I have run or walked these trails several times before but it was only last week that I ventured out on a wonderful barefoot walk up Clougha Pike. I was inspired to try running down a short section that day and found that I had to wear my flat soled sandals to maintain any kind of speed on the irregular and jagged surface.

This time I ran barefoot on the way up and whilst it may have been slower than usual, I was pleased at how well my feet dealt with the rough ride. The slower speed and lighter impact of running uphill brought the trails to within the capacity of my gradually developing feet and encouraged me to feel the terrain much more than usual, keeping my knees and hips soft and ready to respond to the ever changing shapes and angles.

Best of all was the glimpse of what could come with enough practice: without the protection of my sandals, my feet needed to place themselves on the rocky ground with more precision, the rest of my body needed to exercise more careful control and my eyes needed to read and process the trail with more speed.

Whilst I felt slow and cumbersome, I had a brief sense of how much more there is to gain from running barefoot on difficult trails: a wider range of effective running movement, a greater connection to my body’s ability and a good deal more learning and fun. The sandals went back on for the grueling gravel track descent but they’ll certainly be off more in the future…

This outcrop gives a sense of how rocky the tricky sections of Clougha's trail can be.

I was walking with Lewis on his first mountain day since two knee operations after badly tearing his cruciate ligament. He was walking much faster than me on the sharp stones of the farm track that leads onto the fell side from Glenridding, so I put my trainers back on for a short section and removed them when we reached the smooth stones of the well-made footpath. It was good to feel the cold, wet rock under my feet, which stayed reasonably warm with all the hard work they were putting in.

Barefoot and still warm enough on a cold and windy day.

Reaching Striding Edge itself, barefoot progress became a game of concentration, precision and balance. Finding comfortable foot placements was tricky and once a foot settled into a workable place, I needed to keep the weight distribution just right so that the spiky protrusions underneath wouldn’t become too painful. It felt a little like slacklining and was completely absorbing when balancing across the most narrow parts of the ridge.

Balancing along the ridge with some help from the hands.

Negotiating a small, rounded snow cornice left over from earlier in the season was easy in the deep steps that had been cut by the passage of many boots and we were soon sitting in the lee of the wind on the chilly summit. With dusk approaching we felt the need to move a little faster so the trainers came back on for the journey home along Swirral Edge and back down to Glenridding.

Hurrying along the road for a pint in the Traveler’s Rest, I slipped on a wet and smooth section of tarmac in my trainers and landed with a bump. Come to think of it, the trainers had a down side as soon as they were back on my feet when we descended Swirral Edge: I noticed that the friction was much better in bare feet and my feet had been giving me an enormous amount of feedback as to how well they were sticking to the wet rock on Striding Edge. Once in trainers that feedback was removed completely.

There’s a lot to be said for connecting with the ground in your bare feet. Get out there an try it!

Thanks to Lewis for the photos!

Kahtoola Micro Spikes on slightly heavier shoes than those I wore.

I have been experimenting with an alternative footwear solution for winter mountain walking where the terrain is not so steep to demand the need for edging in hard snow or front-pointing on steep ice. I recently tried soft and flexible approach shoes with warm wool socks and Kahtoola Micro Spikes on a solo night-hike around Kentmere. Snow had settled on the valley floor, ice covered the paths and low cloud surrounded the white hills in a thick mist. Wanting to be light on my feet, I walked with just a map, a compass and a head torch, emphasising the need for good foot placements as I was not equipped to stay put or go slow in the event of an injury.

A section of the Kentmere Horseshoe with daylight and a high cloud base.

Walking felt a good deal easier and more comfortable in approach shoes than in mountaineering boots. It was faster, more enjoyable and my feet were pleasantly warm with the increased circulation. This warmth remained in deep snow where my feet were wet but never cold and the addition of waterproof socks would have kept me even warmer. The spikes gave good grip on ice and every step felt secure. The only mishap came when I was tempted to run and forgot to maintain an extra-wide gait: a spike from one foot catching the chain of the other and propelling me into a dive that ended in an amusing, face-first snow plough.

Scarpa Manta boots with Grivel crampons.

My mountaineering boots and associated crampons are excellent tools on hard snow and ice where the gradient is steep enough to need a stiff edge to cut into the snow or a sharp front point to puncture the ice. They have just a little bend in the mid-sole and I now wear them on winter climbing outings where I would once have worn completely rigid boots but, for winter walking days when the terrain is less steep, I shall continue searching for a footwear solution that offers warmth, dryness and flexibility for a more natural movement of the feet. Just remember to walk AND run like John Wayne when wearing micro spikes on the feet.

I wasn’t ready for a big walk but I got into the van and drove through Silverdale to Arnside Knott, where you can park up, take a short stroll to the top of the hill and enjoy views like this:

The new van in its element.

Flip flops were falling off on the short walk to the crag and bare feet felt much better. Stepping onto the dry bracken, I could feel each crackle as my feet snapped its brittle stems.

Baines Crag

Cruising around on rough gritstone that sparkled in the sunlight, the friction was superb in the cold, crisp air. After removing the climbing shoes for some barefoot bouldering, I played with the camera before returning to the warmth of the van heater…

A short detour on the way back into town took me to Jubilee Tower for the last of a gorgeous sunset…

Sunset over Morecambe Bay from Jubilee Tower

It’s good to be back in this beautiful place.

The words ‘soft, smooth, relaxed, flow’ went around with my breathing and rhythm, serving as a declaration of how I wanted the run to feel before filtering through my subconscious and out into the way my body ran. I picked this idea up from Christopher McDougall’s book ‘Born to Run’ and it really seems to work. When my achilles tendons began to feel tight I focused on them and switched the words to ‘soft, stretchy, bouncy, springs’. Not only did my achilles feel better, my body changed it’s running style to suit them and I found myself powering up the hill at double the speed!

The corrie of Lochnagar.

Martin and I took a look at Raeburn’s Gully but the broad opening at its base was such hard going in the deep snow that we chose to climb Central Buttress instead. An easy solo up a gully took us to some wonderful frozen turf that gave a satisfying thud with each swing of our ice tools.

Martin at the top of the first pitch of Central Buttress.

Reaching the rocky crest of the buttress, the climbing was varied and challenging with some great positions. Feeling the effects of our marathon journey the previous night as a strong blizzard engulfed the mountain, we decided to abseil back into the corrie and begin the long walk back.

Martin on the airy pinnacles as the blizzard took hold.

Taking photos was the furthest thing from my mind as the storm blew hard into our faces and stung our eyes. In the fading light we reached the col above the corrie and followed a compass bearing into the misty darkness to reach the main path back to the car.

The falling snow had mercifully covered the extensive patches of ice along the trail and we finished tired but satisfied with a good return to the Scottish winter.

http://vimeo.com/33124490

http://www.childrenandnature.org/research/volumes/C106/106