⛰️ The Hillwalking thread ⛰️

Yes, I know unimaginative doing the Yorkshire 3 peaks

Its popular for a few reasons but one of them is that it’s really good.

Headed south west to D&G to miss the weather and did Curleywee which is a cracking wee hill with the best name. Tent decided it wanted to be a boat, and later found bits of a downed plane.

I may actually have asked about before but not actually pulled the trigger. Mainly as its a something that would get used twice or so a year.
Anyone bought a 60-70 litre pack recently have any feedback? Would need to work on mountain terrain and carry winter kit. I do have a 50l pack, but it doesn’t have enough volume.

I can always just default to whatever Osprey have with the right features.

Curleywee

That’s a lovely bit of countryside. Also home to many, many adders in my experience 20 years ago, so much so that we risk assessed not to take kids from outdoor centre there.

I think I forgot to post this up a week or so back – a day out doing a circuit of Llyn Cowlyd in near-perfect weather, luckily squeezed in between a couple of wetter periods. I’ve been lucky, or possibly very choosy, with the weather on the days I’ve been out this summer.
Loadsa photos on Geograph, with attached map

Set myself the challenge of walking/running the Wainwrights. Not a natural “collector” or box ticker but as someone who has ran and walked a large number of them over the years I wanted to challenge myself to go to different places instead of repeating the bigger walks I have done so many times. Bagged 4 peaks I may not have ever got too given their height and proximity to Helvellyn/Blencathra and my previous habit of trying to squeeze everything out of my 2.5hr drives to the Lakes.  Slept in a Keswick car park and walked over Armboth Fell, High Tove, High Seat and Raven Cragg, Had a great day and kept below the mist on the higher fells, result.

Anyone bought a 60-70 litre pack recently have any feedback? Would need to work on mountain terrain and carry winter kit. I do have a 50l pack, but it doesn’t have enough volume.

What’s it for? Winter camping?

Cracker of a day up Stuchd an Lochain, Glen Lyon.

Now tucked up in the van in -2, first time sleeping in it.

@spin
Mostly yes, although there may be the odd overnighter with a need to carry a rope/rack too,  plus some multi day summer stuff.

1 or 2 nights in mild weather is covered.

@matt_outandabout – great photos! Was last up there about ’98 and saw bugger all

How’s the new van going?

Ingleborough last Sunday. Beautiful fresh start to the day then slowly turned into a cold, windy cloudy Dales kind of day.

@ElShalimo

Van is good apart from I think an elderly leisure battery. We’ve had fridge, a light and heating on for 3 hours and the voltage is dropping to 10.4v, and so heater keeps stopping. 🤔 Not so great in -2…..

Ah well, we are all alone so can fire up engine if needed.

The good news is that a new leisure battery is about £90

I hope you’ve got some cheeky red,  or even better tawny port to keep you hydrated

Actually, I brought some summer sunshine from our holiday earlier this year:

Larboard

👍👍👍

I too am vanning it tonight in Glen Torridon. Not so cold here but had a cheeky sherry just in case…

https://i.postimg.cc/j2r19LdQ/IMG-20231111-131328.jpg%5B/img

]

Ticked off my hundredth Wainwright today.  12 Wainwright s in one day. I cant think of a place in the lakes where they’re so concentrated

Gray crag, thornthwaite crag, high st, kidsty pike, high Raise, rampsgill head, the Knott, rest Dodd, the nab, angletarn pikes, beda Head and finally Brock Crag

Cracking day

@ fingerbang

I was in that neck of the woods today doing a route called the Patterdale Parish Boundary round. Absolutely stunning day as your photos reflect.

Helvellyn the other day. Always worth it for the views…

Classic inside of a cloud view…

Cracking day

I was on High Raise that day too! Agreed, some of the beat weather ever

The clarity on Saturday was fantastic. The golden hour light was without doubt the best I’ve ever experienced.

I would agree with that – amazing light.

Hill days like that are good for the soul. We spent nearly an hour on the summit it was so nice – the wind even dropped for us.

We did Pillar from Wasdale on Sat, first in a while and just beautiful weather. Really still, bright and nicely cold. Frosting of snow on the very tops but mainly green mountains. Rocks in the shade were treacherous, a thin film of ice.

Not been up Pillar before – nice circuit. Last of the main 800m Lakes peaks for us to do, although there are loads of connected tops we haven’t been up.

Speinne Mor is the highest point on the north of Mull – bit of a bog-fest to get there, but it was worth the effort yesterday for the views, with views across to Berneray, Mingulay, Barra, Ardnamurchan, Rum and the Small Isles, Skye, Knoydart, Kintail.

Heading Aviemore direction for a few days over the weekend, fingers crossed conditions play ball. I’ve not done any Munros yet but will no doubt tick off a couple – any favourites? 

@mark88
MWIS suggests half-decent conditions over the weekend north of the border, so Aviemore should be OK on the whole.
“hail and snow falling to lower elevations in Scotland. Likely to stay chilly into the weekend, sub-zero on tops plus frost overnight into valleys and glens. Some local upland snowfalls possible, although high pressure nearby is likely to bring a fair amount of dry and bright weather plus wind speeds tending to ease.”

You have access from Aviemore to several of the highest Munros apart from Ben Nevis. The shortest day out is probably Cairn Gorm itself, optionally extending SW over Cairn Lochan and back via the spurs to the west of the Northern Corries. Or an out-and-back to Beinn MacDuibh if the tops are clear – that can become a long day, mind. Carn Ban Mhor & Sgorr Gaoith from the carpark in Glen Feshie would be reasonable too. There are plenty of other options around the area.

Anyone here done Squareface? (Climb)

https://img.ukclimbing.com/i/314928?fm=jpg&time=1563313197&s=e624566f9c3139403c76fb6804d49a52

Or the Cumming-Crofton Route thats nearby?

Climbed Squareface and Cumming-Crofton in a long day from Invercauld last summer. Also nipped up Beinn a Bhuirdh and Ben Avon as it was such a braw day. Went in from Invercauld by bike up to Clach a Cleirich on the landrover track and excellent path beyond Gleann an t-Slugain. Bike shaves off quite a bit of time, especially on the way back out.

Garbh Coire is absolutely stunning place and both routes are great. Squareface absolutely stonking for the grade. 

Oooh, that sounds a cracking day out.

Now we’ve got the camper I’m adding a few Cairngorm hills to the list for the next year…

I really want to do some hiking/hill walking (is there a different?!) over the winter.

Feel a bit stupid asking but interested in recommendations for decent walks. I’m based in Midlands (Leamington) and have a camper van so would like somewhere I can get to in under 2 hours on a Friday and then walk Saturday and Sunday.

Welcome any recommendations for walks and places to stay in van (campsites or just places to park up)

Lovely Saturday in the Lakes, little wander over Seat Sandal and Fairfield down Heron Pike to Rydal this afternoon, £2 buses make linear walks a great east option

☝️ lovely @TomB

Rather wintery conditions up Meall Buidhe, Glen Lyon today. After a -4 camp under the Aurora in the van we headed up early to beat the incoming rain and snow. Rather too little a view, but great to stride across the boggy sections this hill is known for.

Next trip into Glen Lyon will be for the ‘big four’ round, which I think we will leave until next summer.

I really want to do some hiking/hill walking (is there a different?!) over the winter.

@rockbus – the obvious couple of recommendations are –

– the Peak. I *think* there’s a couple of Edale campsites open through the winter. Kinder is lovely, bleak and wild in equal measure through the winter, without being too big a distance or height gain. Ace.

– the hills around Dolgellau are ideal. Cadair Idris is quite steep in places, so perhaps think how to deal with ice if it’s there. I also like some of the hills to the north – Y Garn and the Rhinogs https://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/the-rhinogs-snowdonias-best-kept-secret/

Matt, I do love that photo of your wife standing on a solid puddle. ‘Nonplussed’ seems like the word to describe her look.

The Glen Lyon 4
Lots of photos, and a description

@debaser

Nice, both look excellent and that second photo is quite helpful 

Thanks for the response @thelawman

Ended up full of a cold during the week so bailed on Aviemore and went to Aberfoyle for some less committing days out. Got lucky with some excellent conditions.

Drummond Hill looking south over Loch Tay:

Schiehallion:

Very little snow (yet) across the West Highlands, even Ben Nevis looking a bit bare – blue skies, -6C overnight meant lots of ice on Ben More. Having to tread carefully as there wasn’t enough ice for crampons – fortunately the ground was frozen so was able to go up the tussock grass rather than try and negotiate the path which was sheet ice in places.

👍👍👍