Trail

It’s been a couple of months since the news broke from north Wales that the name of Britain’s most well-known and most climbed mountain has changed. If you haven’t heard, Snowdonia National Park will from now on be referring to its highest mountain - which most of us know as Snowdon - by its Welsh name, Yr Wyddfa. And alongside that, the National Park itself has followed suit with its own name by officially switching from Snowdonia to Eryri. If you’re looking for an explanation about the origins of the new names and the National Park’s reasons for adopting them, turn to page 20 for an excellent and exhaustively researched article from Sarah Ryan detailing the need to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the region, as well as…

HIMALAYAS MOUNT EVEREST It is the highest ground on the planet. Stand on the apex of Everest's summit and you can be certain that not one of the 8 billion people who call the Earth home will be any higher above sea-level than you are at that moment. The only exceptions to this will be occupants of the International Space Station and air travellers in transit, although with Everest's summit at a whopping 8848m (and maybe slightly more - mountains of this size aren't static) even many plane passengers will be less elevated. What's the takeaway from this? Everest (Sagarmatha in Tibetan, Chomolungma in Nepalese) is a big ol' hill, and it's unlikely many of us will ever summit it. The reasons for this are manyfold. Even if you have the fitness,…

WILD SLEEPS THIS MONTH Yes Tor Place Fell Ben Lomond Ben Lui Sgurr a Mhiam Garbh Bheinn TRAIL 100 BIVVY COUNT 17/100 Food to eat and food for thought. This month I arranged a series of outdoor cooks to camp with me, but several cancellations meant for the most part I was searching for Elysian joy on my own. I’ve no idea why they didn’t want to join me and sleep on top of a cold windy mountain with no view in the rain and sleet… Caught in the clag When I open the van door in the Lake District and look up, all I see is cloud. When I look down, I see raindrops bouncing in the puddles. I climb Place Fell in clag and then I get lucky. For five minutes at the…

CAMPING MAKES YOU HAPPY! Experts at Liverpool John Moores University, Sheffield Hallam University and The Camping and Caravanning Club recently released The Outjoyment Report, detailing the results of a huge survey of nearly 11,000 people and a review of research relating to camping or caravanning. As Andy Torbet, TV presenter, adventurer and stuntman commented, "Anyone who camps or spends time in the outdoors knows you just feel better in nature. And the fact that regular camping breeds greater practical skills, self-sufficiency and independence make us more resilient to the obstacles and stresses of modern life." Outdoors indoors The National Outdoor Expo is returning to Birmingham's NEC from 18-19 March 2023. Expect a whole host of homegrown and international speakers, including Ben Fogle, Al Humphreys and Ray Mears, plus an array of interactive activities from…

Ben Nevis Central Highlands “It was my 28th climb of Ben Nevis on Monday 21st November. After waking up at 2.45am and driving for nearly 3 hours to Fort William, I started the climb in the dark. The forecast was more than promising with the views (very good and excellent visibility) and I was prepared for the 30-40mph (with 52mph gusts on the top) wind, snow and freezing temperatures. It was a beautiful morning and I enjoyed the summit on my own. I love the special feelings of solitude and silence in the mountains, especially in challenging conditions." Petr Kolegar THIS MONTH'S WINNER Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Eryri (Snowdonia) Tina Reid summited Yr Wyddfa in the cloud after a couple of days scrambling and hiking in the Glyderau and Yr Wyddfa ranges, guided by Gary Chennells…

For many years, reindeer herds roamed Britain’s northern extremities. Alas, many centuries have passed since that last happened. Luckily for us, they were reintroduced to Scotland’s Cairngorm mountains in 1952, and now thrive for all adventurous enough to see. Pretty much all reindeer in northern Europe are semi-domesticated, so although they are free-roaming they belong to people. Reindeer of the Cairngorms live a very similar life to those of Scandinavia. Over the years, I’ve bumped into these strangely familiar creatures while on walks in the Cairngorms, both in summer and winter. Start a walk from the Glenmore area (where the office for The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd is based) and you will stand a good chance of finding them. If you don’t want to leave it to chance, join one of the…