (DAK) to summit Everest. “Part of me was thinking, whatever happens, I’m not going to come back here,” he says. “Physically, it would be fine but financially…

HOW TO… ASCENT: 1157m DISTANCE: 12km SCRAMBLE GRADE: 1 ROUTE Also now known as Pedol Yr Wyddfa, this route traditionally begins at Pen-y-Pass and climbs towards Crib Goch to teeter over its precipitous ridge to Garnedd Ugain before reaching Yr Wyddfa. It then follows the south-east ridge to Y Lliwedd, turning north to drop down the nose toward Llyn Llydaw and taking the Miners’ Track back. A clockwise completion of the circuit could well yield quieter slopes but you’ll have to tackle the harder sections in descent. TIME TO ALLOW 5-6 hours. PERFECT IF… you’ve built up your summer hillwalking fitness and have a good head for heights. KIT TO BRING A windproof jacket, hat and gloves will be especially welcome on the ridges where the breeze can be sudden…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Lake District 1 DRAMATIC LAKELAND FELLS If you are drawn towards the scale and drama of the highest peaks, then why not enjoy an extended foray amongst their lofty summits for as long as possible? This route is not particularly long in distance, but it does pack a punch when it comes to weaving, rocky paths and multiple ascents on different terrains. And there’s the unfolding delight of approaching England’s highest peak from Lingmell, which is a notable summit in its own right, with views around the head of Wasdale and to Great Gable, as well as to its parent peak, Scafell Pike. It’s usually quiet on top, from where you can view the more obvious route through Hollow Stones to Lingmell Col. And why stop here? There’s…

TRAIL MAGAZINE West Highlands 4 SWEEPING & NARROW RIDGELINES When looking at a map of Ben Nevis, allow the eye to wander east towards Loch Treig and you’ll discover a parade of complex summits and ridges that keep extending the excitement of this mighty mountain massif, beyond the ‘UK’s highest’. What follows east is a series of connected mountain adventures, including the slender ridge of Aonach Mor and bulk of Aonach Beag. Then trace a line north-east along the sweeping contours of The Grey Corries, for quartzite-topped peaks and scattered screes that glimmer grey, pink and white under changing skies and seasons. This route focuses on a rewarding round of The Grey Corries specifically, including three Munro summits, as well as a range of proud rocky castles along the ridge.…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Orkney ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ROUTES Best enjoyed as part of a longer trip to Orkney, Hoy is the second largest of the islands. Its name is of Old Norse origin, meaning ‘high’ and while the hills might not be as high as you are used to – Ward Hill, its highest peak, sits at 481m proud – they do have a feeling of wildness. You might well find yourself being watched from above by eagles or dive-bombed by bonxies. Keep an eye out for puffins near the Old Man of Hoy, and if you’re very lucky you might even see a passing orca from the shore. Book the foot ferry from Stromness for a few days and lose yourself in Orkney’s very own highland. ROUTE 7 Moaness…