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.
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.
Nothing ruins a hike quite like blisters. How can something so small cause so much pain and discomfort? So, if you’re anything like me and you’re practically phobic of getting them on your hiking days, here’s a few tips to help you prevent them.
The Peak District’s Dragon’s Back refers to the near scaly appearance of the ridge line running over Chrome Hill and onto Parkhouse Hill. I hiked them both recently and here’s how it went.
The National 3 Peaks challenge encompasses Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – the highest peaks in each of Scotland, England and Wales respectively. To add to this challenge, participants attempt to complete them all in 24 hours – which also involves a lot of driving. It’s a fun challenge and very tough but my least favourite thing about it is the amount of people on each of those summits. So here’s a few alternative challenges.
Throwing back to my first solo munro hike up Sgòr Gaoith. The summit on this one really does have some of the most wonderful views. Here’s how it went.
On a sunny August morning, I made a revisit to Old Man of Coniston. Tight for time and really only revisiting to get the view I did NOT get the last time, I took short route up for just that one summit. Here’s how it went.
Hiking is a great stress reducer and can actually help increase your productivity. But when you’ve under pressure with tight deadlines and exams, how do you make sure you can fit it all in? Let’s take a look/
Discover the benefits of hiking for students! Learn how taking a break from schoolwork to enjoy the outdoors can boost mental health, improve academic performance, foster social connections, and enhance physical fitness. Find practical tips for starting your hiking journey and balancing it with your studies
Pen Yr Ole Wen looked absolutely magnificent from Devil’s Kitchen when I hiked up there earlier in the year. So I knew then that my next trip to Snowdonia’s Ogwen Valley simply had to be up to Pen Yr Ole Wen’s summit. I took that hike up via the East Ridge in early May 2024. Here’s the route, some photos and how it all went.
Canada is a huge place with some of the best hiking in the world. While we couldn’t possibly claim to be able to tell you EVERYTHING you need to know in once single sentence, we can certainly offer up some key information for those of you planning a hiking led adventure break in arguably the most beautiful part of North America.
I took the long trip up to Assynt last weekend with my eyes firmly set on the prize of the two Munro summits of Conival and Ben More Assynt. In the end, I only got the one!! But here’s how that hike went and some photos from a generally beautiful day.
I’ve lost count of the number of times a hiking route has seen me wading through a river. And what’s worse than finishing your hike with wet feet is spending the best part of a week waiting for your hiking boots to dry after. So here’s my rundown of tried and tested methods of drying your hiking boots FASTER!
Getting caught in a thunderstorm on a mountain puts you at much greater risk of being struck by lightning than if you were at ground level. So what do you do if you get caught in a thunderstorm on a mountain as a hiker?
Annaupurna I is officially the world’s deadliest mountain. And yet hundreds have attempted to scale it. In this article, we’re rounding up the fact about the world’s most lethal mountain.
I solo hike a LOT and one of the questions I get more often than questions about routes is about personal safety when hiking alone as a woman. So here’s how I reduce risk and stay safe when hiking solo in the UK.
As someone with a chronic hiking addiction, of course I’m going to preach all about the benefits. But don’t just take my word for it. Science (yes, actual science) and people far smarter and more qualified than me have proven a ton of benefits and here are some of them.
A stunning day out hiking in Scotland with 3 munros in the Lawers range. Here’s how Beinn Glas, Ben Lawers and Meall Corranaich went on a sunny solo hiking day in Scotland.
Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’Chroin was the first hiking route I took with a new (at the time) hiking buddy. It promised two munros, some wonderful potential views and a bit of a scramble up to the Stuc a’Chroin summit. So just how did it go? Here’s the route and the review.
An Autumn walk at the Hermitage near Dunkeld in Scotland with some incredible weather, phenomenal views and two (yes two) beautiful waterfalls – here’s how an afternoon of wandering/walking/hiking at the Hermitage went.
I really miss my youngest being small enough to pop in the “bag” as I called it (or my toddler carrier), sling on my back and take him out for a walk. I just gave my hiking carrier away and he’s officially too big for any of the carriers now. But here are some of the ones I tried and my take on the best.
A strenuous hike could leave you feeling it physically for days. So if you want to cut your recovery time and get back out on
Hiking trips are typically associated with remote locations. But here are some superb suggestions for hiking destinations in spots with great night life too.
I’ve been up Ben Nevis twice and, despite there being as much footfall on that mountain path as a busy motorway services, both have been enjoyable hikes in their own way. Interested in Ben Nevis yourself? Here are a few fascinating facts about Britain’s highest mountain.
Statistics show we’re buying all sorts online. But what about your hiking boots? What are the pros and cons of going in store vs buying online?
I took a February midweek hike up Y Garn via Devil’s Kitchen (Snowdonia). The weather played ball, the views were amazing and it was a fantastic hike. Here’s the route, some photos, a review and some practical information.
I’l never get tired of banging this same drum! Hiking is the PERFECT family activity. So here’s a little bit inspiration for where to go with the family and a few tips for those venturing into hiking with the children
The Trinnacle Trail is a hiking route near Dovestone Reservoir in the Dark Peak area of the peak district. It takes its name after the unique three pronged gritstone formation most ascend to see. Here’s our take on it and a few route options.
Hiking is a fun pastime that combines nature, the outdoors and exercise – making a superb hobby for both mental and physical health. And if you’re new to it and you’re just thinking about getting involved, here are of the very basic tips to know!
In what is possibly my favourite ever use of AI to date, I got Midjourney to generate some very funky themed technical hiking boots for me. Some are hideous, granted. But there’s some of these I would definitely wear if they existed. Here they are…
Edzell is a beautiful village in Angus, just on the border of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. There’s a popular walking route there known as the Blue Door Walk. I took a jaunt on a longer circular from Edzell village, to the blue door and up to the rocks of solitude along the North Esk River. Here’s how it 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!