24 highland maol chean-dearg

■ Distance: 6 miles/9.7km ■ Time: 2½-3hours ■ Grade: Easy

■ Distance: 9½ miles/15.1km ■ Time: 6-7hours ■ ...

■ Distance: 7½ miles/12km ■ Time: 4-5 hours ■ Grade: Challenging

■ Distance: 11 miles/17.5km ■  Time: 6 hours ■  Grade: Challenging

Twenty-five years ago, large chunks of Eryri’s Aran range were out of bounds. That all changed in 2000. To celebrate a quarter-century of the legislation that changed the game, Trail set out to walk the entire ridge… unobstructed.

Jim Perrin raises our anticipation for the coming season, recalling the gleaming, glittering challenges of winter climbing in the Cairngorms