A day out on the hills all by yourself can be a fulfilling and mind-freeing experience. Not speaking to other human beings for a few hours can give your brain the space it needs to think away problems, make plans and come up with new ideas while exercising your body in the beautiful great outdoors. Solo hillwalking, however, does come with risks. Before venturing into the hills by yourself, it is important that you have all the necessary walking kit, food, hydration and skills. You will be depending entirely on yourself, what you are wearing and what you are carrying. Always recognise what your limits are, and don’t put yourself at risk by trying to exceed those limits. A Mountain Skills course is a worthwhile investment if you do not have the confidence to head out onto the hills by yourself. We list some skills training services in our Community section.
Always carry a fully charged mobile phone and conserve its battery as much as possible by not running apps continuously during your walk. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to navigate using a hardcopy map and traditional magnetic compass rather than draining your phone’s battery. Avoid listening to music through your phone. Immerse yourself instead in the sounds of nature. Time in the hills is time to disconnect from technology. A power bank is also a useful piece of kit to bring, just in case the phone battery mysteriously looses its charge. We also recommend using a GPS-enabled watch if you want to record activity data throughout your walk rather than a phone app.
Plan your route in advance before you leave home by spreading a map out on a table to get the clearest overview of the area. This level of connection cannot be achieved through the screen of a computer or mobile device. The hardcopy map you use for planning should be the same one you will carry on the walk itself. Study the route in detail on the map and assess all possible options in case you decide to cut the walk short or extend it on the day. If your chosen route is described in a guide book, read over that chapter while comparing it to the map spread out in front of you. This method of planning involves using your own brain rather than developing an unhealthy dependence on apps and AI to do all the work for you. Relying on technology for planning your walks and for navigating may be convenient, but beware of the harmful effects it can have on your outdoor skillset. Being able to plan walks and navigate using a hardcopy map, without needing any technology, is probably the most valuable outdoor skill you can possess.
Tell a responsible person what your route will be before you leave. If it’s a long route, draw them a simple line diagram or write down a list of waypoints with times you expect to be at each. When out on the hills, update that person on your progress or of any changes you make to your route along the way. This could be a simple text message while you are stopped to take a photo (e.g. “2:15pm. At Carrauntoohil summit now. Heading to Beenkeragh next.”). These updates could provide vital information if you get into difficulty and are relying on that person to initiate a rescue, so please do bear this in mind.
If you want to go hillwalking with other people but your family, friends and colleagues aren't so keen, we recommend joining a local walking club. We list walking clubs in our Community section. Clubs who are actively seeking new members have completed their profile page on this website. These club profile pages contain helpful information for potential new members, including maps showing membership catchment areas and where the clubs regularly walk. Most clubs allow potential new members to walk with them a few times to get a feel for the club. To continue with the club after those sample walks, you would be required to join. Annual club membership fees include insurance cover.
If your walks bring you to Irish summits and High Points on a regular basis, we strongly encourage you to take part in the All-Ireland Hillwalking Championships. The format of this four-month-long competition (May to August) has been designed to accommodate the solo hillwalker. As well as the Individuals category, there are also team categories for Clubs, Counties and Provinces. Even if you walk exclusively by yourself, you can represent your county and province. To represent a club, you must be a member of a club who has a completed profile page on our website..
Always carry a fully charged mobile phone and conserve its battery as much as possible by not running apps continuously during your walk. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to navigate using a hardcopy map and traditional magnetic compass rather than draining your phone’s battery. Avoid listening to music through your phone. Immerse yourself instead in the sounds of nature. Time in the hills is time to disconnect from technology. A power bank is also a useful piece of kit to bring, just in case the phone battery mysteriously looses its charge. We also recommend using a GPS-enabled watch if you want to record activity data throughout your walk rather than a phone app.
Plan your route in advance before you leave home by spreading a map out on a table to get the clearest overview of the area. This level of connection cannot be achieved through the screen of a computer or mobile device. The hardcopy map you use for planning should be the same one you will carry on the walk itself. Study the route in detail on the map and assess all possible options in case you decide to cut the walk short or extend it on the day. If your chosen route is described in a guide book, read over that chapter while comparing it to the map spread out in front of you. This method of planning involves using your own brain rather than developing an unhealthy dependence on apps and AI to do all the work for you. Relying on technology for planning your walks and for navigating may be convenient, but beware of the harmful effects it can have on your outdoor skillset. Being able to plan walks and navigate using a hardcopy map, without needing any technology, is probably the most valuable outdoor skill you can possess.
Tell a responsible person what your route will be before you leave. If it’s a long route, draw them a simple line diagram or write down a list of waypoints with times you expect to be at each. When out on the hills, update that person on your progress or of any changes you make to your route along the way. This could be a simple text message while you are stopped to take a photo (e.g. “2:15pm. At Carrauntoohil summit now. Heading to Beenkeragh next.”). These updates could provide vital information if you get into difficulty and are relying on that person to initiate a rescue, so please do bear this in mind.
If you want to go hillwalking with other people but your family, friends and colleagues aren't so keen, we recommend joining a local walking club. We list walking clubs in our Community section. Clubs who are actively seeking new members have completed their profile page on this website. These club profile pages contain helpful information for potential new members, including maps showing membership catchment areas and where the clubs regularly walk. Most clubs allow potential new members to walk with them a few times to get a feel for the club. To continue with the club after those sample walks, you would be required to join. Annual club membership fees include insurance cover.
If your walks bring you to Irish summits and High Points on a regular basis, we strongly encourage you to take part in the All-Ireland Hillwalking Championships. The format of this four-month-long competition (May to August) has been designed to accommodate the solo hillwalker. As well as the Individuals category, there are also team categories for Clubs, Counties and Provinces. Even if you walk exclusively by yourself, you can represent your county and province. To represent a club, you must be a member of a club who has a completed profile page on our website..
Hillwalking in Ireland
