When we visited Beddgelert last June, we left home in shorts and T-shirts following a heatwave across the UK. The sun was shining, and we were confident it would stay warm for the week ahead. So imagi

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

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

3 6.3km/3.9 miles/3-4 hours Ascent 760m/2493ft

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