Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i The Great Outdoors

Hello The Great Outdoors is Britain’s original outdoors magazine, inspiring exploration from sea to summit, valley to mountain top for more than four decades. We’re here to help you make the most of your time outside; be it with skills advice, ideas for new walks or activities, fresh points of view on nature or with breathtaking adventure stories near and far, our focus is on you – the outdoor community. It is a family affair. Our small team works with emerging writers and photographers alongside those with many decades of experience, allowing all to speak in their own voice and share the ups and downs of real, life-enhancing tales from the trail. Making room for everyone remains the heart and soul of The Great Outdoors. We are also proud to…

Gear News New vegan 66 North insulated jacket uses recycled fill 66 North’s new warm jacket, the Dranger, is filled with 640 fill power Thermore Ecodown, which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. The shell is PFAS-free recycled polyester with Gore Windstopper panels for wind blocking and water protection in high-risk areas. The materials are all vegan. The Dranger has zipped handwarmer and chest pockets, an internal pocket, a dual adjustment system in the hood for a customisable fit, and Velcro-adjustable cuffs. The fit is unisex and there are seven sizes: XS-3XL. A size Large weighs 1300g. ■ RRP: £575 66north.com Jöttnar launches world-first environmentally friendly fabric combination Jöttnar’s Fenrir down jacket (£335) and Asta down gilet (£229) now feature NetPlus Fabric, made from recycled fishing nets. NetPlus…

FOR £25.99 PLUS FREE SILVA HIKE 2 HEAD TORCH* Get out and stay out with a FREE Silva Hike 2 head torch when you subscribe to The Great Outdoors. Established in 1934, Silva has been crafting torches to allow serenity and safety in the darkest mountain environment, a trusted companion for cold weather walks and wild camps. WORTH £29.99! HOW TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT: shop.kelsey.co.uk/TGOSILVA CALL: 01959 543747 and quote TGOSILVA OR SCAN THIS QR CODE TO CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT Lines open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate. SCAN: Terms & Conditions: *UK Direct Debit offer only. You will pay £25.99 for your first 6 issues, then £44.99 every 12 months thereafter via Direct Debit. The gift is for UK only and subject to availability. Gifts will…

12.9km/8 miles/6 hours Ascent 564m/1850ft Ian Battersby seeks a spot to have to himself and his canine companion COMPARED TO MUCH of the Lake District the Caldbeck Fells are secluded and peaceful, and with very few walls to hinder roaming off the path the area is ripe for inventing routes to attention-grabbing map features, whilst ensuring even greater guarantee of having the place to yourself. Yet even here you will find useful paths where none are mapped; just remember that lumpy ground needs plenty of stamina and cheerful determination! From High Pike the views of Blencathra and mighty Skiddaw are impressive and close at hand, but with only the Solway Firth between this high point and the hills of Scotland, the northern vista is far-reaching indeed. From High Pike the…

15.5km/9.6 miles/5.5 hours Ascent 462m/1515ft Ian Battersby discovers free-ranging dominion in the Dales ARKENGARTHDALE is a diminutive dale hiding behind the fame of the mightier Swaledale just to the south. A little lane beloved of cyclists en route to the Tan Hill Inn grants access to the fells. To the north a network of footpaths divide the frequent fields before reaching open ground, but the moors of the southern flank reach right down to meet this free-ranging lane. Tracks and bridleways are the mainstay here; and when you do happen upon a lonely fence, gates win out over stiles. The going is easy, save for a section of waning track approaching Little Punchard Head, so stroll on and soak up the breadth of this dale, with Great Pinseat your goal.…

11.2km/7 miles/4.3 hours Ascent 798m/2622ft Phillipa Cherryson enjoys a circular, stile-free walk with views galore THIS IS ONE of my favourite walks in Bannau Brycheiniog. Parking is easy (except on Bank Holidays when it’s busier), there are cracking views and I can take my 42kg GSDx Benji with me as there are no stiles. You’ll set off from a National Trust car park. Instead of following other walkers up the hill, you’ll head in the opposite direction, back down the hill. It feels wrong, but believe me: it will be worth it in the end. You’ll walk down quiet, narrow country lanes and through fields, but then ascend onto the northern ridges up towards the peaks of the Central Beacons. There’s a fun almost-scramble to the summit of Cribyn, before…

14.5km/9 miles/6 hours Ascent 575m/1875ft Roger Butler explores a temperate rainforest CLOSE YOUR EYES and think of Dartmoor, and you might picture bleak, windswept horizons and swathes of pale ochre bog. The heart of the moor is certainly hard going in places; but the tops and tors around the fringes of the National Park often rise from deep, wooded valleys where moist temperate rainforests play host to a bewildering array of ferns, lichens and mosses. Paths from Manaton plunge into this moist underworld, cross the marmite waters of the River Bovey and rise into the woods at Lustleigh Cleave. Here, local tales and legends abound amongst the rocks and crevices, but you’ll suddenly emerge back into daylight and romp along the ridge to Hunter’s Tor – where there have been…

IN THIS ISSUE Lorraine McCall has spent most of her adult life working in the outdoors industry. Her main love is journeying; past expeditions have included a continuous round of the Munros in 2005 and a 2000-mile tour of the Corbetts in 2014. Most recently, she became the first person to climb all the Grahams in a single journey (she writes about that record-breaking feat on page 42). Lorraine is based in the Scottish Highlands. Sarah Jane Douglas (an award-winning author, Corbetteer and proud Blue Peter badge holder) has always been drawn to Scotland’s high places. When cancer struck with the same diagnosis that took her mother, she ignored medical advice to ‘stick to beach walks’ and instead took to the mountains (find out how that worked out for her on…

GROWING UP in Cheshire with a dad who’d recount stories about his adventures in Glen Coe, Tessa Simpson had “a sense of nostalgia” for mountains long before she began hillwalking in Scotland. After going to art school in Edinburgh, this was made manifest when a friend took Tessa up Ben Lomond one windy September day she “spent beaming despite being battered by the elements.” Now 32 and a graphic designer who calls Glasgow home, Tessa is – as her social media pseudonym states – constantly drawn to the mountains. She seeks slow moments and profoundly personal experiences, whether dashing up The Cairnwell for a quick evening camp, skinny dipping after a hot day on Ben More Assynt, traversing Aonach Eagach, or getting caught in the elements on the side of…

AT 799 METRES it’s not one of the higher Carneddau tops; but Pen Llithrig y Wrach is certainly one of the most memorable, and as fine a viewpoint as any in Eryri, offering vistas down what seems like every valley in the region. Yet, despite its looming presence as you climb up out of Capel Curig, it’s almost a roadside attraction with as short an approach as you’d find to any of the major peaks of the region. Do I recommend it? Absolutely! It feels lofty and yet you can race back down, lope along the leat and be back in the Bryn Tyrch in time for a first pint (though the Bryn Tyrch, still an excellent pub, is sadly declined from the days when it used to serve Worthington…

5.3km/9.5 miles/5+ hours Ascent 368m/1207ft James Forrest combines three ‘Miles Without Stiles’ routes FANCY A STILE-FREE, accessible walk in the Lakes? Your options are plentiful. The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) has a list of 50 official ‘Miles Without Stiles’ routes on its website, including maps, descriptions and difficulty ratings. Many are short, on flat terrain with smooth surfaces. But some are trickier, with more rugged ground and increased distance and ascent. We’ve combined three of these – routes 36 (Friar’s Crag), 37 (Keswick to Threlkeld) and 38 (Latrigg) – to create a longer but still accessible walk. The LDNPA’s grading matrix would probably classify it as ‘super-challenging’. There’s some steep ground plus considerable mileage and ascent, so it may not be suitable for all. But you can dip…

10km/6.2 miles/5 hours Ascent 745m/2440ft Roger Butler ignores the lure of Yr Wyddfa for views from Yr Aran SOME HILLS are often overlooked and Yr Aran, a perfect pyramid when seen from the placid shores of Llyn Gwynant, certainly seems to fall into this category. Hillwalkers romp past its lower slopes on the way to bigger things – Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon – and this perky summit must be peeved at the attention its lofty neighbour gets. The popular Watkin Path provides an initial approach, and here the memorable scenery includes shady oak woods, crashing cascades and sweeping ridges. From the top, there’s a wonderful panorama over the slopes and crags of Cwm Llan and Cwm Tregalan to the sharp top of Yr Wyddfa. And there’s plenty of history too: hardy slate…

13.8km/8.6 miles/4.3 hours Ascent 455m/1494ft Phillipa Cherryson takes in sea views on three sides from this mini range I HAVE A CONFESSION. I’ve only recently discovered the Llŷn Peninsula. My focus has always been on the Ogwen Valley and the Yr Wyddfa range, and I’ve never bothered to look to my left as I’ve driven north. It has been my loss. Although the highest peak in this range is a few metres shy of being a true mountain, its proximity to the sea makes it feel far higher – with views to match. There’s a free car park and the paths are clear, but nothing about this route feels suburban. This high point of the Llŷn Peninsula is rugged, and you can find solitude. The Yr Eifl range is made…

Psychologies Psychologies’ mission is to provide every woman with inspiration and advice to support her to improve her emotional wellbeing. Women’s Fitness If you want to look and feel amazing but are not sure where to get the information you need to help you get there, Women’s Fitness is the magazine for you. Top Santé Top Santé is the must-have magazine for women of all ages who are looking to maximise their health, beauty and wellbeing. The Great Outdoors Britain’s original outdoor magazine, The Great Outdoors, is packed full of stunning photography, top class writing and brilliant walking and backpacking routes. Platinum Be inspired by women just like you and celebrate your style, beauty and healthwith Platinum magazine. Men’s Fitness Each issue of Men’s Fitness brings you original and in-depth…

LOOKING AHEAD MoonWalk Scotland 2025 6 September • Holyrood Park, Edinburgh The MoonWalk Scotland – an overnight marathon in Edinburgh – is back. Walk the Walk, the cancer charity, will host Half Moon (13.1 miles) and Full Moon (26.2 miles) walks to raise funds for those living with breast and other cancers. The new 2025 route takes in the city’s dramatic architecture under a pink-lit skyline. In Walk the Walk tradition, participants don decorated bras or brightly coloured bra T-shirts. Plus, when you register, you can save 50% on entry for a friend. The MoonWalk Scotland 2025 is the grand finale in a trilogy of events including The MoonWalk London and The MoonWalk Iceland. Walk the Walk is also hosting Camino Challenges in 2025, which you can learn more about…

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. The Great Outdog Sometimes, it takes two to make mountain magic. One reader wrote to us with a tale in honour of his four-legged hillwalking companion, Duke The sun was shining, the breeze gentle – perfect conditions, they said. My replacement knees, however, had other ideas. At the ripe age of 60, where ‘adventure’ is just a synonym for bad decisions, I hauled myself up Ben Vorlich. Duke, my recently acquired city-slicker rescue dog, was thriving, oblivious to my existential crisis. He trotted ahead, probably judging my life choices. Each step was a battle between willpower and my knees. But, somehow, we…

WE OPENED this year’s annual Reader Awards across 15 categories including the Open Outdoors award, pub of the year, campaigner of the year, brand of the year, and more. What makes these awards different – and gives extra kudos to the winners – is that you, the outdoor-going public, decided the results. Only your nominees made it onto the shortlist, and only those who gained the your votes walk away with a top accolade. The nominee with the most votes in each category is announced the Winner, whilst the nominees with the second- and third-most votes are both Commended. CATEGORY THE EXTRA MILE AWARD BRITAIN’S MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS (Wales, Scotland, plus Independent Scottish Mountain Rescue) More than half of voters wanted to honour every single volunteer who is on call,…

10 varied routes in England and Wales It’s hard to imagine a time when we were able to traverse our hills and valleys without having to hop up steps built into drystone wall, squeeze through gates installed for livestock or dance a merry march over stiles – now a beloved icon of our mountains in their own right. However, for some hill folk – and perhaps the less agile amongst our four-legged companions – these human influences represent a barrier. So, without further ado, we present 10 magnificent stile-free walks from mountains in Eryri to waterside routes in Lakeland. Our walks this month 1 High Pike Lake District 4 Great Pinseat Yorkshire Dales 2 Latrigg Lake District 3 Angletarn Pikes Lake District 5 Yr Aran Eryri 10 Hunter’s Tor Dartmoor 6 Llantysilio Mountain…

12.4km/7.7 miles/4.3 hours Ascent 546m/1790ft Vivienne Crow is unfettered on a hike into a remote Lakeland dale MARTINDALE, on the eastern side of the Lake District, is one of the most secluded of the National Park’s inhabited valleys. All you’ll find here are a couple of tiny churches, a scattering of isolated dwellings, England’s oldest native herd of red deer and the ubiquitous sheep. The head of the dale is split in two by The Nab, with Rampsgill running up its eastern side and Bannerdale to the west. This walk explores the latter, following a little-used trail that cautiously inches its way across the steep scree and boulder-covered slopes below Heck Crag to reach Angle Tarn, one of Lakeland’s finest upland bodies of water. From this sublime spot – with…

14.5km/9 miles/5 hours Ascent 752m/2466ft Andrew Galloway visits the rolling hills above the Dee Valley The Horseshoe Pass, to the north of the Denbighshire town of Llangollen, owes its English name to its cartographic outline, resembling a horse’s shoe. The pass, which reaches the height of 1368 feet (417 metres), is known in Welsh as Bwlch Oernant, which roughly translates as ‘flipping ’eck it’s cold up here’. The icy northerly winds that funnel down the Vale of Clwyd can chill to the bone, even in springtime. Nonetheless, weary walkers can find succour in the nearby Ponderosa Café, as popular with members of the motorcycle fraternity as with outdoor enthusiasts. The ‘roller coaster’ line of hills extending eight kilometres westwards from the head of the pass are collectively known as Llantysilio…

20.6km/12.8 miles*/6.3 hours** Ascent 475m/1560ft (or 415m/1363ft) Fiona Barltrop recommends this fine pair of Hampshire hills STRADDLING THE Meon valley, Old Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill are the last real climbs along the South Downs Way, assuming you are walking from east to west, the final miles of the route to Winchester traversing rolling downland. Despite its name, the former hill is situated quite a distance from the city of Winchester itself, which lies some 11 miles or so to the south-east. The 198m/648ft high hill is crowned by an impressive Iron Age hill-fort within which are a number of Bronze Age barrows. On a clear day the views, which stretch to the Isle of Wight, are superb. Both hills are National Nature Reserves, important for their flower-rich chalk grasslands.…