Participation
Britain offers a wide variety of ascents, from gentle rolling lowland hills to some very exposed routes in the moorlands and 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.
Some summits require climbing skills, and many hillwalkers will become proficient in scrambling. In Britain, the term "mountaineering" tends to be reserved for expeditions abroad to ranges such as the Alps, or for serious domestic hillwalking, typically 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. The British Mountaineering Council provides more information on this topic.
In Britain, popular locations for hillwalking include the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia, the Quantock Hills & Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons & Black Mountains, Dartmoor, Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, including the Cairngorms, the 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 can make walking in many areas challenging.
Peak bagging provides a focus for the activities of many hillwalkers. Among the many lists compiled for this purpose, with the Munros – mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet (914.4 m) – particularly popular, and Corbetts and Marilyns gaining in popularity.
The Ramblers Association, the British Mountaineering Council and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland promote the interests of hillwalkers in the UK and provide information for their members and others.
Microsites which champion the cause of hillwalking or fellwalking include The Online Fellwalking Club.
Read more about this topic: Hillwalking