Geocache Walk - Bollington Walking Festival

As part of the Bollington Walking Festival, we have set up a Geocache walk.

If you would like to take part in the walk, it is still possible. The maps and geocache clues are available from the shop but are also below if you would rather take an note of them now...

Don't have a GPS? Don't worry. If you take the first 3 numbers of each reference, you can use these to find the grid reference on a 1:25k map.  For example 'Private Place' is grid reference 936, 777 reading along the 'bottom' of the map and then up the 'side' of the map.  The OS map that covers this walk is Explorer 268.

The caches will be removed Friday morning (26th October 2012).

If you want to take part, each cache contains one or two letters. Once you have the letters, you need to complete the anagram and return your answer to us at Campfour.  All correct answers will be included in a prize draw that will be announced on Friday at the David Hamilton lecture (see earlier blog).

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call at the shop on 01625 619 204 or email us on info@campfour.co.uk.

Please note that this walk is not guided and is undertaken at your own risk.  Campfour cannot be held responsible for anything that happens whilst undertaking this walk or anything relating to this walk.

What is geocaching?

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt. Using your map and GPS, you try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches.  You can place your own geocaches and register them.  You can also use some of the online geocaching community websites and forums to share your geocaching experiences.

Essentially, it add a whole new dimension to walking that is great fun for kids and adults alike.

What is a geocache?

It can be any container - plastic tub, film canister etc. - and will usually contain a note pad and pencil so that you can write in it when you find the cache.  There may also be a couple of small items in there that you can 'trade'.  If you take something, you must put something in there to replace it so that the 'trading' can continue.

 

Useful links:

Garmin Geocaching: http://www.garmin.com/uk/geocaching/
The Geocaching Association of Great Britain: http://gagb.co.uk/
Geocaching.dom: http://www.geocaching.com/
Geocache Trails: http://www.geocachetrails.com/
National Trust Geocaching: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/activities/geo-caching/
Yorkshire Geocaching: http://www.yorkshiregeocaching.co.uk/

Trekking in the Himalayas with David Hamilton

As part of the Bollington Walking Festival, we are running a talk with David Hamilton.  The full title of the talk is "Trekking in the Himalayas: visiting the Base Camps of the World's highest mountains (plus a little bit of climbing)"

Experienced high altitude mountaineer, David Hamilton, has led 14 expeditions to 8,000m mountains in the Himalayas. He will present highlights from the treks in Nepal, Pakistan and China, visiting the Base Camps of Everest and K2 on both the norther and southern sides of the Himalayan range.

As well as looking at the high mountains from the valley bottoms, he will also show a few pictures showing what the valleys look like from the mountain tops!

A very interesting and amusing character, and what promises to be a great evening.

The event will be at the Bollington Arts Centre.

Doors open 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Tickets are £5, available in advance from Campfour or on the door (if there are any left!).

To reserve tickets, please call Campfour on 01625 619 204 or email us on info@campfour.co.uk.

Hope to see you there!

Alps Training...

Some of you who visit the shop fairly frequently will probably know by now that I'm off to the alps in July with the intention of climbing the Matterhorn via the Italian Ridge (as well as bagging some other peaks and doing some via ferrata in between).

I have started to train for what I'm confident will be an exhausting but exhilarating trip.  The first weekend of training, 3 of us decided to go and get a solid mountain day out on the hills in Wales.  We set off after finishing work on Saturday evening, stopped for some food en-route and then headed straight to the pub for a couple of beers before retiring the the Hut where we planned our route for the next morning.

Our dry weather plan was to do as much scrambling as possible. I had put forward a fairly challenging route which would start in the Ogwen Valley, then head up to a route called Sub Cniefion Rib (V diff rock climb), up Cniefion Arete (grade 3 scramble) onto Glyder Fawr, from there we would walk to Tryfan and scramble back down the North Ridge (grade 1) to the car.  We decided the wet weather plan would be to do a route route called 'Snakes, Ladders and Tunnels'.  This is in the Dinorwic Slate Quarry and follows a route that the old miners would have done all those years ago when the quarry was open.

In the morning we were up, fed and in the car by 8.30am on our way to the Ogwen Valley.  The sun was shining...until we pulled up into one of the laybys below Tryfan.  The Sun promptly vanished and was replaced by a large snow cloud - quickly followed by a fairly heavy blizzard!

We quickly pulled on our waterproofs and boots, and set off to do what we had all secretly wanted to do - 'Snakes, Ladders and Tunnels'. We decided to head up the North Ridge of Tryfan and then drop back down Heather Terrace and back to the car as quickly as possible, the North Ridge was icy in places so it gave a couple of us the opportunity to rope up and get used to moving together as we will be paired up when we are in the Alps. The ridge was pretty straight forward and we just had to be a little bit more careful not to slip on the snow covered rock.

It took us about an hour to get to the summit so we stopped and had a quick bite to eat before making a speedy decent back to the car - all in all it took no more than 2 and a half hours up and down which we were fairly pleased with as the height gain is similar to that we will encounter on the Matterhorn from the Carrel Hut to the summit - which is expected to take 4 hours up and 5 back down!

We piled back in the car and then headed for Dinorwic Quarry.

I had originally written a blow by blow account of our route, but have decided not to include that.  It's not a recommended route due to safety issues and if you are crazy enough to attempt it, you would do better to get some beta before you head out and then enjoy the challenges and views as they present themselves.



We figured fixed chains and ladders would be pretty good training for the fixed ropes we would encounter on the Matterhorn, although the fixed ropes on the Matterhorn will hopefully be safer and more secure than the dodgy rusty chain!



Suffice to say, many large rusty chains, dodgy looking ladders with rungs missing and exposed sections later, we all had grins on our faces as we set off back to Macclesfield.

Walking back to the car, it felt like we had crammed two days worth of activity into one, and Monday morning my whole body ached A LOT!  More training required......

Bring on the next adventures!

Jon - Shop Manager



.......



(Jon doesn't know we're sneaking this picture in...he really was shattered though! hahaha)

Staff Review: Suunto Core

I was lent a Suunto Core watch with the positive face and red bezel to test over the Easter holiday weekend. After admiring the watch briefly it then occurred to me that I would have to work out how to use it, which appeared to be a rather daunting task faced with 5 buttons whereas my current watch only has one! So with no instruction manual (don’t worry – when you buy them they do come with one!) and because I'm too impatient to log on to the internet and download one, I set about pressing all the buttons in all manner of sequences to find out what does what.  You will be pleased to know that it is actually relatively simple to navigate around the different functions and access the menu screen to select what functions you would like displayed.

On the subject of the display, the bezel is about 50mm wide so is by no means huge, even on my fairly thin wrists.  I find the Suunto Core perfectly comfortable to wear and it doesn’t feel bulky either.

The display screen is approx 40mm in diameter and is made from a mineral crystal which is highly scratch resistant and can be found on many high-end watches! The large clear display is means that the watch is easy to read and you are able to have up to 3 features on the screen at once. 

The Suunto Core is waterproof up to 30m and the language can be displayed in English, French, German or Spanish.

So what are the main functions?

• Time
• Four language menu (English, French, Spanish, DE)
• Altimeter
• Barometer
• Compass
• Altitude difference measurement
• Temperature
• Depth meter
• Automatic Altitude/Barometer switch
• Storm alarm
• Sunrise/Sunset times
• User replaceable battery

As you can determine from the list above, the Core provides the wearer with a very powerful and useful set of features and are easy to understand when you’re out on the hill.

If you wear the core everyday (assuming you are not out in the hills everyday!) having the date and time clearly displayed will probably be what you look at most of the time - but when it comes to the weekends, the compass, barometer and altimeter offer you the most valuable information. I have found the barometer to be surprisingly accurate (having never used such a technical watch I was a little sceptical of its acclaimed capabilities).  Having initially set the 'Storm Alarm' feature I got a clear warning when there was a sudden drop in pressure (it usually went off on my way home; just as I got over the Cat and Fiddle and start dropping into Buxton, where it is usually raining!) but sure enough you could see clouds darkening in the sky and 80% of the time (and to my amazement) it rained shortly after the storm alarm warning went off.
For mountaineers and alpine climbers, I would seriously recommend this watch as a valuable companion, as forecasts are not always accurate and this little device can help you make the decision to carry on or turn back to avoid getting caught out in unexpected afternoon storms that are all too common in the Alps and other mountain regions.

The altimeter again is another useful hill feature and provided that you calibrate it as often as possible to obtain accurate readings (best to do it whenever you are at a location with known elevations such as summits or sea level). I decided to use a weekend trip to North Wales (training trip for my Alps trip later this Summer) to test out the Suunto Core. I did forget to calibrate the altimeter and got some a very strange reading at the top of Tryfan, but once calibrated, it was all fine.

 The last of the main navigational functions is the compass. For those of you that have ever been out on the side of a mountain and been caught out in a sudden fog the compass can enable you to set a bearing and follow it, however if you do end up wanting to cross reference with a map the altimeter will give you your height and providing you knew where you were before you got lost you can identify your position with relative ease.  The compass was accurate and easy to read.



Overall I have been thoroughly impressed by the watch, I am planning on getting one for my trip to the alps later on this year as the barometer could prove invaluable! Both the Core and Vector are excellent watches, however I have found the Core to be slightly more straightforward to use out of the box.

Jon - Shop Manager

Made it!

I can't believe it, I ran the marathon yesterday! 

Thankfully the pain is already starting to fade and I am chuffed to bits to have finished it - 4hrs 22min.

What an incredible day - the hardest thing I have ever done. The support and atmosphere were indescribable. I felt like a film star with someone calling my name every few metres (it was on my top!). First half was great, second half hurt a lot and took a little longer. Seeing friendly faces (David, mum and Mike) at mile 20 gave me the strength to get into my own zone and focus on getting through the last 6 miles....one foot in front of the other, just keep on running was all the kept going round my mind.

Here are my stats if anyone is interested?! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/171029382.

I cannot thank everyone enough for their messages, encouragement, support and sponsorship - I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have such amazing friends and family. And campfour, thank you for all your support, you have been brilliant (and thanks too for my fab training gear, the start of this all!).

Katie - thanks for the sunshine. This was for you.

xxx

The bit I excel at...

...carbo loading!




Bag is packed, train tickets purchased and nerves kind of under control. Support and generosity from friends and family have been totally overwhelming, I am determined to do them all proud. Finally it is here, bring it on! (ps race number is 8085 if anyone wants to track me live on the official website - clever eh?!).

Katie, this is for you. xxx

Geocaching - Getting Started Has Never Been Easier!

Years ago, I used to go 'Letterboxing' on walks in Devon with my family.  This may sound like a strange activity, but it added hours of fun to walks in the moors.  Letterboxing consisted of checking each prominent feature along the walk for a small box or canister.  Inside the box (if you were lucky enough to find one) was a stamp and a log book.  You would stamp your log book with the stamp in the box and stamp the log book in the box with the stamp you would take around with you - or just write in the book that you had found it.

This was a little hit and miss as we didn't know the location of these sites - you just hoped with scouring of each wall or boulder; sometimes there was something, sometimes not.  You soon tuned in to which were the most likely places for something to be hidden.  It could add hours to a walk but was very exciting for us.  I think the longest time we were out on one walk was 9 hours.  We found quite a few to keep us going that day.  Pretty exhausted when we got back though!

'Letterboxing' has been given a technological make-over in the form of Geocaching.  No less exciting, but much more hit and much less miss as you follow a GPS coordinate to the site of a box or canister (known as a cache).  When you reach your destination, you still have the challenge of finding the cache, and the excitement of finding out what is inside.  Etiquette is to leave something if you take something from the box by way of an exchange.  You still sign the log book in the cache and can keep your own log book in paper version, on your GPS or online.

www.opencaching.com is a free website that is set up with a great introduction on how to get you started. You can download GPS coordinates for all of the listed caches on the website - all of which you can look up using an area search.  You can then use this website to log when you found the caches. You can even set up your own geocaches and register them at the opencaching website.

If this sounds like something you and your kids (or even just you!) would like to get into, www.opencaching.com is a great place to start.

Garmin have also produced a great geocaching GPS bundle with everything you need to get started.  The bundle includes an eTrex 10 GPS with basemap, a guide to geocaching and the elements you would need to set up your own cache.

For more information, visit www.opencaching.com or take a closer look at the eTrex 10 bundle from Garmin.

Taper time :-)

I cannot convey what pleasure it gives me to write that I have done my last long run!! 20 miles, 3hr9min and a grin from ear-to-ear. I have had to wait a few days before writing this to allow time for the pain to subside slightly, it was pure torture. I just hope adrenalin is really as powerful as everyone says to get me through the last 6 miles.

I did an interval run today and, finally, I feel the training plan is working... Still really hard but in a good way (!?). And I love my garmin. check out my long run, just because you can (as I am sure it is not interesting to anyone else!). http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164098848

2.5 more weeks only, I am starting to get scared. Happy days though, time to taper is sweeter than any creme egg (and I love a creme egg!). I am going to enjoy the next couple of weeks....

A little inspiration...just what the doctor ordered!

This week Virgin London Marathon organised a talk for all of us Manchester-based runners to help with preparation for the marathon. Blind Dave Heeley gave a talk (7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents, and he is blind - check out his website if you are interested), followed by a Lucozade Sports Nutritionist (yup, you have to eat and drink a lot!!).

This marathon is the hardest thing I have ever done - physically and mentally. It was just what I needed to hear about someone else's incredible successes, get enthused by some running passion and acknowledge that it is not just me struggling! I feel a lot more focused on reaching the start line positively, not just dreading all this training!



Helping this my new toy (Garmin Forerunner 110 with HRM) has arrived. I have one more long run left and, skirting over the time, I am actually looking forward to getting out and trying my new Garmin out. I can now get even more obsessed with stats - bring on pace, distance, time, routes!

Best 'Benighting' Story Competition

We've just got in our new Petzl Myo RXP stock and it started us all talking about our evening trips to the crag, or long days on the hill....and then to our stories of benightings.  Well, most of us have got them; they get funnier over time; and they are often swapped over a well-deserved drink in a cosy pub at the end of a great day out.  As stories of benightings are such great fun to share, so we thought we'd run a competition to see who can come up with the best of them...

What do you get in return for sharing your funniest benighting anecdotes?...a fine Petzl Tikkina2 Headtorch.  Small enough to keep handy should you ever find yourself caught short of sunlight again!

So what do we need from you?

1) a short account of your benighting
2) a picture to go with it if possible

Please note that we must be able to publish these on-line to share the best ones with the rest of our customers, so please do not use names or photographs of individuals that don't wish to be mentioned, or detail anything dodgy etc.

The competition closes Monday 2nd April at 2pm.

Please submit your stories via our email address at info@campfour.co.uk, via our Facebook page, or our Campfour Blog.

We'll share a couple of our stories with you too...so watch this space.

If in the meantime, you would like to view our full range of Petzl Headtorches, please visit us in-store or online.

Good Luck!

The Campfour Team


Please note that by "benighted" we mean "overtaken by night or darkness" rather than the other meaning - "being in a state of moral or intellectual darkness; unenlightened"!!

Half marathon completed!

I have just checked the weather online - at 5pm it is 20 degrees C! It has been an amazing day but not the conditions that I am used to training in. Still, we did it. Wilmslow half marathon was great - a beautiful course with a few small(ish!) hills. The first 10 miles were "comfortable", the last half hour endless.

I am a little bit gutted too - my official time was 2:00:00! I couldn't have planned it, one second less and I would have been under 2 hours! For a first race though, I am pleased. I am off to do some shopping though - I have decided a watch with pace on it is essential kit. At the best of times I am a little obsessed with the stats but I am sure it would have made the difference - both today and in training.

Am trying hard not to think too much that in a months time I will have to run double that - one day at a time!





Caroline, Nick, Ben and me on the finish line :-)

This week's focus - pace (what's that??!)

One area I have struggled with from the start of this training is pacing myself. My training plan calls for 4 different sppeds/effort - 'easy'; 'steady'; 'tough' intrevals; 'challenging' threshold running.... I seem to have 2 gears only - flat out or not flat out and definitely forget ever having a negative split.

On my long run this week (3 hours, 19 miles :-) ), I was determined to take it 'easy'. Several times I had to talk to myself.."go slower" "go slower"...yet still I was doing 8 min 35 miles at the beginning and not far off 10 min miles by the end. Wth hindsight, a garmin (or similar) would have been handy for all this training as I don't have instant feedback on my speed, I am just going on how I feel and my time at mile intervals.

This Sunday I am doing Wilmslow half marathon so am even more determined to run at a more sensible pace for the first half and not let the race occasion take over. My mental arithmetic is going to be seriously tested woking out my speed with my trusty 16 yr old stopwatch. The focus continues!!!

PS Got my marathon registration form and magazine in the post today - I got butterflies in my stomach just reading it!

PPS One month today and it'll all be over! :-)

Awesome Outdoor Mum Hall of Fame

A massive thank you to everyone that entered.  We wish we had more packs to give away as there were so many deserving Mums.

The winner is...

Well done!, your pack will be winging its way to you for the weekend (as soon as you contact us with an address!).  The pictures, video and story were all great.

We have decided to award a runner up prize to...

Well done.  We're sending you a goody bag (as soon as we get an address for you too!).

Below are a selection of the other Awesome Outdoor Mums that we wanted celebrate in our 'Hall of Fame'.

We hope you all have a great Mother's Day and continue to have fun in the hills....

The Campfour Team

Phew, long run completed

With a huge sigh of relief I can happily report I managed a 2.5 hour run this week - 16.5 miles (no mean feat after the last couple of weeks disastrous training).

What a difference it makes feeling well and not recovering from a cold. I have also bought a drinks bottle hand holder so had regular liquid (although going for water next week not just energy drink), and have found a new gel that felt like it really worked!

I thought that all gels were a revolting necessessity. I have been using Lucozade ones which tasted like concentrated artificial goo that made my face scrunch up, but I presumed they did what they said on the tin. My new discovery are SIS gels (thanks to campfour for coming to the rescue after I forgot to get some more of my usual ones). Tasting like runny jelly without stong flavours, they went down easily and I genuinely felt like I had an energy burst shortly afterwards (placebo or not, I'm in!).

I came straight back and ordered an SIS belt to hold them as I cannot stuff them into the back pocket of my tights (I cannot fit more than one in with my phone too but I don't want to make my backside any bigger either!).

Quite stiff after the long run I am ploughing on - intervals this afternoon so am off to fuel up now first....

Staff Review: Mammut Monolith Gtx

Just like a lot of people I know who climb and mountaineer, I'd found a pair of boots some years ago that fitted me well and did what I wanted and expected a B2 technical boot to do, and used them year on year.  But technology moves on, so I was really surprised at the difference when I first tried the Mammut Monolith.

If you pick up a Mammut Monolith boot, even without wearing it, the first thing that strikes you is how light they are for such a tall boot!

Construction wise, the upper is comprised of abrasion resistant velour leather, Dropstop textile and a Gore-Tex lining. A full rubber rand runs around the boot to add longevity and absorb rock related punishment. The boot is board lasted with a Vibram outsole which has widely spaced lugs and a dedicated 'Climbing Zone' at the front and available in UK half sizes.

Slip a pair on and the fit is very precise as well thanks to asymmetric lacing and Mammut's Base Fit which transfers the force of lacing to the sole and puts extra pressure over the big toe. What this amounts to is a surprising feeling of precision under the big toe where the Climbing Zone is on the outsole.The Monolith is also very supportive allowing for plenty of flexibility forward and backward but preventing the foot from bending sideways. Overall in terms of fit and feel the boot is substantially lighter, taller, a little more supportive and feels a lot less clumsy than other B2 boots I've worn like the Scarpa Manta or the venerable Salomon Super Mountain Expert.

Accessorising well with orange jacket & boots (caption from Lucy)

The first time I used the Monolith in earnest was over several days of fast moving mixed grade scrambling (which is a tricky mix for any boot) in the Ogwyn Valley and I was quickly struck by how much of a difference the precision and lightness of these boots made. The feeling of control under the big toe in these boots meant I was quite happy to exploit very small holds and often strayed onto easy climbs without a second thought.

As well as generally wearing a rigid boot without thinking about the weight. The additional height on the way up felt both beneficial and very supportive, on the walks down however as you would expect the extra height became more of a hindrance and slowed me down.

Over the last year I've used my Monoliths as my 'go to' option for hard scrambles and general mountaineering and I'm still very much taken with them. I've yet to get a chance to use them under proper winter conditions with long days in crampons but I've no doubt they would perform just as well.

Overall the Mammut Monolith are a superb boot for general UK mountain use or classical Alpinism but the extra height and fit may not be suited to everyone.

So the bottom line. Would I recommend them to you?

Yes I would, especially if your an aspiring mountaineer and are planning to take in a Scottish Winter and want something light, comfortable and precise, then this is a serious contender.


You'll see me coming in mine (seriously you will...mine are bright orange (Royal Oak)).

Boots hard at work...

Chris - Web Manager

Dabbling in a bit of Caving

My first foray into caving was on Tuesday.  I've been into French Grottes and some cave systems in the UK that have specially laid out paths and steps to take you round, but this was a step further.

Kit on and Ready to Go

I wasn't sure whether I would like the whole business of crawling through confined spaces so thought a trip down Alderley Edge Copper Mines with the Derbyshire Caving Club would be ideal.  The blurb said anyone welcome over the age of 6, so I knew it wouldn't be too hardcore!

There were about 30 of us (I was only expecting about 10) and they got us all kitted out in our hard hats and lamps and we walked off to the mine entrance looking like a taller version of Seven Dwarfs (obviously more than seven too, so probably not much like the Seven Dwarfs at all!).

I felt pretty over-dressed in full waterproof gear, gaiters and walking boots - one person turned up in a t-shirt and jeans! but although I was little warm when wriggling through the smaller spaces, I was pretty happy that I'd made the effort.  I would have felt more daft turning up without the right gear. No excuses when you work at Campfour.

We went into the Wood Mine part of the Alderley Edge mine system.  It is great - a real rabbit warren.  We only went through a section of it - there were tunnels and chambers leading off all over the place, and the guys from the Derbyshire Caving Club are currently digging out even more of the original tunnels.

Pictures are below...

The guys from Derbyshire Caving Club that took us round were great.  They were able to provide a good deal of history with stories of finding pots of gold coins and working conditions for the miners.  It definitely added to the whole experience.

I found out about this event through the Cheshire East Ranger's Service Events Guide.  The next trip to the Alderley Edge mines is 5th June.  For more information, visit the Cheshire East website or Derbyshire Caving Club website.  Their pictures are much better than mine too!

I was asked whether I would be joining a caving club....I would love to say yes, but I think I prefer climbing up things rather than climbing down things.  I will definitely continue to dabble though!

Lucy - Shop Owner

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

And down we go...

A brief pause for a bit of interesting info

And like underground lemmings, in we all went...

And out we pop again!

Some looking slightly more disheveled than others!

See... copper!

Someone disappearing down Chain Stairs

More Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

Gravity Chamber - marks in the lichen, some from the 19th Century

Access vents and doorways

Yet more Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

Very dirty but very happy!

The ups and downs of training

The last two weeks have been a disaster. I have been full of cold and getting no sleep with an irritating cough so went light on the training. And then on Tuesday I did a long run - 2hrs15. My usual long run speed is 8min50 miles. This time my average speed was 9min28 - that is a huge difference! I have been trying to rationalise it but am disappointed and feeling a little despondant. I am meant to be on top form but feel the total opposite.

Today (Sunday) was a rest day. With no long run I have been relishing having a long lie in and the Sunday papers, pure luxury.

7 weeks to go today and I am determined that I start again tomorrow, fresh and dedicated to do my best for this (one and only!!) marathon I have to run.

Awesome Outdoor Mum Competition!

Now we're in March, Mother's Day is on the horizon.  To celebrate, we thought we'd run a little competition...

We have a fantastic The North Face Women's Enduro Boa Pack in Spackle Grey worth £85 to give away! All we need you to do to be in with a chance of winning is to nominate an 'Awesome Outdoor Mum' - it can be your Mum, someone else's, or even yourself.  Please provide us with a photo and a few words outlining why you think the person you are nominating should win.

The winner will be chosen on Thursday 15th March.  The prize will then be sent to the winner that same day (should arrive in time for Mother's Day that way).

Enter via our Facebook page/ wall, our Blog or by email to info@campfour.co.uk.

Final date and time for entry is 5pm Thursday 15th March.


Good Luck!

The Campfour Team

Having been through all of our new North Face stock, we thought we'd introduce you to our top 5 to date...

Men's Cipher Hybrid Hoodie

Great summer low weight softshell jacket. Gore Windstopper with Apex stretch panels. Good sized (helmet compatible) hood with adjustment.

Ideal for climbing and scrambling.

Leonidas Jacket (Men's and Women's)

Very lightweight waterproof jacket.  Set up for high energy activities with pit zips and a 'quick disperse' print on the inside of the jacket to quickly and effectively release water vapour from inside the jacket.  Stiffened peak on the hood.  Fabric feels fantastically soft to the touch.

Men's Apex Elixir Vest

Not new for this season, but something that proves itself again and again to be a very flexible bit of kit.  Gives that extra bit of protection when you are out on the rock, your bike or the hill.

P-8 Jacket (Men's and Women's)

Outstanding value for a waterproof jacket at only £90 (Campfour Price is currently £81). Very soft fabric.  Well featured with a roll-away hood, two hand pockets and a cinch cord at the waist.

Women's Pantoll Tee

This truly is a technical tee that doesn't feel like it.  With a cotton soft finish to the fabric, you feel comfortable from the moment you slip it on.  The Coolmax Modal Knit ensures that any moisture is wicked quickly away.

The perfect baselayer for most types of aerobic activities.

Men's Horizon Falls Convertible Pants

About as flexible as you could hope for in a trouser.  Zips at the ankle, zip off legs to turn them into shorts.  Stow pocket at the back as well as many other pockets. Lightweight rip-stop nylon.

Ideal for walking, travelling and pretty much anything else you want to throw at them.