The Great Outdoors (UK)

Natural highs

I’D NEVER heard a sound quite like it. Guttural, deep and demanding attention. The stag’s bellow – that long, low, outward breath signifying strength and superiorit­y amongst other males – took my own away. Floored, I sat in Lyme Park under a pink sky as the late autumn sun rose, with Manchester’s skyscraper­s glowing orange in the distance. I had only the rutting bucks and their harem for company. Antlers clashed like cymbals: a cacophony with Mother Nature conducting. I pondered the possibilit­y that there is no purer encounter to be had in the great outdoors than one with the many-legged locals or those of the winged, scaled or furry variety. Yet, I still find it hard to reconcile the power of the stags with the stats. UK wildlife continues to decline, according to the State of Nature 2023 report, and we bear witness to significan­t loss of plants, animals and fungi through habitat loss, developmen­t and persecutio­n. As a result, the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. You only need to admire sweeping views from Lake District fells – allowed for by a concerning­ly treeless landscape – to notice this. Notice, we must. And, indeed, many do. In this issue, nature lovers share beautiful experience­s still possible up and down these islands. Jess Jones turns her lens to the Scottish Highlands and beyond (page 36). James Roddie shares advice on encounteri­ng the natural wonders of the mountains (page 58). Our experts also map 10 walking routes on which to encounter wildlife, from otters to feral goats, across the UK. Wild though these places may seem, this is an illusion. Much of our ‘wild’ life in Britain is managed in some way – for better or worse. Looking across the pond for some really wild inspiratio­n, Mark Waring seeks adventure in Yukon, an 80% wilderness that’s home to collared pikas, hoary marmots and, of course, grizzlies. Find out how he fared on page 48. Back home, the signs of spring are coming, as Ceri Belshaw found on a bikepackin­g journey across the Cambrian Mountains (page 28). Spring’s approach often reminds me that 24 April marks the anniversar­y of the Kinder Mass Trespass in 1932. Perhaps now is an apt time – as Dartmoor National Park Authority heads back to court to defend the right to wild camp – for Mary-Ann Ochota to reflect on the new trend for paid ‘wild’ camping pitches and our land justice revolution. Elsewhere, Alex Roddie and Emily Woodhouse get ‘unmoored’ walking the Dartmoor Way. We also announce the winners of The Great Outdoors Reader Awards 2024 (page 22) in which you, the outdoors-going public, champion individual­s and organisati­ons actively taking steps to protect and preserve our natural world – amongst other categories celebratin­g your favourite pubs, outdoor clubs and more! As I sit looking out at snowdrops pushing through a fresh layer of powder from their subnivean slumber, I too am reassured that it is a time for nature to flourish along with our hopes for the future.