When it was announced in June that the Princess of Wales had completed the National Three Peaks Challenge—climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Snowdon in Wales, traditionally within 24 hours—there was a collective sense of shock, awe, and admiration. Shock because it is not something you expect a future Queen to do; awe because she did it with such grace and humility; and admiration because she was doing it for a cause close to her heart.

For writer Ali Harris, this was a rare moment when she could compare her own life experience to a princess. A month earlier, she had climbed Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) at night as part of a Lace Up and Trek challenge for Petals, a baby loss counselling charity. The response from family and friends was mostly disbelief, with many joking that walking to the local shop for chocolate did not count as training.

Harris had signed up shortly after starting work at Petals. Having experienced their counselling herself after losing her baby 22 weeks into her pregnancy 12 years ago, working for the charity felt like a natural step. Climbing a mountain was far outside her comfort zone. In her 30s, she would have defined good exercise simply as running. Hiking would not have made the list, especially living in Cambridgeshire, where the fens are notoriously flat.

But in her 40s, running has become less appealing due to the potential for injury. Her daily exercise of choice is yoga, but she had missed the cardio and mental health benefits of being outside. Perhaps hiking was her way back in.

Why Hiking Appeals to Midlife Women

This may explain why hiking has become such an appealing midlife fitness trend. It offers physical exertion that is gentler on ageing joints, but it also has a purpose. It gets you out in nature, away from screens, and—if you take on a challenge—gives you a huge sense of achievement.

The health benefits for midlife women are considerable. PT and online coach Ben de Zille Butler of BBFit explains: “Hiking itself is an excellent way to maintain muscle strength, bone density and general fitness, which is key for women going through hormonal changes.”

Hills increase the intensity of walking, while uneven ground challenges muscles, balance, and stability. Hiking is also weight-bearing, helping maintain bone strength, while the cardiovascular challenge supports heart health and fitness.

Ben recommends building leg strength into your routine: “Exercises such as squats and hip thrusts will build strength in the glutes and quads. Adding in single-leg step-ups and reverse lunges will help improve balance and single-leg stability for those tougher terrains.”

The Mental Health Benefits

For Harris, the biggest win was the mental health benefits. There is something about being outside and walking through beautiful landscapes that brings clarity. In a world of political unrest, environmental anxiety, money worries, and screen addiction, nature has a useful way of putting things back into perspective.

As keen hiker Oprah Winfrey puts it: “On the trail, you realise how small your problems are compared to the vastness of nature. Hiking returns you to yourself.”

Hiking also provides something increasingly precious in midlife: proper connection. Training hikes with friends became valuable time to get some cardio in and put the world to rights. Harris would finish feeling as though everything was back in balance—not just from the walking, but the talking.

She even went on a walking holiday with friends to the Jurassic Coast, which was pure joy. Walking, talking, hills, and pub stops have become her preferred pastime. She is not alone. According to MoneySuperMarket.com, UK Google searches for hiking holidays have increased, with searches for “Dolomites hiking holiday” up 540% in the last 12 months. The trend reflects a wider shift towards active travel and adventure-led holidays.

Community and Connection

Community is also a key driver. Giovanna Fletcher has built an extraordinary community through her CoppaTrek! events, bringing women together to trek, laugh, talk, raise money, and challenge themselves. As she has said: “There’s something really healing about people supporting one another, sharing stories and celebrating being alive.”

It was Harris’s own Snowdon trek that made her finally understand why hiking can bring such clarity, purpose, community, connection, and hope. That night, the group climbed uphill in memory of their babies and for bereaved parents still facing their own mountain of grief. For hours they walked and talked, headtorches lighting their way through the darkness. At the summit, as dawn broke over the valleys, they felt fear, exhaustion, and elation—but mostly a huge sense of togetherness.

Harris discovered that hiking is about navigating difficult, beautiful, unexpected terrain and discovering that you are stronger than you thought. She is already planning her next challenge: another Snowdon trek and a 20-mile Jurassic Coast hike with Petals next year, and she is considering a 100km trek around the Isle of Wight to mark turning 50.

After all, adventure has no age limit.

Fancy Taking a Hike Yourself?

• Petals’ Lace Up and Trek challenges: Take on an adventurous walking challenge while raising money for Petals, the baby loss counselling charity. Choose from organised treks and help fund specialist counselling for parents affected by pregnancy and baby loss.
• CoppaTrek! with Gi: Trek with Giovanna Fletcher and a community of women while raising money to help end the late diagnosis of breast cancer. CoppaTrek! with Gi involves five-day adventures in spectacular locations, while the one-day CoppaTrek! Challenge offers half- or full-marathon distances in UK locations. 2026 destinations included the Jurassic Coast and Great Wall of China, with future treks now open for expressions of interest.