Who would ever have thought that health and safety would creep into hiking? There’s no greater freedom than hiking through woods, hills and mountains. The excitement lying, not only in the pleasure of whatever view is round the next corner or over the next bluff, but also in whatever the terrain has to offer in the way of obstacles. Yet, it seems even wild country is not immune to the effects of the health and safety laws. Land that is privately owned has to carry out ‘risk assessments’ if the general public is to go trampling though it. This means looking at any potential hazards, be it a tree root, that you could trip over, or an uneven stone that could lead to a twisted ankle. It seems ridiculous.

The National Trust builds all sorts of helpful walking aids, such as steps and hand rails. But they also put fences and guard rails up along steep cliffs, or areas where there has been a recent rock fall to prevent unsuspecting Joe Public from tumbling down to a crunchy end. Is this necessary? Does it not ruin a spectacular view? I’m not entirely sure. I would hope that people would have the sense not to walk to the very edge of a cliff in the first place. And as far as tripping over tree roots or slipping on wet stones is concerned, this is surely all part and parcel of the outdoors experience. Any accidents are the result of human clumsiness and error; not the fault of the landowner.

I just hope that it doesn’t come to the day when the woods are littered with warning signs and the paths are cleared of obstacles because the whole fun of hiking would be removed. We need to start a revolution in this country and campaign to keep our wilderness the way it should be – wild!

I’ve noticed the words “green” and “recycled” creeping into the descriptions of hiking and camping boots recently. My immediate thought was that the boots wouldn’t be as hardy or long-wearing as your usual waterproof hiking boots. But, being a bit of a greenie myself, I thought I’d have a look into who is making these new boots and out of what.

Patagonia is a brand that springs to mind immediately as it is known for its sustainable values. The Patagonia Finn hiking shoe is made from a 30% recycled rubber outsole. Other parts of the shoe are also made from various recycled materials. It has had rave reviews, making it a popular all-terrain hiking shoe with excellent traction, grip and comfort.

Timberland have also taken the plunge and developed a shoe that is made from recycled materials. Their Earthkeeper range looks good, and has strong eco-credentials using organic cotton on the upper and recycled rubber on the outersoles. The boots all look pretty nice, but I’m not convinced that this particular range would withstand tricky terrain or heavy hiking use.

I know that Keen and Teva have recycled ranges but they don’t seem to have hit the UK shores yet which is a shame as the boots look great. I think that by the end of next year, we are going to see a sharp increase in hiking boots constructed from recycled bits and pieces.