Trail mini-mag September 2020

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22
Bristly Ridge
Trail heads to Glyder Fach
to take on Snowdonia’s very
own stairway to heaven.
CONTENTS
14
MOUNTAIN ROUTES
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UK MOUNTAIN
PHOTO 2020
6 Peak of the Month
Cat Bells, everybody’s favourite
mountain in miniature
8 Base Camp
Happenings from high places
10 UK Mountain Photo 2020
Send us your best pics today!
14 Green sketching
The power of nature doodling
16 Nature Notes
Beware of mountain berries
18 Out There
Adventure stories from you lot
20 Everest Anywhere
Can you climb 8848m this year?
60 Mountain Skills
Top advice from Trail’s experts
62 Masterclass
What to do if you need rescuing
FEATURES
30
36
Haunted Hills
Planning a wild camp? Then don’t
read this first –it’s time for things
that go bump in the night!
The Rhinogs
They’re rough, wild and the perfect
place to find solitude in Snowdonia
44
Wild
Swimming
The best secret
spots to cool
off in the hills
56
Hot
Topic
Can the
outdoors
really heal? Nature
prescriptions get
debated by the
experts
GEAR
66 FIRST LOOK
Mountain
Equipment
Kinesis jacket
68 BIG TEST
3-season boots
73 Phone protection
74 Base layers
48
Bikepacking
the Lakes
Looking back to one
of Trail’s best-ever
mountain adventures
ULTIMATE WEEKENDS
97 Southern Uplands Way, Galloway
101 Cambrian Way, Snowdonia
WALKS OF A LIFETIME
105 Ben Macdui, Cairngorms
BRITAIN’S GREATEST SCRAMBLES
110 Stickle Ghyll, Lake District
42 SUBSCRIBE TO TRAIL
AND GET A FREE
3
LOWE ALPINE
BACKPACK!
4 TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 TRAIL 5

Cat Bells is the perfect
mountain in miniature and
the start of a big adventure
on the Newlands Round.
TOM BAILEY
BASECAMP
YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE
100
PEAK
OF THE
MONTH
LAKE DISTRICT
CAT BELLS
Although only added to our #Trail100
bucket list during the revisions earlier this
year, with hindsight it’s inconceivable that
the little hill with the big views could ever
have been overlooked. Cat Bells tops out
at a lowly 451m, which would barely make
it more than a lump on a larger mountain
were it anywhere else. But it’s where Cat
Bells is that makes it so special. Rising from
the edge of Derwent Water – just two miles
over the lake from Keswick’s Crow Park as
the bird of the same name flies – Cat Bells
dominates the skyline by virtue of being
the most shapely fell on display. Although
vaguely bell-shaped (if you squint a bit),
it’s possible the name is a distortion of
Cat Bields: Shelter of the Wild Cat. What’s
certain is that being relatively low and close
to the tourist town of Keswick, Cat Bells
has the honour of being the first Lakeland
fell many little legs (and some larger ones)
climb. And with an ascent that involves just
a touch of light scrambling and a breathtaking
summit panorama, it’s a fell those
legs will return to over and over again.
THE UK’S ULTIMATE
MOUNTAIN BUCKET LIST
The Trail 100 is our definitive collection of the 100
UK peaks every hillwalker should climb in their life.
Look for the logo throughout the magazine to read
more about some of the greatest mountains on the
list, then start your challenge at lfto.com/trail100
6 TRAIL SEPTEMBER XXXX 2019 2020 SEPTEMBER XXXX 2020 2019 TRAIL 7

HOT TOPIC
ARE MOUNTAINS
MORE POWERFUL
THAN MEDICINE?
As ‘nature prescriptions’ are proving, spending more time out hillwalking
might save your life – or at the very least add a few more good years to it.
“I’D LOVE TO
PRESCRIBE PEOPLE A
WEEK OFF WORK TO GO
AND WALK THE WEST
HIGHLAND WAY”
WORDS SARAH RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY TOM BAILEY
You don’t need us to tell you that
going to the mountains is good for
you. Anyone who has surveyed the
view from a summit, been soaked to
exhilaration by a sudden rain, or slept
in a crinkling bivvy under the stars
knows that time in the mountains is
of benefit to body, mind and soul. For
many of us, it’s gone far beyond ‘good for’ and
tipped over into ‘essential’. Well, it looks like it
might soon be available on prescription.
Nature prescriptions were first officially offered
at Scalloway Health Centre, a squat, pebbledashed
building near the top of the long, southpointing
finger of mainland Shetland, between a
small sea inlet and low green hills. Here, alongside
the usual paper bags of pills and medicines, GPs
provided a prescription for activities in nature,
such as going for a walk, naming the islands you
could see from a hilltop or spending three minutes
quietly in your favourite spot. The idea was
instigated by Karen MacKelvie from the RSPB
and picked up by NHS Shetland. You might have
already seen headlines about it – news of the trial
went viral. The project was expanded to all 10
surgeries on the islands, and two years on nature
prescriptions have become a topic of deepening
research across the entire UK. Some of the results
might surprise even the most evangelical of us
hill lovers...
We already know that time in the mountains
can relieve stress and that strenuous exercise is
good for your heart, but the benefits of spending
time in nature go far beyond that. One recent
study from the University of Sheffield has shown
that contact with miniscule organisms in the
earth and air, found in greater abundance in wild
places, can help strengthen your immune system.
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson from the
University of Edinburgh states that “scientific
evidence strongly supports the common-sense
notion that good access to green and natural space
supports health in multiple, synergistic ways”.
Another report stated that nature prescriptions
could play an important part in the short and
long-term recovery from COVID-19. Not only
that, but it could save the NHS money. The
Wildlife Trusts found that “for every £1 invested
in regular nature volunteering projects, which play
a part in creating a healthy lifestyle by tackling
problems like physical inactivity or loneliness,
there is an £8.50 social return.”
Nature prescriptions are not yet widely
available, officially anyway, but it might be
worth discussing possibilities with your doctor
if you think it might help. We spoke to some of
the people involved in launching, researching
and using nature prescriptions at work to find
out what’s what. Is being a mountaineer really a
superpower? We always thought so.
56 TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 TRAIL 57

HOT TOPIC
Karen MacKelvie
Community Engagement Officer,
RSPB Scotland
Nature prescriptions were first
launched as a collaboration between
NHS Shetland and RSPB Scotland.
Karen and her team designed the
project, which received a hugely positive response
and is now being expanded across Scotland.
“The nature prescriptions in
Shetland officially started in
October 2018. The whole idea was
that doctors are still the greatest
authority on our health, so if
they tell you to go outside you’re
probably more likely to do it. And
doctors talk about nature with
people who might never expect
that it could help with their health.
“We have an example of a
woman who went into a practice
with a sore stomach. It was stressrelated,
so the doctor said ‘Well,
I can give you this pill or you
can have a nature prescription’.
She tried the nature prescription,
walked every lunchtime and her
stomach came right.
“There is a difference
between social prescribing and
nature prescriptions. In nature
prescriptions we’re seeing nature
as the medicine that doctors are
prescribing, as opposed to a social
prescription which would look
at a lot of aspects of health and
wellbeing. It doesn’t stray away
from nature because the evidence
shows that it’s the actual connection
with the living world that makes
the biggest difference. You can run
outside for miles but not actually
notice the natural world – and that’s
what makes the difference.
“It’s brilliant to see it being taken
up so well. I was on a Sky TV news
channel in a panel of four experts,
which was shown on Channel 6
news in Australia. The Danish
government’s stress committee
wanted the idea, the Icelandic
government wanted to translate
it word for word. It’s obviously
making total sense to people.
“When I went around and spoke
to the surgeries that we were
piloting it in, I found some
doctors have a bias towards
physical exercise, so they think
‘Oh, this will be really helpful
with physical ailments and getting
people more active’. And then
some have a bias towards mental
health, so they’ll think it’ll be great
for de-stressing and depression.
It’s a no-brainer. It helps with
everything. One doctor said, ‘I’d
love to be able to prescribe people
a week off work to go and walk
the West Highland Way’. And that
could happen one day.”
A DOSE OF
NATURE
As part of
the nature
prescriptions,
the RSPB/
Healthy
Shetland
provide a
calendar of
ideas to try.
Here are some
you can try
anywhere in
the hills. Full
list at healthy
shetland.com
n Find the place
or activity that
makes you feel
most at home
in nature.
n Think of a time
when you were
little and felt
a connection
with nature.
n Turn over a
rock and see
what you find.
n Write a worry
onto a stone and
throw it into the
sea or a lake.
Jake Robinson
University of Sheffield
As an ecologist and health researcher,
Jake has published multiple studies on
green prescriptions, documenting the
mutual benefits to people and place.
“The human immune system evolved in relationship with microbes found
in nature and depends on them to function well. These microbes, our ‘old
friends’, help to regulate the immune system and prevent it from attacking
innocuous agents like pollen, dust and our own cells. If the immune system
is not properly educated, without sufficient contact with microbes found in
the environment, we start seeing immune dysfunction and chronic, noninfectious
conditions like diabetes, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease.
“Different microbes have different roles, so it is important to have
exposure to a diverse range, similar to eating a healthy diet providing
different vitamins and minerals. This helps reinforce the microbial
communities on the skin, the airways and in the gut, which are essential
to our health. Vegetation and soil offer a huge variety of microbes and
some produce health-promoting compounds.
“Furthermore, airborne pollutants such as trichloroethene (linked to a
higher risk of autoimmune diseases) are typically much lower in natural
environments. Therefore, natural green and blue spaces provide a buffer
against toxic chemicals, as well as providing health-promoting chemicals
such as the phytoncides emitted by trees.”
Rebecca Pfister
Wilderness Foundation UK therapist
A BACP registered counsellor and
Wilderness Therapist, Rebecca
provides therapy outdoors to help
people manage emotions and
improve mental health and wellbeing.
“As a wilderness therapist and facilitator I have been privileged to
witness the powerful impact that the natural world can have on
individuals’ emotional wellbeing. Studies have shown that even a
little time in nature can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and mild
to moderate depression. Contact with natural environments decreases
stress, restores attention and enhances self-esteem. It also activates
mindfulness, which is beneficial in increasing self-awareness, selfconfidence,
flexibility and reducing negative thought patterns.
“A hike can give us a sense of achievement, listening to birds can
calm us down, a thunderstorm can help us release built up emotions.
The therapeutic effects of nature compliment and encourage a holistic
approach to personal growth and recovery. Spending times outdoors
reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves, giving
us a sense of belonging to a complex system that is as old as our planet.
Nature shows us the way back to our vibrant, true selves, and reminds
us what it means to be alive.”
Dr Honey Smith
GP and Chair of Greener Practice
Greener Practice was set up with the
understanding that human health and
connection with nature each support
and affect the other. Its aims are to
improve health now, protect future health, reduce
inequalities, and improve workload to the NHS.
“90% of the things that determine health are social and environmental,
happening outside the healthcare setting. So if we can address these, we
can have a much bigger impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Green
prescribing is a non-medical intervention designed to improve mental and
physical health specifically through interaction with the natural world.
Many GPs recognise the importance of holistic care, which means taking
into account its physiological, physical, emotional, social, economic and
spiritual aspects. This should include an appreciation that our ability to
be healthy is linked to the health of the planet. Think of air pollution,
which causes 7 million deaths worldwide and 40,000 premature deaths in
the UK. It’s a huge burden which many doctors are very concerned about.
“We know that being active in nature can improve immune function,
partly by reducing chronic stress, which is physiological as well as
psychological. When you’re stressed or in the fight-or-flight response,
levels of cortisol and adrenaline are raised. Blood pressure and heart rate
go up and the body’s sensitivity to insulin is reduced, to make glucose
more readily available. This is really helpful in an immediately dangerous
situation in which you might have to run away or face an attacker. But
if the body spends a lot of time in fight-or-flight, it’s not able to function
A DOSE OF
NATURE
n Follow the
course of a
stream.
n Rewild
one of your
senses – smell
everything in
nature.
n Appreciate
a cloud.
n Notice the
sphagnum moss
under your feet
– this powerful
little plant helps
tackle climate
change.
n Find the
hairiest lichen
within a mile
radius
or heal in the way that is needed
for long-term health. Insulin
insensitivity can put you at risk of
diabetes, and high blood pressure
increases the risk of heart attacks
and strokes. The good news is
that if you address cortisol levels
you can do a lot to mitigate those
effects. Spending time in nature is
one of the many things that can be
done to reduce stress and thereby
improve health.
“Healthcare is also very carbon
intensive, so if we keep people out
of the healthcare system by keeping
them well, we reduce carbon use.
The climate and ecological crisis is
a health crisis – alongside pollution
deaths there are 150,000-250,000
deaths each year worldwide from
global warming effects. Reducing
the use of carbon-intensive remedies
improves planetary health, which
again benefits human health.
“Exercising in nature is cheaper
than going to the gym, it’s socially
inclusive, it’s widely available…
These are win-win solutions and
the benefits for people and planet
are huge.”
58 TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 TRAIL 59

3.5km
390m
Grade 1
DISTANCE
ASCENT
SCRAMBLE RATING
GO THERE...
when it’s hot enough for your clothes to dry quickly
BRITAIN’S GREATEST SCRAMBLES
Stickle Ghyll
WORDS BEN WEEKS
PHOTOGRAPHY TOM BAILEY
Perhaps the most fun a grown-up can have with clothes on, this Lake District ghyll
scramble is best saved for a sunny day because – spoiler alert – you’re going to get wet.
LAKE DISTRICT
“THIS ROUTE IS
ALL ABOUT HAVING
CHILD-LIKE, GLEEFUL,
CAREFREE FUN”
It’s sometimes easy to fall into the trap of
thinking that an epic mountain adventure
has to be long, hard and gruelling. But
what about fun? Well, this route is all about
having fun; child-like, gleeful, carefree
fun. You’re going to splash, you’re going to
clamber, you’re going to get soaked, and
you’re going to have a Cheshire-cat grin on
your face the whole time. But let’s back up
a moment; perhaps ‘carefree’ is a step too
far. As with all scrambling, there is the faint
shadow of risk lurking in the background.
This scramble up Stickle Ghyll is for the
most part a harmless exercise in enjoying
life – outdoor activity instructors regularly
escort squealing groups of school kids up
this exquisite Lake District stream. But there
are some steepish rocks to be climbed, often
slick with moss and vegetation, and if there’s
been a lot of rain, the flow of the river can
make it impassable. Common sense can’t
be avoided altogether then. For this reason,
a helmet is a sensible idea, even though the
scrambling difficulties are none too technical.
But that’s enough of this serious talk. As
we said, this is all about having fun. So, with
caution not abandoned but safely stowed in
the back of our minds for now, let’s plunge
on into Stickle Ghyll…
From the National Trust car park in
Langdale, follow the path past the left
1side of the Stickle Barn pub, pass through
a small enclosed meadow and meet the river.
Leave the path, head into the stream bed, and
begin the ascent of Stickle Ghyll with some
easy rock-hopping.
Follow the tree-lined ghyll to the first
obstacle. A twin-funnelled waterfall flows
2over a small rock step which is climbed
up a curving face between the two cascades.
Above, stick to the right bank for a sometimes
tricky (the chunkier tree roots come in handy)
traverse over some deep pools and smaller falls.
After more rock-hopping a small
hydro-electric installation below a
3footbridge is reached. Leave the river
briefly to pass this before returning to the ghyll
for more clambering over some large and
awkward boulders.
You’ll hear the next obstacle before you see
it. A tall, slick looking wall with multiple
4flows of water pouring over it. The driest rock
goes right up the middle. It’s high and potentially
slippery. Handholds are reliable, although the
friction of footholds should be tested before fully
weighting them. Helmets are a must, and novice
scramblers may appreciate the security of a rope.
5
Above, another fall rumbles through a cleft in
the surrounding rock. This is only climbable
if the water is reasonably low, in which case
a careful ascent can be made by following the
driest line (if there is one) and bridging between
the boulders. If the ghyll is flowing high or you
just don’t fancy this challenge, bypass it with
some easier and drier scrambling to the left.
6
After another stretch of boulder-hopping
the final and most impressive section of
falls come into sight. The easiest line and
best rock is to the right, but there are multiple
routes through, and the views back down the
valley are impressive.
Above the falls the river meets the path on
dry land to the right. The options here are to
7return to the pub or car to dry off, continue up
to Stickle Tarn (either on the path or in the ghyll)
to enjoy the views (and possibly some swimming),
or continue the day’s scrambling with an ascent
of Jack’s Rake on Pavey Ark, all with a big smile
on your face (and water in your boots).
M E E T O U R
LOCAL EXPERT
Based in Cumbria, Matt Le
Voi is a Mountain Leader,
Winter Mountain Leader,
rock-climbing instructor,
and founder and company
director of Lakeland Mountain Guides.
Find out more about their services and
events at lakelandmountainguides.co.uk
110 TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 TRAIL 111

PLAN
YOUR
100
FUTURE
MOUNTAIN
TRIPS!
THE UK’S ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN BUCKET LIST
Hand-picked by the experts at Trail magazine, the Trail 100 is the definitive
collection of 100 peaks that every hillwalker must climb in their lifetime
INCLUDING…
BEN NEVIS SNOWDON HELVELLYN
SCAFELL PIKE KINDER SCOUT TRYFAN
BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR BOWFELL SLIOCH
AN TEALLACH CONISTON OLD MAN BEN MACDUI
GREAT GABLE PEN Y FAN INGLEBOROUGH CADAIR IDRIS
BEN HOPE GLYDER FACH CROSS FELL SKIDDAW THE CALF YES TOR
For detailed descriptions of each peak, digital route guides
and a FREE peak bagging chart, go to LFTO.COM/TRAIL100
MAGAZINE