Trail

If you love to sling on a backpack, head for the hills and do some wild camping, Trail Magazine is for you. Each issue is packed with: - Routes with full OS mapping - Reviews of the latest outdoor kit - The UK’s best outdoor writing - Exclusive picture and video content As the UK’s biggest and best-selling hillwalking magazine, we specialize in the most beautiful, most spectacular and most challenging regions of Britain and Europe – and inform you about all the tools you need to explore them. If you want adventure you’ll love Trail, and Trail will love you.

INSPIRED BY ADVENTURE

EDITOR'S PICKS

Trail

BASECAMP • YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

TRAIL Picks • Places we've been, things we've seen, and mountain-related stuff we like

12 things your hiking partner says… and what they really mean • Fliss Freeborn reveals the hidden meaning lurking behind some of the most common, and maddening, phrases you'll hear while out walking with friends.

Out there • YOUR MOUNTAIN SNAPS & TALES FROM THE TRAILS

March: Hunting secrets of our aerial assassins

WILDLIFE, WILDE RNESS, WONDER 7 REASONS YOU HAVE TO WALK IN THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK • As well as being Britain's largest National Park, the CAIRNGORMS is a truly unique place to walk. We spoke to the authors of a new book about this vast and largely unspoilt landscape to find out what they think makes it so special.

BRITAIN'S TRIPLE CROWN • Once you've walked one long-distance trail, you're likely to be left wanting more. Matt Jones certainly was, so taking inspiration from our friends across the Atlantic, he added the Pennine Way and the Cape Wrath Trail to the Cambrian Way. The result was Britain's very own ‘Triple Crown'. Fancy it?

A POINT OF VIEW • Switzerland's MATTERHORN is the most iconic mountain in the world. There's nothing in the UK that compares to it. Or is there? There just might be something lurking in the Lakes, but you have to look closely.

MATTERHORNS OF GREAT BRITAIN

OUT OF THE FIRING LINE • Working in war-torn countries, under violent regimes and in the midst of natural disasters, foreign correspondent Howard Johnson turned to the mountains to keep him in the balance.

[HOW TO] BIVVYING DO'S AND DON'TS • How to have the best night's sleep in a waterproof sack

HOW TO: WALK THROUGH A FIELD WITH COWS

GET TO KNOW TREES OF THE HILLS • The mountains are a tough place to live, exposed to sudden downpours, scouring wind and blazing sunshine, but some trees specialise in these conditions. Some, like the Scots pine, have become iconic; others, like the willows, are less noticeable. All are a vital part of hillside habitats. Here are eight that you might spot on mountainsides and moorlands.

Winter walkers • Cold weather requires different footwear, but if you're not keen on the idea of stiff boots and faffy microspikes, you'll be pleased to know it doesn't have to be that way.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

FOOT DEFROSTERS

Trekking poles • Poles can transform your walking experience on steep, uneven terrain. They'll power you uphill, aid your balance on the downhill and take the strain off your knees. Here are six of the best TREKKING POLES to help power you along.

Navigation kit • Find your way without losing your bearings with our pick of five pieces of navigation kit that belong in your pack.

Hiking trousers • When it comes to the best legwear for year-round hillwalking, versatility is the name of the game. Here are six pairs of HIKING TROUSERS that balance comfort, performance and protection from the elements.

Used & abused • TRAIL'S GEAR, TESTED FOR YOU

Grisedale Pike north ridge • Approach this Lakeland peak from its often-ignored northern ridge and bag eight...