Nine To Alive sat down with the @welsh_scrambler, Chris Williams, to learn about the most popular outdoor activity in the UK this year, scrambling.

According to Country Living, the term scrambling has achieved a year-on-year search increase of 133% in 2024, and it has seen the biggest boom in interest in any outdoor activity. 

Chris Williams, known as the Welsh Scrambler on social media, has been an avid outdoorsmen since his youth as his family were always ‘up in the mountains’.

Quenching his thirst for his nature fix used to be simple for Williams as he spent the last 20 years as a self-employed bricklayer. 

This all changed post-covid when he was forced to become a full time glass furnace worker for his financial security.

He said: “Working and getting out into the mountains is very difficult, I am constantly fighting with that balance. I could go out and do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Now I’ve got a full-time job, it’s going to be just a weekend thing, 

“Now I work full-time, the winters are tough, I can’t go out after work as it’s usually pitch black.”

In the last three years Chris wanted to turn his hiking up a notch and after discovering scrambling, he knew that would be the best activity to ‘chase adrenaline’.

The best way to do this for Chris was to document his journey through his Instagram page for his own keepsake.

Little did he know that he would reach over seven thousand fellow scramblers and even meet his ‘girlfriend’ whilst out on the mountain.

But what is scrambling?

A mix between climbing and hiking, it is a popular activity, marked by three different grades, or skill levels.

When asked if he had noticed an uptake in scrambling Chris said: “Yeah there certainly is, I was lucky enough to meet my girlfriend there and now we’re doing scrambles and together. I have also met a lot of my friends who I would never have discovered before scrambling.

“There are more and more people on the ridges every time you go now.”

Grade one is the lowest level, where you use your hands every now and then to pull yourself up, an example of which can be found on Snowdonia. Usually in a Grade 1 scramble there are plenty of places to put your feet and they are accessible for those with just hiking experience.

Despite not using ropes, you must still adopt the ‘technical skills’ of climbing and hiking.

“I would recommend always doing first grade regardless of your previous experience. Only step it up if you’re comfortable and confident in your ability,” Chris said.

“Meet people with similar interests and go with others that have more experience to learn from them, you’ll be counting on them if something goes wrong too.

“Everyone in the community is incredibly friendly and they’re always willing to help you out.

“The best part about scrambling, there’s hundreds of people giving it a go every day no matter what their experience level is.”

The scramble then moves up a gear, at grade two, you have to use your hands frequently as you’re climbing and pulling yourself up. Generally, there will be a little bit of climbing then the scramble levels off. The climbing will include many ledges for your feet but some climbs will require the use of ropes.

When you are experienced at hiking and climbing, you will aim for Grade three level scrambles. Most people will use ropes for these climbs, with an increase in the amount of almost vertical climbs.

At this grade, there will be very small ledges for your feet on grade three and all they are not ‘sheer drops’.

Do I utilise the same foot positions as climbing?

In short, yes, the three foot positions are used during a scramble. Chris described Smearing, Edging and wedging.

Smearing:

“The act of pressing the sole of your climbing shoe directly to the rock or slab and using friction to gain vertical ground.”

Edging:

“You step on a hold with the rubber on the edge of your shoe. You can use the inside edge, where your big toe offers stability on smaller holds, or you can use the outside edge.”

Wedging:

“You do this inside edge onto a foothold, you can drive yourself up the rock to find the next handhold and then steady yourself while you plan your next move. The outside edge is better served for traversing or moving laterally along a wall. “

Where can I start?

The best place for you to find your scrambles is by joining Instagram and Facebook groups and Chris praises its accessibility for any outdoor enthusiast.

He said: “It all depends on how competent you are with the technical side of it. You know, like grade ones, people tend to obviously start on a grade one. You wouldn’t go straight into a grade three from a hiking background into a grade three because you know that’s a big jump.”

Scrambling is accessible for those with limited downtime after work. Chris highlighted that there is a wide variety of timings and difficulty levels that can be completed. Even in the evening after the nine to five, especially as we move into the summer months.

“Certain routes can be really short and take a half hour approach. But a scramble can also take an 6 or 7 hours.

“For example, the Milestone Approach The approach time there is probably 10, 15 minutes. Yeah, the scramble itself you could probably do in less than half an hour. So you can be up and down in around under an hour.”

Chris recommended three grade one routes for our readers wanting to begin scrambling.

Crib Goch – in Snowdonia this is a grade one scramble even during winter times when snow is present. It is officially a Grade 1, but can suit any Grade if you alter the route, to keep everyone entertained. This is a ridge that offers an exciting way up to Wales’ highest peak.

Mystic Ridge – a grade one located above Loch Nalacken on Mount Brandon.

The North ridge of Tryan – this is another grade one on Snowdonia that has alternative routes to up the difficulty. It offers an entertaining scramble up and over the summit of Tryfan. The descent route on the map is also fairly straight forward,

What Kit do you need?

Kit wise, Chris recommended all the climbing and hiking essentials. He warned any potential scramblers that ‘approach shoes’ are ‘non-negotiable’ in your bag of equipment. Also, For the mountains you’ve got to bring waterproofs because the weather can change quickly.