I am in training and need some UK hill walks recommendations

[Kellamity]

I have signed up to do the Inca Trail in September 2013. I am not fit at the moment but now have 17 months to train which I have been told is plenty. I have a gym membership and also have access to some hill walking locally but I would like to arrange a few of weekends away between now and when I go to do some more challenging hill walking. I am in the south west so don't want to travel too far as I also have 3 children to consider childcare wise.

Are you near the coast? If you can get onto the SW coastal path you can do a day or two at a time until you have done the whole thing, as a sort of project. The constant uppy downy nature of it means you will climb just as much as you would in an ascent of a single hill. And it's very beautiful.

That's a good idea - I know the Exmoor section of the coast path is very uppy-downy, and if you base yourself there there's lots of walking in Exmoor - pretty gentle slopes but you can put together some lovely long walks. It'd be a great place to start.

I live in Wiltshire so the coast is definitely one to consider for a weekend away. Thanks will look into it. That's what I need - up and down training!!

If you want to start light, with something flat and long distance, are you anywhere near the Ridgeway? Doesn't that go through (end in?) Wiltshire, near the white horse (not sure which one).

Yep have got the Ridgeway on my list, i live very close to where I can access it and I have a white horse I can climb locally too.

If I were you I would plan one holiday close to somewhere you can do a long sustained uphill slogs - Lake District, Wales or Scotland, basically, maybe in the Summer of 2013. Or abroad - alps or pyrenees or somewhere. Or walk a Greek gorge from the bottom up.

It sounds great - good luck!

Also, don't underestimate the benefit of just walking everywhere even for short distances. I know that might be tricky with children, but if you are in a situation where you have time to walk somewhere rather than take the car or train or whatever, then do so.

Cotswold way?

Dartmoor is better for long hillwalking days than Exmoor: you can try to get in several tors in a day. If you have backup drivers you can even walk from (say) Okehampton or Ivybridge to Princetown/Postbridge in a day.

If you will have to carry your own kit on the Inca trail (I don't know about this) then you should have a few weekends or even weeks of walking with a full pack for overnight stops.

The Malverns are nice. Or pick a Monroe. How hard is the trail? We did the West Highland Way - about 95km I think.

THe newly completed coastal path which goes all round the Welsh coast (800 and some odd miles) is very uppy and downy in places. OR there is Offa's dyke which runs along the Welsh/English border. SNowdonia has some great climbs.

The Long Mynd in Shropshire is a really good climb. Good train station at Church Stretton close to start of paths.

The Malverns are even better as there's a whole sequence of ups and downs.

You can get the train to Colwall - just cross the line by the footbridge and you are walking straight into the hills. Or Great Malvern station itself, of course.

I think the hardest walking I have ever done was actually on the Dorset coastal path!

Brecon Beacons would be good for a long weekend.