Table of contents for July 2023 in Trail

FUJIFILM Makers of the most user-friendly, super-high-quality cameras which come packed with presets that make capturing stunning walking memories a matter of spontaneous joy, not fiddliness and chance. Each of its mirrorless cameras (think big-camera sophistication without the size) comes complete with manual options ready to grow with your confidence, and image quality to put any smartphone in the shade. The first prize in each category is the stunning powerful yet compact X-S10 + 18-55mm lens worth £1299. fujifilm-x.com MACS ADVENTURE With over 600 exciting self-guided trips to 40 countries worldwide and over 20 years of experience, Macs Adventure knows what makes a great walking or cycling holiday. With over 18,000 independent reviews, Macs continue to listen obsessively to customers to develop their adventures. This gives customers the freedom to…

Mountain Rescue has confirmed what we’ve always known by announcing a new partnership recommending OS Maps as the navigational phone app of choice for hikers. Mountain Rescue Englang & Wales CEO Mike “Far too often we’re seeing people in very remote and potentially dangerous locations using mapping apps better suited to towns. There has been a shift to online tools and appsin recent years, with many of our volunteers using maps on their phones, but we would always recommend carrying a paper map that doesn’t need battery power as a back-up.”…

Scarpa Mescalito TRK GTX £250 Scarpa SL Active £295 Scarpa Ribelle Lite HD £310 Lowe Alpine AirZone Active 22 £80 Lowe Alpine AirZone Trail Duo ND30L £120 Lowe Alpine AirZone Trail Camino 37:42L £170…

FIRST: Find the right angle. Usually this means getting the sun behind you so you’re not shooting directly into the brightest light. But if you’re photographing a person, a side angle so they aren’t squinting into the sun, might be better. THEN: Adjust the exposure for the sky, not the ground. It’s easier to recover detail from a dark area of a photograph than a scorched one. NEXT: Try using the flash to moderate harsh shadows. This works best when you’re shooting close to someone or something, about 3-4m distance, maximum. FINALLY: Think of ways high contrast can enhance your photograph and create drama. Hill landscapes where high, jagged ridgelines or boulder outcrops cast deep shadows onto nearby slopes present plenty of opportunity.…

TRAIL MAGAZINE 3 Cairngorms 3 SHORT & SHARP SCRAMBLE I hadn’t set out to climb this when I did. I just had a few hours before a long drive home, and wanted one last sight of the stark Northern Corries, one last taste of that granite-tinted air. What I found was even better. There, snaking up behind the scattered pools of Coire an t-Sneachda, was a thin little rake: the Goat Track. This climber’s descent path can, in better weather, make a quick and fun way up onto the plateau. In little more than a couple of hours, you go from the giant, thronged Cairn Gorm car park to the edge of one of Scotland’s starkest landscapes, To one side, the escarpment plummets away to the glimmering pools, suddenly very distant,…

7 Lake District GILL & RIDGE 1 NY322254 Head west from the Horse & Farrier and turn right at a path signpost to a track beside houses. Fork right up a path whích runs up beside Kilnhow Beck to a car park above Threlkeld [NY318255], Take an uphill track past a bench, which becomes a path alongside the wooded beck. After a footbridge and some small waterfalls the path emerges at the foot of the open fell, with the hollow of Blease Gill running in ahead. 2 NY316260 To the right of the hollow, take the path rising to left of a watt. Where the path bends right towards the spur crest keep ahead, contouring above the stream across steep, rough ground, with bracken at first. Once out of the…

TOM BAILEY The photographer behind the award-winning photography in Bauer Media’s outdoor portfolio, Tom is a mountaineer, naturalist and enjoyer of the countryside on foot. LOUISE PARKER Trail’s art editor has been a judge in every Mountain Photo of the Year competition since 2013. What she doesn’t know about impactful mountain images isn’t worth knowing. GUY PROCTER Editor of Country Walking Guy is passionate about helping more people discover the outdoors. MATT MERRITT Author and editor of Bird Watching magazine Matt has a remarkable sensitivity forthe natural world.…

WILD SLEEPS THIS MONTH High Street The Old Man of Coniston Crib Goch Pillar Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa] The Calf Pumlumon TRAIL 100 BIVVY COUNT 39/100 Once more into the beantiful. Wouldn’t it be great if life were a mosaic, made np purely from moments of Elysian joy. Well, this month’s column takes the best bits from seven camps to make such a story. The van door shuts with a clunk, and I head into the mountains. It’s hotter than normal for this time of year. I splash ever deeper through the cool water feeling the smooth stones on my feet, then plunge my head under, resurfacing and gasping for air. Senses alive. Secluded Hayeswater is a great wild swimming spot on the climb to High Street. Above the clouds Breaking…

■ Group walk, Cadair Idris, north Wales, Saturday 10 June ■ Group walk, Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales, Saturday 17 June ■ Paddle expedition, Great Glen Canoe Trail, Scotland, Monday 17-21 July ■ Climbing event, Carreg y Foel Gron, north Wales, Saturday 22 July ■ Mountain Skills Course, north Wales, Saturday 29 July ■ Climbing event, Peak District, Saturday 2 September For more info and to book, see blackdogoutdoors.co.uk/events…

Get hold of a bus timetable and look at it alongside an OS map. The 2023 Lakes by Bus guide has full timetable Information and a map on the back page. Find it at tinyurl.com/lakesbybus Search Google for bus stops Not all of them show up on the route and it will give you an up-to-date and accurate start/end point. Calculate your route timing and make sure you will realistically get to the bus stop in time to catch your bus. Rememberto include time for breaks and things to go a little wrong. It’s worth carrying some kind of payment in case they do. If you’re planning to stop at a pub or café, check their opening times too. Sit back, relax, gaze out the window, don’t miss your stop!…

This is one of the most popular walking locations in the Peak District National Park, running for around 3km above the villages of Castleton and Hope. Unlike famous Lake District ridges such as Striding Edge and Sharp Edge, this is very much a straightforward hillwalk ratherthan a technical scramble requiring a head for heights. If you catch it on a good day, the views are extensive and impressive in all directions, particularly if you’re walking towards Mam Tor and its mighty east face. If you want a good circular route, start from Castleton, work your way up towards Lose Híll, then head for Mam Tor via Hollins Cross. Unless you start early like Tom you’re unlikely to get it to yourself, but that’s a small pnce to pay for a…

It’s the nation’s most popular peak, a focus point for mountain tourism. The vast number of visitors is causing issues with erosion, littering, and irresponsible behaviour. The mountain sits within an increasingly busy national park that is struggling to balance the need for a thriving tourist industry with environmental sustainability, and for which car use and parking is beginning to create problems. Sound familiar? Yes, we could be talking about Yr Wyddfa, but Slovenia’s Triglav is vulnerable to all the same pressures. Here’s how you can enjoy this magnificent peak while minimising your impact and making a positive contribution. USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The buses and trains are surprisingly low-cost, and there are bike hire options within the park. HIRE A GUIDE: Even if you’re a capable mountaineer, a guide will…

ADVICE FROM MOUNTAIN RESCUE COVER UP Layers and spare clothes are just as important in the summer months as in the winter, but they’re more about coverage than warmth. Keeping a long-sleeved linen shirt or thin thermal in your sack means that you can protect your arms and something to cover the sides and back of your neck could save on painful sunburn too. HOW TO SPOT AN: ADDER VIPERA BERUS SIZE: 45-60cm long, weighing 50-100g. Females are typically larger and longer than males. ABOUT: The base colour can vary from grey to reddishbrown or greenish-yellow but all have a distinctive zigzag pattern down the spine with an arrow pointing forward over the brow. This is Britain’s only venomous snake and you’re most likely to spot one basking on a…

MORE DURABLE UPPER Our only real concern with the PRO G 400 has been addressed with the V2 boot. The upper now features a tighter weave, which not only makes it 40% stronger but also offers better protection to the Gore-Tex XCR (Extended Comfort Range] membrane underneath. EXTRA PROTECTION The toe bumper at the front of the boot has been slightly extended, providing extra protection to both the upperand your feet within it. A flexible rockplate protects the underfoot from Sharp objects or debris without seeming to reduce flexibility or feel. IMPROVED COMFORT The original PRO G 400 was already incredibly comfortable, but by introducing a superior wraparound heel-lock system, paired with a heel-cupped footbed and a Lycra padded ankle cuff, inov-8 has upped comfort levels even further, and increased…

Outdoor Research Helium Bivy £225 For those wanting the comfort of a poled bivvy but without the extra weight, the Helium Bivy is perfect. Despite having a pote that lifts the upper fabric away from the face, it weighs only 448g. Plus, on occasions where you want to go even lighter or the ground conditions mean pegging out the pole isn’t feasible, the Helium can be used pole-less, and this takes the weight down to around 400g. This is thanks to the Pertex fabric with Diamond Fuse technology, which makes the current Helium Bivvy 14% lighter than the previous model. BEST FOR versatity at a manageable weight Rab Ridge Raider Bivi £350 This is a regular feature in any of our bivvy roundups, and with good cause. Freestanding and less…

TRAIL MAGAZINE 1 Eryri (Snowdonia) WILD & RUGGED CIRCUIT There is practically no such thing as a wilderness (an area left uncultivated or inhabited by humans) left in the UK, but the Rhinogydd is about as cióse as you’re going to get in the Welsh mountains. The sheep-munched bareness has escaped much of the mountain landscape and it is characterised by a rough covering of heather and bilberry, interspersed with gritty boulder-strewn rock shelves and miniature crags. Once you step off the already thin tracks, you’re in for a rough ride! This route leads you up and over the northern part of the range, from Clip to Moel Ysgafarnagod and Foel Penolau, returning via a visit to the famous ring cairn of Bryn Cader Faner, which is worth the trip in…

TRAIL MAGAZINE 4 Isle of Arran BIG MOUNTAIN DAY The Isle of Arran is one of the best places in Scotland. If you know, you know. If you didn’t know, now you do! Now, with that bold claim out of the way, here comes another: The Glen Sannox horseshoe is one of the best mountain days in Britain - definitely a contender for the best day I’ve had out in the mountains. Make no mistake, though, it’s a biggy. The terrain is hard going at times and it will drain you. There are ridges, scrambling, scrambling over ridges, difficult route-finding, sea views, dramatic mountain views and, if you’re lucky, you might even catch an eagle viewing you. Every angle you view this route from while you’re on it is quite simply…

8 Lake District SCRAMBLY RIDGELINE 1 NY363302 Cross a footbridge to Mill Inn, then turn right over the river. Pass the road junction to a residential track on the left. This emerges onto open moor, becoming an engineered slab way across wet ground. The stabbed track bends left into Bannerdale, dipping to cross a stream [Bullfell Beck]. 2 NY356302 Here leave the tempting trackway, for a rough path running upstream along the bank of River Glenderamackin. Straight after the next stream Crossing (Bannerdale Beck] bear up right on a grass path, which runs up the ridgeline towards Bannerdale Crags rearing intimidating and mountain-like ahead. After a steepish start, the ridge levels off, to the foot of the steep east spur of the hill. 3 ONY339291 The small path zigzags up…

9 Eryri (Suowdonia) MULTI-DAY SCRAMBLING DAY 1 1 SH624666 From the war memorial on the main road in Bethesda, head north uphill through a variety of paths or minor roads to reach Gerlan, a village that connects directly with Bethesda. Follow the road to the end, just after a bridge Crossing the Afon Llafar. Take the left-hand option at a track junction and then cross a stile to head up through a field. Cross the stile on the left at the top of the field and continue in the same direction, over a ford. The path now continues gently rising into Cwm Pen-llafar, which narrows ahead. 2 SH652651 The valley narrows as the slopes of Carnedd Dafydd close in on the right. The path is scrappy and there appears to…

11 Eryri (Snowdonia) MULTI-DAY SCRAMBLING DAY 3 12 SH647556 Back at YHA Pen-y-Pass, follow the Snowdon Miners’ Track, past Llyn Teryn, over the Llyn Llydaw causeway, and then as it ascends to just before reaching Glaslyn. On the left, the distinctive rocky ridge of Cribau rises up towards the bwlch between Y Lliwedd and Snowdon. 13 SH619545 Cross the Afon Glaslyn and ascend the ridge of Cribau (Grade 1). The situation is spectacular and the scrambling is extremely easy to follow; aim to stay roughly on the crest of the ridge all the way to Bwlch y Saethau. As the ridge flattens and the rock ends, there are two options. Either turn right to continue up the east ridge, or descend slightly to turn right onto the Watkin Path. Either…

OUR EXPERT SAYS… “You feel like you’re climbing onto an island in the sky, from which your efforts are rewarded with amazing views and tumbling exposure.” Just about anybody who’s ever written a route description on climbing Pillar, the big, broad-backed fell on the south side of Ennerdale, will have mentioned Pillar Rock. The words will mention how, beyond the northern edge of Pillar’s expansive summit, Pillar Rock is a landmark monument that is impressive to observe but impossible to reach. And, in many ways, the description is correct. Getting onto Pillar Rock direct from Pillar’s summit is impossible: a large crevice known as Jordan Gap separates the rock from the mountain. But that’s not to say there’s no way onto it… Pillar Rock looks its best when viewed from…

High point of the Peak District's Great Ridge and the Hope Valley's most iconic landmark, Mam Tor is a mountain on the move. CLIMB A STAR OF THIS ISSUF P38 WALK IT Getting to the 517m top of Mam Tor is easy - there’s a car park at 422m and a good, stepped path from there to the summit. Getting the view shown on this photo is even easier - it was taken mere metres from a different car park at the road head near Blue John Cavern. Of course, if you want to make things a little more interesting and really earn your pub lunch or cream tea in Castleton, you can start from the village itself. Just follow the network of good footpaths across the dale-bottom fields towards…

Every year since launching in 2014 we’ve kicked off our Mountain Photo of the Year competition wondering if it’s possible for the level of entries to stay as high as the previous year, and each time we end up being blown away by what we receive. If you need any further evidence of that, visit the website below and check out the fast-growing gallery of entries for 2023, This year, with Nature and Countryside categories being added alongside the long-standing Mountain award, there’s more variety than ever in terms of landscapes and inspiration for getting outside and exploring the wilder parts of the UK. We never get any shortage of wild camping shots and many of the recent winners have featured a tent pitched high in the mountains, which is…

OFFICIAL PARTNERS Arenig Fach, Eryri (Snowdonia) ■ TOM BAILEY, TRAIL PHOTOGRAPHER “Now, let’s straighten something out right away. Arenig Fach is certainly not, as the Trail 100 website suggests, dull from afar. Quite the opposite, in fact. It’s from a distance that the artist James Dickson Innes used to paint it. Man, he could paint. Ahead of his time, the colour and form, particularly of his skies, were mind bending and life affirming. It’s these skies that I see every time I look at Arenig Fach, because it’s this Trail 100 mountain that representa, to me, creativity, imagination and tragedy; the holy trinity of life. Could you wish for more? Go climb it.” Quinag, Assynt ■ BEN WEEKS, TRAIL GEAR EDITOR “I’ve seen Quinag from almost all its angles. It’s…

There’s no getting away from the fact that in the British uplands there are millions of blood-sucking creatures just waiting for you to bare some tasty flesh. Welcome to the horror that is the world of midges and ticks. The Highland midge is the reason midges get a bad reputation. Most of the midge family don’t actually bite, and of the few that do, it’s only the female Highland midge that wants your blood. This two-winged fly is only about 1.5mm long, with the backs of the wings having a mottled appearance. But don’t mistake these tiny critters as a minor inconvenience - take heed from the Scottish saying ‘a midge is as big as a mountain’, as once a midge has had its fill of your blood, she’ll send…

HIGHLAND SCRAMBLES The north-west Highlands of Scotland are the wildest and rockiest part of Britain, so unsurprisingly they have huge amounts of brilliant scrambling. The classic ridges of Liathach, An Teallach, Beinn Alligin and the Forcan Ridge of The Saddle are well known, but it is also crammed with unfrequented rock on wild and rugged peaks. If scrambling is your thing, then this is the place for you! With a new second edition of Highland Scrambles North available now, author Ian Thow takes a look at a few gems from his book that might just whet your appetite. Stac Pollaidh, Assynt SPIKY SUMMIT SCRAMBLE Once you get north of Ullapool, the hills become more separated and even more eccentric. Pretty much every hill has at least one scramble on it…

SKIDDAW Bus X4 ROUTE From Keswick climb the little lookout of Latrigg, then turn and ascend the broad slopes to Little Man and Skiddaw’s slatey summit. Veer Southwest on the return to Cari Side and follow the glorious Longside Edge to Ullock Pike. Then stop at Ravenstone Manor for a glass of something fancy. STATS 16km / 1125m IF YOU’RE BASED IN… Keswick, Penrith or Cockermouth. BOWFELL Bus 516 ROUTE From Dungeon Ghyll walk up Mickleden past Angle Tarn to Esk Hause, then turn Southwest to Esk Pike and Bow Fell. Dip south to Crinkle Crags and over to Pike of Blisco then descend Wrynose Fellto Side Pike and drag your weary legs along the river to the Dungeon Ghyll pub. STATS 20km / 1448m IF YOU’RE BASED IN… Kendal,…

MOUNTAIN LIVES “Now, if I don’t get outside for a matter of time, I feel it. I start to feel like I’m enclosed, restricted, like I’m missing something, you know?” says Amar Latif. The adventurer and TV host has travelled to over 100 countries and was recently elected President of the Ramblers Association. He’s also registered blind. Amar was just four years old when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable genetic eye condition, and o ver the next 14 years his vision gradually deteriorated. He stopped being able to ride a bike and then to make out his family’s faces. By the time he was 18, he had lost 95% of his vision. “When you’re blind it can be quite difficult to go out easily, so I feel…

This is an incredibly useful technique which can help you navigate accurately across large areas. It means simply following an easily identifiable linear feature across a landscape. This could be an escarpment, an edge, a ridge, a river or even a road. Features to be aware of are those which can change. Forestry can be cut down and fences moved. If you’re using these features, check them regularly against the map to make sure they still match. 7mph the maximum wind speed a midge can tolerate…

Titanium This super-futuristic material was first discovered way back in 1791. In Cornwall. Super strong, remarkably lightweight and corrosion resistant, it is an obvious choice for use in outdoor gear, and it has adopted for use in all kinds of things, including tent pegs, cookware, and, of course, the humble Spork. Dyneema Dyneema Composite Fabric was originally created for yachting and performance sailing, but its high strength, low weight characteristics have now found favour with the lightweight backpacking community. It can be found in tents, tarps, rucksacks and climbing equipment. Aerogel Made from a range of materials (silica being the most common), aerogels are highly insulating, due to their ability to nullify heat loss through convection or conduction. NASA has used aerogels as an ¡nsulator in space suits and its…

TRAIL MAGAZINE 2 Lake District 2 ROCKY RIDGE, HIGH FELLS Fleetwith Edge is one of the most photographed features in the Lake District, and yet most people with pictures of it in their collections won’t be able to name it - and even fewer will have climbed it. Look at just about any image of Buttermere though and you will see, reaching heavenward from its south-eastern shores, this perfectly symmetrical ridge. Ascending this sublime shoulder to the summit of Fleetwith Pike is pure joy. A series of rocky steps is broken by easier, grassy interludes, allowing plenty of opportunity to get your breath back and enjoy the superb views to the left, right and back down towards the lake. From the summit cairn, the route continues over Fleetwith Pike before plummeting…

TRAIL MAGAZINE 5 Southern Uplands SMALL SCRAMBLE In the Southern Uplands, a scramble of any sort comes as a surprise. The greywacke bedrock just ain’t built for it. But here on White Coomb, the word ‘Linn’ could be a clue. Well it could be if you were unusually clued up on Scots hill lingo - or, indeed, the works of our national poet Robert Burns. ‘He spak o’ loupin in a Linn’ - poor Duncan Grey considered leaping into a rocky-walled, steep-sided, romantic little ravine. Trouble was, White Coomb was a bit of a trek across from Ayrshire back in the 18th century. Midlaw’s a very little linn. But romantic it certainly is, with its tumbling burn, its little waterfalls, and its wild flowers of bladder campion and lady’s mantle. And…

6 Lake District CLASSIC SCRAMBLING RIDGE 1 NY342268 Follow the A66 pavement towards Keswick for 300m. At a couple of houses a path leads up onto open fell. Take the path slanting up to the right, passing high above White Horse Inn. The path heads along the brink of Mousthwaite Comb, to the foot of the Scales Fell ridge. The ridgeline has an up-and-down path. Go straight across that, onto a contouríng path above River Glenderamackin. After 1 km the path turns left uphill beside Scales Beck to the outflow of Scale Tarn. 2 NY330281 Take the wide path up right, to the foot of the jagged ridge of Sharp Edge. The best way now is to follow the rocky crest, on clean rock with good holds (gritty paths on…

10 Eryri (Snowdonia) MULTI-DAY SCRAMBLING DAY 2 6 SH668605 Today’s route is a continuation of day 1, but starting from the lay-by at the base of Tryfan, near the rock of Tryfan Bach, close to Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite. Go through the gate at the western end of the large lay-by on the south side, and follow the track ahead until level with the campsite. Go through a gate, then turn right onto a path which leads to the right-hand side of Tryfan Bach. At Tryfan Bach the path steepens; follow it uphill past rock outcrops until you reach a fence. Turn right at the fence and follow the path up as it steepens and passes through what feels like a short gully, with rock walls on both sides. At…