“Never trust your Dad if he says it’s a shortcut”

As part of your voting this year, we asked you to give us your best piece of walking advice, and what a collection of wizened words, sayings and proverbs we got.

From the sensible (“Always take a map and know how to use it”), to the inspiring (“Go alone and trade companionship for freedom”), to the well-worn (“Take only photos, leave only footprints”). Some were instructive (“The shortest distance between two points is usually the least interesting”), sagely (“If you want to go faster, go alone; if you want to go further, go together”), or important to remember (“Reaching the top is not compulsory, coming down is”). Others were encouraging (“Keep walking – age is no barrier!”), broad-minded (“Go for the experience, not the challenge”), or essential (“Make sure the pub is open”).

But the advice that seemed to raise the most smiles of recognition among staff here at the Ramblers was the irrefutable: “Never trust your Dad if he says it’s a shortcut”.

Text by Dominic Bates / Photo by Wikipedia Commons user ‘Ultramandk’

The story of the UK-owned company is a true against-the-odds tale of one man’s vision to revolutionise the outdoor clothing market. Disillusioned with the performance of most hiking gear, Páramo’s founder Nick Brown (he of Nikwax fame) came up with his unique Directional Clothing Systems in the 1980s.

His big idea was a fabric that mimics animal fur or feathers – pumping away water quicker than it can be pushed in. It eliminates the need for conventional layering, and because there are no membranes or laminates to break down or taped seams to peel away, each garment has a long lifespan and can be revitalized in your washing machine using Nikwax products.

But Nick was turned away by every established manufacturer and so went it alone, finally beginning production in 1992. Their temperature control shirts and classic Scala waterproof jacket were launched to immediate acclaim, and the Páramo brand has grown ever since, together with a loyal fan base that includes devotees within Mountain Rescue and the British Army.

Behind it all, though, is another, more hidden success story for ethical manufacturing. From the outset, Páramo’s clothes have been made at a factory in Bogotá, Colombia, which works with the Miquelina Foundation to employ over 250 women taken out of poverty or prostitution, and offering them help with literacy and childcare. So congratulations, Páramo! A deserving winner helping a deserving cause.

Gold: Nikwax
Silver: Leki Walking Poles
Bronze: Superfeet

Out of the hundreds of nominees for Best Other Walking Product, Nikwax rose to the top to take gold. Nick Brown started making waterproofing wax in his north London flat in 1977 using a tea urn and a primus stove (hence the name: Nick’s wax). The company now produces over 30 different products for maintaining and waterproofing all kinds of outdoors gear – all of them water-based and solvent-free. The original Waterproofing Wax for Leather (£3.99 /100ml) is still the best of its kind: reviving leather boots without losing breathability or softening.

Gold: Garmin
Silver: Satmap
Bronze: Suunto

Garmin was voted your best new walking gadget. The US firm is a world leader in satellite navigation for all kinds of markets, and their Oregon 450 GPS (£349.99) is the latest and best of their range for hikers, marrying a durable waterproof handset with the sleek styling and colour touchscreen of an iPhone that allows you to access information quickly and easily. Minnie Burlton

Gold: Cicerone
Silver: France Lincoln Publishers for Wainwright’s Walks
Bronze: Ordnance Survey

I’m delighted to see Cicerone scooping best guidebook. Their excellent range of 250+ pocket-sized guides to trekking all over the world is written by leading experts in their field, and their passion for the outdoors shines through. They’re a permanent fixture on my bookshelf and in my rucksack. Minnie Burlton

Gold: Páramo
Silver: Berghaus
Bronze: The North Face

It’s interesting to note the absence of any of Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Marmot, Mammut and Lowe Alpine from your top three waterproof jackets. Instead it’s Páramo, with its unique waterproof system, which takes the title. Their jackets have also been the perennial first choice of twitchers, since their soft, rustle-free fabric is ideal for stakeouts. They mimic the way animal fur repels water, actively moving moisture within the garment rather than being an impermeable barrier, so are exceptionally breathable. Minnie Burlton

walk: You’ve worked on a huge number of fantastic outdoor programs, and received many awards. What is it for you that makes you so drawn to the great outdoors?
Simon King: How can anybody not be interested in what’s beyond the door? I have to plagiarize Sir David Attenborough here.  He was asked ‘how do you keep your passion’ and his response was: ‘well how do you lose yours?’ The world just gets bigger and bigger, everywhere I travel and everywhere I see, I realize I’m going to run out of time, so I know I’ve got to cram it all in!

walk: Our best piece of walking advice received by a reader was “Never trust your Dad if he says it’s a shortcut.” Do you have any similar words of wisdom for walkers?
Simon King: (Laughs) Get the right socks, because my goodness it hurts if you don’t! Actually, my favorite bit of camping advice came from a friend when we where working in the Falkland Islands in a particularly stormy rough period, sitting in a very efficient dome tent sharing our tips. He was sitting glumly in the corner and when I asked what his best tip was, he replied: ‘Stay in a nice hotel!”

walk: Our readers are amongst some of the most passionate walkers in the country. What great piece of advice would you give to them?
Simon King: Tread softly, and look up! I enjoy walking for the physical exercise and love the fact that it’s something you can take with you or do everywhere.  People too often walk with their head down, so determined to finish the route rather than enjoy the landscape. Stop, look around, smell the roses, then you can always run up the hill to burn the calories! Make the most of it, rather than make it a time trial – take in what’s around you!

Read our the full interview with Simon from the Spring 2010 issue of walk or click here to read more about the reader awards, which Simon hosted.