By Oliver Anderson
As our How 2 the Hills project draws to a close, hear from Oliver, one of our fantastic participants, about his experience in the series.
Throughout June, July, and August I went to the How 2 Hills walks hosted by Mhor Outdoor. I had previously mainly gone walks on flat ground so the idea of climbing hills was a bit daunting. I wondered if my lack of fitness would prevent me from completing the hills.
Usually I walked by myself so I worried about meeting people and what it’d be like to walk with others. On the walks we were led by Emily and sometimes Mat who were very understanding and allowed me to go at my own pace and provided some equipment like hiking poles which were helpful during the trip.
We were given suggestions on what to bring and learnt about how to navigate, use maps, and use compasses. They helped the group introduce ourselves to each other and I found the public transport rides to be a good opportunity to get to know the people I would be walking with.
The series helped me become confident in completing challenging walks, reminded me that there is no rush to reach a destination, allowed me to make new friends, and encouraged me to get out of the house even when it was raining – it’s better to accept the weather for its temperamentality than wait for a sunny day in Scotland!
