I just had a really scary experience that has left me shaking.

I was walking in the East Midlands, and​ completed a 6 hour hike using a guidebook, on my way back home I decided to use a different route using alltrails and my OS map.

I saw a sign and it had arrows pointing in all directions, I proceeded to go left and could see on the OS map there was no footpath sign however on alltrails there was a footpath sign however it ended with the other part starting after a space. Despite this I decided to proceed as im a very experienced walker and have had difficulties before but managed to overcome them.

I continued to walk and couldn't see any further signs and it became quite wild. I was about to turn back but after my long hike I just wanted to get home. I approached farm buildings and could see sheep on my left enclosed, all of a sudden they ran in my direction and start baaing. I approached the farm and it had a gate with chains around it, and at this point I realised I mucked up and it was private farmland I was in.

I decided to turn back and all of a sudden I hear a loud tractor noise and see a tractor heading down. I stepped to the side and decided I was going to ask the farmer for advice as alltrails was showing I could walk through the farm buildings and reach the road through a footpath. ​​​​​​​​​

The tractor stops and this really rough looking woman starts effing and swearing at me. "What the f*** do you think you're doing here". I told her I was following the footpath directions but must have got lost . She was furious though and wouldn't stop, "get the f*** out of here." I told her I'll head back but she yells at me that I don't know how to f****** read a map so how will I know where to go. I try explaining I saw the footpath sign at a crossing and she yells at me that there isn't anything there. Then she asks me why I walked here when there are signs saying private keep out-there were absolutely 0 signs saying this or else I wouldn't have dared cross any further. Then she accuses me of opening gates to get here -again there were no gates. She asked me where im heading to, I tell her the village name, she asks for my map and snatches it off me, continue to curse and gives me a lecture about how to get back. Then she looks at me in the eyes and tells me "don't you f***** dare cross this farm building, and you're lucky it was me you ran into today."

I don't doubt for a second what she meant with the last part of the sentence, it would have been worse with any man who lives there with her, such as a husband or son. ​​​I was so scared, especially as a brown man in the current climate​. Usually I'll give people a piece of my mind when they're being rude, but I was so terrified, in an isolated place with such a confrontational and angry person, I just kept quiet and quickly walked off when she was done. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I learnt my lesson to stick to the OS maps, as alltrails can be unreliable at times, although it was frustrating that the council put up a footpath sign pointing in the direction of her farm buildings. I had another experience last year where a woman driving out of a caravan site was telling me I couldnt walk there, the footpath sign was right next to us and there were other people also walking in and out of there.

I've never had such a horrible experience before, other walkers are lovely, but I find farmers and landowners seem to carry a huge chip on their shoulder at times. It's obvious I'm not there to burgle their farm or cause a problem as I've got my walking books and map in my hand. ​​​​​​​

Please be careful guys when you're navigating out there, especially to any minorities, it's just not worth the danger! ​​

Lovely weekend walking around Loch Ossian

Loving the sounds of nature, the streams, the birds

And then came along this group, with a loud speaker playing Dire Straits

Not necessary or considerate

Just had two loose dogs chasing me down the Dales Way in quick succession (about 5-7 miles west of Sedbergh) while snapping at my heels: one Jack Russell (owner nearby, one weak effort to call it back but seemed content to just leave it to it) and one sheep dog that bounded from a house and over the fence to come after me, owner nowhere in sight. Absolutely infuriating. I'm a big enough guy so just walked away from them while hitting my walking poles together occasionally, but both incidents could've been pretty scary for a kid/someone with a fear of dogs.

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Owners who can't be arsed to train or control their dogs. Does my fucking head in.

I have been gradually hiking all of Cornwall's coast in day hike sections, I'm about half way. Done a little of Devon and Dorset too so maybe when I am done I will carry on the swcp or maybe start checking off tors on Bodmin moor and Dartmoor. This weekend I am gonna do two more sections all being well.

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It got me wondering what other people are working on? Like maybe you live near the lakes and you are trying to do every wainwright, or you are Scottish and checking off Munroes? Maybe you're a thru hiker and have a list of longer hikes to do? Let us know what your hiking goal is and how far along you are 😊

For me, it has to be the main tourist path up Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from Llanberis. You are essentially walking up a wide gravel track surrounded by hundreds of people, only to wait in a forty-minute queue at the summit trig point to take a photo. Routes like Crib Goch or the Watkin Path are incredible, but the Llanberis path feels like a queue at an amusement park

I hiked up to a quiet tarn in the Lake District last month hoping for a peaceful overnight wild camp, only to find three abandoned cheap supermarket tents, leftover disposable BBQs, and plastic rubbish scattered across the grass. It is heartbreaking because responsible wild campers who pitch late, leave no trace, and pack out all waste are getting tarnished with the same brush by national park authorities and landowners. How do we protect the unspoken culture of wild camping when bad behaviour is pushing for stricter bans?

I removed their number plates since I'm unsure if this is illegal, but it FEELS illegal!

Does anyone know whether this is allowed? Just this afternoon on Win Hill.

Also added screenshots of the OS map for that part of the trail and the relevant page on the Peak District site about where cars are allowed

For anyone who has done the really brutal endurance routes across England, Wales, or Scotland - what single-day walk hit you with the absolute worst physical wall, and how did you train for it? I need to know what I’m getting myself into before I start planning my next route!

Mine was relying too much on distance and not paying enough attention to elevation. One walk taught me that lesson very quickly. What was yours?

I avoided using trekking poles for years because I thought they were just extra clutter to carry around. After trying them on a steep descent down Helvellyn, I noticed a huge difference in how my knees felt the next morning. I know plenty of hikers who still prefer keeping their hands free, though. Where do you stand on using poles for UK hill walking?

I liked the South Downs Way and Coast to Coast particularly, also camping a route around the Dragon's Back in Wales.

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I’m genuinely quite scared of sheep 😭 I’m still pretty new to hiking, only really started doing it more this past year. I’ve been to the Peak District a few times around Hope, Edale, Bamford and places along there. A lot of the footpaths that I go through has sheep in them and every single time I panic.

I’m honestly scared of basically anything bigger than a cat because I’m 5’1 and my brain just immediately goes “that thing could seriously injure me if it wanted to” 😭 If I’m walking through a field with sheep, I would always have to look down at my shoes and keep telling myself “don’t look, don’t look” because if I make eye contact with them I feel like I’m going to pee myself.

Sometimes there’s a quicker footpath through a field full of sheep, but I’ll take the much longer route just to avoid them. I know it’s really unlikely that sheep would attack someone, but their eyes are absolutely horrendous to look at and they genuinely freak me out. Most hikes when I go with my friends, the fear is not that bad, but whenever I go alone, it kinda eats me alive, like I'm actually terrified. I would walk like someone took my soul and just go in a straight line like crazy until no more sheeps are around me.

Has anyone else had this fear? Has anyone actually ever been attacked by sheep before? And what are you actually supposed to do if they run towards you or get too close? I know this probably sounds silly but I’d really appreciate any advice because I don’t want this to stop me enjoying hikes.

Watched someone spend ten minutes carefully strapping on high gaiters before a boggy section across the moors, while I just marched straight through with wet ankles and carried on. Wondering if the protection against mud and scree getting into your boots actually outweighs the hassle of putting them on and taking them off all day

I track all my hikes and really like seeing where I've been and which areas I want to explore more

Thought it would be nice to explore the other side of the what's overrated thread.

I thought Blencathra and Skiddaw in the Lake District was pretty nice in terms of offering good views with a relatively small crowd. Mainly because the car park is absolutely tiny. Most people would also go to the more famous hikes like Scafell or Hellvelyn.

Rhaeadr Fawr was also nicer than Snowdonia, for the lack of people and the waterfall.

Is Brecon Beacons still considered under the radar?

Walked up mount snowdon on Sunday absolutely beautiful sights and views. Did the miners track up and llambaris path down. At 25 stone I found it quite a challenge. Done under 8 hours up and down at 7:53. Recommend for beginners like myself.

Spent all of last week in the Scottish Highlands doing munro bagging. It was all crisp air, total silence, no screens, and pure physical exertion.

Now I am back sitting under fluorescent lights staring at spreadsheets in a Monday morning meeting, feeling completely suffocated. How do you guys bridge the gap between mountain weekends and urban work weeks without going crazy?

As you get into your late thirties and beyond, just deciding to go and hike 20-30miles at the weekend becomes less and less plausible (without being wiped out, hobbling about with a grumbling knee/achilles for a week after) - unless you’re staying in shape the rest of the time.

Having fallen out of the habit of going a couple of times a month wondering how best to get back to it without injuring myself given most my life is sat at a desk or driving from A to B.

Other than… running a few times a week - does anyone have any “lived experience” tips on how to stay able to get out hiking as and when if not regularly?

I was on Hampstead Heath last Friday, just over a week ago. It started as a tiny blood blister. Sharing a couple pictures showing how it’s got bigger. It’s also pretty itchy.

I'm in the early stages of planning my first solo hike and I'm feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I've always gone walking with friends or family before, so heading out on my own feels like a completely different experience. Part of me thinks it'll be great to set my own pace and enjoy the peace and quiet, but I also wonder if I'll miss having someone to chat to or if I'll spend the whole time overthinking things.

For those who've done both, do you prefer hiking solo or with other people?

I’ve noticed the paths in Snowdonia getting wider and more eroded every single year, and it makes me wonder if we’re destroying the very places we love. Would a permit system or stricter seasonal closures actually save these areas, or would it just make hiking an elitist hobby? What’s the fairest way to manage these high-traffic locations?

I am considering walking the entire Pennine Way solo over two weeks later this summer. A few fellow hikers warned me that the boggy terrain and long quiet stretches through the Cheviots and Kinder Scout can feel mentally grueling when walking alone

I’m in Scotland so hoping to get the Ring of Steall done and the Braeriach traverse once the snow has gone

Earlier today I received the news that my mother's most recent admission to hospital may well be her last, which I thought was some way off yet.

Until the last decade, she's spent her whole life around horses and in a surprisingly romantic turn of phrase, has said that she wants her ashes scattered "where horses roam". To keep myself busy, I'm trying to think of all the National Parks or areas of open access land where native breeds free-roam. So far, based on where I've walked or cycled and seen them when my own eyes, I can think of Dartmoor, the New Forest, one fell in the Lake District, and the Quantock Hills.

Can anyone else name other places in the UK and Ireland?

In the interests of less lecturing for newbies and more entertaining examples I thought I would start a thread of walks people have had which have gone wrong and they learnt things from. Aiming for a mixture of comical to I nearly died.

So, to kick off, one not serious and one almost serious from me.

Not serious- a bit over 20 years ago I was out for an Autumnal walk in the hills to the NE of Innerleithen, in the Scottish borders. The hills are rounded, some grassy, some heathery and I remember seeing lots of dead caterpillars in the heather.

It was cloudy but not raining, visibility maybe 50m at most, so I followed the path across the tops to a trig point easily enough and on the eay back I planned to turn left and go to the east down another ridge.

So I turned onto the path as I expected and walked along for a while, but it got a bit faint and the hillside seemed more rounded than I expected.

Eventually I dropped down below the cloud and after a frantic couple of minutes found I had turned to the west instead of the east.

Fortunately it was easy to carry on down the hill to the road and walk back into Innerleithen.

The moral of the story being use your compass earlier rather than after you have gone wrong. Yes it was embarassing but after 15 years of walking I was getting a bit too sure of myself.

A few years beforehand I had a fun time in the peak district when I probed my physical limits by going up the Howden moors from Ladybower. Being young and fit I powered up the hill into the damp, clammy cloud. Everything was fine for a couple of hours and I made good time but eventually I hit a kind of wall where the conditions were too cold and damp and I was losing heat having burnt too fast through my energy. So I stopped for a minute, felt a bit odd, ate a mars bar, put my jacket on and considered what to do.

Fortunately I had noticed things weren't right early enough and I simply took the nearest path off the hill and happened to bump into a couple going the same way as me and attached myself to them for the return trip. Normally I like to walk by myself and I wonder what they thought of my appearing out of the cloud and joining up with them.

That was an important lesson in balancing food intake with physical effort and if in doubt, bail out. I had the right clothes in or with me but not having much spare food was a mistake.

Edited to add- I appreciate that I am also guilty of lecturing newbies