Welcome to the Our Sporting Life hiking blog. I’m Stacey and I’ve been hiking religiously since 2020. Lockdown helped me discover local trails and since then I’ve been bagging munros, Wainwrights, as many hills and mountain ridges as I can find, plus flatter trails too. I’m absolutely hooked. Most of the hiking blog posts here are written by me. I cover routes, reviews, gear and other features relating to hiking (mostly in the UK because that’s where I am). And I’m a firm believer that nobody should write about a route they haven’t done themselves. That’s why we don’t have thousands upon thousands of route reviews, but instead a smaller number of the ones we’ve done ourselves and can do into more detail on.
Sometimes, other members of our team of guest contributors may share hiking articles here too, but we only publish content on topics that the writer has experience of.
Fancy a bit of a hiking challenge in 2026? Want to raise some vital funds for charity while you do it? Prefer hiking as part of an organised event? Then here are some of the key charity hiking challenges taking place in the UK over the course of 2026.
Alphin Pike is by no means the biggest hill in the Peak District. But this is the biggest hill near me. Forget size though. It’s the views that really make this one worth the hike.
My 5 year old is autistic. Amongst the many things he loves, being outdoors is probably the one he loves most. And this works incredibly well for me personally as I love it too. But the more I learn in my bid to help Liam thrive, the more I am led to believe that there really is a pinch of magic in being outside for autistic children in particular.
In the UK, we’re immensely proud of our sporting culture. The Three Lions have become a powerhouse in world football again. Our football pyramid is
Knowing what to buy for the hiker in your life who seems to have everything already is no mean feat. But we’ve got you covered with 21 hiking gift ideas in 4 budget ranges – under £10, under £20, under £50 and big budget indulgence!
Microspikes and crampons – what are the differences? And more to the point, which ones do you actually need if you’re planning to head out hiking this winter?
Mountain tourism is one of the most popular forms of active recreation, attracting thousands of people every year. For many, hiking is not only a
Glencoe Lochan was something of an unplanned little wander for me. And I’m so glad I went. The spectacular scenery and incredible effort to rewards ratio had be wandering why I’d never been before. So let me share it with you.
Ben A’an’s BIG Views I was on my way back from a longer hiking weekend when I took a little hike up Ban A’an, a
Hiking offers proven mental and physical benefits for people over fifty. Explore how regular trails improve heart, joints and focus.
I hiked up Crib Goch and Garnedd Ugain in the hunt for cloud inversions last week. And I got rather lucky! This is one solo hike that will live long in the memory.
Preparation for a hiking day, particularly a longer or more strenuous one, starts some time before you boot up and hit the trail. Here’s how I prep for longer hiking days.
A beautiful and short child/family friendly walk in the Scottish Highland featuring two stunning waterfalls, a beautiful gorge and lots of interesting bridges for little legs. This one is the Golspie Big Burn walk and I took it with my 3 sons in August 2025. Here’s the route and how we found it.
On a sunny Friday afternoon in August, I headed over to Eryri to enjoy a hike and scramble up Moel Siabod via the glorious Daear Ddu ridge. Here’s the route and my review of what is, in my opinion, one of the finest mountains in Wales.
Inov-8 might be better known for its running kit than its hiking gear. But after buying a couple of hiking clothing items and, more notably, switching to Inov-8 for my hiking boots, here’s my take on whether or not Inov-8 also makes a decent hiking brand
Essay writing can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Staring at a blank page, searching for a compelling topic, or struggling to structure your thoughts
In today’s fast-paced academic environment, students are often looking for ways to enhance their focus, creativity, and overall writing performance. While traditional methods like brainstorming
In the digital age, where constant notifications and endless tasks compete for our attention, maintaining focus while writing essays can feel like an uphill battle.
Tryfan is something of a mountain rescue hotspot, with Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue regularly called out. With recent fatalities and the frequency of call outs, we take a look at just how dangerous Tryfan is and how to stay safe on a mountain like this.
I do love me a bit of adrenaline. And Via Ferratas have so much appeal. But we’re actually quite short of Via Ferratas in the UK. With that said, I headed to the Lake District to try out Honister Slate Mine’s Via Ferrata Xtreme. Let’s dive in…
On a sunny July Friday, I took a 12km circular hike in the Peak District which included the Roaches and Lud’s Church. Here’s the route I took and how it went.
What are the best hiking brands available to buy in the UK? Well based on several years of hiking and spending thousands upon thousands on hiking kit (some good, some bad, some ugly), here’s my take on the best hiking gear brands you can get your hands on.
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is an incredibly busy summit. But just how many people visit? How busy does that keep mountain rescue? We look at these and more figures in our Snowdon statistics round up.
You’ve probably heard grades referenced when talking about scrambling. But just what is involved with Grade 1, 2 and 3 scrambling? We take a look at the differences.
It seems like an endless debate online as to whether mountain hikers “should” wear hiking boots, lower hiking shoes or trail runners. But which is best? Let’s take a little look.
Having traversed both Liathach and Aonach Eagach, this is a summary of both and a comparison as to how the two fare in terms of difficulty. As ever, this is very subjective and based on my own views.
I’ve had my eye on Liathach for years and finally made up there on an early May weekend. What a beautiful hike and scramble. Here’s how I found the hike, the Munros and the pinnacles.
The Tarmachan Ridge has been on my must-hike list for some time. After bagging the Munro of Meall Nan Tarmachan in relatively poor weather last July, I went back on a clear bright day to enjoy a solo hike across the entire ridge, rebagging the Munro and bagging the 3 Munro tops along the way.
I hiked up Ben Chonzie last week for a little solo. I won’t lie. This was the dullest Munro I’ve ever hiked up – but fortunately, the view at the top that day (with cloud inversions) was a saving grace! Here’s the route, some photos and a review
“The Big Bookle” has been on my hiking bucket list for as long as I’ve been visiting Scotland to hike. So with a week of exceptional weather coinciding with a little hiking trip North of the border, I set out to the bag the two munros and the munro top of Buachaille Etive Mòr. Here’s the hiking route and how that walk went.
Traditionalists may not like it! But personally, I don’t like to risk being stuck on a hill or mountain with a dead phone or head torch battery. So I like to carry a portable charging device (or 2, or 3) with me. Here are the best portable charging banks for hiking that I’ve used. (And I’ve used a lot, by the way).
We don’t post loads on social (shock, horror, we know). But we will try harder… promise!