To mark National Walking Month, here are seven suggestions from BMC hill walking officer Carey Davies to help you get started walking in the hills and mountains.

National Walking Month is a campaign by Living Streets to get more people on their feet by walking to work, getting away from their desk at lunchtime and generally being more bipedal in their daily lives. That's all great, but the health benefits of walking in the hills and mountains as well as your daily commute can be even more pronounced.

Of course, there are many more great beginner hills, but here are seven to get you started.

1.     Roseberry Topping, North York Moors

Fantastic little hill in the North York Moors with views that punch above its height. What it lacks in height it makes up for in character – a great mountain-in-miniature. Alan Hinkes, first Briton to climb the world’s 8,000 metre mountains, says it’s his favourite hill – and he knows a thing or two about impressive peaks.

Route info: www.walkingenglishman.com

Get the map: British Mountain Map: North York Moors
 

2.     Conic Hill, Loch Lomond

Lovely bite-sized walk up a hill overlooking Loch Lomond. Great views of the island-studded loch with Ben Lomond the Arrochar Alps beyond marking the start of the Highlands.  The hill straddles the boundary fault between the lowlands and the highlands of Scotland – you can see the line of it in the string of islands stretching across the loch – so it really does feel like you’re standing on the edge of two worlds.

Route info: www.walkhighlands.co.uk

3.     Mam Tor and the ‘Great Ridge'

Classic route in the Peak District, taking in a long sweeping ridge and a climb of the superb viewpoint that is Mam Tor.

Route info: www.walkingbritain.co.uk

Get the map: British Mountain Map: Dark Peak

4.     Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons

The highest hill in southern Britain, so definitely no slouch of a walk, and its altitude can mean the weather on top can be very serious. However a climb starting from Storey Arms is within the grasp of beginners thanks to a wide track which, while not exactly offering much variety, is easy to follow.

Route info from the National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Get the map: British Mountain Map: Brecon Beacons
 

5.     Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales

Ingleborough is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the others being Pen y Ghent and Whernside, often bagged as part of a gruelling 23 mile challenge walk. While not the highest of the three it’s arguably the most impressive and rewarding, standing sentinel over Yorkshire and on a clear day offering top-of-the-world views over the Pennines, the Lancashire coast and the Lake District. Caution is needed in bad weather, however, as it can be easy to lose your bearings on the flat summit plateau in murk and mist. 

Route info: www.walkingenglishman.com (this isn’t the shortest route up it but it’s the nicest)

Get the map: British Mountain Map: Yorkshire Dales
 

6.     Fairfield Horseshoe, Lake District

The Fairfield Horseshoe is a classic long mountain round in the heart of the Lake District. Starting and finishing in Ambleside, it’s a very popular walk and gets very busy on sunny days and weekends. It’s still a serious undertaking, however, so people attempting it need to give themselves plenty of time and daylight. Best walked in good weather to get the most of the views. The Fairfield Horseshoe is featured on our Hill Walking Essentials DVD, which gives a comprehensive introduction to the skills and know-how you need for hill walking.

Route info: www.walkingbritain.co.uk

Get the map: British Mountain Map: Lake District
 

7.     Schiehallion, Perthshire

One of the famous list of 282 ‘Munros’ (Scottish mountains above 3,000 feet), Schiehallion is a big mountain and as such can be a very serious prospect, as can anything which juts more than a kilometre into the sky. However it is one of the easier Munros to climb thanks to its long, easy-angled approach and a superb path built by the John Muir Trust. Lots of interesting history around it too – thanks to its symmetrical shape, for example, it became the mountain that weighed the world.

Route info: www.walkhighlands.co.uk

Get the map: British Mountain Map: Schiehallion

We want to say a big thanks to every BMC member who continues to support us through the Coronavirus crisis.

From weekly Facebook Lives and GB Climbing home training videos, to our access team working to re-open the crags and fight for your mountain access, we couldn’t do it without you.

Did you know that we've launched a U27 membership offer for just £1.50 / month? And with full membership from £2.50 / month, it's never been easier to join and support our work: 

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join-the-bmc-for-1-month-U27-membership

« Back