Z is for zigzags
A zig-zag path is surely the sweetest way to climb a hill. It eases the gradient from vertical agony to achievable puff and each turn spins you into a refreshed view, bigger and better than when you last saw it. Maybe you’ve tacked your way up the zig-zags of Ben Nevis to stand 4411 feet above sea-level at the top of Britain, or to Sail in the Lake District, or through the quarries above Llyn Peris in Snowdonia (below), or down a seaside cliff to the promenade below, but the concertinapath crown must go to Gilbert White, vicar, naturalist and author of the 18th century classic,
The Natural History of Selborne. Faced with a daunting climb up the hanger (a Hampshire term for steep wooded slopes) at the end of his garden to Selborne Common above, Gilbert and his brother John decided to cut a zig-zag route into the contours. The fact they didn’t own the land proved no deterrent and 28 hairpin-bends later they triumphantly reached the top – and you can too as it’s now a public footpath.
WALK HERE: Download Selborne and Ben Nevis at www.lfto.com/bonusroutes