Quite often, I read something in Trail that makes me feel insignificant and borderline pathetic by comparison.
This month it was that 665 people have walked America’s ‘Triple Crown’ of long-distance trails, piling up a cumulative 7875 miles while completing the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail. An astonishing distance, which would stretch a quarter of the way around the world if you laid it out in a straight line.
Of course, there are many reasons more people haven’t done it – chiefly that it’s a bloody hard thing to do, physically, logistically and financially. But what I always love is discovering these things can be done, because although I know it’s an achievement I’ll most likely never match, each similar story plants a little seed in my head, daring me to start plotting a new adventure of my own.
As ever, that’s where the new issue of Trail comes in. We’ve got an epic scramble on one of Torridon’s famous ‘Triptych’, a walk that crosses the entirety of Wales and its biggest mountains, the Cairngorms, Striding Edge, and even a quest to find a lump of Lake District rock that looks just like the Matterhorn!
Scroll down for my highlights from this month, an update on our team’s recent adventures, and hopefully some ideas for routes that will inspire you to get out there this month.
Oli Reed, Trail editor
Britain’s Triple Crown
Ellie Clewlow and Matt Jones have been the envy of the Trail office over the last few years, as we’ve watched from behind our monitors while they created their very own British ‘Triple Crown’ by walking the Pennine Way, Cape Wrath Trail and Cambrian Way. In a great article this month they rate the three legendary walks against each other.
Lakeland’s mini Matterhorn
Our gear editor Ben Weeks recently got a tip-off about a Lake District peak that looks like the Matterhorn. When he went looking for it he was sorely disappointed, but then took a punt on a second chunk of rock that happened to be a doppelganger for the Swiss icon.
Out of the firing line
Sarah Ryan catches up with Howard Johnson, who forged a career as a BBC reporter travelling to war-torn countries and reporting on natural disasters for his day job. In a fascinating interview Howard reveals that whenever he came home, it was the mountains he turned to provide a ‘safe space’ from his challenging career.
Sea to summit
The Isle of Skye’s mountains aren’t exactly short of great ridge walks – but this one up Bla Bheinn from the remote beach at Camasunary Bay takes some beating. Tom Bailey has walked and photographed it numerous times, so he’s your guide for this one.
Poles apart
Hands up if you’ve got dodgy knees? I’ve got both hands up. James Forrest puts the latest and greatest walking poles through their paces in his latest field test – and explains why you could save your joints a lot of stress if you find your perfect pair too.
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