How did you start?

I really don't remember actually starting. My parents just took us out places as a kid and we all just walked. It kind of developed into what I do now. Kind of slipped from toddling around as a toddler to my current potterings around the fells. A gradual diffusion over time.

The one thing I would say is my knowledge and experience was won with people more knowledgable and experienced than me. I learnt by doing and watching what others did. That started with my Dad and ended up with people in BMC affiliated clubs finishing me off. Also a bit of learn by error. Always good to get out with more experienced people in your early days in the hills. To be recommended to all.

Slowly a bit at a time, usually with a more experienced friend, sometimes trying stuff then backing off, and the occasional epic.  Experience by definition takes time and can't be obtained on a weekend course, as valuable as these are for getting specific skills.

40+ years after my first summit at age 13 with scouts (Cadar Idris) I am still learning.

What worries me most about folk who do stuff for Charridee is that the fund raising is the  focus.  It also pisses me off that some folk don't see my love of the hills as having any value unless it is done in a 'good cause'.

They often go off and choose a challenge without any real knowledge of what the challenge really involves and then get focused on raising money on a specific date, whether or not it is suitable. It is actually quite remarkeable that there are not more incidents to be honest.

Steve D

Guess I started out twice, once as a teenager after going on a week of outward bound stuff at Dorset Youth Association's centre at Baggator, Dartmoor after O levels and then becoming a volunteer staff member. Then I went to college and didn't do much except work.

20 years later I went on an organised walking holiday in various National Parks in the S.W of the USA, came back and found Outdoors Magic (Google has a lot to answer for!) Learned skills through going walking and camping with other OMers, going on some nav courses, the OM winter skills courses, and just over a year ago the summer ML training course.

Courses are good, but the experience I've been able to acquire through walking with friends and solo has been vital.

Metric Kate wrote (see)

Guess I started out twice, once as a teenager after going on a week of outward bound stuff at Dorset Youth Association's centre at Baggator, Dartmoor after O levels and then becoming a volunteer staff member. Then I went to college and didn't do much except work.

Courses are good, but the experience I've been able to acquire through walking with friends and solo has been vital.

I was a bit like that

 Started doing D of E as a teenager, went on to be assessor and instructor, expedition and climbing - I took up climbing as the physical section.

All stopped due to family commitments and then fell in with a bad crowd by taking up golf - it suited my job etc.

Flogged all my golf gear - literally and haven't looked back.

I wouldn't go back to D of E just because of the politics and bureaucracy etc. Not to mention I would have to do ML again. (It was that long ago)

Discovered OM when looking for a dating site - not really My first meet was last week, The result is you will now  see all my gear for sale on classified .

In honesty, It was good to find "some good company" is about. 

Look forward to next meet

Grew up poaching for fish, rabbits, the odd deer, so was sleeping out from an early age.  Without any proper gear. My dad used to take us on 'proper' walks into the hills. but it was a geography teacher at secondary school who got me into map-reading. Even to this day, i start crying when i hear the words' do you want to see my compass'.

Did Lyke wake Walk in the seventies and then big gap till the nineties till I went out twice a year with a works group, lots of football and marathon running in betweeen. At 60 resigned job to enjoy life. Read Ray Jardines Beyond Backpacking before starting serious walking and have been honing my gear ever since.

Didn't do anything like when I was a kid - not my family's bag.

Being a 'forces brat' & my family being abroad I had to come to the UK to go to boarding school. Heavily into football, rugby, cricket but I wasn't any good  Wasn't particularly good academically either so I wasn't one of the golden boys. They always put a team into the Ten Tors & I really fancied it. The selection process was to be up an hour before reveille & run around the school ground several times a week with those coming last eliminated until there were 10 boys left from which the final team of 6 were selected.  One thing I could do was distance run & me an an equally unsporty pal got through to the last 10.  We didn't get picked & it's reckon it's cos we didn't have our colours for other sports.

In the summer holidays the two of us went to Dartmoor anyway - with one rucsac & one duffel bag & whatever gear we could scrap together & had an excellent week - the drought summer of 1976.  I was 14 & didn't know my own country  - it was a fantastic experience.  

We decided to do the Pennine Way the following year, as my parents were now in the UK   We talked about it with the teachers who ran the Ten Tors team & were told we had no chance - too difficult, didn't know what we were letting ourselves in for.  Of course we did it without mishap.   On returning to school after the holiday we informed the teachers of our success & they flat refused to believe us!  Tw*ts!

Left school, knew few people in the UK, spent a lot of my early wages on decent gear as I was living at home (parents back in UK) & spent my holidays backpacking solo.  Joined the backpackers club, got a different job with folk who walked & climbed& went from there.

So I have my school to thank.  Semper Fidelis! 

If you shared that motto & know of a certain General G give me a shout (Mac?) - unless you were a teacher there during my time in which case you can f*ck off!

Sorry - feel better for that! 

Nice story Ross.

IIRC there was a thread like this not too long ago.

 Anyway, 13yr 'city boy' out on Outward Bound Course, never been out of city before!!

 Whole new world/experiance, I loved it and wanted more. Unfourtunatly, no Scouts, BB, Cadets, etc. that I could "safely" get to, (Belfast in the 70's wasn't a place to be 'out of your area').

 So, I got the gear I'd seen the instructors wearing, got the bus to Newcastle, (Mournes area) and either asked peeps I saw heading off if I could 'tag' along, or went out on my own. Lots of mistakes, close calls, but I learned as went.

 At 17.5yr I took the Queen's shilling and learned from the best in the world.

huskyman wrote (see)

 (Belfast in the 70's wasn't a place to be 'out of your area').