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Unknown Trail Magazine

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Unknown Trail Magazine
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Average Rating: 3 out of 5
No. of Reviews: 11
RRP: £3.50
Year: 2004

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Description: Monthly outdoors magazine published by Emap and ironically based in Peterborough.

REVIEWS

1 to 10 of 11 reviews, to post a review you need to be a member - Join now.Page: 1 2

Andy Ross

Posted: 05/02/04

'Appalling lack of research'

Strengths:
Nice graphics and layout

Weaknesses:
In 3 of the last 5 issues this magazine has published innacurate and potentially dangerous information\advice relating to Ben Nevis. The latest (Feb 2004 issue) gives an incorrect bearing for navigating off the summit of Ben Nevis. If followed, the bearing would take you over the NE face into gardyloo gully !!!

Overall:
I've stopped buying this as I don't trust the descriptions given to accurate and safe to rely on

Performance		40%
Reliability		20%
Value		40%

Overall Rating

33%

Justin Murphy

Posted: 06/02/04

'GETTING WORSE BY THE ISSUE'

Strengths:
Nice fotos/layouts / some interesting features / promoting via ferrate in the UK / Updated route grading system.

Weaknesses:
Routes are not always accurate / Ridiculous mistakes made recently /
Irresponsible editing.

Overall:
Used to be excellent but getting progressively more daft by the issue.
- some very silly routes. Tried to follow a backpack route in the Rhinogs last year and frankly it was poorly planned (thought these guys were outdoors people !)
- route grading system updated recently and it needed to be. One walk in the past was something like Beddgleret - Yr Aran - Moel Siabod - Beddgleret and graded as moderate. Pathetic.
- High turnover of personnel --> must be internal problems.
- They keep changing the articles, layout and content.
- weak editorial.

Performance		40%
Reliability		40%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

47%

Nath .

Posted: 06/02/04

'TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, YOUR NOT FORCED TO BUY IT!!'

Strengths:
Any routes or articles by: Paul Milligan, G Thompson, Ben Winston,Jeremy Ashcroft and most of the photo's are fantastic

Weaknesses:
Any articles by "i should work for FHM Piers pickard" and the new(ish) editor Guy Proctor.

Overall:
The magazine has done some cracking articles in the past and occasionally still do,However its looking more and more like a Cotswold Catalogue every month. The mistakes lately have let the mag down but if you know anything about U.K Mtns you'll know what articles to ignore and what articles are S**T.If you dont like it- dont buy it.

Performance		60%
Reliability		40%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

53%

Paul McCarthy

Posted: 08/02/04

'READABLE MAG WITH GOOD GEAR REVEIWS'

Strengths:
Photos, gear reviews, Trail Academy features.

Weaknesses:
Occasional silly mistakes.

Overall:
I find it to be an enjoyable read with some useful snippets of information. Yes there have been mistakes but what we have here is something akin to the Hutton Report on a website that promotes a rival publication!!! We all know about the importance of checking routes ourselves and not following directions blindly and they did their best to rectify the situation. I followed one of their routes to do Cnicht and had a very enjoyable day, managing to stay dry because I knew where the bogs were due to the accurate route given by the mag

Performance		60%
Reliability		60%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

67%

John Clarke

Posted: 07/03/04

'A ONE-TIME FAVOURITE, HAVING A 'DODGY' PERIOD'

Strengths:
Great pics. Informative reviews that actually tell you something and interesting talking points. Good selection of trail routes.

Weaknesses:
Well documented mistakes of late. One or two of the routes I've followed have left me cursing a certain magazine.

Overall:
A loyal buyer for many years, I'll continue to support it, not least for the excellent reviews.

But, I reserve the right to change my mind!

Performance		80%
Reliability		60%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

73%

phil henning

Posted: 08/03/04

'ITS A TRAVEL BROCHURE'

Strengths:
great photos, nice layout and its quite imaginative about where it goes to produce articles.

the reviews are good, providing a long term look at the live of a item of equipment

Weaknesses:
some well documented slipups recently, and it can be a little gear oriented.

Overall:
good, it provided interesting ideas about new challenges with the information required to access them - whether it be a new skill or a new country.

you wouldn't neccesarly trust the "5 minites from the beach" in a lunn poly brochure so why stick religously to the precise directions given in here - haven't you people got maps?

Performance		80%
Reliability		60%
Value		60%

Overall Rating

67%

Stew Johnstone

Posted: 08/03/04

'GREAT MAG'

Strengths:
Good gear reveiws, tried and tested, decent layout.

Weaknesses:
Seems to be a bit of a catalogue sometimes for certain retailers, then again its a small market out there and if someone was to offer me money to produce a magazine I would probably take it too.

Overall:
I have learnt a lot from trail over the years (nothing can substitute for being out there of course) and they have made some appalling blunders recently, but all in all a good mag with its heart in the right place.

Performance		80%
Reliability		60%
Value		80%

Overall Rating

73%

Stuart Thomas

Posted: 25/08/04

'NOT QUITE WHAT IT USED TO BE'

Strengths:
Emma Kendall, Gear reviews. Unpretentious ie I know what its on about Fee gifts for subscription

Weaknesses:
Thinks you need a hill to go walking. There are coast paths and Valleys

Overall:
It has gone downhill but a couple of new writers are in which might improve it. But as long as the gifts are great I'll keep subscribing

Performance		60%
Reliability		80%
Value		100%

Overall Rating

80%

Colin Cadden

Posted: 05/09/04

'SEEN IT ALL BEFORE?'

Strengths:
Has provided a wealth of routes, skills, gear reviews. Easily the "best" of the current crop of mags.

Weaknesses:
Too focussed on the Lake District. How many routes can one small area contain? How many different ways are there up(and down) the same hills. Articles on "the best place to live in the UK" etc always end up in Kendal!

Err look- what's that big bit of hilly country north of Carlisle?

Overall:
I've been a buyer/subscriber since day 1 (July/August 1990) but the content seems to have dropped in quality recently. Introducing the new climbing section has helped to broaden it's appeal to old hands but they really do need to drop the Lakes (and Snowdonia?) for a while!

Performance		60%
Reliability		80%
Value		40%

Overall Rating

60%

Alec Newman

Posted: 13/09/04

'WHICH BOOT? MAGAZINE'

Strengths:
It reviews boots all the time.

Weaknesses:
It reviews boots all the time.

Getting your free subscription gift out of them is like trying to get a mate with virtigo accross Striding Edge.

Overall:
It reviews boots all the time.

Performance		40%
Reliability		40%
Value		40%

Overall Rating

40%

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