Trailの June 2023 の目次

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■ Carry an additional power supply or a second mobile phone in the party, switched off for emergency use ■ It's counter-intuitive sometimes, but going slightly uphill from your location (if safe to do so) may produce better signal. ■ Register your mobile for the 999 text service. Quite often text messages may get through where spoken communication is struggling, so it can be really valuable when there's poor signal, but also if it's windy, when it can be hard to hear what's being said.…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Lake District HIGH-LEVEL RIDGELINE When you're compiling a hill list, it's a mistake to think it through too rigidly. Except when it comes to the Trail 100 summits. Because when it comes to Ill Bell above Kentmere, and how it knocked High Raise off Trail's list, well the thinking behind that was entirely ‘ridge-it.’ High Raise may be the summit of Wainwright's Central Fells, but it's a flat hump with ponds and boggy bits, while Ill Bell is the pointy midpoint of a steep-sided, south-to-north ridge that's like a clothes line suspended from three poles. The first of them, Yoke, is fairly flat on top, but then everything narrows up for a half day of ridgeline path that's airy without being scary. A thin-path moment around the head of…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Eryri (Snowdonia) Above and beyond the sleepy hamlet of Croesor rise three parallel ridges which once dipped their toes into the tidal flow of Traeth Mawr, reclaimed in the early 1800s by the construction of ‘The Cob’ at Porthmadoc. Of this trio, the ridge most often climbed is that of Cnicht, as honest an ascent as could possibly be conceived; bottom to top in one elegant sweep. Today, we forsake Cnicht for its two neighbouring ridges, which are similarly uncontrived, loftier and relatively unpeopled. Curiously passé, these western spurs afford simple ‘hands in pockets’ walking where roving eyes are free to survey an exceptional vista of mountains and the glittering sea beyond. That is not to say that this walk is in any way dull; the descent of Moelwyn…

West Highlands ISOLATED MOUNTAIN WALKING 1 NN083584 Park in the large car park near the visitor centre and Co-op. Walk south up the main road behind the visitor centre, and call in at Stiff Peaks Patisserie for a sausage roll lunch. Continue up, past the playing field to cross the bridge then turn left immediately and walk up the road past the schoolhouse. You'll cross through a gate and on to open grassy terrain. The track is fairly easy to follow and leads you to a gate with a little wooden crossing point on its left 2 NN079569 Stay on the track after crossing, passing the point where you would head up to Schoolhouse Ridge. Continue south. There is a small river crossing at the Allt Sheilach (NN077562) which could…

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 – and believes every photograph is a chance to change a life. MATT MERRITT Author and editor of Bird Watching magazine Matt has a remarkable sensitivity for the natural world and a penetrating eye.…

Upcoming events led by mountain leaders and mental health first aiders from our partners at Blackdog Outdoors. ■ 13 MAY BLENCATHRA, LAKE DISTRICT Cracking route up Hall's Fell ridge and down Blease Fell. ■ 20 MAY THE COBBLER, ARROCHAR ALPS Huge views over the southern Highlands from this iconic peak. ■ 10 JUNE CADAIR IDRIS, SNOWDONIA Take the ‘Pony Path’ up a mountain shrouded in myth and legend. 17 JUNE INGLEBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE DALES From Clapham via Gaping Gill to the mighty summit of Ingleborough. Discover how other people are using outdoor activities to make a difference at: MOUNTAINSFORTHEMIND.CO.UK…

ASCENT: 8002m DISTANCE: 302km ROUTE Wainwright recommended that walkers get their boots wet by starting in the shallows of the Irish Sea at St Bees and then heading east, in 12 stages, to Robin Hood's Bay. This direction also keeps the prevailing wind at your back. TIME TO ALLOW 13 days if you follow the original route, though Damian Hall hoofed along it in just 39hr 18min 40sec in 2021. PERFECT IF You've got a couple of weeks off and fancy an achievable challenge and iconic journey through three National Parks. KIT TO BRING Several providers offer a luggage service, carrying your pack from one accommodation provider to the next, so if you use this service you can go wild and pack your warmest socks. Otherwise, you'll need the standard…

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Soto Amicus £38 The traditional canistertop stove is about as simple as they come. Screw it into your gas canister, fold out the pan supports, turn on the gas via the valve release, ignite and cook. The Soto Amicus is a great example. It has four spring-loaded pan support arms, can be adjusted to simmer as well as boil, weighs just 75g and will fold down to 4.3x4x7.5cm. Plus it has some added sophistication in its concave burner for improved wind protection. This basic version doesn't have a built-in igniter, but the next model up (£43) does. BEST FOR Budget, beginners, and go-light backpackers MSR WindPro II £130 The problem with any canister-top mounting burner is that once you have a pan balanced on the top it can feel a…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Lake District ICONIC FELL, QUIET ROUTE England's highest and gnarliest summits. Silence and solitude. The former isn't often associated with the latter, so we can be heading for only one place – Upper Eskdale. In fact, we're using a backdoor route on to one of the Lake District's best known mountains, Bow Fell (902m), then an off-piste descent from neighbouring Esk Pike (885m). Wherever you view it from, Bow Fell's pyramidal summit is prominent on the National Park's skyline, but it reveals its best side to Eskdale. It commands attention through the first half of this walk, as we climb into the upper reaches of this valley then follow a forgotten path from Lingcove Beck up to Three Tarns. Beyond the col and the boulder-strewn summit, we continue along…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Eryri (Snowdonia) SHORT BUT SHARP Scrambling in Snowdonia is nothing new, with an abundance of suitable routes and peaks in the National Park. And Cadair Idris isn't to be overlooked, often regarded as a ‘Miniature Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa’. From wooded trails and waterfalls to steep cliffs and rocky ridges, it is a brilliant mountain in its own right. The circular route following the ridgeline is rightly popular, but the mountain's scrambling lines are lesser known. With a variety of technicalities to suit all skill levels, scrambling this mountain is an experience to be savoured. 1 SH731115 The route starts at the Minffordd car park, there is ample parking and facilities here (but don't forget to pay!). The route to Cadair Idris is easily found; follow the signs out of the…

TRAIL MAGAZINE West Highlands ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3 ROUTES If you've managed to tick off all the big peaks in Glencoe, then firstly well done! Now, to keep you interested in the area a little longer, we have a nice mix of walking days just down the road. First up is the adventurous option: Beinn a Bheithir via Schoolhouse Ridge — this is the mountain that dominates the skyline as you walk into the local Co-op. If you've ever looked up and wondered what it's like, now is your chance to find out. The next option is less about the adrenaline and more about quiet isolation and views during the long walk ‘round the back’ to Fraochaidh. To finish the weekend, it's a chilled out, family-friendly wander up perhaps the most iconic…

Highlands TOURISTY MOUNTAIN WALK 1 NN107587 If Schoolhouse Ridge dominates the skyline as you enter Ballachulish, then the Pap takes the baton when you leave and head towards Glencoe. In truth, it's the tourist peak in the area — the one where the day-trippers, holidaymakers and families go — but don't let that put you off. After the quiet of the previous routes, this will be a welcome easy day, and if you want to you can salvage a little of the wilder feeling by descending the west side of the summit. Park in the main car park for the Pap, near to the Bridge of Coe. It's well marked. In the south-eastern side of the car park, a lovely signposted path leads to the start of the route, keeping…

Lake District MOUNTAIN HORSESHOE 1 NY396158 With your back to the White Lion Inn, turn left along the A592 and then take the lane rising right. Soon after it bends right, take the path left. Bear left at the next junction, leaving the woodland. About 260m beyond the trees, go through a small gate in a wall. Carefully ford Hag Beck and then, in another 370m, turn left at a crossing of paths. So begins the climb… 2 NY385152 When the wall on Thornhow End is reached, the opportunity for a rest is hard to resist. The flat, grassy area to the left forms an ideal seat with an Insta-perfect outlook on Ullswater far below. After the gate in the wall, continue on the clear path for about 45m and…

Lake District BUSY PEAK, QUIET TRAILS 1 NY396158 With your back to the White Lion Inn, turn right along the A592. After 350m, turn right along the track beside the George Starkey Hut. Go left around the back of the buildings at Side Farm. Immediately after the gate, climb beside the wall on the right. As the wall kinks right, keep left, still ascending. Join a terrace path heading roughly north high above Ullswater, soon passing a green bench. 2 NY397172 About 850m beyond the bench, take the grassy path to the right, soon climbing amid juniper and enjoying views back across Ullswater to the Helvellyn range and St Sunday Crag. As the gradient eases, the path swings right. On entering a shallow gap, bear right at a faint fork…

OUR EXPERT SAYS… “An exciting ridge traverse to one of the few UK summits that can only be gained by scrambling.” The Isle of Arran, or simply Arran to its friends, is a beautiful island. With idyllic coastal villages, historic buildings, ancient stone circles, typically Scottish wildlife, and phenomenal hiking and cycling trails. But beyond this gentle persona, Arran's heart is full of mountains. A’ Chir sits almost directly west of Goatfell – the highest and therefore, unsurprisingly, most famous of Arran's peaks – but is not attached to it. Although a peak in its own right, its linear nature makes it feel more like a ridgeline than a separate mountain. In that respect it links Beinn Tarsuinn to the south with Cir Mhor – Goatfell's neighbour and a peak…

What makes a great mountain photograph? After almost a decade of running our Mountain Photo of the Year competition we still don't have a definitive answer to that question, but what all of our past winners have in common is their ability to capture a memorable mountain moment. Last year's winning shot by Kat Lawman summed this up perfectly, with the above image of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus aligning above her tent on a wild camp on Snowdon. And the 2023 comp will be bigger than ever before, as we combine our long-running Mountain Photo of the Year and Outdoor Photo of the Year competitions for the first time. So as well as selecting the best mountain photo, we're also introducing categories for Best Nature Photo and Best Countryside Photo.…

WILD SLEEPS THIS MONTH Carnedd Dafydd Arenig Fach Blencathra TRAIL 100 BIVVY COUNT 32/100 ‘Ego sum desperato’ (‘I am in despair’). You will feel how you are thinking. Can climbing three great mountains put things in perspective and help me find my positivity? Coffin dodging Heading to the top of Carnedd Dafydd via its massive northern cliff, the Crib Lem scramble is an impressive setting. Carrying a 25kg rucksack in gale-force winds with snow up high adds some spice. Dan, a wild camping expert adds another twist. He explains an abseiling fall in his army days left him with a fear of heights. We proceed with caution, sliding down the coffin block on our bottoms. It isn't glamorous, but nobody wants to fall out of a coffin. On the summit,…

Hidden away on remote north faces of some of our most iconic mountains are a whole host of lifeforms that cling tenaciously to the crags with as much determination as our most skilful climbers. This is the world of arctic/alpine plants; small and fragile but hardy, and very, very beautiful, and protected in Britain by law since 1975. As the glaciers retreated after the last Ice Age, these plants were quick to exploit the change in climatic conditions. Always existing in this newly revealed world of extremes, their hard way of life was worth the effort, as few other plants competed for the hard won, small amounts of nutrients available. They don't just choose any mountain though. A few of our upland peaks have slightly less acidity in the soils,…

Our pick of the stories from the 17,500 people in our Facebook community. “Still makes me laugh after 25 years of hillwalking, I am still asked: ‘Does it not worry you walking alone?’. Don't know about you but for me, maintaining good mental health means the joy of surveying the beauty of nature, and to be alone with my own thoughts uninterrupted by others, a chance to be mindful. “As a busy Transformational Leadership Coach supporting others, ‘filling my own cup’ metaphorically speaking, is critical to my own health and wellbeing. I feel blessed to be able to visit somewhere my soul sings! “Strangely, as a by-product, being out from early morning until late in the day, I have the best unbroken sleep too!”…

■ HOW TO SPOT THE: GREEN TIGER BEETLE CICINDELA CAMPESTRIS ABOUT: It's one of the UK's fastest insects, hunting smaller invertebrates such as spiders, caterpillars and ants and catching them in its sickle-shaped jaws. You're most likely to see this ferocious predator between April and September, scuttling across a dry path in warm sunshine. SIZE & COLOUR: 1-1.5cm long. It is a shimmering iridescent green, with two distinctive creamy yellow spots on the back and six pinky-red legs. ■ PUB QUIZ A: What's the highest point on the Pennine Way? B: What is a Hewitt? C: What is the dewpoint? A: Cross Fell, at 893m. B: A hill in England, Wales or Ireland over 2000ft high with 30m elevation on all sides. C: The point at which condensation in the air exceeds evaporation, leading…

Heavy Metal Poles The Leki Black Series SLS XTG poles (£140 for the pair) are suitably dark if that's your thing. The twist-lock mechanisms are easy to use, and the price is arguably more attractive than other Black Series poles. They are not, however, heavy metal; they weigh just 185g per pole and are made from carbon. Heavy Metal Boots Look at these beauties! The unique design of the On Cloudrock Waterproof's (£190) outsole with its CloudTec cushioning technology is every bit as much of a push back against the established norm as any rebellious rocker could hope to be. Heavy metal? No; they weigh around 485g per boot and are made with recycled polyester. Heavy Metal Rucksack Matte black colour? Check. Skeleton logo? Check. Named after a nightmarish cannibalistic…

TRAIL MAGAZINE Eryri (Snowdonia) LONG MOUNTAIN WALK It's easy to overlook the Arans, though no peaks overlook these lofty twin sisters which mark the culmination of an arrow-straight ridge rising from the south end of Lake Bala, now more properly referred to as Llyn Tegid. Hillwalkers weren't particularly welcome here in the past but Open Access legislation brought an end to any carefully negotiated routes to the tops. Cadair Idris tends to grab most of the attention in the southern part of the National Park but Aran Fawddwy, believe it or not, is the UK's highest mountain south of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). Come here for grand views and rocky architecture; secretive lakes and untrodden paths. This route fills a full day but is straightforward to follow as it crosses both tops…

TRAIL MAGAZINE North-west Highlands MOUNTAIN RIDGE WALK Any trip to the Assynt area of the Highlands always feels like a big trip away, even if it is just for a day or two. The nice thing about this pair of peaks, which lie close to each other and are separated by a nice section of ridge, is that they feel fairly remote and ‘out there’ but are actually quite accessible. There is a lovely hostel — The Inchnadamph Explorers Lodge — situated right at the start of the route, which is a great area to base yourself and has some interesting landscape features to explore if you need to rest your legs after the walk. The route itself has a fairly long but pleasant and occasionally exciting walk in, with a sudden…

West Highlands RIDGE SCRAMBLING 1 NN083584 Park in the large car park near the visitor centre and Co-op. Walk south up the main road behind the visitor centre, and call in at Stiff Peaks Patisserie for a sausage roll lunch. Continue up, past the playing field to cross the bridge, then turn left immediately to walk up the road past the eponymous schoolhouse. You'll cross through a gate and on to open grassy terrain. The track is fairly easy to follow and leads you to a gate with a little wooden crossing point on its left. 2 NN079569 Immediately after this gate, a track breaks off right and climbs uphill. The route-finding is easy, but it is very boggy on the lower slopes and gets increasingly steeper. After a good…

Lake District DALE & RIDGES 1 NY402134 Start from the Cow Bridge car park near Hartsop (reached from Patterdale via the summer extension of bus service 508). Go through the gate on the west side of Goldrill Beck and follow the broad path with the water on your left. Immediately after Hartsop Hall, turn right at a track T-junction. 2 NY397119 At the top of a slight rise about 45m beyond some outbuildings, bear right along a less obvious, grassy track. After a stile and gate, the path climbs beside old mine buildings. As the route continues ascending, Dove Crag puts in occasional appearances, looming at the head of the valley. Beyond a small gate, the path cuts across the open fellside and the valley constricts. After a steep, pitched…

CLIMB A STAR OF THIS ISSUE P48 Full of character and with a tricky summit (famously the one that Wainwright never topped), Helm Crag has a lot going on. WALK IT The bulk of Helm Crag (if this little fell can be said to have bulk) is pleasant, easy-going peak walking that's mostly of the hands-in-pockets variety. It's a beautiful setting, the greenery of Grasmere as your backdrop to an ascent that's far from challenging; it's not unusual to find families with young children enjoying the vast majority of Helm Crag. That is, right up until the point the summit outcrop tears free of its grassy confinement, a stone missile seemingly launching into the sky, but stalling… tottering… falling? It's an impressive landmark from almost wherever you view it from,…