Coping with adverse weather conditions

We’ve just returned from our first visit of the year to the Lake District. We climbed ten Outlying Fells in three walks, leaving us just 24 to do in order to finish all 116, which we hope to complete this year. Two of the walks were in overcast, fairly windy but dry weather, but the last walk was in torrential rain, high wind and poor visibility, although thankfully not too cold.

So why did you walk on that particular day I hear you ask, and it was certainly something we asked ourselves on more than one occasion! Rain was forecast for the remaining three days of our week and we had already put this walk off by a day, but there was no other option, given that this is what we’d planned for the week. Also, frankly, we didn’t really want to come all the way back up to the far north east of the Lake District again, given that we’ve booked into accommodation as close as possible to the remaining walks throughout this year.

So, how do you prepare for, and then cope with, long walks in adverse weather conditions; in particular heavy rain?

1. Thankfully, in our experience, days like the one we had are fairly few and far between, but are really are much more of a mental than a physical challenge. To look out of the window and see low lying cloud and wind whipping the rain in horizontal sheets does mean a fair amount of mental determination is needed before venturing out. If you have the right mindset and focus, accept it’s going to be a bit miserable, but relish the challenge, then that’s the first hurdle overcome.

2. Most importantly, you really do need the right clothing. If you’re fairly serious about your walking, you will need to invest in one or two key things to enable you to stay out all day. First, a good Gore-Tex waterproof jacket is essential and you may need to spend a bit more on it to ensure it’s both comfortable and practical. No jacket is going to keep you 100% dry, but if you are mostly dry and more importantly, warm, you can stay out for hours. A cagoule or thinner raincoat just won’t be robust enough. Secondly, you will need Gore-Tex waterproof overtrousers (mine weren’t nearly as expensive as jackets can be), but you will be so glad of their wind and rain prevention capabilities. I have a pair of Berghaus trousers which are comfortable to wear and work like a dream. Next is a thick pair of Gore-Tex gauntlet gloves. Mine have a soft fleece lining and, whilst they did get sodden, my hands were still warm and relatively dry at the end of six hours. Lastly, I would recommend a waterproof rucksack cover. They usually come in eye wateringly bright colours, but that’s what you want in the mist and fog, and they really do keep everything super dry.

3. Accept that your feet will get wet. We had never encountered so much surface water as that day, as well as slippery rocks, slimy mud, swollen becks, raging waterfalls and saturated grass. I can tolerate wet feet as long as they don’t get cold, and my boots do leak, so we took a small microfibre towel and spare socks, just in case our feet got really cold, which thankfully they didn’t. My boots took five days to dry out though…

4. Wear a hat under your hood. It keeps the hood snugly in place and your head warm and dry. Tuck longer hair up or tie it back to prevent it getting caught in zips and sticking to your face in the wind and rain.

5. Use walking poles. They were invaluable on this walk for stability and balance on slippery ground and for poking into streams and marshes to test the depths.

6. Make sure you know how to navigate. We were in a very remote area with not a soul around, in miles of grassland with lots of rocky tops, in thick mist. When you’re turning this way and that, trying to find a summit in an expanse of grassy moorland, it’s easy to become disorientated, especially when there aren’t as many recognisable features with which to pinpoint your location. Make sure you have waterproof covers for GPS devices and maps, spare batteries and ensure phones are fully charged and in protective cases.

7. Take food you can snack on quickly. It isn’t always easy or pleasant to try and sit in the pouring rain when there isn’t much shelter, and you will find you get cold very quickly when you stop moving. Whatever your food of choice, make sure it doesn’t take you long to get it out of your pack and eat. You could keep something in a pocket, but I don’t tend to as I don’t really want a soggy mess to eat.

8. Take a sit mat with you. It will prevent you having a cold backside at the very least, whilst giving your feet and back a rest, if only for five or ten minutes.

9. Carry a water bladder. It’s not overly appealing drinking cold water in the rain, but keeping hydrated is important and it saves having to stop and rummage in your pack for a water bottle whilst everything inside gets soaked, and you get cold.

10. Watch where you put your feet. We both slipped, mainly on mud, and we were watching our foot placement, but be more vigilant when everything’s sodden. Rocks become especially lethal.

11. Keep positive. Try to block out the discomfort and and enjoy what you can see around you, even if it’s just fleeting glimpses through the cloud. We still had beautiful, misty valley views every so often, some gorgeous black fell ponies and stunning waterfalls to admire. Thinking about a hot bath got me through about two and a half miles of valley walking whilst slipping and sliding around in the mud.

12. Finally, try to see the funny side of your situation rather than bemoaning it. We laughed when one or other of us skidded or tripped (after we made sure we weren’t hurt!) and there were lots of times when we looked at each other, laughed and asked ourselves what on earth we were doing, but it really helped. When you get back, take off those wet clothes, soak in the bath, sit by the fire and dry off and you’ll find that, strangely, these are the types of walks that stay in the memory for longer!

What to...? Do after your walk

This is the last post in the ‘What to’ series, and once you’ve finished your long day in the hills, that’s it right? Pub, pint and home? Well, yes and no. There are one or two things to bear in mind after a hard day’s exercise.

Stretch and Massage : Even if you’re fit, you can still feel stiff and sore and if like us, you’re not in the first flush of youth, there may well be the odd ache, pain or twinge to deal with. My lower back is always a bit stiff after a long day and a good stretch back at the car is lovely. Taking the weight of the rucksack off and then the weight off your feet feels great. We warm down by stretching arms above heads, touching toes, rolling shoulders, bending and then simply sitting with bare feet. Taking your boots off (and wet socks) is also lovely and massaging the blood back into your feet feels wonderful, as it does with your shoulders. We usually sit and do all this for about half an hour before anything else, although we do a sitting down, simplified version of this in the car or back at our accommodation if it’s freezing or raining. We usually take a massage roller with us to really iron out any knots.

Food & Drink : You will have used up a lot of calories on a full, physical day, so make sure you have a decent meal. If, like us, you don’t tend to feel that hungry during the day and only eat relatively small amounts, this is important and many a time I think I haven’t felt like a meal, then when it arrives, I’ve realised I was hungry after all. On the odd occasion though, I have been ravenous for something to eat! Similarly, rehydration is vitally important. I’ve mentioned having dehydration before, years ago, when a pint of water and a pint of Ribena did the trick, along with a hot meal and a couple of hours sleep. In high summer, you will probably be slightly dehydrated, so something other than water is better, as you don’t want to flush any more salts out of your system. We’ve had squash or lemonade which has helped, as has a salty snack and a light meal. I tend to get a slightly upset stomach when I get a little dehydrated, so rice and plain grilled chicken is what I go for and we always avoid tea, coffee and alcohol as well.

Kit : There’s a tendency to get back to your home/hotel/self catering cottage/apartment and just dump all your muddy, wet gear in a pile and leave there it until the next morning. This stuff is expensive and a little bit of TLC ensures firstly that it lasts, but also that it’s ready for your next walk. We always change shoes and socks in the car, so wet socks, hats and gloves go on radiators, we empty and air wet rucksacks, wipe mud off waterproof trousers and trekking poles, stuff boots with newspaper (well I do as mine leak), hang up waterproof jackets and any other wet bits and pieces. Our dry bags are emptied and wiped out, rubbish is thrown away and most everything else laid out on a table overnight to dry and/or air. In hotel rooms, it’s a little more difficult, but we hang things over the bath or shower and then lay wet clothes on the floor. It all looks a bit of a mess, but it’s effective and you don’t want to make the room too damp and steamy by having everything on radiators. We always take two pairs of boots with us and so have a dry pair ready for the next walk.

Baths & Showers : What can be better to ease sore feet and aching muscles than a long soak in boiling foamy water?! Many a walk in the cold and wet has been motivated by this thought. Showers are just as good in the summer for cooling down and freshening up. Equally as good in the heat of high summer is full immersion in a stream or small river, fully clad, to cool off, as is sluicing head, neck and arms in crystal clear, cold water throughout the day.

Rest : I love that warm, fuzzy feeling you get from physical exercise; so much better than that headachy mental tiredness at the end of a working day. Bizarrely, we find that a lot of exercise stimulates us to the extent we’re not always that tired at the end of the day, but there have been occasions in the past where we’ve fallen asleep in front of the TV. Get plenty of rest, sleep with a window open, relax and let your body recuperate and repair.

Plan the next walk : A decade ago, we would go away for two weeks and walk and climb every day. We now prefer to walk every other day (although our walking days are invariably still quite long with a lot of climbing). We have usually planned our week before we go, so we know roughly what we want to do or achieve, and then our ‘rest’ days are taken at a more leisurely pace which we quite enjoy. In November, after a 9 mile walk and 4 mountains, the rain was utterly torrential the next day and we spent it in our accommodation, reading, planning and relaxing which was both very unusual for us (we’re not good at sitting around) and quite enjoyable for a change.

Whatever you do, take care of yourselves and your kit, ready for the next outing!

What to...? Do with your kit

In the penultimate blog of this series, I’m going to focus on looking after your walking kit.

Your things are hard earned, expensive, researched, valued and essential, so it pays to look after them when you’re not walking.

Boots : We have quite a few pairs of boots between us and storing them is a little bit of a problem as we don’t want them taking over every available space. Bro has size 12 feet, so his boots are massive and take up a lot of room. I have two pairs of boots I use for what I call my proper walks. At home, I have a lighter, cheaper pair that I abuse by leaving them covered in mud, which I know I shouldn’t, but we walk every day and it’s an occupational hazard in winter. With my ‘proper’ boots, when we come back from the Lakes or Peaks, I always rinse them out with a little soap and warm water and leave them to dry in the garden, then spray them with a deodoriser. I brush all the mud off, check the laces and make sure they’re dry before storing them in a cupboard.

Trekking Poles : Again, when we get home from time away, we wipe our poles down, clean any mud off and store them in a cupboard. We don’t tend to use them on everyday walks, but both have a lighter weight, folding pair for shorter trips when we want to save weight.

Down Jackets & Waterproofs : We have in the past re-proofed our jackets and I have washed down jackets in a special detergent. After wiping them down, drying and airing them thoroughly, they’re stored on hangers in cupboards. Over trousers are scrubbed to get mud off and hung outside to dry, then stored flat in a drawer.

Rucksacks : We do abuse our packs - hurling them down, dumping them in the mud, yanking them open and stuffing wet things in, but we do empty them out, wash them inside, scrub any mud off, make sure they’re dry, check all the straps and store them flat.

Water Bottles, Bladders & Flasks : Bladders are a real pain to clean and we always leave them until last. You can get specific cleaning kits, but we wash ours out with hot water, soak the tubes and mouthpieces in hotter water, dry them with a cloth then store them flat. We check the mouthpieces which we have replaced them a couple of times, as either grime or mould gets embedded in the ridges and grooves. We also recently replaced the bladders themselves as they start to look a bit manky after a while, and ours get stained pink by our berry flavoured electrolyte tablets. Water bottles and flasks are washed in hot water and stored standing up.

Everything else : We have three plastic storage boxes; one larger for those items we don’t use that often, like spikes, a Jetboil, bits of cooking equipment and so on. One smaller box is for the things we use the most and don’t want to rummage in the big box for, and the other smaller box is for our dry bags and bladders to lie flat in. These are stored in a cupboard along with our trekking poles, spare boots, crampons and wetsuits. It all only takes up about one and a half small shelves.

What to...? Consider as a female walking alone

I suspect most women are generally hyper aware of their surroundings when walking alone, which is a sad fact of the world we live in, but it can also be about building confidence and positivity and feelings of accomplishment and freedom. 

When I was about 16, we had a talk at school from a police officer. It was all about staying safe when you were on your own. Some of the things he mentioned stuck with me and I still practice decades later, such as always having your key ready in your hand as you approach your car, always parking under or near a light, walking confidently, keeping to the middle of the pavement or crossing the road if there's someone behind you. My mum also told me to be vigilant, not to go down dark lanes or into parks and woods as it gets dark, not to walk home from town after a night out or get into a taxi alone. All of this is good, sensible advice to try and keep us safe and well in more urban environments, but what about walking in the hills as a lone female?

Start small

If you haven't done it before, start with a shorter walk in an area you know there’ll be more people and perhaps go at a weekend for the same reason. I've only done it a few times and it is a little disconcerting to begin with especially (for me) walking through woods. I chose more popular areas and went in the middle of summer. When I relaxed, I found I really enjoyed it. 

Tell someone...

It's vital to let someone know exactly where you're going, your planned route and a rough estimate of how long you think it might take. Make sure your friends and family know your mobile number and perhaps the registration of your car if you're driving. You could give this information to a hotel receptionist or leave a note in your car or in your self catering apartment. If you do leave a note in your car, make sure it isn't too obvious and perhaps also include a brief description of what you’re wearing, or the colour of your jacket at the very least. The Wasdale Head Inn for example, has a book by the door where you list which mountains you'll be tackling that day along with the time you leave, then you sign back in on your return.

...But don't tell everyone

Don't broadcast when and where you're going on social media or in the pub before you do the walk. Post your accomplishment and lovely photos after the event! Similarly, don’t be too specific about your route to others you meet along the way.

Be prepared 

As it's just you, you need to be super prepared for the day. You need enough food and drink, a proper first aid kit with survival blanket or emergency shelter, the right clothing for the conditions and possible changes in those conditions, a head torch and sensible and comfortable footwear. Make sure you have a fully charged phone, a map and compass and know your route and alternatives if you change your plans. You might consider a GPS tracking device if you plan to do a lot of mountain or fell walking in more remote areas. Plan your day according to the time of year, know your limitations and don't try to be too ambitious if you're just starting out. Check public transport timetables and the weather forecast.

Calling for help

If you do feel unwell or have an accident, know how to call for help. Dial 999, ask for the Police then ask them to put you through to Mountain Rescue. You will have to give a location and grid reference. If you have a whistle - and some packs come with them, but it’s worth buying one if they don’t as they’re pretty inexpensive - the distress call is six sharp blasts, followed by a minute of silence, then six blasts and so on.

Wear bright colours

There was a terrible tragedy a few years ago when three men were caught in an avalanche in Scotland, but the rescue helicopter couldn't spot them as they were all wearing grey or black. Walking clothing comes in very bright colours and orange is particularly good in winter. If you don't have a brightly coloured jacket, think about a waterproof cover for your rucksack, as they come in the brightest and most luminous shades of orange, yellow and green and are relatively inexpensive.

On the hill

One of the things that makes me nervous wherever I am, is someone walking really closely behind me and that feeling of having to walk faster and faster. If someone is behind you and you feel uncomfortable, stop and pretend to tie a bootlace, get something out of your pack, take a photo or just look at the view until they overtake you. The chances are you'll simply receive a good morning as they pass. If however you meet someone and do feel uneasy, don’t admit you’re alone; you can always say you’re in front of or behind a group or your partner/friend.

Be Aware

It's not all about other people, though. You need to be much more aware of your surroundings when on your own. Uneven ground, steep drops, narrow edges, loose rocks, wet grass, snow and ice and slippery slate paths can all trip the unwary. Try not to walk with headphones plugged in, hands in your pockets or look at a phone screen or map as you're walking. Be sure of your route and be aware of your foot placement. 

Trust your instincts

They're yours and you're not going to mislead yourself. Your gut feeling is a powerful tool in your arsenal and shouldn't be ignored. If something - or someone - doesn't feel right or makes you feel uncomfortable, trust your intuition and act accordingly. Even if you turn back, the hills will be there another day. I once visited Scotland alone and something told me not to go up a hill to a ruined castle. It was a very strong, immediate feeling, one I’ve only had on perhaps two other occasions in my life, and it was like no other feeling I’ve had.

Enjoy it

The beauty of it all is that you only have yourself to please and you're presumably where you want to be, doing what you want to do, so don't let feeling nervous spoil it. People I’ve met on the hill are generally lovely and very friendly. You can go at your own pace, stop as many times as you want. go as fast as you want, deviate to look at something interesting, indulge that interest in pretty rocks without feeling you're holding someone else back, lie in the grass, take endless photos, whatever...it doesn't matter. It's just you, revelling in it all.

What to...? Wear in Winter

Continuing the next in the series of ‘What to’, I am often asked what I wear in the winter on a long mountain day to keep warm and dry.

Alfred Wainwright once said that ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing’, which is very true.

In our early days of walking, we wore very unsuitable clothing, mainly because we didn’t know any better, we probably didn’t really care, we definitely didn’t give it any thought and we were possibly indifferent enough to think we would be fine. It’s only when you freeze in thin cotton trousers, get soaked in a meagre cagoule, endure agonising shoulder pain from a hideously oversized rucksack or are crippled by cheap second hand boots that you begin to cast around in desperation for something, ANYTHING, that will make you more comfortable.

This is by no means a speedy process. It has taken us about ten years to hone our kit and clothing. Only last year Bro finally found a pair of boots that don’t aggravate his sciatica and achilles after years of intermittent flare ups, much to his delight. It will, and does, involve trial and error, money, time, a bit of effort and some research, but it is so worth it. Walking clothing is expensive, but it’s designed to last and the fabrics are specifically and technically designed for their purpose.

So, here’s what I choose:

Hats : I love a bobble hat and have a few in a range of colours. Invaluable and worn pretty much on all our winter walks, they are also lovely and cosy under a hood in the rain. I favour hand knitted woollen hats, but anything warm will do.

Scarves : I don’t tend to wear a scarf as most of my tops have a zip which does up just under my chin, as does a down or waterproof jacket, but I have occasionally worn a Buff and I do have a wool scarf which I’ve worn when it snows on walks from home.

Baselayers/Fleeces/Jackets : This depends on what the day’s weather is going to be. My favourite, go-to combination would be a long sleeve zip neck merino wool baselayer with a down jacket. I find it’s enough to keep me warm even on a cold day without being bulky. If it’s going to be cold and wet, I’ll go for a wicking Tshirt with a thin fleece under a waterproof jacket (plus a down jacket if it’s freezing). If it’s cold and windy, I’ll wear a Tshirt under my merino wool baselayer with a down jacket, but I’ve never felt the need to wear Tshirt, baselayer, fleece and down jacket as Bro does. My waterproof jacket is really windproof as well, and is also very comfortable to be in all day.

Gloves : I have very thin hands and fingers, in which I have a touch of rheumatism, so I’m always conscious that I need to keep my hands warm. I have a few pairs of gloves in various thicknesses from thin summer weight to full on Gore-Tex gauntlets and take whichever is appropriate. Mittens are a good idea when it’s cold as you can make a fist inside the glove to keep fingertips warm. You can’t beat a Gore-Tex gauntlet when it’s pouring and freezing though.

Trousers : I have a lovely pair of fleece lined trousers I use when it’s really cold, otherwise I wear standard walking trousers and put on waterproof over trousers if it’s wet or windy. I got a thin pair of long johns for Christmas which I shall be trying under my trousers.

Boots & Socks : I swear by Bridgedale’s winter weight trekking socks. I don’t ever wear two pairs of socks as I find one thick pair is sufficiently warm for me. Having said that, my trusty Salomon boots are about a decade old now and are beginning to split, so I did get soaking wet feet last November and my toes froze in the cold wind. A change of socks would have been sensible (I left them in the car), but walking briskly warmed them up. I think I’ll have to break in a new pair of boots this winter though…

If you choose your clothing wisely, you should be able to enjoy your days out, whatever the weather throws at you.

What to...? Eat

The next instalment in my mini series is focusing on what to take with you to eat on a long walk in the mountains. This is a very subjective topic, but here are a few tips we’ve learned the hard way over the decades.

Sandwiches : We always used to take sandwiches with us, but as we’ve got older, we try to reduce the amount of bread we eat. It would always be brown bread and we used to usually have fillings like ham or ham and cheese or something fairly bland, but a long, possibly hot morning with them crushed at the bottom of our pack in either tin foil, cling film or a plastic bag made for either a really dry or horribly sweaty, unappetising and utterly disappointing lunch.We neither looked forward to eating them, or enjoyed them while we were. On a cold day, it was all we could do to force them down. Avoid tomatoes as they turn the whole thing into a wet mess, and egg which smells evil on a hot day.

Wraps : Moving on from sandwiches, I thought wraps would be a better idea as they don’t go dry like bread, and I thought a stronger tasting filling would be more appealing. That worked for a while, but they were messy to eat and the filling kept falling out. We found the tortillas themselves tasteless and hard to swallow, especially on a cold day. Sweet chilli chicken was our choice of filling, but after I mixed that with a hideous selection of other foods, I felt very nauseous coming down from Red Pike and had to sit down for half an hour to let the feeling pass.

Sausage Rolls : We once bought home made sausage rolls from a little bakery to take on a long walk, which looked lovely in the shop. Only fairly small but thick, they were still warm, stuffed full of meat and very juicy looking. Three hours later, in the cool chill of a March morning, they had solidified somewhat; the pastry was incredibly dry and flaked all over us and the by now very dense, cold sausage meat seemed to lodge in our throats as we struggled to force it down. Not our finest meal and never repeated.

Hot Food : As mentioned in previous blogs, we’re not fans of Thermos tea, coffee or soup but appreciate it’s nice to have something warming on a cold day. We once tried noodles in a flask, only to have them congeal into one huge, greasy lump that we couldn’t even shake with force out of the flask…In an effort to reduce weight, we don’t carry a Jetboil or burner, but we have either brewed hot drinks (which we do often) or rehydrated meals from the back of the car (less often), but the thought of a pub is much more appealing!

Sweet Treats : In the early days, we always took a chocolate bar and a bag of crisps as well as things like Jelly Babies to snack on, but over the years, we’ve replaced these with healthier options, trying to pick things with a little more protein or energy giving properties, whilst cutting down on sugary snacks. We find a small square of Kendal Mint Cake is a really good quick fix energy boost if we feel we’re tiring, and we do very occasionally take a small Wispa, but we much prefer the savoury snacks like dried fruit - we take mango and apricots - nuts or Graze. Don’t forget you’re carrying chocolate on a hot day, or you’ll end up with what looks like a terrible accident in the bottom of your pack.

Solutions : Having discarded wraps and chilli flavoured fillings, we thought about what it was we would look forward to eating. We decided (as we don’t really get that hungry when we’re walking) that small, easy to eat things would be better for us, so we take a boiled egg (sometimes two), some chicken breast chunks, nuts, dried fruit, an apple or banana, perhaps some Soreen and occasionally a small chocolate biscuit in a wrapper, like a Penguin or a Club. We can then eat little and often, it’s tasty, we look forward to it and we can eat it standing up if necessary. There’s very little mess, nothing is dry or squashed and it doesn’t make us feel queasy.

Everyone has their own favourites; be that a pork pie, scotch egg, pasty or a bacon butty, but the main thing is to take enough to sustain you throughout a long, physical day.

Bon Apetit!

YES!

No!

What to…..? Pack

I’m starting a small mini series of blogs entitled What to…? This will be based on a number of questions we’ve been asked over the years on, among other things, what to eat, what to wear and what to take on a long day in the fells. This first one will be what to pack.

We're occasionally asked what we take with us for a long day in the fells or more specifically, how do we know what to take?

What you take is of course entirely subjective, but it's going to be a combination of tried and tested things that you can fully rely on when you need them. These are honed after those early years of taking practically nothing, to wishing you'd taken things you'd left behind, to those things you hope you won't ever need, but which you carry anyway. I would say it's wishing you had something with you that probably crystallises that list of essential items.

I carry an Osprey Talon pack which I've had for years and love. I'll admit that in winter, it is a little difficult fitting everything in, but I really don't want a bigger pack that I’ll inevitably put more things in. I've got used the weight and size of it fully loaded, to the extent I don't realise I'm carrying it. The contents are slightly different for summer and winter but year round, between us as standard, we carry a paper map and compass, a GPS device, spare batteries, cameras, a first aid kit with survival blanket and two trekking poles each.

So, this is what we take and what works well for us. 

SUMMER WALKING

First Aid Kit : I carry a full but compact first aid kit which includes scissors, a small Leatherman tool, duct tape, a spare bootlace, an emergency survival blanket, various bandages and plasters, antiseptic cream and pain relief pills. In a waterproof zip case, it lives at the bottom of my pack year round. In an inner zip pocket at the top of my pack, I have a small waterproof bag with Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, indigestion tables and a lip balm, for easy access.

Food : I’ll go into more detail of which food we take in the next blog, but in a green dry bag (always green so we can go straight to it) we carry more than enough snacky type food for the length of day. If a longer day is planned, we'll take a little more of each thing. 

Drink : We both carry a 2 litre Osprey bladder and use berry flavoured electrolyte tablets which dissolve in the water and give it a decent flavour. Bro may take a full 2 litres, whereas I tend to take about a litre and a half. Water is heavy, but you get used to it and it does get lighter through the day! On a shorter walk, we'll take a 1 litre bladder instead.

Clothing : We always take a light waterproof jacket, rolled up in the bottom of the pack. We don't ever walk in shorts, just lighter weight trousers, which suits us. If we're walking in Tshirts, we'll have a lightweight, long sleeve fleece with us. If the weather looks settled, this will usually suffice, but if the mountain forecast suggests it might be cooler higher up, we will take a slightly thicker fleece and a thin pair of gloves as well. We always take and wear a sunhat; Bro either wears a baseball cap which he can turn to protect his neck, or a brimmed hat, and I also have a brimmed hat. Clothing lives in an orange dry bag.

Other Bits : We always have a tube of Factor 50 sunscreen with us, as well as lip balm with sunscreen if it's really warm, and always sunglasses. Another dry bag (mustard colour this time) contains car keys and waterproof wallets and phones if it’s wet. Bro takes an SLR camera, I have a small Smidge spray and in high summer we've taken head nets which we've worn when we stop for lunch.

in the height of summer

WINTER WALKING

Waterproofs : We always take Gore-Tex waterproof over trousers not only for wet weather, but for windy conditions when they are a godsend. We have good, comfortable Gore-Tex waterproof jackets, both of which we've had for years and  know we can rely on to keep us 95% dry (7 or 8 hours of torrential rain will test even the best jackets!)

Clothing : Given that we wear Tshirts, merino baselayers and fleeces or down jackets under our waterproofs, we don't usually carry additional layers, but we always wear a wool hat and warm gloves. We have down filled gloves and Gore-Tex gauntlets which are amazing and worth the money they cost. We favour winter weight trekking socks which are perfect, but your feet can and do get wet, which is just par for the course. We have on the odd occasion taken a spare pair of socks, but more often that not we just change them back at the car. Sunglasses are taken if it looks as though the sun might be out and we might take a Buff if it’s really cold.

Food : This isn't usually any different to our summer food. Since the early, awful days of forcing down soggy, tasteless, squashed sandwiches in torrential rain or freezing wind, we prefer food we look forward to eating and can do quickly and easily and usually standing up if it's wet or cold. Soreen malt or banana loaf is great for energy, moistness and not mattering if it gets squashed, and we always have a bar of Kendal Mint Cake with us. On a shorter walk years ago, we did take a Jetboil and heated up a couple of dehydrated meals before we got back to the car, but it all felt like a bit too much extra weight to carry, so we haven't done it since. If you're going to take a chocolate bar, don't take anything containing toffee as it'll set like concrete and probably break your teeth.

Drink : Again, this is always our electrolyte flavoured water - not the most appetising or palatable on a cold day I admit, but we've got used to it now. We're not fans of thermos tea, coffee or soup but we do use a small burner and brew a hot drink once back at the car, or look forward to a cup of tea or hot chocolate by a fire at the end of a walk!

Other Bits :  We both take an invaluable sit mat with us which we bought for a fiver and which have been brilliant. It means you can take the weight off your feet if it's wet or cold, and they feel lovely and warm to sit on. It really has been some of the best money we've spent. We take a fully charged headtorch each which we've upgraded a couple of times now to really quite good ones. We've used them a few times and they've been invaluable. The first aid kit is always in the pack as mentioned, and we both have waterproof rucksack covers in slightly unappealing and eye watering colours (lime green and fluorescent yellow), but we reckon at least we'd be spotted in the gloom!

Obviously, there will be many bits and pieces personal to each person, but as a general rule, this is what we use, and we've never experienced any difficulties. 

IN the depth of winter

New Year, New You

At the beginning of each New Year, there is always that feeling of having to create a daunting list of resolutions; most of which will probably end up being discarded by the second week of January.

Making a roll call of things that involve a huge amount of commitment, expense, effort, time and energy make goals such as getting fit, losing weight, changing jobs, changing direction, moving house or whatever it might be, difficult to tackle and more difficult to know where or how to begin.

I have resolutely resolved not to make a single resolution this year, but have instead set a series of small, short and longer term goals and challenges to work on progressively throughout the year. Bro and I have always found having a longer term challenge or goal works well for us and makes us more determined and motivated to finish. We enjoy the satisfaction of completing something and it gives us an additional purpose. Not giving ourselves a time frame for the smaller goals takes away any pressure and helps us to enjoy them in our own time.

Small targets. Less pressure. More chance of success. Hopefully. 

Take a classic resolution - Getting Fit - which has to be near the top of most lists. Saying 'I'm going to aim to run two miles by February' seems to me to be too much pressure if you've never run before, and you may well not continue if it feels difficult, especially in the winter months. Instead, perhaps give yourself something to aim for, and plenty of time in which to do it. I once entered a simple 6K Race for Life and spent each spring evening building up my distance gradually and slowly as I had plenty of time and found I really enjoyed it.

So what can we do that takes the pressure off?

Instead of looking at the overall ‘I WANT TO GET FIT’ goal, break it down. Think about taking a simple walk once or twice a week to begin with. The NHS advocates 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. That's just 35 minutes a day. I appreciate it's harder when it's cold and dark outside, but we've been walking after work with a headtorch and it makes a simple walk much more interesting and more enjoyable. We then take longer walks on days off or at the weekend. Alternatively, start in the spring when the clocks have gone forward and it feels more comfortable walking in the daylight. Our intention is to maintain our fitness by walking every day where possible, and so far, we've been doing this diligently. The cold air is bracing and I find it's refreshing after a day indoors with the fan heater (at work) or central heating (at home). It has also cleared catarrh in my throat and chest which is lingering a little after a second, albeit very mild, dose of Covid just before Christmas. 

As time goes on, and if you feel you're enjoying it, increase either the time or distance (or both) on your twice weekly walk, or try walking perhaps three or four times a week. Spring is a beautiful time to walk and there are so many gorgeous distractions - flowers, birdsong, running water, budding trees - that you won't notice how far or for how long you're walking. Build the walks up until you walk every day and it becomes a habit. Believe me, you will get to the point that you either feel guilty about not going out, or grouchy if you don't have your daily outdoor exercise! 

Try walking a little faster. This is something we have been doing on shorter walks and it really makes a difference to strength and stamina. Our walking pace has increased, stamina is maintained and muscles toned. I've always had a little private and personal challenge over the years of keeping up with Bro who walks fast, and I now can, which is satisfying.

Don't just walk on the flat. Find and climb or walk up hills, even if it's a road in your town, village or housing estate. If it's a small hill or slope, try jogging up it, just to get your heart rate up. Climb or run up the stairs at work, in the shopping centre or in the car park. Walk on a mixtures of different terrains to increase muscle tone and improve balance and stability.

Try mixing walking with a little running. Having spent most of last year trying to increase our walking speed, we now intersperse bursts of running with walking to increase our heart rates.

Last year, we also mixed our daily walking with cycling for more of a cardio workout. We favour mountain bikes and it's hard work, but ultimately enjoyable and it certainly feels like more of a workout! Again, we increased our distances throughout the year. Stopping half way to brew a hot drink in the winter makes it even more enjoyable.

If you don’t want to exercise alone or generally prefer company, think about a doing a walk or run for charity, or a park run. Join a walking, running or cycling group for motivation as well as the social side. We meet friends for a long walk and lunch afterwards which is lovely and you don’t realise how far you’re walking when you’re chatting! You could go geocaching which makes a walk you’ve done lots of times more interesting. We found all the caches in our area and it was good fun.

There are lots of other ways to introduce exercise. Get off the bus a stop earlier, walk or cycle to work if you can, get someone to drop you off slightly further away, walk to the local shop, go for a walk or run in your lunch break, jog back to the car park, move around the office more, offer to take the post or get the coffee - there are so many ways we can work that 35 minutes of exercise into our daily lives, possibly without even really noticing. We recorded three quarters of a mile just doing the weekly food shop! 

These are all outdoor activities as they are what we enjoy, but equally you may choose to visit a gym, go swimming, play badminton or squash or use a running machine or exercise bike at home if you prefer to be indoors. 

Whatever you do, do try and stick at it and before you know it, your fitness levels will have increased and you'll hopefully be more energised and perhaps more motivated. You may then start to walk longer, faster, further and higher, run further and faster, jog more comfortably and easily or cycle miles without stopping.

Who knows what you could be doing by this time next year?!