James Forrest can do nothing but inspire you when you read his words about his passion for hiking and nature.

JAMES FORREST was fascinated with the Lake District from a young child. His parents made the region the location for their annual family holiday and James can only remember with joy those days of exploring one of Britain’s places of most striking natural beauty.

As he grew older his love for ‘the Lakes’ never dwindled and when he read a book by Alfred Wainwright about all the mountains in the area he became intent on summitting each of them and did so in under two years. 

James then set off to Australasia where he hiked and explored several countries before heading back to the UK to set himself another mountain challenge. This time he set a world record by climbing every mountain in Great Britain in the fastest ever time.

Today he is a freelance writer for several adventure and hiking magazines and is working on his first book, of course based on his passion for hiking, which is due out in 2019.

Here he talks to us about what it is about the sport that inspires him on a day-to-day basis and gives a hint about what his next mountain challenge could involve!

What inspired you to make a lifestyle change and start exploring the great outdoors?

I used to live in a city and work in an office – and I was fed up. I spent 10 boring years in that lifestyle. I’d always loved the great outdoors from an early age, but I only ever escaped into the mountains on the odd weekend or during holidays. So I took a leap of faith into the unknown. I sold my house, quit my desk job and set about making my life more epic and adventurous of my life. 

It was a bloody scary thing to do – leaving behind reliable employment and saying goodbye to my house. There were a hundred reasons not to go for it. Doubts crept into my mind. Paying off the mortgage, topping up the pension pot, getting a promotion at work, living close to family and friends. These were all very sensible, tangible reasons to stick to the status quo. But, for me, it was all too boring, too safe, too much of exactly-what-you’re-supposed-to-do-rather-than-what-you-want-to-do. Like many backpackers and adventurers who take similar leaps into the unknown every year, the calling to escape the nine-to-five grind and travel the world trumped any of the reasons to stay put. I knew I had to do it, otherwise I’d regret it forever. 

I still, however, faced lots of fears and last-minute panics, especially as the big change drew ever closer. “Am I throwing my future away?” was a question that regularly popped into my head. On many occasions I had to fight the urge to bail on the whole idea and I’m so pleased I didn’t. When everything went through – the house sale was finalised and my work notice handed in – it felt like a relief. I never regretted it. Best decision I ever made.

James Forrest set himself the challenge to walk all 214 ‘Wainwrights’ in the Lake District.

Where did the idea to set yourself the challenge to walk all 214 ‘Wainwrights’ in the Lake District stem from? How long did it take and what was the experience like?

As a kid, my mum and dad would take my brothers and I on an annual holiday to the Lake District. Ever since those childhood days of exploration and fell-walking, I’ve been addicted to Lakeland.

Someone once lent me one of Alfred Wainwright’s books and that sparked in me the idea to complete all of the 214 mountains featured in his seven pictorial guidebooks. I became obsessed and managed to tick off the entire list in under two years (many people take a lifetime). 

What was the experience like? 

Every walk was time well spent – time for wilderness and solitude, for self-reflection and quiet, for escapism and nature. Every fell  brought me boundless happiness. To non-believers this might seem a sentimental exaggeration but many outdoor enthusiasts across the UK and the world feel the same. Being in the mountains is good for the soul. I find it difficult to explain why or how in a succinct manner but, where my creativity fails, the words of the great fell walker Alfred Wainwright do not. “I was to find a spiritual and physical satisfaction in climbing mountains – and a tranquil mind upon reaching their summits, as though I had escaped from the disappointments and unkindnesses of life and emerged above them into a new world, a better world.”

Hiking and is more than just a sport for James. It is a form of escapism when he can enjoy the beauty in nature and forget about the strife of everyday life.

What was behind your life-changing decision to quit your job and go hiking in Australasia? Where were some of the places you hiked? What were some of the highlights of the adventure? And who were some of the most interesting people you met along the way?

I wanted to do something adventurous, to travel the world, and to explore real wildernesses. We often use the word ‘wilderness’ in England but it isn’t accurate – you’re never that far from a road, farm building or village. So I was attracted to the true wildernesses of Tasmania. I completed the Overland Track and South Coast Track. They were both incredible: the tranquility and peace, the wildlife, the stunning scenery – although I didn’t like it when I spotted deadly tiger snakes on the trail! I also did a lot of hiking in New Zealand, including the Banks Peninsula Track, Kaikoura Coast Track, Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Kepler Track. With its Lord of the Rings scenery, New Zealand has got to be one of the best hiking destinations in the world. 

From the Lake District challenge it was off to Australasia for James before he returned to the UK for another adventure involving mountains and hiking.

Many people may not be aware that there are 446 mountains in England and Wales but you managed to climb them all in record-breaking time! How did it feel to set such a record on homesoil and what kept you motivated while taking on the challenge?

Setting the record –  climbing every 2,000ft mountain in England and Wales (known as the ‘Nuttalls’) in the fastest ever time felt absolutely incredible. My last mountain was Scafell Pike (England’s highest mountain) and I miraculously had the summit to myself. I just enjoyed a quiet moment of self-reflection to think about the past six months of my challenge. It was a real mix of emotions – relief, elation, gratitude and excitement. Mainly I thought about the good times and how thankful I was to have experienced the beauty, solitude and freedom of the mountains. Oh – and how bloody tired I was!

James set a world record by climbing every mountain in the UK in the fastest ever time.

Tell us about your passion for writing and how you combine it with your love of adventure and hiking?

I’m a qualified journalist and former newspaper reporter. But now I work as a freelance writer, specialising in my favourite subjects: hiking, wild camping, the great outdoors and adventure travel. To get paid to write about climbing a rocky mountain, or to walk a long-distance trail, or travel to a remote wilderness is definitely the best job in the world. Freelancing is an insecure lifestyle – and I still have a long way to go to make a decent living – but I’m absolutely loving the challenge. 

James now combines his passion for adventure with his love for writing and is currently working on his first book.

Where can our readers find some of your work and what can they expect from your writing style?

I’m currently working on my debut book Mountain Man, which will be a humorous and inspiring account of my challenge to climb all 446 mountains over 2,000ft in England and Wales while holding down my regular job. The book will be published in 2019 and I’m incredibly excited about it. I also regularly write about hiking and adventure travel for a number of British magazines including TGO, Country Walking, Trail, Ooutdoor Enthusiast, Lakeland Walker, Adventure Travel and Cumbria. I always aim to transfer my passion for the great outdoors onto the page and I use a writing style that (hopefully) transports the reader into the adventure alongside me. 

James is looking forward to his next mountainous challenge and has said it could well take place in Scotland.

What adventures do you currently have planned and are there any other projects in the pipeline for 2018 and beyond?

My mountain wanderlust has gone into overdrive, so I’m really looking forward to my next adventure. I’ve got to do the Munros in Scotland at some point, haven’t I? I’d love the chance to do a single-round of the Scottish mountains. A 3,000km thru-hike of the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail is also on my adventure to-do list in the near future. I don’t have anything concrete planned at the moment – but watch this space.  

You can follow me on www.jamesmforrest.co.uk , on Instagram at @jamesmichaelforrest , Twitter @jamesmforrest and