A Look At The May Issue Of The Great Outdoors

In the May issue of The Great Outdoors, out now, I have an opinion piece on rewilding. This is a more general look at the topic than my recent article in Wild Land News, which concentrates on trees. 

In the gear pages I review the Built To Send X3 Alpine pack and the Oppo Reno 8 Pro smartphone. David Lintern reviews six camping stoves, Peter Macfarlane and Francesca Donovan review three pairs of three season gloves each, and Kirsty Pallas and James Roddie each review three pairs of approach shoes.

The last review fits in with the scrambling theme of this issue. There's an eight page special on the topic with advice and tips from instructors Kirsty Pallas and Rebecca Coles.

In the main features Hanna Lindon takes on the Snowdon Horseshoe (the front cover is of her on Crib Goch) and John Fleetwood goes gill scrambling in the Lake District. 

The Wild Walks is all scrambling this issue too with Emily Woodhouse climbing Ben Nevis via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete and The Saddle via the Forcan Ridge, and Craig Weldon traversing Liathach in Scotland. In the Lake District Ian Battersby tackles Sharp Edge on Blencathra, James Forrest ascends Pillar via the Shamrock Traverse, Norman Hadley climbs Crinkle Crags via Crinkle Gill, and Francesca Donovan takes the Dropping Crag and Bell Rig route up Yewbarrow. In Snowdonia Alex Roddie does the Bochlwyd Horseshoe via Tryfan and Andrew Galloway traverses the Nantlle Ridge. Finally, in the Peak District Francesca Donovan climbs The Tower at Alport Castle. 

Back in the main features Stefan Durcacz describes his involvement as one of the authors along with Peter Edwards and David Lintern of the new book Scottish Wild Country Backpacking, which I review elsewhere in this issue. In Italy Ronald Turnbull goes walking in the Brenta Dolomites with a bit of easy via ferrata thrown in. 

Also this month there's a magnificent opening spread of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven in Assynt by James Roddie; 'Muddy Bootlaces' Beca Trebilcock is Creator of the Month; the West Highland Way is Trail of the Month, described by James Forrest; a news piece looks at Nepal's ban on solo trekking; Andy Wasley reviews Gail Simmon's Between the Chalk and the Sea; Jim Perrin describes The Wrekin in his Mountain Portrai; and Emma Schroeder praises pubs on her walk round Britain's coast.