OL-Q&A: Will Renwick on bagging peaks, breaks and big book deals

If you’re UK based and have even a passing interest in the outdoors then it’s likely you already know outdoor journalist and pro gear tester Will Renwick is. If not, then just google his name and you’ll plenty of evidence of him putting lots of gear through it’s paces as well as sharing his considerable insight and intelligence in some beautiful/horrendously rainy mountain setting. Given that his new book ‘Peak Bagging Wales’ has just on pre-order (and the fact a cricket injury has rendered him fairly immobile) we decided to ask him all about reaching this exciting new literary peak.

So mate, you’ve written a book, how did that happen?

I actually pitched a couple of totally separate guidebooks to the publisher, Vertebrate, and they came back to me saying, “These don’t quite fit what we’re looking for at the moment but, from what you’ve told us, you’d be the ideal person to write the next book in our Peak Bagging series’.

I still really want to write that book about Welsh pub walks though. Hit me up if you’re a publisher and it floats your boat!

It’s an impressive guide book that offers 49 detailed routes that covers all 188 Welsh Nuttalls. How long did it take to research and how difficult was it to decide on the routes?

I’ve always been almost stubbornly devoted to hiking exclusively in Wales. I just get a big kick from exploring and learning more about my home country. So the research, you could say, goes back over 17 years, all triggered by this spur of the moment hike of the Offa’s Dyke Path when I was 19. Since then, I’ve walked just about every long distance trail within the country – all kind of culminating in a solo and self-supported link up of all of the Welsh Nuttalls over 23 days back in 2021.

After I landed the book deal, I had about a period of a year where I’d be planning routes during weekday evenings and then shooting off to farflung corners of Wales on the weekend to check them over. There were some occasions where I’d need to drive for hours and hike for a whole day just to get to, and check, one little thing I was unsure about – or get a shot that I felt was needed. I’m making it sound like a chore, but I bloody loved it. 

What can you tell us about Anne and John Nuttall who these Welsh peaks are named after?

They’re a husband and wife who set what’s now generally accepted as the UK definition of a mountain, so anything over 2000ft and with 49 feet of prominence above surrounding land. Since they drew up their initial list back in 1990, they’ve been meticulously maintaining it and making sure it’s up to date. You’d be surprised how often it changes with developments in cartography. 

Having done a fair few ‘Ethels’ in the Peak District I know that the bagging game can involve some weird/trespassing scenarios, are there any similar issues with reaching some Nuttalls?

Actually, no not really. Most of the Welsh Nuttalls are in national parks and the ones that aren’t don’t have any restrictions to walkers. I guess there’s one exception though and that’s around a mountain called Manod Mawr. It falls within an exclusion zone within Eryri National Park – basically this big hole encompassing the town of Blaenau Ffestinog and all of the slate quarrying industry that goes on around it. Fortunately, the quarry company tolerates hikers so you can still access the tops. Funnily enough though, a couple of years ago, a cartographer proposed that one of the slate tips had got so high that it could meet Nuttall status. I don’t think that’s been officially confirmed yet and hopefully things stay that way as that will definitely be out of bounds to peak baggers. 

Some of the Nuttalls are located in the Brecon Beacons, a place I always associate with the Special Forces and selection. Did you happen upon any double-hard looking blokes with taches whilst researching the book in this area?

During my non-stop Nuttalls round I remember one morning descending from the summit of Craig Cerrig-gleisiad after camping on top in absolutely dreadful weather. By that point I was in a pretty bad state; I’d started the trip too hard and too fast, and had picked up nasty ankle injuries along with some brutal blisters.

As I made my way down through the thick mist at about 6am, a group of squaddies suddenly emerged out of nowhere, fully kitted out head to toe in insulated and waterproof gear, while I was wearing shorts and a rain jacket that had long since soaked through. I remember looking at them and thinking they were probably far more surprised to see me than I was to see them.

If you had to pick a favourite route from the book, which one would it be and why?

Difficult question! I’d say it changes and also depends on the time of year but if I had to pick I’d say it’s one that starts and finishes at a brilliant community-owned pub in Abergynolwen. The route takes in the Tarrens; two fairly modest Nuttalls on the southern boundary of Eryri. Cadair Idris, which they’re literally in the shadow of, draws all the crowds here while these two tops see very little footfall, but they’re definitely worth a visit. Along with the quietness, it’s also the views over the Mawddach estuary that makes this place special – and the quirky sights along the way, including a beautiful stone and fern-covered packhorse bridge and all the ruined, forest-shrowded buildings left over from the slate industry here. The Railway Inn then makes for the perfect cosy place to end up, especially in winter when the stoves are lit. 

What type of food and drink would you recommend taking on one of your routes? Are there any local Welsh specialities that we need to know about?

Welsh cakes come on all of my walks – they’re the perfect fuel. Keep them well sealed if you’re camping overnight though. I know from a traumatic personal experience that slugs also enjoy them!

I often like to bring a drop of whisky if I’m camping out and while I don’t mind Wales’s most well known one, which is Penderyn, it’s Aber Falls that I definitely prefer and highly recommend. Their distillery is wedged between the mountains and coast in North Wales and they age their single malts in sherry casks. 

If we were to name a ‘Renwick’ peak in your honour, where would it be and why?

Well funnily enough, there’s a Renwick Fell in the North Pennines. Weather worn, unremarkable and fairly modest in height – it’s a good match!

As a bonafide outdoor expert, from top to toe (including accessories) what is the ideal kit you’d choose for a day’s peak bagging?

One of the best items I’ve ever owned is a Patagonia Synchilla Duckbill Winter cap. Wet and cold weather is genuinely far easier to tolerate when I’m wearing it. I’d be distraught if I lost it!

Most of my guidebook research was done in a Paramo Velez Smock and Paramo Cascada Trousers. On long days out in cold and wet, typically Welsh weather, I think their wet weather system is just totally ideal. 

For insulation, it’d be any PrimaLoft puffer jacket or Polartec fleece. I generally prefer synthetic insulation for the UK’s conditions. I’ve been wearing a Rab Quantra Pro Mid Layer recently that has excellent versatility. 

Boots: I’m pretty sceptical of a lot of modern hiking boots. I think there are a lot of brands pedalling cheaply made products that you won’t get two weeks out of. The Italian brands tend to be the most trustworthy – from my experience, the likes of Asolo, Aku and Scarpa make good stuff. Altberg are top notch too. They’re from Yorkshire but they make a lot of their shoes in Italy and under genuine craftsmanship. 

One accessory I haven’t actually got myself yet but really need is a good waterproof phone case. I’ve recently found that the latest smartphones use touchscreens that are rendered almost totally unusable when the slightest bit of moisture gets onto them. Most of us navigate with phones these days and it can lead to genuine predicaments. 

As someone who spends a considerable amount of time running up and down mountains, you recently came a cropper playing the gentile sport of Cricket. What happened and are you OK?

All those miles in the mountains and my first bone break comes chasing after a cricket ball. I’m just glad I’d managed to finish the book before it happened! 

It was a dislocation and three fractures. I had a painful couple of days after the surgery but it’s feeling so much better at the moment.

While it’s ironic that it happened in the way it did, I’m actually so glad that it was in a scenario where I had so many people around me to help. It’s hard to comprehend what I’d do if something similar had happened while alone in the mountains, but it also reinforces how important it is to have things like an emergency blanket and an SOS device – or at least emergency calling activated on your phone. And to leave an outline of your route with someone at home.

Injuries permitting, you’re not one for sitting around and taking it easy. What is the next big challenge that awaits you?

I’d been weighing up my next challenge before the injury happened and I liked the idea of hiking a brand new Welsh trail called the Teifi Valley Trail. It follows the beautiful Teifi river from its source in the Cambrian Mountains down to the coast just beyond Cardigan. As soon as I’m fully recovered, I’m definitely doing it. It’s not a super difficult challenge compared to what I’ve done, but the bar has been totally reset now!

You can pre-order a copy of Will’s book ‘Peak Bagging Wales’ HERE and keep up to date on his activities on his insta account HERE.