Mountain hiking on a budget - 8 tips
The UK has amazingly beautiful nature and fantastic mountains and hills to be explored. For a proper mountain adventure you'll need at least transportation, accommodation, gear and food -- yet it doesn't have to be expensive. Here are 8 tips to save you money on hiking trips:
1. Split your train tickets
If you don't live near mountains and don't have a car or don't fancy a long drive to the other side of the UK, you'll probably want to take a train to your hill walking destination (there are very conveniently train stations at the heart almost every UK mountain range, including the Peak District, the Lake District, Snowdonia, Arrochar Alps and the Highlands). Travelling by train is not very cheap in the UK, but there are several ways to save money when it comes to train tickets. One way is to use the split ticket feature. Surprisingly, it can be much much cheaper to buy two tickets from A to B and B to C than one ticket from A to C (even if it's the same route)!
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| Source: https://westhighlandline.org.uk/ |
2. Get a railcard
Another tip about saving money on train tickets. Having a railcard could save you hundreds of pounds if you travel frequently. There are lots of different railcards -- find the one that applies to you.
If you travel with your partner or friend, the best option would be a Two Together Railcard, which nicely cuts the ticket price by 30%. If you're aged under 30, you can either get a 16-17 Saver, 16-25 Railcard or 26-30 Railcard, each of which saves you at least 30% of your money. Similarly, a Senior Railcard saves you 30%. If you're going hiking with your family or a group of friends, the Family & Friends Railcard again saves you 30% (or 60% on children!).
Remember to carry your railcard with you, as you may be asked to show it upon ticket inspection.
3. Sometimes flying could be the cheapest option!
Perhaps surprisingly, domestic flights can sometimes be cheaper than trains, specially if your destination is far away. For our next trip to Scotland and the Highlands, we found that flying with EasyJet from London to Glasgow is about half the price of travelling by train -- and one fifth of the duration! So it's worth checking flight options as well.
4. Take your bike with you
Trains don't always take you quite to the base of the mountain you want to climb. You could take a taxi to get to the start of the trail -- but taxis can be expensive in rural areas. So you might want to consider cycling the last leg from the train station to the mountain trail (or you could cycle along the mountain trail if you have a mountain bike). Fortunately, you can take your bike to the train in the UK free of charge -- you just need to book a space for it to ensure it fits in. Having your bike with you will save you both time and money, and it also saves you from running to catch your return train if you're doing a day trip (we have sometimes rushed back from the mountains to catch the last train of the day back home, wishing we had taken our bikes with us).
5. Buy second-hand gear
Hiking, backpacking and camping gear can be very expensive. Depending on the frequency of your hikes, you will need to have reasonable gear. Buying top quality gear could cost a fortune -- but you could always buy second hand gear. For example, I found top quality Altberg hiking boots and a Coleman tent second-hand for a fraction of the store price, yet in good condition.
Check out eBay and your local Facebook flea market group or Gumtree market page. Many people who are moving abroad or upgrading their old gear are selling them, and often it's still in good condition. It is also more environmentally friendly to buy second-hand hiking gear.
For a proper mountain hike, you will need at least hiking boots and hiking socks, a map and a compass, a durable and light backpack, a polyester base layer, a fleece, a windproof jacket suitable for the season, comfortable hiking trousers, and crampons in the case of a winter ascent.
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| Hiking in the Lake District |
6. Shop at Amazon Warehouse
Ever wondered how to buy Amazon hiking gear (or other products) for a cheaper price? Amazon Warehouse offers just that -- they provide great deals on returned Amazon products -- and often the returned products are as good as new. For example, hiking boots often get returned if they don't fit the buyer, but that doesn't mean there was anything wrong with the boots other than their size. The returned product then goes on sale at Amazon Warehouse for a cheaper price, where another customer will find it in near perfect condition and with a nice discount.
7. Pack your own snacks
While climbing a mountain, you need to get enough calories and plenty of fluids. You could go to a pub or restaurant before/after your climb to get some food, but we often opt for the cheaper option of bringing our own snacks, which also enables us having a lovely picnic at the summit.
For snacks you could spend just a little while at home to prepare a few healthy goodies which you could enjoy during your hiking trip. Here are a few very simple recipes which you can quickly and easily make at home:
Chocolate Protein Balls recipe
As a meal you could take some quick noodles with tuna, and a thermos flask. It will take only 3 min to prepare it.
8. Consider different accommodation options
If mountains are far from your home, you may wish to plan a several day trip to explore your favourite mountain range. You then need to plan ahead for accommodation -- the prices between different options vary dramatically. The cheapest option (though with little amenities) is camping. Camping at a campsite often costs just a couple of dozen pounds per night (or nothing if wild camping!) and it allows you to set your base near the mountains rather than in a city further away. Glamping or renting a chalet are also options that let you stay near the mountains, with a bit more amenities but still at an affordable price. Also check out YHA for some cheap hostel accommodation at the heart of national parks (we stayed in YHA Borrowdale in the Lake District, which was perfectly located for summiting Scafel Pike and neighbouring peaks). Airbnb is an option that is also a bit cheaper than hotels and lets you stay in the countryside. Finally, if you opt for a hotel, you can often get a good deal on Hotels.com.
Let us know if you know more tips on how to save money while mountain hiking.
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