A Look At The April Issue Of The Great Outdoors

In the April issue of The Great Outdoors Kirsty Pallas and I review 5 waterproof jackets each. I also review the Sprayway Torridon Insulated Jacket. Steph Wetherell reviews the Paramo Alta III jacket and four power banks.

This spring sees the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way, a trail I am fond of as it was my first long-distance walk. Hanna Lindon tells the story of the trail and talks to some completers while Becky Angell gives advice on hiking the route. 

Far to the north-west Carey Davies describes an exciting walk over the rugged Fisherfield Six (or is it Five?).

Alex Roddie heads over the Irish Sea to hike the Beara Way in the far south-west of Ireland.

Much, much further afield Michaela Hrda and Martina Merisi become the first people to complete the Pamir Trail in Tajikistan.

The issue opens with a wonderful evocative image of mist over Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District by Verity Milligan. Creator of the Month is outdoor filmmaker and YouTuber Elli Schneider. Francesca Donovan reviews the book Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom by Kerri Andrews and Ash Routen reviews the film Moments in the Wilderness by Magnus Lindborn. Jim Perrin remembers a not to be repeated winter climb on Mam Tor in his Mountain Portrait. In the Skills section Monica Shaw explains how to make your own backpacking meals. At the back of the magazine there's a new entertaining column called Uphill Struggles by Juls Stodel. 

The Wild Walks section has a nature theme this month. James Roddie finds snow buntings, mountain hares and ptarmigan on an ascent of Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms. Ian Battersby visits the home of England's only arctic charr in Wild Ennerdale in the Lake District and climbs Haycock. In the Yorkshire Dales Vivienne Crow is greeted by the spring songs and calls of skylarks, curlews, lapwings and golden plover on Great Whernside. On the coast of Yorkshire at Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head Ian Battersby finds gannets, puffins, and kittiwakes. Also on the coast down in Pembrokeshire Andrew Galloway hears the cries of seals on a visit to St Davids Head and Carn Llidi. Fiona Barltrop encounters free-ranging ponies in the New Forest National Park and wild goats on a walk along the Cornish coast.