The Great Outdoors

TGO Magazine is your essential guide to hillwalking and backpacking in the UK and overseas. Get out more! We provide all the inspiration you need to plan your next trip, plus expert reviews and tips. The Great Outdoors is for anyone who loves walking in the hills, mountains and wild places. With information on the latest gear, in-depth features and stunning photography, The Great Outdoors will help you access the high peaks and long trails of Britain and beyond. Our enhanced digital addition includes even more great photos and interactive content.

Star walks!

IN THIS ISSUE • Meet some of the folk who made this mag…

The Great Outdoors

STEP UP • The Great Outdoors is made by outdoor experts, adventure aficionados, and mountain obsessives. Subscribe today and take your hiking to the next level.

Cat Bells, Lake District • “Cat Bells has long been one of my favourite fells. In my opinion the panoramic views are some of the best in the Lake District. Most of my photography focuses on capturing unique weather conditions in amazing locations, so I’d been wanting to see an inversion here for some time. Reaching the summit about an hour before sunrise, I knew it was going to be an amazing shoot – and it turned out to be one of my favourite mornings of photography yet.”

Creator OF THE MONTH • Seabird-ecologist-cum-musician Jenny creates immersive mountain sounds inspired by the same Cairngorm mountains beloved by Nan Shepherd

Readers’ page • Share your views, your experiences and your favourite photos

Social media

A flask ask

Your adventures this month

ON THE LOOKOUT • Natural highlights in the hills this month

New Irish mountain record is set: 275 summits in 50 days

When it comes to wild camping, we all need to step back and share • Veteran wild campers should make space for responsible newcomers to ensure a sustainable future for sleeping under the stars in England and Wales, says

AVIEMORE • As the de facto ‘capital’ of the Cairngorms National Park, Aviemore is an ideal hub to explore some of Scotland’s finest high and lochside places. James Roddie is your guide

BEINN ALLIGIN • Jim Perrin takes his time on one of Torridon’s finest: a horned jewel of a mountain with superlative views over the sea to Skye

THE BIG ONES • The world’s most famous treks are well-known for a reason – so how can you experience their glories whilst avoiding their pitfalls? Hanna Lindon looks at how best to tackle six walks of a lifetime…

A LESSER-KNOWN BUCKET LIST HIKE

LANDMARKS • The images of Grant Hyatt speak of an intense, almost familial relationship with the Welsh mountains. Here, he reflects on the importance of the outdoors community in his personal life as well as in his work with a homelessness charity, and shares some of his favourite photographic moments

SEASON FINALE • Jilly Sherlock escapes the crowds for an off-season adventure on one of Europe’s premier treks – the Tour of Mont Blanc

THE TOUR OF MONT BLANC, OUT OF SEASON

THE GREAT OUTDOORS CHALLENGE • The Great Outdoors Challenge returned to Scotland’s mountains and glens this spring. We hear from the organisers and the Challenger Class of ’23 about the highs and lows of this year’s coast-to-coast adventure

WANT TO JOIN THE TGOC CLASS OF 2024? • HERE’S THE ENTRY INFORMATION YOU NEED:

Challenges and home comforts • Gerena Sumen is welcomed into the Challenge family on her first crossing – and likely not her last!

Overcoming the impossible • Challenge veteran Pierre de Greef suffered a shattered leg, fractured vertebrae and a dislocated shoulder in June 2022 in a climbing accident. After eight months in hospital, excruciating pain and prognoses from his surgeon that he wouldn’t walk more...