Trail running in the Italian Val Veny
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>> you move light and quickly through
the mountains. You get to appreciate the
beauty of nature more, as you can focus
on the landscape more, liberated from a
heavy rucksack and boots. Trail running can
improve your appreciation of the mountains,
and aside of the physical wellbeing that it
obviously improves, the mental nourishment
and rejuvenation of trail running is
phenomenal.
It’s no small wonder that trail running
is now the beating heart of the sporting
calendar in the Alps, and that valleys such
as Chamonix are declaring themselves the
“Vallee du Trail’ - you really don’t need a
translation for that one! Indeed the tourist
office declared that there are now more
summer visitors to the Chamonix valley, than
in winter. Trail running has not just arrived in
a big way - it is here to stay. Happy running!
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Trail running on snow
Chamonix 90km race route
The Guide Book award is sponsored by
Aquapac, manufacturer of 100% waterproof
cases, bags and pouches. Aquapac is British
company headquartered in London, and sells
all over the world.
www.aquapac.net
Highly Commended
Adrian Hendroff for Family Walks Around Dublin / The Collins Press, £14.99 (pb)
Reviewed by Roly Smith
D
ublin, Ireland’s bustling
capital, shares the same
toponymical origin as
Blackpool across the Irish Sea on the
Lancashire coast. They both mean
“black pool”, but there the similarity
ends. While Dublin (known to the
Vikings as Dubh Linn) is backed by
the quartzite headland of Howth in
the north and the granite uplands
of Killiney Hill and the Dublin
Mountains to the south, the hinterland
of Lancashire’s pleasure beaches are
the flat, agricultural expanses of The
Fylde.
Adrian Hendroff’s latest offering,
which was highly commended in this
year’s OWPG Awards for Excellence,
thoroughly explores Dublin’s
enticing surroundings and historical
landscapes via 30 varied routes. They
include the 18th century Ardgillan
Castle and Park; coastal walks around
Donabate; a circuit of the craggy
Howth peninsula and an ascent of
the 561ft/171m Ben of Howth, and
a boat trip and circuit of Bull Island
– otherwise known as ‘Ireland’s Eye’ –
out in the Irish Sea off Howth.
But perhaps the most interesting
and unusual route is to the summit of
1,257ft/383m summit of Montpelier
Hill, overlooking the Orlagh foothills
and with fine views across Dublin to
the Irish Sea. The ruined building
on the summit was known as the Hell
Fire Club, and was where William
Conolly, speaker of the Irish House
of Commons, met with friends to
worship the Devil and drink scaltheen,
a drink made from whiskey and hot
butter. Unfortunately, Conolly used
the stones from a Neolithic passage
grave on the summit to build his
folly, leading locals to believe that its
ruination was caused by the old gods
seeking revenge.
Hendroff says the walks were
handpicked to encourage families and
non-walkers to go out and explore
Dublin’s fascinating and historical
hinterland. It will certainly encourage
me next time I’m in Ireland’s
Blackpoo l.
winter 2017 | Outdoor focus 15