Mahroof Malik
explains why his love of maps has led to a love of walking and exploring the UK’s mountains
“WE DON’T STOP PLAYING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD, WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP PLAYING”
Mahroof Malik lives in Birmingham, about as far away from mountains as you can get, but that doesn’t stop him hillwalking. As a rights of way professional during the week and mountain guide at the weekends, he hikes, bikes and climbs most weeks. He’s also an Ordnance Survey Champion. To connect with nature
Having a connection with nature means spending some time amongst it.
As a human being, I’m also part of that natural construct, even if I choose to live in Birmingham! For me it’s so important to build this connection not just to particular places but to all places… that’s my excuse to my wife anyway. It gives one an understanding and even empathy towards natural places, which leads to an unfathomable care of these places. This is why I’m adamant about teaching this care of the environment to others and try to get involved in projects to protect nature.
For spiritual connection
As a Muslim I’m taught to go and explore far and wide to see the magnificence of God within his creation. In the Quran, the holy book for Muslims, God actually challenges us to go and see how amazing a creator he is, from the Quark to the Jaguar as Gell-Mann put it. When I think about it, I’ve been walking for many years and still I’m amazed by what I see around me. From the grandeur of the greater mountain ranges to insects taking apart a rotting branch, all in its perfect balance and beauty. Many of the prophets are associated with climbing mountains or going into seclusion too, and so if it’s good for them then who am I to argue with divine decree!
Because I love maps
I’m a geographer through and through. It’s what I studied at university and I continue to have a passion for it today. I love walking through the landscape and imagining what is was like to have glaciers pouring out of the valleys, or
what a tree-covered Lake District with birds and other wildlife might have looked like. I’ve always loved maps because of the cartographic brilliance they display. How every dash and wiggly line tells a story. And who doesn’t love folding and unfolding maps?
To inspire others
Many years ago I came to the realisation that it is unusual for someone from a Pakistani heritage to go for hikes and climbs in the mountains. For over 20 years now, I have been working to tackle this two-way problem. Is it the outdoor community that isn’t welcoming or exclusive, or are my own community not engaging with the outdoors? It’s as much a gratification of mine to witness somebody be awestruck by an amazing vista or to find that summit they’ve so longingly been asking about for the last few hours, as it is to mull over the sociological reasons as to why there is underrepresentation of BAME communities in the outdoors. Supporting people on their first visits to the outdoors, more often than not, is opening the floodgates for a lifetime of passion. I’ve witnessed many people grow and excel as a result of a positive first experience.
For health and fitness
My gym is in the outdoors. The fresh air, a long walk and some amazing scenery is the best way to keep my mind, body and soul in check. I’m not a long-distance runner or anything extreme, but you don’t need to be on a mountain. A nice walk anywhere that gets the heart rate up, and the blood pumping is a perfect way to get some exercise. I always say that a perfect walk should include mountains, trees and water. That way, it exercises more than just the body. My favourite quote is ‘we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing’. I’m just a big kid and I love the freedom of exploring wild open spaces.
To escape the city
Birmingham’s a massive sprawling urban space, with a lot of concrete, so there’s an inherent satisfaction of escaping and heading for the hills. Walking is what humans are designed to do, it’s our most natural mode of travelling. I don’t walk enough in the city, so heading to the hills always fills me with the anticipation and excitement of another walking adventure. I love multi-day journeys that make me feel like a traveller in the land.