Hillwalking - Guides

Guides

W A Poucher wrote several guide books of British hills and mountains which describe, in detail, the various routes up specific mountains; the precautions needed and other practical information useful to walkers. The guides cover Wales, Peak District, Scotland, Isle of Skye and the Lake District. Even more detailed guides were written by Alfred Wainwright but these are mainly restricted to the Lake District and environs. Both authors describe the major paths, their starting points and the peaks where they end, with important landmarks along each route. Neither are entirely comprehensive, so Poucher for example, has no routes at all in the Berwyns or Clwydian hills in North Wales, and he describes relatively few walks in South Wales.

Major guides to the many long-distance footpaths in Britain are provided by HMSO for the Countryside Commission, one of the first being that for the Pennine Way by Tom Stephenson. Many other volumes are available and in print, such as the South Downs Way and The Ridgeway. There are fifteen such National Trails in the United Kingdom, covering both mountainous and coastal regions, with many more established by local authorities in lowland regions.