WHEN STEFANIE MROS moved to the UK it wasn’t only a new language and culture she embarked upon but also a new hobby that would see her travel the length and breadth of the country to pursue.

After being asked out on a hike by a friend, she soon realised she had a passion for the sport and has since explored much of the UK on footpaths and trails. Her love for exploring and hiking has continued to grow and seen her start her own website,hikingmadness.wordpress.com, and connect with many other hikers through Facebook at  www.facebook.com/hikingmadness.

How and when did you start hiking and was there anyone who influenced you into the pastime?

My friend Christian whom I met in my first few months in London, asked me one day if I wanted to come on a hike on Box Hill in Surrey. I wanted to get to know about England as much as could so I joined him. Box Hill is just a 40-minute train journey from London and it was a relatively short walk of 11km and hilly, as the name suggests. But we had a lot of fun chatting, taking pictures and having a picnic for lunch. I really liked it and that was when I fell in love with hiking.

Where and how often do you manage to hike?

I try to go hiking every week. Mostly in the countryside of Surrey, Kent as well as East and West Sussex as it’s close to London. Most train journeys out of town don’t take more than 45 minutes and you’re in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes life takes over though and it can be difficult at times to be out and about every week. Otherwise, bank holiday weekends and longer holidays are good opportunities for hikes further away in the UK or abroad.

What have been some of your most memorable hikes and where in the country or world has hiking taken you?

One of my most memorable hikes was in Cumbria. It was a relatively short tour of four days from Coniston to Keswick through the heart of Lake District. We were walking from hostel to hostel in surprisingly good weather. That was my first hiking holiday. 

Another memorable hike was my first winter climb in Morocco. My partner and I climbed Toubkal, North Africa’s highest mountain, last year. The Atlas Mountains are beautiful and very different from British mountains. 

A few days ago I came back from a hiking trip in the Alps of Southern Germany and Austria. Magnificent mountains, I just love them. But the easiest to explore is UK. There are amazing places around here: I have spent a few weekends at the remote coastlines of Cornwall and Pembrokeshire.

The Lake District is gorgeous, especially when they have good weather. And on another holiday I walked the West Highland Way, a long distance trail in Scotland, with friends. Even the flat fields of the Southern counties are great for a hike on the weekend. So there are a lot of enjoyable places around here.

What is it about hiking that gives you so much pleasure and how much of an effect would you say the hobby can have on someone’s life?

What’s so great about hiking is that I’m outdoors, mostly in a quiet, peaceful landscape where I can recharge my batteries. There’s nothing better than catching up with a friend on a walk. We’ve got all the time we want and no waitress wants to kick us out because others are waiting for our table. 

At the same time I get some exercise. I’m not a friend of stuffy gyms, but if you go on a hike for four to five hours you burn around 2,000 calories – about as much as if you go shopping all day just without spending any money! 

In general I think sport is a really good thing. And I’m not even talking about watching your weight or preventing diseases. I feel less tired and mentally fitter when I do sports. And it’s a great feeling coming back from a walk with burning feet, sitting on a couch and thinking: yeah, I’ve done something really good for myself today.

What have been some of your craziest or scariest moments while hiking?

Ironically, I’m not a friend of heights. Now try being that high up in the mountains. There were a few times when I had to walk over ridges or narrow paths with a steep slope dropping a few centimetres next to me. It’s more a personal challenge but these are my scariest moments.

How important is it to you to be able to share your experiences through your blog and connect with other like-minded people online?

I started my Hiking Madness blog to share my experience of hiking. Often, when I’m on a hike either with friends or in a hiking group I notice that many hikers are 40 or 50 plus. Every time I wondered: where are the young ones? It seems that hiking still counts as an activity for the… more mature generation.

To be honest, until a few years ago I connected hiking with mountains and higher grounds. I had no idea that England and basically any other country has so many footpaths and hiking trails throughout the countryside. 

With my blog I want to show especially people in their 20s how great hiking can be and where it can take you. It can be a great day out with your best friend chatting about school, work or personal life, or you can hang out with your gang in the middle of nowhere and have a picnic. 

Through my blog I met a lot of fellow hikers all over the world and they blog about amazing places as well. It’s like a community. Social media in general is a great means to exchange experiences, get inspiration from others or simply follow others on their journeys. Through my Facebook page I get into contact with people who want to start hiking but don’t know where to start. It’s great helping them out as much as I can.

Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of the year and beyond?

I’m thinking about a trip to the Brecon Beacons in Wales at the end of August. And then maybe Tatras Mountains in Poland and next year the Himalayas. I’m also flirting with the idea to go on a long distance trail for a few months in New Zealand or in the US. There’s still a big question mark but it would definitely be exciting.

Visit Stefanie’s blog at hikingmadness.wordpress.com or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hikingmadness.