The View
1 There’s a new trek north
First he walked the Pennine Way, then the West Highland Way, then Ken Heptonstall decided to link the two and create an epic route from the Peak District to Ben Nevis. Starting at Chatsworth House (pic), the Northern Trek clocks up a total of 560 miles and 83,445 feet of ascent including a final loop to the highest summit in Britain. The full walk takes 35-40 days, but Ken has split it into six shorter sections called the Tail, the Rump, the Back, the Neck, the Head, and the Crown and the Glory, so you can tackle it leg by leg. And while the trek goes through four national parks, it’s not all wild country, as it also walks you right through the heart of Edinburgh. Find details and maps at northerntrek.co.uk
2 ‘Seagull Boy’ wins contest
Nine-year old Cooper Wallace from Derbyshire has won the European Gull Screeching competition in Belgium. His interest was sparked by an incident many walkers can relate to – a gull nicked his sandwich – and his impression of the bird scored 92 out of 100. Judge Jan Seys says there is a serious point to the contest: ‘it is meant to elicit some sympathy for seagulls, which are an essential element of our coasts but are often maligned as ‘rats of the sea’.’
3 TREASURE HOLDS UP COAST PATH
The 2704-mile King Charles III England Coast Path edges ever closer to 3completion, with just three sections now waiting for route proposals to be finalised. One is at the home of former monarch Queen Victoria at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where English Heritage has concerns about the security of the ‘priceless collection’. Walkers may be routed inland on roads instead; an option opposed by the local Ramblers group. See bit.ly/ECPupdates for all the latest news on the path.
4 Giants are growing in Britain
Redwood trees are the largest and tallest organisms on Earth, with record-breakers measuring over 90ft round and 380ft high. Giant and coastal sequoias are native to the USA, but half a million are growing here – outnumbering those in California’s famed forests. Seeds of the ‘vegetable monster’ were first planted in Britain in the 1850s and while none are as big as their American cousins, it’s because they’re babes in the woods. Redwoods can live over 3000 years and recent analysis shows they do grow as fast here, with a 190-footer in Wiltshire’s Longleat Forest leading the race up. And these giants are not thought invasive, as they rely on wildfire to self seed. Walk to see them: forestryengland.uk/route-for-redwoods
5 The mountains are open
Gear brand Helly Hansen has declared June Open Mountain Month, in which their experts highlight the joys of mountain route
