HIKER HEATHER
ABOUT HIKER HEATHER
Heather is fully qualified and insured Mountain Leader holding a 16 hour Outdoor First Aid Certificate. Currently based in West Yorkshire, Heather discovered the outdoors at a very young age, having being brought up in the Peak District until the age of 11. Heather’s younger years came with some challenges but Mother Nature was Heather’s constant during these years, Heather turned to nature to find peace and a sense of belonging and is where she felt and continues to feel most understood.
After relocating to West Yorkshire with her mother and sister at the age of 11, Heather lost touch with Mother Nature for most of her teenage years, Heather then experienced the traumatic loss of her father to suicide at the age of 15, this loss shook Heather to her core, she lost herself in the process of grief for very many years, turning to the rave scene at a very young age as a way of coping, a way of escaping reality. This unhealthy and destructive way of attempting to cope would continue for some years before the grief and trauma would eventually become too much for Heather to cope with, resulting in her also making various attempts at her own life, leading her to be hospitalised for periods. Eventually getting back to work in law, Heather quickly found herself absorbed with the stressful, fast pace nature of her job, slowly work became everything to Heather and she progressed quickly within her field, these were lonely years, certainly there was no semblance of a social life at all during these years, although they did allow for a huge amount of personal introspection and spiritual growth. Heather eventually found Mother Nature again, first through local walks, then eventually finding the confidence to go further afield, to the mountains of Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands, these trips bringing glimmers of hope and joy and well, her journey with Mother Nature simply snowballed from there...
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Heather feels particularly connected to the Scottish Highlands, she was born in Scotland and her father was Scottish and so naturally she feels connected to its people and its land which is why you will often find Heather in the mountains of Scotland (no pun intended!). ​
Ultimately, the outdoors is where Heather feels the most genuine joy and happiness, where she can truly be herself, it is the place where she feels most accepted, free from the pressure and judgement of society. Heather's connection with Mother Nature goes beyond a simple hobby or even passion, Heather credits Mother Nature for saving her life and as a result, Heather has chosen to dedicate her entire life and being to Mother Nature. Needless to say, Heather is also passionate about the benefits that the outdoors has to offer in terms of your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, she also believes that all humans inherently require a connection with Mother Nature, which for most people, has been lost in a world of technology, social media and Netflix.
Heather absolutely adores the mountains who she affectionately calls her "mates" but also finds herself drawn to long-distance trails/ thru hikes and has now hiked thousands of miles on long distance trails, both in the UK and also abroad including Cape Wrath Trail, West Highland Way (twice), Great Glen Way, Cumbria Way, Skye Trail Cotswold Way, South Downs Way, Easy Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc, Alder Trail and the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland. Heather sees long distance hikes as a natural progression in her outdoor career since spending prolonged periods with Mother Nature is her priority, Heather is drawn to the simplicity of life on the trail, spending prolonged periods in nature, living self-sufficiently out of her backpack, allowing her to disconnect completely from society, to escape the humdrum of 'normal life', to find solitude in the most beautiful of places... Heather often undertakes these huge endeavours on a solo basis and hopes to encourage and inspire others to do the same, this is why Heather is dedicated to maintaining her blog which she hopes will inspire your next adventure and give you the information needed to enable you to do so, Heather also chose to pursue her Mountain Leader qualification, in a hope that she can inspire and lead your next adventure! Heather runs public events which can be found on her Events page, in addition, she also offers a bespoke and private service for individuals or private / corporate bodies, Heather would be over the moon to guide you on your next adventure so please message her with any ideas you may have!

