The End of the Road
I made a decision last week. I’m not planning any more long-distance backpacking routes. It turns out that I love the idea of them – love the prospect of walking for days completely self-supported, but when it actually comes down to doing it, I hate it. It’s hard to admit, but I’m just not cut […]
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 […]
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 […]
February #MicroAdventure
Chris (www.pilgrimchris.com) and I headed to the hills again last weekend for another walk in our #MicroAdventure calendar. We had planned to do this trip in the last weekend of February, but for various reasons we couldn’t make it, so although this was now March, we still classed this as our February #MicroAdventure. One of […]
January #MicroAdventure
At the back end of 2014 an article, publicised through Twitter, caught my eye – and it would seem, the eyes of many other walkers and backpackers. The article was from Alistair Humphreys and it discussed the idea of getting out into the hills, for at least one night every month in 2015. He calls […]
Filling in the Gaps
I should have been walking along the Pennine Way with @PilgrimChris this weekend, but family commitments forced a change in plan from him and so I was left to my own devices. I’m working against the clock somewhat with this Pennine Way guide book update and I was reluctant to lose a weekend I’d booked […]
Pennine Way Loading: 10% Complete
I’ve now done 30 miles of the Pennine Way as part of the Trailblazer guide book update. That’s about 10% of the total mileage that I need to cover during the re-walk. The official route length is about 256 miles, but with options such as the Bowes Loop and the Maize Beck Alternative I reckon […]
28 Tors, 4HuMPs, 1 Beacon and Brown Willy
Sounds likes a walkers shopping list maybe? It is in fact the challenge I’ve set myself for 5 days in early March. As with all my walking at the moment, it’s basically preparation for the Pennine Way in May. Last year I put on so much weight and walked much less challenging hills and I […]
One of our sheepdogs is missing!
We approached the gate tentatively, the large, snarling, barking yellow dog ensured that we weren’t going to go through it, and called through the open kitchen door to a woman washing the dishes. The barking of the yellow hound kicked off a ruckus of noise from a kennel block behind a nearby wall; lots of […]
Autumn Weekend Wander – 2009
What seems to becoming an annual ritual is about to kick off in a few minutes – just enough time to pen this “Out of Office” for anyone interested. Tex Gore and I are off to Wales for a 3 day wander around the Arenigs – as soon as he gets off the phone that […]