How do you start hiking?

[YerWanIsGettinNotions]

I went on a hike with some colleagues on my last trip to the US. I was nervous as I'm middle aged, overweight and unfit, but found I benefited from a Londoner and therefore used to walking and I finished it feeling great. I really enjoyed the exercise, the views and the company.

Now I'm home I'd like to do some hikes again in the UK. I just don't know how or where to start! I don't have any friends locally as I'm a blow-in, so I wouldn't have anyone to go with. DH would never come with me (in a million trillion years) and the kids need minding at home (DD gets tired, DS gets bored) so it would have to be a half-day or so out to start with as I couldn't regularly be gone a whole day on my own.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or recommendations of beginners groups?

You can just start going out for a walk and then a longer walk and then a longer walk etc.

But if that's no fun because you'd be on your own, you could see if these have groups or events local to you. Also look at websites like Slowways and the Canal Trust as they might also be a source of inspiration.

www.ldwa.org.uk/

www.ramblers.org.uk/

There may be local walking groups too that are unaffiliated to the big organisations and just do their own thing - a local library might have information about them if you can't find anything online. Also ask in a local Facebook group. For example, the town of Alton in Hampshire had a special walks month in May when they put on loads of walks of different lengths for people. Other places might do things like that too.

www.walkalton.org.uk/

Ramblers are great

Walking is fabulous.

If you want company - There lots of walking groups - google near where you live to find one.
Join a guided walk in a part of the country you would like to walk in
Visit an outdoors shop and ask them for advice - not just on products but where is good to go in their area
Go on a navigation course - I found this invaluable in giving me confidence to put my boots on and go on a walk.
There are also magazines / websites that have walking suggestions in.

Ramblers
Meetup walking
Meetup hiking
Nordic walking

One or all will have local group

Join “wild wanderers - women only” on Facebook. They also have subgroups for local area

If you are comfortable going on your own there’s an app called AllTrails that I’ve found helpful. Gives you route ideas and shows length, difficulty etc

Thank you so much! Those look really helpful - I shall have to do some research later tonight!

Not sure if you use the app ‘Nextdoor’ but there are always people near me on there asking if there are any local walking groups.

Agree with pp though, I would just go for it! If you don’t mind walking alone, I would just pick fairly popular routes so you know there’ll always be other people around.