Anyone into hiking?

[Minniemagoo]

I used do a lot of hiking when younger but due to kids and ill health am now overweight and unfit. I had my last op 3 months ago and really feel much healthier and want to get back into hiking.
Dh and I have a couch to big hike next year plan and I was wondering if any other hikers wanted to start a chat or if you could recommend a good hikers online chat?
We are hoping to do the Kerjag and Preikestolen in Stavanger over a weekend next summer.

Get up early to beat the crowds for Priekestolen

Excuse me place marking. I'm very unfit but would love to get into hiking so I hope you get some helpful replies.

Thanks Soul - we are actually going to do both hikes guided and early morning. It's a while since I did any real hikes so wanted to not stress. We are hoping to get some local long hikes in between now and Easter and then book the flights etc all going well.

What do you call hiking? A day trip up & down Scafell Pike or trek into the wilderness for 7 days with everything you need carried on your back?

There were South Korean tourists in high heels 'hiking' to Priekestolen when we were there. It's a pleasant walk with an amazing view at the end but if it's a wilderness challenge you're looking for it might be a disappointment. And by early i mean 4am

lljkk I'd love to build back up to wilderness hiking, one of my best memories was doing that in Canada but for now some decent day hikes to start.

soul yes the Priekestolen hike starts at 4am! We'll probably do that the second day.

Perfect then! We were camping and it was June so pretty much doesn't get dark and we sick of trying to sleep so thought we might as well get on with it. Meeting the crowds on the way back down confirmed that it was definitely the right thing to do. We had the whole of pulpit rock to ourselves briefly which was great.

I love hiking.

So far just day hikes. I’m about half way through bagging the 214 Wainwrights. I go to the Lakes 2 or 3 weeks a year. Go hiking in The Peaks as well.

I’m doing the Coast to Coast next year and would love to do some longer ones after that. Maybe something in Scotland like The Great Glen way. Just get nervous working out the logistics. Where to stay, how much food to carry, etc

Ultimately I’d like to spend six months hiking the PCT in America.

Soul we would love to have it less crowded but I imagine August will be busy even at 4am!
The plan is to do Slieve Donard at Easter and if that goes well we'll book the trip. I haven't done that walk before and it looks a lovely moderate walk.
Golddust I am hoping to go from very unfit to doing a 2 hike weekend next August. I was trying to think of a moderate target and these 2 hikes took my fancy. Am just going to work up to it. So far I am just building up my walking stamina in local parks etc. If I keep it up my first reward will be a new pair of boots at Christmas.

Nico Wow thru hiking the PCT would be amazing. I did some 2/3 days hikes on parts of it 20 years ago when I spent 4 months working in California.

Oh amazing, which parts did you do?

I feel I know it intimately. . I’m on every years FB group for thru hikers. I’ve read every book.

But I just need to either convince work to let me have a sabbatical (never going to happen) or retire a bit early and walk it at 60yo. Someone who was in their 70s did it this year so there is hope. But obviously the younger you are the easier it would be.

Maybe I should just do the John muir trail.

Sorry, was having dinner. I did mostly trips to the parks/known day hikes like Sonora and did get to do the upper canyons at Tuolumne which was a 3 day hike. Luckily I was able to pick my time off as some of the park access gets busy when you are driving to do day/weekend hikes.
I'd love to be planning something like the John Muir trail, maybe in a couple of years.

Yes, apparantly the permits for John muir are hard to get though. Limited permits and lots of demand. I’d love to go to El Cap as well, you can hike down into the valley from Tulommne area can’t you?

Yes I think you can (it was 20 years ago :) ). I know permits are getting much harder to get, more people wanting them and more interest in protecting the trails.
I had to Google the 214 wainrights as I am in Ireland and that a great achievement.

Well I’ve not finished yet. It’s just finding the time when I live too far away to even go up for a weekend. But it certainly gives a focus to walking holidays.

Happy to see this thread but all these overseas ones are a bit ambitious for me. Nico, please can you recommend your favourites in the PD? (trying to make it sound as cool and mysterious as PCT.....embarrassed that I don't know what that is )

My favourite PD hike is from Castleton, walk up Cave Dale and then across to The Great Ridge, along the ridge and to Lose Hill and then down to Hope, then back to Castleton.

I also like a hike from Curbar gap car park, along curbar edge, Froggatt edge, down to the cafe at Grindleford for lunch. Back along the river. Pint in the pub at Calver and back to the car.