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Little Cairn

A small trail journal

Notes from the trail, one walk at a time.

Honest trip reports from the hikes I keep coming back to: how long they really take, how hard they climb, and what is worth stopping for along the way.

Read the latest tripBrowse the trail log
A hiker with a backpack standing on top of a sandstone rock tower in golden evening light
Trails
5
Km walked
63.6
Metres up
3,353

The trail log

Every trail so far

Newest first. Distances and climbs come from my watch, rounded, so treat them as a guide rather than gospel.

A hiker in an orange jacket walking up a snowy valley towards a tall, snow-covered peak

Latest trip

Hooker Valley in winter: three swing bridges and a lake full of ice

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

An easy, almost flat walk up a glacial valley to the foot of Aoraki/Mount Cook. In winter the crowds thin out, the light goes soft and the lake at the end is full of ice.

  • Distance:10 km
  • Elevation gain:110 m
  • Time:3 hours
  • Difficulty:Easy
Read the trip report

Earlier trails

  1. A still lake stretching towards snow-capped mountains under a pink and lilac sky

    No. 04

    Roys Peak in winter: the famous ridge, minus the queue

    Wānaka, New Zealand

    Over 1,200 metres of steady climbing above Lake Wānaka to one of the most photographed views in New Zealand. In winter you trade the summer crowds for frost, snow near the top and an early sunset.

    • Distance:16 km
    • Elevation gain:1,258 m
    • Difficulty:Hard
  2. A dark, grass-topped cliff face disappearing into thick mist

    No. 03

    The Quiraing: Skye's strangest few kilometres

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    A short loop through a landslip of pinnacles, hidden plateaus and sheer cliffs on the Trotternish Ridge. Small in distance, enormous in atmosphere.

    • Distance:6.8 km
    • Elevation gain:345 m
    • Difficulty:Moderate
  3. A rocky path climbing through patches of snow towards a summit hidden in cloud

    No. 02

    Yr Wyddfa the classic way: up the Pyg, down the Miners'

    Eryri (Snowdonia), Wales

    The best-loved loop on the highest mountain in Wales: a rocky staircase up from Pen-y-Pass and a gentle walk home past two glacial lakes, with the last of the spring snow still on top.

    • Distance:11.8 km
    • Elevation gain:730 m
    • Difficulty:Moderate
  4. Jagged granite peaks dusted with snow rising behind a windswept turquoise lake

    No. 01

    Base Torres: wind, boulders and three granite towers

    Torres del Paine, Chile

    The long day hike to the foot of the towers that gave Torres del Paine its name: a windy pass, beech forest, a brutal boulder field and a glacial lake at the end.

    • Distance:19 km
    • Elevation gain:910 m
    • Difficulty:Hard

Why a cairn?

A small pile of stones that says: this way.

Walkers stack cairns to mark the route for whoever comes next. This blog is my version of one: short, practical notes on trails I have walked, so your day out goes a little smoother than mine did.

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