Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i The Great Outdoors

Kelpie It might look like a horse, but this water demon is actually a supernatural devourer of human flesh. Don’t try to ride it! Where to find it: Any Scottish loch, particularly Lochs Garve and Venachar. Loch Ness Monster Much-hyped relic of the Age of Dinosaurs, supposedly still lurking beneath Scotland’s largest lake. Where to find it: The clue’s in the name… But there’s another lesser-known monster legend associated with Loch Morar. Will-o’-the-wisp A ghostly light that lurks over dark marshes, luring walkers to a watery doom. Where to find it: Almost anywhere in Britain where the ground is boggy. Different areas have alternative names, including Joan the Wad (Cornwall), Spunkies (Scotland) and Pwca (Wales). Knocker Benevolent underground spirit said to warn miners of impending tunnel collapses. Where to find…

Stall Moor, Dartmoor: Home to the world’s longest stone row, which runs for 2.1 miles through the remote heart of the moor. To follow the row end to end, you’ll need to brave a precarious crossing of the River Erme. Better to explore its most visually spectacular southerly strip on a circular route from Ivybridge (wild camp optional). Machrie Moor, Arran: The enormous standing stones on Machrie Moor date to around 1800BC, but archaeologists think this stunning site was occupied even earlier. It’s a relatively easy stroll up from signed parking on the A841, and the view of Goatfell in the distance adds to the atmosphere. Brodgar Peninsula: Mainland Orkney is prehistoric heaven, home to an ancient ceremonial complex that includes ditches, burial mounds and standing stones. You can link…

BEST VALUE: HIGHLANDER MUNRO V2 MOUNTAIN With fabric and features suitable for year-round hill use, the Highlander Munro is superb value for money at just £180, costing far less than similarly specified jackets. The fabric is a 3-layer polyester with a PFC-free DWR that is quite soft but thick and tough enough for winter storms. It has an excellent 20,000mm hydrostatic head. A size L weighs 580g. The adjustable helmet-compatible hood with wired peak is excellent, as are the two huge handwarmer pockets. The Munro has long two-way pit zips that Chris Townsend described as “an excellent feature, especially given the price” and which David Lintern, who also tested the jacket, said “really help with ventilation”. Other features are an adjustable hem with two drawcords, adjustable cuffs, YKK zips and an…

WINNER: SCARPA RAPID XT WMN The Scarpa Rapid XT is a leather approach shoe, which tester Lara Dunn found “ideal for rough walk-ins on scrambles and climbs but also hiking and trail use”. The shoes have 1.8mm suede leather uppers protected by a full rubber rand, an EVA midsole with different densities to cushion impacts, and Vibram Megagrip outsole with a climbing zone at the toe for grip on steep rocks. Lara says the sole gives confidence “on all sorts of ground, even more technical scrambly sections” and “copes well with wet surfaces, as well as looser gravel and mud”. The shoes have an asymmetric toe that gives a wide forefoot fit so the feet can spread into a natural shape. The Rapid XT doesn’t have a waterproof membrane (there is…

SLEEPING BAGS WINNER: BIG AGNES TORCHLIGHT EXP 30 The Big Agnes Torchlight looks like a conventional mummy-shaped sleeping bag, but it’s customisable via twoway zips on each side that open up panels which expand the size by up to 25cm. The area opened up can be varied for more room around the shoulders or the feet as required. Tester Kirsty Pallas says, “I am a side sleeper, so it’s nice to have the option for more room at my shoulders”. The Torchlight also has attachments underneath – the PadLok sleep system – for keeping the bag on a mat, and a ‘pillow barn’ attached to the pad sleeve that keeps your pillow or rolled-up clothing in place. Kirsty describes these as “another couple of nice features” and says, “they keep everything…

WINNER: BERGHAUS WOMEN’S MTN GUIDE LONG SLEEVE HALF ZIP This top is designed for year-round use with adaptive natural warmth and nextto-skin comfort. It’s made from Polartec Power Wool, a mix of 64% polyester and 36% merino wool. The polyester, which is on the outside, helps the garment keep its shape longer and manages moisture while the antimicrobial merino wool against the skin regulates temperature and means you stay fresh longer. Tester Lara Dunn says the fabric is “extremely stretchy, very soft, highly breathable and lightweight, yet it’s warm when layered”. Fit is ample in the torso and sleeves but not too long. “Soft elastic loops at the cuffs give a secure fit when layering up and allow for extra wrist cosiness, while the sleeves are stretchy enough to roll up…

WINNER: OPTIMUS VEGA The Vega is a remotecanister stove suitable for year-round use. It has a preheat tube running over the burner that vapourises the gas, which means it can be used as a liquid fuel stove in sub-zero temperatures by inverting the canister. Unusually, flip-out wire legs hold the inverted canister in place and enable the control lever to still be used. Optimus says that used thus it’ll work down to -20°C. The Vega is compact when packed as the pot support/legs fold around the burner. At 178g it’s light for its type. It has a low profile so stability is good and the pot supports are quite wide, fine for use with big pots. The burner is powerful, it boils water fast and works well for melting snow. Flame…

39.2km/24.4 miles/2 days Ascent 1695m/5561ft James Roddie visits two Munros with a luxurious bothy overnight BIDEIN A’ CHOIRE SHEASGAICH and Lurg Mhòr sit within the wild expanse of West Monar. These are very remote Munros, requiring a lengthy approach from any direction. Most commonly, walkers will choose to approach along a vehicle track from Attadale, allowing the route to be broken up with a stay at Bendronaig Lodge bothy. Considering the route distance, you’ll look forward to settling into what must be among the most wellfitted and comfortable of bothies. Firewood is supplied by the estate, and there is even a basic toilet. The bothy sits on the Cape Wrath Trail so it can get busy with longdistance walkers at times, but there’ll be plenty of tales to tell over…

IN THIS ISSUE Meet some of the folk that made this magazine… Andrew Wang is a fell-runner, campaigner and community organiser who grew up running and climbing on gritstone edges, and now lives in the Tweed Valley. He’s the founder of ESEA Outdoors UK, a grassroots community celebrating the representation of East & South East Asian people in the outdoors across the UK and fighting racism – a role he talks more about on page 15. Andrew is also a trustee at National Trails UK, advocating for access to nature for all. Find him @eseaoutdoorsuk on social media. Mark Waring is a keen wanderer of the sub-polar regions and a long-term contributor to The Great Outdoors. This year, his adventures included a return to the High North for a trek around Finnish…

THEY ARE THE BIRD of the mountains. That’s not even an exaggeration. They are suspended permanently by incline, raised up into the clouds like rain that never falls. Ptarmigans are a large bird in the grouse family and, like other grouse, they never stray far from where they hatch, restricted by their preferred habitat and preference not to travel long distances. They are so exquisitely camouflaged. Their plumage in Spring and Summer is granite and lichen with snow patches caught between rocky crevices. Ptarmigan must be the best example of a bird having cryptic plumage. I say that not just because my first attempt to see them resulted in failure. This failure was made worse by the fact the Norwegian hitch-hikers we picked up had excitedly showed us their holiday…

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 breathtaking adventure stories near and far, our focus is on you – the outdoors 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 host…

THE ANNUAL Outdoor Trade Show, held at Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre, is a great opportunity to catch up with brands large and small, friends old and new, and for us at The Great Outdoors to find out which new gear will be in the shops and on our reviewing roster next year – and to note any gear trends. Sustainability remains a growing concern for all outdoor lovers, reflected in the materials and production of kit available. Greener choices are increasingly mainstream, as they should be. Notably, Gore is ending production of Paclite, a staple of mid-range lightweight waterproofs for many years. Some companies now use Pertex Shield, others their own proprietary fabrics. It’ll be interesting to see how these alternatives to Paclite perform. Weight was a theme too – specifically,…

WINNER: HELLY HANSEN VERGLAS POLAR DOWN The Verglas Polar Down jacket is “an ultra-warm jacket designed for ultra-cold conditions”, says tester Lara Dunn. It’s filled with 800 fill power goose down that is Responsible Down Standardcertified. Lara found this fill “incredibly warm, instantly trapping and maximising body heat. The box construction ensures no warmth is lost through the seams.” There’s a 100% recycled polyester shell and a hood with an adjustable peak. The outer has a PFC-free DWR treatment that Lara found “very effective, keeping wet snow or sleet from penetrating the fabric”. Lara describes the hood and collar as ‘sumptuous’ and says, “both cinch in quickly around the face and neck with easy-to-use (even with gloves) adjustment cords”. A soft brushed fabric protects the skin from the sturdy YKK zip,…

WINNER: OSPREY TEMPEST 33 The Tempest is a women’s pack that impressed tester Lara Dunn, who says, “one area in which this pack truly excels is fit… finding a genuine female-specific pack at this size is unusual”. Even more unusual, she says, is one where the fit can be fine-tuned. This pack can be adjusted for different torso proportions, and the fit tweaked for shoulders and hips. The result, says Lara, “is comfortable for long days and extremely stable… making the pack feel like an extension of the body, even when fully laden.” The back system features a 100% recycled polypro framesheet with 50% recycled die-cut EVA foam for a close-to-body fit with ventilated airflow channels. The main body is made from 100% recycled nylon with tougher recycled nylon on the…

WINNER: PETZL IKO CORE The Iko Core is a lightweight, bright head torch with an innovative semi-rigid headband, which tester Chris Townsend found “far comfier than any other head torch headband I’ve used. Once adjusted it’s barely noticeable.” He also says, “it’s very thin and so less sweaty than standard headbands too.” Adjustment is easy, but it adapts to being worn over a bare head or a hood without slipping. The semi-rigid nature of the headband means it works well worn round the neck, stood on a table or rock, or attached to a tent pole or tree, unlike soft headbands. The battery pack sits on the back of the head, helping to balance the torch. It contains Petzl’s rechargeable Core battery. This is removable and can be replaced with another…

WINNER: SALEWA ORTLES POWERTEX TIROLWOOL RESPONSIVE Tester Kirsty Pallas says, “these gloves are warm but light and have kept me warm and mostly dry over many winter days”. The gloves are insulated with a wool/polyester mix and have a waterproof/breathable membrane to keep out rain and snow. The shell is PFAs-free nylon with goat leather on the palm and fingertips for durability. The merino wool mix lining “is soft, but not so fluffy that you can’t get your hand in if it’s wet”. She notes wool is an excellent insulator when wet, and a more natural resource than polyester. She found the goat leather palm grippy and hard-wearing, and the fit such that she could “carry out intricate tasks like using karabiners when climbing and doing up jacket zips”. Kirsty liked…

7 varied routes in England, Scotland and Wales Those of you who spend time in wild and lonely places may have stumbled upon small stone buildings, doors unlocked, standing sentry and waiting to welcome walkers who seek shelter. There are over 200 bothies maintained by those who volunteer for the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA). Here, our experts map diverse routes to seven of them to suit a day of adventure or a multi-day escape. Please abide by The Bothy Code by respecting other users. Keep the bothy and its surroundings clean and tidy. And why not connect with community by leaving dry kindling for the next visitors and a message in the bothy book? Learn more about respecting the MBA’s agreement with the Estate and the restriction on large groups…

17.2km/10.7 miles/4.5-5 hours Ascent 500m/1640ft Vivienne Crow walks the Pennine Way and enjoys a night in the forest SPITHOPE BOTHY probably started life as a resting place for drovers moving livestock across the Anglo-Scottish border to and from markets. In later incarnations, it served as a shepherds’ hut and a shooters’ lodge. Now, surrounded by the dark border forests, it is a tiny, one-room bothy maintained by the MBA. From the hidden village of Byrness, this walk climbs Byrness Hill, Ravens Knowe and Ogre Hill as it follows the Pennine Way along the western edge of the Ministry of Defence’s largest UK firing range, Otterburn. All the while, the expansive views keep broadening, taking in a wide and far-reaching array of summits, including The Cheviot, the Simonside Hills and Cross…

22.4km/13.9 miles/7.5 hours Ascent 601m/1972ft Ian Battersby visits torrents and castle en route to his room with a view GREENHAW HUT (also known affectionately as Sweet William) is an unusual bothy, being a working shooting hut that the estate managers leave open for roaming hikers and bikers to exploit. It’s very well kept and there’s even a flushing loo round the back. It lacks sleeping platforms, but the floor is clean enough to use or you could kip on a combination of benches, chairs or tables. The fireplace makes for a cosy stay after the sun dips down on a glorious panorama. Bothies are often tucked in sheltered valleys and woods, so it’s a revelation to be perched on top of Wegber Scar with Wensleydale and its southern flanks laid…

26km/16 miles/8 hours Ascent 620m/2030ft Roger Butler links a mountain hostel with a hidden bothy YOU CAN EASILY lose yourself in the midst of Mid Wales, and the hills and valleys in the high ground of the Elenydd are as wild as they come. Yes, there’s some forestry and the towering dam at the south end of Llyn Brianne flooded what would have been a fine ravine; but there’s miles of open moorland – and, it must be said, stretches of maneating boggy tussock. The area is topped off by the huge cairns on Drygarn Fawr, one capped with a dazzle of quartz, and these offer far-reaching views without a house to be seen. There are, of course, a scattering of properties down in the valleys and this wild circuit…

Doug Scott Archive World Wide Web CommunityAction Nepal has been given exclusive access to late climber and mountaineer Doug Scott’s entire archive of more than 30,000 35mm transparencies. Doug’s focus was always to climb new, innovative routes on lesser-known Himalayan and Karakoram peaks. As such, many of his pictures feature views that are rarely seen. This huge body of photographic material captured during numerous expeditions across the world has now been digitised and shared online. These aren’t just pictures of mountains and climbers – they are glimpses into the lives and culture of the people who live in the highest places on Earth. Cost: free ■ Follow on Instagram @doug_scott_archive Isle of Wight Walking Festival 4-12 October 2025 Isle of Wight Sponsored by Outdooractive, this multiaward-winning festival returns to the…

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. Mountain Equipment icons There’s no doubt that retro mountain style is having a moment. One reader got in touch about a collection of iconic archival Mountain Equipment jackets he’d like to rehome. Should you be interested, please email the team at TGO. Firstly, I’d like to say how much I love the magazine. I’ve been reading The Great Outdoors for years now. It’s always brilliant. I’m contacting you because I’ve got a few very, very early mint-condition Mountain Equipment jackets. I believe all of them are ‘first edition’ coats. I’ve got a Dolomite, an Annapurna, and the Holy Grail: a Redline –…

“On Malvern Hulles mi bifel a ferly, Of feyrie mithoughte” William Langland, The Vision of Piers Plowman THE MALVERN HILLS! I love this eight-mile ridge. When I was at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Selly Oak back in the 1960s, I would often lure my fellow students out of Birmingham and away from their studies for a bracing hill walk along this spine, the hills of Wales filling the western horizon. Indeed, I’ve often admired the unmistakable silhouette of the Malvern Hills from Arenig Fawr, Cadair Idris or Y Berwyn. It is a very special and distinctive hill group between the Rivers Severn and Wye. Just recently, on my way from hospital visits in Gloucester or Edgbaston, I’ve taken the opportunity to revisit these friendly, gentle old hills. They’ve revived…

■ Get skilled up. The In Pinn and some of the ridge beyond Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh require rope, harness, protection and the skills to use them. Practise before you go! We didn’t pitch at all when traversing, which saved a lot of time. We saw other teams who pitched more, and it then becomes a slower process, and harder work for the leader. Following from this… ■ Be at ease on steep ground. Practise on other mountain classics including Crib Goch, Aonach Eagach, Tryfan, Forcan Ridge and more. Don’t rush to the Cuillin; earn your stripes. ‘The mountains will still be there’. ■ Do your research. Adrian Trendall’s Cicerone guide Skye’s Cuillin Ridge Traverse is excellent, as is Harvey’s The Cuillin Superwalker map. Equally, know and accept that this not…

AREN’T AWARDS a bit passé in 2025? Generally, outdoor kit is of excellent quality, and more sustainable and affordable than it ever has been. How is it possible to pick out the best, when that depends so much on the individual and the use case? And who is to say, anyway? If we were to adopt an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach, I’d tend to agree, but TGO’s Awards have always been about the best, not the rest. Deciding isn’t always easy, but that’s the job of an awards process. OK, so we are changing tack a little this year – but not by much. The magazine has traditionally awarded only an overall Winner, plus a Highly Commended in each category. This time around we’re expanding that slightly, to…

BEST VALUE: ASOLO FRENEY EVO LT GV Good-quality boots for serious winter conditions, including low-grade winter climbing, are usually expensive. The Asolo Freney Evo is an exception to this costing €367.50 (approximately £316.86 at the time of publication). The Freney Evo is made from thick water-resistant Perwanger leather, which Mountain instructor Kirsty Pallas found “sturdy and reliable”. “If treated well”, says Kirsty, “it should mean the waterproofing lasts longer than a fabric boot.” The tongue is fabric, which Kirsty says gives more flexibility for dialling in a good fit. Further comfort is provided by padding and a flex section round the ankle, which “means the boot moves with you”. To add to the waterproofing there’s a Gore-Tex Extended Comfort lining. The sole unit consists of a shock-resistant PU midsole plus EVA…

WINNER: WILD COUNTRY HALNY ELITE 1 The Halny Elite 1 is a single-hoop solo tent with a short upright pole at each end. The outer is silicone- and polyurethane-coated PFC-free recycled ripstop nylon with a high (4000mm) hydrostatic head. The groundsheet is recycled ripstop polyester with an even higher (5000mm) hydrostatic head. It pitches as a unit or outer-first. Tester Lucy Wallace says, “it can be set up in a couple of minutes. I’ve pitched it with confidence at 1000 metres in gusty 30mph winds with drizzly rain and wasn’t disappointed, passing a comfortable night despite the weather”. Lucy appreciated the multiple venting options in both inner and flysheet and says, “the decent-sized porch takes a large rucksack, boots and a stove”. At 1390g the Halny is slightly heavier than some…

WINNER: BLACK DIAMOND PURSUIT These are three-section telescopic aluminium poles with long cork and foam handles. At 465g (S/M size) they are quite light for aluminium. Tester Steph Wetherell found the grips a standout feature: “Black Diamond has recognised that hand sizes vary hugely, and the S/M size comes with a smaller grip size”. She also found the cork material was preferable to foam “especially when my hands were sweaty in hot conditions or on a long climb.” Steph liked the egg-shaped rounded top of the pole as it makes it “comfortable to use on descents”. The grip extension is made from Bloom, an algae-infused foam that’s more sustainable than standard foam, the shafts are made of 30% pre-consumer recycled aluminium, and the wrist straps are made from post-consumer recycled fibres.…

WINNER: KEELA Keela returns as the winner in this category for a second time (previous winner in 2023), which also marks 45 years of making outdoor gear in Scotland. The story began when founder Rube Fernando revolutionised technical outdoor clothing in its use of cutting-edge tape-sealing technology. Originally, Keela made garments for other brands before making them under its own name. Now, they say, “we make sure that our products comply with the highest ethical standards. Our production facilities are ‘Garments without Guilt’-accredited and every stage of our supply chain follows the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code.” Keela was also the first Scottish clothing manufacturer to sign up for the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. During the pandemic Keela redirected its production line to support frontline healthcare workers, manufacturing over 750,000…

18.5km/11.5 miles/6 hours Ascent 1348m/4422ft Norman Hadley climbs improbably rocky crowns via a corrie bothy A STUNNING MUNRO and an even more impressive Corbett sit side by side in the high, wild tract of land known as the Coulin Forest, a pair of improbable rocky crowns between wild Strathcarron and even wilder Glen Torridon. An Ruadh-Stac in particular looks nigh-on unassailable. But if the soul of a mountaineer lurks inside you, assail it you must. The contrast between the two is an object lesson in size not being everything. An Ruadh-Stac falls short of Munro status by 22 metres but is the finer sight, at least from this side. Maol Chean-Dearg throws its finest face northwards to Glen Torridon, but is stupendous from any direction. These hills are a fine alternative…

21.7km/13.5 miles/11 hours Ascent 1881m/6171ft Ian Battersby finds a perfectly-placed window on a circuit of Buttermere MOUNTAINS TOWER all around Buttermere, posing with potential; but with a total ascent exceeding the height of Ben Nevis this challenge may be better split into two days. We begin with the challenging southern side, a strenuous climb leading straight to Red Pike, passing the refreshing Bleaberry Tarn along the way. The ridge from here on falls sharply over formidable crags to the valley below, with astonishing views to Grasmoor and Robinson. Haystacks keeps you on your toes (or hands and feet) and its tarns offer a peaceful place to rest. Wild camping here would be the obvious choice, but Warnscale Head Bothy lies just ahead, offering clean, dry sleeping platforms (and a stove…

10.5km/6.5 miles/4 hours Ascent 226m/740ft Andrew Galloway tackles a boggy approach to a bijou bothy IF THE 19TH-CENTURY builders of the hill farm at Cae Amos had isolation in mind, they chose the perfect location. Elevated 200m above the sparsely populated Cwm Pennant valley, its rough-hewn walls have been chiselled from the outcrops of granite and slate that surround the dwelling. Abandoned in the mid-20th century, the building was eventually leased and restored by Leeds Mountaineering Club, who added an ingenious system of pipes that feed run-off water from the hillside into a water trough and even a flushing toilet. Sturdy wooden benches and a woodburner with a well-swept flue make Cae Amos a most charming bothy to visit. The approach from the village of Garndolbenmaen is boggy in places,…