OS Champion

Amy Brook

Meet Yorkshire based hiker and Midwife, Amy Brook

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you like to get outside?

Having two very energetic cocker spaniels means I spend a lot of my time outside! We live in West Yorkshire, so spend a lot of time hiking in the Yorkshire Dales and the nearby Lake District. I work for the NHS as a Midwife, so I spend a lot of my time doing long shifts, indoors in busy hospitals. I find that getting outdoors on my days off really helps me ‘switch off’ from busy work life.

However I’ve (very!) recently just given birth to my baby girl, which means our walks will look a little different from what we’re used to, and will be most definitely slower in pace. But I’m so excited to get outdoors on our walks again when we feel ready and show our little one the power of nature and the great outdoors!

Amy Brook hiking with her cocker spaniels

What’s your favourite route or place to go and why?

Amy Brook's Favourite Route Loughrigg Fell & Rydal Cave, Cumbria

My favourite route has to be Loughrigg Fell in the Lake District National Park. It was one of the first Wainwright’s I completed with my husband and our two spaniels. I think it’s a brilliant route with a bit of everything. The views across Loughrigg Terrace and Rydal Water are just incredible and you can see so many other mountain ranges at the summit.

The best part is that it’s a much shorter hike compared to the other Wainwright routes. This means you can easily complete it in a couple of hours making it really family friendly, but it certainly does not disappoint on views!

A firm favourite of mine, I can’t wait to go this walk this summer with our little girl in tow. Top tip: go via Rydal Caves for something different, but head there early in the morning or late afternoon/evening as they get really busy and the car park is really small!

Amy Brook's Favourite Route – Loughrigg Fell & Rydal Cave, Cumbria

You can find this route on the OS Map OL7

Looking for more Lake District Walks?

Take a look at this article – 8 of The Best Lake District Walks

What’s your fave bit of kit available on the OS Shop?

My favourite piece of kit from the OS Shop has to be the Osprey Women’s Tempest Daypack. I have had this rucksack for years and have used it on all my hikes across the UK! There’s so much room for everything you could think of in this pack, from your walking poles to your hydration bladder. It also comes with a built in emergency whistle and has something called an ‘airscape’ back panel which basically avoids you from getting too sweaty on spring/summer hikes.

Having used rucksacks that don’t have this, there is definitely a difference and something I’d really recommend getting if you’re a summer hiker. There’s also two really handy pockets at the side that are easily accessible whilst wearing the pack on the trails – I use mine to keep my snacks in there for easy grab and go access!