Alpkit Outpost - Issue 09

ISSUE NINE £2.85

BAL A NCE 0 8 The jacket you’ve been waiting for

EMMA P OO LEY 1 0 A Daring Deed from our new Sonder rider

C OL IB RI A L 25 The new road bike for all seasons

THE WHO KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON BUT LET’S #WINWINTER ONE DAY AT A TIME ISSUE.

Grab your stuff. Hat, torch, layers, kit, friends, go.

Warm breath blunts even the sharpest morning.

Wake up, lace up, saddle up, rope up or pitch up.

(And pack up a good lunch).

Early light through trees. The quiet crunch of a frosty path. Pure crystal air deep in your lungs.

Run, hike, climb, camp, swim, bike. #WinWinter

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14 ...JUST A LITTLE FURTHER Introducing our new 65L pack.

6 FIVE ROUTES TO FINDING NATURE Professor Miles Richardson.

12 GET READY FOR THE COLD RUSH Cold water swimming. Brrr.

10 DARING DEED Olympic Medallist Emma Pooley’s Camino-tastic adventure.

16 GRATITUDE. SIMPLICITY. JOY. Thoughts from Ruth Allen, PHD.

21 BUY ONCE BUY WELL Dave Hanney on making Alpkit a force for good.

22 TOUR DE TORS Winter cycling tips.

26 HOW TO REPROOF YOUR COAT 5 steps to a new relationship with your jacket.

Illustration by Jonty Storey. Caridgan-creative.com

5 THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY OF WINTER Low light. High times.

OUTPOST 3

Caroline from Alpkit Hathersage and Tom from our Sonder team make an early start on Dartmoor.

THE GOL DEN OP P OR T UNIT Y OF W INTER The sun may be further away through winter, but it doesn’t leave us. Its late rises and early sets mean that the colder months are the perfect time to grab the golden hour without hideous alarm times or late nights.

Sunrise runs, cycles, hikes and for the brave, swims, are day. A sunset brew at the crag after a day of bouldering with friends marks a satisfying punctuation in your memory.

All it takes are a few extra warm or stove and you’re set.

Go grab the gold.

Tom’s kit

Caroline’s kit

Gamma III Head torch £25.99

Qark Rechargeable head torch £32.99

Kanyo Recycled insulated jacket £99.99

Yakutian midlayer top £49.99

Yakutian midlayer top £49.99 Brevent 22 litre waxed cotton backpack £79.99

Ardent trousers High performance mountaineering trousers £94.99 Presta 20 litre day pack £49.99

OUTPOST 5

Five routes to

Getting closer to nature helps improve your well-being and leads to a healthier, happier life. It helps to manage our moods, boosts our immunity and helps with social isolation. Connecting with nature is a good thing.

As children, we tend to be fascinated by nature. Every living thing is something to be studied and watched. But as we grow up other pressures and interests distract us and many of us lose our connection.

My own re-connection with nature came in 2011, through 250 walks in my local landscape. All I did was note the everyday things I saw and I found wilderness in simple places close to home. That’s the great thing about nature – it’s just outside.

there are many ways to make nature part of your everyday being.

By Miles Richardson Professor of Human Factors & Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby.

Miles’s fascinating research focuses on understanding and improving our connection with nature.

Follow his thoughts and work:

Notice and actively engage with nature through your senses. the trees.

Notice the good things in nature - the joy and calm they can bring. Share feelings about nature with others.

Take time to appreciate beauty in nature and engage with it through art, music or in words.

Explore how nature brings meaning to life. How it appears in songs and stories, poems and art. Celebrate the signs and cycles of nature.

Care for nature. Think about what we can do for nature and take actions that are good for it, such as creating homes for nature, supporting conservation charities and rethinking our shopping habits.

A couple of other things you could try: Try Forest Bathing!

Take Nature Notes

Head out to your nearest wood and immerse yourself in nature. Pay attention to your senses. Breathe it in. Forest bathing is actually a healing practice in Japan where treatment involves a walk in a forest and aims to integrate and harmonise humans with their surroundings.

Get the App! Go Jauntily helps you plan local walks and has a feature for taking ‘Nature Notes’ where you can note down the good things in everyday urban nature helping to play a role in self-management of mental health and well-being.

Shinrin-yoku programmes vary and can include breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, walking, aromatherapy, and other recreational activities (e.g., cooking), that are often aimed at producing relaxation effects for well-being.

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ALICE

“Almost every day I get out onto the hills by my house. It’s time completely to myself.

Sometimes I don’t take much in. And some days are just really special for some reason. It might On these special days I try, try, try to commit these things to memory. But rarely succeed!“

JUST AROUND THE CORNER Outside is well, just outside your door. Nature is there waiting.

Here are some of our team’s close to home thoughts, memories and moments of connection to nature.

ASHLEIGH

“With lockdown restrictions in place it was a great opportunity to buckle down and build up

JO

“My little joy over the past few months has and making them into 3-4 mile loops each

into action by itself and indeed it didn’t.

I needed my own lockdown challenge.

Popping open my local OS map I started to plot a route of bridleways within 10km radius of home.

The result was a 200km circular trip.”

they’re leaves of a petal. And we called them

ALEXANDRIA NICK “As it happened I had just got an allotment earlier this year and hadn’t really done much gardening before! I spent most of everyday learning and cultivating my green space, I’m sure it saved my sanity!”

“This is a summer that’s now locked into our memories, it wasn’t a momentary event but a collection of experiences that I for one will forever remember exactly how old I was at the time. This is the year I turned 50.”

“Er. like, hiss or something?”

NEIL

“I spent my time exploring the North York Moors, giving me a better understanding of my local national park from my front door. It gave me an appreciation that there is so much still to discover from my home.”

JACK

“Aside from now learning every nook and cranny of Beauchief Woods and walking over Totley Moor more times than I can count, most of our (locked) down time was spent in the garden, reading, cooking and camping in our private, invite-only campsite”

ROB

“I love the time of year when you can step outside and see the joy of new life. On a ride with my younger daughter I saw these geese with their brand new goslings strewn across the path. I rode off, shouting, “Watch out, there are a load of new goslings down there!” to every cyclist I passed.”

OUTPOST 7

Introducing our new Balance. A complete update of our most popular jacket ever.

Alpine cut for freedom of movement.

The performance waterproof you’ll never want to take off. Lightweight, soft, durable and highly breathable. And of course, PFC-free. This is the one you’ve been waiting for. A new classic. £179.99

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A jacket to replace our bestseller would have to be absolutely amazing, right?

OUTPOST 9

REAL STORIES, EXPEDITIONS, ROAD TRIPS AND ADVENTURE.

ON MY CAMINO I CAN GO ANYWHERE OLYMPIC MEDALLIST AND SONDER RIDER EMMA POOLEY ON MAKING THE BEST OF IT WHEN THINGS CHANGE.

In March 2020, I was trying to ride my gravel bike as far along the Altravesur route as I could in 10 days. Suddenly, in the space of 24 hours, everything changed.

The government announced a lockdown. I have to admit: I was annoyed. Annoyed at myself for taking the risk of travelling at a time of uncertainty. Annoyed at the waste of all that packing and travel for just 5 days’ cycling

worth it. I was soaked through but at the end of the day

Annoyed at the virus for ruining my holiday. And annoyed at myself for being annoyed - because it was becoming increasingly clear that Covid-19 was going to cost many thousands of lives and millions of livelihoods, and having a holiday cut short is utterly trivial.

it was just too steep and the snow too deep. I discovered that soft snow is tiring, because it’s slippery and drags on feet and wheels.

But tougher still is snow that has an icy crust on top, from melting

But there’s no point moping at home. Together with a buddy, Liesbeth, we came up with an alternative plan: we would bikepack from the front door instead!

Of course there were restrictions because of Corona: we needed to stay local and minimise contact with other people - so no hostels or hotels or restaurants.

We also needed to stay low, because of snow.

QUIET AND BEAUTIFUL TRACKS many quiet and beautiful tracks and paths close to home: new to me despite living in the area for 15 years. It’s a little like mountain running – being immersed in nature On my Camino I can go anywhere: it’s great on the road as well as on rough stuff, and when the going gets technical, it’s my skills that are the limiting factor - not the bike.

I planned what I thought was a

Sonder Rider Emma Pooley One of Great Britain’s most respected and successful road cyclists. Emma is the winner of 10 Olympic, World & Commonwealth Medals. emmapooley.net @pooleyemma Photography: augustusfarmer.com

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became apparent that the going was a lot slower than I realised.

We were weighed down with all the gear to bivouac above the snow line, cooking equipment and food.

Plus a bottle of red wine because, well, it was a holiday! On the last steep climb we encountered real snow. At some point I lost control and my bike fell on me: I was stuck in the snow trapped by the weight of all the gear. Liesbeth laughed at me and I laughed at myself but it was all

with wine whilst taking in the view of snowy mountains.

KNEE DEEP SNOW FOR 4KM The next day, stinking of sweat and woodsmoke, we set off for a longer up through knee-deep snow for 4km, half-carrying and half-pushing the bikes. Any hope I had of riding

disadvantages of being slippery and draggy PLUS the added pain of the sharp icy crust scraping your shins at every step! Some swear words were uttered on the descent.

Liesbeth had the smart idea of rolling her knee warmers down to act as shin guards.

After a few tough hours we made it back onto dry gravel. We sat in the sun to assess our bleeding shins, about the fact we had only covered 15km in half a day. The trip felt as refreshing and relaxing as a weeklong holiday. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt. It was the start of rediscovering the joy of local adventures.

After years of planning my racing, training and travel months or even years in advance, it’s been liberating to be more spontaneous. The off-road cycling adventures don’t feel like training, because I never think about heart rate or power or even distance - just about getting to the camping spot before dark.

I’ve enjoyed riding my bike this year more than I can remember.

£300,000 AWARDED TO 800 PROJECTS

The Lindley Educational Trust works with community groups in Ashton,

Long term projects have far reaching outcomes...

It brings the outdoors to new generations that would never think of the Peak District as a place for them.

Edale is only 20 miles from Manchester

of a Foundation grant in 2015 and we support its Winter Mountaineering Course which is much more than a week in the Cairngorms.

as well be the moon.

Lindley’s work improves knowledge,

We’re incredibly proud that Alpkit Foundation has awarded £300,000 to over 800 projects.

Projects that span education, environment, diversity, participation and well-being. It’s you, our customers, that make all this possible.

Yes, you. Thank you.

TOGETHER, WE’RE MAKING THIS HAPPEN. ALPKIT DONATES 1% OF SALES AND AT LEAST 10% OF ANNUAL PROFIT TO SUPPORT GRASS ROOTS PROJECTS.

has helped so many from disadvantaged outdoors.

It’s been doing this for decades.

Truly inspiring.

Rehna attended the youth project herself and got hooked. She started volunteering and is now the Project Lead at Ashton Youth Club. These few words from her illustrate how deeply Lindley changes people’s lives: “Without Lindley I wouldn’t be where I am today. All the opportunities and experiences have helped shape the woman I am.. I will forever be grateful to Lindley and I look forward to many years ahead.”

“It’s become a rite of passage for many young people from our community. We really do break down some barriers. We get people from conservative Asian backgrounds and it’s always popular with young women.

Traditionally, these young women don’t get the chance to explore such opportunities, as they are expected to use their time to learn life skills such as cooking and looking after their families.

The project is fantastic, over a 12 month period they have to raise around £6,000, learn mountaineering skills, work as a close-knit team and plan their expedition. It’s a life changing experience and is the responsibility and commitment.”

Rehna Yaseen

APPLY OR DONATE Do you know of a deserving project or think you’re someone that only needs

OUTPOST 11

COLD RUSH Ben makes a splash in the Lotic Swimming Wetsuit

Our best all-round wetsuit for outdoor swimming ÂŁ149.99

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A massive surge of adrenaline.

An instant feeling of being completely and utterly alive.

And the most amazing buzz that lasts for hours and hours.

Wild swimming in winter is unique. It isn’t type 2 fun.

It doesn’t give you the endorphin rush that you get from a physical workout. It’s an intense zing, that starts the moment you’re in.

Ben takes a deep breath in the Hurley

“By Jingo that’s fresh”

Long sleeved top for outdoor swimming £29.99

So if you’ve not tried it, to getting started: ONE. Decide to do it. This is it – you’re going in. Find some friends as daft, sorry, brave, as you are.

Together, you’ll stick to the plan – and importantly, help keep each other safe.

TWO. Pick your spot. There’s a great community spirit amongst outdoor swimmers so get involved with local Facebook and WhatsApp groups and you’ll often be amazed what you discover. In the meantime, our friends at the outdoorswimmingsociety.com have their wildswim.com map to

THREE. Wear a wetsuit if you want.

And even a woolly hat. Or just swimwear (as Ali at our Keswick store chooses to do, all year you’re comfortable with.

FOUR. Take your time and breathe.

Diving in like a wannabe superhero isn’t the way to do it. Stand by the water’s edge and prepare for the “oh sh%^£%!!” as you slide into the water. Then control your breathing and stay calm. And don’t hang about. In cold water just a few seconds counts as a swim.

FIVE. Enjoy the afterglow. It starts the moment you’re out of the water. Sometimes you’re shaking and shaking. Sometimes you sprint around the water’s edge.

A hot drink in a cosy jacket is always a winner for us at this point. And even as the warmth gradually spreads through our bodies, the intense feeling of being touched deeply by the cold stays for hours. This is the feeling you’ll love. Anything feels possible now. Wrestle a crocodile.

Pogo stick to the moon. Go nuts.

Natural Born Chillers Fancy a real deep freeze? Ice water drops below 5°C and every February over a hundred people take part in the Ice Swimming World Championships.

Silvertip opens up the possibility of swimming in cold, cold water.

Silvertip, £199.99 Read Vic Rickman Poole’s Daring Deed: winter-swimming-championships-2016

Kinza warms up in the Haven Warm and weatherproof changing robe £79.99

OUTPOST 13

...JUST A LITTLE FURTHER. Heading out into the hills in the morning and returning for a well-earned brew at the end of the day is all very well, but sometimes you just want more. How about ending a full day of walking, tired and happy but excited that there’s another one to follow tomorrow? And the day after. And the day after that. Welcome to the world of long distance walking: everything you love about one day in the hills but with a little added challenge, freedom, independence and fun.

Step right this way…

The Pennine Way. Iconic, classic and considered by many to be “the” long distance trip: nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/pennine-way The West Highland Way. Ninety-six miles from Milngavie to Fort William through some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery: westhighlandway.org South West Coast Path.

At 630 miles, it’s the UK’s longest national trail beginning in Somerset and ending in Poole Harbour: southwestcoastpath.org.uk

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35 litres is Alpine minimalism. 50 litres is fast and light. 65 litres is your home away from home:

adjustable back system.

it weighs just 1.8kg.

from strong fabrics and reinforced where it matters.

And then for 500 more.

And then for, yeah, you get the idea.

THE ULITMATE MOBILE HOME (10KG BASE WEIGHT) 1. Pipedream 600 Ultra-lightweight 4 season goose down sleeping bag. £279.99 2. Cloud Base camping mat weighing 420g. £44.99 3. Brukit All-in-one cooking system. £44.99 4. MytiPot 900 Titanium camp mug. £34.99

5. Lampray Light and phone charger. £39.99

10. SnapWire Foon / SnapWire Knife Lightweight folding titanium cutlery. £7.99 each.

6. Airlok 24L Lightweight Drybag. £14.99

15. Haline Gloves Waterproof gloves. £39.99 16. Qark Rechargeable head torch. £32.99

11. Hydra Wallit Keep your phone protected from water and dirt. £11.99

7. Hythe Jammer swim shorts. £19.99

12. Heavy Weight Hiker Boot length socks. £13.99

8. Backpacker First Aid Kit For dealing with backpacking emergencies in wild places. £14.99

19. Fluxon 1000 lumen rechargeable handheld torch. £44.99

13. Clip / Single

20. Firepot Meal Pouch Dehydrated meal pouch. £6.49

17. Outdoor Provisions energy bar Snacktastic. £1.90

65 litre rucksack. £79.99

18. Jaran 2 Ultralight 3 season tent. £229.99

22. Carbon Marathon Ultra Twins Compact trekking poles. £79.99

£10.99 14. Mountain Beanie Colourful, cosy and commonsensical. £9.99

9. Drift camping pillow. £13.99

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OUTPOST 15

REAL STORIES, EXPEDITIONS, ROAD TRIPS AND ADVENTURE. With lengthening days and weekends of short travel, my map of the local area became a feature on the dining table, and previously unexplored lanes, roads, byways, and paths became known and gradually loved. With each week that lockdown continued I started

GRATITUDE. SIMPLICITY. JOY. RUTH ALLEN, PHD, ON THE INVALUABLE LESSONS SLOWING DOWN CAN TEACH US

I would be lying if I said that the travel accept at times. The prospect of a rolling loss of spring and summer adventures further of the year, and old stories reminiscing about a Scottish jaunt here, or an Alpine trip there were never far from my tongue, as I stomped around avoiding the map shelf.

But something else happened this year.

Something unexpected and sort of magical. time – to really connect with my local place and nearby nature on my beloved gravel bike, in a way that I had never given myself the chance to do before. Caught up in that very modern, social media fuelled anxiety of needing to go everywhere and do everything, I rarely made quality time to be in my own landscape, exploring what it had to offer.

This, a place I had chosen to live but seemed to spend most of my time leaving. For years, I’ve missed Spring and Summer, taking the of activities in places that take hours to plan, yet alone reach.

Ruth Allen PhD, MNCS Outdoor/ Ecospychotherapist, Trainer & Writer. Therapy Professional Coaching.

Former Geologist.

You can read more about Ruth’s’ work at whitepeakwellbeing.com/ or follow her on Instagram @whitepeak_ruth

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And all of this was exactly what I wanted, or so I told myself. Working hard all week, and spending the weekends travelling up and down the country see or try, was the life I desired for myself. And I suspect I would never have questioned it, had the pandemic not forced a standstill and given I exhaust myself or constantly chase an image of what adventure should look like.

me to strengthen my attachment to home.

Instead of rushing around, I found myself pootling often, stopping for photos, going out just to drink my tea on a bench I discovered the previous week, cycling to the river to swim as often as I could. In short: slowing down, taking my time, doing things for the love of movement again. I realised how much I had bought into the prevailing narrative of what adventure should look like, even when I thought I was doing things differently.

With a forced boundary around how far I could go, the pandemic was an invitation to simplify Did I really need a constant supply line of different landscapes and routes? Did the complexity really leave me relaxed and mentally well? Or was it, that I barely even had time to notice anymore? Focusing on my local terrain, was not only a valuable bonding experience, it was a lesson in how to feel calm every day, and a bit more grateful. For the health that allows me to get out and about and move my body during a testing time, for the life unfurling around me in the rest of nature that was reassuringly ever-present. Genuine and felt gratitude is a huge driver of emotional and psychological wellbeing, and this year I learned how to be actively grateful.

As a psychotherapist, I walk alongside people as they work through the choices they might need to make to support their own mental health and wellbeing, and though I wouldn’t have chosen to restrict myself to my local area this year, would I make this choice for myself

Yes, I would.

“Slowing down, taking my time, doing things for the love of movement again.”

OUTPOST 17

Embrace the darkness

DAY OR NIGHT. SEIZE THE WINTER MOMENTS.

Gamma III Running head torch with white, red and green LEDs £25.99

Qark 580 lumen rechargeable head torch for running, hiking and climbing £32.99

Ben & Caroline’s kit Gravitas Ultra-lightwieght waterproof jacket £159.99 Koulin Tights Trail running leggings £29.99

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THE 5KG OVERNIGHT SETUP 1. Gamma III Running head torch with white, red and green LEDs. £25.99

6. Williams Whistle Survival whistle. £1.99 7. Specta Pullover Glove Windproof pullover mitt. £23.99

2. Kepler Lightweight Beanie

8. Kepler Draught Excluder Merino neck warmer. £22.99

merino beanie. £23.99 3. Koulin Trail Tights Technical trailleggings. £29.99

9. Parallax Lightweight, breathable waterproof trousers. £79.99

4. Survival Bag Emergency thermal survival bag. £5.99

11. Elan Free-standing hooped bivvy bag. £99.99 12. Hydra Wallit Keep your phone protected from water and dirt. £11.99 13. Vayper long sleeve High performance base layer made from 100% recycled fabric. £34.99 14. Griffon Gridded micro

10. Outdoor Provisions energy bar Ethical goodness. £1.90

16. MytiPot 900 Titanium camp mug. £34.99 17. Pipedream 400 Ultra-lightweight 3 season goose down sleeping bag. £219.99

And don’t forget...

20. Solo Adventure First Aid Kit Race requirement kit. £9.99

18. Gourdon 20 20 litre waterproof backpack. £31.99 19. Gravitas Ultra-lightweight waterproof jacket. £159.99

£44.99

5. Williams Compass Expedition compass. £12.99

15. Kraku Ultra-compact titanium micro camping stove. £27.99

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OUTPOST 19

Jura Mountain Smock. £119.99 Hood like a pile lined hat.

Wet? Doesn’t matter.

After 30 seconds you’ll warm up and feel good.

vents like a chimney to dump heat and avoid overheating.

Windproof fabric to keep off the chill.

100% Recycled Pile.

Long hairs pick up moisture and transport it away from your skin.

Kangaroo pockets can dry gloves because of continuous evaporation.

Loved by winter climbers, ice bikers, park rangers, early morning photographers, birdwatchers, outdoor professionals. Loved by us.

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It’s our shared love of the outdoors and belief in nature that binds us. Life is good. It’s building a good team and paying the right way.

From the day Alpkit was founded in 2004, we set about doing business the Most importantly its designing great, well-made product and to be there for our customers, whatever the situation.

our customers too.

We’re not perfect and don’t pretend to have all the answers but I’ve always

Many businesses see sustainability as differently. Products that need to be carefully designed and then made with quality materials by the best factories.

The result is the best performing, longest lasting and most sustainable kit.

Sustainability is not a tick-box and this is evident through everything we do.

then we’ll learn, become better Together, small steps make a

OUR SIX SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES In 2018 we worked with Ethical who helped us develop our thinking into 6 sustainability principles and we’ve recently put these principles through rigorous testing and become a

1. REDUCE REUSE REPAIR RECYLE 2. RESPECT OUR ENVIRONMENT 3. TREAT ANIMALS HUMANELY 4. WORK WITH PEOPLE WE BELIEVE IN

OUR CEO AND CO-OWNER DAVE HANNEY ON WHY LESS IS MORE

BUY ONCE. BUY WELL.

5. BUILD A BETTER BUSINESS 6. GIVE BACK

It was astonishing to re-read Blue Peter’s Green Book after 30 years. It brought home just how we’ve known about sustainability issues all our lives.

Now we’re grown up, and as co-owners of an outdoor brand, we know it’s our time; we’re building our business to be the change we want to see.

Buy your copy for £3.29 online from fellow B Corps; worldofbooks.com

OUTPOST 21

TOUR DE TORS

WHERE IS MY RIGHT HAND GLOVE? CAN I WEAR THREE PAIRS OF SOCKS? I SHOULD REALLY FIT MUDGUARDS. NEXT SEASON STARTS HERE, ETC. WHAT EVEN IS A KNEE WARMER? ‘THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER’. WHAT DOES ‘SHOWERY SPELLS MEAN?’, HOW MANY CAFES ARE ON THIS ROUTE? I’VE ONLY JUST CLEANED MY BIKE. AH, WINTER CYCLING IS BACK. OH HOW WE’VE MISSED YOU.

“Mallorca?”

WIDECOMBE-ON-THE-MOOR

DARTMEET A pair of Colibri Als on some classic Dartmoor terrain.

Arro Vest Performance windproof gilet £34.99 Arro Super lightweight and packable classic windproof £44.99

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Don’t mess with Dartmoor.

Dartmoor may not boast the highest peaks but don’t let that fool you. It makes up for that with plenty of punchy (25%+!) climbs that when mixed with a variety of hidden switchbacks, quiet lanes, idyllic valleys and rolling moors make excellent road riding territory. Just be wary of tractors, cattle, sheep and ponies you’ll be sharing the roads with.

We’d seen a 32 mile route that promised the rather brutal Dartmeet, followed by the more drawn out Widecombe-in-the-

You get a front row seat to Mother Nature’s most lovely displays of glistening frosty of snow on the tops. The empty roads and trails are bliss after the chaos that summer take on a new level of enjoyment.

Yeah there are a few inconveniences.

Those tan lines you formed over summer will go to ruin and you seem to only have 3 left gloves, plus no one can take a positive spin from a block headwind...

But who doesn’t love snuggling up in all

the impressive Haytor rocks. The morning’s weather was a classic UK winter effort.

Who packed the waterproof socks?

and stepping out for a bit of a scrap with whatever inclement weather turns up?

That turbo trainer e-racing scene can wait a little longer…

Winter cycling.

Essential kit.

When temperatures drop and the nights close in we could of course lock our bikes away, or shackle them to a turbo trainer, banished from the light of day until Spring comes back around. But that would make us very very sad, and probably very very grumpy in not much time at all, and just

There’s a plethora of advice out there on good layering, technical winter clothing and techniques for regulating temperature but there are a few bits we reckon you can’t do a British winter with out.

Sonder. Winter riding is actually awesome once you’ve embraced it.

A nice and easy to type in link to the route we played on: keeprollingmtbblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/05/dartmoorroad-rides-dartmeet-widecombe-and-haytor-vale-the-big-3/

A reliable weatherproof set of gloves, something to cover your ears, like a full-head skullcap or a headband. Some Waterproof overshoes to keep your toes snug and lastly, a good old neckwarmer will make all the difference. Thank us later.

If you’re planning to #winwinter on the road bike then check alpkit.com/blogs/spotlight/cycle-layering

HAYTOR VALE

Shhh. No one tell Caroline it’s raining.

Spectra Anti-fog cycling eyewear £19.99

OUTPOST 23

HOW A PENCIL BEATS THE CYCLE INDUSTRY

Neil Sutton is as likely to be talking to customers as he is to be in the workshop.

And when he’s designing, he arms himself with pencil and paper.

This last bit’s important. It’s heart-warming in this modern world that one man can take on the might of the cycle industry and win. Neil’s latest win is the Colibri Ti, which won 2020 Women’s Bike of the Year Neil designs every Sonder bike.

He listens to where you ride, what you like to do and what you love about the bikes the details.

So how is Neil able to take on the biggest names in the industry? Let’s ask him:

Obsessive Design I start with the journey a bike is for. If I’m designing a bike to take to the mountains I ask questions like, “Will people be pedalling a few hours or all day?”, “Is this a on tight, twisty trails?”, or “How about the things you carry with you?”.

“WE WORK WITH AMAZING FACTORIES WHERE CRAFT AND WORKMANSHIP ARE OUTSTANDING.”

the character I want from each bike.

It lets me focus on ride quality so I can get the materials and components right from the start. Character comes from mixing the big decisions with the small details. With the Signal, I knew it was a trail bike built for riding fast. So it had to be a 29er for pace. But it had to be a good pedaller too and somewhere you’d want to sit all day. To give that comfort, I knew it had to be a titanium frame. Those are the big decisions. Then it comes to the more subtle details. Things like wheel base, reach, stack height, chainstay length. Small changes here massively change how a bike rides and handles.

Here’s an example. You need a long wheelbase to make a bike that’s stable at speed – a 20mm change in wheelbase will dramatically change stability. But you have to be really careful where to add that 20mm. To keep the bike playful, you need to keep the chainstays nice and short.

So the 20mm needs to go into the front triangle. But again, you can’t just make the top tube longer because then the bike won’t climb so well. So tweak the seat angle to add that 20mm and keep the ride character. It’s the details that are important.

I’m picky too when it comes to the build quality of our bikes. I spend time making sure factories meet our exacting standards. We want bikes to last for years and we want them to look great. craft and workmanship are outstanding.

It’s a pleasure to see my designs built by the people we work with. We once made a custom belt-drive titanium bike for a customer so needed a hidden join to pass the belt through. Honestly, if I didn’t show you where the join was, you’d spend a long

Testing in the real world We test by riding. In the places and conditions the bikes are designed for. We have some quite incredible Sonder riders that test our bikes and give feedback so each bike is spot on.

I ride all bikes myself to make sure they ride as I intend. For the Evol I was up in Fort William, pedalling round the red route then up on the lift to ride fast down Top Chief. It’s only when you spend long hours on a bike and really pushing it that you really know whether you’ve got it 58kph on two-foot wide board walk at the top of Top Chief.

NEIL SUTTON, SONDER BIKE DESIGNER 24 alpkit.com

Built in the best factories in the world

ROAD BIKE OF THE YEAR. NOW AVAILABLE IN ‘HELL YES’ ALUMINIUM.

The endurance road bike for remote roads and the toughest climbs, whatever the weather. Based on the award-winning Colibri Ti, the Colibri Al is the bike for riding fast and smooth, day after day. Every day of the year. Take it to the Alps, ride Britain’s most remote and broken roads, choose it as your partner for ultra-endurance racing.

Disc brakes, thru-axles, carbon fork, clearance for 36mm tyres and all the mounts you need.

Yep, Neil’s thought about it all.

Every Sonder is built to order, so you can have have your Colibri Al just how you want it.

It’s a bike you’ll love for years.

Time to make some room in your shed.

The Colibri is inspired by the hummingbird.

In fact, Colibri is a genus of the hummingbird.

They’re lightweight and travel immense distances, very quickly.

Builds from £1,049.

EVERY ONE HAS A STORY. WHAT’S YOURS? OUTPOST 25

26 alpkit.com

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO RUN, HIKE, CLIMB, CAMP, SWIM, AND BIKE THIS WINTER.

Bring in your battered gear to be patched up by our repair team. Price lists at alpkit.com

SCHOOL OF SONDER ADVENTURE DEMOS AND WORKSHOP ALPINE BOND

REPROOF SERVICE

Waterproof not beading like it used to? We’ll reproof it so it works like it did when it was new.

Regular School of Adventure talks, events, screenings and workshops

If one of our products does not meet your expectations upon delivery, or if during its lifetime does not live up to the demands placed upon it, please Jacket in need of a little TLC? return it to us for repair, Sleeping bag soaked after a replacement or refund. If soggy bivvy? We’ll give it a the problem is our fault careful wash and a proper dry then we will do this to so it’s ready your next adventure. your satisfaction.

DOWN WASH

is available to hire at £39/day. Or book your steed in with our mechanic – it doesn’t even have to be a Sonder, we’ll fettle it.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY RECYCLING Call for prices.

It’s simple: you send us any brand of unwanted outdoor clothing and equipment by dropping it off in store or

FREE RETURNS

CONTINUUM

FREE If something’s not quite right, we’ll exchange or refund your purchase, DELIVERY no matter the reason. Enjoy free delivery on our standard service or upgrade to a faster service when your appointment with adventure is more pressing.

BOULDER MAT HIRE

Call to arrange mat hire for £10/day.

alpkit.com or visit one of our

Prices correct as of September 2020 and subject to change

REPAIR STATION

Keswick

1% of all sales goes towards helping people get outside

OUTPOST 27

The new Fortitude is for ultimate protection on UK mountains.

Its classic hillwalking cut shields you from a howling easterly. It’s a fortress against horizontal rain.

The three-layer fabric is perfect for layering and will keep you

warm and dry when you’re working hard. Oh, and the durable water repellent is completely PFC-free – so all this protection comes without using any nasty chemicals. Nice. £179.99

ALPINE