Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i The Great Outdoors

THE ALPINE CLUB in London has GEN Z ADULTS opened its landmark exhibition: ‘Everest: By Those Who Were There’ to the public. The exhibition commemorates 100 years since the first expedition to Mount Everest in 1921, and explores the three Alpine Club and Royal Geographical Society expeditions of the 1920s. Using a collection of never-before-seen photographs, documents, artworks and artefacts, the exhibition offers visitors a deeply personal insight into the lives of the men who first ‘walked off the map’ in search of Everest, including those such as George Mallory and Sandy Irvine who lost their lives in pursuit of its summit. The story of Mallory and Irvine’s disappearance in 1924 is well known. This tragedy marked the culmination of decades of planning and exploratory work by a variety of…

For those tackling Ben Arthur – also known as The Cobbler – reaching the true summit isn’t achieved until you ‘thread the needle’; but the pinnacle can be tricky for some. We asked, ‘Have you scrambled to the top of The Cobbler?’ on Twitter to see which of our readers were feeling brave… Alistair Tait, @GoldTait (Twitter): Was chucking it down & blowing a hoolie when I was there. I thought, maybe next time… John, @erskine0812 (Twitter): No… I bottled it. Crawled through the eye one day but thought it was not time for such bravery. Also, I was on my own and who would look after my sack while I was up there??? Davy Wright, @DavyWA (Twitter): More times than I can remember and in every weather there is.…

Published by Bloomsbury, £18.99 LARGE HAIRY CATERPILLARS often wander and wiggle across hillside paths, but have you ever stopped to take a closer look? The rich chestnut larva of the Oak Eggar – so called because its cocoon loosely resembles an acorn – is decorated with black bands and white dots, whilst the dark brown Fox Moth caterpillar comes with a rhythm of prominent yellow bands. But you might struggle to spot the emerald green larva of the Emperor Moth, since its extraordinary camouflage perfectly mirrors the shoots of the young heather upon which it feeds. This grows to 6cm in length, with pinkish wart-like projections; and the fully grown moth is equally striking with two sets of owl-like eyes on its wings and antennae that could double up as…

Unusually for Swedish stalwarts Hilleberg, this lightweight ridge tent pitches with trekking poles. It’s roomy, stable, and a great success. £630 roomy, stable, good ventilation, lightweight expensive Outer: Kerlon 1000 20D silicone ripstop nylon 5000mm hydrostatic head Inner: mesh doors, 10D nylon roof Groundsheet: PU 50D nylon, 12,000mm hydrostatic head Poles: none, uses trekking poles Porches: 2 Inner dimensions: 220x120 cm, 41cm high in centre hilleberg.com Launched last year, the Anaris is a ridge tent that pitches with trekking poles, unusually for Hilleberg. It’s in Hilleberg’s Yellow Label category of tents – “intended for use in warmer climates and snow-free conditions”. That means large mesh panels on the inner and good ventilation options. The Anaris is based on Hilleberg’s first ever tent, the Keb, launched back in 1973 and the…

1 Start/Finish Beinn Eighe car park in Glen Torridon GR: NG957568 Take path 100m E of car park and head S past Ling Hut. Path rises into Coire a’ Cheud-chnoic for almost 4km. 2 When path takes sharp turn E, continue S to pick up another path which leads SSE into Coire Grannda and follow up to col. 3 Just before lochan, turn right at small marker cairn on path that heads W at first then turns SE over a series of rises to summit of Sgorr Ruadh. 4 Retrace steps down to lochan and take path NE through crags (marker cairns) for final pull up quartzite scree to Beinn Liath Mhor. 5 Descend W towards small lochan on ridge, then turn NE and drop over rough terrain to Lochain…

David Lintern Regular contributor David, an outdoor writer and photographer based in the Cairngorms National Park, recently backpacked the 200-mile Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William to the north-western tip of Scotland. Look out for his feature on the eventful experience in a future issue of TGO. Since then he’s been photographing for access and geography project Slowways, swimming and cycling locally in the Cairngorms, and learning all about agroecology in Oxfordshire. Check out his feature on bothying with his family on p40. Hanna Lindon Hanna has been writing about travel, adventure and hillwalking for more than a decade. Despite spending her working life extolling the virtues of Britain’s mountainous places, she’s based in the rolling South Downs. This month she’ll be using a Lake District camping trip to march…

It’s clear from all the posts you lot are tagging us in that summer is well under way; wild camping getaways, weekend climbs and luscious woodland walks in the glorious sunshine are in abundance. Here are our picks from your submissions this month:…

Published by Birlinn, £20 MAR LODGE ESTATE in the Cairngorms is a landscape beloved by generations of hill-goers, and this engaging book, meticulously researched by ecologist Andrew Painting, recounts its revival. We’re used to reading about nature’s terrifying collapse: declines and losses, retreats and failures. This book is about confronting these threats to Scotland’s landscapes and offering an alternative vision, building real hope for the future. Yes, it is about rewilding; but the author bangs no ideological drum, and this story is rooted firmly in compromise, realism, evidence, and the muddy and often tedious work of conservation: counting saplings in all weathers, spreadsheets, difficult conversations, endless midges, waiting for birds that may or may not show up. The National Trust for Scotland acquired Mar Lodge in 1995, and began 25…

START: Talsarnau train station FINISH: Barmouth train station Distance: 31.7km / 19.7 miles Ascent: 2201m / 7221ft Duration: 2-3 days Transport: The Cambrian Line railway provides good transport links to both the start and end of the traverse, with direct trains available from Birmingham New Street. If driving, there is unrestricted parking at Talsarnau train station, and a 30-40 minute Barmouth to Talsarnau train will return you to your vehicle. Peaks: Rhinog Fawr – 720m / 2362ft Rhinog Fach – 712m / 2336ft Y Llethr – 756m / 2480ft Crib-y-rhiw – 670m / 2198ft Diffwys – 750m / 2461ft Diffwys West Top – 642m / 2106ft A high level of fitness is required for this long, steep and arduous walk across what is often referred to as Wales’ roughest and…

■ BUMBAG: Sierra Designs Flex. This was the largest bumbag I could find, rated at 7–10L. It has expansion straps, so it can grow or shrink, and external pockets on each hip. These are handy for regularly accessed items but also for things likely to remain damp, such as my shelter. ■ SLEEPING BAG: Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32, plus silk liner. Sleeping bag was a key decision, as this was likely to be the bulkiest item. Due to its compressibility, down was essential, and I briefly considered a quilt, but reviews suggested they suit people who sleep as still as effigies in stone crypts. I roll around at night like a chicken on a rotisserie, so I stuck with a bag. I wanted three-season performance with a nominal comfort limit around…

Distance: 85km/53 miles Ascent: 6500m/21,325ft Duration: 9-10 days Terrain: Waymarked footpaths, which can be steep and rocky, with sections assisted by fixed chains equivalent to Grade 1 scrambling Map: Kompass 83 Stubai Alps (1:50,000), also available on Outdooractive app Pro subscription (1-month free trial available) Guidebook: Trekking in the Stubai Alps (Allan Hartley), Cicerone Press; search tyrol.com for ‘Stubai High Trail’ Accommodation: Austrian Alpine Club for hut bookings and discounts, plus insurance (AAC (UK), aacuk.org.uk). Huts should be pre-booked, by email or website. Stopover: Innsbruck’s a mini-Vienna. The cafés, cathedral and churches (Dom zu St Jakob and Hofkirche), and folk museum (Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum) are well worth a look around. Suggested start and end days: The official first and last days are less interesting hut trudges from or to the valley. You…

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ORDER ONLINE AT: SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/TGOSEPT21 CALL NOW ON: 01959 543747** QUOTE REF: TGOSEPT21 Terms & Conditions: Terms and conditions apply. You should receive your copy around September 11 if you order before August 26 and as soon as is possible if you order after that date. *Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses. **Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am - 5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate. Front cover is for illustration purposes and subject to change.…

1 Start/Finish Glen Vale car park GR: NO172069 (Alternative parking at NO184081) Walk NE along road for 2km – as far as parking for Bunnet Stane (alternative start point). 2 Turn right along grassy track immediately after layby. When this ends, make for sandstone outcrop (including Bunnet Stane). Then head to field’s SE corner and follow field boundary uphill. 3 At fence corner, turn left along rough path. This widens and climbs across grassy bowl on hillside. 4 Turn R on reaching clearer path coming up from Craigmead car park. Path splits as it curves around W side of hill. Bear L here. 5 From West Lomond’s trig pillar, descend SW on trail. After stile, continue in same direction for 320m – across one area of bare ground. On reaching…

1 Start Lay-by on A4067 just north of Tafarn-y-Garreg pub GR: SN849171 Cross road and follow waymarked Beacons Way opposite pub, soon crossing footbridge over River Tawe. Path continues alongside river for short distance, then turns L through gate and carries on to stile, open hillside (access land) beyond. 2 Keep ahead up rough grassy slopes, quite steeply at first, gradient easing higher up. Path follows long grassy escarpment of Fan Hir, Llyn y Fan Fawr below, then descends to Bwlch Giedd, continuing uphill along a surfaced path to shelter and trig point atop Fan Brycheiniog (802m). 3 Continue to Fan Foel (cairn), then downhill to Bwlch Blaen-Twrch, impressive view of cliffs of Picws Du ahead. Carry on up to top of Picws Du (749m). 4 Continue along edge of…

START/FINISH centre of Buttermere village GR: NY175170 Distance: 12.5km/7.8 miles Ascent: 920m/3018ft Duration: 5-6 hours ‘QUINTESSENTIAL’ may be an overused word when it comes to describing walks, but if any route in the Lake District could be described as such then surely it must be the 'Buttermere Edge', the classic ridge walk over High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike above Buttermere. This ridge divides Ennerdale from the Buttermere Valley, and offers exceptional views in all directions – particularly south-east over Hay Stacks towards Great Gable and north along Crummock Water to the fells beyond. It’s narrow and rocky enough to be fun, and it feel like true mountain terrain, but doesn’t require any hands-on-rock scrambling. ROUTE DESCRIPTION 1 START/FINISH: centre of Buttermere village GR: NY175170 The walk begins in…

THERE HAVE BEEN many anxious moments since the TGO Challenge 2020 was cancelled. We wondered, despite our efforts and the loyalty of challengers, if the 2021 event would go the same way – but a second cancellation didn’t bear thinking about. We had many concerns, including the impact of the event on small towns emerging from lockdown, and whether challengers would enjoy a slimmed-down, smaller event. Our nightmares were filled with midge-bitten challengers phoning in their droves to retire and never come back again. But it turns out we need not have worried. Yes, the midges had their moments; but challengers are a resilient bunch, and pretty much every face we saw in Montrose at the end was a happy one. Even the weather generally played ball, excepting a couple…

“We laid plans for the morrow. We should go nine miles to the head of Glen Einich, five more to the Devil’s Point, then northward to Braeriach we should enjoy a five-mile walk at a height of four thousand feet – a total round of thirty-one miles.” W.H. Murray, Mountaineering in Scotland (1947) THERE'S A PLEASANT PLAN for a day in May! But before you adopt it, whilst acknowledging it might seem perverse to be thinking about winter hills at the height of summer I’d advise you to read Chapter 21 of Bill Murray’s Scottish mountain classic, which is entitled ‘Cairngorm Blizzard’. It may dissuade you. The high plateau of the Cairngorms is surely the most climatically challenged landscape in Britain. You’ll have heard of the Cairngorms Tragedy of November…

Deuter releases new range of back-ventilated packs Deuter’s series of Futura day packs features the Aircomfort back system to keep you cool in the heat. This system has a flexible spring steel frame to hold the pack away from your back and an ultralight mesh backband. Deuter says that providing ventilation space between the pack and the wearer’s back results in up to 25% less perspiration. Futura packs have ergonomically shaped padded hipbelts and shoulder straps. They come in 21 to 34 litre sizes and in men’s and women’s fit. deutergb.co.uk The North Face Vectiv footwear features innovative waterproof technology The North Face has expanded its Vectiv footwear family by introducing models incorporating the company’s innovative Futurelight waterproof technology for the first time. Futurelight appears in the Vectiv Infinite, Vectiv…

A WATERPROOF JACKET will protect you against not just rain but also snow and cold wind. A good waterproof jacket will do all this while also letting out most of your body’s moisture in a range of conditions, keeping you comfortable as well as safe. Jackets vary by intended use. In fair summer weather you can often get by with a lighter jacket, and ultralight models are available that will offer protection at a much lower weight. However, the lightest shells often have poor hoods, plus fewer pockets and adjustment options, and are made from thinner, less waterproof fabric. They are also less durable and may be less breathable. In poor weather, you’ll appreciate features such as a really good, stiffened hood, a longer back length, hassle-free zips, and stiffer…

1 Start/Finish Otterburn Green, Byrness Village GR: NT763027 Continue along Otterburn Green and through gate onto forest path. At small church bear L to A68. Turn L and watch for signpost on opposite side of road. Cross over and follow Pennine Way signage uphill for next 6km. 2 At forest corner and permissive footpath sign cross fence (at fixed gate) over to L. With fence on L head along forest edge, eventually reaching trig pillar on Hungry Law. 3 Backtrack short distance, cross fence on R via fixed gates. Turn L and with forest boundary on L continue to Echo Crags, crossing two deer fences via ladder stiles. 4 Retrace steps to gate into forest close to Sandy Pike. 5 Cross over gate, join forest track and, turning R, follow…

1 Start/Finish Car park at Exceat GR: TV519995 Cross the road at the phone box and follow the South Downs Way up the hill. Go through the gate at the top, and down the forest stairs to West Dean. Go L up into Friston Forest. Road turns into forest path. Keep R at any forks in the path until joining large forest path. Go up hill straight ahead, to tarmac road. 2 Turn L at road and follow round to R. Keep ahead until public footpath gate on R. Walk through field, then cross into the next field. Path continues in top right of field into a wooded path. Follow to main road. 3 Cross main road and walk to the L of the church, parallel with the road into…