DREAM IT? DO IT!
Whether you’re a newcomer looking for a fast track to a hillwalking hit list worthy of the best or simply want a cool ‘List of Things to Do in 2018’, here’s a ready-made hillwalking CV just waiting for your boots! 1 Find your own wild camp
There is no end of good wild camping pitches in the mountains; the limiting factors are lack of imagination and fear of the unfamiliar. All you need is a tent-size piece of flat grass that’s not likely to flood, is in the lee of the prevailing weather and has a running water source close by, but not so close that you risk contaminating it. Applying these principles and being flexible with your search will yield almost limitless options.
31 THINGS THAT WILL MAKE THIS YOUR MOST EPIC OUTDOOR YEAR YET.
2 Make use of a bothy
Bothying makes use of old crofting cottages or huts deep in the hills, which are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association and left unlocked for free use by walkers. (Read about how to use them responsibly at www.lfto.com/thebothycode) Most are located in Scotland. Bothies work best when you actually need them, so for the best experience stay in one that helps you climb a remote mountain, or is useful as a stopover on a multi-day trek. Three super-useful bothies for this include:
SHENAVALL
A traditional base camp for the remote Fisherfield Six in the northern Highlands of Scotland. Grid ref: NH066810
GREG’S HUT
Located just off the Pennine Way, this bothy is useful for those tackling Britain’s oldest longdistance path. It’s located close to its highest point, Cross Fell summit. Grid ref: NY691355
HUTCHISON MEMORIAL HUT
Recently restored and located in one of the most remote points in the Cairngorms, this bothy offers multiday immersion close to considerable mountains like Ben Macdui and Stob Coire Etchachan that otherwise only offer ‘smash-and-grab’ routes in reach of a day. A bothy base allows more time to explore. Grid ref: NO023998 3 Pack a faff-free rucksack If you are new to walking, it’s easy to overpack and burden yourself with stuff you’ll never need. For a slick, no-fuss packing sequence, stick to the golden rule of ‘10 essentials in a 20-30 litre rucksack’: Navigation – map, compass, whistle, spare headtorch. Protection – waterproofs, hat, gloves. Insulation – warm layers. Illumination – torch or headtorch. First-aid kit Tools/repair – knife, duct tape, spare bootlaces. Hydration – drinks. Nutrition – food. Emergency shelter – survival bag.
Seasonal – sunglasses, sun cream; ice axe, crampons.
4 Spend New Year’s Eve in the Clachaig Inn
New Year’s Eve in Scotland, called Hogmanay, outshines New Year’s Eve anywhere else, and if you are into mountains then at least once in your life you should celebrate at the Clachaig Inn, the legendary ember of hospitality nestled deep in Glen Coe. Get a room if you’re feeling decadent; or just pitch up at a campsite nearby to appreciate the Inn’s warmth!
5 Skill up for the Carn Mor Dearg (CMD) arête
The best approach to Britain’s highest mountain is the perfect goal to set yourself for upping your mountain skills. This ridge – attached to the east flank of Ben Nevis – is long, high and features some tricky ground. To successfully complete it, you’ll need to be on your game with navigation, movement skills and fitness.
6 Avoid being wrong-footed by bad weather
Important as it is, being caught out by bad weather in the mountains is not just about the weather on the day. Knowing if streams are going to be in spate and impossible to cross, or if snow is going to be dangerously unstable requires a clear understanding of what’s happened on the proceeding days. Obsessive watching of TV reports, particularly with synoptic charts, and a weather app on your phone will allow you to do this.
7 Create your own interesting mountain-bagging list
Not many people will say this, but actually some mountains are dull. You’ll discover this when ticking off mountains from lists like the Munros or Wainwrights. To avoid slogging up dull, rounded lumps that automatically get included on abstract lists, why not draw up your own must-climb mountain list based on aesthetics instead? That way you set the rules! Because life’s too short...
8 Summit Snowdon when nobody else is there
It’s the busiest mountain in Britain so you would think that getting the summit of Snowdon to yourself is nigh on impossible. Fortunately, this is far from the truth. Humans are mostly creatures of habit and if you have ever been late into the hills you will know that most people’s custom includes starting early and bailing out around teatime. The exodus from our hills that starts around 4pm is quite remarkable, with people keen to get back to their accommodation or the pub. Our top hack is to leave this Celtic cracker until the summer – because by aiming to arrive on the summit after 6pm (when there is still plenty of light in good weather) you will, most likely, have the place to yourself.
9 Navigate off one of the Howgills in mist
Distinct mountain features aid navigation massively, so if you really want to up your navigation skills a notch or several and test yourself, try finding your way (safely, of course) up, around and off rounded, featureless mountains instead. The Howgill Fells – nestled between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales – are the perfect example of ‘boring’ but testing navigational terrain.
10 Try a tasty chunk of a long distance route
In the USA they call it section hiking. Rather than committing to time-sapping, long distance walks, they select choice bits of walks and do independent sections as time allows. The joy of this is you can take advantage of short weather windows as they arrive and concentrate on the best-quality bits.
11 Read The Tarns of Lakeland by W Heaton Cooper
Sometimes the most insight is gained when you view a subject from an unusual angle. Ostensibly The
Tarns of Lakeland is just about Lakeland’s small mountain lakes, but this beautiful book – illustrated and written by illustrious Lakes artist William Heaton Cooper – covers so much more. From an artist’s, and climber’s, viewpoint he explores all the fundamental aspects that make our mountains so special – everything from the quality of light, through to geology, natural history and human history.
12 Keep a journal
Unwittingly, as part of our daily cycle of using social media we document most aspects of our lives. Why not make the next jump with your mountain experiences and curate your content
into a journal, paper or digital memoir? Do it digitally with a blogging app or dedicated Twitter account, or you could adopt a crossover approach by scribbling words and drawings into a notebook and then uploading your choice bits to share with friends. Mountain days are ones filled with cherished moments you’ll want to remember – so ensure you don’t forget any of the good, not so good and the downright breathtaking, head-explodingly spectacular stuff!
13 Explore the Inner Hebrides
Fancy an early dose of summer walking? Then splash out on a CalMac Hopscotch ticket (there are 25 options!) and take yourself off to one or more of the Inner Hebrides islands. Blessed with a mild oceanic climate they are at their best in spring, often bathed in sunshine when the rest of Britain is dull and grey. And spring also means there are no midges to spoil your day!
14 Do the Welsh 3000ers over three days
The Welsh 3000ers are popularly done as a one-day epic, ticking off the 15 3,000ft tops in Snowdonia. It normally descends into a sweat-filled exercise in exhaustion. However, between the three constituent ranges of Snowdon, the Glyderau and Carneddau, the accommodation found in Llanberis Pass and the Ogwen Valley make it comfortably possible to split the undertaking over a leisurely three-day sight-seeing trip.
15 Trek to Ennerdale and wild camp
Change is slowly happening in Britain’s mountains with a move away from the sterile, monoculture of overgrazed hills towards a more sustainable and wilder environment. The ‘re-wilding’ of Ennerdale was one of the pioneer projects to embrace this philosophy and now, 15 years on from its instigation, the transformation is remarkable. As a place to camp, explore the surrounding mountains and experience the truly wild side of the hills, Ennerdale is a hard place to beat.
16 Visit Kinder Downfall during a freeze
Despite its less than ideal altitude and aspect, this Peak District landmark waterfall (above) does frequently freeze up – and when it does, that’s the time to visit. It can be approached without too much trauma along the Pennine Way, and is spectacular in this condition.
17 Do a Grade 1 ridge scramble
At some point every walker gives a thought to the delights (or otherwise) of scrambling. The classic approach is to tackle one of the big names like Crib Goch or Sharp Edge. This is fine if you are happy with exposure, however for a more accommodating approach it’s important to understand that not all Grade 1s are the same. The grade band is wide and accommodates all sorts of terrain, with Crib Goch and Sharp Edge definitely positioned at the harder end. If you’re nervous about your first route try some of the ‘softer’ examples such as Longside Edge on Skiddaw, or Y Gribin on Glyder Fach.
18 Get iGeology
Free to download, iGeology is based on the OS Landranger maps and by the simple positioning of a curser you can instantly find out the geology beneath your feet. Even the tiniest grain of such knowledge can broaden your appreciation for the hills, and the environment they are in, enormously.
19 Do the Lairig Ghru
Not all big challenges in Britain’s mountains involve summiting them. Cutting a line through the Cairngorms, crossing the Lairig Ghru is a real test (p111). In summer it’s tough; in winter it’s often impossible!
20 Bivvy on the longest day
For a first night out under an open sky you can’t do better than on the summer solstice (21 June). Pick good weather on a summit you know well, and in the evening you’ll be treated to a spectacular sunset, weather permitting, and – if you look north – the lightest midnight skies in the land. Keep your fingers crossed for a glorious sunrise the following morning, too.
21 Watch Valley Uprising
A sure-fire way to discover if you suffer from acrophobia – a fear of heights – is to watch
Valley Uprising. This light-hearted film about the history of big wall climbing in Yosemite will decide it for you almost straight away! Will the breathtaking footage of climbers defying gravity have you champing at the bit to scramble up high, or fleeing to the Fens for a flatland safety net?
22 Learn to take a bearing 23 Breakfast at Bernie’s
If you think climbers and walkers eat big breakfasts, then think again. A visit to Bernie’s Cafe in Ingleton will put you straight when you witness how cavers start their day. You can’t avoid picking up some terrific endurance tips while you’re at it.
24 Go camping/peak bagging in Langdale
Langdale was one of the first popular spots for walking. Its position at the heart of the Lakes’ main mountain range, combined with public transport, great pubs and a handy campsite, still hold good today.
25 Spend a long, action-filled weekend in Aviemore
With a stunning array of mountains and mountain-based activities, Aviemore is the closest thing Britain has to a true mountain resort. With the Cairngorms on your doorstep and a magnificent atmosphere, everyone must experience it at least twice – in summer and winter!
“LANGDALE HAS IT ALL FOR CAMPING AND WALKING.”
What’s that you say? Easy-peasy? Really? How many of us, if suddenly challenged, would be able to reel off a textbook compass bearing? Probably fewer than would claim they could, particularly as it’s a technique that is probably only used rarely. So brush up on this essential skill – it could save your life one day, and you never know when that might be!
26 Stay in Loch Ossian SYHA
Occupying a tiny, tree-scattered peninsular the Loch Ossian Hostel at Corrour can only be reached either on foot, or part of the way by train. A true getaway, the only neighbours are a shooting lodge some miles away at the far end of the loch and Corrour Station. It’s situated on an old drove road (The Road to the Isles) and the only people you’ll likely encounter are walkers, mountain bikers and the odd gamekeeper. Ringed by a superb range of mountains and the huge expanse of Rannoch Moor, this home in the hills is the perfect way to really ‘up’ your Highland quota.
27 Summit Ben More on the Isle of Mull
Ben More is generally reserved as the 283rd summit for those completing the 283 Scottish Munros – the ever-popular list of Scottish mountains over 3,000ft in height – so don’t be surprised if you see parties swigging champagne at the top. It’s not a particularly high or difficult summit, but what attracts people is its magical setting and the fact (unless you’re a Mull resident) it’s a bit of an adventure to reach. For all these reasons it’s fair to turn round its ‘finisher’ status and climb it to kick off your Munro challenge.
28 Visit Glen Coe and climb Bidean nam Bian
Buachaille Etive Mor and Aonach Eagach are regarded as the big hitters in Glen Coe, but to get your head around the valley on your first visit aim for Bidean nam Bian. It’s the peak to head for, at the head of the evocatively named ‘Lost Valley’, or Coire Gabhail, where legend has it that the MacDonalds’ clan hid their cattle and those they had rustled from neighbours.
29 Do a classic Lakeland ‘round’
The Lake District is the birthplace of fellwalking and arguably the Fairfield Horseshoe was the maternity suite. Completing this lofty skyline loop should be on every walkers ‘to do’ list, both for its history and its stunning landscape.
30 Have tea and cake at Little Chamonix Café
Popular walkers’ cafés chop and change a bit and the latest kid on the block is Little Chamonix Café in northern Lake District hub, Keswick. It’s worth a visit to enjoy both the atmosphere and the food.
31 Sort your boots – for good!
Go to a reputable outdoor shop and be fitted for a really good pair of well-fitting boots. Boots are the one piece of gear that can either make or break your walking. You are in them all the time so if they fit poorly, don’t have enough grip or leak they will plague you all day long. So do yourself a favour: invest in the best you can afford and have them fitted properly!