Ascent 903m/2960ft 12.3km / 7.6 miles / 4 hours

Crisp blue skies, snow, mountains, hotel breakfasts, fresh air and exercise – and you don’t even have to like skiing. Welcome to the world of winter hiking…

Today, down jackets built for K2 are worn on the school run and premium waterproofs pop up in pubs. In their photo book, Max Leonard and Henry Iddon track down hard-as-nails but unheralded mountaineers and the fabric innovators who put them safely – and sometimes even stylishly – on summits to ask how we got here

Moments enjoyed, lessons learned, handy advice, weird stuff that happened: welcome to the little bits and pieces that don’t make big stories, but do make all the difference.

Free-range history

NEWCASTLE AND MARDU CIRCULAR Level Easy Elevation gain 217m Length 6.1km (1hr 49min) Description This round-the-hill loop trail from Newcastle leads through peaceful rural landscapes and small village