Hillwalking
Encyclopedia : H : HI : HIL : Hillwalking
The term hillwalking is used in the United Kingdom for activities which might be called hiking or mountaineering elsewhere, with the term hills often being used to include mountains. Fellwalking is particularly used to refer to hill or mountain walks in the Lake District. Britain offers a wide variety of ascents, from gentle rolling lowland hills to some very exposed routes in the mountains. The term climbing is used for the activity of tackling the more technically difficult ways of getting up hills involving rock climbing while "hillwalking" refers to the easier routes, but some summits require climbing skills, and many hillwalkers become proficient in scrambling. The term "mountaineering" tends to be reserved for expeditions abroad to ranges such as the Alps, but can be used for hill walking in winter with additional equipment such as ice axe and crampons, or for routes requiring rock climbing skills such as the traverse of the Cuillin ridge.
In the United Kingdom, popular locations for hillwalking include the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands, including the Cairngorms – the newest and largest national park. The mountains in Britain are modest in height, with Ben Nevis at 4409 feet (1344 metres) forming the highest peak, but the unpredictably wide range of weather conditions and often difficult terrain makes walking in many hill areas challenging. The term "hills" is commonly used for all of these peaks, including "mountains" which are expected to be particularly high or rugged. In Scotland the list of Munros originally compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891 for the Scottish Mountaineering Club continues to be kept up to date as a list of distinct tops over 3,000 feet (914.4 m). In England and Wales the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has defined "mountain" (as a mass noun) as all land over 600 metres, for the purposes of right to roam legislation. This differs from the definition used in the United States of a mountain being 1,000 feet (304.4 m) or more in height from bottom to summit, with a hill being from 500 feet (152.4 m) to 999 feet (304 m).
In England and Wales, access has in the past been confined to rights of way, but wider areas have been opened up by the development of national parks, and the recent right to roam legislation improves access. In Scotland the traditional presumption is of a right of access to the countryside provided no damage is done to crops, livestock and hunting activities including deer stalking. These rights and obligations are now codified in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
Navigation skills are essential, as conditions of poor visibility can arise unexpectedly at any time due to the extreme variability of British weather, and it is common for there to be no marked path to follow. One should never venture out into the hills without navigation skills, a map and a compass. In most areas proper boots are essential, and hillwalkers should always have good weatherproof clothing, including warm clothes and a survival bag in case an accident forces an overnight halt. Food and water should also be carried.
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