If you want the ultimate winter challenge then get out and build a snow hole this winter… You’ll need.. Snow. One shovel (or the more the merrier) Survival bag (you many need to place this on the floor in order to pull snow away from the hole?) Plenty of time! Find a drift of snow …
You may well be ready for your first winter walk, but there are some things that you may or may not have expect on the hill in winter. It’s also an excuse for us to churn out another page full of lovely snowy pictures! 1 Sunburn – You may well have packed the summer kit …
Five Things You Might Find Surprising on Your First Winter Walk Read More »
It’s December already, and while there’a nary a flake fallen on the Welsh hills it doesn’t hurt to prepare for all that lovely snow we’re sure to have in the coming months! So here’s a run down of some of our winter themed articles from the archives to get you started. You know, a bit …
What You Need To Know Before Heading to the Hills This Winter Read More »
The clocks are going back on Saturday night, and the evenings are going to be longer. Yet it’s not all doom and gloom as we at Mud and Routes believe you can embrace the dark winter nights and make them your own! You can keep on night running, walking those night walks or even mountain biking in …
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 …
You often read that you’ll need this, that or the other on a winter walk in Snowdonia. We even put a list together – Essential Winter Hillwalking Checklist– saying just that. What we forgot to mention is that it’s never that straightforward. You usually set off from the bus stop / car park / village …
Winter’s upon us and walking the hills at this time of year is a totally different proposition to the summer. Here’s a run down of our Mud and Routes Winter Skill Posts to get you started. You’ll need to start by knowing exactly what to take with you, so here’s our Winter Gear kit list …
With winter upon us, if you’re lucky, you may have to set out in the snow. Here’s a run-down of the kit you’ll need in addition to the basic summer kit. This is typical kit for a typical winter in Snowdonia, and you will need to be more prepared for avalanche risk if you venture into …
Thanks to Tryf – Tryf’s Blog – for this idea. Finding himself needing to carry a spanking new pair of crampons on a walk, he realised that he had no way of carrying them without them damaging his kit inside the pack. He improvised by using a stud bag as a crampon bag, and does …
The Beast’s Tip of the Week – Improvised Crampon Bag Read More »
Camping in winter takes a certain amount of challenge compared to summer. Nothing is particularly straightforward, even your water bottle and boots will freeze solid over night and trying to cook on your regular gas stove can be nigh on impossible. However, one essential piece of kit for winter camping has to be the sleeping …
Snugpak Softie Chrysalis Winter Sleeping Bag Review Read More »
The virtues of a thick, down jacket for winter walking is petty obvious. An uber warm top layer is one of the winter essentials on the hill that’s as likely to be left behind in the car as your boots, or bag of emergency Jelly Babies. Treating your pins to the same comfort as your …
I’ve struggled in the past with a cheap and nasty pair of goggles that had to be padded around the nose as they made it bleed and were just foul all around. They were only half effective, and even then only if you didn’t breathe. Following on from the last two decent winters we’ve had, …
While we had a bit of a winter this week up in Snowdonia, it’s likely to be mostly gone after this weekend. It did however give us a chance to test out one of the bargains of the year so far, a collapsable snow shovel from B&Q for just a shade over ten quid. The …
The classic down jacket is one of the best bits of kit you can get for keeping warm. Gram for gram, there’s nothing warmer than the combination of pertex and down of one form or the other. In that respect, synthetic insulation doesn’t come close. That said, there’s no need to write off synthetic insulation …
Another of those little things that can easily cause a bit of head scratching. Ideally, if you’ve never done this then you probably should ask someone to show you how to do this. If you’ve done it and need a reminder (my first winter trip every year sees me fixing my crampons incorrectly! I’m hoping …
If there’s one item that I own that’s elicited any curiosity in people over the last few years then it has to be these Kahtoola MICROspikes. From work colleagues, to neigbours, they’ve seen these in use over the recent harsh winters and politely enquired about them before quickly ordering their own pair. Even if you …
One of the more difficult things for winter walking is getting used to walking in crampons again. Unless you’re lucky enough to get up to Scotland over the winter, then walking with crampons further south is something you may only wear for a few hours on a day trip and only rarely all day. So …
We love anything that’s multi-purpose, or uses another item to provide part of its functionality. The Grivel Snow Shovel does just that. It’s just a plastic ‘bucket’ part of the shovel, lacking a handle. Instead, you can use a Grivel Munro ice axe or similar in order to create a handle. You’re unlikely to need one …
If you’re looking to camp out this winter then firing up a backpacking gas lantern can add a more than welcome warm glow to your evening gatherings. It goes without saying that you’ll need to use caution at using these in any sort of confined space and that they can be dangerous if not properly …
To some of you, this may well be stating the obvious but if you’re ready for your first trip out in the snow with a group and you’ve packed your flask and sandwiches. Then you’ve a pack in one hand and an axe in the other and you realise you haven’t a clue how to …
Winter Skills – Attaching your Axe to your Pack Read More »
Taking an ice axe on your winter trip is all well and good but you need to know how to use it for stability and, if you do slip, for self arrest techniques. Walking poles just don’t cut it. This is just a useful reminder video and it’s recommended that you get shown the ropes …
Winter’s here soon, and if it’s anything like the last two then you’ll be needing one of these. There are many different shapes and sizes when it comes to ice axes. It’s quite bewildering when you first set out to buy one. Invariably, unless you’ve more money than sense you’ll end up buying the cheapest …
With Winter officially here and the clocks turned back to perpetual darkness for another five months, the only good thing we’ve got to look forward to is mountain biking on Snowdon and the possibility of loads of lovely snow. Before you get out there it might be worth watching the Snowdonia National Park’s video to brush …
Diogelwch ar y Mynydd Amodau Gaeafaol- Mountain Safety – Winter Conditions Read More »
Setting out for a winter walk you’ll need to make sure you’re properly dressed, but if you’re not then you’re from as much risk from overheating as you are from the cold. You need to be comfortable.. This means that it’s no good whacking on that down jacket at the start of the walk, unless …
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