A few highlights from a February walk around Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain inspired by the Cicerone guide’s Walking on the Brecon Beacons book (Walk 40). A little outing for some micro-navigation practice and a bit of rock study turned quickly into a day of mostly Type II fun. Cold weather and heavy wind made …
Loch Glass: the Hidden Side of Ben Wyvis
This Loch Glass walk follows straightforward tracks, taking in a lesser appreciated side of Ben Wyvis. Starting point: Free parking at the start of the walk or further along the road at Eileanach Lodge. Distance: 7.8 miles (12.5km). Height gain: 350 meters (1140 feet). Time: ~5 hours. OS Map: Explorer OL437. See route summary and …
Bac an Eich, a remote Corbett in Strathconon
This trip report includes notes and photos from a winter ascent of Bac an Eich (849m), a Corbett above Strathconon in the Scottish Highlands. For a detailed route description, see the Walkhighlands website. I’ve come to Scotland for a January escape. Scotland may not the most obvious place for a winter holiday – the daylight …
Plynlimon: Wild Camping in the ‘Green Desert of Wales’
This trip report is from a winter wild camping trip to the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains. The area is known by some as the ‘Green Desert of Wales’, so-called for its lack of roads and towns. As I found for myself, this part of Wales feels like a truly undiscovered country. No doubt …
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Nant Syddion Bothy, Mid Wales
It was mid-November and I’d taken a few days off well ahead of time. It had been a few weeks since I’d been on any kind of outdoor excursion, so I was eager to get out. The weather forecast was a mix of rain and cold, with snow in the forecast and more to come. …
Jetboil Summit Skillet Review
The Jetboil Summit Skillet is by no means a necessary piece of backpacking kit. People who are happy to eat energy bars, instant coffee, and just-add-water-to-a-bag freeze dried meals will no doubt find it overkill. But for the backcountry gourmet camper, this ultralight skillet is a game changer. I’ve been using it for the last …
Spiced Pickled Blackberries
These pickled blackberries have become an autumn ritual with the autumn blackberry glut. The original recipe comes from All Good Things Around Us by Pamela Michael (copyright 1981), recommended to me by Tim from Homewood Cheeses. This book is a great source of inspiration for all kinds of “good things” found in the wild. Sick …
Dehydrated refried black beans
Mexican food is my ultimate comfort food, especially when camping, and these dehydrated refried black beans totally make my day. Forget that homogenous store-bought gloop that you can buy in a tin. With a dehydrator, you can make sensational dehydrated refried black beans to bring on your backpacking trips. Tent tacos, here we come… This is …
Portobello Mushroom Campstove Fajitas
These campstove fajitas are based on Erin Baker’s wonderful portobello mushroom fajitas recipe in her book The Veg Table. I’ve adapted it for the camp stove so that you too can enjoy tent tacos on your future backpacking and wild camping trips! This is definitely a recipe for warmer months. Don’t get me wrong, tacos …
Wild Camping in the Carneddau
This wild camping trip in the Carneddau area of Snowdonia was inspired by the “Hut Among The Hills” chapter in Wilderness Weekends by Phoebe Smith. Her book details a relatively low level circuit with a one night stay in Dulyn bothy. We adapted it into a two night trip taking in some of the major peaks of …
Orange, Apricot and Pecan Granola
Everyone should have a good granola recipe in their repertoire, be it for backpacking and wild camping, or just to have at home. This orange, apricot and pecan granola has become a favourite of mine. Of course, you can use any combination of fruit, nuts, seeds, and grains that you’d like. The key is in …
Nature, mental health, and the problem with social media
I’ve been thinking about the outdoors and mental health lately. You’ve probably already heard that spending time in nature can help with mental health problems including anxiety and depression. In Scotland GPs have even started prescribing “nature prescriptions” to people suffering from a range of conditions, including mental illness. It makes sense – I’m sure we all have …
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