Outdoor instructor Stephen Trenier is one of the three BMC experts behind this month’s big Hiking Essentials article
Trail teams up with the BMC’s hillwalking experts to bring you 100 skills and tips that will get you hiking like a pro!
Lost on a hillside in fog, out of water and gasping for a drink, caught short two miles from the nearest toilet… Whether you started hillwalking this summer or have been knocking off mountains for years, it’s a fairly safe bet that there are still some things you could be doing better. Plan more meticulously, pack smarter, squirrel away that little bit more navigation knowledge, add that missing pair of scissors to your first aid kit, or even take more steps to reduce your environmental impact on every trip.
The list is almost endless, but with an estimated two million new people taking up hillwalking this year there’s almost an entire new generation out there with a whole new skill-set to learn. So even if you think you already know everything it’s as good a time as any to brush up on your knowledge, in case you’re out walking with friends or family members who could be experiencing for the first time what you’ve known for years – that walking in the mountains is a fun, exciting and inspiring thing to do; but should never be underestimated.
Whatever peak you’re walking on, whatever time of year, there are risks you need to consider that go well beyond weather and terrain. So to help you get as well prepared as possible for that next mountain trip, we’ve teamed up with our partners at the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) to bring you some expert hillwalking advice. Over the next 10 pages we’ll be covering everything from packing your rucksack and loading your first aid kit, to planning your day and dodging herds of cows in the great outdoors.
Broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota, mountaineering instructor Rachael Crewesmith and Outward Bound Trust instructor Stephen Trenier have been working with the BMC to educate walkers on how to enjoy the mountains safely and responsibly, and between them have compiled this fantastic hiking essentials guide.
Some of this information will be completely new to a lot of you, while for others we hope it will be like taking a long overdue refresher course.