The hiking gear and adventures thread...

[yellowbentines]

mickythefish said:

How do you improve your mountain hiking skills without doing mountains. I was looking at helvellyn but understand it is very difficult.

Just wondered how you can improve skills any other way, besides fitness?

Presuming you are sticking to routes that don't require rock climbing skills, then the skill I'd work on improving is navigation. Know how to read a map and use a compass.

For example, I've been up Bidean Nam Bian at Glencoe a few times (awesome hike, recommended) in different weather conditions, and on one occasion it was dry and sunny at the carpark, but by the time we neared the summit low cloud as thick as pea-soup surrounded us. The summit of that hill has some really nasty sheer drop-offs, and quite a big boulder field which means even if you can see your feet you can't see a path in any direction. I got down off that hill that day as I had a map and compass, and also use a Garmin watch with GPS as a backup.

I'd also use fair weather days to practice scrambling - on a nice day I think striding edge and swirral edge on Hellvellyn are great fun when the rock is dry and you have enough visibility to look ahead and try to plan a route out.

[Phil.]

mickythefish said:

I think a lot of this stuff comes naturally to me, I have bought a compass lol. Watching videos on YouTube does seem to help.

Just seen on Disney plus, wild life really great film to watch for inspiration.

Was thinking scarfell then Helvellyn if the weather is dry.

I found a GPS improves navigation immensely. Most dedicated GPS, especially the OS Maps are expensive. But I know someone who bought a Nokia XR20 rugged phone and uses the OS App. The phones are available used too. It seems to be the cheapest way to get GPS capability in the UK and no need to buy new OS maps for each area.

[Phil.]

boxedin said:

Off the top of my head there's five ( seven? ) different starting points. I've walked up Helvellyn using about 11/12 different routes from three different starting points in all conditions. I've never walked across Striding Edge and I never will.

Edited by boxedin on Thursday 16th May 10:02

I hiked Striding Edge in my late 20’s and didn’t think twice. I even did it with my spaniel. 30 years on I wouldn’t go near it and thinking back I must have been mad taking my dog even though he was experienced in the mountains. Shows how your risk assessment changes with age.

[MonkeyBusiness]

I find as I get older taking more notice of map contours. The last thing I want is a vertical climb (or drop).

With experience you also get to pick out where the wet patches are by looking at the plants.

[mickythefish]

Early bday present.

[Phil.]

[LordHaveMurci]

Thinking of trying a pair of Terrex & see if they suit my weird feet.

Sports Direct (shudder) sell them & there’s one close by.

[mickythefish]

i took a punt and just quick wear they fit good. very light and feel solid.

Lot of different brands out there but I've always wore trainers so suit my walking style.

[mickythefish]

New trainers are very grippy , and an car analogy would be lad, a certain slippage but get grip . Slightly tight on left foot but hopefully more usage loosen them up.

This is my kit, plus trainers.

North face triclimate 4 years old, was 280 quid.
The flask was useless bought a new one from Tesco, 7.5.

All in probably 120 quid, I have two power banks. Plus a hundred for trainers.My clothes are just cheap stuff.

Giddy pass, Matlock did about 8 miles total walking around

[ben5575]

Quick tip on fluids, the bottled 'Smart Water' has electrolytes in it which really handy if you run hot like you (and I) do. You can also buy also fizzy electrolyte tabs for a quid or two from Home Bargains as well.

[Faust66]

Not been up to Giddy Pass... will have to check it out.

I'm off to the Peaks tomorrow: Edale>Brown Knoll>Kinder Scout>Grindslow>back to Edale. Looking a bit showery at times, but better than baking heat IMO.

Walk I've done loads of times, but I'm on my own (my missus is working) so I'll save the more exciting/new walks until we're out together.

If you want a good water bottle, try a an Alpkit Refresher. Keeps water cold all day in the summer. I also use Sigg bottles (they don't keep water cold so they get buried in my pack for insulation).

https://alpkit.com/products/refresher-1000-insulat...

Edited by Faust66 on Friday 17th May 20:35

[Matt..]

If I’m not using soft bottles in my fast packing pack then I’m using normal disposable plastic water bottles from the supermarket that I reuse a number of times. They’re ~35g and good when the pack is heavy, they’re also really cheap!

I agree on the use of electrolytes in water for some hikes. Especially if they’re long or it’s hot out. I don’t use them all that often though.

[mickythefish]

Faust66 said:

Not been up to Giddy Pass... will have to check it out.

I'm off to the Peaks tomorrow: Edale>Brown Knoll>Kinder Scout>Grindslow>back to Edale. Looking a bit showery at times, but better than baking heat IMO.

If I did it again would do the same walk, as mam tor is just too busy for my liking.

I really struggle going to places that are packed because to me hiking is about spending time on your own.

[ATG]

Matt.. said:

During my camping practice weekends for my big trip this year (assuming no big wildfires!) I am working my way through the Welsh nuttalls list. Is anyone else nerdy enough to be working through hill lists?

I highly recommend this app for iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hill-lists/id3152006...

Didn't realise the Nuttals was a thing. I think I've got one of their guides too. It's a nice idea as it'll get people into a load of hills that they might otherwise bypass while heading towards bigger stuff. That's a particular thing here in mid Wales, because if you're traveling half way across England to get here, rather than stop off to walk the Arans or the Berwyns, most people will drive another 45 mins to get to the bigger North Welsh hills. That's good for the solitude in our local hills, but it does mean people are missing out.

[ATG]

Phil. said:

I found a GPS improves navigation immensely. Most dedicated GPS, especially the OS Maps are expensive. But I know someone who bought a Nokia XR20 rugged phone and uses the OS App. The phones are available used too. It seems to be the cheapest way to get GPS capability in the UK and no need to buy new OS maps for each area.

Obviously map and compass keep working even after the zombie apocalypse, so knowing how to use them and having them with you is your backstop insurance, a bit like carrying a survival sack/bothy bag/bivvy bag

But a smart phone with maps is just brilliant. Having it record your route as you walk gives you a completely unambiguous awareness of where you are and your direction of travel.

If you want to get a phone that's good for UK hills, I'd recommend a ruggedized android phone typically marketed to builders. Blackview and Doogee do loads of phones that have massive batteries, are waterproof, dust proof and shock proof. They're perfectly good smart phones in their own right with nice screens, pretty good cameras, snappy performance. And they're CHEAP. Rugged and big battery means they are thicker and heavier than a typical smart phone, but, personally, I don't find that an issue, and the fact that it'll take heavy usage for 48 hrs and still have a fair bit of charge left is a real bonus.

[Matt..]

ATG said:

That's a particular thing here in mid Wales, because if you're traveling half way across England to get here, rather than stop off to walk the Arans or the Berwyns, most people will drive another 45 mins to get to the bigger North Welsh hills.

To most people Snowdonia is just Snowdon and the Ogwen valley. I saw two people on my two day trip around the Arans last weekend, one person in the Arenigs, and two people in the Carneddau a couple of weeks ago. I was up top of the Aran ridge for the northern lights last week and there was (obviously!) no one else there.

It's the same in the Brecon Beacons. It's incredibly easy to go on long hikes and see no one whilst Pen y Fan would have a packed car park and many hundreds of people on the main path.

Working through the nuttalls list is fairly popular. For me it's mainly just training and a good way to go somewhere different every so often.

Edited by Matt.. on Saturday 18th May 13:26

[boxedin]

Sshh. Wales is just Snowdon and a couple of valleys.
That's it, nothing else to see.

Like some of the other posters, I can go out on a Bank Holiday and after a few miles, see no one else.

Pick your times wisely and poor weather is the best.

[mickythefish]

Did the Malvern hills today, was hardest walk I've done, cut it short from 17km to 11km as was knackered. Great mix of hills and then walking through a lovely forrest section. Definitely one to do again when I'm fitter.

[Matt..]

boxedin said:

Like some of the other posters, I can go out on a Bank Holiday and after a few miles, see no one else.

Pick your times wisely and poor weather is the best.

I don’t think you even need bad weather to have places to yourself. Yes if you want to go somewhere “popular”, but most places are empty almost always.

I’d far rather be in Wales on a bank holiday than in the Lakes. In Snowdonia it’s really only a very few places that get busy and it’s very easy to find solitude.

I did a wild camp in the Brecon Beacons during the last bank holiday and hiked and camped with no one around. It really doesn’t take much effort to find these places. A skill for hiking and backpacking in the UK is seeking out the solitude and finding the quiet spots. It’s as vital a skill as finding parking spaces for your hike!

[MonkeyBusiness]

Matt.. said:

It’s as vital a skill as finding parking spaces for your hike!

This. Especially if your car needs to be left overnight.