Page 50 - AMA Summer 2023

REVIEWS
THELAST HILLWALKER
Author: John D. Burns TReviewed by Neal Khepar
he Last Hillwalker is the moun- taineering autobiography of John D Burns. It takes you from his first
encounter with the hills, as a Liverpudlian schoolboy on a trip to the Lake District where the fascination began, through a life dedicated to the mountains.
The book travels at an enjoyable pace through his journey from hillwalker to climber to becoming a member of the Scottish Mountain Rescue team in Aviemore. It focuses more on his experiences, mishaps and anecdotes – some hilarious, some
sombre reminders of the dangers of this hobby – rather than any technical details or specific routes. It rounds off with him realising he’s getting too old for mountain rescue and reverting back to walking and bothying, enjoying the company of the next generation of mountaineers, and musing about how mountaineering has changed in the UK over the years.
Not a brain-teaser or a 14-peaks style Netflix extravaganza, but a much more ‘British’ story of one man’s lifelong passion for the hills. Overall, I found it thoroughly
enjoyable and inspiring – in an understated way. An easy read over the winter months, when getting out and about can be that much harder, highly recommended.
JÖTTNAR VALEN
IReviewed by Puks Shah
f you want to traverse across the Brecon Beacons without being PID’d as a squaddie because of your grey
and black Montane trousers, then these stylish and comfortable Jöttnar trousers might be for you
I think I might have just found the one. The one pair of trousers that I would like to spend the rest of my (mountaineering) life with. The Valen is a lightweight softshell pant from Jöttnar. These are extremely comfortable; so comfortable that I have been caught several times stroking the material, for it feels so luxurious and rugged at the same time. The material is a mix of 88% nylon and 12% Spandex softshell, with the latter providing the trousers with that comfort and extra stretchiness, and thus the range of motion (you could probably even do yoga in these!).
And as a 5ft 7inch mountain of a man (sarcasm FYI) who grew up in the foothills
50 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER
of Nepal, I often struggle to find trousers that can not only fit my small waist but can comfortably house my thunder thighs, and be robust enough to prevent there being too much fraying in the crotch area. For example, my Craghopper trousers have all experienced this issue but the Valen has a gusseted crotch which gives extra strength in that region. Only time will tell if these trousers will stand the test of my thighs.
However, no soul mate is ever so perfect and these trousers do have their flaws, although they are very minor. The pockets on these trousers are quite small. For context, I have the iPhone 13 mini and the trouser can just about contain them. If you are one of those people with big, bulky phones with a billion cameras, then these front pockets might be inadequate or too uncomfortable to contain your phone. I was able to test these trousers in the Bavarian Alps when the sun was out, apologies for this picture, but my thighs were clinging to the trousers
for dear life. In my opinion, I would avoid these trousers during the hotter months of the year. Also, the integrated low-profile belt that comes with the trouser could be a reason not to buy if you have your own bombproof belt that you like to wear with your trousers. And finally, the integrated belt did sometimes undo itself when I used it in conjunction with a hip belt or harness.
Nevertheless, despite these minor issues, you will definitely continue to see me traverse across the Brecon Beacons in my stylish and comfortable Jöttnar trousers.
The author in the Bavarian Alps repping the Valen