The Great Outdoors November 2020

AS I’M WRITING THESE WORDS, a raging storm has just rolled over the house and lightning has knocked the power out. I’m typing in growing evening darkness as hail hammers on the windows, electricity flares in the sky and the house literally shakes with thunderous booms. Just two days ago it was 20 degrees and sunny; now the world has instantly been turned into winter and a centimetre-thick layer of ice clings to the road and rooftops. This could be 2020 throwing another prank into the mix – after all, like the pandemics we keep unleashing by invading natural environments and liberating pathogens, extreme weather events are part of the ‘new normal’. But on the other hand, weird weather does tend to go with the territory in autumn; a time of…

James Forrest After Covid-19 put paid to almost all of his 2020 adventure plans, cabin fever and wanderlust kicked in for regular TGO contributor James – and he decided to plan a post-lockdown expedition. His self-chosen mission was to climb all 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District in a non-stop, continuous and self-supported hike. He completed his record-breaking round in just 14 days and 11 hours, encountering some rather apocalyptic Cumbrian weather along the way. Read how he planned for the trip on p14. Vivienne Crow Regular contributor Vivienne has been wandering some of the lesser-known areas of the Lake District. With a little help from retired shepherd Joss Naylor – better-known for his fell-running achievements – she’s discovered old trails she didn’t know existed in Dunnerdale, Ennerdale and Mardale. “Every time…

“This is a favourite image of mine: glorious early-morning light illuminating the valley of Great Langdale and the Langdale Pikes during the peak of their autumn colour. “A 4am start and long drive, followed by a short, steep climb, brought me to this wonderful viewpoint on the side of Loughrigg Fell. The village in the foreground at the entrance to the valley is Chapel Stile – can there be a finer setting for a village in all of England? “Watching the sunlight and shadows playing across the landscape before me, I waited for the optimum moment to capture my image. What a privilege to be there on such a magnificent morning.” alannovelli.co.uk…

Size: 30x40in Medium: mixed media DUNURE BEACH is one of Ayrshire’s most notable spots, with people coming from far and wide to visit the magnificent castle ruins. However, Dianne Gardner reminds us that there’s more to this area than meets the eye. “Dunure has a long history of caves full of smugglers and fishing boats launching on to stormy seas. The light on the rocks, the suggestion of pathways through the stones and the misty prospect of the castle all evoke this legacy. Many paintings of Dunure fixate on the castle and are painted from the north-west, but I believe it’s important to look at the less obvious aspects of the scene.” An elected member of the Glasgow Society of Women Artists, Dianne takes inspiration from the coast and countryside surrounding her home.…

EVER LISTENED to Joni Mitchell singing “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now” and thought: “She must have been a wild camper”? If you spend plenty of time pitched up high in the hills, you might well have experienced one of those serendipitous mornings when you unzip the tent door and find yourself gazing down on a bank of cloud. Every wild camper secretly wants to wake up to a cloud inversion – but how do you spot one coming? With difficulty, according to Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) forecaster Garry Nicholson. “Forecasting the height of cloud tops can be one of the trickier aspects of mountain forecasting,” he says. “Those tantalising moments when you reach a summit, can almost see the sun above you, but you’re still just in…

Regular TGO contributor James Forrest recently hiked all 214 Wainwrights in just 14 days and 11 hours – a new record for a self-supported round of the Lake District peaks. Hiking alone with no support crew or prearranged help, the 37-year-old clocked up 530 kilometres (329 miles) and ascended 36,000 metres (118,110 feet) during his peak-bagging expedition last month. He wild camped for 14 consecutive nights, cooked his own camp meals and carried everything he needed on his back. Here TGO talks to James about what it takes to plan such an adventure. TGO: The hardest part of an adventure is getting to the start line – would you agree? James: Well, I’d have to say no. Planning routes and organising kit from the safety of my warm home was incredibly easy…