JB Smith goes searching for solitude in the forested folds of the Rhinogs – and finds himself falling under the spell of Eryri/Snowdonia’s quieter side

7 11.3km / 7 miles / 4.5 hours Ascent 680m/2231ft

The Wicklow Mountains are where I first fell in love with the outdoors. When I was six, my dad decided it would be a brilliant idea for our family of three to spend two weeks walking along the Irish c

AS hotel names go, this one’s a little unusual. Across Church Street, where I’m standing in the Welsh Border town of Chirk, is the Hand Hotel. Parts of it date back to 1610, during the reign of James

4 38.9km / 24.2 miles / 12-14 hours Ascent 2927m/9603ft

We arrive at the top of High Cup Nick in the North Pennines. “It’s like the world starts just over there,” comments my friend Mark. He’s pointing down the U-shaped chasm of High Cup Gill, beyond whose