Heat on an open ridge in high summer

A ridge in high summer is a bright idea at breakfast and a bare stage by noon. There is no tree, the breeze feels helpful, and the sun is on you from every pale stone. People who walk Britain well in the rain sometimes walk it badly in the heat, because the kit and the timetable are still set for a cool, damp country. Change both.

Put the exposed miles in the morning

Start early enough that the climb is done while the day is still kind. The shape in one long morning and a gentle afternoon was made for this. By early afternoon you want to be on a lane, in a wood, or in a village, not on the crest deciding whether to continue because the view is good. The view will be there on a cooler day. Your head may not welcome the experiment.

Look at the map for shade the way you look for a summit. A north-facing wood, a sunken lane, a church, a pub. Wooded hills are the summer alternative to the famous bare ridge. Choosing them is judgement, not a lesser walk.

Water, salt and a hat

Carry more than you would in May, and start drinking before thirst becomes a headache. The notes on how much water to carry are the baseline. Heat pushes the figure up. Food matters too. A sweet drink is not a meal, and water alone on a long hot climb leaves you flat.

A brim, sunscreen on the neck and ears, and a shirt you can walk in with the sleeves down: sun and glare are the clothing half. The breeze on a ridge will lie to you. It cools the skin while the burn continues. Believe the forecast and the season, not the pleasant wind.

How to tell the day is too much

Stop if someone is dizzy, confused, sick, unusually irritable, or has a headache that water and shade do not touch. Get them off the crest, into shade, with sips of water if they can take them safely. If they do not improve, or you are worried, seek urgent help and be ready to say where you are. This is not a moment for the next cairn. A walking article cannot see your companion. A clinician, or the emergency service, can take the decision you should not guess at.

Children and dogs overheat faster than a fit adult wants to believe. Carry water for the dog, offer shade, and turn around while the turn is still a path and not a carry.

The way down, chosen in advance

Before you go up, name the path down that leads to shade, a road or a village. When mist closes in you drop for navigation. In heat you drop for the body. The same requirement applies: a real path, not a shortcut through a steep unknown slope. Valley or ridge is the choice in its seasonal form. On this day the valley is the kinder friend.

If the only way off is the way you came, turn around earlier than your pride prefers. Out and back has one great virtue in the heat. The return is known, and it can start now.

A ridge that still deserves you

Go when the forecast is hot but not extreme, when the party is well, and when you can be high in the morning and low in the afternoon. Carry the water. Wear the hat. Leave the drone and the extra summit for a day with more mercy in it.

High summer on an open hill can be glorious at eight in the morning. Arrange to meet it then.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cloudy hot day safer?

Cloud reduces glare and you can still overheat. Humid, still heat is tiring even without a burn. Carry the water and the shade plan anyway.

Can we rely on a mountain stream?

Not as your only supply. Treat water by a method you trust, or carry what you need. Heat is a poor time to discover that the stream is dry or fouled.

What about a siesta in a village?

A long sit through the hottest hour, then a short gentle finish, is an excellent British use of a southern idea. Book nothing that forces you back onto the ridge at two.