British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris has become the first woman to complete the gruelling Barkley Marathons.
The 40-year-old Edinburgh-based vet arrived at the finish one minute and 39 seconds before the 60-hour cut-off time.
The event, in the Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee is reckoned by many runners to be among the most difficult endurance race in the world.
Only 20 runners have completed the full 100-mile distance within the allotted time since the race was first staged in 1995.
Paris held the record for the winter Spine Race along the full length of the Pennine Way until January this year. She was the first woman to claim victory in that event. Her women’s record for the Bob Graham Round stood for four years and she has taken the women’s title in several long-distance races, including The Fellsman and Three Peaks Race. Latterly she has excelled in skyrunning, racing on mountain terrain above 2,000m.
Runners in the Barkley Marathons undertake a series of 20-mile circuits, with the full race involving alternate clockwise and anticlockwise routes through forests, with a total ascent of 16,500 m (54,134ft).
The unconventional race was co-founded by Gary Cantrell, based on a prison escape and subsequent run in the forest to avoid recapture by Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray.
Runners are given a one-hour warning of the impending start by the blowing of a conch shell, and Cantrell sets off runners by lighting a cigarette. Competitors are given a map to study from which to make notes and must navigate the route using those notes, collecting book pages en route which correspond to their runner number.
The race ends when runners arrive at a yellow gate in the forest. Paris completed four circuits of the race in 2023, but arrived outside the allotted time and without the required number of book pages.
Other finishers this year were Ihor Verys, John Kelly. Jared Campbell and Greig Hamilton.
]]>Price: £340
Weight: 1,724g/pair
Country of manufacture: USA
Sizes: men’s 6-14; women’s 3-9
Uppers: full-grain leather
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Sole stiffness: 6/10
These boots from the Oregon-based brand have a decidedly retro look and design.
The uppers are made from full-grain leather, with contrasting leather overlays, and are medium height. Danner also offer a version with nylon panels at the vamp and sides of the boot.
One notable aspect of the Cascade Crest design is the welt, where the uppers are attached to the sole, which Danner calls stitchdown, a construction more commonly seen in work boots.
In fact the whole design is very different from what I’d term a conventional European walking boot. The look of the Cascade Crest means it doesn’t feel out of place in urban use, while maintaining the technical performance for use in the hills and countryside.
This Danner model comes in either medium or wide versions. I have a fairly wide forefoot but the medium width boot had plenty of room for my feet. The last on which the boot is based is fairly low volume, which again fits my foot. There was no pinching at the edges of the foot.
The toe box is stiffened to protect against knocks, and the heel counter protects similarly. Lacing is via five pairs of metal d-rings, with a single pair of locking hooks at the top of the boot. The leather ankle cuff has good padding and the tongue gusset comes up to the level of the top d-rings, which helped keep rain out. There’s a little padding on the top, leather section of the tongue. Gaiter wearers will be pleased to see there’s a metal loop for their hook at the toe end of the laces.
The boots also come with a spare pair of laces.
There’s a medium amount of underfoot cushioning from the midsole and the OrthoLite Eco footbed, which has good foam padding at the heel section. The outsole is a Vibram Traction Cascade, incorporating microlugs in its pattern, for improved traction. These are tiny bobbles that protrude from the inner surfaces of the lugs. They’re on the vertical surfaces so won’t affect grip on rock, but are likely to have a bearing on traction and braking on mud and gravel. The sole unit has a definite double strike when walking, and the forefoot section is very slightly concave. These are not stealth boots, and on hard surfaces there’s a pronounced clomp audible.
But traction and braking were good and the Bi Fit Board shank provided reasonable torsional stability.
The boot has a Gore-Tex membrane liner containing 45 per cent post-consumer recycled materials. Over my extended testing in a wide variety of weather, including snow, heavy rain and wet underfoot conditions, the Cascade Crest boots kept my feet dry.
These days it’s rare to need to break in boots, but I actually found these Danner boots did need some bedding in, specifically around the tongue and ankle cuff area. There was initial marked discomfort where the top of the tongue met the cuff. Tying the laces tightly forced the cuff and the inner rivets securing the top lace hook into my foot. Slackening the lacing a little helped, and judicious placing of the tongue over time got rid of the problem, and on later outings, after a good amount of use, I found the Cascade Crest boots comfortable. There were no problems elsewhere that needed breaking in, but if you’re considering buying, be aware that, unlike my previous experiences with Danner boots, they were not perfectly comfortable out of the box and will need some walking in to reach optimum comfort.
Quality of the boots was very good, which is only to be expected given the price tag. Danner does have a good reputation for quality, and the fact the Cascade Crest is manufactured in its Portland factory rather than East Asia will have a bearing on the cost.
These boots are not lightweights, the sturdy construction tipping the scales at more than 1,700g a pair, so they’re not the nimblest of footwear. But what you do get is a very solid, protective boot that should give good service. This model is part of the brand’s ‘recraftable’ range, which means they can be resoled and restored to give longer life, particularly useful if you’ve been hoofing across many miles over the years, wearing down the sole unit and uppers. Unfortunately, for those outside the USA, there’s a return shipping charge of $150 in addition to the repair cost, so not so financially attractive for UK buyers.
The boot was pretty roomy, but with the lacing cinched in properly there was no sliding forward of the foot into the toe box, nor any heel lift when heading uphill.
Danner said it used insights from Oregon State Park Rangers in the design and manufacture of the Cascade Crest, and it’s hard to relate that terrain to typical UK countryside, but I’d rate these boots good for walking on our muddy footpaths and trails, ventures into woodland and hillwalking on defined routes. As I said previously, they don’t look out of place on urban streets, and were my choice for the walk to the shops when recent snowfalls covered the pavements.
The best sustainability for outdoor gear is longevity, and the quality of materials and construction suggest the Danner boots should have a long life. Although the waterproofing uses fluoride compounds in the Gore-Tex PTFE membrane, there is a 45 per cent recycled content in the liners.
The footbed is made using recycled rubber and bio-oil.
The Cascade Crest boots are very good quality, but that comes at a price. Having said that, they should provide a good length of service. Just be aware you may need to break them in a little before pulling them on for your longest walks. Traction and braking on rock from the Vibram sole was good, and they coped well with mud, gravel and the generally sodden ground I encountered during testing over the winter period. My feet were always dry at the end of my walks too.
Best uses: trail walking; hillwalking; forest walking; countryside walking; urban use.
Performance 36/40
Comfort 21/30
Quality 8/10
Value for money 6/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 78/100
An injured walker spent 24 hours on the flanks of England’s highest mountain before being rescued.
A major search operation was mounted after the man was reported overdue from an ascent of Sca Fell on Thursday.
A total of 46 volunteers from across Cumbria and beyond were involved, along with two drone pilots from the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association; the Great North Air Ambulance, and Prestwick Coastguard helicopter, along with two mountain rescue search dog handlers and their animals. The rescue lasted almost 17 hours.
The alarm was raised about 50 minutes after midnight when a friend of the walker phoned police to report him missing. The man had set off the previous day, intending to ascend Sca Fell, setting off walking about 7.30am, a Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team spokesperson said.
Police found the walker’s car at Brackenclose, Wasdale Head. The team spokesperson said there was very little other information except that he had intended to return from the fell before a deterioration in the weather in the early afternoon.
Members of the Wasdale and Duddon and Furness teams had been called out earlier on Wednesday to search for four young, inexperienced walkers lost on Scafell Pike.
The Wasdale MRT spokesperson said: “With team members recovering from the previous callout, coupled with the prospect of a major search on both Sca Fell and Scafell Pike – walkers often talk about Sca Fell but really mean Scafell Pike – the team leader escalated the callout to regional level, requesting support from all other Lake District teams.
“The poor weather of the previous day made the search urgent due to risk of hypothermia. Visibility was still poor and the temperature was forecast to drop further through the day.”
Wasdale team members set off towards Scafell Pike about 4.40am, and other rescuers were allocated roles in the operation as they arrived at their base or remotely. Members of the Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs Association and Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England made their way onto the hill, and the Coastguard helicopter joined the search.
The spokesperson said: “As the digital map began to fill with many traces of individual rescuers, a shout was heard by the Cockermouth MRT team from the bottom of Piers Gill. The team were able to access the location with a rope system.”
Piers Gill is a deep ravine leading off the Corridor Route to Scafell Pike and is an accident blackspot, with walkers mistaking it for the main route and becoming cragfast in the difficult terrain or falling.
“Unfortunately the walker had suffered injuries to both ankles, amongst other injuries, and as such medical treatment and evacuation by stretcher was required,” the spokesperson said. “He had been in the gill injured for about 24 hours by this point having mis-navigated on his descent from the summit.
“Other teams on the hill then migrated to the evacuation point with further medical equipment. Specialist rope rescue equipment, stretcher, and further casualty packaging was flown from the valley with additional team members by Coastguard helicopter Rescue 199.
“Medical assessment and treatment were given in the gill before a technical rescue was then undertaken, led by the Cockermouth team and with assistance from all the other teams present.
“Having done the hard bit, the normally straightforward part of either a stretcher carry or helicopter transport from the scene proved difficult. With weather conditions thwarting a helicopter extraction, and steep ground below preventing a descent by stretcher, the safest and quickest option was an uphill carry to Lingmell Col.
“After an energy sapping journey, also helped by a passing Assynt MRT team member, the walker was transferred into the care of the awaiting Helimed 58 crew. He was then flown to hospital for further treatment.
“We wish the walker a quick recovery from his injuries.
“We’d like to offer huge thanks to all supporting teams and agencies, including offers received later in the morning and not required. This is an example of fantastic multi-agency working, both voluntary and professional, to get the best possible outcome for the walker. As a team we are very thankful for the swift response to help.”
Mountain Rescue Teams involved in the rescue were: Wasdale, Duddon and Furness, Coniston, Kirkby Stephen, Keswick, Cockermouth, Kendal and Assynt.
]]>Along with a good pair of walking boots, I rate a waterproof jacket as one of the two essentials if you’re heading for the hills in the UK.
We live in a maritime climate, our islands surrounded by water, and the days on which you can be guaranteed free of the risk of being rained on are few and far between.
The jackets reviewed here are shell jackets – designed to be the outer layer of a system that, depending on the weather, will include a base layer and mid-layer, perhaps even an extra layer when things get really cold.
Although there are other ways of keeping out the rain and snow, all of the test jackets use the conventional method of an impermeable waterproof membrane bonded to a fabric treated to repel water. This ‘durable water-resistant’ treatment, despite its name, will wear off in time, sometimes in quite a short time, and the jacket will need re-treating either with wash-in liquids or spray-on chemicals. Sometimes subjecting the garment to gentle heat will also bring the DWR treatment back to life. Waterproof membranes can get clogged up by oils secreted in sweat, so regular washing using the appropriate cleaner will help keep their performance up to scratch.
Conventional membranes, including the best known Gore-Tex, have for years been made from PTFE, a fluoride-containing material that has microscopic pores that allow perspiration to escape outwards but block the larger rain molecules. DWR treatments also contained fluorocarbons, initially long-chain C8 chemicals then latterly C6 versions, containing fewer carbon atoms. They work by lowering the surface tension of the fabric, hence the ‘beading’ you see on the waterproof garments.
Stopping the outer fabric wetting out enables better transmission outwards of perspiration, or breathability as it’s known in outdoor gear. But fluorocarbons – the ‘forever chemicals’ – are viewed as bad for the environment and for the body, hence the move from C8 to the less harmful but also less effective C6 treatments.
Many brands are moving to treatments that are free of perfluorochemicals though some continue to use C6 PFCs in their high-performance waterproofs. Gore-Tex has recently introduced an expanded polyethylene membrane that doesn’t use PTFE or any other fluoro-chemical.
The ‘waterproofness’ of a fabric is measured by its hydrostatic head. This is a laboratory rating that involves subjecting a circle of the material to increasing water pressure until it leaks. The result is rated in millimetres, so a jacket with 20,000mm HH will resist the equivalent of a water column 20m high! The minimum HH to qualify as waterproof is 5,000mm but for serious outdoor-activity use I’d be looking at something from 10,000mm upwards and in winter even higher, as wind-driven rain presents a real test for waterproof jackets. Even with the best performing waterproofs, you’ll still get damp if you’re active as, in my experience, even the jackets with the top breathability ratings can’t shift perspiration quickly enough if you’re working hard on a mountain ascent, especially when the ambient temperature on the hill is low.
All of the jackets in this test were evaluated during winter months in conditions that included heavy rain, strong winds, snow and occasionally hail.
We’ve rated them for their performance: how well they kept out the weather; overall comfort, including how well they dealt with perspiration; the perceived quality of the design and production; how they represent value for money; and a sustainability score both for the garment and the environmental values and actions of the company behind it.
Berghaus Vorlich 3L GTX Jacket
Price: £300
Colour: black
Weight: 466g
Material: polyester
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Women’s version: yes
Size: S-XXL men’s; women’s 8-16
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological, low tumble dry, cool iron
The Vorlich is the top of the range of three new additions to Berghaus’s waterproof jacket collection for this season and uses Gore-Tex’s PTFE membrane for its main waterproofing.
The design is clean, and the cut falls somewhere between athletic and relaxed, with its length fairly short. The fabric feels robust and is of medium stiffness though the polyester outer shell has quite a soft feel.
The main, water-resistant zip has a baffle behind it for extra protection and it has double pullers, useful when you want to undo the lower part of the jacket to deal with, say, inner layers. There are two hip pockets and one chest pocket, all with water-resistant zips. The latter is big enough to take a smartphone. All the pullers except the secondary one on the main zip have short cord extensions, which helped when using the zips while wearing gloves.
The jacket’s hem has twin shockcord adjusters with spring toggles to cinch in the bottom of the jacket in strong winds. The sleeves have hook-and-loop adjustment at the cuffs, which were wide enough to fit over winter gloves.
The hood has a stiffened, wired peak and just a single rear halo-type adjuster, which did cinch the fabric quite well around the face, despite there being no front adjustment. The hood turned well with the head when properly adjusted, and there’s a narrow chin guard of microfleece material, which helped a little comfort. The hood was just big enough, when slackened, to wear over my climbing helmet but it was a snug fit.
The Vorlich is pretty minimalist in design; there are no pit zips for instance and it was placed in the middle of the weight table for jackets in the test.
Out on the hill in some pretty wet and windy weather, it worked well. It provided assured protection, keeping me dry in gales and torrential rain. The two main pockets are placed where a rucksack hip belt crosses, which made them difficult to use without unfastening the belt – not ideal. The hood stayed in place in strong headwinds and kept most of the rain out during this frontal assault.
The fabric stood up well during testing and resisted abrasion.
I liked the cut of the Berghaus jacket, which provided just the right balance between space for winter layers and a snug fit to keep out the weather. The Vorlich felt at home on the hill in typical British winter weather: wet, windy and cold. Packability of the jacket was reasonable too, not taking up too much space in my rucksack.
The jacket’s durable water-resistant treatment is PFC-free. Berghaus operates a free repair scheme for its garments – the customer pays the cost of returning the item to the brand’s Sunderland Repairhaus base.
The company is also working with Eden Reforestation to plant two million trees a year in its quest to reach net-zero by 2030. It was certified as a B Corp company in 2022, a measure of environmental and social responsibility. Of its clothing styles in 2021, 57 per cent were ‘Made Kinder’, meaning more than 50 per cent of their of their content is bio-based or recycled, more than 90 per cent is blueseign approved or is made with certified responsible cotton or sustainable down.
Berghaus is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and uses 100 per cent renewable energy at its headquarters. The company has donated £35,000 to three UK environmental schemes.
Best uses: mountain walking, mountaineering, hillwalking, country walking.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 24/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 8/10
Total score: 81/100
H&M 3-Layer StormMove
Price: £139.99
Colour: green
Weight: 588g
Material: 66 per cent polyester; 21 per cent polyamide; 13 per cent polyurethane
Waterproofing: StormMove
Country of manufacture: China
Women’s version: yes
Size: men’s XS-XXL; women’s XS-XL
Recommended wash: 40C, no fabric conditioner
The Swedish brand is better known for its mainstream fashion clothing, so it was interesting to put the StormMove to the test to see how it compared with more established outdoors brands.
The first thing to say is that the H&M jacket has all the features you’d expect to see on a waterproof aimed at hillwalkers.
There are two zipped hip pockets and a single zipped chest pocket. The latter has a mesh lining and all have short extensions to their zip pullers to make them easier to use when wearing gloves. The hip pockets have storm flap covers. As with many of the jackets, they’re placed at the area where a hip belt crosses the body, so are difficult to use when wearing a rucksack.
The StormMove has good length pit zips with a single puller. These allowed some venting to help shift the build-up of moisture within the garment. The jacket’s hem has shockcord adjustment with a twin tethered spring toggle arrangement.
The main zip is backed by a storm flap, but has only a single puller, so less handy for accessing inner layers.
The fabric is quite stiff and felt robust. Fit is standard. Sizing is generous – close to a size above average.
The sleeves have hook-and-loop strips for cuff adjustment. The cuffs were wide enough to allow winter gloves to be tucked inside them to help keep out the rain.
The hood is on the small side. It has a double-thickness peak, with very little stiffening, and moved in high winds. Rear halo volume adjustment has spring-toggle locking for its shockcord, which is under a little cowl, making it awkward to reach and adjust while wearing gloves. Front adjustment of the hood is by twin shockcords inside the top of the jacket, meaning you have to unzip it a little to get at them. Concealed spring buttons lock the cords in place. Tightening the rear halo cord tended to pull the hood back from the face, so I found it better to cinch the hood in mainly using the front adjusters around the face. There’s a narrow chin guard strip at the top of the main zip’s storm flap, which helped a little with comfort.
The StormMove jacket did what was asked of it while out on the hill. It kept out the rain, and provided quite good breathability. H&M’s figures rate its waterproofing at 24,000mm hydrostatic head and breathability at 15,000g/m2/24h, which were pretty much borne out during testing. All the seams are taped and the design allowed for good movement while reaching up on more technical ground. Fit is standard rather than athletic and, as mentioned, sizing was generous, so I’d advise trying the H&M jacket on before purchase.
Sustainability is good. The jacket is made from 66 per cent recycled polyester and 21 per cent recycled polyamide. The former comes either from PET bottles or recovered textile waste; the recycled element of the polyamide also comes from reprocessed textiles. The H&M group has set a target of becoming net zero by 2040.
It says it is improving its products to make them last longer and easier to recycle.
H&M has invested in a windfarm in Bangladesh to improve the availability of renewable energy. In the latest published report, the company said its use of recycled materials increased from 18 per cent to 23 per cent. The brand says 84 per cent of its commercial goods have recycled or other more sustainably sourced materials. It has retrofitted LED lighting in three-quarters of its stores and is working to retrofit efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning. It has a target of using only recycled polyester rather than virgin versions by 2025.
H&M says its tests indicate the StormMove jacket performance meets that of leading outdoor brands, and our testing supported that to a large degree, with the jacket keeping out heavy rain and offering pretty good breathability. The design follows outdoor gear norms, with perhaps just a hint of Scandinavian or High Street styling. All the features I’d look for in a waterproof shell jacket are there.
The big selling point for the H&M jacket is its selling price, making it an interesting prospect for buyers wanting full weather protection at a competitive rate. I found the fabric stiff and rustly, but overall comfort was good. It’s not the best choice for an athletic fit: its style is relaxed and the length is generous. The sizing allowed good layering of clothing under the jacket.
Best uses: mountain walking, hillwalking, country walking, urban use.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 21/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 8/10
Sustainability 8/10
Total score: 79/100
Highlander Munro Jacket
Price: £150
Colour: blue
Weight: 596g
Material: nylon
Waterproofing: Prot3X
Country of manufacture: Not stated
Women’s version: no
Size: XS-XXL
Recommended wash: Nikwax Tech Wash 30C
The Munro is this Scotland-based brand’s top mountain jacket.
The cut is standard, with a medium length. The fabric feels robust and isn’t too stiff and rustly. The Munro uses Highlander’s Prot3X waterproof membrane, which is rated at a respectable 20,000mm hydrostatic head. On one outing during one of our many named storms this winter it kept the rain out during heavy, gale-swept rain.
The main zip has a single puller and is backed by a storm flap. It lacks a chin guard but comfort was reasonable when the zip was fully fastened and the hood cinched in against the wind. The hem is adjustable via a shockcord with twin spring toggles to lock it.
There are two zipped chest pockets. These are a good size, big enough to take an OS map. Inside the jacket is a smaller, zipped pocket, which accommodated my smartphone.
The Munro has pit zips with twin pullers, which made adjustment easier. They did allow some ventilation during milder days, which helped shift perspiration build-up.
The sleeves have short cowls at the cuffs to extend a little way over the hands, and the cuffs have a hook-and-loop tab to adjust them. The cuffs were not quite wide enough to allow thick winter gloves to be slotted inside them. The hood has a stiffened peak and is adjustable by both a halo rear shockcord and twin front face shockcords, all with spring toggles for locking. The hood worked well, staying in place in very strong headwinds and also allowing easy turning of the head. It was just big enough to use while wearing my climbing helmet, but the fit was very snug.
I wore the Munro in some pretty filthy weather, with high winds and driven rain, and the jacket kept the rain out. Breathability is rated at 15,000g/m2, a fairly respectable figure for a jacket at this price, and the Highlander did quite a good job at shifting the interior damp on quite cold, wet days, the most testing time for a waterproof.
The Munro jacket is a proper three-layer waterproof at a competitive price. The fabric did its job and felt robust; all the seams are taped and it has all the features you’d expect in a garment designed for hill and mountain use. The design is clean and the material isn’t too stiff, but here’s no female-specific version of the jacket.
Highlander doesn’t provide any sustainability information about the Munro jacket, nor about the company generally. The garment was robust and good quality, which indicates it should be durable, a key factor towards sustainability.
The Munro represents good value of money. It has all the features needed for hillwalking in winter and performed well, all at a competitive price. It may not have the sexy logos of the top brands, but it’s a well designed jacket that will keep you protected in the UK weather.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; country walking; urban use.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 23/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 9/10
Sustainability 4/10
Total score: 78/100
Jack Wolfskin Kammweg 3L Jacket
Price: £430
Colour: grey-green
Weight: 520g
Material: 87 per cent polyester; 13 per cent polyurethane
Waterproofing: Texapore Ecosphere Pro
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Women’s version: yes
Size: S-XXXL men’s; women’s XS-XL
Recommended wash: 30C
The Jack Wolfskin jacket uses Ecosphere Pro Schoeller fabric, which has a fairly soft feel.
The three-layer construction has the brand’s own Texapore waterproof membrane, which has a rating of 20,000mm hydrostatic head. The fit is standard, and length is standard too. Sizing was quite generous, with plenty of room for layers.
The main, water-resistant zip is backed by a storm flap and there’s a short chin guard for comfort. The zip has a single puller and a press-stud fastener at the base. The hem has a shockcord to cinch it in, with twin spring toggle fasteners.
The sleeves are slightly articulated and the cuffs have hook-and-loop adjustment tabs. The cuffs were just wide enough to get my winter gloves inside, but it was a struggle. I try to tuck gloves under the cuffs in heavy rain as this lessens the chance of water running down the outside of the sleeve and into the glove.
The Kammweg jacket has two zipped chest pockets. These are a good size, big enough for a map, and mesh lined. They’re sited above the area of the hipbelt, so were easier to access than on some jackets. Inside the jacket there’s another, smaller zipped pocket, big enough for a smartphone.
The hood worked well, though the peak has very little stiffening, which meant it flapped up a little in strong winds. There’s rear halo adjustment via a shockcord with spring toggle. This is housed in a little cowl which made adjustment tricky when wearing thick gloves. At the front, twin shockcords with hidden spring buttons allow the hood to be tightened into the face.
The outer face of the Jack Wolfskin beaded rain initially, but in very heavy rain the garment wetted out. It didn’t let the weather in, but felt clammy compared to other jackets in the test and I felt this hindered breathability to some degree.
The sleeves have short, zipped pit zips with a single puller which helped vent the jacket.
Freedom of movement in the jacket was good, and it accommodated a couple of winter layers underneath with no problem. Windblocking was very good.
Sustainability of the jacket was good. The Texapore Ecosphere Pro membrane is made completely from recycled material – from left-over production remnants. The outer fabric has content from recycled PET bottles and the durable water resistant treatment is fluorocarbon-free. The jacket’s lining is 100 per cent recycled material.
Jack Wolfskin is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. It arranges wastewater tests at its production sites to monitor compliance with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals scheme. It has reduced its use of airfreight and 90 per cent of its incoming freight globally is by sea, reducing overall CO2 emissions.
Staff are encouraged to use train travel in preference to air travel for trips within Germany and neighbouring countries, and company bicycles and power-assisted bikes are available to staff for short journeys. The company has pledged to reach science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The Kammweg 3L Jacket is good quality but comes with a fairly hefty price tag.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; country walking; urban use.
Performance 33/40
Comfort 22/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 6/10
Sustainability 8/10
Total score: 76/100
Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Jacket
Price: £335
Colour: green
Weight: 425g
Material: polyamide with polyester lining
Waterproofing: Mammut DRYtechnology
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Women’s version: yes
Size: S-XXL men’s; women’s XS-XL
Recommended wash: 30C, wash inside-out, tumble-dry for 20 minutes or cool iron to reactivate DWR
The Taiss jacket is medium length and a cut somewhere between standard and athletic.
It uses the brand’s own DRYtechnology waterproofing and Mammut says it is rated at an impressive 27,000mm hydrostatic head. The 30 denier fabric isn’t particularly stiff and the Taiss is among the lightest of the jackets in the test, though there didn’t seem to be any compromise on its robustness.
The main zip has two pullers, useful for adjusting inner layers or trousers, and is backed by a storm flap. There’s a short, narrow chin guard at the top.
The hem is adjustable via a shockcord with twin spring button fasteners. The sleeves are articulated and have hook-and-loop tabs for adjustment at the cuffs. They were just wide enough to allow winter gloves to be slipped into the cuffs. Two long pit zips run from mid forearm to waist level, and have twin pullers, making them adjustable from either end. These provided good ventilation on milder days.
There are two zipped chest pockets which are a good size, just big enough to take an OS map. The left zip is in a contrasting white colour. Inside the jacket is a small, zipped pocket but this is very small – not big enough to take my smartphone, but large enough for my compass.
The hood is quite big, big enough to wear over my climbing helmet. There’s just one adjuster, a rear halo shockcord. The hood stayed up in headwinds and was pretty snug around the face. The peak is stiffened and there’s an elasticated mesh panel underneath it, which helped form a good seal around the face. The hood turned well with the head when cinched in. When using the hood with the jacket fully zipped up, the garment came quite high on the face, covering my mouth.
The Mammut jacket worked well on the hill, keeping out persistent, wind-driven rain and providing very good breathability. Windblocking was also very good and mobility was good while wearing the jacket. The chest pockets sit above the rucksack hipbelt area, making them easier to access.
The Taiss HS Hooded Jacket stood up to testing well, and felt up to the job of protecting me from the elements in some pretty foul weather on the hills.
The Mammut jacket has PFC-free durable water resistant treatment. The company has a goal of using 95 per cent recycled PET in all its polyester products by 2025. In the latest reporting year, 57 per cent of its clothing products were bluesign certified, a system guaranteeing safer and more sustainable processes. The brand aims to have 90 per cent of its products bluesign certified by 2025. It also aims to have all its products PFC free by that year. In 2022, 85 per cent of its clothing and 94 per cent of its rucksack had no perfluorinated compounds.
Mammut’s Swiss headquarters are powered entirely by hydroelectricity and its German stores and warehouse use only renewable electricity. Only 5 per cent of its freight movement is by air, and it has plans to move more production to Europe, reducing its carbon footprint. It has an agreement with Climeworks and Klimate to remove 50,000 tonnes of CO2 from its emissions.
The Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Jacket had a quality feel and performed well, with good protection from wind and rain and very good breathability, even on cold, wet days.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; mountaineering; country walking..
Performance 35/40
Comfort 24/30
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 8/10
Total score: 82/100
Montane Phase Lite Jacket
Price: £325
Colour: green
Weight: 309g
Material: nylon
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex Active
Country of manufacture: Bangladesh
Women’s version: yes
Size: S-XXL men’s; women’s 8-16
Recommended wash: 40C
The Phase Lite, as the name suggests, is the lightest jacket in the test and is firmly aimed at users who like to move quickly in the hills.
The Montane garment uses 30 denier nylon and Gore-Tex’s Active membrane to provide waterproofing. It’s very packable, easily fitting into my 3-litre drysack.
The material was one of the less rustly ones in the test and the jacket doesn’t have that stiffness that some of the heavier, full-on jackets have. Design is fairly minimalist, and the fit is pretty athletic, in keeping with the Phase Lite’s intended use.
The main, water-resistant zip has a storm flap backer and there’s a press stud fastener at its base. The zip has a single puller. There’s a narrow tricot chin guard for comfort. There are no pit zips.
The jacket’s hem has shockcord adjustment with twin spring toggles, allowing it to be cinched in to keep out updraughts.
The sleeves have hook-and-loop strips for adjustment at the cuffs. They were flared just enough to allow thick winter gloves to be slotted under them, but it was a snug fit.
There are two zipped chest pockets that sit partly in the hipbelt and harness position. These are a good size, big enough to take an OS map, and the lining is fine mesh, which helped breathability in that area.
The hood was big enough, just, to accommodate my climbing helmet, but it was very snug. Adjustment is via a rear halo shockcord with spring-toggle fastening, plus front cords with buried spring-button fastening. The ends of the front cords sit inside the jacket, so you have to undo the zip a little to get to them, but once adjusted, they sit out of the way inside the garment. I found it easy to get a good fit around my face to keep out wind-blown rain using both the front and rear adjusters. The hood turned well with the head when cinched in. The peak is stiffened and wired, helping get a good position against wind and wet.
Any doubts that such a lightweight jacket would struggle to keep out the weather were dispelled during testing. The waterproofing worked well, even in sustained wind-blown heavy rain. Breathability was good too – important in a jacket designed to be worn when pushing the pace.
The light construction of the Montane jacket was a distinct advantage for me when I wanted to keep the weight down and up the pace while out on the hills. Mobility while wearing the Phase Lite was good.
The Phase Lite’s robustness indicates it should, with care, last for many outings into the hills and countryside. The garment is bluesign approved but does use short-chain PFCs in its durable water repellency and the Gore-Tex membrane also uses fluorocarbons. The jacket does not contain any lower-impact materials. Montane offers a limited repair service for items such as the zip puller, press-stud and cuff hook-and-loop strips.
It offers electric car-charging points at its sites and its leased cars are electric or hybrid. It promotes employees’ cycling to work and also allows one-day homeworking to reduce commuting. It uses renewable energy at its sites.
It says its design principles ensure there is both physical and aesthetic durability, rather than pursing passing trends. Its Montane Repurposed scheme, offering repaired and returned items, will be expanded this year. It supports, among other organisations, the European Outdoor Conservation Association, Fix the Fells, Moors for the Future Partnership and the Tyne Rivers Trust. Its factories work within the Fair Wear Foundation principles.
It has increased the use of recycled materials in its baselayers and synthetic insulation. At present, 34 per cent of the brand’s styles use either a C6 DWR or PFC-based membrane, or both, but 30 per cent of its products use a PFC-free DWR. Overall, 47 per cent of its styles that have DWR use PFC-free versions.
It uses 100 per cent recycled LDPE bags to deliver its products, and all direct-to-consumer deliveries have no poly bags. Montane has reduced its use of air freight by nine per cent.
The notion might be that a lightweight waterproof is really only good for summer activities but the Montane jacket demonstrated that such a garment can provide the protection needed in winter conditions, while allowing rapid movement on the hills.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; trail running, mountaineering.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 24/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 80/100
Rab Latok Mountain GTX Jacket
Price: £480
Colour: green
Weight: 500g
Material: polyamide
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable
Country of manufacture: China
Women’s version: yes
Size: S-XXL men’s; women’s 8-16
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological liquid detergent or pure soap; tumble-dry for 20 minutes or warm iron to reactivate DWR
This jacket is part of Rab’s top-of-the-range Latok collection and comes with a price tag to match.
It uses Gore-Tex’s Pro material, the brand’s ‘gold standard’ waterproofing, which is aimed at outdoors professionals and high-frequency users of waterproof jackets. Never ones to keep things simple, Gore makes three versions of its Pro fabric: Most Rugged, Stretch and Most Breathable. This Rab jacket uses the last of these to provide the best possible breathability in a still rugged fabric.
Rab uses two different thicknesses of the polyamide fabric: 80 denier and 40 denier in zones, with the tougher material on the shoulders and sleeves, to protect against abrasion by rucksack straps, and the lighter fabric in the core of the jacket to give less bulk and better mobility.
The Gore-Tex Pro also has a new backing material that is dope-dyed, with pigment added before the first stage of the polymer production, leading to a much reduced, about 50 per cent, water consumption compared to that found in conventional dyeing. The backer has a micro-mesh pattern adding to its durability.
Out on the hill, the Latok Mountain GTX jacket certainly has a robust feel. There’s some rustling, but it’s not excessive and there is a bombproof feel to the protection it gives.
The main zip has a storm flap backing and twin pullers, the main, top one having good-size cord loop and plastic overlay which was easy to use while wearing gloves. There’s a press-stud fastener at the base of the zip and the top section has a tricot chin guard strip.
The hem of the jacket has shock cord adjustment with twin, slightly oversized spring toggles which again were easy to use with gloves. The sleeves are articulated and the cuffs have short extensions to cover the back of the hands. The cuffs flare enough to fit over winter gloves and have hook-and-loop strips for adjustment. There are long pit zips which allowed a good amount of venting. The zips have double pullers, the bottom one having a cord extension and the top one a plastic tab, so you quickly know which is which if you’re adjusting them.
There are twin pockets on the Latok, placed just above the hip belt area. The zip pullers have plastic tabs. These two pockets are a good size, big enough to take an OS map. A third, smaller chest pocket is easily big enough to take a smartphone. It also contains a short webbing strap with plastic hook, to which you can attach your keys or compass. Inside the jacket is another zipped pocket with stretch lining. This again is big enough to accommodate a smartphone.
The hood worked well, with the rear halo cord cinching in the volume well, and with an easily adjustable spring toggle. The front adjustment has two shock cords with buried spring button fasteners and the peak is stiffened and wired, all making it possible to get a good seal around the face to help resist headwinds. The hood turned well with the head and, when the jacket was fully zipped up and the hood cinched in, covered the mouth. The hood was big enough to use fully while wearing my climbing helmet. When not in use, the hood can be rolled up and secured in place via a tab with hook-and-loop strips.
The garment contains 19 per cent overall recycled material. The Gore-Tex membrane and the durable water-resistant treatment both use fluorocarbons though overall, 80 per cent of the brand’s products are fluorocarbon-free this season. The parent company Equip Outdoor Technologies UK says its products will be fluorocarbon-free by the autumn-winter 2024 season, including its first Gore-Tex jacket without the chemicals, launched this season.
Rab has opened service centres in the UK, Netherlands, USA and Canada, with 15,000 products repaired and restored and in the UK, it offers a rental service for high-end items for one-off trips and expeditions.
Equip has a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 and has reduced CO2 emissions per product by 17.6 per cent. It has been climate-neutral, via carbon credits, since 2020. It is working with the European Outdoor Group to introduce a system for collecting and recycling polythene bags which would otherwise be burnt at municipal sites.
The Rab jacket is well designed and quality was good. The robust fabric and useful features made for an assured performance in wet, windy and at times wintry weather during testing. The Latok Mountain GTX should cope with most conditions you’re likely to encounter on the hills and mountains of the UK.
Best uses: mountain walking; winter hillwalking; hillwalking; mountaineering; country walking.
Performance 36/40
Comfort 25/30
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 83/100
Salewa Ortles GTX 3-layer Jacket
Price: £365
Colour: red
Weight: 458g
Material: polyester
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Country of manufacture: Bangladesh
Women’s version: yes
Size: XS-XXL men’s; women’s 6-14
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological liquid detergent or pure soap; tumble-dry for 20 minutes or warm iron to reactivate DWR
The Salewa jacket is made using a combination of three-layer Gore-Tex fabric and Gore-Tex Paclite inserts, the latter allowing a decreased weight and better packability. The main material has a woven Gore micro-grid backer.
Its fit is athletic, and the Ortles jacket fits snugly against the body. It has a clean design with just two zipped chest pockets, which sit clear of the hipbelt area. Inside the garment are twin open mesh stretch pockets.
The main zip has a single puller and is backet by a storm flap. There’s a narrow tricot chin guard at the top. When fully closed, the zip and collar cover the mouth.
The sleeves are articulated and the cuffs have hook-and-loop strips for adjustment. The cuffs are wide enough to allow thick winter gloves to be worn inside them. Rather than conventional pit zips, the jacket has vents towards the back of each sleeve. They’re covered by a storm flap which kept the rain from entering quite well. I found the operation of these zips a little trickier than standard pit zips. You have to make sure the sleeve is tensioned by grasping the cuff as you slide the zip puller. There was a tendency for the zip to snag when trying to close it but the vents did work well, with their positioning ensuring no rain got inside the jacket when walking into a headwind.
The hem of the jacket has twin shock cord adjustment with good-sized spring toggle fasteners.
The hood has single adjustment via a rear shock cord that cinches in the hood around the face as well as adjusting volume. There’s a small elasticated panel just under the stiffened peak, which helps keep the hood snug over the forehead. An unusual feature of the hood is its zipped gusset section. Opening the zip that runs along the back of the hood allows it to be expanded for use with a helmet. The zip puller doesn’t have a cord extension so I found I had to take off my gloves to use it. The hood actually accommodated my climbing helmet without opening the gusset, but by doing so I found it much easier to turn the head and look up and down. With or without a helmet, the hood turned well with the head, and the adjustment allowed it to be cinched in close to the face in headwinds.
The Salewa jacket is shorter than some in the test, which made it a good choice for tackling more technical terrain that included sections stepping up. It didn’t ride up while reaching up and, as I mentioned, the cut of the garment is athletic, so check on sizing if you’re planning to wear lots of layers under it.
Out on the hill, the Ortles GTX 3-layer Jacket performed well, providing good waterproofing – it has a 28,000mm hydrostatic head rating – and good breathability. It resisted persistent wind-blown rain and in snowstorms with the PFC-free durable water-resistant treatment holding up well.
Its clean lines and simple design make for nice styling while offering good protection out on the hills and mountains.
The durable water-resistant finish contains no PFAs and the fabric is made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, but the Gore-Tex membranes are made from PTFE. The main fabric is bluesign certified and the jacket is part of the Salewa Committed range, satisfying at least one sustainability criterion in addition to mandatory requirements, namely verified chemicals and factories monitored for social standards.
Salewa operates a repair service for its products and has a number of measures in place to increase sustainability, working with charitable foundation myclimate since 2016, promoting climate protection projects through voluntary compensation payments for CO2 emissions that are unavoidable. The company says its three photovoltaic plants provide more energy than its office and warehouse need, and the excess is fed into the grid. There’s a piping system to store and distribute thermal energy.
It provides its employees with work bicycles and electric scooters and there are free e-bike charging points for customers at its shops. It operates an annual car-free to work scheme.
South Tyrol-based Salewa says the Ortles GTX 3-layer Jacket is suitable for mountaineering and ski touring, but I’d add that it coped well with UK hillwalking and mountain walking and felt robust.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; mountaineering.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 24/30
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 8/10
Total score: 82/100
Sprayway Torridon Jacket
Price: £375
Colour: blue/purple
Weight: 619g
Material: polyester
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Country of manufacture: Ukraine
Women’s version: yes
Size: XS-XXXL men’s; women’s 8-18
Recommended wash: 30C on gentle setting; tumble-dry on low heat
Sprayway has produced its top-of-the-range Torridon for three decades, and this latest version brings it up to date, with recycled polyester fabric and PFC-free durable water-resistant treatment.
There’s a nod to the jacket’s heritage with an inner retro-style label.
Waterproofing comes from a Gore-Tex membrane in the jacket’s three-layer 75 denier construction.
Design is traditional, with a relaxed fit and generous length. The Torridon’s material is robust and fairly stiff and the jacket was the heaviest in the test.
Sprayway has incorporated all the features you’d expect in its ‘pinnacle’ waterproof shell jacket. The main zip has two pullers and is protected by two storm flaps, the outer one being secured to the inner one by a series of short hook-and-loop strips. There’s a press-stud fastener at the base of the zip. At the neck area are twin chin guards.
The hem has shockcord adjustment with good-sized twin spring toggles. The sleeves have hook-and-loop adjustment strip at the cuffs, which are just wide enough to tuck thick winter gloves under. There are also pit zips with two pullers, allowing venting from either the top or bottom. These are a good length and worked well.
The jacket has twin chest pockets, with the zips protected by storm flaps. These are a good size, big enough to take an OS map. Inside these are shock cord adjusters with spring toggles, to cinch in the waist of the jacket at the front. The pocket zips have dual pullers, enabling them to be opened from the top or the bottom, useful if a rucksack hipbelt is obstructing access.
Inside the Torridon, there’s a small, zipped pocket, just big enough to take my smartphone, plus another open-topped stretch mesh pocket.
The hood has a good-sized peak, which is stiffened and wired. There’s rear halo volume adjustment with a shockcord. The spring toggle works well but is under a little cowl, which made it fiddly to operate when wearing thick gloves. Front adjustment was by twin cords that exit to the exterior of the jacket, but have hidden spring toggles. The hood turned well with the head when cinched in, and stayed in place in headwinds, keeping out the driven rain. It was big enough to use while wearing my climbing helmet. The front of the collar covers the bottom part of the face when the jacket is fully zipped up and the hood cinched in. When not in use, the hood can be rolled up and kept in place using a fabric tab with hook-and-loop strips, tucked away in a little pocket inside the jacket.
Out on the hill, the Torridon felt assured and offered good protection. The durable water-resistant treatment held up well and the Gore-Tex membrane ensured no rain got through. The jacket’s breathability was good too.
The 75-denier fabric felt very robust, though it is pretty stiff and a little rustly, the price you pay for a full-on three-layer jacket designed to keep out the worst weather you’re likely to encounter on the UK hills. I had the jacket out in a variety of conditions, from snow to driven rain in gale-force winds, and it performed well.
Its traditional design, building on its long heritage, will appeal to walkers who want a good, colourful jacket in a longer style.
The fabric is PFC-free recycled polyester, though the Gore-Tex membrane is made from PTFE. My Torridon was manufactured in Ukraine, so there were fewer transport miles involved in getting the garment to the UK than one made in East Asia. Outdoor and Sports Company, the parent firm of Sprayway, said it made an early switch from C8 to C6 fluorocarbons for its durable water-resistant treatments and from 2018 switched to PFC-free treatments for its Gore-Tex garments.
The parent company has a restricted substance list which governs their use by factories producing their products.
Best uses: mountain walking; hillwalking; country walking.
Performance 35/40
Comfort 24/30
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 7/10
Total score: 80/100
All the jackets did a good job of keeping the wind, rain and snow out, but the Rab Latok outperformed all the others in terms of performance and comfort, though it was among the most expensive. If you’re going to spend a lot of time on the mountains and hills in all weathers, and if your budget can stretch to it, the Rab jacket would be our recommendation.
Close behind were the Mammut Tais jacket, which was a good all-rounder, and the Salewa Ortles. I liked the simple lines of the latter, which is a good choice for those who like a more athletic fit.
Also in the top ranks was the Berghaus Vorlich, which again had clean lines and simple design, but was cut a little less athletically.
For the athletes on the hill, the Montane jacket is a great choice. Lightweight yet able to keep out the elements, the Phase Lite is ideal.
Sprayway’s latest incarnation of the Torridon had all the features you need on the hill to keep you protected in a traditional-styled mountain waterproof.
For the many who can’t afford to spend £300 or more on a jacket, two obvious contenders are the Highlander and H&M garments. The former is a full-on winter waterproof offering the necessary features and performance to keep you protected on the mountains, including the munros. H&M’s foray into outdoors design wins the award for lowest price and again kept me protected in some serious weather on the hills.
The Jack Wolfskin jacket is a nice design but it’s hard to justify its price at the top of the table.
A paraglider has died after crashing on Blencathra.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team said the man was a friend to a number of its members and was a well known figure in the Lakes paragliding community.
The team was alerted shortly after 2pm on Sunday after several walkers contacted police after witnessing the incident near Foule Crag.
Helicopters from the Great North Air Ambulance Service and the Coastguard airlifted team members onto the mountain, close to the crash site.
A Keswick MRT spokesperson said: “RAF Mountain Rescue Service were training in the area and also responded. A helimed doctor and Keswick team member were lowered to the paraglider pilot but unfortunately nothing could be done to save the man.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences go to the man’s family and friends.”
The spokesperson thanked the two helicopter crews and RAF team members for their support. The incident lasted 3¾ hours and involved 22 Keswick MRT volunteers.
]]>A group of walkers was helped to safety after one of them injured themselves on The Cheviot, on the England-Scotland border.
Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were alerted to the incident on Monday when one of four young men suffered a lower leg injury on the 815m (2,674ft) mountain.
A NNPMRT spokesperson said: “With darkness drawing in and the temperatures dropping, they called the emergency services who quickly activated mountain rescue.”
Rescuers were just being stood down after completing a rescue near Kielder, at the far end of their patch.
“Given the location, the dropping temperatures and the potential for a prolonged and tricky stretcher carry, both teams were called out and those members at Kielder redeployed to the Harthope Valley, below The Cheviot.”
An advance ‘hasty’ team of two rescuers volunteers reached the injured walker and the rest of the party just before 7pm. The team said, with windchill dropping the temperature to near freezing, the men had begun the difficult walk down from the summit, in an attempt to keep warm.
They were provided with spare warm clothing by the mountain rescuers. Meanwhile additional team members assembled in the valley below.
It became apparent that, with additional warm layers and headtorches, the men could walk off the hill with rescuers’ support. By 7.45pm, everyone was down safely and the young men were in good spirits, despite their ordeal. Team leader for Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team Iain Nixon said: “The group had done the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the police and then mountain rescue. We would always advise that if someone is in difficulty, they call first so that we’re in a position to offer help quickly.
“We always recommend that the public follow the Be Adventure Smart guidance when planning their days out in Northumberland.
“Despite it being a bit lighter in the afternoons, we still recommend that you dig out your torch, check the batteries and throw that in your bag along with extra warm layers such as hats, gloves, a fleece and an insulated jacket.
“Everyone uses their mobiles for taking photos and a lot of people use them for navigation now, but don’t rely on either of them. Having a map and compass and the know-how to use them will get people out of a tricky situation when your phone has run out of power.
“Planning for short days and looking how the weather might affect your plans is a part of planning for a good day.”
In the earlier incident that afternoon, the father of a family out walking near Kielder Water suffered a lower leg injury. He was standing on a bank at the edge of the water which collapsed, resulting in a serious fall onto rocks below in the water.
He was able to get out of the water, but couldn’t put any weight on his leg and called 999.
The mountain rescue duty controller mobilised both teams and three response vehicles were deployed on blue lights.
When they arrived on scene, they worked alongside the community paramedic from the North East Ambulance Service to stabilise the injured man. They then wrapped the man in a Blizzard blanket and sleeping bag before transferring him to a mountain rescue stretcher. After a 500m stretcher carry through the woods, the man was transferred to an ambulance.
]]>An Explorer Scout who fell to his death in north Wales was unlawfully killed, an inquest jury found.
Neglect by the Scout Association also contributed to Ben Leonard’s death on the Great Orme near Llandudno in August 2018.
The 16-year-old from Reddish, Greater Manchester was with a group who undertook a walk on the headland. He slipped from a narrow track and fell 60m down a crag face, sustaining fatal head injuries.
Ben and two other group members had left the main group and were not closely supervised by leaders Sean Glaister and Mary Carr when the incident happened.
At the conclusion of the seven-week inquest at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central David Pojur eased restrictions to allow the reporting of the fact he has referred the Scout Association and an employee to North Wales Police to investigate for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Lawyers acting for the Scout Association and other individuals applied to extend indefinitely the initial ban on reporting of the police referral. The BBC, PA and the North Wales Pioneer successfully applied against the ban.
The jury found that two leaders were responsible for Ben’s unlawful death, with the national association contributing to the death.
The group originally planned an ascent of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) but leaders changed plans due to bad weather. The jury heard no written risk assessment was carried out for the camping trip to the Eryri (Snowdonia) national park.
Neither did leaders undertake a risk assessment on the day of the visit to the Great Orme. The peninsula rises to a height of 207m, with sea cliffs and limestone crags surrounding its plateau. The court heard the leaders did not conduct a safety discussion with the Explorer Scouts. Another leader who had been due to join the group on the camping trip did not come, meaning there was no leader with an appropriate first-aid qualification.
The Scout Association operates an adventurous activities permit scheme, with hillwalking routes classified in three categories: terrain zero, terrain one and terrain two, the last two requiring leaders to hold the appropriate authorisation for ventures in areas designated as such.
At an aborted first inquest in February 2020, Mr Pojur issued a prevention of future deaths report.
Mr Pojur said he will be issuing a new 39-point prevention of future deaths report to various bodies and individuals, who must respond within 56 days. The Scout Association’s chief executive Matt Hyde and the charity’s insurers are among those who will receive the report.
North Wales Police said it was reviewing details of the referral for potential conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
In a statement, Jennie Price, chair of the Scout Association board of trustees, said: “We take today’s conclusion extremely seriously.
“We want to restate our wholehearted apology to Ben Leonard’s family and our deepest sympathies continue to be with his family and friends.
“As an organisation we are committed to learning. The jury heard how in this instance the local leaders did not follow our safety rules and processes. As a result of Ben’s tragic death in 2018, we have already made many changes to our risk assessments, safety rules, training and support we give our volunteers.
“We will closely review the coroner’s observations and adopt all further changes we can, to do everything in our power to stop such a tragic event happening again.
“Keeping young people safe from harm remains our number one priority at Scouts.
“We emphatically refute allegations made in court about any criminal action on behalf of the Scout Association.”
Two teams spent more than six hours rescuing a woman who fell from Sharp Edge on Blencathra.
A walker came across the injured woman early on Saturday.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted about 8.40am. A team spokesperson said she had fallen about 20m down the ‘usual gully’, which has been the site of numerous incidents, including fatal falls.
“Although suffering multiple injuries she had somehow managed to stop herself falling much further,” the spokesperson said. “She was also fortunate to have received excellent first aid by a passing Royal Marine while awaiting MRT support.”
The Keswick team requested the help of Penrith MRT and a Coastguard helicopter with winching capabilities because of the complex nature of the rescue.
The spokesperson said: “In wet conditions Sharp Edge is notoriously slippy so a safety line was established to get team members across the Edge.
“A twin-rope system was then set up to enable the treated and packaged casualty to be lowered down the gully to a doctor from the Penrith team. Low cloud meant a stretcher carry was necessary to a point where Coastguard 912 [from Humberside] could land and airlift the casualty to hospital.”
The incident lasted just over 6¼ hours and involved 18 volunteers from the Keswick team and 10 from Penrith MRT.
]]>A man has been jailed for 19 years after he fired shots at a customer at England’s highest pub.
Richard Bowser, 46, of Worcester Place, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will also have to serve four years on extended licence.
The incident happened at the Tan Hill Inn in the Yorkshire Dales last year. North Yorkshire Police said visitors to the pub, which stands 528m (1,732ft) above sea level on the Pennine Way, were subjected to a terrifying ordeal.
Bowser was found guilty of wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.
Police said he travelled to the pub on the afternoon of Friday 21 July to stay in a camping pod at the site, on the northern boundary of the Yorkshire Dales national park, between Arkengarthdale and Brough.
Shortly before 8pm he entered the pub’s bar and spent the evening socialising with other customers, but about 10.15pm he was asked to leave the pub after swearing in an altercation at the bar. As he left to return to his camping pod, he turned round and shouted abuse at a member of staff and became involved in an altercation with a customer, pushing him and a woman customer in the chest.
He became violent towards two members of staff, and another pub customer pushed him into the building’s front porch. He threw more punches before drinkers managed to pull the assaulted customer back into the safety of the pub. Staff then locked the door at the front entrance.
A short time later, one of the customers whom Bowser had assaulted returned to his camper van outside the pub. A family member, having seen the victim’s injuries, went to the Bowser’s camping pod, where he was met with aggression. The man pretended to be looking for the toilets, at which point Bowser followed him and tried to push him inside, at the same time pulling a firearm, which he put to the man’s face. He pulled the trigger but the gun failed to fire.
The man escaped into one of the rooms and locked the door. Four shots were fired, with shrapnel penetrating the door. The man called police, asking for armed response officers as the shooter was still outside.
Bowser returned to his pod before re-emerging and firing a shot in the air. He attempted to re-enter the pub but found the front door still locked. Staff moved customers from the bar to the barn for their safety.
When officers arrived, they used a Taser in the arrest of the gunman.
Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton said: “The actions of Bowser that night were absolutely abhorrent and are likely to have a lasting effect on the victim and those who witnessed this horrendous ordeal.
“The other people caught up in this incident were innocently working or enjoying a summer’s evening out with family and friends. No-one should be subjected to fear and violence like they were that evening.
“Praise must go to the brave and quick-thinking members of staff who not only ensured the safety of their customers but have fully supported the police investigation which has resulted in this conviction.
“This was an isolated incident carried out by one man. However, the impact his actions have had on everyone involved that night, and the wider Tan Hill community are lasting. Tan Hill is a popular area in North Yorkshire, and we hope this incident does not stop people enjoying this special location.”
Following the trial, Bowser was convicted of wounding with intent and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. He had already pleaded guilty to assault and actual bodily harm.
He was found not guilty of two charges of attempted murder.
Richard Bowser was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on 24 January.
Det Supt Naughton said: “We welcome the lengthy sentence handed in court today.
“We hope this sentence sends a clear message that violence, threatening behaviour and use of illegal firearms has no place in North Yorkshire, the actions of one man that night were abhorrent and have had a lasting effect on all those involved in this horrendous ordeal.
“The victim must be praised for his bravery and assistance throughout this investigation which played a fundamental part in gaining this conviction. Although we can’t undo the events of that evening, I hope the sentence passed today, will help give the victim some closure.”
]]>The winner of this year’s Montane Winter Spine Race has revealed he considered dropping out of the event a third of the way into the course.
Jack Scott, who beat the previous race record by more than 10 hours, said the early pace of the runners was too quick. “The race went off too fast, and I nearly DNF’d [DNF: did not finish] at Malham.
“I wasn’t enjoying the pace; it wasn’t my game plan. I knew I had to slow down and take control. I had confidence I had speed, but it wasn’t sustainable, and I had to draw a line.”
The 29-year-old showed determination after starting the race despite recent injuries, and had a clear plan to beat his main rival Damian Hall, who snatched victory from him in last year’s race. Scott said: “I had to win the mind game. I had to be resilient in training, attack specific areas on the course like Cross Fell, and I had to think more like a racer than a finisher.”
Seasoned endurance runner Damian Hall, despite also breaking the previous course record and his own from 2023, finished second behind his friend and rival. The turning point in their race was on Cross Fell, where Scott gained a lead that Hall could not recover.
Hall said: “I lost Jack at the top of Cross Fell. I decided I wasn’t going to chase, and that was the last time I saw him.”
Scott said: “I thought Damian was only three miles behind me. I just ran as hard as I could. It was so precious to me to hold the lead and win this race because it’s what I’ve dreamt of for years.
“It was an elite performance I’m very proud of.”
Jack Scott slept only 54 minutes during the three days and 55 minutes it took him to complete the 268-mile course from Edale to Kirk Yetholm.
Third place in the event went to Konrad Rawlik, who is married to the previous record holder Jasmin Paris, who completed the course in 2019 in 3 days 11hrs 12mins 23secs.
Honours in this year’s women’s race went to Claire Bannwarth, one of only a few runners to successfully defend their title.
Despite improving her winning 2023 time, she said: “This year was much much tougher.
“I didn’t plan to go faster; I just wanted to go at my own pace.” The French runner said she thoroughly enjoyed her Spine Race experience, relishing the traditions such as the chilli noodles bar provided by race stalwart John Bamber at Greg’s Hut on the flanks of Cross Fell, though she said they were much spicier than she was prepared for.
Hannah Rickman took second place for the second consecutive year, demonstrating both her outstanding running skills but also her exemplary sportsmanship. Event organisers said Rickman’s decision to help a distressed runner during the challenging blizzard conditions on Cross Fell exemplified the spirit of camaraderie fostered at the Spine Race, and her selfless act to help another runner.
Rickman revealed that at the 230-mile mark she too considered withdrawing from the race. “I had a few tears in Byrness, and considered DNF’ing. The last section turned out to be more of a sprint finish than I’d wanted to make up time. It’s been a learning experience for sure.
“I’ve received so many hugs on the way and everyone has been so kind.“
Fourteen-times Ironman champion Lucy Gossage made a successful transition to ultrarunning, completing her first ever Spine Race and finishing third.
Race organisers said: “Gossage’s tenacity and focus in overcoming sleeplessness and challenging conditions demonstrated her outstanding athletic calibre. With an emotional finish to her race, she claimed the race gave her everything she wanted from the experience.”
At the time of writing, 47 competitors were still on the Pennine Way, stretching from the Cheviots back to Bellingham, and have until 8am on Sunday to reach Kirk Yetholm before the final cut-off. A total of 70 entrants have retired from the race. Their progress can be followed on the Open Tracking website.
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