STAY PATIENT, STAY SAFE

I’m kicking off this month with a disclaimer. We’ve had plenty of messages sent to Trail over the past year asking why we continue to promote the mountains as places to visit in these surreal times of lockdown travel restrictions. The answer is that we believe everyone still needs to dream, and to plan for the future, and to draw inspiration from the landscapes that make Britain such a wonderful place to explore on foot. As I type this message, the Brecon Beacons National Park has just closed footpaths and car parks around its most popular peaks, in an attempt to ease pressure on its fragile and rural communities. Being told we can’t explore our outdoor spaces is tough to take, but we want people to remember these special places will still be there once we move on with our lives in a post-pandemic world. By writing about these locations we aren’t advising you to get in your car and drive there today, we’re encouraging you to keep adding names to that ever-growing list of mountains and wild places you want to visit in the coming months and years. So enjoy the issue, pick out some new peaks to climb and keep up to date with current restrictions before planning any trips. Stay patient, stay safe, and remember that the communities who need us to stay away right now will need us to return and support them by drinking in their pubs and crashing on their campsites once all this is over.

Oli Reed, editor (Twitter @the_outdoordad)