The Best of Britain’s Top 100 Walks
It was with mild horror that we greeted the list of what were apparently the best or favourite 100 walks in the UK on ITV a while back. For one of our favourite mountains to be represented by the Llanberis Path, one of the most tedious mountain experience you could inflict on any hill goer, was frankly way too much for us. However, here’s a selection of those top 100 walks we think actually deserve a mention – so no Snowdon to be seen!! Other omissions are Ben Nevis as we’re not big fans of the Mountain Track in comparison to the CMD Arete and literally no other Scottish Munro to be seen other than Ben Macdui, which we’ve included to represent all those wonderful Munros that represent the pinnacle of UK Hill Walking.
We think that there are walks on this list – UK’s Best Mountain Walks – that blow most of these out of the water, but we do at least agree that Striding Edge deserves to be among the top walks (though not the top!). We could, and probably should, have made a list of the excellent walks such as the Nantlle Ridge and the Carneddau that surely should be on the list! The list was polled by The Ramblers and the Ordnance Survey, so it’s probably no surprise. Had the BMC been involved, then we reckon the list would have been much more representative of the best walks that the UK has to offer.
Of the top 100 – here are a few of our favourites, which we admit are a little biasaed towards mountain walks and the Welsh Coast.
32 Anglesey Coast Path
We’ve included this to represent both Anglesey, the Llyn Peninsula and Pembrokeshire Coastal Paths. We should be thankful that wonderful routes such as those around Aberdaron aren’t better known than they are. Our picks would be Ynys Llanddwyn and Aberdaron.
31 Aberglaslyn and Cwm Bychan
One of our favourite little walks in Snowdonia, taking in the Fisherman’s Path through Aberglaslyn and then crossing over Mynydd Sygyn to Llyn Dinas. Mynydd Sygyn can be explored for a more adventurous day, with the minor summit of Grib Ddu worth a scramble.
27 Coffin Route
One of the absolute classic low level routes in the Lake District, and the UK.
21 Kinder Scout
The birthplace of mountain access and the first mountain thousands climb owing to it’s proximity to Manchester and Sheffield. It may lack the cliffs and peaks of some of the other mountains, but makes up for that with a character of it’s very own. Even finding the summit isn’t certain, and many of the walks onto the Kinder Plateau don’t even attempt to.
12 Ben Macdui
Without doubt an intersting mountain, but a rather random representation of Scotland’s mountains. Good, but perhaps not THAT good when compared to many of the other Munros. Even so, we’re including it in solidarity with the remainder of the Munros.
11 Pen y Fan
South Wales’ highest mountain is understanderbly popular. Partly as it’s easily asccessible from the South Wales Valleys and Cities, and also owing to the striking apparance of the red sandstone cliffs. These make fine walking, but their popularity has lead to the paths being eroded in places.
10 Mam Tor
The summit of Mam Tor is the highest point on the Great Ridge that lies opposite Kinder Scout in Edale. It’s a shapely and popular hill, ascended either from Edale or Castleton.
8 Consiston Old Man
Also known as the Old Man of Coniston, one of the most populat mountain walks in the Lake District.
6 Tryfan and Glyderau
There can be no other mountain that’s more iconic than Tryfan, and very few walks over three so distinctly unique summits. The landmarks and photo opportunities of Castell y Gwynt, Adam and Eve, The Cannon and the Cantilever makes it a memorable walk.
5 Scafell Pike
Another they got right – as it includes the Corridor Route from Wasdale which is one of the best routes up Scafell Pike.
4 Cat Bells
An easy summit near Keswick that’s a perfect introduction to fell walking. In one short walk, you’ll have views, lakes and easy scrambing on this abridged mountain.
3 Malham Cove and Gordale Scar
Malham Cove is both popular with walkers and well known to most people who completed a Geography GCSE (or O Level for those of a certain age). Gordale Scar is a short, tricky scramble and so care is needed.
1 Striding Edge and Helvellyn
The best scramble in the Lake District and one of the more popular mountains. This knife edged ridge is for those with a head for heights, but surely outlines the shortcomings of any top 100 UK Walks that doesn’t include similiarly excellent routes such as Crib Goch.
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Dave Roberts
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