A Rocky road
LAST YEAR I spent 29 days walking around 400 miles (644km) through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado on the Continental Divide and Colorado Trails. Most of the time I was above 10,000 feet (3048 metres). I camped on 25 nights, of which 18 were above 11,000 feet (3353 metres), the highest 12,460 feet (37,987 metres).
I was usually at or above timberline so many camps were exposed. For the first two weeks the weather was dry and mostly warm and sunny though there was sometimes a cool wind. Nights were chilly, though, with overnight lows mostly between 0 and 5°C. The second half of the walk was stormier and cooler with thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail. Nights were a little colder too, with subzero temperatures on three.
As on any long walk my gear needed to be durable and light while being able to cope with hot days, stormy weather and chilly nights. My selection was a mix of tried-and-trusted items plus some new ones that I felt would prove reliable. Here’s how they performed…
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