The floods which hit the Lake District last November have had an efffect on a lot of the walking routes in the area.

If you're planning a trip to the Lake District then a good website to visit is www.lakedistrict.gov.uk which gives detailed information of open and closed paths within the surrounding area.

See the link below:
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/index/visiting/planningyourvisit/paths.htm

Peter Eagan recently completed the Everest Marathon wearing his brasher Helium's. He wore these during his extensive training as well as for the event itself.

He sent us the following comments:

" I have now completed the Everest Marathon, having trained almost exclusively in my brasher Helium shoes, I was confident they would perform well, which they did.

I found them to be extremely comfortable with no rubbing on the heels like I have felt in other fell/trail shoes - and no blisters at all.

I found the cushoining to be perfect for the type of terrain we were running on, rugged and rocky tracks requiring good traction on steep descents."

Well done Peter for all your hard work and thanks for letting us know how you got on!

 After all the excesses of Christmas now is the perfect time to get out into the outdoors and work off that christmas pud and all those mince pies which have added an extra inch or so to your waistline.

I

f you have any walks, stories or pics you'd like to send us we'd love to hear from you - and remember for every story we use we'll send you a brasher mapcase and keyring so it's worth the effort!

We look forward to hearing from you!

We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at brasher.
Our office will be closed over the Christmas period from Wednesday 23rd December, however if you need to contact us we will be back on Monday 4th January. 

"Have a great Christmas and we'll see you in 2010!"

The sixteen-strong team at Sunderland based outdoor footwear manufacturer, brasher, set out to make a difference to the environment at Durham Wildlife Trust this week.

As part of the company's environmental policy, the brasher team worked continuously from morning until evening to thin as many trees at the Trust's Rainton Meadows site, helping to conserve the local environment and improve its appearance.

In just one day, the brasher team managed to fell and thin 42 trees, playing a significant part in protecting and enhancing the woodland, as well as helping to protect a variety of animal, plant and tree species.

Andy Loeber, Managing Director, at brasher commented: "At brasher, and at our parent company Pentland, we recognise the importance of giving something back to the environment and it is something that is actively encouraged on a regular basis."
The team put 100% into making a difference to the Rainton Meadows site and had a real sense of satisfaction and achievement once they'd finished."

Durham Wildlife Trust owns or manages 25 nature reserves covering approximately 550 hectares of land, throughout County Durham and the Boroughs of South Tyneside, Gateshead, Darlington and the City of Sunderland.

The Trust's reserves are managed to enhance biodiversity and they comprise a range of habitats including internationally important limestone grasslands, species rich upland hay meadows, semi-natural woodland, open water, reed swamp and fen meadow.

Any companies interested in taking part in future activities can log on to www.durhamwt.co.uk to find out further information.