If you are an Anglophile, you will be interested to know that hiking goes by various names in different countries. So what is hiking called in England?

As one of the most popular outdoor pastimes, hiking offers a range of recreational activities for people all over the world. Interestingly, though, in England, as well as other parts of Europe, there is not one simple word for hiking.

The popular word for hiking in England is the ambiguous term “walking.” In fact, hiking has many terms in England, including rambling, hillwalking, fellwalking, and scrambling. To make matters more complicated, they also use some of the same words used in the US, like trekking and backpacking.

In this guide, I will help you understand the popular terms the Brits use for hiking, what each of them means, and when each of them is used.

I have had the pleasure of hiking in various countries of the world and I can understand how confusing it can be for first-timers in England who are asked questions like whether they prefer hillwalking to scrambling.” I hope this guide can enlighten you on some of the important hiking vocabulary the English use and what it means.

Walking

When the English say “they are going out for a walk,” it could mean anything from a 15-minute stroll around the neighborhood block or a full-on hike. Simply put, the English use the word walking for putting one foot in front of another in an outdoor setting.

Hence, it is an umbrella term that does comprise hiking.

Hiking

Yes, the English do use the word “hiking” when they want to set off on the trail; however, it is used much less than the general term “walking” or the myriad of other hiking-related terms that we will talk about later.

Hiking is defined as a long-distance walk in the countryside or woods. It usually means walking in a natural setting, nature paths, or marked walking trails and routes, as opposed to walking in an urban setting. In addition, in the English context, hiking is also the word used for one-day hikes, multi-day hikes, overnight stays, wild camping, or staying at a lodging along the route.

Rambling

If walking is a general term for taking a walk outdoors and hiking is the general term for taking a walk outdoors in a natural setting, then rambling is a more specific English term for walking in the countryside.

In traditional English, a ramble means a walk without purpose. However, these days, if a person tells you he is going out to ramble, that is not at all what it means.

A ramble is a long and leisurely walk in the countryside with a definite purpose and defined trails and routes. In fact, there is an entire organization that supports this outdoor activity called the Ramblers’ Association in England. This is a club where people meet to plan group walks together in the countryside. These people do not mumble around in an unfocused way but are very organized about the part of the countryside they want to walk in and what path they will take.

Hillwalking

Hillwalking is a word that describes walking in upland country, hills, moorlands, and mountains., particularly when the walk includes climbing a summit. However, the use of this word is also a bit confusing since a lot of the countryside in the UK is not flat, so it can be a bit difficult to differentiate between rambling and hillwalking.

Most people, though, say that hillwalking is a general term that covers everything from walking in your local countryside and hills to conquering the majestic peaks of the Scottish Highlands.

The most popular places to hillwalk are the Lake District, the Peak District, Snowdonia, Yorkshire Dales, and the Scottish Highlands. However, hillwalking is not just restricted to these areas.

If you live in the big city, areas like the Chilterns, Dartmoor, the Malvern Hills, Cotswolds, and the Yorkshire Wolds also offer plenty of ascent and descent opportunities, so they are also considered hillwalking territories.

Fell Walking

Fell walking is a specific word that is used to describe hillwalking and mountain walking in Northern England, including the areas of Lancashire and Lake District, and most particularly the Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales. In these places, the word “fell” is derived from the regional dialect which means high, uncultivated lands.

Scrambling

Scrambling is the word used to describe climbing up steep and rugged terrain using your hands for extra support on the rocks. This term is pretty ambiguous but lies somewhere between regular hiking and rock climbing.

Scrambling is more technical than simple hillwalking and has levels of difficulties. Many people also refer to an easy mountain climb as scrambling, which has the characteristic feature of people using their hands to support their body weight rather than just for balance.

Another distinction is that scrambling does not include the use of ropes, harnesses and other gear, which is known as mountaineering. In this type of hiking, the hiker needs to be more experienced, sure-footed and should have a head for heights.

Scrambling can be broken down into various types as well.

Gill or Stream Scrambling

Ghyll scrambling is a form of scrambling where a person needs to travel up or down along a stream, experiencing natural rock slides and plunge pools.

The main rule of gill or stream scrambling is to take the most difficult route that is closest to the water. The person needs to stay on the streambed at all times and can only find an alternative route if the direct route of the stream is impossible to pass.

Alpine Scrambling

Alpine scrambling refers to scrambling in the high mountains that may not follow a defined path or route. These hikes are often off-trail on rocky or snowy ground and have a non-technical summit as the destination that does not require special climbing equipment to reach.

Hence, Alpine summit does not include scrambling on extreme inclines or glaciers. What they do include fighting your way through bushes and brambles, crossing streams, navigating your way across screens, and walking on icy slopes.

What is the Term for Thru-Hiking in England?

With so many special terms for all manner of hiking, it may not be surprising to find a word for thru-hiking as well. However, the English do not have an equivalent term for this multi-day, long-distance excursion. If they want to travel an entire trail, they will just say they are doing the whole thing!