Out of the ordinary

Hauntology on Skye – remains of a Viking

IN THIS ISSUE

Meet some of the folk that made this magazine

Hello

The Great Outdoors is Britain’s original outdoors magazine,

MYTHICAL MOUNTAINS

Weather deities, magical portals, earth-moving giants and haunted valleys – Britain’s mountains are humming with myth, magic and mystery. Hanna Lindon explores upland legends from around the country

THE CUILLIN FOR MORTALS

The Cuillin Ridge is often regarded as Britain’s most sustained and technical mountaineering excursion. Co-editor David Lintern attempted a ‘walker’s traverse’ of this infamous challenge, supporting a friend’s Munro round. In an environment now largely professionalised, theirs was an adventure by amateurs in the classic sense

TALL TALES IN WALES

Poet, lecturer and Mountain Leader Emily Zobel Marshall returns home for an epic adventure over the Welsh 3000s – the highest and most multi-storied mountains of Eryri

WATER COURSES

Piteälven, one of Sweden’s great rivers, has carved out 400km of sweeping landscape through Swedish Lapland by sheer brute force. In following these watercourses, Mark Waring learns lessons in fully appreciating this remote and seldom-visited wild land from the Norwegian border high in the Scandinavian mountains to the Baltic Sea

SKILLS: THINK LIKE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST

Having the skills to interpret historical features in the landscape can add an extra layer of interest to your walks. Here’s what to look out for

TECH & ACCESSORIES

BEST VALUE: NEBO 20K The

POLES

WINNER: BLACK DIAMOND PURSUIT These

BASELAYERS

WINNER: BERGHAUS WOMEN’S MTN GUIDE LONG

GLOVES

WINNER: SALEWA ORTLES POWERTEX TIROLWOOL RESPONSIVE

STOVES

THE GREAT OUTDOORS GEAR AWARDS 2025

UPHILL STRUGGLES

Peak problem? Trail trouble? Ask Juls

Doug Scott Archive

Photo: Doug Scott World Wide Web Community Action

Isle of Wight Walking Festival

4-12 October 2025

Holmfirth Walking Festival

2-5 October

Line OF SIGHT

Slieve Corragh

THE PTARMIGAN

From season to season, the ptarmigan’s clever camouflage is perfect cover for the mountains – observes an awestruck Nadia Shaikh

Readers’ page

Share your views, your experiences and your favourite photos tgo.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Upland: A Journey through Time and the Hills

(hardback, £18.99, Birlinn) Suilven, an icon of the

ANDREW WANG

Fell runner, community organiser & campaigner

HEREFORDSHIRE BEACON

Jim Perrin recalls a short season picking apples below a serpentine ridge squeezed between rivers

Glyndŵr’s Way

Glyndŵr’s Way is an ideal national trail on which to dip your toe into the magic of long-distance walking. Francesca Donovan is your guide to exploring the magic and mythology of Mid-Wales, bookended by the mountains of Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog

Glen Affric, West Highlands

Photo by James Roddie jamesroddie.com “October is,

GEAR

In this gear special, we share news from the world of outdoor kit, and recognise the best gear and brands in our annual awards

GEAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2025

All killer, no filler! Co-editor David Lintern introduces this year’s best of the best

WATERPROOFS

BEST VALUE: HIGHLANDER MUNRO V2 MOUNTAIN With fabric

INSULATION

WINNER: HELLY HANSEN VERGLAS POLAR DOWN The Verglas

HIKING BOOTS

BEST VALUE: ASOLO FRENEY EVO LT

HIKING SHOES

WINNER: SCARPA RAPID XT WMN

HIKING PACKS

WINNER: OSPREY TEMPEST 33

TENTS

GEAR AWARDS WINNER: WILD COUNTRY

SLEEPING BAGS

GEAR AWARDS WINNER: BIG AGNES

SLEEPING MATS

GEAR AWARDS WINNER: BIG AGNES

TECH & ACCESSORIES

WINNER: PETZL IKO CORE

SUSTAINABILITY BRAND OF THE YEAR

WINNER: KEELA Photo credits: Keela Keela

WILDWALKS

Our walks is month 1 Maol Chean-Dearg