Hiking/Mountaineering (eventually) starter. Any advice greatly appreciated

danbreslin

Basically this isn't part of a new year new me that will fail.
I always wanted to climb a mountain or do something extraordinary as I live a pretty ordinary life. I'm nearly 27 and I'm sick of the whole 20's lifestyle. I want to start saving for a mortgage as I am renting now so I am looking for a hobby..which will lead to mountaineering so naturally it's hiking.
I gave up smoking recently so I need it to compliment that and being outdoors (walking..jogging etc) is a great way of kicking the urge.
Im not going to completely get immersed in anythkng straight away as i do need to get fit before i even attempt to start hiking so im going to give myself 6/7 weeks to get into better shape and adjust to eating better/drinking less.
I've tried going to the gym but just give up on it so as I am a pretty goals oriented person (in work anyways) I have decided I going to book a holiday in the summer somewhere where I can do a hike and have a bit of an adventure so this will give me the end goal as such to stick to Hiking.
The thing is I haven't a clue about hiking other than a few documentaries I've watched and some read ups I've done online.
If anyone could give me any advice on the following I'd really appreciate it!
- what king of excersie is best.
- Is there a particular diet that would be helpful to getting used to being out for long periods of time
- where to get clothes, boots& accessories etc.
- is there anywhere to go for further information.

Any help is greatly appreciated, and happy new year to everyone on here!

Tigerandahalf

I know nothing about mountaineering but I enjoy going out for a walk or hike now and then. It is a great way to get some fresh air into the lungs and see some countryside.

Re clothing and footwear. Go to some outdoor type stores and browse and ask. GreatOutdoors in Dublin and many other local shops around the country.

You will need
Waterproof walking shoes or boots
Waterproof jacket and overtrousers (5000mm hydrostatic at least - it is a waterproof rating. 10,000mm is considered fully waterproof but the downside is less breathability)
Rucksack to take your stuff and snacks etc
Technical tshirts (not cotton as the cotton holds the sweat and is slower to dry)
Hiking trousers with plenty of pockets
Hiking socks (some people use merino wool)
Wooly hat to keep your head warm or a baseball cap in warmer weather.

The above is an ideal starter list for easy hikes and walks. It would cost 3 - 500eur to get the above but they are a great long term investment. I use mine for going outside anytime it is wet which is pretty often in this country.

There are various hillwalking groups around the country some of whom are on facebook and they detail when their next walk is. A good social outlet and a bank of knowledge to call on to get you started.

Re diet just eat sensibly. Giving up the fags is a great start. If you can stay off those everything else will be easy.

Outdoor store website

I have this jacket

falan

Well done for giving up smoking. I was in the exact same position as you. If you want to get into hiking from beginner then the first thing to get would be a good pair of hiking boots. I'd advise you to try them on in an outdoors shop and maybe check reviews before buying as hiking boots can vary in size compared to your normal size. You should try and get the best pair you can afford. The pair I have are called berghaus explorer ridge. They are goretex (waterproof) and fitted like a glove straight out of the box. They are so comfortable and have never given me so much as a blister.
You should also have good waterproof jacket and waterproof breathable pants. *important Do not wear cotton. Cotton retains moisture and cold as pointed out above. You should layer up when clothing. Craghoppers outdoor clothing have a online sale at the moment. Sports direct do some good clothing too for cheap enough. You could also check out clothing websites like 53 degrees north or the north face. (Expensive but top quality).
Tracksuit pants will even do you starting out or proper hiking trousers. So long as they are not cotton. You want clothes that dry fast.
You will need a rucksack once you start heading for the mountains. I have a 45 litre one from vango and it does the job for day hikes. You will need to bring water and more food than you need plus chocolate in case of emergency. You should bring spare change of clothes ideally in dry bags. (ideally not cotton) and an extra layer. Remember you will be warm once you are moving but once you stop even for a bite to eat you will start to get cold so pop on an extra layer when you stop to eat.
Start easy, don't kill yourself. You don't want to be climbing the biggest mountains in your first week. The best training for hiking is just get out and do it. Go for forest walks first if you can and some slopes. Nothing too mad. 3 to 7 km starting out the first few times. An hour or 2 walk the first few times. Eventually you can climb the bigger hills and start getting off the beaten path a bit so to speak and then learn basic map and compass. The fitness and distance will come after a few weeks/months. Are there any official walking trails near you? Maybe googling walking trails in your county. There's a few good ones near me that are ideal starting out. They are everywhere. Always bring a phone, digital waterproof watch. I just have a 15 euro cheap one from argos. Tell people where you are going and what time you'll be back and drink plenty water. You can drink from bottles but a great investment is what's called a platypus hydration bladder. 25 euro 2 litre pouch with a hose for drinking from. Great invention. Those are the basics starting out. You can get more gear once you get going like walking poles and gaiters etc. Oh and check the weather.

Tigerandahalf

The Irish Trails website here is a good place to start to explore trails around your area.

Some people have mentioned here before that TK Max are a good place to buy heavily discounted gear.

knucklehead6

Don't go on the hills alone. Especially not when starting out. It's easy to have a fall and hurt yourself, and if you're alone it's not a good place to be.

There are loads of hiking groups on meetup as well, they are out most weekends and evening hikes during the week.

flazio

Trails and coillteoutdoors.ie are good sites to find some easy loop trails to get you started. Loop trails are great because you decide before you go if the distance of the loop is doable, set off and just follow the signs which will lead you back to where you started. No need to worry about when to turn back.

hmmm

I think your short term goal should be to get fit enough to join a hiking club. The advantage of joining a club is you can benefit from the experienced hikers who can talk to you about good gear, and you'll be in a group where someone else will lead and show you the route. It's risky to be venturing into the hills without the proper navigation skills & particularly if you are on your own.

Once you have a base (the hiking club) you can decide whether any other outdoor activities interest you - climbing, mountaineering, hillrunning etc. The bigger clubs in particular usually have people who are into some combination of these things, or you can join other more specialised clubs.

If you're in Swords, the Howth circuit is relatively easy & would be good fitness training before hitting the bigger mountains.

danbreslin

Cheers folks!

Thanks for all the advice!

I'm gonna spend January getting fit and researching/getting in contact with some clubs! Gonna start walking a few miles every couple of nights and then gradually ease myself in and buying the equipment as I go..looking forward to finally getting out and doing it as I've been thinking of doing it for a long time!

Judge

Lots of good advice given already. I'll just add a mention for the Dublin Mountains Partnership. You'll find details of lots of well-marked trails on their site (linked). They also run organised hikes aimed at beginners on a regular basis throughout the year - details here (January hikes will probably appear during the week).

Since you're based in Swords, while there isn't much around there in terms of hills, there are some good coastal walks in the area such as from Donabate to Portrane and also from Portmarnock to Malahide. There are also some very good looped trails around Howth.

If you're looking for gear, it's worth keeping an eye out for deals at Lidl.

falan

Cheers folks!


Thanks for all the advice!


I'm gonna spend January getting fit and researching/getting in contact with some clubs! Gonna start walking a few miles every couple of nights and then gradually ease myself in and buying the equipment as I go..looking forward to finally getting out and doing it as I've been thinking of doing it for a long time!

Good stuff, it really is good to get outside but as others have said, Do not go high into the mountains without the right gear or experienced people. The mountains can change very quickly. It's a recipe for disaster. Check out something called 'naismiths' formula too.

sheesh

Dublin city center is a lovely city to walk around just go in and have a wander around for half a day if its nice or go along a beach for an hour its amazing how short a hour long walk seem after you have done a hike of over 4 hours. definitely a good thing to be getting into at your age you can make it as intense or as relaxed as you want.

I would pay attention to boots make sure they fit you properly find out if you have wide narrow high volume low volume feet and buy accordingly

exaisle

I've found mountainviews.ie to be of great help....and very informative too.

Losty Dublin

Baby steps first, Dan. While the waterproof's and heavy duty gear and boots are essentials should you wish to walk a lot, don't blow a fortune just yet until you find your feet and your own pace. On a day like today the likes of Bray Head walk or Howth or even the good ol Three Rock and Hellfire Club and Saggart Hill are safe bets that almost everybody can do without splashing out on walking gear. Judge's link to the Dublin Mountain Partnership is an excellent place to check out for easy ideas. You may find these to be enough for you; many do and they are the better for it.

I'd be the type to say just do it. Don't overanalyse it or think about training and getting fit to start...walking. To my mind, that should be the training. Head up some hills near Dublin, some safe routes with well established trails, and then progress to longer days out, gaining experience, maybe thinking about using a map and compass etc. There will be a time when you decide that you will need proper boots as the trails become less defined and the days out involve more open terrain, and that will be the same for all gear, as you push the boundaries you will pick up more and more gear. Don't treat it as something where one day you're unfit and you do some crash course in fitness and next you're on mountain tops in expensive gear.

Alun

I agree, just do it, but start on established trails first to get a level of fitness, and then join a club if possible to start getting out on to the open hills.

You can't really train for it IMO, just doing it is the best training. Also being fit for one sport doesn't always transfer into fitness for walking, they use different muscle groups, and there's a big difference between endurance sports and those requiring short bursts of energy. For example, I've been out walking with rugby players less than half my age, and while they're fast to start with and start whinging that I'm too slow, by the end of a 6-7 hour hike I'm leaving them for dead

luluzade

Lots of really good advice here but please try avoid cotton and tracksuits as much as you possibly can, if it rains or you sweat a lot they'll feel so heavy and make you feel so uncomfortable. Merino is absolutely unreal, keeps you nice and toasty when it's warm, and doesn't turn into a sweaty mess if you've been walking loads. Do not buy anything in the big outdoor shops, you will spend a ridiculous amount of money, i'd only ever go in if I was unsure of sizing, I buy all my equipment and clothes off sportpursuit.com , all their stuff is top quality brands but they have massive discounts. Mountain Warehouse is great for little things but things such as waterproof clothing you're better off buying the big brands, made the mistake of borrowing my mams mountain warehouse 'waterproof' jacket before and got drenched within 2 seconds. You don't necessarily needs waterproof boots though, leather ones are fine and I've been hiking since I was about 11 and they've never caused me any problems, and be aware of the fact you really need to keep waterproof things clean cos if you don't clean them (properly) you'll destroy them and will have wasted so much money.
Even if you only go Howth or Bray for starters make sure you tell someone where you are and be really careful, so many people I know have hurt themselves by acting like a gob****e.
Good luck with your new adventure, hiking is the best thing I've ever got into, gotten me into loads of outdoor activities and I've met some great people out of it :-)

Gasherbraun

Not sure how you are fixed for transport but Glendalough is a great location for building hill fitness. It is mainly marked trails and has the benefit of some of the greatest scenery in Ireland to look at as you walk. A good start would be a loop of the Spinc which is about 9kms with about 400m of climb and follows a very clear trail. It also takes you through the boulder field below the buttresses and since these are some of Ireland's most popular climbing and bouldering locations they may be of interest to you.

You can also link other walks in the area to create longer treks with mixed terrain

As others have said you will probably gain gear as your hiking becomes more off the beaten track and hopefully you will find what really works for you. What I wear works fully for me but took a bit of trial and error to get right.

Losty Dublin

luluzade wrote: »

Lots of really good advice here but please try avoid cotton and tracksuits as much as you possibly can, if it rains or you sweat a lot they'll feel so heavy and make you feel so uncomfortable.

I'll agree with you in essence but with one disclaimer. Some of the better quality tracksuits are reasonably showerproof and are made with lighter non cotton linings for use pitch side on wet match days. Yes they aren't suitable for heavy or prolonged rain in the hills but they'll get you by for showers, mild days and they will be fairly windproof for modest or less long walks. That said, in general trackies aren't advisable for hiking.