At 1,344 m, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Scotland and the UK. As such it is a very popular mountain for people to climb. It is often attempted by inexperienced hikers who have no idea of the scale of the task or of the potential dangers involved. Many people attempt the summit of Ben Nevis without taking proper outdoor gear.
Ben Nevis Escape Route
If you are planning to walk up to the top of Ben Nevis the first thing you need to know is the escape route from the summit. Regardless of the weather in the valley or on the mountain tops when you start your hike, by the time you reach the summit the weather may have closed in, resulting in near zero visibility. This has happened to me.
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Google is constantly seeking new information which it likes to share with the online world. One of the best examples of this is mapping. Satellite images are available for all to see on Google Earth. Google Maps not only features maps and aerial views, but for many parts of the world we can see what it looks like at street level with Google Street View. An immeasurable number of miles of roads in western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the USA have been photographed at road level. This is done using cars with 360 degree cameras mounted on the roof. The Google cars simply drive around filming our roads and streets.
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Gorple Rocks on Black Moor in the Pennines.
It was a chilly winters morning in December when I was at a loose end in Burnley, East Lancashire. I could have mooched around the town centre shops attempting to procure some Christmas presents. No thanks. A spot of
walking in the bleak
Pennine moors to the south east of the town was a much better prospect. So I headed up to the picturesque little village of
Hurstwood on the edge of the moors, since the map showed that there was a car park.
The plan was to walk past Hurstwood reservoir and join the Pennine Bridleway, following it eastwards across Hameldon Moor up to Black Moor. Then I would make my way back to Hurstwood across Worsthorne Moor past Cant Clough reservoir. It pretty much went to plan.
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A good pair of boots is probably one of the most important pieces of kit you can have, but with so many on offer it can be hard to make the right decision. So we’ve rounded up a selection of some of the best walking boots to make things a little bit easier for you. This post contains information about four specific models of hiking boot from Berghaus, Brasher, Salomon and Trezeta. Our advice page contains general information about walking boots, including choosing which type of walking boot is suitable for the type of walking that you will be doing.
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There are plenty of excellent countryside walking routes in the UK. Source: Flickr by eamoncurry123.
When you fancy going for a hike or walk there are plenty of route planner websites on the internet that can provide help and inspiration. Whether you are going to a particular part of the country for the first time or looking for a hidden gem in your own backyard, there are plenty of on-line walks to chose from. But which is the
best walking route planner to use? The amount of detail,
advice and number of walks in a particular region vary from website to website. Here at CheapTents.com we have been examining the various walking route planner websites to find out which are worthy of being your walking guide and which you would not rely upon to give you directions to the house next door.
There are several criteria by which the walking guide websites have been judged, as follows:
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Worcestershire Beacon in the Malvern Hills
At CheapTents.com we are always interested to hear from walkers, climbers and campers about what they have been doing and where they have been enjoying the outdoors. For example, Freddy Phillips recently got in touch with details about his wild camping expeditions. In this post, Steve Dempster praises his favourite walking destination: The Malvern Hills.
The Malvern Hills
– The Heart Of England’s Best Feature!
The Malvern Hills straddle the border between Worcestershire and Herefordshire, running in an almost perfect North-South line for some nine miles. Though of relatively modest height – The Worcestershire Beacon is just under 1,400 feet – and virtually surrounded by the town of Malvern and villages such as Colwall, there is a surprising feeling of remoteness once the ascent begins.
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With plenty of walking events in September, don't give your boots a rest yet! Source Flickr By Dave Masters
It may seem strange to be writing about Walking Festivals in September, but with a number of events being held nationwide this month, its not quite time for you put your boots away just yet!
Walking Festivals are an excellent way for people to get involved in walking, test equipment, meet fellow walkers and build up life long friendships.
Walking Festivals differ in size and duration and will offer a range of walks and tours for differing levels of walkers, all festivals should offer guided walks or walking tours, so they are ideal for inexperienced walkers and will allow you to practice your navigation skills in the care of experienced group leaders. For the more adventurous some festivals offer unguided walks. Please note different events have different booking procedures, some are turn up on the day others are book in advance so I have included links to organisers.
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The Route to Scafell Pike via Mickldore
Recently I wrote about doing a hike and scramble up Scafell Pike in the Lake District. What outdoor gear should be taken on a day walk up the highest mountain in England? This would obviously depend upon the time of year and the expected weather conditions. Below is a list of the outdoor gear that I took with me on my hike, indicating what gear I used and did not use.
The Walking Gear I Took Up Scafell Pike
The hike took place in mid June, not far off the longest day of the year. The weather forecast was for glorious, uninterrupted sunshine all week.
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The view towards Styhead: Lingmell Beck valley.
Sadly its been a while since I have been hiking in the Lake District. Last week my absence from the Lakes ended when some friends, who were staying near Lake Windermere on holiday, invited me to join them in an ascent of Scafell Pike. With the weather forecast to be sunny for most of the week there were sure to be excellent views from the summit to make the hard slog up worthwhile.
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