Want to make the most of the outdoors in 2018? Here are a few ideas to make your outdoors experiences in 2018 one to remember. 1 – Take on the Mud and Routes Welsh 25 challenge. Climb the highest 25 mountains in Wales, or at least complete your collection if you’ve bagged most of them already. […]
Turn your Outdoors up to 11 in 2018 Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to undertake it, is to cover as much Snowdon as you can in 7 days. Many of these walks are seriously long and would make excellent 2 day backpacking routes in Snowdonia. By following these routes, you’ll only miss out a handful of summits across the entire park. just for
Snowdonia in 7 Epic Walks or Backpacks Read More »
Whatever people’s opinions are on the Three Peaks Challenge, it’s a popular choice for many and you may be planning your own Three Peaks Challenge over the coming months rather than joining an organised trip. While there’s a BMC Three Peak Code of Practice, this recommends that organised charity groups are limited to 200 participants.
How to Complete the Three Peak Challenge Responsibly Read More »
A few years ago, we set out on a wild camp with only £100 to spend on the actual camping kit. This being the age of austerity, we decided to implement swingeing cuts (was swingeing even a real word five years ago?) and try to do the same for £80. We chose our kit here
Wild Camping on a Budget in Cwm Bochlwyd Read More »
You may remember when we set ourself a challenge a few years ago to kit someone out with wild camping kit for under £100, so we decided to see not just what that same budget would buy you four? years on but seeing as according to the UK’s ‘elite’ it seems that we’re all in it
Wild Camping on a Budget 2015 Part 1 – The Kit Read More »
While it may be tempting to imagine that I’m sitting smugly by my PC writing this, pontificating down to the unwashed masses on what to do and not to do on a multiday trip, I’m not. Sitting at the PC, yes but writing almost as a confession of the last few days walking (along the
Common Backpacking Mistakes, and How to Overcome Them. Read More »
Here’s a realistic challenge that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve fallen down three flights of stairs for the following week. Coast to coast challenges have a special appeal to them, as do the highest points. Combine them and you’ve got the Snowdon Coast to Coast from Caernarfon to Penrhyndeudraeth (or continue onwards to Porthmadog,
The Snowdon Coast to Coast Challenge Read More »
Here’s an epic walking challenge that’s difficult, but with proper preparation, within the ability of a fit walker. The Across Wales Challenge Walk is a serious 73km challenge walk from the Welsh border to the sea, all undertook in 18 hours!. It starts off around 500m from Anchor, Shropshire, slap bang on the Wales-England border, with little
The Across Wales Challenge Walk Read More »
If the Paddy Buckley Round isn’t sufficient Snowdonia for your challenge, then there is one other that’s tougher in terms of statistics but by virtue of geography poses as much of a problem of route finding as it does physically. The Meirionnydd Round was devised by Yiannis Tridimas in 1993, and covers most of the
The Meirionnydd Round Read More »
The Paddy Buckley Round (PBR) in Snowdonia along with the Ramsay Round in Lochaber and the Bob Graham Round in the Lakes make up the UK Big 3 Rounds. Basically, the Big 3 are the toughest 24 hour fell running challenges in the UK, or at least the toughest formalised and/or popular ones! It was devised
The Paddy Buckley Round Read More »
There’s always a competition for the lightest, cheapest and smallest – but as the saying goes you can choose 2 out of the 3. Well the Esbit Ultraligh Titanium stove, in our opinion provides all three of these, but does that make this the ultimate ultralight wild camping stove? The stove is manufactured from titanium
Esbit Ultralight Titanium Stove Review Read More »
It’s one thing kitting yourself out for a winter run, but a totally different prospect if you’re going to set out on a trail run. For the rundown on getting started, then read our article From Tarmac to Mud – First Steps in Trail Running for the basics. We didn’t really go into the details
Kitting Out For Your First Winter Trail Run Read More »
Continuing from Part One where we looked at the survival rations, we look at the survival shelters you can take with you. As we state in part one, we don’t test kit in a field near an industrial estate car park. We took them to the top of a Snowdonian Mountain, at night, in November.
Benightment and Survival on the Mountain Part 2 – The Shelters Read More »
The Blizzard Survival Blanket’s a modern version of the orange bivvy bag that keeps you warm as well as protects you from the elements. It’s supplied vacuum packed, but while it’s reusable and tough, it’s huge once it’s been unpacked! This is a versatile blanket, you can use it under your sleeping mat or even
Blizzard Survival Blanket Review Read More »
Whilst browsing eBay recently for something on which to waste my hard earned pennies, I came across ‘tent like’ survival shelters. Being of a curious nature, I would have to see what these were like and perhaps how they compared to other emergency options. So we decided to see just how useful some of these bits of
Benightment and Survival on the Mountain Part 1 – The Emergency Rations Read More »
At first glance, lifeboat rations seem like a rather odd thing to review on Mud and Routes. Following our recent benightment jaunt, where we had to try out some survival rations on the hill, we wanted to find what was possibly the least appealing option out there. We couldn’t find any turblokken, and these were
Seven Oceans Survival Rations Read More »
You will need: One Mars Bar, duct or parcel tape and at least a modicum of self respect and control. If you take emergency rations on the mountain then you may well end up eating it. One solution it to take something you dislike, so as not to be tempted, but that’s not going to
The Beast’s Tip of The Week – Bombproof Emergency Rations Read More »
If you’re fed up of doing the usual routes and fancy going off path, then you’ll find it very rewarding. Here are our top tips for going off path. 1 – Navigation – You’ll need to know where you’re going! Skill with map and compass are essential if you’re on the hills, even more so
Five Things – Going Off Path Read More »
While there’s been talk recently of mountains that are already 609m high mountains, being slightly taller 609m mountains, It’s about time we got to the bottom of some real news. You see, we’re talking here about a couple of NEW 600m summits in Snowdonia, and with 50m reascent, they’re no mere bumps on the side
A New Mountain For Snowdonia? Read More »
Are regular marathons getting too easy for you? Do you dream of combining your love of long distance walks and camping with competitive racing? If so then a mountain marathon might be just what you are looking for. What are Mountain Marathons? These events usually take place over two days, with the competitors’ skills in
Getting Started with Mountain Marathons Read More »
You’re on a walk or even wild camping and suddenly, there’s the call of the wild. You really need to, ahem, you know. GO. And not the easy one, you get the idea? If you don’t, then we’re not going to any more details except to state that if you need a crap in the
The Beast’s Tip of The Week – Sphagnum Moss Read More »
Now that the New Year is well and truly underway, it’s time to dust of those running shoes and clamber out of your holiday cocoon. What better way to do this than with a mud race! If one of your resolutions this year is to get fit and healthy, signing up for one of these
Five Things – The Toughest Mud Races Read More »
With tents becoming so lightweight, it seems perverse to go out into the wilds with what’s basically a waterproof sleeping bag cover and with barely any weight benefit. Most of the cheaper ex-army type of bivvy bags are actually heavier than your typical 1kg lightweight tent. So why bother? Reducing the experience down to the
The Beauty of Bivvying Read More »
You may be tempted to bivvy out by virtue of the romance of sleeping out under the stars, or by a more clinical need to pare weight to the bare minimum. Whatever your inspiration, or if you’re just a little bit curious as to wether this is for you, then you’ll benefit from reading the Book of
Book of The Bivvy Review Read More »
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