What is hillwalking?

In the UK, hillwalking is to walk up the hills and mountains without the planned use of a climbing rope or other climbing aids. Outside the UK, it is usually referred to as trekking, but the principles are the same and the necessary skills similar. As walking is an everyday activity which we all do, the skills and experience needed are sometimes under-estimated and it is prudent to start from the assumption that it is quite different from a walk in the local park. However, mastering the skills needed is not difficult or overly technical.