A varied low-to-mid level trek through the hills and lochs encircling Blackwater between Kinlochleven and Rannoch, mainly on good paths and tracks.
The northern section ascends in the shadow of the southern Mamore mountains to Loch Eilde Mòr and the wild landscape north of Blackwater, descending via Loch Chiarain to Loch Treig.
The eastern section heads over to Loch Ossian and ascends to join the old Road to the Isles, a good track traversing the flanks of Carn Dearg to Loch Eigheach and Rannoch.
The southern part follows the footpath from Rannoch to Glencoe, ascending through the forest above Loch Laidon and traversing the lower flanks of the Black Corries with views over the wilderness of Lorn.
The westerly return to Kinlochleven uses the fragment of the West Highland Way (WHW) that ascends the Devil’s Staircase for a fine view of the Mamores from the old military road around the flanks of the hills above the River Leven.
Easter holiday week would not be our choice for the long journey to Scotland for a backpack, but the forecast was too good to miss. The warm dry spell had already brought out the crowds in many areas, but on this route we saw only a handful of people in the first two days and none at all on the third. Only when we met the WHW at Glencoe did they appear by the score, but we expected that!.
A fine 3-day mountain circuit in the Skiddaw and Caldbeck fells of the northern Lake District.
A 3-day circuit of fells in the Coniston and Langdale ranges. The first two days are a fine mountain backpack, starting with the Old Man to Swirl How ridge and crossing to the Cold Pike group via Wetside Edge and Red Tarn, and continuing over Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell and Esk Pike to cross to the Langdale side via Martcrag Moor. An easy third day ascends Loughrigg Fell and returns to Coniston via the Cumbria Way.
A 3-day trek around the south-eastern part of Dartmoor, taking in several tors and fragments of the Two Moors Way (TMW) and Abbot’s Way (AW). The outward arc is via Great Mis Tor across the Merrivale heartland to Higher White Tor and Bellever Tor, crossing the West Dart Valley to Ryder’s Hill. The TMW heads west along the wild Avon Valley for an out-and-back along the south moor to Sharp Tor, and the AW makes a fine walk along the remote Erme valley to pick up an easy return by a traverse of South Hessary Tor.
A 2-day circuit of the mountains around Cwm Eigiau. The approach is along the valley of the Afon Porth-llwyd to Llyn Eigiau and Craig Eigiau, culminating at Carnedd Llewelyn and returning via Pen yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig y Wrach and along the shore path of Llyn Cowlyd.
A short winter 2-day circuit of Moel Hebog and the hills and cwms to the south, including a first ascent of the 553m Moel-ddu, a Marilyn/Dewey top that has eluded us twice before. The outward line is the popular north-eastern approach from Beddgelert, our first ascent via this path, and the return is via Cwm Oerddwr and the excellent riverside path through the Pass of Aberglaslyn. Moel-ddu is tackled as an out-and-back from Cwm Oerddwr: we could see no satisfactory direct continuation to Nantmor.
The first significant snow of the season has arrived and thoughts once again turn to traction control. In winter snow and ice we never attempt anything technically difficult, and in recent seasons we have carried - but seldom worn - our Kahtoola aluminium flexible crampons which fit almost any footwear. The aluminiums are a good choice when crampons spend most of their time in the pack and attached only for the occasional section of ice or compacted snow when really required.
On a related note, I’m on the lookout for non-winter footwear again, by far the most crucial item of kit and more important than everything else put together, a search I dread every time it comes around because all the manufacturer ranges have changed. I often bemoan the demise of the Montrail Stratos, the nearest thing to my perfect backpacking footwear that was discontinued, but in an idle moment I casually Googled them and amazingly turned up a result: an eBay shop in the USA had one pair still in stock and they were my size. The webpage had a list price but invited offers: I made one and it was quickly accepted (I could probably have gone down a lot further, I bet they’ve been lying around in a corner for ages).
A 2-day circuit of the Southern Carneddau mountains that form the northern side of the Ogwen valley between Ogwen and Capel Curig.