Outdoor Focus Winter 2025 | Seite 18

best outdoor feature Viv Crow

Imagine this: the sound of wind rushing across open moorland, the smell of wildflowers on the spring air, the feel of soft turf underfoot. Sounds good, doesn’ t it? And what does this wonderful landscape look like? Fuzzy. Like the static on an old television. Or at least that’ s how Amar Latif, known as the blind adventurer, describes it to me when we meet for a walk in the Peak District. I’ m Amar’ s guide today, describing what I’ m seeing and talking him through the obstacles that sighted and able-bodied people negotiate without thinking – stiles, rocky ground, low-hanging branches.“ And tell me if there’ s any poo!” he adds, laughing. We maintain physical contact constantly, lightly brushing arms as we walk side by side on wide, well-graded paths or with Amar walking behind and holding on to a strap on my daysack on rougher trails. Amar is president of the Ramblers and is keen to use his time in the role to help the walking charity break down barriers so everyone can enjoy our green spaces.“ A lot of people are missing out on the incredible feeling you get from being out in the countryside,” he explains as we set out from Hathersage. In a recent survey conducted by YouGov for the Ramblers, 25 % of respondents said barriers such as steps, stiles and gates stopped them using footpaths. That figure rose to 56 % of people with physical or sensory disabilities.“ If I didn’ t have a Vivienne today and wanted to go for a walk, what would I do? I want to find a solution to that. It’ s partly about raising awareness among walking groups.” Amar has made a video with the Ramblers explaining how to guide visually impaired people; they are hoping this will remove some of the fear associated with having blind ramblers join groups of what he calls“ lightdependent” walkers. We climb through bluebell woods, a sensory mélange for Amar.“ I like it when the sun flickers through the trees. That’ s so special – it’ s one of the things that engages my sight. There’ s a woody, herby smell and I love listening to the birds. They help paint a 3D landscape.” Throughout the day, curlews, skylarks and various woodland birds all contribute to this aural experience. Reaching out to touch beech leaves, Amar is surprised at their springtime silkiness.“ It makes me feel so relaxed, so zen.” He laughs as I place his hand on a carpet of damp moss on a wall.“ Nature is so amazing, so diverse.” As we strike out across open moorland, photographer Phil Sproson – who is the force behind the website letsgopeakdistrict. co. uk – provides some historical background to our journey. He explains how the gritstone piercing the ridge above us was used in millstones in Hathersage’ s mills, producing pins and wire for the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. I take Amar’ s hand and outline the skyline rock formations.“ It’ s exciting hearing about history,” he says with his infectious enthusiasm.“ Because I can’ t see it, the stories mean so much to me. I try to build a picture. And when you take my hand and sketch it for me, it brings everything together so beautifully.” Amar, now 49, lost his eyesight when he was 18, but only discovered the joys of walking in his 20s.“ I was brought

Sense of place up in Glasgow, and my family were from Pakistan where walking in the countryside wasn’ t something you did, so we never went on walks. Then I got a job in Leeds when I was 22 and I found out the team around me were training for the Yorkshire Three Peaks. But they weren’ t including me; they’ d made assumptions, which I felt was a great injustice. So I did the walk with a friend. I hadn’ t done any walking before, but blindness had given me a stubborn, determined mindset.” He has gone on to enjoy adventures all over the world. In 2004, he set up Traveleyes, providing holidays for visually impaired people. He has trekked Nicaraguan jungles, hiked to Machu Picchu and climbed Africa’ s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro.“ I look at challenges as opportunities,” he explains.“ Most of the time, when you’ re blind, you can reach the same point as a sighted person, but it’ s like a video game – you are playing at a more difficult level. That makes the achievement much sweeter.” That sweetness is apparent as we clamber up through the rocks edging the summit of Higger Tor, one of many gritstonestudded hills along Derbyshire’ s border with South Yorkshire. As the wind whips noisily through the outcrops, Amar lets out a whoop of joy.“ It’ s so exhilarating!” he shouts.“ I might not be able to see the view, but I can feel the wind, the excitement.”

Vivienne Crow enjoys a classic summer walk in the Peak District with Amar Latif, the blind adventurer and president of the Ramblers, who is set on making the world more accessible to all

The judges said

This was a fascinating piece, reveal perspective on the experience of be surroundings, and the importance o to everyone. Amar’ s deep appreciati was conveyed vividly through Vivien dialogue. Thought-provoking and be

18 OUTDOOR FOCUS Winter 2025