Getting Started

People tend to complicate things, all you need to get started on a long and wonderful life in the hills is enthusiasm. Forget about how much money the latest gear costs, navigating at night in the Cairngorms and worrying about the difference between scrambling and climbing, as long as you are keen you'll be alright. Now we have established how keen you are, if you lead a reasonably active life you will have a head start on those that do not. These days we have access to absolute acres of information, if you don't know friends that are keen on the hills you can read books in libraries, get magazines on the subject ranging from short walks to full on Himalayan mountaineering. There are videos, tv shows, local walking shops and clubs, oh yes, and there's the web. I was very fortunate in that my Father enjoyed walking outdoors, albeit mainly locally, but it gave me that initial boost. I learnt navigating in the TA which has since proved vital but don't get overwhelmed by things, take it one experience at a time and you should be ok. For those who want to make up for lost time or want to learn most things in a week, courses run by outdoor organizations such as those at Plas Y Brenin in North Wales are fantastic. They run specialist courses in rock climbing and canoeing, fromweekend tasters to full blown assesment courses for those leading others or who might want to chose a career in the outdoors (lucky gits).

It doesn't have to be all serious-Scafell Pike

Pretty Essential I would have thought, as well as knowing how to use them of course. Return to Home Page Return to Main Menu View The Picture Gallery Click here to email me at daveswalking@aol.com

For those determined to explore the hills and many wild areas of Bitain with inexperienced friends, a gentle learning curve is to be encouraged. Familiarize yourself with map and compass and learn to use them correctly, its surprisingly easy and not that much different to a traditional road atlas, the scale is just that much more accurate. For general hill walking, the landranger series covers all of the country but for greater accuracy the outdoor leisure series, featured left is difficult to beat, it covers those areas of the country most likely to be visited by the walker, national parks, long distance trails that sort of thing. Always tell someone where you are going, many B&B's ask you to fill in a route card of some discription and an expected time back. If you have informed somebody of your likely time of return, make sure you tell them before you go for that well earned drink. Mountain Rescue will not be pleased if they are scaling the heights of Skiddaw looking for you while you are having a pint in the Oddfellow Arms in Keswick. Rucksack Contents Debate will reign long after the pub has shut about what you should put in your Daysack but if you take the following you won't go far wrong: Waterproof Jacket and Trousers Fleece or Pile Jacket Hat and Gloves Gaiters Head torch Water Bottle Whistle Map and Compass First Aid Kit Orange Survival Bag (leave the foil blankets for marathon runners) Some Food Sun Glasses and Cream Camera (for the memories) I usually take spare T-shirt or shorts if I'm wearing Tracksters but then I do sweat a lot. Remember, mountain activities and there associated pursuits are by their very nature sometimes dangerous. Neither the author nor anyone else is responsible for your safety, you are. Be safe on the hills, get experienced and above all Have Fun.