Trail magazine October 2015

Cat Bells by night Secrets of Schiehallion Nantlle Ridge

PHOTO COMP FINALISTS

LIVE FOR THE OUTDOORS

Our judges have spoken:pick your winner!

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING HILLWALKING MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2015 £4.45

OCTOBER 2015

13 routes to explore The Cheviot|Ennerdale Cheviot Ben Nevis| Nevis Glyders PLUS Knoydart icon Ladhar Bheinn in 3D

GEAR UP!

Hill trousers and the latest big packs tested

T

Coast-to-Coast Stunning NEW way to go long in the Lakes

Beacons Way the one that isn’t dead until it’s warm and dead

Weekend-sized highlights of the south Wales epic

LONG DISTANCE

West Highland Way Hypothermia. Injury. Glory!

Tackling an epic against the odds

...YOUR WAY

From 2 days to 6 months: how to find (or create) the big route for you

Contents

WHERE TRAIL WILL TAKE YOU

You might know Wales, but do you know the Nantlle Ridge? Page 58.

BASE CAMP Climb it

SKILLS 6

Stybarrow Dodd, for ‘an overwhelming view’

Experience it

8

Wild camping in Scotland, for the sheer thrill

Vote in our photo comp!

10

Here is the short-list, but which is the best?

The Mountain Inquisition 18 BEN WEEKS

The naked truth about comedian Bill Bailey

Expert advice

72

Hypothermia – the facts; caring for trekking poles; learn leapfrogging; how to summon help; you and deerstalking; lightweight tent chooser; staying safe when walking solo; OS versus Harvey maps; how to time a walk

YOUR TRAIL In box

22

The world of hillwalking: your thoughts

Out there Subscribe to Trail and get a waterproof pack – page 56!

ADVENTURES

24

Your top mountain moments + Face of fatigue

Subscribe to Trail

56

Sign up today and get a waterproof rucksack

Win the best new gear!

101

Outdoor kit worth over £563 is up for grabs

Long distance special The art of long distance walking LDPs to suit all time budgets The West Highland Way The Coast-to-Coast Bitesize LDPs The Beacons Way Behind the picture

28 32 34 40 52 46 54

Nantlle Ridge

58

Been to Wales? Done it all?

We bet you ain’t...

Cat Bells bivvy

62

Can Trail’s camping coward cope on his own?

Schiehallion To southern Scotland, on a scientific quest

66

Each individual mountain retains a grandness that contradicts its relative lack of metres

Huge sacks for big g trips: page 90.

Oh, we do like to be on the Coast-toCoast... page 40

TOM BAILEY

Get your kecks on page 82!

TOM BAILEY

Loving long distance, in the Brecon Beacons (above), and on the West Highland Way (right): pages 46 and 34.

HANNAH JAMES

GEAR GUIDE GE Hot new kit

ALL NEW! ROUTES 80

Box-fresh stuff that Trail likes the look of

Hill trousers

82

The best legwear for periodic perambulation

Gaiters

86

Not cool, not sexy; but shun them at your peril

Rucksacks

90

Big backpacking sacks for a variety of users

Kit me out for...

92

...preserving mountain moments for posterity

First test

95

New Berghaus jacket + new Gore fabric

Used & abused

98

Team Trail appraises its most-worn gear

1 The Cheviot 2 The Dodds 3 Crag Hill 4 Elidir Fawr 5 Great Rhos 6 Ben Rinnes 7-9 Broughton 10-12 Capel Curig

109 111 113 115 117 119 121 125

Map of the Month Suilven

Ben Rinnes

Ridge Guide CMD Arête

6

The Cheviot

Broughton 7 8 9

3

10 11 12

PLUS Walks of a lifetime Ridge guide Map of the month

Walks of a Lifetime Knoydart

The Dodds

Crag Hill

Capel Curig

Elidir Fawr

2

4

Great Rhos

130 135 137

● CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE AND GO HILLWALKING!

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 5

5

1

2 20 015 201 UK MOUNTAIN MOUNTA N

PHOTO OF THE YEAR The short-list has been finalised by our judges. Now it’s time for you to pick the winner.

A

fter six months and hundreds of amazing entries (plus a few dodgy ones) the deadline for Trail’s UK Mountain Photo of the Year competition has finally passed.

Our judges, including Britain’s greatest high-altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes and renowned outdoor photographer Colin Prior, have scrutinised every entry

In this image, titled ÕBlack Cuillin, Red SkyeÕ, Adrian Trendall captures walking partner Elaine Kale descending from Sgurr Thearlaich towards Bealach Mhic Coinnich during their two-day traverse of the Cuillin Ridge. The Inaccessible Pinnacle is clearly visible as the highest point on the left.

10 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

and whittled the images down to a final short-list of 22. We’d originally intended to choose 20, but when it came to it we couldn’t bring ourselves to eliminate any of the wonderful photographs you’ll see spread across the following seven pages.

But now it’s over to you, dear reader.

We have created an online gallery at www.lfto.com/photocomp

where you can view every entry in large format, then vote for the image you think deserves to be crowned the 2015 ‘UK Mountain Photo of the Year’.

The winning photograph will be printed in Trail’s December issue, with a 24.3 megapixel Nikon D750 camera plus a 24-85mm FX lens (worth £2,250) being awarded to the victorious snapper.

5 VOTE FOR YOUR WINNER NOW!

Base Camp The terraced northern escarpment of Corn Du in the Brecon Beacons in its full winter coat,

by Grant Hyatt.

WWW.LFTO.COM/ PHOTOCOMP

OFFICIAL SPONSOR

A classic mountain moment as the sun sinks below the summit of Glyder Fawr, by Justin van Marle.

The very first entry we received was this epic shot of Liathach’s Northern Pinnacles by Finn Curry.

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 11

GREEN GABLE LAKE DISTRICT Here are Peter and Susanna Robinson from Scarborough (second and fourth left), with their son Andy (left), niece Ali and her husband Peter, about to ascend Great Gable, prior to an evening celebrating Peter and Susanna’s 40th wedding anniversary!

Susanna told Trail, “We rent a house in Ambleside each year and look forward to some great walks with family.”

SNOWDON SNOWDONIA Andy Stephens from Wrexham, pointing the way to a stunning cloud inversion from Snowdon’s south ridge… “a great scene on a stunning day in north Wales”. The photo was taken by the trig!

24 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

CROAGHAUN ACHILL ISLAND Lucas Magill (7) from Carrickfergus, practising his ‘man leg’ (boy leg?) pose after a day’s scrambling in Co Mayo with his dad Marty, who took the photo.

Out there Send us your shots, share your adventures

Email your photos to us, along with a description of what was special about your day, and we’ll publish the most inspiring examples!

Put Out there in the subject box, and send them to trail@bauermedia.co.uk

CANNON STONE TRYFAN

MELLBREAK LAKE DISTRICT

Emmaline Hassett and Craig Witts from Hednesford, pausing to pose on a route they did over Tryfan and the Glyders to celebrate their recent engagement. The photo was taken by their proud father/ father-in-law-to-be Brian Witts.

Sarah Boyle, Jackie Rothwell o and n Julie Bland from Kendal, on ttheir final W Wainwright.

Sarah said, “Perfect weather a for it! Celebrated with champagne at the top and a p pint at the Kirkstile Inn. Taken us just over 2 years, every Friday whatever the weather. Now w hoping to revisit the ones where we were in n the clouds and missed the views.”

AONACH EAGACH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Matt Goodburn from South London, just after completing the ‘Crazy Pinnacles’ section of Aonach Eagach, “after 20 years of fretting about it”! Matt told Trail he did the route with old school mates Kevin McSorley and Glynn Dodd (who took the pic), to tick off Munros 168 and 169 respectively, in murky but mainly dry weather. He added, “A couple of interesting moments, but apart from one tricky downclimb it was okay. Bring on the Skye Ridge!”

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 25

Long distance your way

Every step of

THE WEST HIGHLAND WAY

Two people. A dog. Five days. One path. Countless problems. How Trail’s assault on the West Highland Way became a full-on battle against the odds.

WORDS HANNAH JAMES

W

ith 70 miles still to walk, my left Achilles went. Just like that. Then, with 68 miles still to go, my right followed suit. Only 26 miles in to our route, I couldn’t walk. Surely, nothing worse could happen.

But stop: let’s go back to the start. We had a carefully laid plan; it was a good plan – challenging enough but nothing too difficult.

We were walking Scotland’s West Highland Way. We planned to take five days instead of  34 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

You’ll pass Beinn Dorain about halfway along the WHW. Rainbow not guaranteed, but you never know... © JOHN MCKENNA / ALAMY

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 35

Long distance your way BA W TH EN SS LAKE

ULLOCK PIKE

TRAILÕS ROUTE

SKIDDAW HOUSE

SKIDDAW

Strenuousness l l l l l lllll Navigation lllll Technicality

SALE HOW CARL SIDE

AIT E

Days of walking 2 Distance 43km (26¾ miles) Youth hostels 1 B&Bs 1 Start Windermere, NY377030 Finish Bassenthwaite Lake, NY222295

BLENCATHRA DAY 2

THRELKELD

B&B

CLOUGH HEAD

CALFHOW PIKE GREAT DODD WATSON'S DODD STYBARROW DODD

THIR

RAISE

LME RE LOWER MAN HELVELLYN

R E D TA R N NETHERMOST PIKE

DOLLYWAGON PIKE

GRISEDALE TA R N FAIRFIELD

DAY 1

HIGH PIKE LOW PIKE

Leaving Helvellyn and Red Tarn behind, with much mileage to do.

40 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

AMBLESIDE

YHA

WINDERMERE

A new kind of

COASTTO-COAST

Trail’s trio warm up on the ’coast’ of Windermere.

Can't decide on a route? Shove the guidebook in the glovebox and make up your own. We did, and here’s why you should too...

WORDS SARAH RYAN PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

T

here’s a lot to be said for following a wellestablished long distance path. You can feel confident you won’t get lost. You can faithfully assume that since so many others have walked the path before you that it must, surely, be a good one worth following. You can simply switch off and let your feet drift along the lichen-spattered, boot-smoothed slabs, enjoying the views until you reach your destination. But hang on just a nanosecond… switch off? Who in their right mind would want to travel to the most beautiful mountains in the country, surround themselves in grandeur, playground rocks and everywhere-all-at-once views – and then flick the lucidity button to ‘off’?

Popular paths can be a wonderful introduction, a navigationally easeful amble; and when you bring up the topic in the pub, everyone knows what you’re talking about.

But when you have the freedom and ability to climb any mountains in Britain, in any order that takes your fancy…

Well, there’s a lot of potential in that last sentence, and not all of it falls along a path. 

Long distance your way

The best bits of

THE BEACONS WAY If you don’t fancy all 95 miles of this mountainous National Park traverse, the solution is simple. Pick out the best bits on an action-packed two-day getaway.

WORDS OLI REED PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

A

nnounce to a roomful of people that you’re planning to walk from Holy Mountain to Bethlehem and you’ll hear the collective thud of jaws hitting the floor. Then, once you’ve got their attention, reverse the bombshell with the slightly less show-stopping revelation that your 95 mile route passes through the hillsides of southern Powys rather than the plains of Palestine. It may sound like a pilgrimage straight from the pages of the Old Testament, but the route in question is more commonly known as The Beacons Way  – and it’s absolutely wonderful.

46 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

Setting up camp on the 562m summit of Bryn, with the peaks of the Central Beacons behind.

The Beacons Way footpath runs along the ridges on the right-hand skyline.

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 47

GET A

WATERPROOF WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND BENEFIT FROM: • A quality gift worth £30 • Having each copy delivered directly to your door/device • Saving against shop prices • Save 50% off an annual membership and 10% off any bookings made through the YHA website

GIFT WORTH

£30!

(Dripping deputy editor not included)

BEN WEEKS

DON’T MISS OUT! The Regatta Hydrotech 25L boasts a 25 litre capacity, waterproof Hydrafort polyester grid ripstop fabric, taped seams, a rolltop lid with side fastening details and padded shoulder straps. It’s a great bit of kit, so sign up today!

Simon Ingram, editor

CALL 01858 438884 AND QUOTE JBAA Lines open p 8am-9.30pm p (Mon-Fri), ( ), 8am-4pm p (Sat). ( ) Overseas readers please p call +44 1858 438828

Subscribe!

RUCKSACK TO TRAIL!

Enjoy a year of Trail from £52* PLUS a Regatta Hydrotech 25L pack worth £30

PRINT ONLY

DIGITAL ONLY

PRINT+ DIGITAL

*when you pay by direct debit

*when you pay by direct debit

*when you pay by direct debit

13 issues for £57.85

13 issues for £57.85

13 issues for £67.85

FROM JUST £52

when you pay by credit/debit card

FROM JUST £52

when you pay by credit/debit card

FROM JUST £62

when you pay by credit/debit card

PLUS ACCESS TO 1,000 FREE ROUTES

and unlimited printable OS mapping for a year**!

Search and download over 1,000 Trail Routes, print personalised Ordnance Survey maps and directions, plan your adventures and share online. The digital mapping subscription covers the whole UK, so create a lifetime of walking adventures and save them to your GPS or phone. ** A TrailZilla subscription is only available with a digital subscription if you purchase it through Great Magazines.

CLICK WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK/TRAIL Terms & conditions Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. This offer closes on 7 October 2015 and is available on UK orders only. Please note colours may vary. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

The minimum term is for 13 issues (1 year) when paying by direct debit and will continue at this offer price every 13 issues thereafter unless you are notified otherwise. You will not receive a renewal reminder and the direct debit payments will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximately) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute are (approximately) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. For overseas prices call phone +44 1858 438888. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. YHA discount can be redeemed online only, for non-direct debit purchases and new members only. Expiry date is 29 February 2016. Membership is for a 12 month period and any renewals will be at full price. Valid at all hostels excluding Enterprise. Subscriber verification will be done on the subscribers’ postcode, which will be done after your application/booking is complete. Discount codes will be included in your confirmation letter/email.

Go Snowdonia Do a quiet skyline

7

REASONS TO WALK

THE NANTLLE RIDGE So you’ve bagged the big mountains of north Wales and you’re starting to think you’ve seen it all. Don’t you believe it…

WORDS DAN WORDS DAN ASPEL PHOTOGRAPHS TOM BAILEY

58 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

Climbing the big ridge of Trum y Ddysgl from Mynydd Drws-y-coed, halfway along the route.

B

efore we get into the full sales pitch for this scrambly, backwater gem of a route, let’s look at the facts. The Nantlle Ridge sits in the Snowdonian north-west.

It boasts seven tops. End to end it’s about 7.5km in length. Its traverse involves acres of varied (but avoidable) scrambling. It rises just above the village of Rhyd-Ddu. It neighbours Snowdon. On its east slopes sits the Beddgelert Forest. To its west lie the sands and shingle of Caernarfon Bay. You should definitely walk it on your next trip to Wales.

Okay, that last one was an opinion.

But consider this: you won’t have read about it in Trail too recently, and that’s no accident; because the fact that we’ve neglected it for far too long fits into the first of our seven reasons why you shouldn’t…

may just have 1You it all to yourself

Although at 2176km2 Snowdonia is our third largest National Park (a hair behind the Lake District and half the size of the Cairngorms), its biggest and most popular mountains are clustered in one region. So if your aim was to see as many walkers as you could in a day you’d go up Snowdon, climb the Glyders and Tryfan from the Ogwen Valley, and to a lesser extent wander across the Carneddau summits of Dafydd and Llewelyn. What you wouldn’t do is traverse the Nantlle Ridge. Which is strange, because it sits so close to the western side of Snowdon

that you could call it a foothill. You’d expect empty slopes around the mining heartland of Blaenau Ffestiniog or the wild Rhinogydd, but here they seem unreal.

These summits and crags aren’t just living in the shadow of the world’s most visited peak; they’ve also been the victim of occasional bad press. Pick up one of the most popular local guidebooks and you’ll see them described as exerting “...a feeble pull on mountaineers. No cloud-piercing ridges here, no historically famous rockclimbs”. Those are the words of Steve Ashton – author of Cicerone’s Scrambles in Snowdonia. But Steve then goes on to give the traverse a ‘classic’ three-out-of-three star rating. With contradictions like that you start to suspect there’s some kind of conspiracy at play. But then there are other reasons why the crowds stay away from Nantlle’s summits too. Namely… �

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 59

Go the Lake District Do an unchaperoned bivvy

GOING Trail’s resident camping coward dodges bats, sheep and border collies on an WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS OLI REED

I

spread out my map on the kitchen table of our rented cottage and go over the plan one last time. At 10.30pm I’ll walk out of the door, turn right down a tarmacked road for 100 metres, then climb over a stile into the dark countryside.

With the way ahead hopefully illuminated by a bright moon, I’ll navigate across three fields before doubling back at the hamlet of Skelgill and climbing onto open fell. My target is the 451m summit of Cat Bells, where I’m planning to spend the night.

I’ve never been much of a camper. I’m terrible at putting up tents, get grouchy in the cold and don’t enjoy sleeping on uneven floors – and as a result my overnight mountain adventures have been limited.

But I bristle with envy when friends post photos of summit sunrises, sunsets and cloud inversions on Facebook, so tonight I’m doing something about it.

The weather forecast is perfect – clear skies, low winds and overnight temperatures in double figures – so I’ve run out of excuses to put this off. I’ve been planning the destination of my first solo overnight trip for weeks, I have all the gear, and I’ve told everyone it’s going to happen this weekend – there’s no backing out now. 

62 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

SOLO overnight adventure atop Lakeland’s most idiotproof peak.

Waking up on the summit of a deserted Cat Bells. By day this is one of the Lake District's busiest peaks. At night you can have it all to yourself.

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 63

Go southern Highlands Do a scientific treasure hunt

Schiehallion's astonishingly symmetrical profile from the shores of Loch Rannoch.

SIMON INGRAM

66 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

WHAT LIES BENEATH

Bickering scientists, burning bothies and the birth of the contour: how 250 years ago one Scottish peak provided an answer to one of the greatest questions in science.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS SIMON INGRAM

T

he mountains of Scotland’s west coast perhaps edge a win when it comes to sliced, battered spectacle. But it’s those in the centre and the east that provide the awe in terms of desolate scale. Here, isolated giants such as Ben Alder, Ben Lawers and Creag Meagaidh break the 1,000-metre contour to number among the highest mountains in Britain. One of these holds special mystique, rising above Perthshire in unmistakable fashion: the famous Schiehallion.

In the early summer of 1774 a man named Nevil Maskelyne (below) arrived at the southern flank of Schiehallion to find a newly constructed bothy waiting for him.

It was here – and at another, similar site on the north side of the peak – that he would spend five months tinkering with devices, making stellar observations and doing other rather exacting things thoroughly incongruous to the terrain. His goal was as simple as it was strange: Maskelyne wanted to weigh the world.

THE EXPERIMENT The idea was this: suspend a uniform weight on the end of a string – a pendulum on a plumb-line, say – and it will hang vertically down towards the Earth, with gravity acting upon it evenly on all sides: Newton’s apple stopped midfall, if you like. By 1774 it was known that there existed a relationship between the gravitational pull of an object and its overall mass: basically, the larger an object’s mass, the greater its gravity.

The biggest object hereabouts is the Earth, which is why things tend to fall towards it unless otherwise directed. But what if an object of great bulk, abrupt prominence and similar composition to the Earth was located near to wherever you were standing? Something big enough to conceivably have its own gravity that might be significant enough to cause a ripple in the Earth’s otherwise uniform forces? We’re not suggesting the effect of such a thing located adjacent to Newton’s apple would be enough to make it fall sideways out of the tree, or cause a pendulum to be drawn towards it like a magnetised necklace; but it might

cause the tiniest of sways in the forces acting upon a falling object. If you could measure the magnitude of this sway, you could determine by what ratio the Earth’s gravitational pull was greater than that of the nearby bulk. If this bulk (Schiehallion, say) was known intimately – its composition, volume and mass – with a whizzy bit of maths you could determine the mass of the Earth itself.

The question was whether the gravitational effect of a mountain on a dangled pendulum would be sizeable enough to measure. Isaac Newton

didn’t think so. He had considered a similar experiment in 1713, noting that ‘Whole mountains will not be sufficient to produce any sensible effect.’ In addition, an attempt to disprove Newton’s dismissal on Chimborazo in Ecuador by a pair of French scientists had already failed. Chimborazo being as big as it is (and, as a volcano, probably full of holes) this was a task requiring more conjecture than was acceptable. Thus, the French scientists went home with little confidence in their results.

Maskelyne – unusually – was both a church minister and a scientist, and held the distinguished position of Astronomer Royal. His appointment followed several active years that had seen him dispatched to exotic parts of the world – St Helena in 1761, Barbados in 1764 – to make planetary observations. However, in August 1773 Maskelyne’s refusal to accept Newton’s conclusions saw him send surveyor Charles Mason on horseback into the Highlands in search of a mountain of very specific quality. It needed to be tall, steep, running roughly east-west, symmetrical ‘with... few scoops & hollows’, above a deep valley. Considered were Whernside and Skiddaw, but neither tallied with these strict criteria.

Mason delivered in style, finding a mountain that, as Maskelyne would later write, ‘was called Schehallien [sic], which, I have since been informed, signifies in the language “constant storm.”’

Mason had identified the venue for the exotically acclimatised Maskelyne’s next experiment: a Perthshire hillside.

Schiehallion isn’t at all as it famously appears from Loch Rannoch. From � there a cone of extraordinary elegance,

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 67

TEST OF THE BEST TOP HILL KIT GOES HEAD TO HEAD

HILL TROUSERS With the right trousers you’re one step closer to enjoying the hills in comfort, so here’s Trail’s test of the best legwear for walkers.

TESTER PROFILE Graham Thompson Technical editor Height 5ft 11½in Size large (32-34 inch waist)

POCKETS If you want to store anything in the pockets while walking, zips are essential. If you like to keep a map or guidebook to hand when not wearing a waterproof or other jacket, a large map-sized thigh pocket is ideal – but not all trousers have them.

STRETCH PANELS Stretch fabrics are commonly used to improve freedom of movement in the knees and seat. Some trousers are made from stretch material throughout for even greater comfort.

ANKLE CUFF Ankle cuffs can be too wide, meaning they flap about and potentially collect mud, snag on undergrowth or get torn. Conversely narrow, close-fitting ankles aren’t very fashionable, and so many walkers prefer a medium relaxed fit. A zipped gusset allows some control over the fit in this area on some trousers, while others have a small drawcord or Velcro tab to effect adjustment.

82 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

DURABILITY Heavier fabrics are often more durable, but lighter trousers may have reinforced panels on the ankle cuff, seat and knees to improve long-term wear, or use nylon rather than polyester for durability.

Test of the best WAIST A stretchy waist, either with a belt or the option to fit one, gives all-round adjustability. Some waistbands are lined with soft fabric for more comfort and/or sit higher at the back to prevent cold spots when bending over.

MAGAZINE

BEST VALUE

FLY OPENING Not all trousers have a fly, while some have a fly with a double zip so you can open them from the bottom or top, for easier use with a jacket or rucksack.

m n

£80 / 437g (size 34)

£115 / 570g (size men’s L) m n

Mountain Equipment Ibex Outdoor Research Cirque www.mountain-equipment.co.uk fabric; belt provided; 4 front + stretch pockets; zipped ankle with gusset; price

stretch; tough fabric; lined waist has + 4-way Velcro tabs; 3 zipped front pockets; lace hook

–

–

front pockets not map-sized; in parts less water-resistant than some

heavy; not the best range of sizes

FEATURES

The Exolite stretch woven fabric comprises of 92% nylon, which makes it very durable but also very breathable, plus it sheds light moisture so it’s a good all-rounder. There are four front pockets with zips plus a rear zipped pocket. The ankle cuff is zipped to the calf with a gusset behind. A waistbelt is provided along with a soft brushed waist lining. Others can boast a few more features, though. 4/5

The four-way stretch 50% nylon fabric used in these trousers is durable as well as water- and wind-resistant. It isn’t a laminate so it’s also very breathable. Features include a wide waistbelt with a soft lining and Velcro adjustment. There are three front zipped pockets with large abrasion patches inside the ankle cuff. A side zip with baffle and a lace hook complete an impressive package.

5/5

FIT

For men the Ibex comes in 30-38 with three leg lengths and for women the Chamois comes in 8-16 with two leg lengths. The belt helps that fit further, while the zipped leg can be adjusted. The fit on me was slightly closer than others here, while the diamond crotch panel allowed more freedom of movement.

5/5

Sizes are just S-XL for men and XS-L for women with no leg length options. But the waist has Velcro tab adjustment and there are belt loops plus braces loops. The ankle-to-calf zip has a baffle for adjusting the fit in this area. A lace hook also helps keep the cuff in place. Not the widest range of fits, but good adjustment. 4/5

COMFORT

The material has good two-way stretch, and this enhances comfort. Also, the wide waistband has a soft brushed lining, making this area particularly neat and comfy. The fabric itself is quite soft on the skin compared to some lower-priced options too. It is very breathable and resists the worst of the wind and light rain, so it’s great all year round. 5/5

Four-way stretch fabric and a wide waistband with brushed lining mean these trousers are comfy. A diamond crotch gusset adds freedom of movement. The material is a bit softer against the skin that some, but quite warm, so it’s more suitable for winter. They are waterresistant, like all models here, yet breathable, so they can be worn under waterproofs. 4/5

IN USE

The two hip pockets and seat pocket take an OS map, but the other two front pockets are smaller.You don’t get a lace hook at the ankle cuff, waterproof panels on the knees or seat, or the triple stitching of some trousers, but overall these are ideal for general hillwalking and scrambling, and hard to fault. They have a decent weight too so you won’t mind putting them in your pack while wearing shorts. 4/5

These trousers are intended for skiing and mountaineering and they’re very good in this situation. The three front zipped pockets can just about take an OS map, which is useful. The ankle cuff area is very practical thanks to the lace hook, eyelets for an instep cord and very tough abrasion panel in the inside. They are a little heavy but there isn’t much else wrong.

5/5

VALUE

The price is excellent for what you’re getting, as for many walkers these are better than the higher-priced options.

5/5

These are very well-priced trousers considering what else is available and the features they have.

These are solid, all-round trousers, with higher-priced options only offering minor benefits that you may not need.

Tough winter trousers with excellent features that are exceptionally well-priced for their performance.

WEATHER RESISTANCE To beat off wind and rain, trousers are often made of soft shell materials that are more windand water-resistant than standard polyester or cotton, yet softer and more breathable than waterproof hard shell fabrics. These types of materials are particularly useful for hillwalking as it means you can wait a little longer before putting on waterproof overtrousers, which few people enjoy wearing as they tend to be hotter and less well fitted than walking trousers.

www.outdoorresearch.com/eub_en

VERDICT

4.6/5

5/5

4.6/5

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 83

Routes

THE BEST HILLWALKS BY THE EXPERTS On top of Bristly Ridge, looking across to Tryfan: Route 10 .

BEN WEEKS

Where to walk this month...

Welcome to Trail’s routes section: your cut-out-and-keep guide to the best days in the UK hills. Whether it’s an airy mountain scramble, a classic Lakeland fellwalk or a multi-day backpacking epic, you’ll find it here... written by experts, walked by you.

WALK HERE THIS WEEKEND! p125

Map of the Month Suilven

Walks of a Lifetime Knoydart 5

Ben Rinnes

6

Ridge Guide CMD Arête 7

8 9

3

10 11 12

Broughton

Crag Hill

Capel Curig

The Cheviot

The Dodds

Elidir Fawr

2

4

Great Rhos

5

EDITED BY HANNAH JAMES (HANNAH.JAMES@LFTO.COM)

● Trail Routes use OS mapping and gradient profiles, and are available to download at www.lfto.com/routes OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 107

1

3 Capel Curig

ROUTES AROUND

Capel Curig may be small, but it’s perfectly placed to explore three different mountain ranges. Tom Hutton’s your leader.

T

he tiny village of Capel Curig sits between three very different Snowdonia mountain ranges. The summits of Y Glyderau and Y Carneddau are stretched out to the west and north respectively, divided by the Ogwen Valley; and the Moelwynion ridge runs south – dropping all the time from the shapely peak of Moel Siabod. Its central position makes it a perfect base for exploring all three. These walks mix a few classic, well-trod summits with a selection of lesser-known ones, for an incredibly varied and enjoyable weekend. Best advice is to walk the Glyderau, which sees the most traffic, on the quietest day; and enjoy the solitude found on the others when things get busier.

Route 10 Glyder Fach Capel Curig

Crimpiau: the final summit on Route 11.

Route 11 Pen Llithrig y Wrach

TRANSPORT Capel Curig is accessible by bus, via Betws-y-Coed, from Llandudno Junction, where it joins the national rail network; there are also spasmodic connections from Bangor. www.traveline.cymru PUBS/GRUB Bryn Tyrch for excellent pub grub (01690) 720414 Caffi Moel Siabod for great food and coffee (01690) 720429 The bar at Plas y Brenin is lively and good value for food and beer

ACCOMMODATION St Curigs (01690) 720469 www.stcurigschurch.com; Plas Curig Hostel (01690) 720225 www.snowdoniahostel.co.uk; Bryn Tyrch (01690) 720414 www.bryntyrchinn.co.uk PRACTICALITIES Small shop in Pinnacle Stores but more options can be found in Betws-y-Coed.

LOCAL INFO www.visitcapel.fsnet.co.uk Betws-y-Coed TIC (01690) 710426 You’ll visit the Cantilever Stone on Route 10.

Route 12 Moel Siabod OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 125

TOM HUTTON

Snowdonia

OCTOBER 2015

WALKS OF A LIFETIME

130 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015

West Highlands 23km/14¼ miles 8-9 hours Ladhar Bheinn rises above Loch Hourn, seen from near Kinloch Hourn. © VINCENT LOWE / ALAMY

THE TRAVERSE OF

Ladhar Bheinn It’s widely argued that the rugged and tricky-to-access crest of Ladhar Bheinn is Scotland’s greatest day walk.

We’ll leave it to you to decide, says Jeremy Ashcroft…

OCTOBER 2015 TRAIL 131

West Highlands Shiel Bridg

Mallaig

Av

Invergarry

B

Fort William MULL

JURA

Cloud shrouds the summit of Ben Nevis, a reminder of the navigational challenges the mountain provides.

Oban

Glasgow

Region Lochaber Mountains Carn Mor Dearg/Ben Nevis Location NN175713

TOM BAILEY

Map OS Explorer (1:25 000) 392 Technicality Grade 1 scramble

Taking a breather on the ridge before the final push to the top.

The arête narrows down considerably at the final col before it merges into Ben Nevis.

At a number of points you will need to move from one side of the crest to the other to find the most secure path.

Ben Nevis

thea

rn Ca

Col

ge Rid e ory Fac vat us ser Min Ob The es s uttr st B

Nor Bernva Face Little Brenva

DeAarrêgte rg eóar D M r n ró CMa

ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING © CROWN COPYRIGHT. CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP. LICENCE MEDIA089/12

CMD Arête

RIDGE INFO Inverie

OCTOBER 2015

rn Ca

rg r Dea Mó

First Platform Coire Leis

te Arê

ILLUSTRATION JEREMY ASHCROFT

Carn Mór Mór Dearg

The descent from Carn Mor Dearg onto the arête is fairly broad to start with, and it will give you chance to get used to the terrain.

This is the time to assess wind conditions – if it’s buffeting at this point you may want to reconsider as the crest becomes more exposed to wind the further you go.

The central section of the arête is pleasantly exposed, but a mix of blocks and pinnacles provides substantial handrail options if needed.

The eastern shoulder of Ben Nevis a huge, rough, boulder-strewn slope and it can be disorientating in mist so it’s important to navigate carefully.

It can also hold snow well into summer, and its convex shape means that any slip would rapidly accelerate out of control.

The eastern shoulder of Ben Nevis is a huge, rough boulder-strewn slope that can be disorientating.

136 TRAIL OCTOBER 2015