"that makes a good recipe for a walk."
Plymouth-based councillor Chaz Singh is among the first set of hikers on the new BBC Two series Take A Hike.
The Come Dine With Me-style show will see keen walkers compete to discover the best walks in the UK.
Each week, five walking enthusiasts will take it in turns to lead a hike. Meanwhile, the others will rate the quality of the views, picnic and entertainment.
The first week takes place in Devon with five locals hoping their corner of the county will help them win a £500 voucher for outdoor gear and a coveted golden walking stick.
Comedian Rhod Gilbert narrates the show and says:
“If there’s one thing we Brits love it’s a great walk and we all have our favourite.
“But this is a competition where five of the keenest hikers go toe-to-toe try to prove that their walk is better than their rivals.
“Across the week they’ll take it in turns to host the hike, but none of them will find out how they’ve scored until the final walk at the end of the week.”
Among the first group of hikers is 48-year-old Chaz Singh who hikes across Dartmoor’s wild moorland to escape the pressures of life.
However, Dartmoor is known for unpredictable weather and his seven-kilometre hike takes place in the famous Bellever Tor is hampered by snow.
On his hike, Chaz says: “The food, the sights, the sounds and the scenery – that makes a good recipe for a walk.
“And the beauty of Dartmoor is its history, it’s a barren landscape.
“Being a competitive person, I’d love to win this.”
DESIblitz asked Chaz Singh exclusively about how he found the experience of hiking. He told us:
“I love getting out and about and sharing where I go. I’ve even bumped into Desis, apneh and gave them a bespoke tour of the Tor.
“I was previously involved in increasing the number of diverse groups of people walking or hiking on Dartmoor.”
We then wanted to know how hiking had helped him mentally and physically. Chaz enthusiastically told us what he got from hiking, saying:
“It’s great to access the fresh air, the wildlife the scenery and best of all you have a picnic in a remote area at touch with nature.
“It’s a time to relax and have no signal on your phone so just take lots of photos and remember it all.”
“It’s good exercise and keeps you alert of the rugged terrain. It’s a great way of taking away all the work stress and even dealing with mental health, just by being outdoors and relaxing.”
The other contestants on the opening episode include 63-year-old taxi driver Helen, teaching assistant Julian, 29-year-old Rosie and B&B owner Colin.
Take A Hike is a 15-part series and it will begin on BBC Two on September 13, 2021, at 6:30 pm.
The 30-minute episodes then run subsequently at the same time, during the week, for the following three weeks.
Episodes will also become available on BBC iPlayer.
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