A Look At The September Issue Of The Great Outdoors

The September issue of The Great Outdoors is out now. The cover is a superb photo of Sgurr a'Mhaim taken from Sgurr an Lubhair in the Mamores by James Roddie. The opening spread is equally wonderful and encapsulates the the theme of this issue. It shows nine teams of skiers spread over 7km of the Jostedalsbreen glacier in Norway at night using their headlamps to shine a giant morse code SOS signaL In this case it's because the glacier is threatened both by climate change and a gondola. And that's the theme - action to save mountains and nature and to give ourselves hope.

To this end deputy editor Hanna Lindon meets people working for the mountains from the Himalayas to the Lake District and the Cairngorms. In Scotland photographer Richard Cross uses drone photography to show land issues in a way hard to see on the ground. In the Skills section Detective Constable Paul Flint of Derbyshire's Rural Crime Team gives advice on how walkers can help tackle wildlife crime. 

The mountains can revive ourselves too, as Andy Wasley found on a walk in the Dolomites in Italy. Also overseas James Roddie spends two weeks in the spectacular High Sierra mountains in California. 

In shorter pieces Nadia Shaikh writes about the common but often overlooked Meadow Pipit; Francesca Donovan reviews Paul Besley's The Search - the life of a mountain rescue search dog team; artist, poet and 'Day of Access' founder Alec Finlay asks who belongs in the mountains and how should they enjoy them; Jim Perrin takes a lesser-known scramble on Yr Wyddfa; and Juls Stodel gives advice on taking dogs hiking and camping.

In the Gear pages Steph Wetherall reviews the Therm-A-Rest Questor 0F/-18C sleeping bag; Fiona Russell reviews the Alpkit Ultra 1 tent; Lucy Wallace compares four solo tents; Gemma Palmer tries six backpacking meals; and Kirsty Pallas and James Roddie each review a pair of three-season sleeping bags.

Wild Walks covers seven walks all reachable by public transport. In the NW Highlands Ian Battersby goes by bus to the Five Sisters of Kintail. In the Central Highlands Alex Roddie crosses Geal-Charn, Aonach Beag and Beinn Eidbhinn on a walk between the railway stations at Dalwhinnie and Corrour. It's back to buses again for Stefan Durkacz's Glen Sax Round in the Southern Uplands. In the Lake District buses give access to St Sunday Crag for Vivienne Crow and Wansfell for James Forrest. In Mid Wales Roger Butler takes the train to explore Wernygeufron Hill and Beacon Hill. Finally, Fiona Barltrop takes a ferry to the Isle of Wight to walk on Limerstone Down and Hanover Point.