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Intro and route history The West Highland Way, or simply The Way, is a 96-mile-long distance walk that is usually tackled from south to north. It is arguably the most popular long-distance trail in the UK, completed by approximately 36,000 walkers a year. In contrast to the Coast to Coast, another popular trail, which is only completed by about 10,000. By no means is the trail busy, it …

We were watching LEKI's guide to why you should use trekking poles, it was so good we added a link to it here. Then we realised there was more than one - so here are both of them, they're really good.

Drink Dilemma – the facts about water treatmentThe DangersDrinking water directly from streams and rivers can be hazardous because such sources could contain Pathogens; a Pathogen is a disease causing organism commonly referred to as a germ.There are four types of water-borne pathogens that are of concern: Protozoa – single cell organisms often transferred through human and animal faeces. They ar …

Most mosquitos, including those that carry malaria, are active when it's dark. A mosquito net not only keeps malaria mosquitos away but also other insects, such as lice, bed bugs and fleas. So contributing to a good night's sleep.A Mosquito net only offers extra protection against mosquitos and other insects if it is sealed off all around and has a mesh size of no more than 1.75mm. Nets may be imp …

The intention of this page is simply to provide guidance and advice to those with limited winter mountaineering experience. It is not definitive piece and is based solely on our experiences in the mountains. The aim is to simply help customers understand differences and focus on what they might need from the options available when considering buying an ice axe. We hope to provide some general advi …

For those venturing out into the mountains, the correct equipment is crucial, this is especially true with winter conditions. It's both melodramatic and true to say it can be life-saving.The options available to hillgoers are ever-increasing with regard to footwear and related hardware to cope with snow and ice. Microspikes are becoming an increasingly common sight on the hills as well as the more …

Using trekking poles splits the load between your legs and arms, it's not an even split, your knees still take the lion's share of the stress of walking and carrying a load, but by transferring at least some of this to the arms your legs get some relief and at the end of a long day they aren't as tired as they would have been.

15lbs or 6.8Kg is a magical figure – it’s about the base pack weight you can achieve for an extended three season backpacking trip without really compromising on comfort or sacrificing any of the key pieces of gear; such as tents, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and rucksack.

This article aims to provide some simple advice for anyone who wants to start running doing more mountain and remote trail running. It is not a comprehensive guide and is just built on our experiences of running mountain marathon events, ultra-distance races and general trail, fell and mountain running.We've broken our guide down into 4 key areas you need to look at before you start running in mor …

12 items that ALWAYS make the gear list I've done a lot of backpacking routes over the years and there are some items that always make the gear list. No matter where, no matter when, I don't even need to think about them. Here they are: Gram Counter Gear Mini Firesteel - 12g Most people use gas stoves, a firesteel is more reliable than either matches or a Piezo Igniter (which can br …

Selecting the right head torch for your needs can seem daunting when there are so many on offer but we've put this guide together with a few tips to help you make the right choice.

The Fairtrade FoundationFairtrade is a movement for change that works directly with businesses, consumers and campaigners to make trade deliver for farmers and workers. It is represented by the Fairtrade Foundation.The international Fairtrade system (which the Fairtrade Foundation is a part of) represents the world’s largest and most recognised fair trade system. They are a global organisation wor …