Do this month:

Sort your boots out Do your boots have hot spots? Rubbing at the toe? Don’t ignore the niggles, they can lead to more serious foot problems further down the line. Get them sorted now and walk in comfort for the rest of the summer. And if they just don't fit, replace them. Insoles can help but it’s not worth the pain or damage to your feet and you can sell relatively unused boots online – making someone, somewhere very happy. Spend the night outdoors Pack your kit, grab your mates and get out for a 24-hour adventure. You’ll wake up from a night under the stars feeling like you’ve had a two-week holiday. Probably. Well... you‘ll enjoy it.

3 Enter our massive kit competition Find our huge competition on page 98 of the Gear Guide, enter and bury yourself in quality kit – if you win. If you don’t, get to our Gear Sale at Keswick Mountain Festival (see page 10), where we’ll be flogging heaps of top kit at a fraction of its price. Speaking of...

4 Book accommodation for Keswick Mountain Festival Rooms fill up fast (see page 10 for why). Book now if you have notions of spending the night on a bed with a mattress, or of using a toilet that isn’t in a plastic box. Go further afield We’ve officially entered the season of bank holiday weekends, so you can get to far-flung mountains without much time off work. Make a list of the unclimbed peaks you’ve been dreaming of, ascribe them to a weekend and book your transport. Here’s an adventurous route to get you started (check and be prepared for potential winter conditions before you go):

Friday Sleeper train London to Aviemore Saturday Breakfast in Aviemore, bus to CairnGorm Mountain ski centre. Up and over Cairn Gorm via Coire Raibeirt, wild camp under the Shelter Stone. Sunday Play about on Beinn Mheadhoin’s rocky summit tors. Derry Cairngorm if you’re feeling energetic. Camp by Loch Etchachan. Monday Loch Etchachan to Ben MacDui, back to the ski centre in time for the 18.05 bus back to Aviemore. Dinner. Sleeper train. Home.