The Hillwalker’s Guide to Awesome Adventures

Hillwalking has become a real trend in recent years, and for a good reason: People have realised, what great benefits exercising and spending time in nature have on their well-being.

If they want to try it for the first time, most people ask, what kind of equipment they need for hillwalking. Although this is a very important question to ask, it’s not the only one.

“How do I stay safe on the hills?” is an essential question too. Unfortunately, it’s not asked as frequently. This often leads to people going hillwalking unprepared and ill-equipped. In the best case, nothing serious happens. In other cases, people have a miserable time due to suboptimal equipment or preparation and decide hillwalking isn’t for them – which is really a shame. And on rare occasions, people get into serious trouble and end up calling Mountain Rescue.

The best way to ensure that you have a really awesome adventure on the hills and not a miserable experience is, thus, to know how to prepare a hillwalk, how to pack accordingly, and how to keep yourself – and others – safe when out and about.

For this reason, I have written this guide. It provides you with all the basic information you need to start your hillwalking journey. Give it a go, and have awesome adventures right from the beginning.

1. Why things go wrong and how to prevent them

As already indicated in the introduction, people get into trouble on the hills mainly because of a lack of knowledge and skills, which leads to suboptimal preparation or route choice.

Fortunately, acquiring this knowledge is not rocket science. In the end, it boils down to these essential skills:

Planning a walk
Interpreting the weather forecast (+ avalanche forecast in winter)
Packing the right equipment according to the requirements of the planned route and the weather forecast
Navigating with a map and a compass
Moving safely on different kinds of terrain (bog, scree slopes, boulder fields, river crossings, etc.)
Managing your energy, pace and nutrition
Knowing the effects that different kinds of weather have on you and your environment
Making the right calls when the weather changes or things don’t go as planned
Knowing what to do in an emergency
Understanding and following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Life is not a race: Start easy & build your skills and confidence gradually

Please don’t be intimidated by the list above and think, “Great, I don’t have any of these skills, so I’m not able to go hillwalking.”

That’s why you start small and easy because you will learn something new on every walk and build most of these skills over time.

That’s how most hillwalkers begin their journey. It also helps a lot when you go hillwalking with someone more experienced than you. They can already teach you many valuable skills and share their knowledge, enabling you to make faster progress without having to learn everything the hard way.

If you want to feel more confident right away, you can participate in a mountain skills course or take a navigation course. Especially the latter is something you should take once you have decided that hillwalking is your thing and you don’t always walk with others who have these skills.

In the following chapters, I will cover each mountain skill and give you an overview of what they involve. These topics are also covered (or will be covered over time) in more detail in my other blog posts.

2. Equipment for hillwalking

As a beginner, you will ideally start your hillwalking journey in spring or summer. Why?

Because for winter hillwalking, you will need special equipment and skills to keep yourself safe on the hills when there’s snow and ice. So, I highly recommend that you have spent at least one season in the hills summer hillwalking before trying out winter hillwalking.

Equipment-wise this means that you don’t need as much stuff in the beginning, which will also be good news for your bank account. It’s not necessary at all to invest a huge amount of money in shiny new equipment.

The bare necessities, the simple bare necessities

For your very first hillwalks (which will preferably be really easy ones, where you walk on good paths and in good weather), this is the bare minimum you need:

• Sturdy shoes (trainers are sufficient if you walk on good and well-maintained paths)
• Hiking socks (non-cotton, microfibre or merino-wool are recommended)
• Comfy trousers (preferably something wind- or water-repellent)
• T-shirt or long sleeve shirt as base-layer (preferably no or only little cotton content)
• Fleece or light wool jacket as mid-layer
• Rainjacket as outer layer
• First aid kit
• A rucksack that holds your spare layers, first aid kit, some snacks and a drinking bottle
• Navigation tools (more on that later)

Equipment that might become essential on special occasions

Depending on the circumstances, the following items might be essential too:

• Head torch (+spare batteries, or 2 head torches if they have a rechargeable, built-in battery), if you go out in early spring or in autumn and there might be the risk you won’t finish the walk in daylight
• Hat and scarf/Buff, if high wind or cooler temperatures are forecast
• Sun hat to prevent sunstroke (I know from personal experience that this can happen even in Scotland)

Nice to have but not essential

You might already have some equipment that is not essential for hillwalking but can make it more comfortable, for example:

• Trekking poles (great when walking up- and downhill to ease the pressure on knees and ankles)
• Gaiters (great to prevent water, mud and gravel from getting into your boots, and they keep your trousers clean when walking through boggy areas)
• Hydration bladder (great for staying hydrated because you can drink on the go)

Upgrading from the simple bare necessities

If you decide to make hillwalking a regular thing, it’s worth upgrading your equipment gradually. I recommend doing that in the following order:

1. A pair of hiking boots
2. A pair of windproof and water-repellent hiking trousers
3. A base layer shirt or t-shirt either made of merino wool or microfibre

Water-repellent hiking trousers will keep some light showers off of you. However, in case you want to go out in less favourable conditions, cheap waterproof rain trousers that you can pull over your regular ones are worth considering.

Over time you will find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Keep an eye on my blog. I will regularly write articles about hillwalking equipment and review in more detail the stuff that I find particularly useful.

Should you carry a first aid kit?

I recommend carrying a first aid kit if you go solo hillwalking. If you walk with friends, at least one of you should carry a small first aid kit. Here is what mine contains:

• Blister pads
• Plasters
• A small wound dressing + bandage
• A roll of tape
• Disinfectant spray to clean wounds
• A pair of one-way gloves
• Scissors
• Tick tweezers
• Ibuprofen
• Rescue blanket

With the help of a first aid kit, you can tend properly to light wounds (e.g. cuts and bruises) without risking an infection.

Tape is an excellent multitool to have: You can not only use it to fixate a bandage or wound dressing, but you can also tape your soles and heels to prevent blisters.

Tick tweezers are better suited to remove ticks than regular tweezers. This is because they have a hook which allows you to grab the tick under its head and pull it out without squeezing it. This way, the chance of getting Lyme disease or an infection is significantly lower.

3. Planning a walk

Safety on the hills already starts at home when you plan your walk. Planning a hillwalk can be broken down into the following steps:

• Choosing a route that’s suitable for your own and your group’s levels of experience and fitness
• Planning an exit strategy in case the walk has to be shortened or aborted

Choosing a walk

First, only consider walks with which you and everyone in your group will be comfortable. If anyone is scared of heights, don’t choose routes that lead over narrow ridges. If you have never been hillwalking before and don’t have good overall fitness, don’t choose a full-day hillwalk. Instead, make it half a day, and build from there.

Second, research your chosen route and download a GPX file that you can load on your phone and look at in your navigation app (more on that later).

An excellent resource for hillwalks in Scotland is walkhighlands.co.uk. They have detailed descriptions of the “standard routes” for all Munros and Corbetts, many other hillwalks and lower-level walks. The grading system will help you find a difficulty level suitable for you and your group.

Feel also free to check out my hillwalking routes. I have classified them as “beginner-friendly”, “easy”, “moderate”, “challenging”, and “multi-day hillwalks”.

I provide detailed descriptions and point out difficult sections with map markers. Plus, my “moderate”, “challenging”, and “multi-day hillwalk”-routes deviate from the standard routes frequently because walking off the beaten path is a fantastic experience. 🙂

Planning an exit strategy

When you have to use your exit strategy, you should use the path of least resistance, meaning: Find a safe route that avoids challenging terrain and leads you back to safety in a short time.

Possible exit routes that you take when you abort your walk can be, for example:

• Footpaths or stalkers’ paths that lead down from a hill or plateau into the glen from where you can walk back to safety in due time
• A pathless section that you can cross safely (e.g. a ridge or hillside with a gentle gradient and no crags or other difficult terrain that makes coming down a challenge)

Take a look at the image to the right. It shows a circuit that takes in two Munros: Beinn a’ Chaorainn and Beinn Teallach. Plotted in blue is the route that I wanted to take that day. When I arrived on the top of Beinn a’ Chaorainn, I was already struggling with the heat because it was a very hot summer day.

After a long break, I continued northwards further down into the glen, hoping I would feel better soon. But I didn’t. So I decided to give Beinn Teallach a miss because I didn’t feel like walking up there in the scorching sun. I took the exit route (plotted in red) that led through a glen where I could refresh myself in the burn now and then and walked back to the start.

Had I already decided on the top of Beinn a’ Chaorainn that I would abort the walk, I would have gone back the same way I came up. That would’ve been the shorter route and the path of least resistance.

4. Dealing with the weather

Use the mountain weather forecast

Before you set out on your adventure, check the mountain weather forecast instead of the “regular” one.

It will give you the conditions for the summits rather than those for lower levels and will paint a clear picture of what you can expect on the hills that day.

My three primary sources to check the mountain weather forecast are these:

• Mountain weather information service (MWIS)
  3-day forecast for different regions in the UK
  Also available as an app for Android devices: Mountain Forecast Viewer
• Met Office mountain weather
  Region forecast + you can type the names of Munros in the search bar to get a detailed forecast for a particular peak (useful to see what the weather might be like in 5-6 days)
• Mountain forecast
  Here you can also search by the name of a mountain and get the forecast for several days

If you are a geek like me and like to play around with maps, charts and tons of sliders, check out windy.com for some extra fun. 😉

Take a look at the sky every now and then

No matter what the forecast says, keep an eye on the weather during your walk. We all know from experience that the forecast is not always accurate. On top of that, the weather in the mountains can change very quickly.

Check from which direction the wind is blowing and in what direction the clouds are moving. What’s going on on the horizon? What kinds of clouds are moving in? Fair-weather cotton balls or dark black anvil clouds that indicate a thunderstorm?

Surprised by bad weather – what now?

Regularly observing the weather during your walk will minimise the risk of being surprised. However, sometimes you misjudge a situation or simply can’t see what’s going on because there’s thick fog all around you.

In these situations, the weather might surprise you – for better or worse. If it’s for worse, you need to make the right decisions to keep yourself and your group safe. Making these decisions depends on a lot of different factors, for example:

• Where are you at the moment? On a plateau, summit or in a glen?
• How severe are the current weather conditions, and how do they impact you?
• How confident are you and your group members in the current conditions?
• How well-equipped are you for the current weather conditions?
• Is it safe to continue, or is it time for the exit strategy?

Dealing with heavy rain & thunderstorms

Suppose it’s a chilly autumn day, and you get completely soaked because you haven’t packed your waterproofs. In that case, it’s time for the exit strategy, as there’s a real threat of developing hypothermia.

On the other hand, if it’s a hot summer day and you don’t have waterproofs, you might be grateful for the refreshment.

However, if a thunderstorm accompanies the warm summer rain, you must lose height as soon as you notice the thunderstorm approaching. When you hear thunder, the storm is already close enough that lightning can strike you.

Best practices when caught out by a thunderstorm

If you can’t outrun the storm and it’s impossible to find shelter (when you are on a plateau, for example, or in a remote place with no safe shelter nearby), follow these steps:

• If you are in a group, move away from each other
• Leave your trekking poles and any other equipment made of metal several metres behind you
• Find a place that is preferably a bit lower than the surrounding area
• Don’t go near water (lochs, burns, bog holes); the drier the ground, the better
• Sit down on your backpack with your hands on your knees and your head between the legs

The goal of this procedure is that your body has only minimal contact with the ground, and you are as close to the ground as possible.

When the storm has passed, wait for at least 30 minutes in your hunkered position because you might still be in the range where lightning could strike you.

If you are looking for shelter from a thunderstorm, AVOID these very unsafe false friends:

• Trees (they are lightning conductors, especially when they stand isolated)
• Rock overhangs (Lightning will look for the shortest way to the ground; if you stand under the overhang, the shortest way might be through you)
• Small caves (the same applies here as for rock overhangs)
• Tents (the metal poles attract lightning)

The only safe or rather safe shelters from lightning are:

• Bothies (or any other houses or buildings)
• Cars (less safe than indoors, but still better than being out in the open; make sure that you don’t touch metal inside the car)

Situations where you might lose confidence or are ill-equipped for

If you are surprised by low clouds and lose confidence to keep going despite knowing how to use a map and a compass, stop for a few minutes.

Wait and see if the conditions improve. Depending on how you feel about this situation, you might decide to continue or to turn back. There’s no right or wrong decision here.

However, if you don’t carry a map and a compass, the risk of becoming disorientated and getting lost increases. You will have to check your phone frequently in this situation to make sure that you are still on track. Be aware that this will drain your phone’s battery faster.

5. Navigation tools: No hillwalk without them

You should never, and I repeat, NEVER, go hillwalking without a map – either a paper map + compass or a digital one on your phone or GPS device.

The ideal scenario is to take both with you: a paper map and compass (and know how to use them!) as a backup to your phone or GPS device. Relying exclusively on technology can lead to dangerous situations because technology can fail – and it’s Sod’s law that it will fail you when you need it the most.

In the long run, you want to invest in a navigation course that will teach you how to use a map and a compass. That’s especially useful when you plan to go adventuring on your own, as it will give you more confidence when you get caught in fog or other low-visibility conditions.

Which apps and maps do you need?

For hillwalking, you need a large-scale topographic map showing a particular area in fine detail. You will find features such as footpaths, footbridges, small lochs and burns, and the contour of the terrain on such maps.

Navigation apps: Reliability and accuracy trump social media features

There are tons of outdoor apps that are advertised as navigation apps. Unfortunately, many of them focus more on fancy social media stuff and features that are irrelevant when you are on the hills. Plus, all these features tend to drain your phone’s battery faster.

Call me old-school, but when it comes to safety, I want a reliable tool rather than a toy. A navigation app for hillwalking has one main and plain purpose: It shows you where you are. Reliable apps that I can safely recommend and that aren’t overloaded with safety-irrelevant features are:

• Memory Map (it’s what I use)
• OS Maps

You can find both in Google’s and Apple’s app stores. Memory Map is a route planning software, so you can also download a desktop version on your PC or laptop.

You will have to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to download the topographic OS maps for offline use with Memory Map or the OS Maps app. The annual subscription fee is about £30 – a worthwhile investment, especially if you don’t carry a paper map and compass with you in your early hillwalking days.

Also, always double-check that you have an offline map of the chosen area stored on your phone before you head out. Your phone’s GPS will work even if you don’t have a signal or have put your phone in aeroplane mode. Still, you need to have the map stored locally on your phone to make the navigation app work without a mobile internet connection.

6. Moving safely and efficiently on the hills

You will encounter lots of different terrain on a hillwalk. On the approach and lower slopes, it’s bog, mud, and wet grass; further up, it’s scree, boulder fields, and crags on all kinds of gradients ranging from gentle to very steep.

Moving efficiently and safely on all types of terrain is essential. Apart from that, you will have to manage your energy and supply your body with fuel so your muscles won’t cramp and you don’t become dizzy (or lose morale).

Managing energy and pace

Depending on the terrain and the slope angle, you will move at a different speed. The goal is that you don’t get out of breath – at least not after every ten steps, as that’s a very inefficient way to move.

Instead, when walking uphill, adapt your pace to a speed which allows you to breathe normally. This might feel incredibly slow when you try it out, but it costs you more time if you rush up the hill and stop every couple of metres to catch your breath.

When you move at a pace that allows you to breathe comfortably, you will optimally manage your energy and feel less exhausted. Your muscles will also get more oxygen, making them recover faster afterwards.

Nutrition

What you eat and drink during your walk depends on your tastes and preferences. Keep in mind that you burn about 400 calories per hour on average when hillwalking (in non-winter conditions; it’s even more in winter because your body needs extra energy to keep warm and you carry a heavier backpack with winter equipment in it).

On a 5-hour long hillwalk in non-winter conditions, you burn about 2,000 calories. So you will have to ensure that you refuel your body regularly – even when you want to lose some weight.

A carb- and protein-rich diet during the walk is optimal, as this gives the body plenty of calories to burn and keeps the blood sugar on a constant level. Here is what I eat before, during and after a hillwalk (I’m vegetarian):

Before

• Breakfast: Porridge oats with nuts, berries and fat-free yoghurt
• 1 banana right before the start of the walk

During the walk

• Several high-calorie, sugar-free protein/energy bars
• 1 cheese sandwich
• Fruit & nut mix

After the walk

One of the following:

• Pasta/Gnocchi with cheese sauce + salad
• Wholegrain rice with a sauce + salad
• Wholegrain tortilla wraps filled with cheese and vegetables + salad

I’m not a fan of sweets, but some hillwalkers wouldn’t hit the trail without them because they like the energy boost they give them. As long as it makes you happy and keeps you going, it’s not the wrong choice. 🙂

As for water, I recommend that you carry at least 1 litre, 2 litres on hot summer days. You can already plan ahead for refills by looking at your planned route. If you come across a mountain burn, you can fill up there.

What to do in an emergency?

It is easier said than done, but: Stay calm. If anyone is injured, assess how bad it is. Do you have supplies in your first aid kit that might fix the wound – if only provisionally – so that you can walk out via your exit route?

If you are certain you won’t be able to make it back via your exit route, find your location (a grid reference or GPS position) – if possible. Then contact Mountain Rescue:

• Dial 999 for the police and ask for the mountain rescue service
• Mountain Rescue will ask where you are, about the casualties, what kind of injuries they have, or what kind of incident has happened
• They will tell you what to do and stay in touch until you are safe

To register your phone with the 999 text service, simply text the word register to 999. That’s it.

7. Our responsibility: Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Here in Scotland, we are not only blessed with a beautiful landscape but also with some very awesome and generous access rights.

They were established by the Land Reform Act 2003, allowing the public to access most land in Scotland for recreational purposes at any time. The only obligation is: Act responsibly.

This implies that you have to follow some basic rules, which are stated in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code:

Take personal responsibility for your own actions
Respect people’s privacy and peace of mind
Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively
Care for the environment
Keep your dog under control
Take extra care if you are organising an event or running a business

This basically means that you use your common sense and cooperate with other people and land managers so that everyone can have a good time outside and work effectively in their environment.

This quote (source unknown) sums up the Scottish Outdoor Access Code really well:

Examples of irresponsible behaviour

Camping in or walking through someone’s garden or property
Walking through construction sites or areas where work is carried out, walking in airfields, or walking over railway tracks when not explicitly marked as crossing
Walking through a field of crops
Leaving a gate open behind you when it was closed when you arrived
Using motorised vehicles on non-public roads or private land (e.g. off-roading)
Parking your vehicle in front of a gate or in a passing place where it blocks access and obstructs traffic
Damaging fences by climbing over them instead of using gates or stiles
Letting your dog off the leash in areas where ground-nesting birds breed
Letting your dog worry livestock
Pooing close to water (less than 100m away from water)
Throwing away litter (this includes compostable dog poo bags, toilet paper and sanitary products)

8. FAQs from beginner hillwalkers

In this section, I have collected some questions that new hillwalkers and people who are curious about hillwalking often ask. You may find the answer to one of your questions here too.

Hillwalking, hiking, trekking, backpacking – What’s the difference?

Hillwalking – This is an expression mainly used in the UK.

Unlike climbing, hillwalking usually doesn’t involve the use of ropes and other climbing gear, as a hill is approached in a more horizontal way rather than a vertical one. Hillwalks can range in duration from just a few hours to several days.

Hiking – This is the more widely used expression for any walking activity in nature, which is why hillwalking can also be referred to as hiking in the hills or mountains. Often a hike involves walking on established footpaths. A hike can take a few hours or an entire day. Usually, you return home or to your accommodation after the walk.

Backpacking – This is a walking activity that takes several days or even weeks. It can also be called long-distance hiking. Usually, it involves camping outside or staying in accommodation on the way. You carry all your equipment with you in a backpack. Most of the time, you walk on well-established paths (e.g. long-distance trails like the West Highland Way).

Trekking – Trekking is very similar to backpacking. While the latter is usually done on long-distance trails, trekking involves walking off the beaten paths. It may also include crossing difficult and rugged terrain. You carry your equipment in a backpack (or have it carried by someone else, for example, by a Sherpa on a trekking trip in the Himalayas).

How high are Munros?

Munros are the highest mountains in Scotland – and, thus, in the UK. They are higher than 3,000ft (914.4m). The highest and most well-known Munro is Ben Nevis.

The expression “Munro” stems from Sir Hugh Munro, who was the first to compile a list of all the hills in Scotland that are over 3,000ft high. There are 282 Munros in Scotland.

What are Corbetts and Grahams?

Just like Munros, Corbetts and Grahams are classifications of hills with a specific height. Corbetts are hills between 2,500ft and 3,000ft high. They are named after John Rooke Corbett, who classified them first. There are 222 Corbetts in Scotland.

Grahams are between 600m and 762m (1,968.5ft – 2,499ft) high, with a drop of at least 150m on all sides. They are named after Fiona Graham. There are 231 Grahams in Scotland.

Is it safe to go hillwalking during the stalking season?

Yes, it is safe. You should follow the estate’s and stalkers’ guidance, however, so that you don’t get in the way if stalking is taking place. Often, stalkers stay away from very popular hillwalking routes, but this doesn’t mean you have no obligation.

Check the website Heading for the Scottish Hills when you plan your walk. Many estates put detailed information there, so it’s easier to plan your route. Respect the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the stalkers, and you will have a great day out during the stalking season.

What are the benefits of hillwalking?

Hillwalking has a lot of benefits. It doesn’t only contribute in a positive way to your physical health, but also to your mental health.

Physical health

You get fitter and stronger
You increase your stamina and endurance, which makes climbing stairs and other physical tasks in your everyday life easier
You lose weight (if you want to)
Your legs and buttocks gain a firmer shape

Mental health

You are less stressed after a hillwalk
You feel more energetic
You are happier after a hillwalk because your body is flushed with endorphins (the feel-good hormones)
This happiness carries over into your everyday life and lasts for several days
You improve your mental health over time when you go hillwalking regularly (it’s an excellent way to become less depressed, less anxious, etc.)

Improved physical and mental health are not the only benefits that hillwalking can have on you. It also helps you to develop your character. You improve your self-discipline, self-esteem and self-confidence, and you learn to trust yourself more.

Is it safe to drink water from burns or rivers?

This depends on several factors. Drinking from fast-flowing mountain burns close to the source is very safe.

Avoid drinking water from burns if:

• A dead deer or sheep lie close by (in this case, go further upstream and refill your bottle there)
• The water in the burn is not fast-flowing (more like a trickle) or very shallow
• You are very far away from the source
• You are in an area with a lot of livestock (for example next to a field of cows or sheep)
• You are in an area that is very popular amongst (wild)campers (because, unfortunately, not everyone is responsible and respects the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, so they answer their call of nature very close to water, although they shouldn’t)

And, please, never drink water from lochs. Only fast-flowing water is safe to drink.

What wind speed is ok for hiking in the hills?

Wind speed is a tricky thing. Firstly, you have to distinguish between wind and gusts when you check the mountain weather forecast. The general wind speed is what you can expect to be the minimum during that day.

Gusts can be significantly stronger than the regular wind speed and can take you by surprise. If the regular wind speed is about 30mph and the forecast says there might be gusts up to 50mph, be prepared for arduous conditions further up.

Can you go hillwalking when you have a fear of heights?

Yes! Hillwalking is perfect, actually, if you want to conquer your fear of heights. I’m suffering from it myself and have made massive progress over the years. Before I started hillwalking, I couldn’t even stand on a ladder without becoming dizzy.

So I encourage you to go up a hill despite the fear. Start with little exposure and broad ridges and build from there. With every walk, you will gain more confidence and trust in yourself, which is the best way to get rid of the fear.

Is it dangerous to go solo hiking?

Going solo carries a higher risk because if something happens, you are alone, and no one can get help for you. BUT this really shouldn’t hold you back from going solo. In fact, solo hillwalking every now and then will have a lot of benefits:

• You don’t have to compromise when it comes to choosing a walk
• You can fully immerse yourself in your surroundings for a more intense experience of nature
• In case you’re an introvert: You can recharge your social battery

For extra safety measures, if you feel a bit uneasy when going solo, you can do the following:

• Take a navigation and/or a mountain skills course to learn more skills that will help keep you safe and give you more confidence
• Tell someone close to you where you go, what you plan to do and when you estimate to get back
• Get a personal locator beacon
• Choose routes at first that don’t take you on very remote terrain
• Choose popular walks where you will meet other people (any Munro on a sunny Saturday or Sunday is a safe bet for that)

9. Hillwalks for beginners

Easy Munros

Any Munro takes effort to climb, and you need to prepare the walk properly. Some Munros involve more effort – either because they are very remote or the terrain that needs to be crossed is very complex and rugged.

On the other hand, there are Munros that require less effort. They are easily accessible and have good paths almost all the way to the top, with less complex terrain to cross.

A few examples of such “easy” Munro walks are:

Cairngorm
Mount Keen
Schiehallion
Ben Chonzie
Ben Wyvis

All of these are straightforward hillwalks on a fair weather day, but please don’t underestimate them – especially not when the weather is less favourable. This can even make easy hillwalks a real challenge.

Corbetts and Grahams are nice hills too – and less frequented

Although they are overshadowed (literally) by the higher Munros, you can find some wonderful hills amongst the Corbetts and Grahams. If you prefer solitude and less crowded paths, you will rather find them here.

Especially on the weekends, the paths to and from the Munros can get flooded with people. If you decide to bag a Corbett or a Graham instead, you will be surprised by how quiet the paths can be. I have once walked for eight hours on a very fine Sunday and haven’t seen one person, only because I had decided to walk up a Corbett.

Prepare for a Corbett or a Graham just as you would for a Munro

If you decide to bag a Corbett or a Graham, the same rules apply as to Munros: Check the mountain weather forecast and pack accordingly. You might think that Corbetts and Grahams are easier than Munros because they are lower, but that is very far from the truth.

Many Corbetts and Grahams are remoter than Munros, which means they require a longer walk-in and -out. Apart from that, because they are less visited and popular than Munros, many of them don’t have straightforward paths that you can follow, which gives you an extra challenge in navigation.

Although Corbetts and Grahams are lower than Munros it doesn’t mean that you don’t get a nice view from the summit. It rather depends on their location within the wider landscape than on their height.

So, by all means bag all those Munros, but give the Corbetts and Grahams a chance too. They might surprise you in a lot of positive ways. 🙂

Here is a list of Corbetts that I classify as beginner-friendly:

Little Wyvis
Meall a’ Bhuachaille
Morrone

If you want to go for a beginner-friendly Graham, I can recommend these:

Geallaig Hill
Meall Fuar-mhonaidh

For more inspiration, check out the full range of my beginner-friendly and easy hillwalks. I add new ones regularly.

10. Get ready for your first hillwalking adventure

Apart from all the things you have to think about and check in advance, THE most important thing when it comes to hillwalking is that you have a lot of fun.

With the information above, you are well equipped to go on an easy hillwalk and to test the waters – or, more precisely: the paths.

If you feel that you aren’t confident about venturing alone, ask your friends to come along or look for a walking group in your area. Facebook is a great source to connect with like-minded people. There are lots of walking groups that organise walks regularly. Just search for “hillwalking” in the group category.

Before you go, download this guide as PDF so that you have it ready as a reference whenever you need it. Simply sign up for my newsletter and after confirming your subscription you will receive a download link for the guide.

See you on the hills
Natalie