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3. A Natural Next Step – From Hiking To Scrambling

If you are an enthusiastic hiker with experience in hilly and mountainous terrain, you will likely have encountered fellow walkers picking their way through rocky terrain, leveraging both their hands and feet, to reach higher ground. These adventurous folk are scramblers.

Scrambling is a natural next step for hikers looking to open up a world of new routes and take their mountain experience to the next level. While the move from hiking to scrambling may sometimes seem large, it is much more of a gradual transition. Chances are, you’ve already done a little bit of scrambling. You just didn’t have a name for it.

With this in mind, we wanted to demystify scrambling and demonstrate it is a natural and easy transition from hiking.

What is scrambling?

Scrambling sits between hiking and rock climbing, incorporating aspects of both while remaining accessible and easy to enjoy. It typically involves using your hands and feet to move through steep, rocky terrain. Compared to hiking, where they are only utilised occasionally, usually for balance, scrambling emphasises the hands and requires you to use them much more frequently.

At the other end of the scale, rock climbing requires specialist equipment and involves even steeper gradients and often near-vertical rock faces.

How difficult is scrambling?

Scrambling is as easy or difficult as you want to make it. That’s the beauty. Like any outdoor activity, there are risks. But you can mitigate these risks by emphasising safe practices and ensuring you have a good grounding in scrambling fundamentals.

Simple scrambles are often no more challenging than a strenuous hike, while technical scrambles require considerable skill and physical and mental aptitude. Usually, you can tailor the scramble difficulty to your level through careful route selection. But that means knowing what a particular route involves. If only there was a codified and systematic way to tell how difficult a scramble is…

How are scrambles graded?

Much like rock climbing, scrambles are graded by difficulty. Several grading systems are in use, the most popular being the UK grading system and the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). As the UK system is more common here, we’ll use that.

Grade 1 – Scrambles with steep, rocky terrain that require no advanced technical skills or specialist equipment. However, there may be exposed sections. Grade 1 scrambles are comparable to challenging hikes but typically require a head for heights and may include significant exposure.

Grade 2 – Steeper than Grade 1 scrambles, these routes include sections with greater consequence and more challenging terrain. They are often longer routes where you can employ ropes for added safety or to boost confidence.

Grade 3 – Exposure is generally high and it is difficult to escape or stop the route once you have begun. A rope is required for some sections. Slips and mistakes could prove fatal. As such, these routes are only suitable for experienced scramblers.

It is important to note that conditions play a critical role in determining route difficulty. For instance, wet or slippy conditions can easily make a Grade 2 scramble feel like a terrifying Grade 3.

How to make the transition

If you want to try scrambling but don’t know where to begin, here are five helpful pointers.

1. Start achievable and build up

The key to trying any new activity is to start achievable, slowly build your skills and then move on to tougher challenges. While jumping in at the deep end works for some people, it can just make you feel like you are in over your head and result in a really unenjoyable experience. In some instances, it may be unsafe, too. Instead, build your confidence bit by bit, get a feel for scrambling on easier terrain and enjoy yourself!

Scrambling can be as simple as playing around (safely) on slightly rocky terrain mid-way through a hike.

2. Know your limits

Because it doesn’t usually require specialist equipment, you need to be careful about the situations you put yourself in. Getting stuck on a scramble that is above and beyond your capabilities can have catastrophic consequences. Know your limits and keep within them.

3. Research routes

Route research helps when it comes to scrambling safety and staying within your limits. You can find routes on the ukhillwalking.com website and the Mountain Project has a good UK section, too. Talking to other hikers and scramblers is a great way to get information. Most importantly, try out a few easier routes, see how reality matches the theoretical grading and start looking for other routes within your comfort zone.

4. Find someone to scramble with

Scrambling with a partner or group can enhance the experience, making it safer, more social and more enjoyable. If you find someone with a little more experience than yourself, you can also learn a lot. When scrambling in busy places, or in a group, consider wearing a helmet. Falling rocks dislodged by those above you are a major hazard.

5. Sign up for a skills course

Finally, many first-time scramblers appreciate the support of an experienced, fully accredited Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor. Having someone teach you essential techniques, help you with safety procedures and risk assessments, and help you develop problem-solving and decision-making skills is the best way to begin your scrambling journey.

The team at RAW can create a bespoke scrambling course for you; get in touch to find out more or visit our Guided Climbing page.