hiking & trekking
10 best hikes in Exmoor National Park
The best hikes in Exmoor National Park showcase one of England’s wildest and most diverse landscapes My first experience of Exmoor was in youth when I read a children’s illustrated version of Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. The historical novel of high adventure is set in the 17th century and features a lawless clan (the Doones) roaming a wild landscape (Exmoor). The novel is essentially a love story with a dash of kidnap, revenge and rebellion thrown in for good measure – everything a young boy who dreams of adventure and rescuing damsels wants in a book (especially one with pictures). Years later, I hiked the Doone Valley during a family holiday and was captivated by the higher moor’s ethereal beauty. It is an expansive landscape of moorland, woodland, valleys and farmland that, at tim...
Britain’s best long-distance footpaths
Britain’s best long-distance footpaths provide excellent access to the UK’s outdoors while showcasing the finest scenery our isles have to offer When you think of the best long-distance hiking trails from around the world, little old Britain probably wouldn’t top of your list. Hikers will more likely be drawn to the Triple Crown of the Appalachian, Continental Divide and Pacific Crest trails in the US, New Zealand’s Great Walks or the famous Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp treks in Nepal. However, the UK does have an extensive network of long-distance footpaths. Managed by the National Trails in England and Wales and Scotland’s Great Trails north of the border, the UK has thousands of miles of tramping to be discovered – and the network continues to expand....
10 best hikes in New Forest National Park
The best hikes in New Forest National Park reveal a quintessential slice of English countryside Despite its name, the New Forest is neither new nor much of a forest. The region was first declared a royal hunting preserve in 1079 by William the Conqueror and the landscape is more heathland (the most extensive area remaining in Europe) than contiguous woodland. The word ‘forest’ actually descends from Old French for ‘hunting ground’. Contradictions aside, the park is home to patches of woodland made up of both native and non-native trees. There are Victorian-planted fir and redwood lined avenues as well as groves of ancient oak and yew trees believed to be over 1,000 years old. Quaint villages are connected by a web of delightful footpaths and cycling tracks that showcase a variety of wildli...
How to choose a down jacket
A beginner’s guide on how to choose a down jacket that will keep you warm and toasty in the great outdoors A high-quality down jacket is no longer the preserve of the outdoorsy. Politicians, pop stars and even princesses have been pictured in a ‘puffa’. Of course, a down jacket truly comes into its own when used and tested in the great outdoors. Understanding what to consider before you choose a down jacket can be confusing. To make the decision easy, we’ve put together a simple guide to choosing the jacket that’s best for you. What is down? Down is the natural insulating layer found on geese and ducks that helps keep their bodies warm in nearly freezing temperatures. It is usually white or grey and looks like small clusters of fluff. These clusters create millions of tiny air ...
20 best hiking apps to download in 2021
We take a look at the best hiking apps currently available and which ones best meet your needs be they trip planning, navigation or first aid. Hiking apps never used to feature in my outdoor adventures, but times have changed. Now, every Ordnance Survey map comes with a digital version available to download onto my smartphone or tablet. When planning an adventure in the wild, my preparations still begin with spreading out my paper maps across the floor and marking out possible trailheads, routes and campsites. However, now that I have more consistent access to reliable phone reception and wifi, along with a host of battery packs and solar chargers, I also make use of an array of hiking apps. Best hiking apps Below, I take a look at some of the best apps for hiking available for outdoo...
Highlander Adventure treks: 15 unique trails to explore
The collection of Highlander Adventure treks has been expanded for 2021. We take a look at the exciting new trails on offer In 2020, I joined my first Highlander Adventure trek in Croatia and was thoroughly won over by the semi-solo style of trekking. This year, I was pleased to see the collection expand from five treks to 15 and am planning (hoping?) to join two more – in Spain and North Macedonia. Below, I take a look at every trek on this year’s calendar, from the original Highlander Velebit in Croatia to the new trails currently being mapped in the Middle East and North Africa. What is the Highlander Adventure? The Highlander Adventure is a collection of organised five-day treks through some of Europe’s premier hiking regions, home to magnificent expanses of wilderness. Initi...
Climbing every mountain in the Yorkshire Dales
Between lockdowns, I wrapped up a challenge that started nearly two years ago: climbing every mountain in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Just over a year ago, I was stood atop Aconcagua: the highest mountain in South America and the highest peak outside of Asia. It was my third – perhaps fourth – peak of the seven summits. As I descended its scree slopes, I was in high spirits and full of optimism for the year ahead. By the time I was on my way home, I was already thinking about Denali in Alaska and whether I could afford an attempt in the summer of 2020. Well, I didn’t climb Denali in 2020. In fact, like most around the world, I did very little last year. There’s no need to labour the point, we’ve written about it before and everyone is all-too-aware of just how hard the last 12 m...
The layering system: how to layer clothing for the outdoors
Now that spring is finally on the horizon, we’ve updated our guide to the layering system and how best to adapt your clothing to suit any outdoor condition Springtime is almost upon us and with it come the capricious weather conditions that define the season. Mark Twain once said, “In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” Here in the UK, spring weather so often described as “mixed” or “unpredictable” essentially includes anything from perfect hillwalking conditions with blue skies, sunshine and a cooling breeze to treacherous conditions laden with mud, stormy skies and gale-force winds. As I prepare for my first expeditions of the year, I’ll be using the following layering system, a tried-and-tested method fo...
England’s 100 most popular hiking trails
From the South Downs to Hadrian’s Wall, we explore England’s most popular hiking trails Whether you’re an experienced wanderer in need of some fresh ideas or a first-time hiker just looking to get outdoors more, our list of England’s most popular hiking trails offers a wealth of walking options. Home to over 100,000 trails, AllTrails is one of the world’s leading hiking apps. The app has over 20 million users globally and is widely downloaded across the UK. With reviews running in the hundreds of thousands, we believe the ‘AllTrails method’ is a great way of identifying some of the country’s finest footpaths. We’ve selected England’s most popular hiking trails from the app’s archives, but there are of course thousands more to choose from. Over 7,500 in fact, and counting. Ev...
Hiking in Latvia: where to find the best trails
Hiking in Latvia is an ideal way to explore a land of peaceful lakes, fairytale forests and exceptionally unspoilt countryside Latvia is perhaps best known for the cosmopolitan city of Riga. Beyond the clamorous capital, however, lie delightful small towns like Cēsis and Sigulda that offer hiking, cycling, canoeing and myriad other outdoor adventures. Considering its size, the little Baltic nation dedicates a surprising amount of space to outdoor pursuits. The white-sand beaches of its coast are the biggest draw, particularly during the summer. Further inland, you’ll find a range of natural landscapes including acres of ancient forests, a picturesque lake district and quaint pasturelands of grazing cattle. As always, we believe that the best way to see a country is on foot. From short-but-...
Best hiking trails in every US state (according to hikers)
We share the three best hiking trails in every US state, according to America’s most popular hiking app The US knows how to do wilderness. Wedged between the two great oceans of the world, it is home to practically every landscape under the sun. Beaches, lakes, mountains, rainforest, deserts, canyons and glaciers all rise and fall across this continent-sized country. And thanks to the outstanding National Park Service, huge swathes of it are readily accessible. When, in 1872, the US established Yellowstone, its first national park (and the world’s second after Bogd Khan Uul in Mongolia), it signalled the start of something truly special. Yellowstone became a global model for the preservation of biodiversity and cultural history; a model that has been replicated all over the world. The...
Unknown treks in Asia: 10 offbeat trails
From remote corners of Bhutan to the lofty heights of Nepal, we profile some of the best unknown treks in Asia When it comes to exploration, ‘too late for the seas, too soon for the stars’ may best describe our current times. Legendary explorers like Drake and Magellan charted the seas long ago while Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and their like did the same for remote lands. There’s a sense that our planet has been entirely measured and mapped; tamed, some might say. Even Everest – one of the most inhospitable places on Earth – has queues on its slopes. This is why I was thrilled last year to join a trek to K2 base camp including a crossing of Gondogoro La pass. In comparison to my earlier trip to Everest base camp, K2 felt far more remote. It left me craving for a taste of...
