SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 73: Learn Safe Movement on Wet Grass Slopes

Wet grass can be surprisingly slippery, even on hills that look easy to walk across in dry weather. A slope that seems manageable from a distance may become difficult when your boots lose grip or the ground beneath the grass is soft. This challenge helps you practise assessing a slope, choosing your route and moving with control without putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

Your Challenge

Find a gentle grassy slope that is safe to access and learn how to move across it when the grass is damp. Practise assessing the ground, selecting a sensible line of travel and maintaining your balance.

Do not deliberately attempt a steep, very slippery or hazardous slope. You do not need to risk a fall to complete this challenge. If conditions are too dangerous, carry out your assessment from safe, level ground and explain what would make the slope unsuitable.

What You’ll Need

• Walking boots or outdoor footwear with good tread
• Suitable outdoor clothing
• A gentle grassy slope with a clear run-out and no hazards below
• A walking pole, if you normally use one
• A phone or notebook to record your observations

Avoid practising beside cliffs, streams, ditches, roads, fences, livestock or other hazards. Do not use a slope where a slip could carry you into water or down a long, steep drop.

Take the Challenge

Step 1: Assess the slope before moving

Look at the slope from a safe position. Consider its steepness, how wet the grass is, whether the ground is muddy and what lies below you. Watch for exposed roots, rocks, holes, drainage channels and uneven ground hidden by the grass.

Think about what would happen if you slipped. If there is no safe place to stop, or a fall could have serious consequences, do not enter the slope. Choose easier ground or abandon the exercise.

Step 2: Check your footwear and footing

Make sure your footwear is securely fastened and the soles have a suitable tread. Worn or smooth soles can make slipping more likely, but even good walking boots cannot guarantee grip on wet grass.

Before committing your weight to a step, check the ground immediately in front of you. Avoid stepping on smooth, muddy patches, loose vegetation or grass that conceals holes.

Step 3: Start on the gentlest section

Begin on a shallow part of the slope where you can step back onto level ground easily. Take a few short, deliberate steps rather than long strides. Keep your knees relaxed, your body balanced and your movements controlled.

Avoid rushing or making sudden turns. If the ground feels slippery underfoot, stop and return to safer ground rather than trying to prove that you can manage it.

Step 4: Practise moving across the slope

On a gentle, safe incline, try moving a short distance across the slope rather than directly up or down it. Place each foot carefully and keep your steps short. Turn your whole body gradually instead of twisting sharply on a planted foot.

Do not assume that traversing is always safer. Crossing a slope can increase the consequences of a sideways slip, particularly on steep or very slippery ground. If the slope is too steep to cross confidently, choose another route.

Step 5: Practise moving uphill and downhill

If the slope remains safe, try a short section directly uphill, then return by the same route if conditions allow. Use small steps and maintain a comfortable, balanced posture.

When descending, avoid leaning far backwards or trying to brake by digging your heels into slippery grass. Keep your steps controlled and stop if you cannot maintain secure footing. Do not turn a straightforward exercise into a test of endurance or bravery.

Step 6: Decide when to turn back

A key outdoor skill is recognising when not to continue. If your boots slide, the ground becomes steeper than expected or you cannot identify a safe route back, stop before the situation worsens.

Do not run, jump or slide down the slope intentionally. If you have already reached ground where movement feels unsafe, avoid sudden movements and seek help if you cannot retreat safely.

Step 7: Review your route

Once back on level ground, consider which parts of the slope offered the best footing and which areas you avoided. Think about how the route might change after heavier rain, frost or further wear.

You should finish the challenge with a clearer understanding of when wet grass is manageable and when it is better to take another route.

Check Your Results

Ask yourself:

• Did you assess the slope and the hazards below it before moving?
• Were you able to take short, controlled steps on the gentle section?
• Did you notice any difference between grassy ground and muddy patches?
• Could you stop and turn back without feeling pressured to continue?
• Why might crossing a steep slope be more dangerous than using a safer route around it?
• What changes after rain might make a familiar hillside unsuitable?

Your aim is not to cover a particular distance or conquer a difficult slope. Good judgement is just as important as movement technique.

Complete the Challenge

To complete this challenge, you must:

• Assess a grassy slope and identify potential hazards.
• Practise controlled movement on a gentle, suitable section if conditions permit.
• Identify at least two signs that a slope is too dangerous to cross.
• Explain how you would choose a safer alternative route.
• Record your observations and leave the area without damaging the ground.

If the slope is unsafe on the day, you can complete the assessment from a safe viewpoint and explain why you chose not to attempt it.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Submit your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of the slope you assessed, taken from a safe position.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge73.
5. Share it for verification.

In your post, explain what you looked for when assessing the slope and how you decided whether it was safe to use. You do not need to photograph yourself walking on slippery ground.

Challenge 73 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

On a later walk, compare two possible routes around a gentle hillside: one that follows grassy ground and another that uses a safer, more level path. Consider how rainfall, footwear, visibility and the consequences of a fall affect your decision.

You could also practise using walking poles on suitable terrain, learning how to position them without relying on them to prevent every slip. Avoid experimenting with poles on steep or highly slippery ground.

What’s Next?

If you haven’t completed SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 72: Make a Ground Insulation Layer from Fallen Leaves and Test It, you can try that challenge next. You can complete SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenges in any order, so choose whichever skill you want to develop.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 73 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.