Book Review: Hiking The Yukon Quest by Dr Mark Hines

The Yukon Quest is a 1000-mile dog sled race from Fairbanks in Alaska to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. It’s regarded by many as the toughest such race in the world. Much of it takes place on frozen rivers. That’s when it’s not crossing mountain ranges. I guess the route could be hiked and pack rafted or canoed in summer. But that wouldn’t be the Yukon Quest. That requires ice and snow.

Travelling the Yukon Quest by dog sled would be tough even if not racing. Foregoing the dogs and pulling the sledge yourself would be crazy. But that’s what Dr Mark Hines did and this book tells the story of the amazing adventure that ensued.

When the author offered me a copy to review I agreed immediately, very happy to read any story involving the Yukon Territory as I’d walked it from south to north over three decades ago, a wonderful summer-long adventure that took me into the remotest, emptiest place I’ve ever hiked. I’ve returned once to lead a ski tour in the Tombstone Mountains. We only completed half the planned route. Breaking trail in deep snow and camping in temperatures down to -25°C where everything took twice as long to do slowed us down. So reading Mark’s book I had some idea of the country he was going through  - wild and beautiful - and what travelling there in snow was like – tough, very tough.

The story he tells is one of intense hardship, ferocious cold, great difficulty, physical exhaustion, as you’d expect, but also one of enthusiasm and delight. The author’s love of this far northern land shines through. He conjures up the magnificent wild forests, the wildlife, the rivers, and the mountains and makes me wish I was there.

A sense of humour about himself and what he’s doing leavens the obvious tough nature of the journey. It also, I think, masks some of the extreme risks involved, even though some incidents left my heart in my mouth despite obviously knowing he survived.

Although he was alone much of the time and had many solitary camps the author did meet people along the way who provided support, friendship and places to stay. His kinship with these people shows. This is where he feels at home.

The book is entertaining, enthralling, intense and, in places, emotional, a thrilling adventure story. I loved it.

Hiking The Yukon Quest

Stoves for Winter Camping

Using the MSR Reactor high in the Cairngorms

I use a stove on camping trips year-round. I like my morning coffee. I like hot food. In winter a stove becomes much more important though. Hot food and drink can warm you up and be a huge morale booster. You may need to melt snow for water. So a winter stove needs to be reliable and powerful.

Melting snow in the Jetboil MiniMo

When I started backpacking (oh, so long ago!)  I used a Trangia meths stove in cold weather. It worked, though lighting it could be a chore, but it was slow, especially when melting snow, and went through fuel fast. After a few years I moved onto stoves that ran on petrol and paraffin. These required care, especially petrol ones when lighting, but are fast and powerful and unaffected by the cold. They are quite heavy.

MSR Windburner in an igloo

It's now 25 years since I last used a liquid fuel stove. Canister stoves have improved so much they’re now fine for year-round use. Four developments are the reason. The first was the introduction of butane/propane/isobutane fuel mixes as these work much better in the cold than pure butane, which used to be all that was available. Then came heat exchanger stove systems that are far more fuel efficient, regulated burners that don’t lose power in the cold or as the canister empties, and remote canister stoves with preheat tubes so the canister can be inverted, creating a liquid fuel stove that works much better in the cold.

Melting snow in a Fire Maple Petrel G2 pot over an MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe stove

All these made canister stoves good choices for winter use. Over the years I’ve tested quite a few of these. I’ve just made a YouTube video of the ones I like and use most. I like all of them but recently I’ve preferred the canister top stove/heat exchanger pot combinations due to the lower weight.

Here’s some details of the stoves I review in the video.

Weights are from my scales. Prices from various internet sources – these can vary greatly so it’s worth shopping around.

Model	Type	Weight in grams	Cost (£)
MSR Reactor	Stove system*	413	300
MSR Windburner	Stove system*	456/425**	210
Jetboil MiniMo	Stove system*	366/413**	185
Jetboil MicroMo	Stove system*	349/316**	175
MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe	Canister top	84/277***	85/109****
Soto Windmaster 4Flex	Canister top	88/281***	72/96****
Optimus Vega	Remote canister	182/375***	140/164****
Alpkit Koro	Remote canister	126/319***	60/84****

*Stove systems include a heat exchanger pot

** weight with and without plastic base cup

*** weight of stove alone and weight with Fire Maple Petrel 800ml pot

**** cost of stove alone and cost with Fire Maple 800ml pot

A Look At The February Issue Of TGO

In the latest issue of The Great Outdoors I review the excellent Ombraz Refugio sunglasses, two pairs of wide footwear that fit my wide feet (Gemma Palmer reviews two pairs of women's wide boots) and the Polar Grit X2 Pro outdoor watch. The last is one of four watches in a long-term side-by-side review, the others being the Garmin Enduro 3 reviewed by Fiona Russell, the Corus Nomad reviewed by David Lintern, and the Garmin Instinct 3 reviewed by Francesca Donovan.

Also in the Gear pages is a comparative review of outdoor trousers by Gemma Palmer and Alex Roddie, who test three pairs each, a review of the Outdoor Research Helium Down Jacket by Steph Wetherall, and in The Long ReView Lucy Wallace praises her 12 year old Lowe Alpine Mountain Attack ND 35-45 rucksack.

An unusual review comes from swim coach and outdoor journalist Rosie Woodland who suffers from arthritis in her knees. On a trip in Eryri (Snowdonia) she tried the Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton to see if it would help. In a long piece she describes in the trip in detail and her conclusions.

In the big features James Forrest describes ten 'Superb Summits' as an intrepid tick-list to get you started with mountain planning in 2026. It's a great list and I certainly hope to do the four Scottish ones again this year.  

There's a piece on people who've swapped the rat race for an outdoor-centred existence. Nick Livesey describes packing in his job in Northamptonshire and moving to Eryri to start life as a photographer and mountain leader. Alison and Jeremy O'Leary went from Central London to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) which they say was life-changing. In a really drastic change Jen and Sim Benson moved out of their house with their two young children to spend a year in a bell tent as they travelled around the UK and became outdoor writers. Nic Roams ditched London and her home for a self-build van conversion and eventually a cabin in Eryri (Snowdonia). She now teaches bushcraft and women's wilderness skills.

In excerpts from his book In Green - Two Horses, Two Strangers, a journey to the End of the Land Louis D. Hall gives a glimpse of his trek from the Apennine Mountains to Cape Finisterre.

Back in Britain photographer Feargus Cooney describes two decades of learning how to thrive in the Scottish winter mountains and take stunning images, some of which illustrate the feature.

Abroad again but still in the snow Anna Richards takes a course on extreme cold survival in the Swiss Jura mountains.

In shorter pieces Francesca Donovan reviews the film Folktales by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, Hanna Lindon looks at the story of Grubs Boots, Jim Perrin returns to France and Mont Canigou for his Mountain Portrait, and Juls Stodel looks at cheeses for elevating the bothy experience.  

In the Skills section four industry experts look at ways to re-train for work in the outdoors in leading and coaching, access and conservation, media and communications, and gear design.

The Wild Walks section has seven walks in which geology takes centre stage. James Roddie takes a lesser-trodden path into the rocky Quiraing on the Isle of Skye and James Forrest climbs the mica schist of The Cobbler in the Arrochar Alps. In the limestone landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales Ian Battersby visits Whernside and Twisleton Scars and Vivienne Crow negotiates Conistone Pie and Conistone Dib. There's limestone on Whitbarrow Scar in the Lake District too, walked over by Norman Hadley. The rock changes to millstone grit for Andrew Galloway's trip to The Roaches and Hanging Stone in the Peak District. Limestone returns much further south for Zoe Tehrani on a walk from Weymouth to Lulworth Cove.

Enjoying the deep January snow: a photo essay.

Heavy snow falling on a favourite birch tree. January 6

The New Year began with snow and continued with snow and then more snow. The deepest locally for fifteen years. Walking quickly became difficult, the soft snow shin to knee deep. Snowshoes and skis were called for and I've been using both. Skis are great out in the open, snowshoes in the confined depths of the forest.

Just a smattering of snow on New Year's Day. 

I've taken the camera out every day. Here's a collection of pictures from the snowy start to 2026. All taken locally (some in the garden). With conditions like this there's no need to travel any distance. This wonderland is accessible from the front door.

The snow starts to build up. January 2.

The forest turning white. January 2.

Time for snowshoes. January 3.

Icy beard. January 3.

Changing light. The same scene at 2.10pm and 3.40pm. January 4.

Robin. The birds have been very hungry. Feeders filled several times a day. January 4.

Hungry roe deer eating seeds. Two blackbirds waiting their turn. January 4.

Heavy snow falling. January 6.

Time for skis. January 7

Drifting mists, mysterious forests. January 7

Mist sweeps over the forest. January 7

Sunshine! The Cromdale Hills visible for the first time. January 8

The favourite birch gathers more snow. January 9.

A cluster of birches.

And for January 10 a little ski tour video.

Favourite New Gear of 2025

Melting snow in the Fire Maple Petrel G2 Pot

Here's my favourite gear of the year roundup following another twelve months testing gear for The Great Outdoors, this blog, and my YouTube channel. Not all the items were new for this year, just tested by me for the first time. As always they don't necessarily replace ones from previous years or old favourites and they're in no particular order. Where reviews appear in TGO, YouTube or this blog I've given links. For other items, a few of which I haven't reviewed yet but most of which appeared in the print magazine but not online, the link is to the company page.

Fire Maple Petrel Ultralight G2 & Ramen 800ml Pots

In my 2024 gear review I praised heat exchanger pots from Fire Maple, including the 600ml Petrel G3 with slots in the base for stove pot supports. In 2025 Fire Maple launched two more Petrel pots, the 750ml G2 and the Ramen 800ml. Both of these are wider than the G3 and better for actual cooking rather than just boiling water and also better for melting snow. They do weigh a little more but I prefer them to the narrow G3 because of the shape.

Fire Maple Petrel Titanium Ultralight Stove

In 2025 Fire Maple also launched an ultralight remote canister stove under the Petrel name. I've not had this long but I have used it a couple of times and it's worked well, including on a freezing December night. Remote canister stoves are more stable and easier to protect from the wind than canister top stoves but they are generally quite a bit heavier. The Petrel is the first that weighs under 100 grams. I think I'll be using a great deal.

Rab Neutrino Pro 700 sleeping bag

I used this down bag a great deal over the winter of 2024/25 and once so far this winter. At 1130g it provides excellent warmth for weight. I've been warm in it at -9C. I find it very cosy and comfortable with features that work well. It's filled with 700g of 800 fill power down and lofts wonderfully.

Jottnar Fenrir down jacket

The Fenrir down jacket provides excellent warmth for the weight (500g) and has kept me warm on many freezing winter camps. It's stuffed with 850 fill power hydrophobic down with synthetic fill in the cuffs, collar and shoulders. The adjustable hood is snug and the hand pockets are warm and roomy.

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60

I used a previous version of this pack for a 500-walk on the GR5 Through The Alps back in 2018 and found it excellent. The 2025 Mariposa has an improved back system and is made of tougher material. It still has the same pocket arrangement and a removable back pad, both of which I like very much. I used it on several trips in 2025 including my longest one, four days in the autumn, and it performed well. It's lightweight at 1020g 

Rab Hypersphere 7.5 Down Mat

I did a comparative review of several sleeping mats for TGO last year and the Rab Hypersphere was by far the warmest and also extremely comfortable. It was warm sleeping on snow at -9C. Inside it has 190g of 800 fill power hydrophobic down and is 8cm thick when inflated. At 630g it's light for the warmth.

Ombraz Refugio Armless Sunglasses

These dark glasses were a revelation! Removing the rigid arms and replacing them with an adjustable cord makes an amazing difference. They stay in place without slipping down my nose and it's easy to slip them round my neck when not needed. I found them very comfortable and practical. A brilliant design! I like the big curved lens too. At 29g they're lightweight. They pack almost flat with no arms to get in the way or snap.

Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated Mat

This mat was my Best In Test in my TGO mats review last year. The rectangular shape and quilted rather than tubular pattern is very comfortable. It's light at 400g and compact when packed. For three-season use it's excellent.

Paramo Aspira 360 Smock

Paramo shell garments have been my favourites for cold weather for many decades due to the comfort and breathability. In recent years it's been the Aspira jacket. Before that I had an Aspira smock. Paramo has now brought this superb design back in a more environmentally friendly form with a recycled liner made from repurposed Páramo gear and textile waste. The smock has excellent pockets, a great hood, and good venting options. Last winter it coped with blizzards and extreme conditions. I expect it will this winter too.

Polar Grit X2 Pro Outdoor Watch

Over the years I've tried many GPS watches and generally found them a bit too fiddly to use much. The Grit x2 Pro is different. It has a big bright display and controls that make sense with no need to memorise sequences of presses (something I usually forget). I found the GPS fast and accurate and the hiking information useful and interesting.

MSR Hubba Hubba HD 1P

This latest version of the Hubba Hubba HD 1P tent isn't actually available yet. It comes out later this year. The basic design hasn't changed from the Hubba Hubba NX Solo that I reviewed for TGO in 2023. I liked it then and I like the new HD version even more as it's made from tougher materials, especially the groundsheet, and has better headroom, MSR having recognised that the latest airbeds are quite thick. It's an excellent three-season tent.

Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original Chair

I'd never taken a chair camping until last year. I must be getting old! (Well, I am). Once I'd tried the Hex 2.0 I decided it was worth the 565g weight, especially as it could also be used as a flat mat and even slept on if necessary. It rolls up to a reasonably small bundle and is comfortable and insulates from the ground. It won't go on every trip but I suspect it'll creep in to my load fairly often.

Alpkit Radiant Mat

This mat arrived too late for the 2025 TGO mat review. A review will appear later this year. It has a similar diamond pattern to the Big Agnes mentioned above and is similarly comfortable though much warmer. At 640g it's a winter mat. I've been warm sleeping on frozen ground at -5.5C and expect it to be fine in much colder temperatures. It folds up quite small.

Last Hill & Camp of 2025

After sunset

Between Christmas and New Year I managed a last overnight trip of 2025. Without much time and given the short hours of daylight plus a forecast for the weather to turn stormy by the end of the second day I didn’t plan to go far.

I did want a high camp though, so I decided to head up into the Cairngorms and camp somewhere near Cairn Gorm itself. I set off in sunshine, though the air was chill in shadowed areas. Only patches remained of the last big snowfall, several weeks ago now, as most of December had been wet and mild. Today the ground was frozen though and the old snow rock hard.

Frozen landscape

Rather than take my crampons on and off or blunt them on rocks I zigzagged around the bigger snowfields and crossed smaller ones by carefully treading on small patches of grass or stones protruding from them.

In the sunshine

In the sunshine I needed dark glasses but not gloves or a hat. A light warm jacket was more than enough to keep off any chill.

Before sunset

Out to the west the sun was turning the lower streaks of cloud orange as it neared the horizon. Soon the sunset was intense. Reaching the broad ridge north of Cairn Gorm I dropped my pack and wandered about watching and photographing the splendid colours in the sky. Finding a camp site could wait. This wasn’t to be missed.

View to Ben Nevis and Creag Meagaidh

As the sky greyed and darkened I retrieved my pack and headed down into the bowl of Ciste Mhearad looking for a site out of the cold wind that had sprung up but not down on the floor of this little corrie where cold air would sink. A flattish area soon appeared that looked suitable. The ground was frozen hard. At other times I expect this is boggy and I’d never think of camping here but in the cold it was fine. 

Beinn Mheadhoin after sunset

As I expected the stream was flowing fast where it poured out of the steep side of the corrie so I had water and there was no need to chip off lumps of frozen snow to melt. Lower down where the burn slowed it was covered in ice.

Camp in the morning

A cold night ensued but I was warm in the tent and had plenty of food and a book to read during the long hours of darkness. Outside a hazy moon appeared but the clouds had thickened and there was no bright starry sky.

Frozen water

I left the tent doors open, as usual if it’s not stormy, but even so by dawn there was frozen condensation inside the flysheet and frozen dew on the outside. An intermittent breeze was strong enough at times to rattle the ice-up tent. The overnight low was -5.5°C. The water in my pot was frozen but soon thawed over the stove.

There was no sunrise, just mist gradually turning a lighter shade of grey. I was in no hurry to leave the tent. It was peaceful and relaxing just watching the shadowy landscape.

The sun almost shines

When I did go outside I thought the mist might dissolve as a faint sun appeared shining high above. That was the only sign of sunshine I was to see all day though. I shook the crackling tent as I took it down, shedding as much of the ice as I could.

Fogbow

As I set off blue sky appeared ahead of me and, briefly, a pale fogbow. Then the mist closed in again.

Cnap Coire na Spreidhe

Not far from my camp lay the granite tor that marks the summit of Cnap Coire na Spreidhe, a subsidiary top of Cairn Gorm. That was my final hill of 2025. I had thought of going over Cairn Gorm but in this mist I wasn’t going to bother. It was the right decision as it didn’t clear. I only dropped out of it as I reached the car park. It was a grey monochrome day. There were frequent light showers of freezing rain, matting my beard with ice and coating my pack.

Frozen beard

The trip made for a fitting end to the year though. I was glad I’d made it.

Icy pack

I made a little video of the trip.