OS Champion

Amy Jones

Meet Amy Jones, a literature lover currently training to become a
mountain leader and forest school practitioner

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

I am a 32 year old ex-primary school teacher and literature lover currently training to become a
mountain leader and forest school practitioner so that I can share the wonders of the natural
world with the next generation (including my very own mini adventurer who spends most
weekends exploring with me!).

I feel that the ‘how’ part of this question is so difficult for me to answer because I don’t feel that I have one particular outdoor passion that catapulted me into the
world of outdoor adventuring; only that I simply love being outside and in nature. I used to go on
walking holidays with my Grandma who was an avid bird and wildlife lover and I suppose my
passion started from there and continued to grow.

Walking/ hiking will always be my favourite way
to enjoy the outdoors but I also love paddle boarding and spent a few years working with a charity
getting families involved with being on the water; grew up horse riding and taught equestrian
sports at a summer camp in 2011; have been experimenting with the wonders of cold water
swimming; and in more recent years have absolutely loved encouraging groups of women to
embrace the wonders of the outdoors as a leader for the ‘Outdoor Adventure Girls’.

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

Amy’s Favourite Hiking Route – Kingswear & Dittisham, Devon

I am an incredibly indecisive person so choosing just one favourite route or place to go is almost
impossible as I think my answer changes with every different person who asks me that question or
how I am feeling at the time. I have absolutely adored traversing some of the more challenging
mountain ridges in North Wales and the Lake District since the boundaries of lockdown were lifted
but I feel that my heart will always belong to the South West Coast path and the sections that I
grew up walking along with my Grandma – with a special mention going to Dartmouth; somewhere
that will always have a very special place in my heart.

This particular route (Kingswear, Dittisham
and Dartmouth circular) is one of my favourites and brings back all the nostalgia every time that I
visit. As a self-proclaimed bookworm I also love the literature links of this route as it includes a
stop off at the famous Greenway House and Garden: holiday home of Agatha Christie.

Explore Kingswear & Dittisham, Devon

Want to find out more about how to start hiking?

Read our complete guide to Hiking for Beginners, everything you need to get started from essential equipment to fitness and safety advice – Hiking For Beginners

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

I would consider myself a fraud to my instagram handle @bookworm_explores if I didn’t mention the incredible range of
books, guides and atlases available on the OS shop – It’s impossible to choose only one but one of
my personal favourites is ‘Wild Maps: A Nature Atlas for Curious Minds’. What can I say, I’m a
sucker for the nature + map + interesting information combo.

In terms of a piece of outdoor kit, something that you will find in my bag on almost all hikes
throughout the year are the re-chargeable hand warmers. I am a permanently cold person and
struggle with circulation in my hands at times so these are essential if I actually want to be able to
continue to use all of my other gear! Environmentally they are great because they are reusable and
they can also be used to charge your phone in emergencies as a back up power bank.