so i live in east anglia and have barely climbed a hill, let alone a mountain, but want to experience some height.
where is the nearest and easiest “starter” peak?
i cant really afford to treak to the far of scotish peaks so where do people recommend.
im not a really fit rambler and would be doing it on foot not bike.
any recommendations??

Snowdon. You can even get a train up and have tea and cake at the top.

Book your train well in advance and you could afford to come up to Scotland. Ben Nevis is the highest in the UK but the tourist route is really easy as long as you can read a map in case the weather turns

Tryfan, North ridge..

East Anglia? Well there’s the GogMagogs at Cambridge then 😆

More seriously second Tryfan, you can’t far wrong, nice and scrambly, not too high, lots of fun.

Brecon Beacons would be closer for you, but that’s more hill walking. Lovely, but not quite the same.

East Anglia has many things going for it, but sadly varied topography is not one. The Peak District is the most accessible upland area from here, and a good a place as any to get a taster. I think there are a couple of walking clubs locally that do trips (look on the noticeboard in your local branch of Cotswold etc).

Failing that, Beacon Hill is a massive 103m and has a nice view of Cromer.

2nd Tryfan! it’s a proper mountain shaped mountain,like kids draw, sticks outta the ground like a knife. Was walking down the side of it earlier on from The Glyders. Really accessible as well. Park car, go up, come down, back in car! Bosh.

Leith Hill – nosebleed zone.

The ‘Suffolk Alps’ a ridge running from Baylham towards Bramford. Once you’ve conquered them there’s the Barham Claydon peaks to go at. Take plenty of Mint Cake!

Tryfan, North ridge

In the dark, when it’s snowing and there is ice on the ground.

Any other conditions and it’s a walk in the park 😉

Snowdonia is good. Tryfan, Crib Goch and that. The Lakes too. But the Highlands are amazing. Anywhere in the Highlands for me.

any recommendations??

Find your nearest hillwalking / climbing club and join. Share petrol and get out with people who have a passion and are happy out there. Much more enjoyable, social and safe.

http://www.norfolkhillwalkingclub.co.uk/
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mwb/SDMCC/
http://www.uea.ac.uk/~gs636/retro/retro98pre/oldphotos.html

No need to go to Wales. Apparently there is a mountain in Essex – they’re holding the Olympic mountain bike races on it in 2012.

🙂

Don’t do Tryfan the first time. It’s probably one of the most technical ones in England and Wales and whilst not actually hard for a seasoned climber it might be a bit much for your first ever.

Moel Siabod is the one we always used to go on as an introduction. Starts off with a farm track then goes up through the rocky bits finishing with a scramble over big rocks but a gentle enough gradient so that you don’t feel like you’re going to fall anywhere.

There’s also Cadair Idris which is a rocky walk that goes up a lot, and has spectacular views from the top that will blow you away if you’ve never left Norfolk 🙂

cader does have great views but Tryfan [used to be able to see this from my student house] is in the heart of Snowdonia and will give impressive views even if you only make it to the lake.
Also easier to keep going if you are loving it
irc it the highest mountain you need to scramble on as well to ascent – maybe the welsh just say that though.
Dont tackle it fromt he worng side mind 😉

Tryfan is ace fun as a scramble, but for a first timer can easily lead you into difficulty. Just look at Ogwen MRT stats to see how many people get rescued from it after going the wrong way. There is a lot of steep hairy ground and no clear path.

Cadair is great day out, Snowdon has some great routes, take the Rhyd-ddu path to avoid the crowds.

Head to the lakes, go up Helvellyn via Swirral edge and Catstye Cam – for a nice small mountain summit, and a bit of easy scrambling.

Sleeper train to fort bill and go up Ben Nevis, go the CMD arete route for an awesome long day in the mountains. And feel superior to all the plebs on the tourist path on your way down!

I’ll suggest Pen-y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons. Pretty good transport links, easy walk up from A470 with a nice exposure edge at the summit and a crashed plane on one of the ridges if we don’t clear it before. The Ranulph Fiennes wannabes may mock it, but a fine entry-level mountain.

Failing that I quite like Cadir Idris for the scenery.

Ha Epicy! I just let out a loud chortle there.

I wouldn’t go up Tryfan for a first mountain personally – there are bits that some people could find pretty scary. Ben Nevis isn’t ideal either if you aren’t confident with navigating and the cloud comes in when you are on the top.

I would second the Helvellyn recommendation.

Done tryfan probably 8 times and never gone up the same track.

Dead easy to get into difficulty very soon though. But a proper sense of achievement when you jump adam and eve at the top!

just park in Llanberis, up llanberis path to the top of Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon and back down then. Can’t go wrong on a clear day, just follow the crowd! You’ll get the height and the views and that. and a sense of achievement. Then go to pete’s eats and get their massive burger to eat by the side of the lake. Great day out 🙂

http://www.fhc.co.uk/weather/weather.asp

Can you get to the hill walkers heaven that is the Lake District? There are endless delectable mountain paths leading to innumerable summits. You’ll just wish you’d brought you bike for the descent!

You’ll just wish you’d brought you bike for the descent!
isn’t that always the case!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_and_hills_of_the_United_Kingdom

Pic one.

O and here is what defibes a mountain:
Height over base of at least 2,500 m (8,202 ft).
Height over base of 1,500 m (4,921 ft).–2,500 m (8,202 ft). with a slope greater than 2 degrees
Height over base of 1,000 m (3,281 ft).–1,500 m (4,921 ft). with a slope greater than 5 degrees I go with this personally.
The ones below are americans not being able to count, and using mount when what they mean is mound.
Local (radius 7,000 m (22,966 ft). elevation greater than 300 m (984 ft)., or 300 m (984 ft)–1,000 m (3,281 ft). if local (radius 7,000 m (22,966 ft). elevation is greater than 300 m (984 ft).

Definitely North Wales for proper mountains is your nearest. I’m not sure that Tryfan north ridge is a ‘starter’ peak, but it’s certainly one of the more exciting walks (low grade scramble) and a proper looking mountain, as others have said. If you do it and continue on to descend down the south ridge, returning on easy paths back to your start, then I don’t see you having a high chance of getting into difficulty. Descending back down the north ridge is very difficult to navigate with lots of likelyhood of not following your route of ascent and straying onto steep ground. There’s downward paths everywhere and most of them, left and right, lead to very steep ground. I would not recommend descending down the north ridge of Tryfan.
Moel Siabod is a good one to do from near Capel Curig (pont cyfyng start), proper pointy mountain, but very technically easy walking up the ridge.
Another one that goes up a ridge, but is technically easy, is Glydr Fach up the Y Gribin ridge, this can be done from the bottom of Tryfan or parking further down the road at the Llyn Ogwyn car park ~~(you need to be there early to get a parking place). On all of them, you need to be able to navigate with a map and compass, you might get away with a GPS, but I would never rely completely on GPS.

oh shutup dirtynap. the bloke just wants to go higher than norfolk!!

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 definition of a mountain is any land over 600m.

Tryfan, North ridge
In the dark, when it’s snowing and there is ice on the ground.

Only managed the first, but I was also descending – does that make it tough enough to count?

Only managed the first, but I was also descending – does that make it tough enough to count?

*swoooons* “my hero” *swoooons*

Druidh – so the Balerno Alps are 21m short of being mountainous? Seems quite a low definition to use, elsewhere in the world 600m would be considered a foothill or protrusion.

There is a review of snowdonia trial in this this months What Mountain Bike. and a easier trail in the valley may be worth a read

Blencathra in the Lakes has to be worth a shot. You need some exposure to feel like you are on a mountain IMO.

bloke just wants to get out into the beautiful countryside that we are free to explore, and go up a bit, see things. Listen to yourselves.

East Anglia has many things going for it,

Really? I’ve lived here all my life and can’t see any major plus points – can’t wait to be able to move away 😆

Although not technically a mountain, you could try a walk up kinder scout starting from hayfield in Derbyshire.

Start in Hayfield, go uo the summint of South head, (a big pointy hill), then cut across to Kinderscout.

The advantages of this are It is alot closer to you than north/south wales or the lakes, Becuse they are not that big, you can cover more ground in a day, and becayse of your lack of mountain experience, you will have less chance of getting into trouble.

Seriously though, dont under estimate even the likes of Kinder, There is a reason the Edale montain rescue team are called out everyday!

I agree with everyone else , that North wales would be your most ideal bet, as the mountains there are more mountain like. Im just thinking about travel time and expenses on your part.

Have fun!

For ease of access, views, & proper ‘mountain’ features – THIS would be my choice.

I did Pen y Fan on the way back from a funeral last year. Took about 2 hours to climb it and back down from the road, minimal kit, no map, (bit silly but could pretty much see the car half way to the top, and started out good visibility, would def take a map next time though, just in case). Its a good one, and I hadn’t done anything in years, so quite enjoyable. Good views at the top I would imagine, although when I got up there the cloud base came down and got pretty moist.

From the A470 Pen y Fan is a bit dull though. You just walk straight up the side and then back again. The view is good but that’s about all. It’s really just a hill walk. And a better hill walk from other directions.

defo “Pen Y fan” I was brought up in Essex and NE London, persuaded dad to take me to wales for 16th, went mountain biking for first time on what i’d call a mountain (epping forest b4 this). Also walked routes up it too there are harder routes, up it but got to top huffing and puffing to find some grandparents and 3 year old in jelly sandals so its possibly easier from other directions.

But take bike too as there is great biking to be had

Can’t believe people have suggested Tryfan as a ‘starter’ peak. Perhaps a full winter traverse of the Cuillen ridge would be a great intermediate challenge then??

Something like Pen Y Fan or Cader is far more suitable for a beginner.

But personally the ‘classic’ lakeland fells of Helvellyn, Blencathra or Bowfell/Pikes loop are the lovliest places to explore the hills.
Let’s face it north Wales is always abit bleak and harsh compared to the lakes 😉