'Going up': understanding and developing efficient uphill walking

The steep and uneven paths, the wild places and hillsides may prove disconcerting to people who’s walking experience has involved mainly the surfaces typical of our towns and cities. How can we, as outdoor leaders, help our students gain mastery of their walking and enjoy moving uphill? Obviously most people can walk uphill, however, there is great variation between walkers in the number of calories burnt per step, and how often they fall over. This article identifies some reasons for these differences and suggests activities through whichwe might hope to improve our student’s efficiency and stability when walking outdoors.