Dartmoor walks - The Belstone Round

One of the classic walks on Dartmoor is the 'Belstone Round' - a looped walk from Belstone into some of the best areas of scenery on the moor.

The Belstone Round is incredibly flexible but is basically a route from Belstone, over the Belstone tors to Oke Tor, on to Steeperton Tor, over to Hound Tor, Little Hound Tor, Cosdon Hill and back to Belktone village. Where, yes, there is a pub which serves indoors and outdoors in Summer months. There's also an amazing cafe next to the chapel.

For a variation, I extended the route to take in the well named Wild Tor. You could easily extend the walk by going from Oke Tor to Hangingstone Hill, then to Wild Tor (and bypass Steeperton Tor). However, that extension has less interest and variation than the one in this blog - in my view!

Distance of walk - approximately 16km

Start Point - SX621938

Suggested Maps - Dartmoor 1:25 OS Map OL28 / Harvey Superwalker XT25 Dartmoor North 

Time Taken - 4 to 5 hours, depending on fitness, speed, route, group and number of stops!

Click for a much larger map

Starting from Belstone village, you're directed to park in the car park just outside of the main village. This is the best place to park and advised. However, there are other places to park in the village if this is busy, some of which are secrets to locals!

For my route I walked up the hill and started the route at SX616936 where the road goes uphill past a South West Water treatment place. Through the gate and onto the open Moorland. As you walk up the hill following the path, Belstone comes into view, as do several other tors like Rowtor and West Mill Tor (both to the SW of you).

Some of the (potential!) all-round views on the walk

As you start to go down hill, on your left at SX612928 comes the Nine Stones Cairn Circle, a small circle of cairns with a radius of around 2m. Many people just walk past this but it's worth a quick look.

From here, I headed up onto the Belstone Tors where there is a semi 'scramble' (I use the word lightly) across the rocks, starting with 'Tors End', across Belstone Tor(s), after which there is a further short slope down to Higher Tor (with a couple of short vertical climbs on). The aim is to stay on as much rock as possible over the tors, although I wouldn't recommend climbing on Higher Tor unless you're experienced and capable. 

Continue along the track towards the sprawling mass of rocks that make up One Tor, passing by a couple of outcrops of rock on the way.

The view back (north) towards Belstone Tor

Finally you reach One Tor itself, which is a good place for a quick brew. Across to the West you can see East Mill Tor. If you'd like a shorter route, this is a time to head along that track, up to East Mill Tor, then north along the track past Hartor Farm, back down along the path to the ford and back up the path to Belstone.

The path back to 

But back to Oke Tor...

On Oke Tor, looking south with Steeperton Tor in the distance

After playing on the rocks on Oke Tor, head south along the very clear path which will pass West of Steeperton Tor and past Taw Marsh (in the large valley on Dartmoor to your East - I once found a car abandoned here but that's another story...) As you reach Steeperton (SX619883), you can take a quick trip under the small un-named tor to the West.

Un-named sheep on un-named tor...

Otherwise it's time to head down the steep-ish slope into Steeperton Gorge. Bear in mind that after heavy rain, it will prove tricky to cross the River Taw if it's in spate. (Alternatively you can continue down the path to the 'Ford' south-west of Steeperton Tor and cross there).

Steeperton Gorge - it is much steeper than the photo shows!

At the bottom you'll need to climb back up the fairly steep gradient up to Steeperton Tor where you'll find an army hut - often useful to protect from the fierce SW winds that can rage. 

Top of Steeperton (Oke Tor left, Belstone in distance)

From Steeperton, you have the option to follow a slightly marked track down to Steeperton Brook (SX622886) and shorten the route by going directly to Hound Tor via a couple of paths (often boggy). 

The route I took, however, continues the walk following the SE path from Steeperton (quite wide as used by army vehicles) to the brook to cross (SX620881). You can then take a bearing up to Wild Tor. Strangely this is one of my favourite tors on the moor, lesser visited. (The other one is on another walk, Shelstone Tor, SX558898)

There is an unmarked path up to Wild Tor. Great views across the moor in 360 from Wild Tor.

Wild Tor (north side)

From Wild Tor, take the path to the south direct to Hound Tor. Then from Hound Tor, take the path north(ish!) towards Little Hound Tor. Just SE of the tor is the Stone Circle which is quite wide and with numerous and varied shaped cairns dotted around in a circle.

This path has some of the best views of Dartmoor as you get 360 views for long distances and can see all the major tors in this part of the Moor. You can see towns and valleys in the distance, sweeping hills, rolling tracts of moorland, wild ponies and just feel alone in the wilds at times.

Sadly I can't find my images of the Stone Circle but it's worth visiting. So here's the view just after that looking south...

Yes Tor far left, the highest proper 'tor' on Dartmoor

The views continue as you head from Little Hound Tor up onto the top of Cosdon. This is quite a peaty and marshy, boggy area with a wide path,. At times it can feel like a bit of a slog but it's again a different terrain and you gradually find your way up to the top of Cosdon Hill. The top is marked by a huge stone 'graveyard' and a couple of shelters to again chill with a cuppa from the SW winds! Believe me, you'll appreciate it.

From here you follow the path down the hill from Steeperton. You can see the wind farm to the NE as you walk in the distance. You'll get some more great views across to Belstone. 

While you can follow the path all the way down, there is also a 'tree' off to the NE as you descend the final part of Cosdon in and around SX640926). I love this tree, surrounded by boulders and it's a favourite stopping point of mine.

From here you want to find your way down to the Cairn (SX635932)

Cairn (or 'Ken' as someone once called it)

From here, follow the path West all the way across to the footbridge over the River Taw (SX621933). The last time I did this walk, the Gorse was flowering and putting on an incredible display. Then it's back up into the village green area via the path. Next stop the pub, the coffee shop or back to your car.

Enjoy.

The gorse in full bloom - looking across to the Green in Belstone village

Review of Alpkit Heiko jacket

After a trail run up Nethermost Pike a couple years back, I decided that (a) carrying a 32L pack wasn't ideal for trail running (obviously!) and (b) carrying a large belay jacket as an extra layer for a stop at the top was also less than ideal. So aside from getting a cheap Karrimor pack for trail running (and general use), what was ideally needed was a lightweight insulated layer.

Running up towards Nethermost Pike (my fellow trail runner ahead of me as usual!)

So what was the answer to my insulated conundrum? Especially on a day which was fairly grim and where a down jacket wouldn't be ideal. The answer was a lightweight insulated layer. 

The Aplkit Heiko has done this brilliantly. For its size and weight it gives a lot of warmth.

The jacket has since been updated from the version I bought (with a few changes including now being 100% recyclable) but its basic concept as a lightweight warm jacket (without a hood) is still the same.

The jacket has 60gsm of Primaloft Silver ECO fill which is about right for a lightweight jacket. I wouldn't want to be relying on this in winter conditions as a 'duvet' jacket obviously, but for a jacket that gives you instant and quick warmth the Heiko is ideal. The pockets are warm, there is a slight 'cuff' rise at the neck, there's a hem adjuster to snug the jacket. My version of the jacket has an outer top pocket - this has been moved inside the jacket for the latest (2020-2021) version. There's a bit of 'chin guard fleece', a zip 'port' at the top of the jacket, some glove-friendly zip pulls too. 

In terms of colour, my version is in a nice navy blue with an orange inner. The jacket (as of December 2021) currently comes with a more 'earthy' blue or green colour - more befitting of looking and being environmentally friendly / blending in. Not currently so good for being seen, unlike mine!

One time leading a walk on Dartmoor, I was with a girl who hadn't come fully prepared. She was getting slightly worryingly cold because her *not very* waterproof had leaked (she hadn't told me this had happened until I'd asked her directly initially). I got her to remove her waterproof and stuff it outside her pack then put on the Heiko which I'd brought as a spare layer. Although we didn't stay out much longer, she was absolutely fine and warmed up in the Heiko despite it raining, until we made it back the couple of miles to the car.

Just another day on Dartmoor!

So where and when has this jacket been used. Well, one use has been as an extra layer in an old church building where my church meets to do tech - that's seriously helped on occasion! But mainly as an extra layer on general walks and cycles when the temperature has been chilly but not cold - think more 5 to 10 degrees C than -5 to 0. But obviously everyone is different and gets warm / cold at different rates. 

As someone with a fairly athletic build, I tend to get warm very quickly and cold very quickly. The Heiko has given me enough warmth every time I've used it. The one time I did use it in very cold temperatures was cycling the 'Granite Way' on Dartmoor with the weather hovering around 2-3C but with a windchill of much lower! The Heiko came in very useful.

On the Granite Way - way colder than it looks!

Overall the Heiko is one of my favourite jackets. In terms of fit, I'm 5'11 (just!) and with an athletic build and a medium is perfect.  I don't wear it that often and don't compress it that much to prolong the warmth of the synthetic fill. But it's very compressible (the latest version fits into its own top pocket) and has been one of the best purchases I've made. Highly recommended. 

Montane Prism Gloves review - mens - large

Have you ever had cold hands out in the mountains? I've had cold hands many times, once climbing Fiacalli Ridge in the winter with just a pair of lightweight 'working' gloves! Now that got cold until a quick change into my only remaining gloves changed things (lesson, always go out with 3-5 pairs of gloves!!)

Montane Prism gloves - image courtesy of montane.co.uk website

My experience of the Prism gloves came in the Cairngorms on a seriously windy day (60-70mph gusts and constant 45mph). We'd started in the Sugar Bowl car park just around the corner from the road up to the Cairngorm Mountain car park, walked via the icy and snowy Chalamain Gap and down into the Lairig Ghru before heading back into the Rothiemurchus Forest. We'd stayed low due to the high winds which just got increasingly intense through the day.

Chalamain Gap

Into the Lairig Ghru - furiously windy to the extent that standing up proved an issue!

The main issue was taking photos that day as it was an incredible weather day and atmosphere. Added to the fact that my friend had lost her phone, I ended up taking a few photos and cold hands followed! I did have a pair of mitts in the bag and had already replaced my wet gloves but neither pair were touchscreen compatible.

My friend suggested her (men's small) Prism gloves which I just about managed to wriggle on! I wore them for about 2 hours.

I kept them on until we got lower in the forest as the wind was blowing incessantly until about 400m. In this time I took several photos with the Prisms and my hands instantly warmed up and stayed warm. The windchill that day was around -11C.

So here are my observations...

These are brilliant gloves if you need some quick warmth on your fingers. Yes, mitts are often warmer but I found these warmed my cold hands very quickly, within a minute or so. It wasn't raining so I can't comment on that but we all know that synthetic insulation like Primaloft does stay pretty warm when wet.

The gloves are very lightweight and pack down very small (Montane show them to be about the size of an apple). In terms of sizing, I found that I could put on a pair of mediums in the shop but went for a large in the end. My hand circumference is somewhere in the region of 22 inches - if that helps!

The outer material is pertex so of course it isn't very strong. I personally wouldn't use them for any kind of scrambling or lots of hand on rock. I wouldn't use them with poles for any length of time either. Something like the Super Prism with the added hypalon on the palm would work better for this (these are also warmer with more Primaloft in) - or gloves with a more resilient outer fabric. These aren't designed for intense use though, so don't think of them like that.

The touchscreen element (like many other gloves) is fine when touching the screen to access the phone and get to your apps but I found I really had to hit the screen a few times to take a picture or even to open apps. This isn't uncommon on touchscreen gloves, however. The 2019AW version has a black plasticy kind of outer fabric on the fingers for the touchscreen. These feel a bit flimsy and like they might 'crack' at any moment - time will tell. You always have Montane's guarantee to back you up however!

Update March 2020... having headed up to the Gorms in March 2020 during the amazing snow and weather I can now say the gloves do not work with touchscreen regularly, so if you are buying gloves for this, then like many other gloves they won’t work consistently!

Coming back from Coire an t-Sneachda

The Prism gloves will be an essential pair of gloves I'll pack and take with me as a backup pair or a general glove when it's cold. While expensive (despite getting them for a reduced price), I'd highly recommend them. If you need a warmer glove in the same ilk then get the Super Prism gloves. They are a bit less lightweight (but still very light and packable). The Super Prism gloves have a stronger palm and 130g of Primaloft and are slightly longer - but they don't have touchscreen compatibility. The regular Prism gloves are touchscreen compatible and have 40g of Primaloft in them.

I took a long time choosing between the Prisms and the SuperPrisms but in the end went for the Prisms for the touchscreen compatibility. I can get a liner glove underneath these and will use a cheap liner glove (with more resilient outer gloves). I don't think you can lose whichever glove you choose. Chris Townsend said in TGO Magazine that he'd used the Rab equivalent of the Prism and it was his now his go-to glove.

The choice is yours...!

Some relief lower down in the Rothiemurchus Forest!

Update October 2020 - in wild and wet conditions in the Lakes in October 2020, I found that with wet hands I struggled to get there gloves on because of the separate liner / outer. As I put on the gloves, I just couldn't wriggle the material on the inside with my finger so it lined up with the outer of the finger. In the end I gave up! So I wouldn't recommend using these with wet hands.

However (!) one thing I found was that by stashing these gloves in my softshell pockets (under a waterproof), these gloves acted as insulation and warmed me up no end! An unexpected bonus.

Aside from these comments, my original review still stands but like all gloves in this style, they are fiddly to put onto wet hands! I can also doubly confirm the touchscreen element is pretty useless!

Review of Karrimor X-Lite 8L Running Pack

This little running pack has been a brilliant add-on to my list of 6 rucksacks...

Sadly as of the time of writing, Karrimor have seemingly stopped making this little beauty. No idea why, although they are doing the 15L version still...

It was on a trail run in 2017 when I decided I needed a smaller lightweight running pack. Trying to run with a strapped down 32L pack became quite comical - almost as comical as my fitness level trying to run up a scree slope and mountain that day...

"I must get a running pack" I kept on repeating, convincing myself that this was obviously the key to my improved running times... Fitness and training may work for some, but for me it's getting a running pack... Or something like that.

Attempting to keep up with a friend up the scree

The pack has a top opening (on the picture below, the zip runs around the black material), a space for a small hydration bladder (inside the pack at the back as usual) and a front zipped pocket. The Karrimor logo is reflective and the small bits of material that hold the yellow bungee also have reflective elements. The hydration bladder can run out of the pack to the back left or right which is useful.

To the rear of the pack there is a mesh bit which won't do much but it really doesn't matter with a running pack. There is a 'waist belt' of sorts which is enough to help keep the thing attached to you when running, as well as a chest strap. Two zip up side pockets are great and the mesh outers just about hold a 500l water bottle but only just.

Inside the pack there's enough for me to stash a drink, some food and an insulated layer.

The outer material is lightweight. It is ripstop but I have slightly damaged my pack on the front as it's not designed to be super-resilient. Still, it's nothing that McNett tape won't fix (I've had that stuff on an old rucksack and gaiters for years without it coming off!)

Recently I've even used it for cycling, stashing a fair bit of kit - repair kit, pump, food, lightweight chain, repair tools, extra layer. Definitely not its intended use but it had more than enough room.

This cost around £8 or so when I bought it in 2017. For running it's perfect. I can't see why it's been discontinued or why anyone would use a 15l pack except doing longer runs or ultras. And then I'd probably buy a more features and well-known pack anyway, just in terms of reliability. For what it is, it is brilliant.

I'm not a gear snob but (as always) the low price does make me think about where it was made and the conditions of the workers (let alone the poor quality conditions of Sports Direct staff and the allegedly questionable business practices of its management). That aside this is a well-featured running pack and for the average amateur runner needing a small pack it's perfect.

Simond Men's Mountaineering Pants Review

Over the last couple of winters I've been using the Simond Mountaineering Pants for general outdoors wear and mountain excursions. Simond kit can be found at Decathlon and has gained a reputation as having some excellent kit at very good prices.

Trudging back crampon-less from Coire an t-Sneachda on a very icy March day!

Having used a pair of Sherpa winter pants that I'd got cheaply on eBay and having been impressed with their resilience, I took a punt on the Simond pants simply so I had two pairs of winter trousers (from experience!) My conclusion is that I've started wearing these Simond ones almost exclusively.

Simond Mountaineering Pants - from decathlon.co.uk website

These are very resilient pants. Decathlon says they have a 275gsm weave but in English that means these are good for climbing, scrambles and pottering around in. The inside of the lower legs are reinforced and nice and tough for protecting from crampon scratches - or at least helping! In practice I wear gaiters anyway so while the gaiters have been torn, the pants have been protected!

The pants are quite fitted in terms of wearing them but without hindering movement. They definitely have some added articulation which I've found perfect for climbs, scrambles and walking over boulder strewn hills and moors.

Murk on Dartmoor in winter

The pants also come with accessories that would make me consider wearing them even on skis - there are some detachable inner gaiters which although I haven't used are very helpful. I think they'd just about fit over ski boots. The pants also come with detachable braces. If you haven't used braces in winter then it can be a useful, if acquired, taste. But simply to have these with the pants and the fact they can be removed just adds to their value.

Update March 2020 - I did wear these for skiing in the Cairngorms and they worked a treat - the outer zip at the bottom helped me get them on over skis and then was able to buckle them up over the ski boots, absolutely brilliant!

Skis at Cairngorms, was holding my bag between my legs so image looks a bit weird!

Can't find any close-up pics of the pants except these - with the Rab gaiters guesting...

The lower leg has a zip and the option to close them on one of two snappers, which gives you a decent fit over boots. In practice I've found these can cause the pants to ride up the boot a bit. Not a deal breaker and this can be slightly remedied by choosing to close the pants on the slightly 'looser' popper giving the pants more space over the boot.

Winter course on Blencathra, image courtesy of Grahm Uney

The tops of the pants also have zips on the outside of the legs for added venting option. Useful especially when hacking up deep snowy wanders or moving fast - I tend to get very hot and then get cold quickly, so venting helps!

In terms of pockets, there's a zipped leg pocket at the front of the right leg. This isn't at all huge but good for stashing some small gloves, food etc. The main pockets at the sides are zipped and again they are not huge, meaning that if you've got a larger phone with tough case on, you may not be able to fit in the pocket. This is one area where the pants need a tweak - larger pockets please. The toggles are fairly long and grab-able in winter snow with a liner glove or larger glove.

I've seen some reviews on Decathon saying these are a slightly strange fit, but I haven't found that to be the case! The pants don't have a belt or belt loops, so if they don't quite fit, use the braces. At the top there is zip fly with a couple of clips for you to get a good fit around your waist. As I say I have found these to move very well with me and not hinder movement at all.

A wintery and gloomy Blencathra

My advice is to try a pair and see if they work for you - if they do, then at £50 they're a ridiculous bargain!

Happy winter days!

Environmental responsibility in and out of the outdoors!

If you drive anywhere, you'll see our countryside is strewn with litter. Far too many people demand many rights but live without responsibility. In a throw-away society with little that is valued, people live in much the same way. The trouble is that with every packet that gets thrown down there's a consequence; every item that is irresponsibly discarded leaves its mark, with the impact being felt in animals, birds, insects and humans. There's a bit in the Bible that says we reap what we sow. And our natural environment is no different.

Hound Tor, Dartmoor with my sister near the top

One day myself and a friend went bouldering at Hound Tor on Dartmoor. But instead we saw some litter and started picking up litter around the north side of the Tor. We filled two bags we found and then some...

It was horrible work without gloves but once we started and saw the need, we couldn't help ourselves. And every time I'm in the mountains or on the Moors, I am finding and picking up litter. I recognise many others do the same.

We can't do everything. But we can can all do something. And our little something can become a big thing if we all do our part.

There's a famous story of a beach full of starfish and one boy throwing starfish backing the sea one at a time. Someone tells them there are too many and what the boy is doing won't make a difference. "It made a difference to that one" the boy replied, as he threw another starfish back into the water...

So what can we do and equally important, how can we be responsible in the outdoors and out of the outdoors? Thankfully in the last few years, some companies are thinking in this way too, especially as consumers demand more ethical and environmental responsibility. Looking back, it's hard to believe that outdoors manufacturers would be doing things that were harmful to the environment in the first place. But this is perhaps thinking with hindsight. What's important is what we do now and next.

Here are some things that manufacturers are doing, along with some ideas of what we can do and encourage others to do... Please note I have no connections with any of the mentioned companies and am not paid for anything I write.

1. Patagonia - https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/environmentalism.html

It is impossible to mention sustainability and the environment without Patagonia being at the top of the list. Not only were Patagonia set up with sustainability and green credentials in mind, they have delivered since day one.

Things such as their 'Worn Wear' idea where clothes are freely repaired or repurposed was a pioneering idea. To this day, Patagonia can be found at places like the Kendal Mountain Festival freely repairing clothing from all brands. Of course they also pioneered using non live-plucked down feathers in their jackets too.

Patagonia are also ones who give out grants, support environmental projects, reducing their impact on the environment and working to make their products have a lower carbon footprint. Their most recent campaign to protect Europe's wild rivers ('Blue Heart Campaign') has raised great awareness of the destructive impact of dams in wild areas.

2. Vaude - https://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Company/Project-Campaigns/

Vaude's range of 'Green Shape Core Collection' is set of products that are sustainably based, such as those from wood cellulose and recycling pre and post consumer made products.

This is a fantastic range of materials and ideas that Vaude should be hugely commended for. Vaude also have a 'second use' ebay shop, another helpful idea (ebay.de so it's in German / Euros).

3. Primaloft Bio - http://primaloft.com/primaloftbio

Primaloft Bio is 100% biodegradeable and sustainable according to Primaloft. These fibres, available in 2020 only biodegrade once they meet with landfill materials, so don't fade or fail before time, with the fibres returning to natural materials 100%.

This process takes just one year, unlike for example polyester which remains almost intact after the same amount of time.

Again, this is brilliant piece of news for the environment and outdoors industry. Brilliant to see Primaloft not only investing in this but making the news public (often innovations are kept secret for years due to marketing forces). Of course Primaloft already to their Eco range of fills which have apparently saved 85 million plastic bottles from landfill.

Other Ideas

Descending Swirral Edge

Of course many other companies also have sustainable and environmental policies and activities. Companies such as Nikwax, Graingers and jacket manufacturers moving away from harmful PTFEs in their products are excellent ways ahead, as are manufacturers working to reduce carbon footprints and make more sustainable clothing - Alpkit, Fjallraven, Haglofs etc.

Startup products that are using wholly or mostly sustainable materials are also to be commended.

What we as consumers need to think about is what happens to our item of clothing etc once it has finished its usefulness. Here are some ideas...

1. Can a used or unused item be donated to the incredible Gift Your Gear to support young people and other groups - http://giftyourgear.com

2. If not Gift Your Gear, then can you donate to the Salvation Army, a clothing bank in your area or similar? How about giving away unused items anyway.

3. Can you buy from and support companies with ethical and environmental policies to avoid creating the problems in the first place?

4. When you're out in the hills, pick up litter and support groups who work to fight against the kinds of selfishness we see in the Trossachs for example around Loch Lomond where mindless people simply abandon tents and items they don't want. Places like Glastonbury now give away used abandoned tents, but the issue should not be there in the first place.

Educating people about the outdoors should be a priority from outdoors companies. Are there any companies that would like to take up that baton? As a schools worker, I'd be more than happy to help!

5. One of my friends used to work for Cotswold at a leading store. She purposely encouraged the manager to take recycling more seriously. Before her interventions, the store was not always recycling packaging properly due to focusing on sales, so she suggested doing so. By the time she left for another job, the store was recycling more effectively. I hope it continues to do so.

I'd also like to encourage every single outdoors retail store to make recycling, reducing carbon footprint etc much more seriously. Showing you act sustainably, ethically and have integrity will always positively affect business. Not doing so will negatively impact business.

Final question is to every one of us reading this - how are we going to act to make a positive difference? Not acting is no longer an option, especially if you say you care about the outdoors.

Montane Halogen 33 Rucksack Review / First Look

Having used the Montane Medusa 32 for some years now (since its release) and it having seen some battering, I was intrigued to see what the new model was like - the Halogen 33.

So what is the Halogen 33 rucksack like and how does it compare? This isn't an 'out in the field' review but some initial thoughts and pictures to show some of the differences.

In this picture review, the Halogen 33 is the red rucksack and the Medusa 32 is the 'greeny-orange' pack, for want of a better colour description..!

Quit Your Waffle - Cut To The Chase

The Halogen 33 is an upgrade in a number of ways, not all of them obvious. There's a *better ventilation system, a slightly bigger size, tall side pockets, an adjusted hip belt, what appears to be a slightly contoured shoulder strap. The gear loop on one of the hip fins has been replaced by a pocket. The shoulder straps and hip belt has had the old 'contact mesh' replaced by a different lighter 'contact air mesh plus'. The pack is slightly lighter than the Medusa 32 by about 80g.

Overall, I would say that the old Medusa 32 had a nod towards climbing (even in winter) with a gear loop on the one hip fin, whereas the Halogen 33 appears in my view to be aimed more towards walkers. The pack is still incredibly sturdy. As with everything I'd say try it on with weight and see if it's the pack for you.

Size

First things first - the Halogen 33 is a bit wider - and the Medusa 32 is a bit 'taller'. It's hard to see in the picture as obviously the Medusa 32 (left) has been heavily used and is compressed in the picture.

Montane Medusa 32 (left) and Montane Halogen 33 (right)

The Front Of The Halogen

The Halogen has bungee cord on the front as standard (Medusa has cord inside the inner lid as an option). The Halogen also has an upgraded tool lock at the bottom for an ice axe. The Medusa has had this tool lock system developed over time. Finally, the hip fins both have zipped and are slightly contoured ('fish' shaped), unlike the Medusa fins have are more of a 'straight' fit

Front of Halogen 33

Front of Medusa 32

The Straps

As you'll see the Medusa 32 didn't have mesh styled straps whereas the Halogen 33 does. It's also more flexible than the slightly more rigid Medusa straps.

Mesh on the Halogen shoulder strap (right)

The shoulder straps on the Halogen appear to have a slightly contoured angle around the top of the 'shoulder' which does help with the comfort of the pack.

Slight contouring of the shoulder strap

The mesh on the hip belt is shown below. Again it's nice and squishy to touch and won't be abrasive to clothing.

Front of the Pack

The bungee cord stretches across the front of the pack as 'standard'. The Medusa has some spare cord in the inside lid of the pack if you want to rig up some bungee at the front - useful for stashing clothing or even crampons at a push...

Bungee Cord

And here's the tool loop. Stash the ice axe down the front of the pack as with the Medusa, put the adze through the lower loop (pictured left in pic), through the 'alpine safe sleeve' and then twist the lock (the metal bit to the right in the picture) into the the hole in the adze to secure it. More info on Montane's website. The tool system is much neater than my original Medusa system which flaps around.

Tool Attachment Points

The hip fin on the Halogen doesn't have a gear loop as the Medusa had. Instead there's another hip fin pocket instead.

The ZephryFX Back System

Replacing the Medusa back system is the Halogen's ZephyrFX contact mesh back system. In essence there's a lightweight moulded back pad with mesh on the top. To wear this is pretty comfortable it has to be said and rests against the back more securely than the Medusa's ridged back. The area in contact with the back is also wider on the Halogen, again adding to comfort.

Halogen contact meshed back

Montane Medusa back system

Close up on the mesh with the moulded back pad behind

Close up on the mesh

The mesh itself seems fairly resilient but I'd be slightly concerned about the possibility of it breaking or snagging. However, the mesh is very flexible so that works in its favour.

The back lengths are the same on both packs (S/M) and (M/L). Pictured are M/L packs.

Side Pockets

The Halogen has a great side pocket feature - the baguette pocket - a side pocket that stretches further up the pack than is normal and much higher than the Medusa. It means poles can be stashed in there more securely, plus things like a flask. There is a gap half way down the baguette pocket so you can get something in the lower side pocket. The opening at the top of the baguette is slightly stretchy but isn't very wide so you won't get a Nalgene bottle in there!

The arrows show the size of the side pockets (Medusa below)

Side pockets on the Halogen (top) and the Medusa (underneath)

Lids

The lid has a slightly upgraded draw closure system ('Cord Lord Lite') and the inside of the pack has an amended 'Cord

Inside the Halogen 33

Halogen 33 (top) closure compared to original Medusa

Other Features

Front Haul Loop next to the lid

Click and Go chest strap release

Conclusion

When I got a Lowe Alpine pack years back (before they were bought out), the back system on the pack wrecked 2 baselayers and damaged a softshell. So when Montane released the Medusa 32 with a back system that didn't abrade clothing, I got the pack without question! Since then it's served me incredibly well.

The Halogen 33 is a worthy upgrade and the baguette pocket is especially helpful. The pack actually sits against the back more comfortably than the Medusa. I'd be interested to know how the Halogen functions in the snow compared to the Medusa which has shed snow relatively well.

I am also slightly uncertain about the new ZephyrFX back system in terms of durability and not snagging when a pack gets thrown down etc. But I'm sure it will breathe more effectively than the Medusa as the gaps in the back moulding are deeper and the mesh will allow set out and away.

Finally the Medusa does have more of a nod to climbing so if that appeals then you may need to look elsewhere (Lower Alpine, PodSacs, ME etc) for their climbing specific packs.

Otherwise the Halogen is a worthy upgrade.