Mammut Comfort High GTX Surround Boots

MAMMUT make some awesome gear, agreed?

The connotation of quality with Mammut was the final selling point when I was looking for new boots.

Now some of you loyal Fellists may recall a previous gear review when we looked at the Adidas Terrex Fast R GTX boots. In fact I am considering doing a where are they now article as they are still in good nick.

Why then do I have new boots I hear you ask!

Having Viggo means I’m out walking daily and I don’t just do a mile here and ten minutes there. My working hours allow me to be doing around 3-4 miles a day minimum.

Still with me?

This resulted in me destroying a pair of Hunter wellingtons through winter and making excessive use of the Terrex’s.

My Adidas’s are still fully waterproof and intact, they have been looked after in terms of cleaning and re-proofing. All I have had to do is re-lace them.

But the slipping point so to speak is on the soles. I have given them so much hammer that they have started to smooth out. This is not a problem at this time of year on my dog walks. But do I want to be sliding down Loft Crag in torrential rain?

No do I heck as like!

I’ve digressed slightly, this is supposed to be all about the Mammuts!

Those long winded names from the manufacturers sometimes leave you pondering what it’s all about.

In this case the last part of these boot’s title refers to the newer updated type of Gore-Tex that has been used.

So what’s different about this Surround variant as opposed to the standard Gore-Tex?

It’s all about breathability.

You still get that all important waterproofing that we have come to take for granted from Gore-Tex but now the Surround variant offers enhanced all-around breathability.

These models that include GTX Surround are ideal for warmer conditions as the construction of the of this membrane releases more warmth and moisture.

From my previous boot review you may know that I like lightweight footwear, now had I come from a bigger, full leather boot and gone straight into the Mammuts I would have noticed a difference instantly. But in relative comparison with my Adidas Terrexs the difference is more subtle.

Basically after a full days hike your feet aren’t so sweaty!

Lovely eh!

Now what do I like about these boots?

Well they too are lightweight, my pair of size elevens clock in at approximately 1100 grams. That’s pretty good considering the high cut you get with them. So far I haven’t had any falls in them due to an ankle giving way.

The pick-up is fantastic because the deceiving big, high and chunky aesthetic kids you into expecting far more weight.

When on the lacing system and high cut combine to wrap your ankle up in a cloud of protection.

The toe band is made from a really tough rubber compound and the texture that it’s finished in is such a texture that it never looks any different. This is ideal after a load of rocky scuffs.

The grips are good. A harder rubber than on the Terrexs gives me the impression that these will be up to much more arduous treatment.

The styling on these boots is epic if you like a modern twist. The red flashes stand out nicely but are not overpowering. This model also comes in blue.

Summary time?

These boots are expensive, there’s no kidding there. They are retailing at around the £140 mark and around £125 in blue here.  (Not sure why blue is cheaper)

These boots have featured in Trail Magazine and the funny thing was, I’d had my pair about a month when they were in an issue.

I purchased my pair from the German site BergFreunde and wondered whether, due to them being imported I got them prior to UK release.

They are exactly what I expected and are performing really well.

Any surprises?

A couple I suppose…

The weight is an amazing feature and twinned with their toughness you know that these have been superbly built and expertly designed.

That’s left me happy with a pair of hard core boots and good looking ones at that.

Quickly, thank you for all your continuous support!

Cheers,

#TeamFell

True Mountain Stretch Windshell Smock

THROUGH three seasons we’ve been looking at the TrueMountain Stretch Windshell and believe it or not, this UK made garment fits in no matter what the weather!

As part of the layering system this lightweight mid-layer helps keep the chill at bay during the icy winter twilight. Plus, when paired with the True Mountain sportswool baselayer it forms a toastie combination for sub-zero walking and outdoor activities.

In the brightening spring this piece of apparel is excellent for dealing with blustery conditions and is so lightweight it is easily forgotten about and when on the fells, it is a truly sensational feeling to be unhindered.

And even in these summer months this kit is still, unfortunately required, as our British summer’s seem fond of showers and unsettled conditions. Fear not though! As despite the True Mountain smock’s lightweight pick-up it packs enough punch in the protection sector to repel raindrops and guard against gusts.

Perfect as a light outer layer in temperate seasons.

When the sun is out and the heat is on this squeezes down into a tiny ball and is brilliantly versatile whether you are running or walking. My large weighs in at a miniscule 146 grams! That’s 80 grams lighter than my standard t-shirt.

If like me, you like attention to detail, True Mountain includes some nice features. On this smock you get thumb holes to cover your wrists and hands, useful in the winter running season.

They have added a couple of high-vis patches to the garment to enhance visibility in low light conditions and little things such as the silicon rubber tab on the zip left me impressed with the detail and care True Mountain have taken in the designing of the stuff.

Finally, durability!

This gear has some serious use. And I kid you not, it looks as good as the day I got it. This smock has seen sleet, hail, snow and ice. Sun, sand and dust. Rain, mud and sweat. It has been stuffed into various bags and pulled out again and it still looks and performs as it should.

This has impressed me most about True Mountain’s kit so from us here at TeamFell we say a big well done to the UK’s very own True Mountain!

Cheers,

#TeamFell

Summer Plans

SO another academic year has come to a close and it now gives me the time to get stuck into the blog and get regular content going again.

With summer now upon us, TeamFell are counting down the days until we get into the Lakes. We have a nice two-week period of time to conquer summits and enjoy the hospitality of Cumbria and if the weather is good that would be a bonus!

We are heading up to Birchbank campsite, which is just south of Coniston and we are going to try and cover a lot of the southern fells. Some of which we have already done but the main focus will be on the ones remaining.

Birchbank is a fantastic working farm with a campsite and cottage on the grounds, for us it is a pure Lakeland experience and an article will feature in our Hidden Gems section of the site to tell you all about this fantastic place. It is two miles from the main road and is tranquil, traditional and tremendous!

 

Updates

We have been working on a photo album containing all our Wainwright summit shots (shown above). We are going to continue this until we have all 214 photographs. Fingers crossed!

Viggo has lost loads of weight and he is now what he should be for his breed. Here is a lovely photo that illustrates the difference, taken from Viggo’s very own twitter, @ViggoTheSmooth .

Cheers,

TeamFell

Fell Map of the 214 Wainwrights

THE days are short but getting longer and if like me you are already counting down to your next sortie to Cumbria this piece will definitely catch your fancy!

While doing some research into Fix the Fells I came across a fundraising effort from Ian Shackleton. He produces a really high quality poster that shows all 214 Wainwright peaks along with tarns, lakes, roads and youth hostels. 

The summits are neatly colour coded to match the infamous pictorial guides and listed in altitude order all on a beautifully presented poster. This map sits wonderfully on the wall and once framed it makes a lovely feature in any setting. 

The man behind the creation of this map is Ian Shackleton, who has admired Wainwright for many years.

A close up of the Coniston area shows the
intricate beauty of this work.

"This map is dedicated to my father, Howard Shackleton who introduced me to the Lakeland Fells some 45 years ago. The map has taken over 400 hours to complete. Like Wainwright's Guides, it has been a labour of love. It is designed to be a piece of art, pleasing to the eye and something which people would be proud to hang on their walls. Every fell and every tarn are accurate in terms of Grid Reference. It can be used to plan future routes, familiarise yourself with the proximity of the fells and tarns or simply to reminisce about days spent on the fells."

    

Of every A1 map sold at least £1 will be put to Fix the Fells and at only £14.99 plus P+P this work of art will hardly break the bank. We’ve had ours up as pictured now for about two months and it still grabs our attention so I definitely recommend it.

Not only will it look good, not only will it be useful, not only will you stand reminiscing in front of it, you’ll be giving a little back to the fells we all know and love. I now whole-hearted urge you to head to Ian’s site here http://www.wainwrightfellsmap.co.uk/the-map/ and get your sen a copy!

Cheers

#TeamFell

A week in Farrier Cottage

Roseberry Topping from the bottom.

AS some of you may know, in October TeamFell took a short break and headed up to the North York Moors. Since returning my writing and uploading routine has gone out the window, but take it as a good sign that I am sat here with a pen once again in hand. That’s not a false claim either, I write everything out initially on paper. 

In the three weeks of being back at home, we have a dog, Viggo to be precise, a three-year-old Smooth Collie, on Twitter be sure to follow: @ViggoTheSmooth. Other than that, we have had family and friends coming to stay for the other two weekends so time to get stuck into some writing has been some what hard to come by. 

Great Ayton bathed in autumnal sunshine.

But change settles into routine and all is returning to normal with the addition of a fantastic dog. Back to our break anyway! As some of you may know from a previous post we stayed near a village called Great Ayton, in the tiny village of Ingleby Greenhow.

After setting out on the friday night after work we flew up the A1 and A19 in pitch black conditions. An hour and half after leaving home we were greeted by the warm light glowing out from the glass door of Farrier Cottage.

Part of the family had arrived earlier in the evening and good old mum had got a curry on. The building is a converted farm structure and is renovated beautifully within. The stone flag floor was kept toasty by the brilliant underfloor heating which was powered by the biomass boiler on the farm. 

The exposed stone of the walls and the earthy colours of the wooden trim ooze cozy country cottage but the mezzanine upper floor gave this place a modern edge too. It was kitted out with a kitchen dining room, lounge, level access shower room, two bathrooms and three bedrooms as well as a double sofa bed. This accommodation was perfect for us and ideal for you if you have plenty of family to share this lovely place with.

If you want to have a look at the prices and availability for this place here’s the link for Farrier Cottage via the Sykes website: http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/North-York-Moors-Coast-Ingleby-Greenhow/Farrier-Cottage-18059.html.

Falling Foss 

Whilst away we visited Whitby on 3 occasions. The first of these was part of a beach walk from Sandsend , just north of Whitby and at this time of year the beach is dog friendly, so Jasper had a great time doing the three mile each way wander. What we enjoyed was a cracking portion of award winning fish and chips from the Magpie Cafe.

We were also lucky enough to catch the seaside town preparing for is infamous halloween weekend, the streets were full of eccentric fancy dress so even a quick look round the shops packed some fantastic atmosphere. 

And the charming Falling Foss tea garden.

There was a nice short walk that we discovered at a spot called Littlebeck where a path followed a woodland stream and eventually ends up at the Falling Foss tea garden and its namesake waterfall.

On a beautiful day we had a pop at the area’s dramatic looking peak Roseberry Topping. The 1,050 foot hill took only thirty five minutes to scale but admittedly we did take the simple route from the main road. Other routes from Great Ayton via Captain Cook’s monument or from Guisborough forest looked to provide a better more fulfilling climb. Nonetheless the view over the surrounding valley was lovely, punctuated with towns, moors and the sea. 

All in all we had a fantastic rest and spent the rest of the time together as a family, so who can complain.

Last thing, if you haven't followed our dog Viggo, do it now! @ViggoTheSmooth

Cheers,

#TeamFell

SpreadShirt

Coming up to this area will be a catalogue of some of the Fell items. As we always say, your support means so much, so to all you amazing folks out there, thanks!

Roche Moutonée

TO begin, if you have never seen nor heard of a roche moutonée, fear not! You have come to right place, here at Fell within the Fell Words section we look at the meanings behind some of things hillwalkers come across all the time but sometimes go unnoticed or just never get researched. One thing is for certain we guarantee you will have seen one of these!

A roche mountonêe is a glacial trough formation and it’s name originates from the french words for rock sheep, because some look like a sheep in a field from a distance. 

The distinctive feature of a roche moutonée is it’s shape, it has a smooth inclining stoss (up valley) surface and a rough jagged steeper lee (down valley) slope. 

A brilliant example of a roche moutonée in the
Nant Ffrancon glacial valley.

The formation occurs as a glacier advances down valley and it comes into contact with a mass of resistant hard rock. It can't erode the resistant rock so the glacier has to move over it. Due to the increase in pressure some of the ice melts at the glacier bed and causes basal sliding. As the glacier moves up and over the resistant outcrop debris or moraine scratch the surface of the rock and leave striations that are still visible today.

On the downslope of the the roche moutonée the surface changes dramatically, the gradient steepens and the smooth striated facia of the stoss side is all gone. 

Now as the pressure that previously melted the ice at the bed of glacier reduces the water refreezes while in contact with the lee side. Plucking then occurs leaving a jagged, sharp and angular surface to this side of the formation. 

In terms of size, the formations vary greatly, some can be one or two metres in length others can be around 100. Keep your eyes peeled when out and about in area of glacial history as once you are familiar with the standout shape you will recognise them frequently.

A diagram showing the formation of a roche moutonée.

A good place to spot loads of these features is in the valley leading up to Easedale Tarn from Grasmere, Cumbria. Littering the valley floor either side of the Easedale Beck you will see an array of examples large and small so be sure to check that out. 

As always thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, but I need you to do one more thing! Get your email put in the sub box and be notified when any new content goes live. Please hit that +1 button and tell us about any good examples of roche moutonées you can think of in the comments.

Check out our Twitter which is @teamfell and our youtube channel which shares the same name. If you are interested in some outdoor apparel and are happy to support the site, head over to our SpreadShirt online shop and get yourself a nice bit of Fell clothing. 

As always, 

Cheers

#TeamFell

Adidas Terrex Fast R Mid Gore-Tex Boot Review

TO begin, these are my everyday boots, they have done plenty of miles so this review is full of real life information.

Just an overview of the Adidas Terrex Fast R's.

These Terrex boots out of the box promise to be waterproof, lightweight, supportive and comfortable. And to give a small preview of what is to come, in my experience they have met all those promises and more.

The most important feature for me in these boots were the waterproof qualities, after my previous boots fell short of this requirement. The Adidas Terrex Fast R’s have a Gore-Tex membrane lining which suggests that it will keep out the water, protect you from the elements and keep you comfortable. I can vouch for the waterproofness of these shoes as I have relied on them in about half a dozen heavy wash out days of varying severity and in every case they stayed fully dry. From straight down saturating deluges to cross wind fuelled fell top cloudburst, I really can’t complain with regards to their weather resistance. 

After previously owning a glorified pair of rubber clogs, I really liked the lightweight attributes of these walking boots, the numbers given for a UK size 8.5 boot weighted in at 405 grams. Adidas achieve this by using innovative materials such as the abrasion-resistant air mesh upper and the lightweight EVA midsole. I have to confess that when trying on these boots in Blacks in Ambleside, I recall telling Claire that is was like having clouds on my feet! These are ace for long days walking as in my experience you don’t find yourself dragging your feet in these.

In the past I have had a few fatigued tumbles due to my ankles involuntarily deciding they had done enough. But since changing into these it hasn't happened. The key features that offer such support are in abundance on this shoe. The nice mid cut comfortably wraps my ankle and the Formotion heel unit inspires confidence at any gradient. Both these features when used in conjunction with the lacing system add up to a fantastic design. The snug fit throughout the heel, fore-foot and ankle mean that you have sterling support across the whole foot. The boots work hard for you and keep the foot in comfortable, healthy shape, overall the cut and heel unit are game changing for my feet.

That tyre rubber showing!

Closely linked to the support offered by these walking boots is the comfort. The moulded Ortholite sock liner welcomes you into the boots and keeps you tucked in all day, the insole does feel moulded to you. The Adiprene+ cushioning adds another degree of comfort to this shoe as on trails your feet feel as though there are no imperfections to the paths you walk.

Now coming onto protection and durability, you would expect a lightweight pair of sport hybrid walking boots to show it’s weakest hand here. Well, so far, there is no sign of damage to the boots as you can see from the photos and video and they have kept me in good nick too! The toe bar is a god send on this product, this area as you know takes the brunt of the hits and the addition of this to the Terrex’s adds years onto their life expectancy. The synthetic overlays on the air mesh upper also adds to the structural rigidity and all round 360 degree protection of the shoe. The solid Formotion heel unit stops any accidental rear knocks from doing yourself a mischief and stands up to really tough tests!

The eye catching modern appearance is a head turner
for sure!

Apart from the previous fairly generic aims of a boot, there are a few features on this shoe that make it stand out from the crowd. The first is the brand, a few people will say: “oh, Adidas they just make sports kit and football boots.” In my experience the Terrex range is really fit for purpose. 

Another thing that stands out is the looks and styling and this was one of the main reasons I went for this boot. Yes your traditional outdoor brands produce boots fit for purpose, of course they do, but the styling of these in relation to the price point made the decision easy. 

The grips show very little sign
of wear.

Other boots that I looked into prior to purchase were colourful examples such as: 

The North Face Verbena II’s at £140

The Salomon Wings Sky GTX 2’s at £139.99

And La Sportiva’s Trango S Evo GTX’s at £200+

All these other modern, fresh boots are a fair bit more and as the Adidas Terrex Fast R Mid’s were just £95 on sale at Blacks, I made the leap so to speak.

The grip of these boots is certainly noticeable in comparison to my previous shoes and Adidas would say that it is down to the Continental tyre rubber that the soles are formed from that give great grip, especially in wet conditions. 

The lacing system is a nice touch too. The speed lacing works with a connected loop of lacing being tightened by a one directional toggle, with a release catch for loosening. This means no more stopping to tie soggy untied laces, should you need to re-tighten them, it needn’t slow you down, just a quick pull on the toggle and away you go. The system seems successful as my boots hardly ever need tightening even after a full days walk, and the aesthetic of the system adds to the overall modern appearance.

The instep of my UK size 11's.

Finally this product from Adidas is suited for someone who is fairly fast paced. Whether this comes in the form of a fell runner in need of a little more support or just a walker who likes the light minimal feel to these shoes, they still have enough grunt to protect you from the elements and keep you going all day. 

These are boots that can keep up with you!

The Terrex range offers many different cuts of boot and also have a ladies range too. I have been amazingly impressed by mine so I have to recommend them to you! Be sure to check them out!

If you havent watched it already be sure to go watch our video review of the boot, go on, do it now! 

Thank you to all the supporters we have, all the Twitter retweets don't go unnoticed so thank you! As always, get your email in the sub box and follow us on Twitter @TeamFell Check out our Youtube channel and spread shirt shop too!

Cheers

#TeamFell