HILLWALKING

Hillwalking or fellwalking is the recreational practice of walking or climbing in hilly or mountainous terrain, generally with the intention of visiting the tops of hills and mountains.

The term hillwalking is used in the United Kingdom for activities which might be called hiking or mountaineering elsewhere, with the term hills being understood to include mountains. Fellwalking is particularly used to refer to hill or mountain walks in the Lake District. Britain offers a wide variety of ascents, from gentle rolling lowland hills to some very exposed routes in the mountains. The term climbing is used for the activity of tackling the more technically difficult ways of getting up hills involving rock climbing while "hillwalking" refers to the easier routes, but some summits require climbing skills, and many hillwalkers become proficient in scrambling. The term "mountaineering" tends to be reserved for expeditions abroad to ranges such as the Alps, but can be used for hill walking in winter with additional equipment such as ice axe and crampons, or for routes requiring rock climbing skills such as the traverse of the Cuillin ridge.

In the United Kingdom, popular locations for hillwalking include the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands, including the Cairngorms – the newest and largest national park. The mountains in Britain are modest in height, with Ben Nevis at 4409 feet (1344 metres) forming the highest peak, but the unpredictably wide range of weather conditions and often difficult terrain makes walking in many hill areas challenging.

Peak bagging provides a focus for the activities of many hillwalkers. Among the many lists compiled for this purpose, the Munros – mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet (914.4 m) – remains one of the most popular.

In England and Wales, access has in the past been confined to rights of way, but wider areas have been opened up to public access by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. In Scotland the traditional presumption is of a right of access to the countryside provided no damage is done to crops, livestock and hunting activities including deer stalking. These rights and obligations are now codified in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. In Ireland the issue of access has become increasingly contentious in recent years due to a reluctance to introduce effective legislation. Many landowners in the west of the country are openly hostile to walkers.

Navigation skills are essential, as conditions of poor visibility can arise unexpectedly at any time due to the extreme variability of British weather, and it is common for there to be no marked path to follow. One should never venture out into the hills without navigation skills, a map and a compass. In most areas proper boots are essential, and hillwalkers should always have good weatherproof clothing, including warm clothes and a survival bag in case an accident forces an overnight halt. Food and water should also be carried.