Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i The Great Outdoors

LIRA VALENCIA was “always curious about nature” – despite having little contact with wildlife in the South Croydon flats where she grew up. That didn’t stop her seeking out creepy-crawlies. At local parks, some kids enjoyed the swings whilst she hunted ants. In her grandparent’s little urban garden – “it felt like the countryside for a child like me who barely touched grass!” – Lira explored “carefree” and discovered a love of snails. She recalls “that excited, tingly feeling when I saw their strange eyes staring back at me!” Lira would mark shells with a dot of her grandma’s nail polish in the hopes she’d spot her favourites again. Without knowing it, she was using an ecological ‘mark-capture-release’ method of measuring population size – a natural scientist. These early encounters…

Despite fewer confirmed incidents in 2022 than in 2021, raptor persecution is an ongoing problem and the majority (64%) of the incidents occur in connection with land managed for gamebird shooting, says the RSPB’s Birdcrime 2022 report (published 24 November 2023). Amongst the victims are buzzards, red kites, goshawks, hen harriers, peregrine falcons and white-tailed eagles. All these species are protected by laws designed to help our rarest and threatened species. But these figures only show confirmed incidents. The actual figures relating to the illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of protected birds of prey are likely to be much higher as crimes often take place in remote areas. 108 confirmed incidents of raptor persecution in the UK in 2021 VICTIMS BY SPECIES 16 BUZZARD 10 RED KITES 8 GOSHAWK 6…

GIRLS ON HILLS Girls on Hills empowers women with the skills and confidence necessary to become independent in the mountain environment. Keri Wallace told TGO: “We are delighted to win this award – especially in the Open Outdoors category, which means so much to us. Inclusivity is central to everything we do at Girls on Hills; empowering women through hillwalking and mountain running, as we strive for equity in the great outdoors. We’d like to thank all our followers for joining in, lifting each other up and supporting the advocacy work we do.” Every Body Outdoors The EBO team works to tackle systemic issues around size inclusivity. Steph Wetherell, cofounder of EBO, told TGO: “This recognition means so much – thanks to everyone who voted! We started as a group…

SCOTLAND’S MOUNTAINS Murray Wilkie is a Munro- and Corbett-bagger who films his hiking, climbing, mountaineering and wild camping adventures in Scotland for the YouTube channel Scotland’s Mountains. Murray said: “I really did not expect to win anything and this was a huge surprise! Thanks to everyone who voted and also who tune in to watch the weekly videos – it is very much appreciated. Stay safe out there!” Grizzly Gaz This YouTuber – real name Gareth Lee – is on a journey into local history and folklore, wild camping along the way with his French Bulldog, Fenzel Washington. He told The Great Outdoors: “I’d like to thank everyone that watches my silly YouTube videos – you guys are awesome! – and my dog, the real star of the show. I…

COTSWOLD OUTDOOR Cotswold Outdoor exists to help you ‘make the right choice'. One voter noted the “great range of stock” and the “staff who are interested, knowledgeable” and “always on hand to help.” Mountain Warehouse “They make fab affordable products, which I have bought many of this year and our local store has a team of staff who are friendly and helpful,” said one voter, of Mountain Warehouse. Mark Neale, the company’s Founder and CEO, said: “We’d like to thank the TGO readers for their support as we continue on our mission to help everyone enjoy the great outdoors.” Tiso With “excellent staff” and a “brilliant range” as well as “consistently high standard of knowledge and customer service”, Tiso gets your commendation. A spokesperson told TGO: “We take great pride…

Never has camping on the moor been disallowed in living memory. This is especially thanks to the Dartmoor Commons Act of 1985, which explicitly enshrined wild camping into law and forms part of Dartmoor National Park’s byelaws. During a review to improve poorly worded byelaws in 2021, the changes went out to public consultation. The Darwalls, landowners on the south moor, sued the National Park on the last day of the consultation. In January 2023, Dartmoor National Park Association (DNPA) went to court and the judge ruled against camping. DNPA immediately negotiated camping access with all affected landowners and minimal changes were made to the permitted camping map (losing half of Stall Moor – Darwall land – and Maristow land near Princetown). On the surface, everything was as it was…

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…

RECOMMENDED Jöttnar Women’s Fenrir £335 354g (size Medium, including stuff sack) light weight, moisture-mapped areas of synthetic insulation small hood, snug fit Fill: 850 fill power Downtek hydrophobic RDS goose down Shell: 30 denier micro ripstop with water-repellent treatment Hood: stretch trim, rear elastic adjuster Cuffs: stretch finish with 140gsm synthetic fill Hem: elastic draw cord with pull adjuster Pockets: two zipped handwarmer and one internal chest pocket Sizes: XS-L Men’s version: yes jottnar.com Lucy Wallace tries a down jacket that’s just the job for typically cool and damp British conditions This version of the Fenrir has been around for a while, but it’s an updated version of a jacket that I’ve been happily wearing for many years. Whilst the fabric is lighter and some of the styling details are slicker,…

TESTING CONDITIONS Lucy tested rucksacks in the mountains of Scotland and the Lake District over the course of a wet summer and autumn. In terms of back length, she usually opts for unisex small. The packs were weighed using her home digital scales. BEST IN TEST Lowe Alpine Airzone Trail ND28L £120 1187g comfortable back system, lots of zipped pockets curved back shape can be awkward for packing Materials: 50% recycled 330D nylon, fluorocarbon-free DWR Features: hip belt with zipped pockets, side bellows pockets, top pocket plus internal pocket. trekking pole attachment, whistle, rain cover, mesh outer pockets Sizes: one size for smaller backs (17in or 43cm) Men’s version: Airzone Trail 30L rab.equipment/uk This women’s-specific pack features Lowe Alpine’s Airzone suspended mesh back system, which manages to be fairly lightweight,…

Material Warmth is determined by thickness, and wind resistance by the density of the weave though no fleece fabric without an additional shell or inner membrane is very windproof. Pockets These aren’t essential but handwarmer ones are cosy and small ones for items like a compass can be useful. Check to see if pockets can be used when wearing a pack hipbelt. Many can’t. Fit As these garments will sometimes be worn under shell garments, they shouldn’t be baggy or voluminous. However, they also need to be roomy enough to fit comfortably over other layers. Weight & bulk These factors only matter if the jacket is going to spend much time in your rucksack. Otherwise, warmth and performance are more important. Testing conditions Chris tested these fleeces through summer, autumn…

Ian Battersby spies seven golden eagles in the sunny Monadhliath SOMETHING UNIQUE and magical happens, powerful enough to bring any journey to a whispered standstill, when an eagle slides on huge soaring wings into your day. There is a joyful sense of privilege and appreciation when this regal hunter shares its realm with a cursed enemy. Once ubiquitous, these birds suffered greatly after targeting by farmers and gamekeepers, and pesticides then wreaked havoc on the beleaguered population. But conservation projects have turned the tide despite unlawful killings, and 500 pairs are cracking a measured comeback today. Scotland is the haystack to hunt in, yet it remains a dubious enterprise, though some regions carry more luck than others. Strathdearn in the Monadhliath, where the Findhorn River runs beneath skies hemmed in…

Ian Battersby takes a carefree approach amidst ‘unheeded hills’ CAULDCLEUCH HEAD is a shallow dome of a hill whose only character is carved out by various grains and sikes (narrow gullies cut by rocky, fast-flowing streams) lower down. In actual fact, it is a mountain – just peeping over the 2000-foot mark. That also makes it a Donald, which is possibly – if unfairly – its main attraction. If you only come here for the tick you may end up on a lacklustre line. This would be unfortunate, because this mountain keeps company withsome steep-sided and even pointy hills. This is a circular tour of those unheeded hills, and on it Cauldcleuch Head forms just part of the journey rather than the goal. There are no people to scare off…

Rich Hartfield sniffs out solitude and the wild goats of the Rhinogydd THE RHINOGS are a remote, rugged mountain range with an abundance of wildlife. Feral goats and peregrine falcons find sanctuary in a labyrinth of terraced crags and boulder-strewn slopes. There are no easy approaches into these mountains. This 12-mile loop requires strong fitness and confidence on rocky terrain. From the coniferous forest of Graigddu to the summit of Rhinog Fawr, you’ll explore plant-rich, acid grassland and heathland where herds of wild goats nibble at the flora. You’ll probably smell them long before you spot them! They descended from goats introduced from the Middle East by Neolithic farmers, and their ability to graze in the harshest of environments means they still thrive today. The flagstones of a medieval packhorse…

Fiona Barltrop enjoys birdlife and beaver sightings in East Devon SITUATED at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and surrounded by countryside designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – or National Landscape, to use the new name – the attractive Regency town of Sidmouth makes an ideal base for walkers. ‘A town caught still in a timeless charm’, as the Poet Laureate described it. The striking red sandstone cliffs that flank the town date back 230 million years to the Triassic period and were formed in deserts, hence the colour. The South West Coast Path can be followed in either direction, providing excellent walking and stunning views. Heading south-west along it leads to Ladram Bay, renowned for its dramatic sea stacks, and thence to the…

Jess Jones is a wildlife photographer and former CBT therapist. Living in West Sussex whilst caring for her elderly parents, she has found spending time in nature is the best way to keep herself healthy in mind and body. She hopes her photos increase public awareness of wildlife and encourage people to protect the increasingly fragile environment. She pens a photo essay focussing on her favourite location in Britain – the Scottish Highlands – on page 36. Alex Roddie has been making the most of his first winter living near the Scottish Highlands for 13 years. He moved back to Scotland with his wife Hannah in March last year, and since then has spent a lot of time in the hills – especially the Cairngorms. He’s also been looking back…

AS THE DARTMOOR wild camping battle rolls into the courts again, my thoughts turn to language. Dartmoor National Park Authority has asked that people call the contested activity ‘backpack camping’. The term ‘wild camping’ is being muddied, it says: used to describe people pitching on inappropriate sites and leaving a mess. ‘Backpack camping’ does a better job of describing the activity – carrying everything in and out yourself, using a small, unobtrusive tent to ensure minimal impact on nature and other people. We haven't agreed on a term for the ‘bad’ kind of camping. ‘Fly camping’ sounds a bit cool and unconstrained. ‘Dirty camping’ is no better. Maybe we shouldn’t award it a name. Simply call it littering and criminal damage. I think it no accident that the landowners trying…

THE FIRST TIME I heard of Aonach Eagach (‘the notched ridge’) was in the bar of the Manchester Arms, which used to stand on the corner of Wellington Road and Petersgate in Stockport. I’d tail along there on Thursday nights throughout my teens in the hope of a lift at the weekend to somewhere interesting. Usually these lifts were to the Mynydd Mountaineering Club’s cottage in Crafnant – a cosy little den often thronging with boozy old idlers (though not all of them by any means were thus!). But one Hogmanay, I struck lucky and was offered a place in an old side-valve Ford Anglia bound for Glen Coe. It was to be my first trip to Scotland. I’d borrowed a Stubai ice axe, had innumerable woollen jumpers knitted by…

BEN FOGLE There will be few readers who aren’t familiar with this award-winning broadcaster and adventurer who publicly campaigns for the protection and preservation of wildlife globally as well as raising awareness on climate change. Ben told The Great Outdoors: “I am thrilled to be voted the winner. I have been an outdoorsman all my life. It is humbling and very generous of TGO readers. Thank you!” Hamza Yassin Hamza Yassin, a wildlife cameraman and presenter known for his role as Ranger Hamza on CBeebies as well as his work on Countryfile and Animal Park, in the words of one voter, “makes me want to get closer to nature.” An advocate of raising awareness for dyslexia, this passionate birder also recently released a children’s book, Be A Birder, to encourage…

CLACHAIG INN, GLEN COE Nestled in the famous glen of impossibly craggy peaks and razor-toothed ridges, The Clachaig is a hillwalking institution. With Bidean nam Bian and Aonach Eagach on its doorstep, you’re sure to meet climbers and hikers galore sharing tales of the day’s epic adventures over the live music by the fire. One voter said, “I’ve got great memories of ending up at the Boots Bar of Clachaig inn after a long day in the hills.” Old Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale Steeped in climbing history, the ODG is beloved by all who venture to Great Langdale, in the shadow of the Pikes. Voters keep returning to enjoy its “unchanging authenticity”, and the staff are always welcoming to weary, muddy boots and paws after a big day in the…

NEEDLE SPORTS (KESWICK) On Keswick’s Main Street, this climbing gear specialist stocks everything from maps to trekking poles and harnesses, as well as an abundance of knowledge and experience from staff. Shop Manager Trev Suddaby told The Great Outdoors: “Thank you to everyone that voted for us and our customers past and present. We really enjoy helping our customers get just the right clothing and gear for climbing, walking, and running in the hills.” Outside (Hathersage) Hathersage’s Outside is situated in the heart of Peak District gritstone climbing territory. One reader complimented the shop’s “great range of stock” as well as its friendly and knowledgeable staff. Cairngorm Mountain Sports (Aviemore) One of Braemar Mountain Sports’ three stores, the Aviemore team won your votes this year. Martin Bell, Marketing Manager for…

RAB Beloved for its transparency on environmental impact as well as its quality kit, Rab is your winner in 2024. Jon Frederick, Marketing Director at Rab, said: “We are incredibly honoured. [This] is a true testament to the trust our community places in our gear and equipment. Seeing individuals pursue their mountain activities with the same passion that drives us at Rab is the biggest inspiration for our commitment to crafting top-notch outdoor products.” Alpkit Readers praised Alpkit’s dedication to inclusivity as well as stylish, durable, affordable kit. CEO David Hanney said: “Thank you! These awards are the Oscars of the outdoor industry… It’s such a motivation and inspiration to be commended and the whole team is absolutely delighted.” Montane Matt Ray, Communications Manager and Global Copywriter, said: “Montane is…

1 CLOUD INVERSIONS Most of the time, air temperature decreases with altitude. However, during periods of high atmospheric pressure (ie calm, settled weather) that pattern is often reversed. With clear skies, air cools rapidly as it sinks into the valleys, and becomes trapped beneath a layer of warmer air at higher altitudes. If there is a sufficient degree of moisture in the air, a cloud layer may develop as the air cools and condenses – forming a cloud inversion. To increase your chances of seeing a cloud inversion, head to summits overlooking deep glens and/or large bodies of water. Sheltered areas surrounded by hills are ideal locations for inversions to form. Wild camping can help your chances too, as some inversions only last for a few hours around dawn. Heading…

TESTING CONDITIONS James tested the daypacks in a variety of conditions and locations in the Scottish Highlands. Tests were carried out on both day walks and scrambles. James has a medium-length back. The packs were weighed using his home digital scales. BEST IN TEST Osprey Stratos 26 £155 1340g (including rain cover) comfortable and adjustable back system, durable, versatile heavy Materials: 210D bluesign-approved nylon Features: Adjustable suspension back system, rain cover, ‘Stow-On-The-Go’ pole attachment Sizes: one size Women’s version: unisex osprey.com At 1340g this is the heaviest daypack in this test, and that weight could be considered excessive. But if comfort is your priority, this is a very appealing option. The back and hip system is exceptionally comfortable and breathable. The straps and hip belt use ventilated EVA foam. A…

1 Strathdearn & the Monadhliath Central Highlands 4 Cauldcleuch Head Southern Uplands 2 Ardmore Bay Isle of Mull 3 Deuchary Hill Perthshire 5 Yeavering Bell Northumberland National Park 6 Y Garn & Foelgoch via Devil’s Kitchen Eryri/Snowdonia 7 Rhinog Fawr & Craig Ddrwg Eryri/Snowdonia 8 Abereiddy to Porthgain Pembrokeshire 9 St Martha’s Hill & Silent Pool Surrey Hills 10 High Peak & Otter Estuary Jurassic Coast…

Alex Roddie visits Mull’s northern edge in search of views and wildlife “GET YOURSELF to Mull if you want to see otters,” my brother James, a professional wildlife photographer, had told me a few weeks earlier. When my wife Hannah and I were planning our holiday, we wanted somewhere that could offer plenty of coastal walking as well as the opportunity to see interesting wildlife. This hike starts in Tobermory to take in Ardmore Bay, a secluded cove close to Ardmore Point, which is the northernmost point on the island. The main attraction of Ardmore Bay is that its rocky shoreline is frequented by seals, otters and a wide variety of bird life – but it’s also a delightful spot for a sunny afternoon picnic, with gorgeous views across the…

Vivienne Crow goes in search of the Cheviots’ feral goats THERE ARE FEW PLACES in the UK where you can still see feral goats; one of these is the Cheviot Hills. Once domesticated, these long-horned, primitive goats have been wandering the hills for millennia and now live totally wild. They are descendants of the herds reared by early Neolithic people, although when they actually escaped from farms is unclear. There are thought to be between 300 and 500 individuals left, and there’s a good chance of spotting some on this walk along the northern edge of the Cheviots taking in Yeavering Bell and Humbleton Hill. The word ‘Yeavering’, in fact, means ‘hill of the goat’. Yeavering Bell’s also the site of the largest Iron Age fort in the region, so…

Norman Hadley strolls along the South Walian coast to visit seal pups THIS WALK is so short, with such modest ascent, that its claims to wildness might be called into question by anyone who thinks such a quality is expressible in purely numerical terms. But when the Atlantic hurls itself against the cliffs, it’s as thrilling as anywhere in the UK. Even on a clement day, the sight of birds soaring the updraughts, or the sound of mother seals singing lullabies to their autumn pups, cannot fail to stir the spirits. The Pembrokeshire coast is one of the jewels of the Atlantic coast, with glorious cliffs, hidden beaches and romantic coves. Vastly more people make their way to Cornwall, so Pembrokeshire is often quieter than one might suppose given the…

MARCH 2024 COVER STORY Escape the city, head for the hills INSIDE Explore Dartmoor, avoid fatigue, Napes Needle, down jackets, Cairngorms, Saudi Arabia FEBRUARY 2024 COVER STORY Make 2024 your best year ever INSIDE Keep your health & spirits high, walk the Galmadale Round, kit that won't quit, Eryri, Nepal JANUARY 2024 COVER STORY Make your winter hiking heaven INSIDE Discover Britain’s bothies, cook better backpacking grub, sleeping bags & gloves, Malham DECEMBER 2023 COVER STORY Winter Skills & Gear Guide INSIDE Avalanche avoidance, crampons & ice axes, Beinn Alligin, night hiking, British Columbia NOVEMBER 2023 COVER STORY Six of the best bucket list treks INSIDE Walk across Scotland, autumn routes, sleep better in camp, insulated jackets, Aviemore OCTOBER 2023 COVER STORY Routes combining hills & water INSIDE Skye scramble,…

HEN HARRIER TO SEE THIS SLIM BIRD of prey fly with wings held in a shallow ‘V’ and glide low across its spring and summertime upland moorland home is to witness the majestic beauty that's synonymous with raptors. Both females and males care for their young, the males providing food and often passing prey to the female mid-flight in an aerial game of ‘throw and catch’. Females and juveniles are brown with a white rump and a striped tail, which give them the name ‘ringtail’, whilst the males are a ghostly pale grey. This, sadly, is rather fitting. According to the RSPB, the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is the most intensely persecuted of all UK birds of prey. The red-listed species is targeted particularly in areas dominated by driven grouse…

by Annie Worsley Published by William Collins Books, £16.99, hardback ANYONE who has visited the Scottish Highlands and seen first-hand the crofting communities has no doubt imagined themselves living on and maintaining a croft. Like the off-grid cabin sitting deep in the woods, it’s a dream most won’t explore but will always wonder about. In Windswept, Annie Worsley takes the ‘what if’ out of the idea and shares a year in the life with the reader, documenting the experience using the natural world as an indicator of time. After many years living on Red River Croft and taking copious notes on each natural interaction, Annie has compiled excerpts into an almanac of sorts, showing the realistic and romantic tribute to life in the Highlands. Adventurers at heart, Annie and her…

CHRIS PACKHAM Famed for decades of work as a naturalist and television presenter (The Really Wild Show began in the 1980s), Chris Packham has tirelessly championed nature and the environment behind the scenes. From his ‘Fox of the Day’ tweets to co-founding Wild Justice, a not-for-profit company that fights for better deals for UK wildlife, he’s also supported a plethora of conservation efforts. Chris told The Great Outdoors: “I am very flattered to have been voted the winner. You can rest assured that I will continue to do everything in my power to protect the natural world, speaking up for people and for wildlife.” Right to Roam 2023 saw the Save Dartmoor campaign come into effect when Alexander Darwall, a Dartmoor’s sixth-largest landowner, successfully brought a case against the national…

REAL FOOD CAFÉ, TYNDRUM Many voters said the same thing about the Real Food Café, summed up by this comment: “The café is always warm and welcoming. They are always keen to make improvements, and you can tell that they really care about their customers, their staff and their community.” The gluten-free food options and accessibility were praised, along with the facilities for dogs, boots and bikes, and its location on the West Highland Way. Sarah Heward, Founder of The Real Food Café said, “Situated as we are in Corbett and Munro paradise, and at the halfway point on the West Highland Way, we are in an ideal and beautiful location for walkers and mountaineers. We are delighted to win this award in recognition of the café’s popularity with the…

OS MAPS Claiming the top spot again, the OS Maps app must be running out of space in its trophy cabinet. Nick Giles OBE, Ordnance Survey’s MD for Leisure, said: “We’re incredibly proud to win this award for sixth year in a row. This award means a huge amount to OS, especially the hard-working team behind the scenes at OS who keep OS Maps relevant and ensure that it is the best it can be to aid walkers on their outdoor adventures. We never rest on our laurels, though, and are about to unveil a series of improvements to the OS Maps app to make it even better for 2024.” AllTrails AllTrails, the app that provides detailed, hand-curated trail maps, plus reviews and photos crowd-sourced from a community of over…

IN HER NATURE: HOW WOMEN BREAK BOUNDARIES IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS BY RACHEL HEWITT Rachel Hewitt’s own lived experience as an ultra-runner is interwoven with timely research of the Women in the Hills Network and the voices of other outdoorswomen across eras to create informative, essential reading on women’s mountaineering wrapped within a profoundly personal memoir. She told TGO: “I wrote In Her Nature because I wanted to give voice to women’s experiences of the great outdoors, past and present. These experiences haven’t always been given the visibility they deserve. I’m delighted that this intention resonates with readers, and I hope that the book might inspire more women to assert their right to be strong, free and active outdoors.” Cook Out by ‘The Fell Foodie’ Harrison Ward “A huge thank…

ULTRALIGHT OUTDOOR GEAR TGO readers – particularly those of the fastpacking and ultralightweight communities – love this outdoor clothing and gear specialist, which boasts a massive range of backpacking, trekking and adventure racing kit. Voters praised the expert advice and plentiful reviews as well as the trusted specs available to shoppers looking to make informed decisions. Ultralight’s Dan Pearson said, “Thank you to all who voted for Ultralight Outdoor Gear. As a small independent retailer, this result is a really big one for us and the team are thrilled. UOG was founded on reducing weight to make adventures more fun, having the widest choice of the best gear and delivering amazing service. We really appreciate this recognition and hope all the TGO readers enjoy their adventures in 2024.” AlpineTrek Alpinetrek…

START/FINISH Ivybridge is the standard start and finish, but we started in Tavistock Distance: 174km/108 miles Ascent: 4205m/13 796ft Time: 5-7 days Maps: OS Explorer OL28 (1:25k), Harvey Superwalkers Dartmoor North and Dartmoor South (1:25k) Route notes: the optional High Moorland Link between Tavistock and Buckfastleigh adds 37.3km (23.3 miles) and 1210m (3970ft) of ascent. Time of year: April to September; many campsites close over the winter Guidebook: Walking the Dartmoor Way by Sue Viccars (Cicerone Press, 2023)…

GETTING THERE Tombstone is a relatively accessible corner of the Yukon. Most start from Dawson City, reached either by plane, boat or road from the Yukon’s territorial capital of Whitehorse (which itself is accessible from Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton) or from Alaska. You’ll then need to get yourself to the Tombstone Interpretive Centre, which is the information centre in Tombstone Territorial Park. Drive or book a ride along the Dempster Highway (which starts 40km south of Dawson City on the Klondike Highway and ends in Inuvik, Northwest Territories). Helicopter dropoff is also an option at various landing zones in the park, but you’ll still need to ‘check in’. HIKING ‘GRIZZLY, DIVIDE & TALUS’ The most popular backpacking route in Tombstone is a 48km return hike over Grizzly Lake to Divide…

Gear News Rab launches ultralight mats, sleeping bag & pack Rab has launched two ultralight inflatable mats. The Ultrasphere 4.5 boasts a heat-reflective inner for warmth whilst the Ultrasphere 1.5 has a heat-trapping offset air chamber construction, making it Rab’s lightest and most packable mat. There’s also a new sleeping bag, the Mythic Ultra 120 modular (315g). This is filled with 120 grams of 900 fill power down, and has a recycled shell plus a harness for attaching it to the mat. Rab says the Mythic Ultra 120 and Ultrasphere 4.5 combination weighs just under 700 grams and is rated to 0°C. There’s a new ultralight pack to carry it in too: the Muon 50 (970g). ■ RRP: from £140 rab.equipment/uk Scarpa adds new boot to the Mescalito range The…

Capacity We reckon about 30 litres is a good size for three seasons – with more needed for winter and less for high summer. Be sure you can comfortably fit everything you need in the pack. Some bags are more spacious than others, even with the same number of litres. Daisy chains, attachment points or pockets can be useful and add extra carrying capacity. Back system Packs with an internal frame or stiff back insert are most comfortable for carrying heavier loads. Some daypacks just have a padded back – these can be prone to bowing or buckling if the bag is overpacked or not packed properly. Packs with a suspension back system allow more ventilation. Some packs may have load-lifters straps at the top of the shoulder straps, to…

It’s not uncommon amongst hillwalkers to seek solitude out of doors. But perhaps there is no greater joy to be found in the wild(ish) spaces of Britain than an encounter with the locals. Here, our contributors share the routes on which they’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon the company of wildlife. Whether you seek face-to-face time with the feral goats of the Rhinogydd, spy the supremely majestic golden eagles of the Monadhliath, prance awhile with the wild ponies of Eryri or simply search for the humble bluebell, there is life to be found out there. May these routes lead you to it and inspire a deeper connection with nature.…

Alex Roddie goes looking for evidence of beavers in the wooded hills BEAVERS are one of the most charismatic mammals in Britain, but they are also amongst the shiest. As nocturnal animals that spend a lot of time in the water or in their dams, which are made from woody debris in lakes and rivers, they are unlikely to be seen – unless you head out very early, and very quietly, with a pair of binoculars. It is a lot easier to find evidence of beavers on the ground. Highland Perthshire is one of the best places in the country to spot beaver activity, and Dunkeld, with its wide variety of wooded and wetland terrain, is one of the best places in Perthshire. This modest hillwalk takes in forest paths,…

Francesca Donovan visits the Devil’s Kitchen – and Eryri’s ponies IT’S QUITE HARD to find quiet corners of Eryri, especially above Ogwen Valley, which boasts such mighty mini-mountains as Tryfan, the Carneddau and the two popular Glyders (Fawr and Fach). But if you stick to the west, you may just find some peace and quiet – as long as you don’t mind sharing it with the wild ponies who roam these high places. Y Garn may only be the tenth-highest peak in Wales, but it certainly packs a punchy ascent should you choose to face the Devil’s Kitchen (Twll Du in Welsh), so called for the mists that can sometimes be seen rising up from Llyn Idwal through its rocky chimney. When that happens, legend says, the Devil is cooking.…

Nike Werstroh goes on a bluebell hunt in the Surrey Hills ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE from Guildford town centre, the wooded hills are criss-crossed with a network of paths that provide endless routes for walking through the changing seasons. In the summer the lush woodland is myriad shades of green, and autumn dresses the trees in spectacular colours. The crisp winter days are perfect to enjoy the fine views and in spring spectacular bluebells carpet the forest floor. This circular route starts from Chilworth and takes you first through the Tillingbourne Valley with its remains of gunpowder mills. The route next follows a section of the long-distance North Downs Way (NDW) to St Martha’s Hill, with a church accessible only by foot. It then continues to Newlands Corner, which offers…