The Great Outdoors May 2020

THE LAST MOUNTAIN I climbed was called El Cielo - which Google tells me translates as ‘Heaven’. It was a mile-high Spanish peak, which rises with startling abruptness from the shores of the Mediterranean. My girlfriend and I set off in the morning from near the coast, climbing through shady pine forests and then herby montane scrub; and by lunchtime we were sprawled on its rocky 1508 metre (4947 feet) summit, basking in the Andalusian sun, with a dazzling ocean below and a mountain chain created by the collision of Africa and Europe around us. As I write this, El Cielo is ‘closed’; Spain’s lockdown, like ours and those of other countries in Europe, places many natural and outdoor spaces off-limits. We climbed the mountain in late February, just weeks ago,…

Nic Hardy Nic worked in IT for a decade before diving into life as an adventurer and outdoor writer in 2019. She began by climbing all 282 Munros in Scotland, wild camping and sleeping in bothies 76 times. She recounts one of her favourite solo wild camping adventures on the rugged northwestern coastline of Scotland on p37. The COVID-19 restrictions have given Nic the opportunity to upload her hiking routes into the Komoot app for others to download and enjoy when the mountains are accessible to all once more. Ellen Tout In 2016, journalist Ellen trekked the Great Wall of China for a week and raised £5,700 for the Alzheimer’s Society, while more recently she completed the charity’s marathon trek along Hadrian’s Wall. She’s since never said no to an opportunity to try…

The picturesque Row Bridge crosses over Mosedale Beck behind the Wasdale Inn at Wasdale Head in the Lake District. This ancient packhorse bridge, set in an idyllic location below the surrounding hills of Kirk Fell and Great Gable, dates back hundreds of years – and the fact that it is still used by walkers today is testament to its sound construction. Packhorse bridges usually have no sides to them and were designed wide enough to allow just one horse or mule laden with panniers or baskets to cross the river unhindered. Wasdale Head itself claims to have England’s highest peak (Scafell Pike), deepest lake (Wast Water) and smallest church (St Olaf’s); and, in this photographer’s opinion, it has England’s prettiest packhorse bridge too! alannovelli.co.uk…

11 NEWS 12 TIPS: SELF-ISOLATION 16 BOOK CLUB 18 READER PAGE 22 TOP 10 24 COMMENT COLUMN 26 TGO CHALLENGE THE STARK, lonely figure of Ailsa Craig against the bustling streets of Ballantrae gives a whole new meaning to ‘social distancing’. Artist Laura Walker says it was the ‘dominance’ of the monolith that caught her eye and inspired her to paint this scene. “The contrast of the little town against this giant which rises from the sea… It’s a breath-taking sight. “Capturing the almost mystical appearance of Ailsa Craig was the most challenging part as it’s so atmospheric; but, as is the norm with paintings, it all just kind of happened! I looked at photos and did a few sketches before committing to paint. There’s a good bit of artistic licence in there too.” As she reminisces about childhood…

MOUNTAIN GUIDES SET FOR MULTI-MILLION-POUND LOSSES A report published in early April suggested the guiding industry could suffer staggering financial losses this quarter. BRITISH MOUNTAIN GUIDE Callum Muskett surveyed members of the Mountain Training Association, Association of Mountaineering Instructors, British Association of International Mountain Leaders and British Association of Mountain Guides. He estimated that members were expected to lose £58.8 million for the period between 14th March and 14th August 2020 due to COVID-19. The report also expressed concern that guides could fail to qualify for government support. “Whilst employees and many sole traders will be eligible for government grants, a large proportion of the membership will find that they do not qualify for any income support other than Universal Credit,” it said. “The current crisis is likely to be the hardest financial…

1. Climb mountains (kind of) Who needs to trek in the Himalayas when you have a perfectly good staircase? Sharing ideas and inspiration on Instagram, a group of outdoor folk, led by fitness and outdoor fanatic Rory Southworth, have been setting themselves challenges to ‘climb’ various treks and mountains around the world – within the confines of their own home. At the time of writing, they have just completed a virtual expedition to climb the equivalent height of Everest Base Camp, braving nonplussed partners, house plants and wall hangings en route. It took Becky Angell (‘Becky the Traveller’ on Instagram) 1053 reps of her stairs over the course of five days, and she was delighted to discover there was a beer at the top. But any feeling of triumph looks likely to…