Jeremy Ashcroft
puts a lifetime of expertise walking Britain‘s highest routes to test in his roundup of the 10 best horseshoes – then takes on the mighty Liathach
There is a particular elegance in being able to climb a succession of peaks and taking advantage of high-level links to do it efficiently. This is the base theory behind most of Britain’s horseshoe trails and applying it has generated a huge number of superb walks. Some of our greatest mountain routes fall into this category and the range of difficulty, both in terms of endurance and technicality, can at times stretch this theory to the limit!
The gold-standard horseshoe is perhaps the Fairfield Horseshoe. It’s difficult to place which was the first, and it’s certainly impossible to determine which is the best (they are all brilliant), but Fairfield is probably where it all started. It is arguably the most well-known, and although there is no specific record, its central place at the home of fell-walking would suggest it was perhaps the first.
If you are looking for hard then the Coire Lagan Round on Skye is the one; if you are looking long, head for the Ennerdale Horseshoe; and if close to creature comforts is your bag, then the Edale Horseshoe can’t be beaten. To get your horseshoe workout kick-started we’ve assembled ten of the best...