The Great Outdoors July 2022

MAYBE WE ALL HAVE A ‘DREAM’ SEASON – the time of year we prize the most, the one we yearn to come around again when it’s gone, the one we fervently hope will bring good weather when it arrives so it will deliver on our expectations. For some outdoor devotees, winter is the best season, where humble hills are transformed by snow into alpine giants. The vibrant glory of spring and the visual spectacle of autumn have much to recommend them, too. But judging by sheer numbers alone, summer is the time when people at their most outdoor-minded. Big dreams, big ideas, big adventures. At its best, this is what summer represents: the time when the climate is (theoretically) at its most forgiving, the weather is at its mildest, the days…

Jenny Tough Jenny is an adventurer, writer and mountain-lover who takes on long-distance endurance challenges as a way of exploring the world. Last year she finished her ‘Run the World Mountains’ project, which saw her run solo and unsupported across a mountain range on every inhabited continent over the course of five years, focusing on places where traditional mountain cultures are preserved by isolation. Read her feature looking back on the highlights from this 4500km journey on p56. Lucy Lapwing Lucy is a naturalist, conservationist and self-confessed ‘wildlife weirdo’. She uses social media to share her love for our wildlife, teaching people about the nature on their doorsteps in a fun and informal way. She’s passionate about connecting people with nature and fighting to turn around the biodiversity crisis. In an upcoming Radio…

On a summer evening, if you are lucky enough to get clear skies at sunset, the cliffs of Beinn Alligin and Beinn Dearg in Torridon can be illuminated by beautiful golden light. I had high hopes on this delightful summer day, although the approach was one of the hottest and sweatiest I can remember. I spent several hours on the summit of Tom na Grugaich, watching the light get increasingly better. A sliver of fog drifted in from the Atlantic just as the glow from the sunset was reaching its peak: Torridon at its best. jamesroddie.com…

ABBIE BARNES Spend More Time In The Wild YouTube channel ABBIE BARNES created her Spend More Time In The Wild YouTube channel in 2016 with the aim of “inspiring and empowering individuals to don their walking boots and head outside for the benefit of mental and physical wellbeing”. After a slow burn, her channel has exploded in popularity over recent months, winning 50,000 subscribers and amassing a whopping 6.8 million views. “One of the goals of Spend More Time In The Wild is to build a solid resource of films to leave the viewer not just inspired, but empowered through education and knowledge, like a visual guidebook,” says Abbie, who has spoken out about her personal struggles with mental ill health and how the outdoors has helped her on that journey. “Over 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. Rhythm and flow In the May issue of The Great Outdoors, editor Carey Davies wrote about his first backpacking trip, an experience that felt like “stepping into a vast and exciting new terrain”. Inspired by this words, TGO reader James Keen wrote to us with his thoughts on finding rhythm and flow on a backpacking adventure… I have walked long-distance hikes of nine months at a time across southern Spain and across the French Pyrenees from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and am currently planning a 2300km hike across Europe. I am sure that so many other TGO readers have experienced that rhythm and…

Mighty Ben Lawers is the highest mountain in the Southern Highlands, and the tenth highest in Scotland overall. Despite its stature, it’s more approachable than many of its peers in the top ten list, which make it a good choice for the less experienced looking for a first taste of the really big stuff. Clear paths and uncomplicated route finding give relatively easy access to grand mountain scenery and magnificent views. Being able to set off from above the 400 metre contour certainly helps too. It’s a popular and often busy summit as a result. Paths have suffered from erosion, although much work has been done by the landowner – the National Trust for Scotland – to remedy this. Ben Lawers is also a key National Nature Reserve, boasting the…