Six months in…

It’s amazing what some focused reflection can do to help solve a problem or gain insight into a tricky challenge.

My biggest concern regarding my outdoor progression recently has definitely been how to approach the Lowland Leader award. It sounds pretty straightforward – gain 10 walks in lowland terrain, go to a training course, gain another ten, go to an assessment. Maybe you’ll pass. But is it really that simple?

No. The reason is to do with the definition of ‘area’ and the problems a novice might face in terms of learning about the environment. ‘Area’ in the logbook for mountain training for the lowland leader scheme is defined as ‘county’. So you need to hike in three different counties, record ten walks and then do a training course. Right, but which counties and what sort of things will help with learning about the environment?

Up until about two weeks ago, I was happily planning on doing a weekend on the National Trails for my logbook. Until I realised that creating circular routes on them can be exceptionally challenging as they often pass through lowland farm areas. Also, it’s not really county focused. So what is another good way of approaching the syllabus?

I have been focusing on habitats, and have come to the conclusion that is is best to try find as many different ones as possible in a lowland environment. By choosing a county, I can then research the habitats in that county, and plan a walk at that location. I’m also going to be strategic with the whole county thing – thinking ahead, I’ll likely need some good lowland routes for days in the Lakes and North Wales when the weather is terrible but I still might have clients to lead. Therefore gaining some experience on lowland terrain in Gwynedd and Cumbria would be brilliant ideas…

Stay tuned!