Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i The Great Outdoors

TODAY WE CAN ENJOY extensive legal freedom to enjoy the British countryside - but it wasn't always this way. Let's take a quick history lesson. In the nineteenth century, hillwalking began to grow in popularity. But this led to tension between the traditional view of the countryside as the home of agriculture and aristocratic sports with an emerging view of the outdoors as a place for public recreation. Conflict arose when landowners blocked access to their land – and so began the drawn-out struggle to establish a legal ‘right to roam’. The interwar period saw social change accelerate and grow. As class hierarchies weakened, a new breed of working class walkers and climbers emerged in the 1930s. Seeking to escape urban deprivation, they embraced the health benefits of the countryside.…

I WRITE THIS as someone who spent 22 years on the Council and committees of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), but also as a committed conservationist deeply concerned about the future of Scotland’s most iconic mountains. When I was first elected to the NTS Council in 1982, the Trust was run by a small coterie who were either ex-Army officers, landed gentry, or both. The emphasis was very much on the built heritage; ‘conservation’, if it existed on the Trust’s countryside properties, appeared to mean ‘benign neglect’. Forty years on, much has changed. In recent years a great deal of outstanding conservation work has taken place on NTS properties, but in its reaction to Covid-19 it seems the mountains are again, it seems, being left to fend for themselves.…

£57 273g mug/bowl, quite light, insulated handle taller than wide Capacity: 1.1 litre Materials: non-stick hard anodised aluminium Components: pot, plastic strainer lid, plastic mug/bowl with insulated sleeve, spork, welded sink/stuffsack gsioutdoors.com The Pinnacle Soloist is a neat one-person unit with some interesting extras. The pot is fairly tall and has a small pourer spout plus a secure insulated locking handle that folds over the lid for carrying. The lid also acts as a sip-it one for the small plastic mug/bowl. The latter has an insulated sleeve for holding it with hot contents in and to keep those contents warm. The sip-it lid requires some pressure to push into place. As the mug is quite shallow care is needed when doing this or the contents can spill. The Soloist also…

£58 124g ultralight non-insulated handles Capacity: 900ml Materials: titanium Components: pot, strainer lid robens.de Robens’ pot is a simple titanium one for lightweight solo campers who aren’t going to do any fancy cooking. It’s a little wider than it is tall and the right shape to use as a large mug as well as a pot. There are two fold-out handles. These are quite secure but also short and uninsulated. They do get hot so need to be held with a cloth or gloves when taking the pot off a stove. The lid has a small fold-up handle that also gets hot. The weight is very low and the cost is reasonable for titanium.…

£70 406g small pot, volume marks awkward handles, quite expensive, not that light Capacity: 1 litre pot, 600ml pot Materials: non-stick hard anodised aluminium Components: 2 pots, 1 frying pan lid, 1 plastic lid primus.eu The Trek Pot Set has two pots that are taller than they are wide. I especially like the small pot as it makes a good mug. However, both pots have the most awkward handles I’ve come across. These are detachable metal ones that can be locked into position by sliding them through slots on the pots. These slots have sprung sections behind them that hold the handles in place. Each handle fits each pot and the frying pan so when you are using the latter as the lid for the big pot you can have…

£70 116g ultralight expensive Capacity: 900ml Materials: titanium Components: pot, lid evernew-global.com This has been my favourite cook pot for nigh on 30 years, and it has been on every long-distance walk and many shorter ones in that time. When I bought it titanium pots were just appearing and were expensive. There’s plenty of them now but they’re still expensive. However, given the long hard usage my pot has had, the cost has proved worthwhile. The size is just right for one person and the fairly wide shape ideal for cooking. There are insulated fold-out handles (I must admit most of the insulation has worn off mine) and an insulated handle for the lid. Inside there are volume markings. The only change since I bought my pot is the addition…

£185 1140g (size 4) quality, cushioning, flex, fit, support weight, no rand Uppers: waxed nubuck leather 2.3mm, Gore-Tex Mid/outsole: Meindl dual-density PU, rubber Sizes: 3.5-8 (men 6-12) meindl.co.uk New in autumn 2019, Peru has a slightly broader fit than usual for Meindl. This works well for me, as some previous models have been (relatively) narrow in the forefoot. With a full leather upper, including a luxurious leather cuff lining, they are also the heaviest, stiffest (but still fairly flexible) and highest-volume in the test. I could feel the extra weight and stiffness when walking, but I’d expect that from a leather boot of this size. There is no rand to protect the leather at the front or sides, although the heel box is well reinforced. Lacing starts just behind the…

£200 1068g (37) lightweight, flex, grip, lacing, construction nothing Uppers: suede, fabric, Gore-Tex Mid/outsole: PU / Biometric Trek Sizes: 37-42 (men 41-48) scarpa.co.uk Scarpa’s first choice to send me was new Maverick, but it was kiboshed by Covid-19 lockdown in Italy. That’s fine, because R-Evo did the job nicely. The boot, which isn’t new, was tweaked in 2019 with a new sole and redesigned Sock Fit construction to improve tongue comfort. It’s a good example of ‘your fit first’: I rate this boot, but if my forefoot was a fraction wider it would have been a different story (fit feels narrower than other Scarpa boots tested). Also, toe box volume feels reduced, with multiple layers of suede impacting movement. Visually it gives the Scarpa nod to climbing boots, with a…

Victoria Ekpo Victoria is a walker, writer, poet and lecturer in Education Studies. After many years working abroad, she has settled down in Liverpool, mainly because it offers good walking access to the north of England and Wales. Her love of the outdoors is strengthened by her experiences around the world, living in countries where the outdoors is either dangerous or challenging for women. Going walking is her way of maintaining balance in her life and taking back control of her surroundings. She is the North Wales hiking leader for Black Girls Hike. Faraz Shibli Faraz is a walker, writer and advocate of diversity in the outdoors. Born and raised in Scotland, many of his adventures have been abroad – leading camels across the Mongolian Gobi Desert, climbing the Kyrgyz…

“WE’RE JUST ENJOYING BEING HERE,” said the young man sitting in front of the Shelter Stone gazing down on Loch A’an as it glittered invitingly in the sunshine, their tent pitched on one of its beautiful beaches. This was the first weekend when wild camping was sanctioned again in Scotland and this trip, a convoluted route taking in highlights of the Cairngorms and some less-frequented corners, had been planned during months of frustration – but that no longer mattered. We had to agree: being out with a tent on our backs was enough. We heard the same sentiment time and again as we moved to another sparkling lochan. Happy faces beamed at us but there was also a sense of calm contemplation. People weren’t elated – more relieved and thankful,…

MATTHEW SEDGWICK, 24 A painter and decorator from the South Lakes Matthew’s motivation: to live positively First Wainwright: Dow Crag, 13 May 2018 Final Wainwright: Sca Fell, 31 March 2019 Favourite Wainwright: Great Gable Time taken: 11 months In my early 20s I was stuck in a bit of a rut. I bought a flashy sports car that I thought would make me happy, but I felt I had to work all the time to justify the purchase – and then I’d just lazily spend my evenings and weekends playing Xbox at home. It wasn’t a healthy existence. Finally I decided to do something about it and make a change in my life. I’d always enjoyed walking, but only really on the hills near my home. It dawned on me…

Vertebrate, £14.40. v-publishing.co.uk This feature is an edited extract from Scottish Island Bagging by Walkhighlands founders Helen and Paul Webster, a guide to the magical islands of Scotland. The authors have described ways to experience more than 150 islands. Many are household names, while some will be unknown to all but a hardcore few. Walkers, wildlife enthusiasts, foodies and whisky enthusiasts will all find something to capture their interest. Visit the 5,000-year-old Neolithic village of Skara Brae on Orkney, or Mackinnon’s Cave on Mull, following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. You can even stay in the house on Jura where George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. Hillwalkers can bag a Munro, walk the wild clifftops or take in the sights, or you could just escape from it…

SEASON: Spring or autumn GETTING THERE: Fly to Denver (from UK via New York or Philadelphia or Chicago). Shuttle flight to Moab, which is also the gateway for the small, spectacular and busy Arches National Park. LOCAL TRANSPORT: Rental car, or (expensive) Land Rover shuttle via dirt roads to various trailheads GUIDEBOOK: Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks by Bill Schneider ROUTE: In this feature Ronald follows a three-day route from Cathedral Butte, using Salt Creek Trail then parts of the Peekaboo, Lost Canyon and Druid Arch Trails to Elephant Hill trailhead. It was part of a 10-day vacation that also included day walks in the Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. PERMITS: None needed for day-hikes. Required for the small and well-scattered overnight campgrounds – apply four months in advance via…

Picture Organic reveals new environmentally friendly jackets The women’s Murakami and men’s Takashima environmentally friendly jackets are made from PrimaLoft Eco and recycled Polartec Power Stretch. Both garments have body mapping construction, chest and side pockets, and a PFC free Teflon EcoElite DWR treatment. The Takashima also has a hood. picture-organic-clothing.com Inov8 launches new version of popular trail shoe The G 70 is a development of the successful G260 trail running shoe. Inov8 says it has improved use of durable Graphene-Grip sticky rubber in the sole, a new midsole foam that delivers 20% more energy return and keeps its cushioning levels twice as long as its predecessor, plus a new insole that gives a 40% increase in energy return. The shoes also feature an adaptable fit and a wide toe…

£60 475g versatility, low weight, cost nothing Capacity: 1.3 & 1.8 litre pots Materials: hard anodised aluminium Components: 2 pots, 2 multi-function lids, pot gripper/tongs, pot cosy, thermal disc sotooutdoors.com This is a well-thought-out cook set with several multi-function components that’s suitable for two or three people. The two simple pots are wide and fairly shallow, which is great for stirring food and using as bowls. There are volume markings in litres and fluid ounces inside the pots. The pots don’t have handles. Instead, a separate pot gripper is provided. This has tongs at one end that can be used for plucking packets of cooked food out of hot water. Each pot has its own lid with fold-out handle. These resin lids double as cutting boards, colanders and gas canister…

£60 436g collapsible care needed, durability concerns Capacity: 1.4 litre pot, 600ml bowl, 480ml mug Materials: hard anodised aluminium base, heat-resistant silicone walls Components: pot, mug, bowl seatosummit.co.uk The idea of collapsible cooking pots is intriguing and, I must admit, slightly worrying, so I was curious to try this cook set. I was pleased to find that the pot does function okay and feels quite solid when expanded and filled with water. It has two small silicone handles that clip on the lid for packing. The lid is transparent and has strainer holes. The pot is designed for the solo camper, but the capacity is given as 1.4 litres, which is high for one person. On the volume markings inside 1 litre is marked as the maximum safe fill, which…

£30 569g low cost, lightweight untreated aluminium Capacity: 2 litre & 1.5 litre pots, 900ml kettle Materials: aluminium Components: 2 pots, kettle, frying pan/lid, pot gripper easycamp.com The Adventure Cook Set is the largest one reviewed and the only one made from untreated uncoated aluminium. The big pots make it suitable for three or even four people. Duos would only need the smaller pot and the kettle. The pots are quite wide. Rather than handles there’s a pot gripper that holds the pots firmly. The lid is quite deep and can be used as a plate or shallow bowl as well as a frying pan. It has metal loops for use with the pot gripper. These also hold the webbing strap that keeps the unit together when packed. The kettle…

£85 144g ultralight, compact expensive Capacity: 750ml & 400ml Materials: titanium Components: 1 pot, 1 mug, 1 lid evernew-global.com This is a neat, compact and ultralight cookset for solo use. Unusually the mug fits outside the tall narrow pot rather than inside. Both the pot and the mug have insulated fold-out handles and volume markings inside. The lid has an insulated handle too. Because the mug is wider than the pot the lid won’t fit on the former so if used for boiling water a separate lid is needed. The pot is the narrowest reviewed, with the highest height to width ratio. I think it’s great for boiling water but not so good for cooking when almost constant stirring is required to prevent food sticking. To keep your fingers out…

IIT’S TIME for the ‘three-season footwear’ game: which three seasons do we mean? In theory it’s spring, summer, autumn; but most of the boots in this test would be totally functional in winter, and all will make your feet overheat in hot weather. I would loosely call the boots here lightweight as they feel light on the feet. But based on tests over recent years, boots are getting heavier. Perhaps brands are building in durability – lighter boots have a shorter life if used regularly, usually because the sole unit, being glued or bonded rather than stitched, parts company with the upper. Previously I’ve imposed a weight limit of 1kg per pair, but only two models in this test squeeze under that. This is partly to do with construction: weight…

£190 965g (size 37) cushioning, protection, dexterity, flex, support needs a recessed heel hook Uppers: nylon, welded thermoplastic covering, Gore-Tex Performance Comfort Mid/outsole: dual-density EVA / Vibram with toe ‘climbing zone’ Sizes: 36-42 (men 41-47) lasportiva.com Technical in looks and performance, Trango TRK GTX feel lightweight and agile. The outer is abrasion-resistant textile with a shiny overlay; welded construction ensures the only visible seams are around the soft fabric ankle crease and tongue as it meets the toe. This construction also enhances side wall support. Neat rubber rands protect toe and heel and the contoured fabric cuff sits just above the ankle. The tongue is flush to the upper from toe to cuff: no overlap removes any chance of pressure points. The sock-like tongue means you slide your foot into…

£200 1080g (size 4, normal) fit range, lightweight, flex, grip heel hook angle, minimal sidewall support Uppers: Nubuck leather, suede, synthetic, Gore-Tex (leather lining option) Mid/outsole: PU / Vibram Endurance Pro Sizes: 3.5-9 (men 6-13) hanwag.com Hanwag’s Banks, a long-standing model, has been updated for 2020 and is now in three fits for women: narrow to wide. There’s more room at the forefoot, softer, thicker PU midsole and heel wedge for shock absorbency, plus a new Vibram sole. Dimensionally, it is almost identical to Meindl’s Peru in height, width and lacing run. Leather, not rubber, is used for a low rand around the front, with the heelbox also reinforced. The lacing run starts just in front of the toe crease, running smoothly through metal eyelets to the heel hook. This…

Our walks this month 1 Cairngorms Sgor Gaoith 2 North Pennines Cross Fell 3 Lake District Catstye Cam via Birkhouse Moor 4 Southern Snowdonia Cadair Idris 5 Brecon Beacons Bryn Arw & Sugar Loaf CONTRIBUTORS NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: You might have noticed that our Wild Walks section has been smaller than usual recently. This is because of the impact of coronavirus, but we plan to get back to business as usual in the next issue. Many thanks for your patience and understanding.…

Start/Finish 1 Milburn village GR: NY655293 Head NE, passing the school, and follow bridleway SE at first, then turn NE, climbing through pastures to reach Mudgill Sike just beyond Red Carle. 2 Follow the bridleway SE by Hill Plantation, for 100m, then head E across the beck and climb to the intake wall at elevation 440m. Continue NE into Eller Gill, and follow it up to Silverband Mine. 3 Track SE to meet lane at Knock Ore Gill. Lane climbing NE to meet Pennine Way, then Pennine Way NW to Great Dun Fell. 4 Pennine Way NW over Little Dun Fell, dropping to Crowdundle Head, then climbing WNW to Cross Fell. 5 Pennine Way descends N, then NNW to meet the Pennine Journey bridleway at Curricks. Cross W over the…

Start/Finish 1 Car park at Llanfihangel-y-pennant GR: SH672088 (Before setting off on the walk, the little church is worth a look. It houses an exhibition about Mary Jones – a local girl who, in 1800, at the age of 15, walked barefoot from Llanfihangel-y-pennant to Bala (about 25 miles) to procure a copy of the Welsh Bible. This act led to the formation of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Inside the church, too, is an interesting three-dimensional cloth map of the Dysynni Valley.) Head N along road and cross Afon Cadair. Just over bridge is a monument to Mary Jones who lived in the now ruined cottage here. Stay on road, which runs alongside Afon Cadair, to its end, continuing on broad gravel track. This climbs steadily uphill to…

AS A TEENAGER, wild camping fascinated me. My gear was cheap and basic, and I lived a long way from the hills, so for my first attempt my local forest had to do. I pitched my tent far from the road and settled down for the night, apprehensive but excited. My enthusiasm fell flat early the next morning when a hiker (clad in more expensive outdoor gear than mine) angrily told me that I was breaking the law and that if I didn’t move on he would report me. It was years before I plucked up the courage to try wild camping again. Since then, I have hiked countless long-distance trails, enjoying transcendental wild camps along the way – not only my finest outdoor experiences, but also up there with…

TERRY MARSH gives a baroque assessment of the ‘hill of the hare’ [inset]. His verbal assault on this idyllic summit – one of my favourite Welsh hills – concludes with this assessment: “the whole northern section of the ridge, between Moel Ysgyfarnogod and Rhinog Fawr, is six kilometres of the most testing walking to be found in Britain.” Let’s add a rider here. Safe, swift progress through this unique terrain is dependent on close local knowledge and an ability to read and attune to the lie of the land. It’s not easy ground, but if you study that ground closely for clues, you can make it easier for yourself than the sinister reputation it’s acquired from some. Moel Ysgyfarnogod is not the “northernmost summit of the Rhinog range”. The ridge…

START/FINISH: Brotherilkeld, Eskdale GR: NY211011 Distance: 14 miles/23km Ascent: 1782m/5846ft Time taken: Two days split by a wild camp The route Carey takes in this feature is a variation on the Eskdale Horseshoe which takes in the waterfall-studded ascent of the Esk Gorge and the dramatic climb of Scafell via the How Beck waterfall. Other versions of the route make life slightly easier – and are more completist – by starting from near Cockley Beck: walk in through Moasdale, climb the eastern flank of the Wainwright of Slight Side, then arc around via a string of spectacular Wainwrights to Ulpha Fell, before finally descending. Either way, this should be considered a big undertaking – either a supersized single day out for very fit and experience hillwalkers, or a two-day backpacking…

These canyons with their occasional water sources have been inhabited – twice over. Around 1000BC, Archaic Period ‘Indians’ moved in at a time of benign conditions. The climate then reverted to normal, the meagre rainfall failed and the Archaic people died, leaving only some rock art, now barely visible. Some time after AD 1000 came the builders of the granaries and the visible rock art. The name Anasazi, given to them by the Navajo who came later, actually means ‘ancient enemies’. So today they’re referred to as ancestral Puebloans. Over two centuries they built irrigation systems, four-storey houses of stone and Pinyon pine, and an aristocracy. Again, the climate window slammed shut. Their society was now too sophisticated to revert to simpler hunter-gatherer life. A few scavengers lived on among…

The kitchen utensils you might take on a backpacking trip can range from a single pot and spoon through to a multiple pot set including frying pan and more. Most people generally end up somewhere between these two extremes. My backing cooking is fairly simple and my solo cook kit usually consists of a 900ml titanium pot, a 600ml titanium pot that doubles as a mug, a lid that fits both pots, two spoons (just in case of loss or breakage), and water containers. In winter I swap the 600ml pot for an insulated plastic mug. If sharing with others I carry a plastic bowl and mug. With cooking pots, the main choices to be made are capacity, material and weight. For solo use an 800ml to 1 litre pot…

£30 202g light, low cost, handle nothing Capacity: 1.3l Materials: hard anodised aluminium Components: pot with handle, strainer lid msrgear.com The Trail Lite Pot is a good compromise for both solo and duo use. It’s a little bigger than needed for the former and just big enough for the latter. The weight is quite low. The pot is wider than it is high, which I like. There’s a fold-out handle that locks into position when open and closed, holding the lid in position in the latter. The handle is longer than most, and half of it is covered in plastic to give a secure grip and prevent it getting hot. The plastic lid has strainer holes. Inside the pot there are volume marks for 500ml and 1 litre. The cost…

£43 272g heat exchanger, insulated handles not that light Capacity: 950ml Materials: hard anodised aluminium Components: pot with heat exchanger, frying pan/lid optimusstoves.com The Terra Weekend HE is the only pot reviewed with a heat exchanger welded to the base. According to Optimus this cuts “time to boil” by 20%. Given how fast modern stoves boil water I don’t think this is actually significant unless you’re really, really desperate for a brew. The other property of a heat exchanger matters more and that is that it uses fuel more efficiently so less is needed. This can be useful on long trips where you can’t resupply with fuel often and in winter when melting snow – as much energy is needed to turn a given amount of snow into water as…

£43 535g cost, lightweight untreated aluminium Capacity: 1 litre & 1.5 litre pots, 650ml kettle Materials: non-stick aluminium Components: 2 pots, kettle, frying pan/lid, pot gripper outwell.com Unusually this cook set comes with a separate lid and frying pan. The lid has a rim inside, so it fits firmly on the smaller pot as well as the larger one. The frying pan could easily be used as the lid for either pot and the lid left behind to save weight (it weighs 82 grams). Or if you won’t be frying or using the pan as a plate the frying pan can be left (it weighs 90 grams). With the two pots and the kettle the set is big enough for two people. For solo use either the smaller pot (183…

£115 137g ultralight, watertight lid non-insulated handles, expensive Capacity: 700ml Materials: titanium Components: 1 pot, 1 watertight screw-top lid vargooutdoors.com Many dehydrated and freeze-dried meals require soaking or simmering for some time before they are ready to eat. This can be frustrating at the end of a long day and sometimes the recommended time isn’t long enough to make the food really edible. Soaking the food as you go along solves this – and that’s what the BOT 700 pot is designed to do. It has a screw-top lid with a seal inside so you can add your meal and water an hour or two before camp and leave it to hydrate in your pack. Then all you need to do is heat it and it’s ready to eat. This…

£195 1075g (size 4) support, grip, comfort, durability, lacing nothing Uppers: 1.6mm suede leather, Gore-Tex Extended Comfort Mid/outsole: dual-density BiLight TPU/Vibram WTC Sizes: 3-9 (men 6-13) salewa.co.uk Don’t be suckered by the name: these boots are as much ‘trainers’ as I am an Olympian. Not much ‘mid’ about them either: dimensionally they’re almost identical to Scarpa’s R-Evo, although there’s more room in the toe box due to less fabric density at the end of the lacing run. Flex is on the soft side, on a par with Hanwag’s Banks, a little stiffer than Scarpa and Hoka. For mountain walking, on rugged terrain, in all conditions, they’re the business. A bit warm for sunshine hikes, perhaps, with that thick suede upper and full rubber rand;, yet the lateral support, combined with…

£185 1050g (size 4 M) extensive fit offer, quality construction short lacing run / poor foot security, better for low level walking Uppers: 1.8mm Nida Hydro full-grain leather, nubuck cuff, Sympatex Mid/outsole: Tri-Flex / Vibram Masai Sizes: 3-8.5 (men 6.5-14), 5 width options XN-XW altberg.co.uk First impression is of a traditional (old-fashioned?) leather boot for ramblers. It’s been around since 1989, with one update 15 years ago. A one-piece upper (wrapped around the boot with a single side seam) has a full rubber rand. A deep cuff stops fractionally above the ankle bone. Lacing run is short – three eyelets close together – starting behind the toe crease and extending over just 4cm, then three hooks. That short run means the foot isn’t held secure along its length, and there’s…

£180 754g (size 4) lightweight shape, midsole, sole unit, lacing, tongue padding Uppers: nubuck leather, Gore-Tex Mid/outsole: dual density EVA, rubberised foam/Vibram Megagrip, 5mm lugs Sizes: 3.5-9.5 (men 7-13.5) hokaoneone.eu This is the first time I’ve tested Hoka One One. Despite being the lightest by more than 200g/pair, they felt sort of flappy, like walking in small snowshoes. Perhaps it was the foam in the midsole; but even with my orthotics I could feel no support, as though my feet were sinking. After two hours’ walking my feet felt strained so I had my gait videoed, and it seems to relate to heel strike. The splayed heel is 9.5cm at its widest point, fully 2cm wider than the next widest boots (Hanwag, Meindl) and more than 50% wider than Scarpa…

Start/Finish 1 Car park in Glen Feshie at GR: NN851984 From roadside cairn just north of Achlean take path east across heather and into trees. 2 When path eventually levels at NH894965 take path NNE over Carn Ban Mor to Sgor Gaoith summit cairn. 3 Follow path N to Sgoran Dubh Mor. 4 Descend SW to locate headwaters of Allt a’ Chrom-alltain. 5 Descend beside burn to stalkers’ path at 6. 6 Follow path, later track, NNW then W to eventually enter pine woods and reach metalled road. 7 Follow road S for 3.5km to start. Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2020 Ordnance Survey. Media 051/19 Frank Brooks leaves the mist behind THE FORECASTERS had promised a beautiful day and for a time it looked…

Start/Finish 1 Car park in Glenridding GR: NY385169 From car park, turn R along A592 and R again along lane beside Glenridding Beck. Beyond buildings, bear R at fork. At minor road, turn L and, almost immediately, step up onto gravel path on R. At junction of paths at gate, bear L. Follow track round sharp R bend. Beyond gate, turn L. 2 After 110m, just before path fords Mires Beck, head W over wet, pathless ground for 180m. Then go N along faint trail through bracken. Trail swings NW at wooden barrier and passes below small crag. 3 Just before collapsed section of path, head SW up rough, pathless slope. Ascent of Birkhouse Moor’s NE ridge via The Nab begins here. General direction is SW, but there’s much zig-zagging…

Start/Finish 1 Parking by phone box at Forest Coal Pit GR: SO285211 WalkS from lay-by towards Forest Coal Pit and fork L on lane to Chapel Farm. Continue ahead via two gates to Open Access land at N end of Bryn Arw. 2 Turn R uphill, with wall on R, and veer L after 300m to climb E to broad open ridge. Walk S to end of ridge, descend path and double-back along grass terrace to pass cairn on lower slopes. Turn L on path, steeply downhill, to track and turn R through gate to meet lane to chapel in Bettws. 3 Turn L at junction and follow lane S for 1km. Turn R to pass through farm at Great Gott and follow grass track SW, uphill, to pass through…