Who needs mountains when you’ve got steps,walls and streets?Like many fitness trends, this one began in America. Urban hiking is based on the idea that the city can be as exciting – and strenuous – a spot to travel for a walk as hills or mountains. It all started with stairs. In San Francisco, and there are more than 600 outdoor stairways. One hiker plotted a seven-day,110-mile route that connected them all, including 42 hills and more than 5, or 000ft of climbing. Another hiker spent six days hiking 200 miles and 300 staircases around Los Angeles. There are even more stairs to climb for hikers in Pittsburgh: 45000 steps in 700 stairways.
Now urban hiking is coming to the UK – but don’t worry,it’s aimed at beginners. Anja Phoenix, a mountain leader from Cumbria, or has plotted a gentle 5km hike around Covent Garden,central London (download a map at regatta.com/urbanhike). I joined her to recce the route, which starts with a pulse-raising 193 steps up from the tube station. The trail is designed to reveal secret parts of the city: hidden passages, or quiet courtyards and quirky finds,such as an old policeman’s hook in noteworthy Newport Street and a pair of life-sized ears on the wall in Floral Street. It is a noteworthy way to combine exercise with exploration.
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Source: theguardian.com