Articles

253 articles found

Article · 2 Oct 2021

Gravel biking the Heads of the Valleys route

Richard Barrett, author of Cycle Touring in Wales and Cycling Lon Las Cymru, describes a short break riding along the Heads of the Valleys cycle route, a hidden gem, two-thirds of...

Article · 4 Sep 2021

A spotlight on the Austrian Alpine Club

The AAC(UK) is one of the best UK mountaineering clubs with thousands of UK and overseas members. The mission of the club is to help people get into the mountains they love and to have fun there – a mission and philosophy very similar to...

Article · 28 Aug 2021

Walking the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome

Christine Evans decided to walk the Via Francigana from Canterbury to Rome in honour of her late mother. Here she describes two days from the middle section in Switzerland, which...

Article · 21 Aug 2021

Discovering the Isle of Rum

Ester Carlomagno spent two months living on the Isle of Rum, volunteering at the Rum National Nature Reserve, where she went walking whenever the weather allowed

Article · 14 Aug 2021

6 Scottish routes to prepare you for high mountain treks

In terms of terrain, the Scottish mountains are a fantastic training ground when planning a trek or a climb overseas, says Sean McBride

Article · 17 Jul 2021

The Stour and Orwell Walk in a day

During lockdown, Stephen Dunnett set himself the challenge of keeping it local by exploring the long-distance routes in his home county of Suffolk. He suggests that this is a quiet part of the country worthy of consideration for a walking trip.

Article · 26 Jun 2021

A question of stiles: rural ingenuity or hazardous obstacle?

They come in all shapes and sizes and few walks in the British countryside can avoid them. Often historic and frequently inventive, they are as much a part of our rural landscape...

Article · 26 Jun 2021

Joss Naylor's lakes, meres and waters

In 1983, the legendary Joss Naylor completed the little-known 105-mile Lakes, Meres and Waters route in a staggering 19hr 14min. This Cicerone book, written by Vivienne Crow, interweaves tales of past and present as Naylor regales his epic...

Article · 19 Jun 2021

Walkers and livestock: how to behave around animals

Natalie Simpson explains how best to minimise the potential risks - to yourself and the animals - when out walking around livestock

Article · 12 Jun 2021

The beauty and the trials of Glyndŵr's Way

Emma Sawyer and a friend were walking the whole of Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail with the help of the Cicerone guidebook. And despite the after effects of several bottles of...

Gravel bike parked up at Penmon Point on Anglesey during a mixed tarmac/trail ride

Article · 22 May 2021

5 reasons to choose a gravel bike

Suitable for cycling on both tarmac and muddy trails, gravel bikes are versatile and fantastic for off and on-road routes. Here are five reasons why Richard Barrett, a long-time road bike enthusiast, believes your next bike should be a gravel bike.

Article · 9 May 2021

How to get hill-fit and train for long-distance walking

Here are some top tips to build distance and strength to help you prepare your body for the hills, mountains and trails. If you're relatively new to walking, we hope that these...

On Lingmoor one of my favourite Wainwrights

Article · 8 May 2021

(Not) finishing the Wainwrights

While the Covid pandemic has put the brakes on Cicerone's Natalie Simpson's attempts to finish the Wainwrights, the welcome addition of the Fellrangers to her list has led to isolated tops on out-of-the-way summits - amazing views for minimal effort

Article · 17 Apr 2021

Why Cicerone’s LEJOG cycling route is the 'optimal' choice

Twenty years after Cicerone's first guidebook for the classic challenge of riding Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG), the third edition has just been launched, which author...

Article · 20 Mar 2021

The Sandlings Walk in a day

Stephen Dunnett returned from a trip to New Zealand and a country in lockdown. All events were cancelled and the challenge became staying motivated. Here he suggests that planning for the future is a positive way to prepare for the freedom that will...

Article · 11 Mar 2021

What is gill scrambling?

Gill scrambling is something of an acquired taste that some find hideous and others consider to be the very best scrambling. Gill scrambling demands self-imposed rules for maximum enjoyment. John Fleetwood

Article · 10 Jan 2021

Achieving a first cycling century: two perspectives

When a friend asked Cress Allwood to support him in achieving his goal of riding 200 miles from London to Paris, she was happy to help with the training. But with Roger's first...

The twin tops of the Wittenham Clumps are crowned by beech trees

Article · 22 Nov 2020

Hidden Gem – family-friendly walking in the North Wessex Downs AONB

Lesley Williams looks back on childhood walks around Wallingford and explores a walk between Shillingford, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell and Dorchester on Thames with all the ingredients...

Article · 21 Nov 2020

Scrambles in the Lake District – South: A sample route

Covering Langdale, Coniston, Eskdale, Patterdale and High Street, John Fleetwood's Scrambles in the Lake District offers 106 scrambling routes in the south of the national park...

Article · 24 Oct 2020

A list of the long-distance walks in the UK

There are 16 national trails and many hundreds of other named long-distance routes in the UK, including 29 Great Trails in Scotland. The UK has a fantastic network of other...