I did not grow up as a hiker. I climbed Ben Nevis when I was ten, which sounds like the beginning of a great origin story, but it was not. Life moved on, the mountains stayed where they were, and for a long time, we had very little to do with each other.

All that changed during a difficult period in my life when I was looking for something, anything really, that would help me clear my head. Getting outdoors changed my life. The mountains gave me space to think, process things and escape the noise of everyday life. Hiking helped me build confidence, improve my mental health and find a sense of purpose during a time when I really needed it.

So for me, what started as a simple walk outdoors quickly turned into a passion, and before long, I found myself chasing bigger adventures and setting new goals in the mountains. The outdoors fixed something in me that I had not known how to fix. I am not saying that I found a cure for mental health, but I am saying that these were the things that worked to improve my state of mind.

Why hiking became so important to me

Once hiking got into me, it got into me properly. I started working through Scotland's Munros, the 282 peaks over 3,000 feet and somewhere in those long days on the hill, I started to feel like myself again. For me, the mountains gave me space to think and time to process certain things. It also helped me get away from the noise that builds up when you spend too much time inside your own head and inside four walls. With that said, hiking gave me confidence I had not had before. It gave me a sense of purpose and something I could work towards.

Over the past year or so, they’ve also taught me resilience, patience and how to stay positive when conditions aren’t ideal. I share that message because I know how many people are quietly struggling. Getting outside will not solve everything. But I have seen what it can do for me, and for the people who follow along and eventually take their own first steps. That is why I keep talking about it and sharing my experiences.

Scotland taught me things no training plan could

The Munros have given me some of the best experiences of my life. Every mountain is different, every day on the hill is unique, and there’s always another challenge waiting around the corner. I love the sense of adventure, the views, and the feeling of accomplishment when you reach a summit.

What it has also given me, without my really asking for it, is resilience. Scotland's weather has a way of humbling you very quickly. You learn to stay patient when conditions turn. You learn to keep moving when everything feels harder than it should. You learn that difficult moments pass.

With all these experiences, you will see that there is always another challenge waiting, always another summit that looks impossible from the bottom and straightforward from the top. So I have climbed Kilimanjaro in January 2026 but now All of that has been preparation for Everest Base Camp in ways that no gym session could replicate. I am going into the Himalayas as someone who has spent years being uncomfortable outdoors and choosing to stay anyway. That feels like the right foundation.

Everest Base Camp was always going to be next

After Kilimanjaro, the question was never whether I would keep pushing. It was what came next. Everest Base Camp had been sitting somewhere in the back of my mind for a while - the scale of it, the history of it, the landscape that you simply cannot find anywhere else on the planet.

I will be doing this with Sophie, who I connected with through our shared love of adventure and the outdoors. She understands both the excitement and the weight of a journey like this. Having someone beside you who gets it, not just the highlights, but the reality makes the whole thing better.

And it was always going to be with Follow Alice. I know what they do and how they do it from Kilimanjaro. Their guides, their support on the trail, the way they run an expedition, it removes the noise so you can focus on what actually matters, which is being present in the experience. For anyone reading this and wants to join me on tackling this trek together you can find out more about this trip here.

Altitude is the one thing you cannot fake your way through

I will be honest about what concerns me most on this trek: the altitude. You cannot fully prepare for it at sea level. You cannot train for it on the Munros. At a certain point, you simply have to get up there and see how your body responds.

My plan is to respect that. Listen to the guides. Pace myself properly. Stay hydrated. Take each day as it comes rather than trying to race toward the destination. Base Camp will be there. The goal is to arrive in good shape and actually enjoy the journey getting there.

The mountains have taught me that pushing through stupidly and pushing through intelligently look nothing alike. I intend to do the second one.

What I would tell anyone reading this who is thinking about it

If Everest Base Camp is on your list, do not let the size of the challenge talk you out of it. It is achievable for far more people than most realise. The right preparation, the right mindset and the right people around you make an enormous difference. My preparation has mostly been doing what I already love: spending time in the mountains, building up the longer days, carrying a loaded pack so my body knows what is coming. Nothing complicated. Consistency matters more than any single big effort.

But more than any specific piece of advice, this is what I want you to take away: do not wait for the perfect moment. It does not exist. Whether your next adventure is a local walk, a first mountain, or a trek to the roof of the world, it starts with a single decision.

Adventure does not have to mean Everest. Sometimes it just means saying yes to something that excites you and scares you a little at the same time. The memories you come home with will always be worth it. I will be sharing every part of this journey, not just the views and the good days, but the reality of what it takes. Follow along, and maybe it will be the thing that gets you moving too. Remember you can also join me to take on the EBC trek together. Find out more here: Trek With a Fellow Adventurer

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