The theme of the January issue of The Great Outdoors is making the most of winter nights. The opening double-page spread is a lovely winter dawn photo of a snowy and misty Hope Valley in the Peak district by Verity Milligan. The dramatic cover image by David Lintern shows a hiker at a camp on the Tour des Ecrins in the Alps shining a headlamp up towards a starry sky.
In the main features there's a brilliantly illustrated photo essay by Scottish astrophotographer Stuart McIntyre describing some miraculous moments under the stars, and another well-illustrated piece by Alex Roddie in which he goes winter camping on Ben Lawers and shows how to make the step up to winter backpacking
The gear pages cover items for cold weather. Lucy Wallace reviews three sets of crampons, Peter Macfarlane and Fiona Russell test four winter sleeping bags each, David Lintern reviews PHD's Sigma synthetic insulated vest and trousers, and Francesca Donovan tests the lightweight fleece-lined Red Equipment Pursuit Robe for keeping warm after wild swimming.
Far from winter and Britain Phoebe Smith walks Japan's Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route and becomes a 'Dual Pilgrim', having already walked Spain's Camino de Santiago.
As described in this post my main contribution to this issue is a feature on my 1988 walk the length of the Canadian Rockies. I also review ScotWays impressive new edition of Scottish Hill Tracks. Also in Book Reviews Merryn Glover reviews a new edition of Linda Cracknell's interesting and thoughtful Doubling Back: Paths Trodden In Memory.
Elsewhere Andy Wasley introduces an expanded On The Lookout nature feature with a piece on the elusive bittern, Lewis Winks says the fight for wild camping rights isn't just about Dartmoor, Jim Perrin makes a pilgrimage to Ysgyryd Fawr in the Black Mountains in his Mountain Portrait, Hanna Lindon introduces her home town of Lewes as a base for cosy country walking and talks to five hill baggers on how to take on a tick list, and Emma Schroeder writes of the peace of night-time when camping - except when there are garden gnomes!
The Wild Walks in this issue run from Knoydart to Dorset with the common theme of a pub to visit. In the first James Roddie has a long walk over Ladhar Bheinn, finishing at The Old Forge in Inverie. Alex Roddie goes over Stob Coire Sgreamhach in Glencoe via the Clachaig Inn. Down in England Ian Battersby walks Nine Standard Riggs via the Black Bull in Nateby. In the Lake District Vivienne Crow starts and finishes an ascent of Lonscale Fell at the Farrier Inn in Threlkeld, James Forrest does the Coledale Round and visits the Coledale Inn, and Ian Battersby enjoys a pint in The Ruddings after an ascent of Hopegill Head. In the Yorkshire Dales Vivienne Crow tackles Whernside from Dent, finishing in the George and Dragon. Over in Wales Andrew Galloway climbs Tal-y-Fan and visits the Ty Gwyn Hotel in Rowen. Just over the border in England Lara Dun walks the long ridge of the Malvern Hills to The Wyche Inn in Great Malvern. Finally we reach Dorset where Fiona Barltrop follows the South West Coast Path over Golden Cap to the Anchor Inn at Seatown.
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