I have just done a hike, it was 850M up and 850M down.
I ascended in an hour and 23 minutes which I thought was relatively quick. There was a man with two children about 3-5 years old who were literally running up!
I hike frequently and can ascend 1,000 feet in 20 minutes. My legs and knees were sore on this hike!
Looking for a hike that I can do where I’d ideally be able to drive from London, hike, return to my car and drive home the same day.
Are there any good hiking spots close to London where I can do this or is the Peak District the best option for this?
Has anyone done this route recently? Planning to go next week and wondering if there's anything to be aware of (other than having to ford the Geldie burn)
So my company is allowing a 3 month sabbatical. I've always wanted to complete Lejog and am planning to do this in 2026. However, I've read it's recommended to walk March - May to beat midge season by the time you get into Scotland. This years weather has only really just started getting better and I honestly feel I would have had a horrible time if I'd walked during March and April of this year. Obviously UK weather it pretty unpredictable but if I pushed this hike back a month or two, how much would the midges ruin my enjoyment? I guess there's the chance May and June could be just as wet anyway.
I'll be camping and hoping to stay in hotels/b&bs every 4th or 5th day.
Following a lengthy recovery from a knee injury I'm keen to get into hiking properly, but as somebody who lives in London and can't drive I'm running into quite a few logistical problems.
Has anyone got any good recommendations for places that don't specifically need a car to get to? Or good campsites that are a (all good if its long) walk from a train station?
I've got a pedal bike and a few places narrowed down, but I thought I'd ask because there's probably a few good spots I've missed!
I'm relatively fit and healthy and have done a few 1000-1400m mountains as a reference for capability, though I do love an easier day hike too. Thanks!
I just moved to Manchester, and want to go for a good walk in the peak district, idealying 10km+, with a view of the Manchester skyline.
Can anyone recommend a good route? If not can anyone recommend a good website for finding an ideal walking route?
I found a tick on me earlier, can't have been in there more than 3 hours. I know it's really not the right thing to do but I was about to go into a meeting for an hour or so, so just pulled it out with my fingers as I panicked and didn't want to leave it there. It took a couple of tries so I think it had bitten in.
It was pretty tiny and has left a small red spot, but no rash or anything yet.
Should I ring the doctors in the morning or is that overreacting and its just a case of wait and see if a rash/symptoms develop and then ring?
I’m new to hiking and want to break into it properly this summer. I’m looking to walk from closeish to the west coast in a straight line to the east coast (North Yorkshire Dales region). What would be the best type of gear to look at and what should I expect? Let me know if I’m being a bit ambitious. Cheers.
Off to South East Asia for two months and need to wear hiking boots/shoes due to a metatarsal stress fracture. I'm finding it pretty much impossible to find mid non waterproof/GTX boots in the UK. Anyone have any ideas of some models or retailers that may have these available?
Every outdoor shop I've been in does not have a single model, and struggling online too. Often recommended shoes such as Merrell Moab's do not appear to have non-WP versions in the UK, even on their official store.
Feel like the only thing I can find are proper desert boots, but not sure they are really the style.
Looking at get a couple of t-shirts for hiking. What is the best material to look at? Seen some merino wool lightweight with icebreaker but they are expensive £75-£85 for one.
Calling all ladies that hike! I’m finding that my normal cotton pants are not ideal for long hikes. They don’t dry out when it rains, and are not particularly comfortable /generally are quite visible under my hiking leggings. Any brands or fabrics you’d recommend?
Update: Wow, thanks so much for all your suggestions! Great to know I’m not alone! I’ll give a few of these a try and see which works best.
Tried these in store at Go Outdoors. The feel pretty nice but are a bit of an investment and not totally convinced they will be right in warmer weather. I need a replacement boot for Scafell in a couple of weeks and similar terrain this summer.
While I was there I did a few searches and they aren't on Scarpa's website? Is this a bad sign?
Anyone have any experiences?
Hi, I've done quite a bit of hiking and I do suffer from blisters occasionally. Most the time it happens with my winter boots but ocassionally with my other boots too. This summer I have a charity 42k costal walk planned. So I was just wondering if there's any socks anyone could recommend?
Hiya, I’m 27F doing a 20 mile charity walk in the Peak District next month and wondered if anyone had any tips they could share; anything that has proven invaluable to you in the past would be much appreciated!
I’ve been doing lots of training walks and am physically fit. I have proper boots etc so no worries there! Just any pearls of wisdom - snacks, clothing, maybe mentally too? Any hot weather tips would be especially helpful!
Thanks in advance!
Hi there fellow hikers, i am planning to climb up to snowdon and I was wondering if anyone could suggest anything that I need to know in regards to this hike I am about to do. Planning to go on the 14th of June. Apparently all the cheap hostel around the area are fully booked and I can’t seem to find any, is it normal at this period of the year? I’d like some recommendations about: •hostels (also 40minutes -1h away from snowdon) •anything in particular that I need to know about the hike it self (terrain, weather up there, possible snow… I don’t know..anything) •going with a friend who would love to fish in that area, anyone knows any lake or river where it could be legal to throw a couple of rods in? (Of course does not have to be up the mountain, but around the national park I mean..)
Thank you so much in advance..
Hey folks! I'm a bit of a gearhead and I love to optimise my 'loadout' for different scenarios. In my opinion proper kit selection is the key to always being comfortable, no matter how punishing the weather is.
I wear a good GTX shell in the wet winter and Paramo for the shoulder seasons and drier winter weather (sometimes that can get swapped about since Paramo does struggle in an unending downpour).
BUT I struggle to know what to do in warmer spring and summer, on the rainy days. Do I wear a lightweight GTX jacket and suffer the internal humidity? Do I wear my Paramo and vent as best I can to counter the admittedly drier internal 'oven'? Maybe a poncho, and faff about in the windy peaks?
All I know is that right now my current method of getting soaked through and throwing on my Paramo to warm up and kinda dry out... Well... It works for me, but I feel it lacks a certain finesse (and runs the risk of hypothermia when out in the wind), and like I said, I do like to optimise.
Trying to google this sorta thing often just turns up lists of the 'Top 10 Rain Jackets of 2024', so I figured I'd ask for a discussion, and maybe gather some information that'll help some other folks who are also trying to work out their own systems.
I'd love to hear what you folks are doing, and how that fits into your systems.
Thanks!
Last minute trip for work means I'll be having 4 days (Fri-Mon) next week to myself. I'll be staying near Norwich.
Would love to get away (max 5-6 hours driving) to complete a couple nice hikes (preferebly mountains) mixed in with unique history/village life.
I am not British so this is all very new to me! I'm also guessing most trails will be quite busy given the weekend so the more remote the better.
Wales? Peaks? Moors?
Appreciate any help.
Afternoon all,
I took my partner up her first mountains (Corn Du & Pen Y Fan) doing the horseshoe route. I’ve been trying to get her into bigger hikes and this was her longest and hardest to date (9ish miles, tough climb up onto the ridge to approach the two peaks etc, took us just under five hours with breaks).
As the hikes get more adventurous she tends to enjoy them more, which is good, so I’m wondering where we can visit next that will allow us to do one or two good routes for half-day/day hikes?
We’re based in deep dark west Cornwall (Helston, specifically) so everything is far away. Luckily there are lots of really good hikes near us but I’m thinking of which bit of the UK we can next visit?
My initial thoughts are the Lake District as the peaks are all pretty manageable, and of a similar size to Pen Y Fan. My partner likes a scramble so my first thought is doing Helvellyn via Striding Edge, or a route that includes Blencathra. I have done Scafell Pike via what I believe is the standard route but if there’s an alternative route that is recommended that would be cool too
There doesn’t have to be mountains though! I remember doing a route on DofE many years ago that included Blackdown and Cheddar Gorge in Somerset
I know by the end of this, I might seem crazy, but my friend (25F) and I (27F) want to go camping in Scotland this summer, ideally in June or July. No, we have never been camping, ever, anywhere. Yes, I know you can’t learn how to run before you learn how to walk and crawl, but campsites are usually so busy (so I’ve read) and the two of us really want to just get away from everything and experience this one crazy thing (which to many doesn’t sound crazy but it does to us since we’re basic bitches who have never been camping). Wild camping sounds exhilarating.
Anyway, my question is, is it safe? Safe from animal attacks and, not to mention, human attacks? Since it’s just going to be the two of us, I don’t want to get us killed or hurt or traumatized on our first ever camping trip together. We’ve also never been to Scotland. Truly, we’ve never stepped out of London. We’re international students, so you’ll have to excuse us for our lack of movement in the UK.
I’d really like some female hikers/campers to guide me on what to pack, where to go, how long to camp for, what to eat, what to do, what not to do, how to stay safe, etc. I obviously know the basic things to pack: waterproof tent, sleeping bag, cooking equipment (I’m not sure what kind though and if it will even fit in a hiker/camping bag), food (need help with that too. We’re Muslims, so only halal options please), trowel and a portable bidet, first aid kit, mini toiletries, insect repellent, and a flashlight.
However, apart from that, I’m not sure where in Scotland would fit us perfectly, given that we’re first-time campers who also want to get away from humans, but we’re also girls. Speaking of which, should we bring some sort of daggers with us? The last thing I want is someone running towards our tent (I saw a comment in this community). We’d prefer a place that is relatively easy to access but not crowded at all, ideally close to a water source, and with serene, picturesque landscapes like natural pools and scenic vistas.
As you can see, I am in desperate need of help and guidance.
Please do reach out! xx
I’m just getting started out after many years away so making sure I’ve got equipment before i venture out & I’m looking for some good over waterproof trousers just incase our great weather changes as normal & I’ve discovered so many over past 2 weeks getting so confused & don’t want to throw money away on rubbish ones so asking for advice please 😊
Good evening, I’m currently feeling slightly concerned about my health.
I am an avid hiker, I love hiking. I generally hike a route at home - it’s about 5 miles and has a 1,300 feet elevation gain.
I tend to do this in about an hour and a half or an hour and twenty.
I live in London so can only do this periodically when I come home. When I do come home, my hiking pace slows down to an hour and fifty, so I have to bring it back up.
So after returning from London recently, I’m now back hiking. I ran around the hike and did it in an hour and 33 which is fast for me after being away for so long.
The concern I have is that about half way through I suddenly lost all energy, just out of nowhere. On the way back I was zonked, I was walking back to my car and just had no energy.
I could barely move and struggled back to my car. I ate a bit of gum and some dinner when I got home. I’m still feeling a tad drained and zonked with a red face (never happens for me).
Not sure why this would happen? The only thing I can say is that I’m tired from working and got limited sleep due to travelling.
This usually never happens to me.
