The Great Outdoors December Issue Out Now: Winter is Coming, Ice Axes, Backpacking In the Lake District

Winter Walkers in the Cairngorms

As the first snows arrive on the tops the latest issue of The Great Outdoors has a winter theme. My backpacking column is about looking forward to the winter and I also review seven ice axes while Judy Armstrong reviews five pairs of crampons. Glenmore Lodge instructor Giles Trussell gives advice on planning and preparation for winter hillwalking and there's a gear guide to suitable items.

Going back to the summer there's an interview with Terry Abraham and me about the Backpacking In The Lake District DVD we made then. One of the double-page spreads at the front of the magazine is a sunset photo I took at one of our high camps while making the video. There are also superb double-page spreads of the South Glen Shiel Ridge by David Lintern and Cribyn in the Brecon Beacons by James Osmond.

More splendid photography from David Lintern turns up in his excellent feature on a backpacking trip on the Glen Shiel hills that didn't go quite according to plan. Away from the comforts of wild camping Ian Mitchell visits three iconic British Climbing Inns and describes their history and day walks based on them. Leaving Britain for warmer climes Alice Morrison joins Moroccan nomads on their annual journey with their herds into the Atlas mountains. Even further afield Carey Davies tells of the impact of a visit to the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Back in Britain Daniel Neilson visits the Cairngorms to undertake the Summer Mountain Leader course at Glenmore Lodge. Related to this there's advice on Navigation Techniques by Steve Long and Plas Y Brenin staff and a piece by David Pegley on understanding windy weather.

Finally in this issue Roger Smith looks at the future of the Forestry Commission and Jim Perrin recommends Patrick Leigh Fermor's The Broken Road and reviews Martin Boysen's new autobiography Hanging On.