What tips would you give a keen walker planning a first hiking trip?

My advice would be to ‘mind your Ps’. So: plan, prepare, pack. Firstly, plan. Do you want a self-guided or group walking tour? The former allows walking at your own pace, lingering in spots that interest you and choosing your own start, lunch and end times. With a group leader who (hopefully) has local knowledge to share, group walking removes responsibility for following a route correctly and is a way to meet likeminded people and learn about the destination.

Critically, find the right level of walking to suit you. There’s a big difference between going for a long walk once a week and doing it day after day.

Note daily distances, along with ascents and descents; steep climbs can make distances feel much longer. And check out the terrain, too. Will you need a head for heights and proper hiking boots? Book with a specialist operator like Inntravel and you’ll have all this information at your fingertips.

Next: prepare. If you’ve bought new hiking shoes or boots, break them in before you go (a top tip: smearing Vaseline on your heels and toes before you put your socks on will help prevent blisters). In the run up to the trip, try walking on consecutive days and add some hills to build fitness levels.

Finally: pack. When flying abroad, I carry my daypack rucksack as cabin luggage and wear my hiking boots to cut down on suitcase space and weight. Along with lightweight, breathable clothing, I consider a wide-brimmed hat, highfactor sunscreen, basic first aid supplies and a good map, to be essential items. inntravel.co.uk