A Look At The February Issue Of The Great Outdoors

 This is the last issue edited by Carey Davies, who is leaving after five years at the helm, and it's an excellent finale. 

Carey has done a great job, maintaining and enhancing the standards of the magazine. He is handing over to Francesca Donovan, who has been working on the magazine for some time and who I'm sure will be a great editor too.

In this issue I have a big feature covering 38 pieces of gear, all photographed by James Roddie on trips we did back in October (see here). I also review the Fjallraven Vidda Pro Lite trousers and the Keen Zionic Mid WP boots and Andrew Terrill's wonderful book On Sacred Ground. 

In the main features Francesca Donovan talks to eight outdoors people about their high points and what keeps them motivated when the going gets tough, Sarah Jane Douglas has a winter walk and camp around the Glengalmadale Horsehoe on the Morvern peninsula, there's a photo essay on Eryri by Hollie Harmsworth, and Lisa Morris explores the high-altitude mountain deserts of Dolpo in Nepal. 

The magazine opens with a lovely and dramatic photo by Verity Milligan of a snowy Skiddaw catching early sunshine under a blanket of dark cloud. Creator of the Month is psychologist Dr Jade Adams-White, founder of The Jadeite Project which teaches the benefits of time in nature. In the Opinion piece Mary-Ann Ochota says we have to fix the problem of too many deer. In his Mountain Portrait Jim Perrin revisits Lord's Seat in the Peak District. In a Life Hacks piece Alex Roddie gives some advice on staying healthy and happy over the winter months. And in her Notes from the Edge about her walk round the British coast Emma Schroeder reflects on stories from Britain's lighthouses.

The ten walks in the Wild Walks section range from the Cairngorms to Dartmoor and all have the theme of pubs as well as hills. Stefan Durkacz explores a hilly spur of the Speyside Way running from Ballindalloch to Tomintoul. Alex Roddie has a winter pub walk from the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe up Sgurr na h-Ulaidh. In the Lake District James Forrest climbs Mellbreak from the Kirkstile Inn, Vivienne Crow climbs Barton Fell from the Sun Inn, and Francesca Donovan climbs Kirk Fell from the Wasdale Head Inn. Not far away in the Howgill Fells Roger Butler sets off from the Cross Keys Inn for The Calf and Cautley Crag. In the Yorkshire Dales Ian Battersby explores Arkengarthdale from the Tan Hill Inn and walks the Monk's Road and Mastiles Lane from the Falcon Inn. Over in Wales Andrew Galloway climbs Cadair Berwyn from Llanarmon, which has two pubs, The Hand and The West Arms. Finally on Dartmoor Tim Gent goes up Great Links Tor from the Fox and Hounds.