Hikerdelic Heroes - #001 Alfred Wainwright

The story of the Great Outdoors in the UK is littered with pioneering figures from humble beginnings. While much of the land remains technically owned by wealthy elite, it owes its accessibility to countless down-to-earth men and women from across the spectrum, often from modest backgrounds. Walking Class Heroes, if you will.

One such character is Alfred Wainwright. His name is etched into the etymology of British walking culture. A quiet revolutionary whose influence still guides boots over stone and grass today, Wainwright was a true pioneer, and the ideal inaugural addition to our list of Hikerdelic Heroes.

Born in 1907 in Blackburn, Lancashire, Wainwright’s roots were firmly working class. He left school at 13, trained as an accountant, and lived a life that on paper looked orderly and conventional. But in 1930, a single walk changed everything. A weekend trip to the Lake District opened his eyes to a landscape that would come to define his inner life. He later wrote that it was on that hill that “a gateway opened” and his love affair with the fells began. Far from the inherited privilege or romantic escapism that defined much of the stories of exploration in the early 20th century, this was simply discovery through effort, curiosity, and grit.

Wainwright’s pioneering status lies not in first ascents or daring exploits, but in devotion and documentation. His Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, meticulously hand-drawn and handwritten, redefined how people understood and accessed the landscape. Seven volumes, 214 fells, countless hours hunched over a desk, every map, contour, wall, stile, and summit rendered with obsessive care.

Wainwright gave walkers something more intimate than directions: he gave them confidence, and belief that the outdoors is for all. He invited ordinary people to explore extraordinary places on their own terms.

Despite his last impact on a vast amount of outdoor enthusiasts, Wainwright was famously solitary, fiercely private, sometimes prickly, and unapologetically opinionated. He disliked crowds, distrusted authority, and had little time for pretension. His writing could be blunt, dryly humorous, and occasionally scathing, especially when it came to motorways, overdevelopment, or anyone who threatened the integrity of the fells. Yet beneath that surface austerity was a deep, almost spiritual love for the land.

Wainwright reshaped how we relate to the outdoors. He championed slow travel, deep attention, and personal responsibility. He proved that you didn’t need elite gear, extreme ambition, or a grand narrative, just time, patience, and respect.

In a world that moves faster every day, Alfred Wainwright reminds us to look closely, walk steadily, and leave things as we found them. A hero not for shouting loudest, but for listening longest. He was the antithesis of the modern travel influencer a long time before such a thing existed, yet his influence stretched wider than any reel or activation. 

We'll be sharing our Hikerdelic Heroes on a regular basis over the coming months. Feel free to suggest other pioneering characters from culture, whether related to nature or from music, movies and more.