Building Your Hiking Confidence – One Step at a Time!
Building confidence in the outdoors doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t need to grow up hiking or arrive with all the gear and knowledge. You just need the willingness to begin, and to keep showing up.
Whether you’re brand new to hillwalking or feeling unsure about taking the next step, this guide is packed with ways to build hiking confidence gradually, practically, and on your own terms.
1. Start Small and Let That Be Enough
You don’t have to head for the biggest peaks straight away. In fact, short, local walks are often the best way to build your foundation. Each trip is a chance to practise something: packing your bag, following a trail, checking the forecast.
Try this:
- Choose low-level routes with good paths and simple navigation.
- Focus on time outdoors, not distance or elevation.
- Take a notebook or voice memo to reflect on what worked (or didn’t).
2. Ask Questions, Take Courses, and Find Your People
Hiking confidence grows faster when you learn alongside others. Booking a guided walk or skills course isn’t admitting defeat. It’s a smart, proactive step that helps build safety and connection.
Try this:
- Look for beginner-friendly walking groups or events in your area.
- Consider a navigation or outdoor skills course through a centre like Glenmore Lodge.
- Follow outdoor communities or creators who share the learning process, not just big summit wins.
3. Embrace the Learning Process (It Never Ends)
The outdoors is the perfect place to practise problem-solving and self-reliance. Learning to use a map, understand weather patterns, or judge your limits isn’t just useful, it’s deeply rewarding.
EXPLORE THE
OS Shop
We are with you every step of the way. Shop our trusted walking and hiking maps and guidebooks so you can explore the outdoors with confidence.
Go to the shopOne of the most helpful tools for planning and confidence-building is the OS Maps app. Plotting your route beforehand can give you a clear sense of the terrain, distance, and features. Download it for offline use, and print a paper copy to carry with a compass. Remember, tech can fail! Your battery might die, your phone might lose signal, but a physical map and compass will never let you down. Having both digital and traditional navigation tools gives you the best of both worlds.
Try this:
- Study your OS map before heading out. Look for contours, junctions, and escape routes.
- Turn each walk into a small experiment: What kit works? How do conditions affect your pace?
- Celebrate micro-wins! Navigating in low visibility or knowing when to turn back.
4. Build a Base Layer of Skills (Then Layer Up)
Navigation, weather awareness, layering, emergency response, these aren’t flashy, but they’re the foundation of confidence outdoors. Learning them steadily over time makes you feel safer, calmer, and more independent in the hills.
Try this:
- Learn one skill at a time (e.g., compass bearings, layering for winter, route planning).
- Practise in fair weather before trying trickier conditions.
- Revisit the basics often, especially if you’ve taken a break.
5. Redefine What Confidence Looks Like
You don’t have to be bold, loud, or fast to be confident. Real confidence comes from knowing your limits, being well-prepared, and staying calm in decision-making moments.
Some of the best days outdoors might not involve summits. They might be the ones where you made the wise call to turn back, or managed a tricky route in fog with your map and compass.
Try this:
- Set goals around judgment and planning, not just physical feats.
- Let go of the pressure to be fearless, focus on being prepared instead.
- Remember: even the most experienced walkers are still learning.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Be New
Everyone starts somewhere. It’s okay to be unsure, to have questions, and to take your time. The outdoors doesn’t require expensive kit or a certain background, it just asks that you turn up and give it a go.
Try this:
- Focus on progress, not perfection.
- Keep showing up. You’re learning every time you do.
- Use whatever tools best support you. Apps like OS Maps are brilliant, but so is a printed map you can fold, scribble on, and keep in your pocket.
Don’t Forget: You Belong Out Here
If you’re starting out, or starting again, remember this: the outdoors isn’t reserved for the elite. It’s for anyone willing to learn, go for a walk, and keep turning up.
So take the pressure off yourself. Go for that short walk, ask the question, sign up for the course. Just start…
You’ll be amazed where you might end up.
EXPLORE THE
OS Shop
We are with you every step of the way. Shop our trusted walking and hiking maps and guidebooks so you can explore the outdoors with confidence.
Go to the shop
By Crystal Silver
I’ve always lived an outdoorsy lifestyle, but I went through a bit of a tough couple of years health-wise and promised myself to make the most of each and every day once I recovered. I have kept that promise to myself! The great outdoors played a massive role in my recovery and it’s truly my happy place. Find Out More about OS Champion Crystal Silver
