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.
I took the short walk to Grey Mare’s Tail in Kinlochleven on a quiet November day. This was a short walk that packed in a real punch for views. Here’s how my little wander went.
Here’s a handy little hiking time calculator based on Naismith’s rule! How accurate is it? Well, as ever, these things depend on your own fitness and so forth. But I’ve always found Naismith’s rule to be a handy benchmark to aim for in terms of time for any given route.
Dovestone is a beautiful place in the Peak District’s Dark peak, nestled amongst the Saddleworth Hills. But there’s far more for hikers here than reservoir walks. Here’s a hiker’s guide to Dovestone Reservoir and the surrounding hills.
Fancy yourself quite the brain box when it comes to Munro mountains of Scotland? Put your knowledge to the test in this 20 question Munros Quiz and find a host of other interesting facts and figures about Scotland’s Munros right here.
Choosing the right backpack is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when preparing for a hiking trip. This choice determines whether the pack
Running in the mountains during winter offers an exhilarating mix of challenge and beauty, from icy trails to snow-covered landscapes. However, winter mountain running requires preparation, strength, and the right gear to ensure both safety and enjoyment. Here’s a guide on how to tackle these conditions effectively.
The Ogwen Valley is just something else. Spectacularly beautiful with its rugged, rocky peaks and pristine valley, there are hikes here suitable for all types of hikers and walkers. And here are 5 of the best Ogwen Valley hiking routes in my humble opinion!
I fell in love with Merrell a few years ago when I got a pair of hiking boots I just LOVED. But it’s been all downhill since then unfortunately with consistent quality issues and absolutely awful “waterproofing”. So, is Merrell a good hiking brand? Well, in my opinion, largely not. But let’s talk about it in more detail.
I took a cold, rainy November day hike out to Steall Falls, Glen Nevis, just a short distance from Fort William. Here’s how this gorgeous short waterfall walk went.
I’ve made no secret of my love for Mammut jackets and midlayers. But I think the women’s Aenergy Light hooded is the best of the bunch. Here’s my review and why I LOVE it so much.
So you want to hike Snowdon? Well, you have plenty of choice. There are 5 potential starting points for your hike up Snowdon, each offering different paths and scenery along the way. Here’s the key information about them all.
I’ve been wearing Mammut midlayers and jackets for over 3 years now. So is Mammut a good hiking brand? Well here’s my takes on the pros and cons of buying hiking and mountaineering gear from them.
Even the best waterproof jacket in the world is going to need reproofing eventually. And if you want to get more life out of your waterproof jacket investment, then reproofing it properly is the key. After 6 years of reproofing jackets (sometimes well, sometimes not) this is now my go to as the best method of reproofing.
Osprey hiking bags are certainly are the higher end of the price scale when compared with other options on the market. But are they worth it? And is Osprey a good hiking brand? Here’s my honest take after just about 3 years of hiking exclusively with Osprey bags.
It has been so long since I got the Osprey Sirrus 36 that it has since been replaced with the Sirrus 34! Nonetheless, having spent almost 3 years hiking with this backpack, I now feel qualified to review it properly. So here’s what you need to know.
I bought the Osprey Sirrus 24 women’s hiking bag back in May 2022. After almost 2 and half years of use, only now do I feel qualified to actually write a review! So here’s my honest take on this hiking backpack designed specifically for the female body.
A hiking bag is a hiking bag, right? So when premium end brands start marketing some as “women’s” specifically, what’s the deal? Well, there IS a benefit for female hikers in using bags designed specifically for a women’s body. Let’s look at them!
I’m planning the Welsh 3000s in 24 hours challenge for next summer. Having done most of them individually, I already know how tough a challenge this will be. Here’s the list and the route I’ll be taking
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!
After much deliberation, I opted for the Rab Cirrus Alpine synthetic insulated jacket to see me through my winter hiking season. After a couple of weeks of testing on some cold weather walks and in some rainy conditions, here’s my review.
There’s something utterly magical about a cloud inversion from a pretty mountain summit. But how do you increase your chances of getting one? Well, I’m no meteorologist, that’s for sure. But I’ve spent plenty of time trying to figure it out and I’ve had a lot of success over the last year. So here’s what I’ve learned about forecasting cloud inversions.
With a pretty positive forecast suggesting the possibility of cloud inversions in the Hope Valley at the weekend, I set a 5am alarm and headed off in the hope that I could enjoy my morning coffee on Winnat’s Pass with beautiful skies and cloud inversions. I was NOT disappointed.
So you want to hike Mam Tor? But which route should you take? Where should you park? And what other hills are worth a visit while you are there? Let’s take a look in this guide to hiking Mam Tor.
With winter on the way, we take a little look at how to ensure you stay warm whatever your outdoor adventure of choice.
Hypothermia kills hikers in the UK’s mountains every single year. That’s just a fact. Despite our relatively mild climate, the cold combined with the wet here means people are at risk of hypothermia when hiking mountains if not properly equipped. In this guide, we talk about what hypothermia is, how it happens, how to prevent it and how to spot the signs when hiking in the UK’s mountains.
Hiking with your kids can be so incredibly rewarding for both them and you. It’s so wonderful when you can both share a passion. But as hiking can be mentally and physically challenging, it’s not always the easiest thing to get your children involved in. And of course, their enjoyment is paramount. So here are some top tips learned from hiking hundreds of miles with my children.
So you’re shopping for a new winter hiking jacket? Chances are you’ve got 101 different decisions to make (brand, colour, style, size, breathability, pack-away-a-bility… the list goes on). And one such decision is going to be about whether to go for a synthetic insultation jacket or a down jacket. So just what is best? Let’s take a look at the facts.
In November 2023, I bought the Mammut Alto Guide Hooded women’s waterproof jacket. Over 10 months, many hikes, hundreds of school runs, many adventures and much rain)later, here’s my review.
Cold hands do NOT make for good scrambling hands. But how do you keep those fingers comfortable with winter scrambling without sacrificing on grip and mobility? And even in summer, sometimes a pair of gloves is essential to stop your hands being torn to pieces. So let’s take a look at the best scrambling gloves.
Winter hiking is on its way again. But for those of us hiking mountains, Autumn on the ground means wintery temperatures up top already. So as I prep my winter hiking kit, I’ve put some battery powered heated socks and gloves from HeatPerformance to the test. Here’s what I think.
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!
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