Country Walking

Country Walking Magazine shows you the best of British walks: the biggest views, the hidden gems, the sea cliffs and the mountain summits. All our features come complete with superb writing, inspiring photography and step-by-step instructions so you can follow every footpath yourself. In every issue, you’ll find: - In-depth stories of amazing walks - A booklet of 25 pull-out walks every issue - with OS maps! - Information about hotels, pubs, cafes, tearooms. - Clear, jargon-free tests of walking kit And... every issue our readers tell their walking stories, help us devise new walks and shape the places we go to. If you love walking, this is the magazine for you.

Welcome

IN THIS ISSUE…

A warm welcome to Jack Frost

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS MONTH

In Thin Air

Symphonies of place and song • Fiona Soe Paing makes music that responds to the place it came from - and she wants to share both with you…

CAERSWS • A village sitting in a large green basin beneath the moors of Mid Wales, Caersws provides a great base for exploring a land that is as peaceful as it is spacious.

That special occasion • One of the reasons we love to walk is the connection it gives us to people, places and memories. All these Challengers choose to honour the most important dates on their calendars with a walk. Here's why…

Gold. Gold. GOLD! • Each issue we invite you to spice up your miles by doing something seasonal, silly or curiously specific. The holy grail is a money-can't-buy Golden Badge.

New ways to win gold… • Tackle one - or all! - of these minichallenges, post your photos and stories in the Walk 1000 Miles Facebook group and we'll send a money-can't-buy golden badger to our favourites! You have until 5 November for this lot.

Your View

Where's Kes? • Every month (erm, ish) our spaniel Kes goes walkies in the issue, and we want him back! Can you help us find Kes?

Wildlife for Walkers • Three remarkable species to spot in October.

Stuart Maconie • The summer we've just had was like 1976 all over again… only this time it felt rather less exceptional and rather more unsettling.

SHINE • From the first shades to the last leaf, autumn is a spectacle that changes with each day. And staying local is the best way to witness its slow, bewitching progress.

SUBLIME • Yes, autumn can be worshipped everywhere. But it does have its cathedrals.

SHROUD • There's a type of autumn day that is familiar to us all - one that's atmospheric, mystical and intriguing. And one they never show you in the brochure…

STRANGE • Autumn is a time when peculiar things happen, and from where some of our oddest folk tales originate. Here is a bite-size smorgasbord with a selection of our favourites…

SPATE • Autumn is a splendid time to seek out waterfalls - especially the ones that hide themselves away, like this one does…

SMOKE • It's the aroma of autumn, one that reaches back into our childhoods and even further back into our evolution as humans. Guy Procter considers the magic, the mystery and the molecules of the phenomenon that is woodsmoke.

SUMMIT • Britain's finest coastal mini-mountain looks its best right now. Welcome to Autumn-on-Sea.

‘We practise for moments like this. But the reality is very different.' • What's it really like to be a Mountain Rescue volunteer? Country Walking joined a hard-working team in Northumberland to find out - and the answers are surprising.

How to stay safe • Simple tips from the North of Tyne team to minimise your chances of needing their help - especially if you're in hills or mountains.

BASE LAYERS • Expert advice on the kit that makes a difference

PRIZE CROSSWORD

National icons • Perhaps the best urban...