NSC Outdoor Adventures

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Nutrition

This is a complex subject and it varies from individual to individual.  Serious hill-walking can consume in excess of 600kcal/hour.  This is unlikely to be achieved in practice and is more likely to be around this amount over 4 or 5 hours.  Please ensure that you have sufficient food with you for the expected duration of your trip with a spare snack or even meal in reserve.  In addition it is possible to consume around 1l/hour of fluids in very hot conditions.  In Scotland it is also possible to suffer from hypothermia in summer and dehydration in winter!  

Running water in the UK upland is generally considered safe to drink without treatment, but we cannot recommend this.  If you are at all concerned please ensure that you carry treatment equipment with you.  Of course the alternative is to carry sufficient for your expected needs but each litre of water adds 1kg to your pack!  At high level, especially in summer, water may well be absent, but your instructors will advise you as necessary.  In winter, water may be frozen though it is unlikely that you will need to drink as much as in summer but dehydration is easily possible at any time of year.