Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i The Great Outdoors

“YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL out of Carmarthenshire but you can’t take Carmarthenshire out of the girl,” Carys Rees tells The Great Outdoors. Bannau Brycheiniog is her adre – home. It’s a place this 42-year-old office worker feels comfortable, sometimes more so than under her own roof in Cardiff. “I feel a longing for the mountains when I’ve been away too long,” she says. There are more epic peaks, Carys admits, but she loves the familiarity of the rolling hills she’s been encouraged to explore since she was a child. “My 76-year-old father hikes Llyn y Fan – our favourite – with me and he’s quicker on those inclines!” Carys still finds new wonders in this place of myth and legend “with dragons living in our hills and ladies in…

FLY AGARIC A SURE SIGN we’re in the throes of autumn, the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) mushroom is steeped in mythology and spirituality, from Siberian shamans to the Sami people. Some tie the toadstool to Christian Christmas traditions bearing good luck. White gills are tucked away under the fly agaric’s distinctive scarlet cap, often mottled with wart-like white spots. A grotesque red fungal warning or a enchanting cue for woodland wonder, the fly agaric can grow up to 30cm tall, its bulbous, swollen stem base growing directly from the ground. It’s a fungus that features in many a fairytale – perhaps for its winsome form, or perhaps for its hallucinogenic properties. In fact, it is poisonous as well as psychoactive, though reports of fatalities are extremely rare. It’s known to…

Getting there Fly to Innsbruck, Munich, Salzburg or Zurich, and take a train (oebb.at) to Landeck-Zams. Package tours ASI Reisen (asi-reisen.de) offers guided and self-guided Ötzi Trek tours, including accommodation, transport and baggage transfers. Tourist info Visit oetztal.com, tyrol.com and ötzi-trek.com, or download the Ötzi Trek app from the Apple or Google Play app stores. Distance 72km / 45 miles Ascent 4500m / 14,800ft Time 6-7 days Stages Stage 1: Landeck to Wenns in the Pitztal – 12.5km, 850m Stage 2: Wenns in the Pitztal to Umhausen – 12km, 650m Stage 3: Umhausen to Sölden – 12km, 875m Stage 4: Sölden to Vent – 10.5km, 375m Stage 5*: Vent to Vernagt in Val Senales – 19km, 1300m Stage 6: Vernagt in Val Senales to Bolzano – 6km, 450m *Stage 5…

Fabric The fabric used should be completely waterproof, windproof and breathable to help manage the moisture you produce when you sweat. Most are based around a waterproof membrane laminated to one or two other layers. The membrane is engineered to keep water droplets out but allow water vapour (sweat) to pass through. It is usually protected on the outside by a thin synthetic layer and often on the inside by another protective layer that also promotes moisture management. DWR A jacket works better if rain ‘beads’ and runs off the fabric. But if the rain covers the fabric via a process called ‘wetting out’ the breathability will be severely reduced, leading you to feeling damp and uncomfortable. A durable water repellent (DWR) coating can be added to the outer fabric to…

I DON’T THINK there’s a much better moment in the hills than when you find a corner to sit out of the wind, high on a ridge with a perfect view, pull up your hood, pour a hot drink and let out a sigh as you savour the moment. For many years, I would fire up a lightweight stove whilst backpacking, having picked up water on the way; but the increased frequency of shorter, done-in-a-day hill trips has seen me reaching for a flask more and more often. There’s a lot to be said for a flask: there’s no water supply to worry about, and there’s a time saving on the hill. A flask is not just for winter, either – it keeps your water or squash far colder than…

TENTS RECOMMENDED Bach Wickiup 3 with Half-size Inner Tent £950 1.62kg roomy, stable expensive, not available without full-size inner Flysheet: siliconised ripstop nylon Inner: 15D knitted mesh, 40D air-permeable ripstop nylon Floor: 40D ripstop nylon with TPU laminate Pole: TRX Eco Duralumin Jumbo 6 19.5 Dimensions: 275x220cm, 155cm high point bach-equipment.com BEST BUY Hilleberg Anaris £750 1.4kg roomy, stable expensive Design: transverse ridge Flysheet: Kerlon 1000 20D silicone ripstop nylon, 5000mm hydrostatic head Inner: mesh doors, 10D nylon roof Floor: PU 50D nylon, 12000mm hydrostatic head Poles: uses trekking poles Porches: 2 Inner dimensions: 220x120cm, 105cm high in centre hilleberg.com The Bach Wickiup 3 (formerly branded Nigor) is a pyramid tent that I like very much as it’s very roomy with excellent headroom and stable in storms. As it was…

Pendle Hill is undoubtedly one of a kind, says Norman Hadley PENDLE HILL forms a familiar profile from viewpoints far away in Lakeland and the Dales. It is rich in history; you’ll know the story of the so-called witches, which is far darker than the pointy-hatted broomstick-riding profiles beloved of the local tourism industry. There’s also an enlightened side to 17th-Century Lancashire history too. Here it was that George Fox begat the gentle faith of Quakerism and Richard Towneley discovered the relationship between altitude and air pressure. Today, Pendle Hill is popular with paragliders and outdoor enthusiasts. There are many ways up, but the best are at the steep end from Barley or Downham, an out-of-this-century village. Notice the lack of TV aerials, satellite dishes or telegraph poles here, making…

Here’s a hill day involving an angry giant, warns Emily Woodhouse THE MOELWYNION are an often forgotten but very pleasant group of mountains in central Snowdonia. Compared to the sheer, rocky peaks of the north, they are rolling and grassy. This walk takes in two of the higher summits in the range: Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach. Aside from the tops, the area is covered in disused quarry pits and buildings. The route passes several you can explore, following sections of the Snowdonia Slate Trail and Cumbrian Way. For a bit of fun folklore: the Maen Twrog is a strange round-topped standing stone outside the church in the village of Maentwrog. It is said it was thrown there from the top of Moelwyn Mawr. In the version I was told,…

James Roddie is a professional photographer based in Inverness, and a regular contributor to The Great Outdoors since 2015. His images are widely published in magazines and books, and he has won multiple national photography awards for his work. He has had a busy summer of hillwalking, scrambling and avoiding midgies, with some memorable days in the North-West Highlands. Read about a recent trip around Loch Coruisk on page 26. Fiona Russell is an award-winning adventure journalist better known as Fiona Outdoors. She spends as much time in the hills and mountains of her Scottish Highlands home as work allows. She most enjoys mountain bagging, whether walking or running, and has completed a round of Munros. She’s halfway through a round of Corbetts and is also a keen wild swimmer,…

Share your views, your experiences and your favourite photos tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk Postal address The Editor, The Great Outdoors, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL. Please include a phone number and postal address. A proud Mum moment… We love seeing young mountaineers take to the hills. Proud mother Zayneb wrote to us about taking her daughter up her first Munro – at the age of just one! Tahani [right] is almost one year old and she summited her first Munro – Mount Keen – this summer! She absolutely loved it and was smiling away all day. She is happiest when outdoors and is keen to get walking already. We are very excited to take her up my final Munro and her second, Schiehallion – we’re…

On 26 June, 43-year-old self-confessed ‘California girl’ and endurance athlete Jamie Aarons ‘compleated’ her third Munro round since moving to Scotland in 2005. They do say the third time is a charm. On this self-propelled continuous round, Jamie summited all 282 Scottish mountains in just 31 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes, besting Scotsman Donnie Campbell’s previous record by 12 hours. CLIMBED THE EQUIVALENT OF MOUNT EVEREST SIXTEEN TIMES 135,366 metres of ascent PLANNING TIME TWO YEARS 117 volunteers helped 2576 kilometres > 1315km ON FOOT > 830km BY ROAD BIKE > 370km BY MOUNTAIN BIKE > 49km BY GRAVEL BIKE > 12km BY KAYAK Twenty THOUSAND POUNDS and counting raised for BIGGEST DAY= DAY 13 - 14 Munros climbed 6 STICKS OF TRENCH FOOT CREAM SLEPT AN AVERAGE OF FOUR HOURS A DAY SHORTEST SLEEP=…

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James’s route: Elgol to Sgurr na Stri via the Bad Step START/FINISH Elgol car park GR: NG519136 Distance: 25.5km/15.8 miles Ascent: 1059m/3473ft Time: 6-9 hours/2 easy days In this feature, James makes a classic Scottish two-day outing combining some of the UK’s finest coastal and mountain scenery. The big reward is the view from Sgurr na Stri – arguably the best in Scotland and Britain as a whole. Difficulties include a river crossing that can be impossible in spate – so think twice about attempting this route in or after heavy rain – and a short section of exposed Grade 1/2 scrambling on the Bad Step. The terrain is rough throughout with rocky and boggy trails. Those wishing to complete this route over two days can either stay in the…

Tour of Monte Rosa The quiet alternative to the TMB. Only two countries this time: Switzerland and Italy. Rather higher huts, to the Rifugio Teodulo at 3300m with a view of the Matterhorn. Plus one, almost flat, glacier on the way up. Tour of Piz Bernina Paths around this massif, again in Switzerland and Italy, don’t have a formal ‘Tour de’. Which gives opportunities for improvising as you go along. The route I used involved a couple of glaciers, so we took a rope, axe and crampons. Yr Wyddfa Circular Right round Yr Wyddfa, aka Snowdon, again taking in seven valleys, this is the way to enjoy Wales’s busiest hill mostly on your own. It’s a rugged day out, with the craggy Cwm Glas as the particular highlight. It’s about…

RECOMMENDED Built To Send U1 Daypack £179 600g tough expensive Capacity: 19 litres Materials: VX21 X-Pac composite Closure: rollover top with 3 buckles Back: foam panel Back length: 19.5cm Waist strap: 2.5cm webbing, detachable Pockets: internal zipped, internal open pouch Features: front bungee cord, front daisy chain webbing, ice axe/trekking pole loops Sizes: 1 builttosend.com Chris says: Over the years, daypacks have become increasingly complex. The U1 – the first daypack from Built To Send – isn’t like this. The brand describes it as “ultra-minimal”. It’s not quite that, but the design is simple compared to most daypacks. At 600 grams the U1 is very light. The capacity of 19 litres sounds small for a daypack but it can be extended 22 litres by not closing the top – there…

TESTING NOTES Fiona normally wears a size Small or UK10. She tested the women’s jackets on a range of hill and mountain hikes, mostly in the Scottish Highlands and in a variety of conditions from cold and windy to very wet. She used her home digital scales to weigh the jackets. BEST BUY Sprayway Torridon women’s jacket £340 568g (UK12) fabric, eco, hood, colours weight, height of pockets Materials: 3-layer Gore-Tex 75D PFCEC-free recycled polyester Hood: wired, 2 adjusters Front closure: 2-way zip, storm flap, stud, Velcro Underarm/side zips: 2-way pit zips Pockets: 4 Hem: yes, elastic Cuffs: Velcro Sizes: UK 6-20 Men’s version: yes sprayway.com This jacket is a redesign of Sprayway’s flagship winter Gore-Tex shell from the 1990s. I sized up to a UK 12 to allow layering…

Design To keep the contents hot or cold a flask must separate what’s inside from the outside world, or else the contents would quickly warm or cool to match the ambient temperature. To do this the contents are held in an inner bottle attached to an outer bottle and joined only at the top opening to minimise heat transfer between the inside and the outside. The gap between the inner and outer also has the air removed to eliminate heat transfer still further and it’s this process that gives us the term ‘vacuum flask’. Lid Lids vary greatly and it’s worth examining them closely to see how easy they are to operate, especially with gloves on. Some are very plain and need to be completely removed to pour the contents,…

Watch your step, says Craig Weldon – you might be being followed! THE CAIRNGORMS have always been Scotland’s historic wilderness. Too high, barren and windswept to sustain human life, they are stalked instead by the terrifying creatures of folklore: creatures such as Lamh Dearg (Bloody Hand), who haunts the paths challenging victims to a fight. Accept! Those who refuse he kills, but those who face up to his challenge he allows to pass as a friend. It’s no wonder the summit too has its spectre, Am Fear Liath Mor, the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui. Rarely seen but sometimes sensed, the Grey Man is responsible for those eldritch neck prickles when you are alone in the mist and become convinced someone is just behind you. Whether the spirit of…

Alex Roddie suggests linking the Llanberis and Watkin Paths SNOWDON (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) is the UK’s most popular mountain, and the most popular route on it is the Llanberis Path. This climbs from Llanberis to the summit, partly following the route of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. There’s a lot of ascent, but in good conditions it’s suitable for most hillwalkers and is therefore an accessible introduction to walking in Wales. However, it can feel overly busy; if you are looking for solitude there are countless other routes to try. But combining it with a more interesting descent to make a complete traverse of Yr Wyddfa can transform the experience. The Watkin Path is one of the more challenging walking routes, descending rugged slopes south of the summit before dropping…

Ian Battersby finds gold on Rhinog Fawr – but not by chasing Romans THE ROMAN STEPS above Bwlch Tyddiad on Rhinog Fawr were built and used by battalions of Roman warriors during their centuries of Welsh occupation. Their presence was so rooted here that even today it is possible – according to some – to glimpse leagues of troops marching the route, and leading those who would follow to gold. As you march the slabs and look up at the towering crags, it’s easy to imagine potential ambush, but it turns out that imagination is mostly what feeds this tall tale. In fact the route is likely rooted in the Bronze Age, and the stepped upgrade Medieval, but many a true word is spoken in jest. The Romans may have…

Steve Eddy’s walk has an intriguing start and geology to match THE BLACK MOUNTAINS (Y Mynydd Du or sometimes Y Mynyddoedd Duon) are known for their legends. This walk is not far from The Skirrid Mountain Inn, a former courtroom and execution place that’s claimed to be the oldest and most haunted pub in Wales. It starts beside the most crooked old church you’re ever likely to see, shaken out of alignment by years of subsidence. Legend has it that the landslip that started it all off was caused by the Crucifixion – but inside the church porch is the geological version, which explains that it happened in the Ice Age. The walk begins with a sunken path lined by ancient trees, circles the massive and craggy landslip, and then…

This area abounds with tales and legends, reports brave Tim Gent SCIENTISTS will tell you that Wistman’s Wood is a fragmentary remnant of a once sizeable upland temperate rainforest. They will cite the many species of epiphytic moss, fern and liverwort that clothe the trees, or tell us that this is one of only two sites in Britain that provides a home for the horsehair lichen. They can name the resident lizards and shrews and birds, yet they fail to list every creature that lurks amidst the gnarled and ancient oaks. For the devil hunts these moors at night, and as dusk approaches it is claimed the Wisht Hounds can be heard baying for release. And you’re not safe back at your car. The Two Bridges to Postbridge road is…

“IN MY JUDGMENT… the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 confers on members of the public the right to rest or sleep on the Dartmoor commons, whether by day or night and whether in a tent or otherwise…” So declared Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, in the Appeal Court judgment on the Dartmoor wild camping case. To most of us this seemed obvious, but had been in doubt since January when Sir Julian Flaux ruled in the High Court that there was no such right. Hedge fund manager Alexander Darwall had challenged the map, produced by the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA), which showed a right to camp on Stall Moor common, part of his 4000-acre Blachford estate. He and his wife won their case in the High Court against…

OUR EARLIEST JOURNEYS are the ones that cling on most determinedly in our memories. Thorpe Cloud is only 942 feet high (287m), but it’s diamond-etched into my adolescent recollections. It lies at the foot of Dovedale in the White Peak of Derbyshire. I first ascended it as a twelve-year-old in the glorious summer of 1959. It would be foolish and misleading for me to make major claims for it. It’s a tiny hill, albeit a shapely and highly visible one, finely situated above Dovedale’s stepping stones. When I first saw it, in distant glimpses, the steep loom of it impressed me. It was not so scarred by path erosion in those far-off days. I’d read of it in my Peakland outdoor bible – Paddy Monkhouse’s On Foot in the Peak…

1 THE JEWELS OF THE PENNINES: HIGH FORCE & LOW FORCE Route length: 21.3km/13.3 miles Total ascent: 565m/1853ft Start/finish: bridge over River Tees at Middleton-in-Teesdale (NY947253) High Force and Low Force are jewels that have been lying around, undisturbed since the last glacial period, along the River Tees, which cuts a sweeping path down a dale that has been shaped by glacial carving and meltwater scouring. The river would be another steady stream of rippling stones but for the volcanic intrusion of the Whin Sill, which cuts right across the dale, and creates these violent torrents. You can look over Low Force, as viewed from a superb suspension footbridge, and from here you’ll hear the rumblings and tumblings of its big brother, High Force, nestled in juniper and birch woodland.…

Hello THE GREAT OUTDOORS is the UK’s original mountain magazine. We have been inspiring people to explore high places and equipping them with the knowledge they need for almost 45 years. Through compelling writing and beautifully illustrated stories, we convey the joy of adventure, the thrill of mountainous and wild environments, and the wonder of the natural world. We’re here to help you make the most of your time in the outdoors. As well as stunning photography and top-class writing, our gear reviewers are the country’s most experienced team – and we always ensure clothing and equipment is put through its paces in the right places. Our essential skills advice is reinforced by top outdoor instructors and guides. Our roster of contributors ranges from world-renowned outdoor experts and authors to…

TESTING NOTES Peter wears a size Large. He took these jackets into the hills last winter to test their effectiveness in snow, and they’ve had a very varied life since then with regular hill and trail outings. The especially heavy rains of July brought a welcome update on the longevity of the DWR coatings after many months of wear. Weights are from his own digital scales. BEST BUY Rab Men’s Latok Mountain Gore-Tex Pro Jacket £420 510g (L) fit, fabric, pockets, hood, comfort main zip can let in water Materials: 80D and 40D Gore-Tex Pro Hood: wired and stiffened peak, crown and face volume adjusters, roll down Front closure: zip with internal storm flap, bottom popper Underarm/side zips: 2-way pit zips Pockets: 3 external, 1 internal Hem: drawcord adjustable Cuffs:…

Vivienne Crow follows in the footsteps of ancient mourners FOR MANY CENTURIES, the people of Mardale used to have to carry their deceased from their remote home valley, across the fells into neighbouring Swindale and then on to Shap, seven miles away, for burial. They had their own church, but the burial ground wasn’t consecrated until the 18th Century. The route they took is what we now call a ‘corpse road’, one of many that cross the Lake District fells. And, whilst the last body carried along this particular corpse road was that of John Holme in 1736, these ancient routeways continue to be used by walkers today, crossing from one valley to another. The route featured here climbs from Mardale Head on to the desolate moorland peaks of Branstree…

James Forrest finds intriguing history – and excellent walking PUDDING-SHAPED Arenig Fach (689m) appears dull and boring from the south, overshadowed by the loftier Arenig Fawr (854m). But approach it from the north-east over wild, remote land, and the mountain rewards you with craggy cliffs plunging into the hidden waters of Llyn Arenig Fach and a delightful ridge arrowing to the summit. The range has some intriguing history too. Arenig Fawr was the inspiration for the so-called Arenig School of artists in the 1910s, a trio of painters led by James Dickson Innes who achieved a “a genuine triumph for British modernism” as The Guardian put it. Its summit also bears a poignant memorial plaque, paying tribute to eight US airmen who died when their bomber crashed into the mountain…

Roger Butler explores steep, wooded dingles and dark defiles YOU WOULDN’T want to get Tame and Teme mixed up. The River Tame passes beneath Spaghetti Junction whilst the River Teme twists through glorious hill country in Shropshire and Worcestershire. And who can resist a walk that includes Devil’s Den and Hell Hole? These might sound like they’re hostile hideaways in a Birmingham subway but they’re actually some of the steep, wooded dingles that rise above the narrow valley below charming Clifton upon Teme. Paths cross wooded spurs that flow with the rhythms of sunshine and shadow, and reach a high point on Walsgrove Hill with views to the Clee Hills and distant Black Mixen. On the other side of the valley, the route pushes through silent tangled forestry where it’s…