The Great Outdoors February issue

 

In the shops now the February issue has the results of the 2020 Readers Awards. Over 12,000 votes were cast for the thirteen categories, which range from pubs and campsites to books and apps.

In the gear pages David Lintern and Lucy Wallace review nine pairs of winter mountaineering boots. 

Winter comes up in this month's skills piece too in which Rebecca Coles describes an ascent of Bidean nam Bian in Glencoe and the skills needed for this. 

Two other winter trips appear in this issue. Helen Isles climbs Cadair Idris in Snowdonia while David Lintern makes a three-day traverse of the Western Fannichs in the NW Highlands.

The magazine opens with a splendid winter photograph too, taken by William Wilson during a traverse of the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe.

Far from the British winter Anna Richards makes a challenging trek through a spectacular glacial landscape in Patagonia. 

If you're longing for a long-distance walk (aren't we all?) Ben Lerwill suggests ten possibilities from Egypt and Canada to Shetland and Australia.

Closer to home High Willhays on Dartmoor features in Jim Perrin's Mountain Portrait. 

In the Comment pages Kerri Andrews, author of Wanderers: A History of Women Walking, says that the pioneering role of women in the history of hillwalking has been overlooked, while Roger Smith and Alan Hinkes remember top mountaineers Doug Scott and Hamish MacInnes, who both died recently.

For the first time in thirty years I have nothing in this issue. I don't use big mountaineering boots (and they rarely fit me) so I opted out of that review, feeling others could do the subject more justice. I have pieces in the next and following issues though. Also my online reviews, put on hold back in March due to the pandemic, have restarted this month. My first two reviews are the Patagonia R1 Air Hoody fleece and the Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 boots.