UK Fell Walking

Walking in the UK is becoming increasingly popular as a result of the huge amount of TV programs that are on TV at the moment. I had friends who didn't even know about the lake district until they saw it on the BBC. All levels and types of walking are available in the UK from the stark and challenging mountains of the Inverness Highlands to the gentle rolling countryside of the Downs.

My favourite areas are:Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia but that's only because they are quite close to me. No doubt if I lived in Scotland the list would be different.

The landscape in the different areas is as a result of thousands of years of changing climate. The most significant period that resulted in the current landscape was the last ice age where most of the area now known as Britain was covered in a huge ice sheet. As the ice sheet moved across the United Kingdom it cut great swathes through the landscape. These changes were then further developed as water flooded down the newly cut glacial valleys cutting rivers, gorges and valleys. Big piles of rock that had been caught up in the ice sheet were also dropped back onto the landscape creating moraines which are a regular feature of the current British Landscape.

The UK has been exceptionally well mapped and various scales of map are available and cover the whole of the UK. The National Parks in particular are extremely well mapped. It is always advisable to carry a good local map when you go walking and a compass, whistle and waterproof jacket as you know the British weather is famously changeable. Then again you can use it to your advantage if its been raining before your trip take a look at some of the water falls. Don't let the weather put you off when I first discovered the lake district it rained all week, but I still had a fantastic time.

Footpaths are generally well signposted but in some more remote areas this may not be the case. For the best sign posted routes it is best to stick to the large national routes that are maintained by national government. Take your time and plan your walks well in advance a little research will go a long way there nothing worse then doing a walk and then realising after you have finished your walk that you missed a place of interest that was just a few minutes away from your trail.

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