Reading the hills

You’ll need

Wildlife identification sheet
Map
Appropriate hillwalking clothing and footwear
Binoculars
Phones or cameras for photos
Food and drink
First Aid Kit

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
Choose a suitable hillwalking route with varied terrain and visible natural features.
Check weather conditions, daylight hours and ensure the group is properly equipped for the environment.
Make sure you have the right activity permits for the activity – or check the external provider is qualified.

Planning and setting up the activity

Plan a hillwalking route with a variety of natural features such as ridgelines, streams, rock formations, woodlands or open moorland.
Complete your usual hillwalking planning. Find activity guidance on our Hillwalking page.

Running the activity

Begin the walk at a steady pace that allows time for observation and discussion.
At regular points, pause the group and encourage them to explore what they can see, hear and notice in the environment.
Use prompts such as:

- What signs of wildlife can we see (tracks, birds, plants, movement)?

- How is the landscape changing as we move?

- What can the terrain tell us about water, wind or weather over time?

- What plants or habitats can we spot in different areas?

- How does human activity show up in this environment?

Encourage young people to point out details others might miss and share observations with the group.
Highlight how hillwalking is also about understanding the environment, not just crossing it.
Allow moments of quiet walking where the group can focus on listening and observing nature.
Finish with a group discussion about what everyone noticed along the route.

Reflection

Hillwalking isn’t just about getting from place to place - it’s also about noticing the world around you. Talk about what you spotted that others might have missed. Did you notice patterns in the landscape or signs of wildlife? How does spending time in nature change the experience of walking in the hills?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Hiking and walking: Follow the guidance for activities in Terrain Zero, or the guidance for each the adventurous activity.
Adventure: This activity has specific rules and systems to make sure it’s managed safely. Take a look at adventure activities for more guidance.
Visits away from your meeting place: Complete a thorough risk assessment and include hazards, such as roads, woodland, plants, animals, and bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas). You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement. When you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies. Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, such as high visibility clothing, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs. Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts.
Outdoor activities: You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.