Cape Wrath Trail – Kit

This will be my first extended backpacking trip, so I thought it worthy of a discussion on the kit I will be taking with me. I’m leaving for the Affric Kintail Way (AKW) in just two weeks and I will be using that 3-4 day walk to test some of the new kit I’ve purchased […]

Cape Wrath Trail – Planning

Although I’m not actually walking the whole of the Cape Wrath Trail, the 100 mile section I am doing will form the backbone of my long distance walking plans for 2016, so it seems only right that I address it with a couple of planning posts. In some ways the planning for this walk is […]

A New Found Enthusiasm

I think I may have mentioned elsewhere, that I’m planning on walking the Affric Kintail Way in a few weeks. It’s something I’m looking forward to immensely and the way I felt in the second half of last year, after I dropped out of the Southern Upland Way, I’m both surprised and pleased that I […]

A Good Night’s Sleep

That’s something we all need at the best of times, but never more so than when you’re walking long distances over many days. Apart from the obvious need to feel refreshed in the morning and able to tackle another stretch of the path, there’s an important mental consideration too. Without enough sleep, your decision making process […]

Looking Ahead to 2016

After my change of heart last year on the Southern Upland Way and what has become a distinct lack of interest in walking long distances on my own, I’m looking to change things a bit in 2016. I still want to walk, however, and the call of distant hills still tugs at me, just more […]

Changing Times

This post is in response to a lovely article published by @PilgrimChris on his blog recently …you may want to read his article before you continue with this one, go on, I’ll wait… back with me? I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a while now and reading Chris’s thoughts has sort of pushed me […]

July #MicroAdventure

Our walking calendars finally aligned, allowing us to meet up for a weekend of walking, camping and catching up. After an incredible exchange of emails and GPX files, Matt (@hillplodder) and I had decided on Wales, specifically the area around New Radnor which offered a huge haul of trig points and summits for a paltry […]

May #MicroAdventure

We (@PilgrimChris and I) didn’t really manage an April MicroAdventure – we did a camp site overnighter and walked 22 miles through the Yorkshire Dales, but in many ways we didn’t really think it counted. I was expecting not to be able to manage one in May too, what with my Southern Upland Way plans […]

March #MicroAdventure

I’ve never been disappointed when I’ve stayed at Tan Hill Inn and this time was no different. We had planned to camp on the rough, boulder-strewn land behind the pub but when we were sitting at the bar ordering beer and food we spotted their bunkhouse offered a Full English breakfast. Even better, it had […]

GG Mariposa – First Thoughts

After a quick overnight #MicroAdventure last weekend, I thought I’d put an initial review together for my Gossamer Gear Mariposa Robic pack. This is probably a bit premature as it’s not had a proper test yet – I don’t think two short walks with a camp in between can be counted a true test of […]