North Wales is the gateway to developing hiking habit

Looking at my scuffed walking boots, the tread worn to the last time they touched Scottish soil back when I was 17, I realised it was time for some new walking kit.

- Chris Stevenson

This reflection had come when thinking about a fresh trip to Wales, including some hiking around Eryri, later known as Snowdonia. The last time I hiked was during my Duke of Edinburgh expeditions when I was teenager, lugging my tent, copious amounts of Kendal Mint Cake and several tins of spaghetti hoops to several Scottish summits. I turned to dust as the dreaded weight argued with my creaking knees.

I’ve been trying to get fitter over the last 18 months and this seemed like a good opportunity to add to my weekly swimming and football sessions, as well as a chance to get away with my partner Anna, who loves a hike – and also share my distrust of heights. I’ve got nothing against tents – in fact, I appreciate a night under the stars – but this time I was set on slightly more comfortable lodgings at a base near the Quay Hotel and Spa, a four-star stay on the waterfront of Conwy Estuary, which has added a £1 million spa to help relax those weary legs.