Calais, a charming town in Pas-de-Calais, France, offers a plethora of trails for those who love hiking, mountain biking, climbing and other outdoor activities. Here are the top 10 trails in Calais that you should consider for your next outdoor adventure. 1. Cap Blanc-Nez – Fond-Pignon Location: Caps et Marais d’Opale Regional Nature Park Length: 6.3km Difficulty: Easy Description: This trail, located in the serene natural park, starts near the Sentier Blanc Nez and takes you through Cap Blanc Nez, Mont de Noir-Mottes and Mont d’Hubert, offering breathtaking views and a chance to walk over the ..read more

Clisham (An Cliseam) is the only Corbett on the Isle of Harris and the summit at 799m elevation is also the highest point in the Western Isles.  I had been hoping to do a circuit known as the Clisham Horseshoe, but the weather wasn’t promising and so my friend Lynsey and I chose to walk the more direct return route. This had the advantage of being a shorter distance, too, which meant we could complete the walk in between disembarking the ferry from Ullapool to Stornaway in the early afternoon and reaching our evening accommodation before sunset. The total distance is just shy of 6km and a ..read more

A special film screening at London’s Royal Geographic Society on October 20, 2023, reveals the powerful story of Montane athlete Jenny Tough. SOLO takes the audience on an extraordinary journey as Jenny crosses mountain ranges on six continents, tackling some of the most remote and off-the-beaten track landscapes, solo and unsupported. Over five years, the film reveals how she learns lessons in resilience, self-esteem and bravery. Jenny, who describes herself as an adventure traveller and endurance challenger, says: “Going on a solo adventure adds many layers of challenges to an expedition tha ..read more

Have you heard of a Full House? In summit bagging circles, this achievement extends to all the hills in categories recorded by the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC), including the Munros, Munro Tops, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds. A Full House also lists the Furths, which are defined as mountains that are Munro height in England, Ireland and Wales.  It’s an extraordinarily long list with 2248 hill summits and to complete it seems mind-boggling for most people. Yet one dedicated – many might say, obsessed! – walker has recently ticked off not one, but two Full Houses. On September 15, Ann ..read more

I have been testing Shokz’s new open-ear design, wireless earbuds called OpenFit. The earbuds connect to your devices via bluetooth and sit on the ear so you can listen to music, audio books or take phone calls. Unlike other headphones that block out ambient sound, Shokz OpenFit allows you to hear conversations around you, so you remain aware of your surroundings. This makes the Shokz OpenFit earbuds ideal for outdoors exercise, where you want to listen to music or podcasts but you still want to be able to hear other people, cars etc around you. Features of Shokz OpenFit earbuds DirectPit ..read more

It took Joyce and Bill Paul more than five decades to complete a round of Scotland’s 282 Munros, although, impressively, they walked 70 per cent of the summits in their late 60s and early 70s. The couple from Banchory, Aberdeenshire, “compleated” together on Stob Ban in the Grey Corries on September 16. Joyce says: “We never thought we could do it, but I guess the motto is to never give up.” Where it all started Joyce, 71, and Paul, 70, started walking Munros in their late teens and early 20s. Most of their walking took place in the Cairngorms back then and they did not keep a comprehensiv ..read more

Sta Pollaidh is an iconic mountain in the Assynt area of Sutherland, Scotland. Although relatively modest in height, it offers a feisty ridge hike to reach the summit. Modest yet mighty hiking With a summit of just over 2000ft, Stac Pollaidh, in the stunning Assynt area of north-west Scotland, can’t claim the status of being the tallest, nor the most remote of mountains. However, what the peak lacks in stature and distance, it makes up for with rugged beauty, a feisty ridge and views that are frequently spell-binding. I enjoyed a walk-run of Stac Pollaidh – pronounced Stac Polly – with a grou ..read more

I interviewed David “Heavy'”Whalley, one of the UK’s most experienced mountain rescue experts, for The Scots Magazine. If you enjoyed this article why not buy a copy of the magazine or take up a subscription. Hero of the hills: David ‘Heavy’ Whalley David Whalley, one of the UK’s most experienced mountain rescue experts, is chatty, cheerful and engaging. He hardly seems to draw breath as he recalls his life and work over seven decades, including 37 years with the RAF Mountain Rescue Service.  Numerous stories of ”great adventures” worldwide – including 30 trips to the Alps, climbi ..read more

I have been sent pair of adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2.0 Low Gore-Tex hiking shoes to test and review. Here are my thoughts. Features include: Abrasion-resistant mesh upper with seamless overlays GORE-TEX membrane “BOOST” midsole External heel clip and EVA stabilisation frame Regular fit (see my review) Lace closure Midsole drop: 10mm (heel: 30mm / forefoot: 20mm) Continental Rubber outsole Colourway: Wonder Beige / Core Black / Semi Impact Orange Weight: 365g (size UK 5.5) Women’s sizes UK3.5 to 9.5 Men’s equivalent £165 Buy from adidas. What adidas says: “Whether you’re out for a quick hike ..read more

Ben Rinnes, a Corbett in Aberdeenshire, had been on my mind for months but the route seemed too short for the drive of some 80 minutes to reach the hill. However, a day of unsettled weather in many areas of Scotland and the option to do a longer circuit to visit some impressive granite tors, therefore made the hike seem more worthwhile. My friend Victoria, who is new to Scotland and keen to get out and about at every opportunity, needed little persuading to join me and we headed off on a wet Sunday morning from Inverness. As we drove east, we were delighted to find the weather improving with s ..read more