Go Hiking
Why Hiking?
There cant be many people around in the Western World who havent heard about the bonuses of regular exercise and the physical and mental health benefits it brings. Read any Sunday paper or watch any day time show and there will be something there.
Look and listen a bit more closely and there will undoubtedly be a mention of walking. Walking was called the nearest activity to perfect exercise (Professor Morris and Dr Hardman 1997) so, by rights, it should feature in any exercise programme. We all now know that no matter how many Mediterranean or GI diets you do it comes down to a few simple calculations. If you put more in than you take out you start to grow - sideways…
There are also undisputed mental health benefits - we have all had grim days at work followed by endless traffic jams to get home. This is normally followed by beer, fags and greasy food (comfort stuff) - its a cycle that is easily adopted. But try walking that last mile home and see how you feel - walking has been proven to lower blood pressure and enhance mental well being (Davison and Grant 1993, US Dept of Health 1996, British Heart Foundation 2000).
So why dont more of us do it? To be honest I dont know - Im no paragon of virtue, but I realise that I feel better after Ive stretched my legs - simple, no matter what the weather is like, I feel better. Most of us have a lot of time demands put upon ourselves so we try and cram in our exercise because we feel we have to, an hour here, 30 minutes there, its no wonder that when we finish we feel worse than when we started. We have to make time for exercise and walking fits very nicely into a busy lifestyle; simple ideas like getting off the bus a stop earlier, walking to drop the kids off, wearing a pedometer and doing 10,000 steps a day - all these things are easy to plan and a great way to exercise.
Of course, when you have started to walk you may want to think a bit more about where you want to go. Most of the big cities in the U.K. have some very fine and beautiful parks that are great for strolling around and not bad for views. Walking is also great for meeting other people; there are plenty of organisations that run healthy walking programmes and these are great for socialising with other people and making new friends.
The U.K. has some of the most inspiring countryside in the World, and most of it is very accessible from the major cities. Organisations like the Ramblers (www.ramblers.org.uk) offer guided walks through many of these places at weekends and during holidays. Theres also a network of paths and trails that criss-cross the counties to head for.
As your confidence grows you may want to tackle longer and more strenuous routes. From multi-day, long distance footpaths through to classic cross country routes like the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William. These kinds of walks shouldnt be tackled lightly. You will need plenty of fitness, preparation and the right equipment!
The great thing is that these walks are well managed and have a great infrastructure of accommodation along the way. Often booking couldnt be any easier as there are many companies who now offer this service for you!
You may decide to help others benefit from your experience - many charity organisations offer a portfolio of walks for participants to raise money for valuable causes. Age Concern England are raising money for their beneficiaries by walking the Cotswold Way, a classic 102 mile route running from Bath to Chipping Campden (contact events@ace.org.uk for more information).
Sooner or later you may start to cast your eyes towards the hills and mountains of the U.K. These areas offer the greatest challenges to the walker. An ascent of one of the U.Ks mountains can be a real challenge of fitness and skills. The ability to navigate well with a map and compass is essential and make sure that you are well equipped - those thin fleeces and lightweight waterproofs may be fine on the local park for an hour or two but a full day above 3000 feet requires good equipment.
Walking & Hiking Times in the UK
Is Snowdon in summer too easy for you? The next challenge is winter walking and for this you really do need to be prepared. For the real winter experience you should head North of the border to the mountains of Scotland. During the winter months, winds can reach over 100mph and temperatures below -10ºC are common. Combine this with white out conditions and the possibility of avalanches (yes… we do have them in the U.K!!) and you get some pretty hostile conditions. But dont write this off as lunacy, without a doubt winter walking offers some of the most rewarding days out that you will ever have.
Be sure to be prepared and learn how to use axes and crampons and find out how to assess for avalanche danger. There is loads of great literature about and also many good courses where you can learn those essential winter skills.
Finally, we can step on a plane or ferry and begin to travel further afield for our walking experiences. There are limitless options for the traveller, with many travel companies only happy to supply you with an itinerary. From simple day hikes in the Picos De Europa to the greatest mountaineering challenges in the Himalaya. Dont be fooled into thinking that you need a guide though. There are vast amounts of excellent travel literature, guide books and maps to accompany you on your path.
So, if you are inspired, get out there! There are some great days ahead of you and more than enough challenges on this planet to fill your lifetime.
UK Walking Group
Ian Loombe is a qualified instructor who runs Adventure Unlimited. Adventure Unlimited run walking, scrambling, Winter Mountaineering, and climbing courses in the UK and abroad. They also provide staff training for Snow and Rock staff!!
See www.adventureunlimited.org.uk or call 01142761234