Tabla de contenidos para February 2025 en Trail

GET 50% OFF Ordnance Survey All first-time Trail Subscribers get 50% off OS Maps, the Ordnance Survey’s digital mapping service. That’s the equivalent of 607 paper maps in your pocket! PAGE 99 A few summers ago we walked past the famous swimming hole of Black Moss Pot in the Lake District’s Langstrath valley, and spotted a bloke sizing up a ballsy jump from a ledge that we figured gave him around a 50/50 chance of hitting the water without picking up a serious injury. After we suggested it might not be the smartest move he’d make that weekend, he smiled and said, “I pay my taxes, I’ll call Mountain Rescue if anything happens.” I’m glad to report he didn’t jump, and also that we gave him an update on how…

1 MOUNTAIN HARES Edale and The Edges This is a big day out on Kinder Scout, so pack extra sandwiches! Bag three trig pillars and experience the flora and fauna that exists in the quieter reaches of the moor. Look for signs of the mountain hare – they are quite elusive, but will be a special sight as their coats will have turned white at this time of year. This route climbs quickly and steeply out of Edale and bags the first trig pillar before heading along the northern edge of the plateau all the way to Upper Red Brook with stunning views of Alport Dale and Bleaklow, passing many curiously shaped rock formations. Then you get to bag the next two trig pillars in quicker succession and enjoy the…

1 BEN VANE Similar in height and style to the Cobbler and Ben Ime, but twice as quiet, this is a great route to do from Abyssinia Bothy. 2 BEN DONICH Very much a beginner’s out-andback hill in the Arrochar Alps. One for an early morning or sunset jaunt before getting back in the car to go home. Last time I was up here we saw one other person and a dog, while you could see the hordes of people on the neighbouring summit of Ben Arthur. 3 BEN LEDI A surprisingly long but doable route just outside of Callander, which has a total of three chip shops – roughly one for every 1000 people. 4 STAC POLLAIDH If you’re anywhere near this bit of the NC500, it’s worth taking a short day trip…

YOUR TESTER To enjoy winter hiking, warm, weatherproof gloves are essential. Key features to consider include waterproofing, insulation and materials. Waterproof gloves with membranes like Gore-Tex can keep hands dry, while insulation types (down, fleece, or PrimaLoft) balance warmth with dexterity for ease of movement. Glove weight varies, with lightweight options for mild conditions and heavier ones for extreme cold. You’ll need to choose between gloves – which offer dexterity, and mitts – which provide more warmth. Durable materials, reinforced palms, and pre-curved fingers enhance grip and dexterity, while breathable designs help prevent overheating. A snug fit, adjustable closures, and features like wrist leashes, nose wipes, and touchscreen compatibility can also improve usability. We’ve tested six top pairs in the Lake District to find the best for keeping your hands…

Business class for babies Osprey Poco LT £350 “She’s travelling in business class!” laughed the hiker parked next to us, as he watched my husband strap our 10-month-old daughter into the Osprey Poco LT Back Carrier. There was no denying it; the Osprey Poco did feel like the premium way to take a baby hiking. Our daughter, who usually fusses while being strapped into her pushchair, was thankfully calm and curious. She giggled as I lifted the carrier from the ground and into the air, while sliding my arms into the straps. I tightened and adjusted them until I felt comfortable, and the weight felt evenly distributed on my back. This was the first time we’d used the Osprey Poco, and we were impressed. The lightweight stainless steel frame can be folded…

1 NY285060 Head up past the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to the wide Cumbria Way path just above it. Follow the path left into the great hollow of Mickleden. After 3km the path crosses the wide outflow fan of Stake Gill, with a footbridge over the stream. 2 NY261073 Turn right, up to left of the stream, on a clear path. It zigzags up the steep slope, with rebuilt sections. After a stiff climb, the slope eases into the hidden, knolly valley of Langdale Comb. 3 NY260081 From the point right at the beginning of the comb, where the Cumbria Way path crosses Stake Gill, a small path slants up leftwards, west. It keeps below the craggy ground as it goes round, to arrive in the slight saddle 800m north-east…

1 NN294048 Start in the main public car park on the north-west shore of Loch Long. The path up to the mountain starts just across the main road and climbs uphill from the start and follows a seemingly never ending sequence of zigzags through the forest. A forestry track cuts straight through the ascent. Turn left and head toward the tower then leave the track just opposite it to start climbing again. After a tiring slog you exit the forest to the open mountain terrain. Continue on the good path for about 200m, where a track leads leftward, down to a dam. 2 NN279050 Crossing the river at the dam is usually straightforward. There are some big boulders for stepping stones and you shouldn’t need to end up with wet…

Alistair Read performed his first rescue with Ogwen Valley in 1981. Back then, there was no GPS, no mobile phones, the only way to get hold of Mountain Rescue was to have someone go scrabbling down the hill to the nearest phone or hope that someone back home raised the alarm. Since then, almost everything about Mountain Rescue operations has changed, except for its first responsibility. Al Read has been part of OVMRO (Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation/Sefydliad Achub Mynydd Dyffryn Ogwen) for almost 45 years and an Operational Team Leader since 1999. This is one of the busiest Mountain Rescue teams in the UK, dealing with some of the most challenging and consequential call-outs. In 1949, when the government signed off on the use of morphine in rescue situations,…

STEP ONE First, you will need a good pair of winter boots with rigid soles and aggressive tread, rated B2 or B3. Normal summer boots will not provide enough stability or grip for this technique. STEP TWO Angle your boot into the snow. When traversing uphill, the biting edge will be the outward edge of the uphill boot and the inward edge of the downhill boot. When walking directly downhill, it will be your heel and, if walking directly uphill, your toe. STEP THREE Lean slightly into the slope, rolling your knees and ankles so that the edges of your boots firmly cut into the snow. Aim to land with a flat foot, not a foot angled across the snow surface. STEP FOUR Swing your leg from the knee, allowing…

■ THERMOPLUME+ PrimaLoft’s new insulation is made from 100% recycled materials. The soft, feather-like ThermoPlume plumes are combined with synthetic fibre balls to boost the insulation’s resilience and maintain its insulating properties even in damp conditions. ThermoPlume+ has been developed to closely mimic the feel of down and it does a reasonable job. Rab’s Cirrus Ultra Hoody feels like a down jacket when worn, with only its slightly heavier weight and marginally less supple feel giving away the fact it’s not actually down. ■ REFLECTED HEAT Like many of their other insulated jackets and sleeping bags (featuring both down and synthetic insulation), the Cirrus Ultra Hoody features Rab’s TILT (Thermo Ionic Lining Technology) to boost heat retention. This breathable lining functions in the same way as an emergency foil blanket,…

DMM Spire £75 Based in Llanberis in Eryri, DMM’s axes have been forged – literally – in the Welsh mountains. The Spire is its walkers’ axe and is available in four lengths -55cm, 60cm, 65cm and 75cm – with the shortest weighing just 352g. It’s a Type 1 axe, meaning the pick isn’t up to serious mountaineering, but that’s not what this axe is for. With its straight shaft and long length options, the Spire is an outand-out walker’s axe, and a solid one at that. And if you need something a little more mountaineer-y, there’s the curvedshaft Spire Tech. Black Diamond Raven £95 The Raven is another classic walkers’ axe, designed to be used as much as a replacement for a trekking pole as an ice axe. Certainly, in…

1 NY294064 Head north out of the car park that’s located to the left of the Sticklebarn pub and through a couple of gates. Now turn left on the Cumbria Way, leaving the main path up Stickle Ghyll and heading west just above a wall. Follow this path as far as the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, turning left through a gate immediately after the hotel buildings. Follow this path downhill past Middle Fell Farm and then across the old bridge to reach the road on a sharp bend. 2 NY285059 Turn right through a gate onto the private road heading south-west towards Stool End Farm. Follow this road into the farmyard and out through a gate onto a rough track. Follow this track trending left up Oxendale until you can…

1 NN294048 Start in the main public car park on the north-west shore of Loch Long. The path up to the mountain starts just across the main road and climbs uphill from the start and follows a seemingly never-ending sequence of zigzags through the forest. A forestry track cuts straight through the ascent. Turn left and head toward the tower then leave the track just opposite it to start climbing again. After a tiring slog you exit the forest to the open mountain terrain. Continue on the good path for about 200m, where a track leads leftward, down to a dam. Stay on the main path and continue to past the boulders to the lochan. 2 NN261065 At the junction where the descent from Ben Arthur meets the path, continue…

VIEW WITH A ROOM CROWN INN, CONISTON, LAKE DISTRICT You don’t need us to tell you that winter walks and pubs are a magic combination, but we thought you might like to know about the Crown Inn at Coniston. Not only is it the perfect base for the huge array of walks from Coniston, but it’s had a full refurb recently, it serves up great food, and you can grab a winter break in one of their very nice rooms from just £115 for 2 people (B&B per night), which ain’t half bad for the quality. Check the website for the latest offers, at crowninnconiston.co.uk NEW NATIONAL PARK? While all has been quiet for over a year on where England’s new National Park might be situated, Wales has just closed…

It being the winter solstice and darkness being the greater part of the whole, the night is long and empty. Or so you’d think. Up on the mountains, temperatures are well below freezing for the first time this season. Cat ice is stealthily spreading over pools and puddles, with not a ripple stirring the surfaces to impede its intent as it bridges all liquid. The moon, nearly a week past full, shows no signs of waning as it shines down onto the mountains, bathing that harsh landscape in an even harsher light – there is nothing darker than the moon’s shadow. On the mountain’s high path, two inky black shadows, one in front of the other, move with the efficiency of the hunterscavenger. Foxes; a dog and vixen – newly…

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to call Mountain Rescue unless they’re in really dire straits. To avoid being in that situation yourself, the best thing you can do is to prepare well, and to this end Mountain Rescue, in partnership with AdventureSmart, have come up with three key questions to ask yourself before setting foot on the hill. For more detail, check adventuresmart.uk Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day? In winter, your ability to navigate in poor visibility needs to be much sharper than in summer as, in full winter conditions, even large key features can be obscured by snow. You should also know how to walk in crampons, kick steps and perform an ice axe arrest. Do I know what the WEATHER…

Columbia Labyrinth Loop II £170 Columbia refers to its Thermarator insulation as ‘synthetic down’, claiming it combines the look and feel of down with the resilience of synthetic insulation. The insulation is boosted by Omni-Heat Infinity technology, which makes use of tiny gold dots that reflect body heat back to the wearer. Berghaus Ewden £190 This chunky insulated jacket looks like a typical duvet-style jacket. But there’s no down in these baffles. Instead, what you’ll find doing the insulating is Hydroloft, Berghaus’s own attempt to replicate the performance of down in a weatherproof, synthetic insulation. Mountain Equipment Oreus £335 We took a detailed look at the Oreus jacket earlier in 2024 and were impressed; it’s probably the closest thing to synthetic down we’ve used. If light weight and resilience are…

1 NY294064 Past the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel, go through the gate on the footpath that leads out on to the grassy hillside, then through another gate to start your ascent of Stickle Ghyll with the river on your right. Continue on a good, clear, flagstone path, crossing the river at the bridge and continuing up the valley with the river now on your left. Get your scrambling eye in by practising on rocks around the river and Tarn Crag, before you reach the 2 NY288075 At the dam, follow the now gravelly path to the right. Keep following the tarn edge, ignoring three other paths leading away from Pavey Ark, unless you want to avoid the scramble, in which case take the third path heading north with Bright Beck…

1 NN294048 This first section is a mega long walk in. If you’re in a car, you can reduce it by driving round to the Inveruglas car park on Loch Lomond and walking in from there, following the Cowal Way to Coiregrogan. What time you save in walking, you’ll lose in car faff, but it can work well if you do it on your last day and are on your way home anyway. From the Arrochar car park, follow the path to cross the bridge. Across the road from the bridge is a small side road. Follow the road for 250m where a track leads right to the Cowal Way/Three Lochs Way. Join this and then stay on it for nearly 5km. It’s easy to follow and a solid path.…

Wales’ highest peak is the UK’s – and one of the world’s – most visited mountain summits, and this is its best side. CLIMB A STAR OF THIS ISSUE P16 WALK IT If you’ve read the article on page 16 (and if you haven’t, head straight there after reading this) you will realise that we’re a bit in love with Yr Wyddfa. It’s hardly surprising. The highest mountain in the UK outside of Scotland is a handsome lump of rock. But, like many things of great beauty, it has a best side, and that side is undoubtedly its north-eastern profile. View it from between the outstretched arms of the Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd ridges, and it’s easy to see how this mountain caught the imaginations of those training for…