Trail Summer Mountain Thrills 2021

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 

SumMer 

MouNtaIn 

ThrIllS 

32 PAGES OF INSPIRATION TO TAKE YOUR 

MOUNTAIN TRIPS TO THE NEXT LEVEL 

BIKEPACKING • RAFTING • ABSEILING • VIA FERRATA 

CANYONING • SCRAMBLING • BUSHCRAFT • + MUCH MORE

DEUTER 

IS FOR 

LEADING LIGHTS 

#deuterforever 

FUTURA 25 SL 

deutergb.co.uk

TurBo-ChaRge 

YouR mOunTaiN 

AdvEntUreS 

ROCK 

04 SCRAMBLING 

06 ABSEILING 

08 CAVING 

09 FELL RUNNING 

10 CLIMBING 

12 VIA FERRATA 

13 VIA FERRATA 

UNDERGROUND 

WATER 

14 CANOEING 

16 PADDLEBOARDING 

17 GHYLL SCRAMBLING 

18 CANYONING 

19 WHITE-WATER 

RAFTING 

20 WILD SWIMMING 

21 COASTEERING 

RIDE 

22 PONY TREKKING 

24 MOUNTAIN BIKING 

AIR 

26 ZIP-LINING 

28 PARAGLIDING 

29 SKYDIVING 

WILDERNESS 

30 SURVIVAL SKILLS 

MouNtaIn ThrIllS 

EDITOR Oli Reed 

DEPUTY EDITOR Jenna Maryniak 

SENIOR WRITER Ben Weeks 

TRAIL CONTRIBUTOR Sarah Ryan 

PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Bailey 

ART EDITORS Emily Reynolds, 

Louise Parker 

PRODUCTION EDITOR Shane Collins 

COMMERCIAL MANAGER Anna Skuse 

MARKETING MANAGER Naivette Bluff 

TOM BAILEY 

MOUNTAIN THRILLS 2021 3

4 MOUNTAIN THRILLS 2021

ROCK 

ScrAmbLinG 

For many hillwalkers this is the ultimate way to the top 

of a mountain – high on excitement and adrenaline but 

low on technicality and expertise. Are you up for it? 

There’s a danger with scrambling. 

Sure, there’s the airy exposure 

and technical puzzle of routefinding, 

but the real danger is that 

once you’ve tried it the shine will go 

off plain old walking. Simply put, a 

scramble is any route up a mountain 

that requires the use of hands on rock 

but falls short of registering as a climb. 

Types can vary – there’s the airy sky 

stroll kind, such as Crib Goch or the 

CMD Arête on Ben Nevis, ranking high 

on exposure. Or the gigantic mineral 

playground kind, where you have to 

puzzle your way over boulders and up 

crags, gaining points for technicality. 

Routes are ranked Grade 1-3, with 1-2 

the best for adding spice to a hillwalk, 

without the necessity of a rope. If it’s 

your first time, try an easier route, 

like Moel Siabod in Snowdonia before 

tackling more challenging or hair- 

raising terrain. Or hire a guide to nail 

your technique or venture into areas 

requiring rope skills. Whichever you 

choose, there’s an engrossing, delightful 

world of clambers out there that you 

should definitely get your hands on. 

WHERE TO DO IT: 

NORTH WALES is crammed with 

tantalising scrambles, from airy 

Crib Goch to blocky Tryfan, there’s 

enough here to keep you occupied 

for weeks. When you’re feeling 

more confident, there’s nowhere 

more atmospheric to test your 

skills than the Skye Cuillin. 

expeditionguide.com 

pyb.co.uk 

skyeguides.co.uk 

Scrambling on Sharp Edge 

in the Lake District. 


ROCK 

AbsEilIng 

Physically and technically much easier than climbing up 

a cliff, lowering yourself off one is seriously good fun. 

If climbing gets you up a crag, then abseiling gets you down 

it. Though this is a standard method of descent for most 

climbers, it’s exhilarating in its own right. With the rope 

secured, you lean back over a cliff, feel the rope tauten under 

your weight and take a step back into the air. Terrifying at 

first and then amazing. There are ways of abseiling using just 

a rope, which are taught in the Mountain Leader syllabus, but 

these are really only for emergencies. Better to get the proper 

kit and attention of a guide or book on a course to learn how 

to do it yourself. 


The Inaccessible Pinnacle on 

SKYE’s daunting Cuillin ridge is 

one of the best places in Britain 

to abseil. Partly because that’s 

the only way down and partly 

because it protrudes above one 

of the most magnificent rocky 

settings in the country. 

skyeguides.co.uk 

Or... explore CONISTON QUARRY 

then abseil the 45m back down. 

pathtoadventure.co.uk 


FORCLAZ 

LETíS 

TREK 

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FROM FORCLAZ IN STORE AND ONLINE 

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Mind your head. 

CavIng 

Perhaps an unnatural feeling for people 

who like standing on top of mountains, but 

there’s a whole hidden world to discover 

once you delve beneath them. 

If f exploration and adventure excite you, then it might be time to 

get under the hills rather than on top of them. Though you can 

go caving in several places in the UK, the limestone hills of the 

Yorkshire Dales are the best and most renowned. There are two types 

of journey: horizontal caving, where you work your way through 

a tunnel, squeezing between rocks, passing under waterfalls and 

alongside subterranean beaches. Or vertical caving involving abseils 

into deep chasms, waterfall climbs and high traverses. There’s a 

hidden world of misty waterfalls, weird rock-formed chambers and 

sunlit areas of moss and ferns down underneath the mountains that’s 

well worth discovering. But be prepared: you’re going to get filthy 

and you’re going to get soaked. 


With miles of tunnels threading their way 

beneath limestone hills, the YORKSHIRE 

DALES is the place to go for caving. One of the 

best is the journey 80m down and through the 

Window Waterfalls to Alum Pot. 

lostearthadventures.co.uk 

yorkshiredalesguides.co.uk 

pureoutdoor.co.uk 


ROCK 

FelL rUnnIng 

Get the grainy black & white images of bearded blokes in short shorts out of your 

head – running in the mountains got cool and isn’t as daunting as you might think. 

Have you ever run full tilt downhill, 

somehow trusting your feet to 

find the way, springboarding off 

boulders, leaping over streams and 

skidding through scree? If so, you’ll 

be familiar with the utter joy of 

abandon that comes with downhill 

fell running. If not, it’s a big reason 

to try. Though it helps, you don’t 

need to be super fit – it’s a legit tactic 

for some fell runners to walk the 

ascents and run the flats and descents, 

and being a hillwalker gives you a 

strong advantage. You’re already used 

to moving over rocky, boggy, uneven 

ground and there’s a good chance that 

your lower leg and ankle muscles will 

already be fairly strong. There’s a few 

ways to get started. Find a club at 

fellrunner.org.uk/links.php or hire 

a guide to show you the ropes. 

Or simply get a pair of grippy 

fell running shoes (normal 

trainers are likely to gift 

you a knackered ankle) 

then head for the hills 

and give it a go. 


As the home of The Bob Graham 

Round, the ultimate fell-running 

challenge taking in 42 fells on 

a 66-mile journey within 24 

hours, the LAKE DISTRICT is 

the perfect place to start. 

lakelandmountainguides.co.uk 

Get out on a Guided Run through 

the PEAK DISTRICT, day and 

night. fellrunningguide.co.uk 

Or learn how to tackle Crib Goch 

at speed in SNOWDONIA. 

runsnowdonia.co.uk 


BegInnEr 

CliMbiNg 

Climbing is the natural progression for anyone who’s 

reached the upper limit of their hillwalking and 

scrambling ambitions. But how do you get started? 

If you love the challenge of puzzling out a route, 

delight in the texture of rock beneath your hands 

and get giddy in a good way at height, then you 

might want to learn how to climb. On the other 

hand, if you hate heights but don’t want to be 

limited by your acrophobia, then under the right 

guidance, learning how to climb can help you learn 

how to manage it. There’s little more thrilling than 

taking that first step up off the ground, holding 

fast to a rock face. Then there’s the absorption 

that follows as your hands and feet search out the 

most secure hand holds. Then the final, triumphant 

moment as you haul yourself over the top to bask 

in the sun and the pride of your achievement. 

There are loads of places to learn in the UK, 

with the BMC running regular Ready to Rock 

courses in lots of locations for people wanting 

to learn outdoors. 


SNOWDONIA’s Llanberis Pass 

is famous for holding some 

of the most alluring crags in 

Britain. There are climbing and 

bouldering routes galore and 

when you get tired, you’re at the 

perfect vantage point to watch 

more advanced climbers creep 

up the massive elevated slab 

of Dinas y Cromlech. pyb.co.uk 

Or get your hands on some 

of that famously sticky 

PEAK DISTRICT gritstone. 

adventure-expertise.co.uk 


Via feRraTa 

OveRgrOunD 

Having originated in the saw-toothed peaks and sheer walls of the Italian Dolomites, 

via ferrata is now becoming a popular activity for adrenaline junkies in the UK. 

Via ferratas (iron ways) have 

existed in the Alps since the 19th 

century, cables and ladders put in 

place to help people move more easily 

through the mountains. During WWI, 

Italy and Austria fought over ownership 

of the South Tyrol area and via ferratas 

were built to aid movement of troops 

through the jagged Dolomite peaks. 

These days, via ferratas are simply 

some of the most fun you can have 

in the mountains anywhere. Offering 

the thrill and exposure of climbing 

but with more reliable protection and 

without the need for technical rope 

skills, the joy of via ferrata has meant 

it’s migrated from Europe to the crags 

of the UK. Metal ladders, stemples 

(looking like giant staples sticking out 

of the rock) and iron pegs are all typical 

via ferrata features, protected by an 

ever-present metal cable to which 

you are clipped. But in the UK these 

are often augmented with extra 

adrenalin-amping obstacles such as 

wire bridges, cargo nets and zip-lines, 

making for a thrilling way to explore 

the crags, fells and mountains. 

Climbing one of the 

metal ladders at the 

fantastic Honister via 

ferrata course in the 

Lake District. 


You can have a go at several 

locations including Kinlochleven 

near GLENCOE and the How 

Stean Gorge in the YORKSHIRE 

DALES. But the first and most 

famous is that at Honister slate 

mine in the LAKE DISTRICT. 

With routes of varying difficulty 

and exposure, it’ll show you a 

new side to Fleetwith Pike – and 

perhaps Lakeland as a whole. 

honister.com 


ROCK 

Via feRraTa 

Going beneath the 

mountain at Climb 

The Mine in the Lakes. 

UndErgRouNd 

If the thought of clinging to a series of metal rungs, cables and ladders on a cliff 

face isn’t already scary enough for you, try doing it in a dark cave instead! 

Almost everywhere you go in 

the UK mountains you’ll spot 

the remains of mining and 

quarrying. Whether it’s the derelict 

buildings high in the hills, spoil heaps 

fanning down a fellside, or dark tunnels 

disappearing into the belly of the 

mountain, the evidence of subterranean 

industry is hard to miss. As fascinating 

Probably worth packing a 

spare pair of pants... 

as an exploration of these underground 

endeavours might be, in general they 

can be dangerous places and should 

be avoided. But if your curiosity is 

piqued there are various locations 

offering mine tour experiences. Better 

yet, many boost the adventure factor 

by making use of underground via 

ferrata, zip-lines, wire bridges and even 

free-fall drops to explore the tunnels 

and caverns by headtorch. These tours 

can be quite an expedition and give 

a fascinating insight into the mine 

workings – history has never been 

so exciting! Plus, after several hours 

underground admiring the labours of a 

hardier generation you’ll emerge from 

the dark with a renewed appreciation 

for daylight. T 


In the LAKE DISTRICT, Honister 

mine offers ‘Climb the Mine’ 

experiences. There are also 

several locations in SNOWDONIA 

for mine exploration, but 

our favourite is the 7-hour, 

5km Ultimate Extreme trip 

with Go Below at Cwmorthin 

quarry, which includes the 

world’s longest underground 

zip-line, the world’s deepest 

underground zip line and Great 

Britain’s deepest point. 

go-below.co.uk 


CanOes 

& kAyaKs 

What’s better than walking for miles to a remote 

mountain before climbing it? Try making that same 

journey by boat and we think you’ve found your answer. 

Canoeing is an ancient pastime 

and method of transport – and it 

feels like it. Climbing into a boat 

and drifting off downstream with a 

tent packed at your feet is almost the 

definition of adventure. Canoeing, as 

opposed to kayaking, uses an open boat 

usually seating one or two people, and 

a single bladed paddle. Though you can 

tackle white water (check out videos of 

the Liffey Descent for brilliant examples), 

canoeing is typically more sedate. 

Journey along remote loch shores, lake 

sides and rivers spotting unsuspecting 

wildlife and setting up camp on a secret 

beach. Combine this with a mountain 

climb for a truly elemental and remote 

expedition. Paddling down Loch Veyatie 

towards the iconic peak of Suilven is one 

of the finest adventures in the UK. 

If kayaking is your thing, Scotland is 

the dream location, especially if you’re 

up for a grapple with tidal water. 

A guided sea kayaking trip, particularly 

in the remote waters around the wild 

Knoydart peninsula, is pure magic. 


The best way to explore the 

beautiful bodies of water in 

the LAKE DISTRICT is by boat, 

and Path To Adventure offer 

guided full and half-day trips in 

Canadian Canoes. Plus canoe 

coaching if you want to skill 

yourself up. Book your trip at 


The SPEY DESCENT, from the 

Cairngorms to the Moray coast 

is a classic route, pouring 

through mountains, forests 

and Grade II rapids. 

wildernessscotland.com 


WATER 

Loch Hourn, with 

the peak of Ladhar 

Bheinn as the goal. 

Arriving on a secretive island on 

the spectacular Loch Maree 

in north-west Scotland. 


It doesn’t have to be unseasonably 

warm to do stand-up paddleboarding 

in Snowdonia, but it helps! 

SAM SEELEY 

PadDleBoaRdiNg 

One of the world’s fastest-growing watersports doesn’t 

need to be restricted to local rivers and lakes – 

you can also do it in the mountains! 

Stand-up-paddleboarding (SUP) 

has absolutely blown up over the 

last few years, and no wonder. It’s 

cheaper and less technical than kayaking 

or canoeing, relatively easy to get the hang 

of and gives you a whole new perspective 

on a place. The trickiest thing to master is 

getting on and keeping your balance, so it’s 

best to learn on calm, sheltered water. Once 

you’ve nailed it though, you can go where 

you want. An inflatable SUP board can 

weigh about 6kg and the oar is awkward, 

but it’s still just about possible to take one 

on a walk with you. If you’re longing for a 

bit of peace and distance from the frantic 

world, try gliding out into the middle of a 

lake, with a breeze ruffling your hair and 

the quiet lap of wavelets against the board. 

You can even 

take a furry 

little adventure 

buddy with you. 


All you need is a stretch of calm 

water and you’re good to go. Loch 

Morlich in the CAIRNGORMS is a 

great mountain location where you 

can hire kit, and if you’re a newbie 

you can try it in spectacular locations 

across YORKSHIRE, CUMBRIA 

and the PEAK DISTRICT by booking 

a lesson or session with the 

qualified instructors from Lost 

Earth Adventures. 



WATER 

GhyLl ScrAmbLinG 

Pack some spare clothes 

– you’re about to get wet! 

There’s some confusion between 

the definitions of ghyll scrambling 

and canyoning. Some say they’re 

the same thing, with ghyll scrambling 

being particular to the Lake District 

and terms like canyoning everywhere 

else. Others say that it defines difficulty 

with canyoning necessitating the 

use of ropes and abseiling gear. The 

main thing you need to know is that 

it’s awesome. Starting at one end of 

a ravine, you head up, sticking as 

closely as possible to the water, without 

swimming or wading unless the way 

via rock becomes impassable. Finding 

your way up, alongside waterfalls, 

between sheer cliffs and up secret, 

green gorges is very like being a kid 

again. Keep an eye on the weather to 

predict water levels. A prolonged dry 

spell might make normally torrential 

streams accessible while days of rain or 

thaw can blow out the smallest trickle. 

Ghylls and ravines are sensitive places, 

harbouring some of the last fragments 

of temperate rainforest in the UK. Take 

care of the flora and watercourse, don’t 

pull on plants, and keep to the rock. 

It’s all part of the challenge! 


The LAKE DISTRICT is stunning, 

with some simple routes you 

can tackle yourself and other, 

more epic, journeys requiring 

ropes. Sunny, south-facing 

Stickle Ghyll (pictured) is a 

classic with a pub at the bottom. 


The PEAK DISTRICT offers 

some dramatic routes in the 

many cloughs that lead up on 

to the high moorland, while the 

ancient limestone gorges of 

Nidderdale in the YORKSHIRE 

DALES offer great adventure. 



WATER 

CanYonIng 

If this picture doesn’t make you quiver with fear, then chucking yourself 

down a raging mountain stream could be right up your street. 

If you like the idea of leaping off a cliff into a mountain 

plunge pool, slipping down natural rock slides 

and flying along rapids in nowt but a wetsuit, then 

canyoning is for you. This is more technical than ghyll 

scrambling and unless you’re already equipped with kit 

and know-how, you’ll need a guide. Journeys typically 

descend a mountain stream, following the water as closely 

as possible. Which can mean swimming, wading, high and 

low level traversing, scrambling, abseils and jumps into 

deep water. Canyoning is more adrenaline fuelled than 

ghyll-scrambling, where you can take your own sweet 

time, but an absolute riot on a hot day. 


With a 90m multi-pitch abseil to finish, GREY 

MARES CANYON in Kinlochleven between Glen Coe 

and Ben Nevis is one of the top canyoning journeys 

in Britain but there are plenty more on offer at 

thecanyoningcompany.co.uk 

Cannonball! 

Esk Gorge in the LAKE DISTRICT is another classic 

route with some big (optional) jumps. 

lakedistrictactivities.co.uk 


WATER 

WhiTe-WatEr 

WHERE 

RafTinG 

Strap yourself in for the ultimate white-knuckle ride, 

and don’t forget your noseplugs! 

Surge over waterfalls, through 

natural rapids and bounce off 

boulders in a giant inflatable 

dinghy. Absolutely mental in the best 

possible way. Boats usually hold six 

people, each newbie equipped with their 

own oar, and one guide. You’ll be given 

a safety briefing and a helmet and then 

sent crashing down the foaming river. 

It’s brilliant, hilarious fun. Rapids are 

graded I-V (VI+ are too challenging 

to be commercial), with most routes 

including sections of Grade III with 

eddies and obstacles, and IV, with drops 

and steep gradients. Many rivers in the 

UK are now connected to reservoirs 

and trips planned to coincide with a 

water release. Look for one of these in 

sustained hot, dry weather, when water 

levels might otherwise be low. 


SNOWDONIA’s River Tryweryn 

flows out of the Llyn Celyn 

reservoir, so you don’t need to wait 

for rain to go crashing through the 

hills on white water. The rapids 

flow about 200 days a year. 

nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk 

Face the ‘wall of death’ and 

‘carnage corner’ on the River 

Findhorn, flowing out of the 

CAIRNGORMS to drop 500ft 

over 18 thrilling miles. 

g2outdoor.co.uk 

Tackle Grade III rapids in the 

SOUTH LAKES then stop off for 

a traditional bratwurst, cooked 

over a hand-forged fire-pit. 

lakedistrictwhitewaterrafting.co.uk 


WilD 

SwiMmiNg 

Some nutters do it all year round, others to cool off on 

hot summer hikes. Whenever you choose to swim wild, 

it’ll always be an experience you never forget. 

One of the easiest ways to inject some 

adventure into your hillwalk is to strip 

off and plunge into deep, rock-cold water 

surrounded by dark hills, under the open sky. 

Once you catch your breath and regain the 

feeling in your limbs, you’ll start to feel the 

silkiness of clear mountain water on your skin 

and the shiver of swimming in deep water. 

A quick tarn-splash is a brilliant way to wash 

off the dust and sweat of a long hillwalk, or you 

might find yourself becoming more committed. 

A light wetsuit will enable you to spend more 

time in the water and swim year round if you 

want. Or you can plan a particularly warm day 

around linking up tarns. Styhead and Sprinkling 

Tarn are a good pair that will bring an 

invigorating tingle to an ascent of Scafell Pike. 

There are, of course, safety implications of 

submerging yourself in mountain water, 

so do your research first. And for 

best results, do it naked – 

there’s nothing like 

being totally ‘free’ 

in the wild! 

Low Water, below the summit 

of The Old Man of Coniston. 


Anywhere you find water. 

LOW WATER on the way down 

Coniston Old Man is great on a 

hot day. LLYN IDWAL, nestled in 

the spectacular amphitheatre 

of Glyder Fawr and Y Garn, 

has a stony little beach at grid 

ref SH644598. And a visit to 

Scotland’s GREY MARE’S TAIL 

makes a glorious stop on the 

long journey along the M74. 


WATER 

WWW.TYF.COM 

CoaSteEriNg 

Jumping off cliffs isn’t usually something we’d recommend, but when 

there’s a sparkling blue sea beneath it then that changes everything! 

If there’s one thing Britain excels at, it’s coastline. We’ve got about 

19,717km (12,252 miles) of it, and coasteering has to be one of the 

most thrilling ways to experience it. Donned in wetsuit and helmet, 

you’ll traverse the coastline as closely as 

possible, scrambling over rocks, jumping 

off cliffs and swimming in tidal sea 

currents. In most places, very high jumps 

are optional, so you decide what you feel 

comfortable with. Hiring a guide with 

extensive knowledge of the area and 

the safety of any jumps and currents 

is all but essential and a worthy use 

of your cash. It’s one of the most 

exciting and challenging ways to 

spend an afternoon in the UK. 

In the summer, when the sun is 

shining, the sky is blue and the air 

warm, that cold water is heaven. T 


NORTHUMBERLAND, 

PEMBROKESHIRE and 

the SOUTH-WEST OF 

ENGLAND are the premier 

places to try this, with 

craggy cliffs and clear 

turquoise waters galore. 

TYF, tucked in the northern 

curve of Cardigan Bay, 

was the first to offer 

coasteering in the UK. 

tyf.com 

verticaldescents.com 

adventurenorthumberland.co.uk 


MouNtaIn 

PonY tRekKinG 

Probably something you’d normally associate with the American Wild West, 

trekking on horseback through mountains is becoming popular closer to home. 


RIDE 

A horse-eye view of 

the NW Highlands. 


SNOWDONIA RIDING STABLES 

Half or full-day mountain 

rides (depending on experience) 

in the foothills of Snowdon 

from £60/pp. 

snowdoniaridingstables.co.uk 

The union between humans and 

horses has shaped our history and 

landscape for thousands of years, 

with many a path and mountain pass 

following ancient packhorse routes. 

While we might not need horses for 

transportation these days, experiencing 

the hills from the saddle provides a 

unique opportunity to connect with 

animals and the landscape in a more 

natural way, relying on the cooperation 

of these magnificently powerful beasts. 

Whether horse riding means the 

thrill of learning a new skill before 

heading to the hills on four legs, 

or you’re a competent rider who 

can canter carefree, there are riding 

stables in stunning mountainous 

areas to suit all abilities. Try a half-day 

beginner ride for the less experienced, 

or gear yourself up for an epic longdistance 

trek in the magnificence 

of the Scottish Highlands. 

GRANGE TREKKING 

Brecon Beacons half- or 

full-day rides in the Black 

Mountains from £35pp, with 

accommodation available. 

grangetrekking-wales.co.uk 

HIGHLANDS UNBRIDLED 

Exciting multi-day mountain 

itineraries in the Cairngorms, 

The Great Glen, the Wild 

West Highlands, or even 

a coast-to-coast route. 

highlandsunbridled.com 

PHOTOS DOMINIQUE MILLS/HIGHLANDSUNBRIDLED.COM 


RIDE 

MouNtaIn BikIng 

Whether you’re after an adrenaline-filled afternoon or a multi-day bikepacking 

adventure, taking a mountain bike into the hills will transform your trip. 

Two wheels opens up Britain’s 

mountainous areas like nothing 

else. From the roller-coaster-onwheels 

trail centres that will have you 

screaming in joy and terror in equal 

measure, to the ‘natural trails’ of our 

national parks that will help transport 

you deep into the wilds to experience 

the mountains in a whole new way – a 

mountain bike is a natural progression 

for fun-seeking hillwalkers. The path 

to mountain bike heaven is singletrack, 

narrow trails that are fast and flowing, 

or twisty and technical. You’ll cover 

much more ground than on foot, and 

as your confidence grows, the thrill of a 

downhill descent will become seriously 

addictive. You’ll even learn to love the 

struggle and skill required to climb offroad 

over boulders and tree roots. Trail 

centres are a great place to start, with 

graded routes that will increase your 

skills and confidence before hitting 

the less predictable and more remote 

mountain bridleways and byways. T 

Bikepacking in Scotland’s 

epic Fisherfield Forest. 

TOP TRAIL CENTRES 

■ Any of the awesome 7Stanes 

in the Scottish Borders 

■ Whinlatter Forest, Lake District 

■ Coed y Brenin, Snowdonia 

■ Gisburn, Forest of Bowland 


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MAGAZINE 

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magazine and mental health charity Mind, promoting 

the benefits of being outside. We believe in the power of 

mountains to change lives and improve mental health – 

and we need your help to spread the word. 

SIGN UP NOW AT: 

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Zip-liNinG 

How’s your head for heights? If the answer to that 

question is even remotely negative, you should 

probably skip the next few pages. 

At some point every hillwalker has reached the summit 

of a mountain, enjoyed the views, and then gazed at the 

pub in the valley below and thought ‘I wish there was a 

quicker and easier way down…’ Unfortunately summit-to-pub 

zip-lines are not yet a thing (although that’s probably for the 

best), but if the idea of flying through the air like Superman 

(or Iron Man if you’re more Marvel than DC) appeals to you, 

there are plenty of zip-lining locations among the mountains 

for you to enjoy. The premise is simple: ascend to a high point 

(be that a hill, building or platform), get attached to a taught 

cable via some kind of harness system, and slide down the 

wire over varying distances and speeds to a lower point where 

you will come to a controlled (hopefully) halt and be detached 

from the cable. Simple really, but those seconds of joy and 

freedom as you speed through the landscape suspended above 

the ground is the stuff of childhood fantasies, and a fun-filled 

pleasure that plenty of adults will never grow too old for. 


AIR 


The zip-lining mecca for 

mountain-loving thrill-seekers 

has to be NORTH WALES’ Zip 

World. It has several locations 

(including the new Tower 

location in South Wales) but 

the headline attraction is 

Velocity 2 at Penrhyn Quarry 

near Bethesda, just outside 

the Snowdonia National Park. 

It’s supposed to be the fastest 

zip-line in the world, firing you 

through the air at over 100mph! 

zipworld.co.uk 

Headfirst into the action on the ‘fastest zip-line in the world’ at Zip World in north Wales. 


ParAglIdiNg 

All the views and most of the excitement of a standard parachute trip, with the 

added bonus that you don’t have to set foot in a plane. Never mind jump out of one! 

Some adventurous activities just 

happen to take place among the 

hills, while others rely on the 

high ground to make them possible. 

Paragliding falls into the latter category. 

The high ground provides a literal 

launch pad to getting into the air 

from where the pilot can make use 

of the rising warm wafts of thermals 

to stay airborne for as long as possible 

before floating gracefully down into 

the valleys below. Of course, this takes 

skill and instruction, but a tandem 

paragliding experience – whereby 

a passenger is strapped to the front 

of an experienced pilot – allows 

a layman to enjoy the experience. 

If you’ve ever holidayed on the 

mountainous coasts of Turkey or 

Greece you may be familiar with the 

sight of brightly-coloured canopies 

twisting through the air in a seeming 

attempt to reunite their passenger 

with their breakfast. In the UK 

hills paragliding is a more relaxed 

affair, with the focus on enjoying the 

incredible mountain scenery from 

an eagle’s perspective. 

This could quite 

easily be you! 

IAN AND CRUSH PHOTOGRAPHY 


There are paragliding 

companies operating in or 

near most of the UK’s mountain 

areas. Air Ventures offers 

paragliding experiences over 

the rolling green fells of the 

LAKE DISTRICT, but if you want 

a real eagle’s-eye view of some 

of the UK’s most mountainous 

peaks, Beyond Extreme is 

based in the HIGHLANDS and 

can provide takes-offs from 

the Nevis range, giving you a 

whole new appreciation of 

Scotland’s greatest peak. 

beyondextreme.co.uk 


AIR 

We’re pretty sure the instructor’s 

cheeks didn’t look like that before 

he jumped, which gives some sense 

of the speed they’re travelling! 

OLIVER FURRER / ALAMY 

SkyDivIng 

Get a bird’s-eye view of your favourite mountain range as you hurtle towards it at 

stomach-churning speeds. Just don’t forget to pull the cord before you reach them! 

ANDI DUFF / ALAMY* 

Undoubtedly part of the appeal 

of being in the mountains is 

the sensation of being up high, 

sharing space with the clouds and 

seeing the world from a new, elevated 

perspective. Perhaps the logical 

extension to this, then, is to take to 

the air above the mountains, enjoying 

the aerial views from an aircraft. And 

naturally the next step is to throw 

yourself out of said perfectly safe and 

fully functional aircraft to plunge 

towards the ground at speeds humans 

never usually travel at without the aid 

of an engine. Such thoughts will either 

have you shrinking in fear or fizzing 

with excitement. If it’s the latter, you’ll 

be thrilled to know that it’s possible to 

go skydiving in some of the UK’s most 

pointy places, admiring the mountains 

in an entirely unique way as they 

hurtle up to meet you. Unsurprisingly 

skydiving is not something you can just 

‘have a go at’, but tandem skydiving is – 

where you are strapped to the front of a 

wholly more qualified and experienced 

skydiving instructor like an infant in 

a baby carrier – and it’s an experience 

you’re unlikely to ever forget. T 


There aren’t many places where 

a take-off point for a plane, a 

landing point for a parachute, 

and mountains are all in close 

proximity. However, with 

Skydiving Snowdonia in 

NORTH WALES the flight up 

will give you terrific views of 

Snowdonia National Park, and 

when you exit the aircraft the 

combination of mountains and 

adrenaline will be like nothing 

you’ve ever felt – until your 

’chute opens and your 

spiralling descent gives you 

unparalleled 360° views of this 

breathtaking part of Wales. 

skydivingwales.com 


SurVivAl SkiLls 

Essential in life-threatening wilderness situations and useful to impress mates on 

camping trips, it never hurts to brush up on your survival and bushcraft techniques. 

Time spent in the mountains 

undoubtedly gives us a stronger 

connection to nature and 

transports us back to a simpler 

existence away from the cocooning 

bubble of technology. Bushcraft 

takes us that one step further and 

revives the lost skills of survival, 

while deepening our understanding 

of the wild. You can learn how 

to forage, create fire, make tools, 

navigate by the stars, identify 

plants and learn to track animals. 

The king 

of bushcraft 

survival skills, 

Ray Mears. 

For a more adrenaline-fuelled approach 

to survival, there are plenty of courses 

and adventure days that will teach 

you more extreme and dynamic 

survival skills, like climbing rock 

faces, abseiling into deep mine shafts, 

and canoeing fast-flowing rivers. 

Whichever kind of survival course 

you choose, you’ll gain confidence in 

your abilities and a greater awareness 

of your environment – skills that you 

can take back into your hillwalking 

and everyday life. T 

WHO TO LEARN WITH 

■ WILD HUMAN 

Offering bushcraft courses 

of various lengths in the 

woodlands of the Lake District. 

wildhuman.com 

■ BEAR GRYLLS 

SURVIVAL ACADEMY 

An intense two-day crash course 

in Bear’s extreme survival 

techniques while traversing the 

high mountains of north Wales. 

beargryllssurvivalacademy.com 

■ WOODLAND WAYS 

Offering bushcraft and survival 

skills in various locations across 

the UK and abroad, including 

once-in-a-lifetime Canoe and 

Camp Craft Expeditions in 

Sweden and with Masai 

Warriors in Kenya! 

woodland-ways.co.uk 


WILDERNESS 

RAFAL MACIEJCZYK 

Of course, you need 

to remember to pack 

the square battery in the 

first place for this to work. 


SCARPA.CO.UK

Trail Summer Mountain Thrills 2021

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