Alison`s article on trekking poles

In association with
mountain genius SKILLS
www.cotswoldoutdoor.com
beat
sunburn
Shade If you can’t seek shade
between 11 and 3 it is crucial
to cover up with clothing,
sunglasses and a hat, and
regularly apply at least SPF
15 sunscreen. Take rest and
lunch breaks in the shade.
5
waysto
cutfaff
Juggle your gear wisely and
you’ll stay comfy without it
eating into your walk time:
Avoid gear-shedding
stops by starting off
your walk cool. You
warm up as soon as you
start walking, so layer
up accordingly.
What factor? Pale, freckly
skin needs SPF 30-50, and
less pale skin needs SPF15.
Use ‘broad spectrum’
sunscreens with a 4+ star
rating and SPF 15+ on lips.
Naturally brown or black
skin benefits a low factor.
When to apply? Apply
generously to clean, dry
skin 15-30 minutes before
walking in the sun, then
reapply every 2 hours, or
more frequently if washed,
rubbed or sweated off.
Set a slow pace so that you
don’t have to keep pausing
to catch your breath.
Sunnies Make sure they wrap
around the sides of your eyes,
and look for a label like these:
Save half your food for a
lunch stop, and stuff the
other half in pockets so
you graze on the move.
* the ‘CE Mark’ and British
Standard (BS EN 1836:1997)
Hydration packs or a bottle
tucked in a side pocket let
you stay hydrated without
constant stops.
Body temperature can
often be controlled with
a windproof top – so
have one accessible for
quick layering.
* UV 400
* 100 per cent UV protection
UV clothing Choose closely
woven, UV-blocking materials
with SPF ratings. Protect your
face, eyes and head (especially
if you’re thin on top!) with
a wide-brimmed hat. Keep
shoulders covered too as
backpack rub on newly burned
skin is a painful walk-ruiner.
Kids Delicate young skin is
very easily damaged, which
can develop into skin cancer
decades later. Keep babies
under six months out of the
sun, especially at midday, use
buggy canopies and hats, and
apply plenty of sunscreen.
Summits with special features
Sometimes it’s nice to get to the top of a hill. But every now and again it’s made all the more interesting when you find something completely unexpected up there. Like on…
…Harter Fell, Lake
District 778m NY459093
This Eastern Fell has a summit
cairn made of old fenceposts,
some looking like pitchforks.
This led Wainwright to describe
the approach to the summit
on a misty day as ‘faintly
nightmarish’. Not a clever place
to visit during a lightning storm.
Web
…Ben Nevis,
Central Highlands
1344m NN166713
Today a raised emergency
shelter sits in the ruined turret
of the Ben Nevis observatory, a
weather station which closed in
1904, the source of most of the
remains. The summit is all the
more fascinating for it.
…Great Carrs, Lake
District 788m NY271009
…Ben Macdui,
Cairngorms 1309m
…Cadair Idris,
Snowdonia 893m
A touching memorial, along
with the rusting parts of a
Halifax Bomber LL05, lie near
Great Carrs summit in the
Coniston Fells. It crashed in
1944 in fog on a night exercise,
hitting the ridge of Broad Slack.
All eight crew members died.
Macdui has the remains of a
hut, Sappers Bothy, built by the
OS for the triangulation survey.
Also there are lots of ‘sangars’
(fortified positions) from when
mountain commandos trained
up there during World War Two.
Approach Cadair’s Penygadair
summit on a foggy night and
you will encounter an old,
doorless stone shelter. This
cosy but creepy hut is built on
the remains of a Victorian hut.
where tea used to be served.
NN989989
SH711130
Want to walk for a reason? Get involved with Summits on the Air (SOTA), an award scheme
that gets you radioing messages from remote mountains to nearby hill tops: www.sota.org.uk
[[1l]] trail June 2009
Waterproof Use waterresistant sunscreen to
increase protection from
sweat. Reapply waterproof
sunscreens after watery fun.
Wo-hoo, summer’s here!
Hopefully that means walking up
mountains in the sunshine, but
not coming back down looking
like a lobster. Cancer Research
UK’s Kieran Scott says, “Sunburn
can greatly increase your risk of
skin cancer, so don’t get caught
out when walking this summer.
It’s particularly important to
protect your skin at high
altitudes, as UV exposure
increases by about 15 per cent
for every 1000m of ascent.”
Hill Habits 2 strap
fiddling
Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle. Maybe it’s because your hands haven’t got
enough to do while your legs are occupied, or that there are an
especially large number of dangly bits on the average attire of
the outdoor person. But no matter whether the kit is tensioned
perfectly to your form, there you go again: fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.
Hood drawstrings, rucksack
straps, waist cords, zip
pulls, cuff adjusters.
We’ll tell you a
secret: they don’t like
being fiddled with.
That’s why, as soon
as a strong wind
kicks up, they all
simultaneously
attack your
eyes.
s
s
s
60
Years taken for the South Downs
to get National Park status.
Poles help reduce the pressure on achy knees and backs, but there’s
more to them than that. “You should start using poles before you
even start to feel any pain, especially on long walks and when
balancing under a heavy load,” says Alison Culshaw from A-Z
Expeditions. “They are also great for river crossings, and can be used
to make stretchers, as tent pole substitutes and washing line poles,
and for duct tape storage. However, you need to use them correctly
to ensure they don’t become more of a hindrance.”
Length When holding the top
of the pole, your elbow should
be at right angles. Adjust the
length for uphills (shorter)
and downhills (longer) and
the terrain (on soft ground the
bottom will sink in) to get your
elbow at the right angle.
Wrist loops Take the wrist
loops off whenever you feel a
slip risk so they don’t injure you.
Practice Take time to adapt
to walking with poles. Place
one pole and the opposite foot
down at the same time and find
a rhythm that suits you.
Legs Continue to use your legs
and feet to balance without
becoming over-reliant on the
poles. They are an additional
aid, not a substitute to sound
foot placements – your legs are
stronger than your arms.
Crossing rivers Stepping
from rock to rock or wading
through a small river poles give
you a third and fourth point of
ground contact, increasing your
stability. Carefully place both of
your poles accurately to ensure
they do not slip.
Storage Take poles apart
completely and store them
inside your sack on terrain that
requires the use of your hands
Height of Piz Morteratsch, Alps
or on ground where it is difficult
whose ESE face has just been climbed. to find secure pole placements,
like steep rocky sections, to
ensure they don’t get caught on
rocks, trees and other walkers.
3751m
6
Alpinists awarded a ‘Spirit of
Mountaineering’ award for an
Annapurna rescue last summer.
pro
Use poles properly
Baskets Use small baskets to
stop the poles sinking in on soft
ground. Large baskets can get
caught in heather.
“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete. You can be an ordinary
chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” Sir Edmund Hillary, mountaineer
June 2009 trail [[2R]]