Hike Healthy

Following on from my previous blog, this time I was pondering what it was I had to do in order for me to feel comfortable and happy out walking, and to enjoy my days out.

I think I've had a fairly active life and always much prefer being outdoors. As a child, I was encouraged to get outside. Television time was limited and we didn't have the internet or mobile phones, so we made our own entertainment. We had a large dog, I was pony mad and helped out at the stables every weekend and in the school holidays for years and I played a lot of sport at school. I discovered a love of walking in my late teens and this has continued up to the present day, and we also enjoy running, mountain biking and swimming.

Any form of hiking or climbing is hard work, there's no doubt about it, but with some effort, you can thoroughly enjoy your days as well. There's nothing better than achieving whatever goal you've set yourself that day, be it a mountain top, a multi day hike, a bike ride or just a bit of a longer dog walk. Try not to be put off by the weather, as you will need to get out in all conditions, in all seasons and on all types of different terrain. The following things have helped me over the years.

Building fitness - There’s no sugar coating this; it is essentially a lot of hard work and commitment and you do have to put the effort in. You don't want to go at it too hard if you're just starting out or you’ll probably end up being put off. For me though, regular and repeated exercise has been the key to maintaining and increasing my fitness levels. It was no good visiting the Lakes perhaps three or four times a year, doing nothing in between and then expecting to be able to comfortably hike 10 miles over 7 or 8 hours. I had to maintain a level of fitness in between visits and that has meant walking every day, which I enjoy and really notice if I don't do it. In fact, I actually feel guilty if I don't do it. We always set ourselves a target mileage to achieve and try to walk faster than usual. We try to mix our walking up a little so it's not all on the flat, but there aren't many decent hills where we live, and you do need to climb hills to prepare for the hills. If we only have limited time or a flat walk, we mix it up with bursts of jogging then faster walking. We also take our mountain bikes out and we swim, do pilates and gym work for strength and suppleness and we always take the stairs.

Building stamina - I think this is where I've seen my biggest improvement. Over the last two decades, going for longer, harder and higher walks has meant that today, Bro and I know we can walk continuously and steadily for 10 hours over mountainous terrain, quite comfortably. Walking speeds have also increased as my legs and back became stronger. The key is to increase the length of your walks, walk faster,  include some running and always include some uphill, even jogging uphill. Any regular movement or sport will help though.

Getting enough sleep - I find this both easier and harder as I've got older. I'm usually beginning to nod off at about 10pm and go to bed around then. I do find I wake up in the night, but I'm usually awake by about 6am and I think seven hours is about right for me. There are the occasional nights when my mind's buzzing and I lie awake until the small hours, but I know I'll sleep well the next night, so I try to be relaxed about it. I always sleep with the window wide open, even in winter and usually have the curtains open as well. 

Eating well - We don't eat processed foods, we always have plenty of fresh fish, fruit and veg, we limit tea or coffee - both decaf - to one cup a day and we eat lots of pulses, grains and beans. We don't have too much red meat, we try to reduce the amount of carbs we have and we try to eat seasonally. We're not perfect - we like the odd chocolate bar or biscuit, but everything in moderation. We always have a decent breakfast before a walk - granola with yoghurt and blueberries and a bagel or slice of brown toast, or porridge with honey and banana in the winter, and always a good meal after a big walk. We drink lots and lots of water throughout each and every day. I very rarely have alcohol, although Bro does occasionally have a pint of ale.

Preparing yourself - We keep toe nails short so they don't bang against the end of our boots. We look after our feet, treating anything like corns, calluses and dry skin immediately and keep feet clean, warm, dry and moisturised as much as we can. We moisturise faces and hands and use lots of sunscreen and lip balm. I don't wear lots of make up or jewellery on the hills, hair is tied back and underwear is comfortable. I would’t advise wearing new boots on a long walk as I did recently and suffered some discomfort in my knees on a couple of long descents. Make sure your kit is tried, tested and comfortable before you set off. Make sure you stretch and warm up properly before you set off, and warm down when you return. Try to maintain a good, positive attitude and try not to complain if it rains or you're finding it harder than you thought, or the day will probably be even more miserable. It will get better!

With some effort, perseverance and preparation, you should be able to enjoy your days out, comfortably and easily. 

Hike Happy

I was pondering the other day on what immediately comes to mind when I want to go for a walk. 

A leafy lane in summer with golden sunlight slanting through the trees? A cool, crisp winter's day striding the hills? Hunting for mushrooms in a darkening, damp woodland? The fresh scent of a bluebell wood in spring? A gentle stroll along the riverbank.? Yes, all of these and much more, but whatever my mind conjures up, it makes me feel instantly happy.

Walking has such a powerful association with the things I love, that I can almost smell the leaf mold or the wood smoke of a distant bonfire in an autumnal forest, I can feel the chill of an icy breeze on the hilltop, I can see the wildflowers in the verge, smell the heather, touch rough tree bark, hear the skylarks and I love it. More than that, I need it. 

Our lives are all so busy, so noisy and so frantic, that it's lovely, not to mention vital, to switch off, still the chatter and enjoy something simpler, gentler and calmer. A walk for me is always a chance to clear my head and clear my mind and it always makes me happy or happier. When all you have to think about is what is in front of you, in that moment, then you're not worrying about answering that email, sending a thousand texts, checking your social media feeds or who said what to whom. 

A walk can soothe. An argument, an upset, a niggle, a problem. You can think more clearly, rationally and calmly. I love an evening walk to clear an aching, stuffy head from being indoors all day looking at a screen, enjoying and delighting in nature; flowers, birds, trees, scenery, horses in a field, the weather, the sights, sounds and smells; whatever it is. All of it and everything is added to the mix and results in a burst of endorphins and a wave of happiness.

I always, without fail, feel better.

Happier.

I love a twilight walk when the world seems different and unfamiliar but exciting. I love an early walk, heading into the sunrise of a cool dawn, watching the colours of the sky change by the minute. I love a quick scoot round our local woods, or a long, hard hike in the hills. I love a Christmas walk when everyone’s cheery and you can hurry home and thaw out by the fire. I love walking in all seasons and all weathers. It all makes me happy.

It doesn't have to be a full day out in amazing scenery, it could be a local walk from home that you've done a hundred times before. It could include the pleasure of walking and talking with a friend; focussing on the conversation and really listening. It could be a stroll alone, giving you the chance to take notice of the small things without distraction, or work through a problem in peace and quiet. It could just be taking the dog out and the simple, infectious pleasure that that brings. All of it makes me happy.

Even the anticipation of a walk brings me joy. Looking forward to a trip to the Lakes and being out on the hills when we live a five hour drive away. A coastal walk with the tang of salty air and the freshness of the sea. Planning a walk, planning your summer, working out which route to take or exploring new paths.

Walking is so good for us in so many ways. For me physically, I sleep better if I've had daily exercise and wake up feeling more relaxed and refreshed and looking forward to the day. Mentally, it increases my positivity, relaxes me, helps reduce anything I might be a little worried or upset about and helps me to feel more energised. Above all, it makes me feel happy and content.

So how do I feel about wanting to go for a walk, going for a walk or thinking about a walk? Happy, that's how.

happiness

The Tick List

Ticks are a perennial problem and one that can have serious, long term consequences if not caught and dealt with early. 

Ticks are prevalent all year round, but especially so from April to July when the weather is warmer. They favour damp, wet conditions, long grass, bracken and wooded areas where they loiter, waiting to latch on to the nearest warm blooded passer by, which could just be you.

We all know they can pass Lyme Disease onto their hapless victims, and more information on what to do if you are infected can be found at www.nhs.uk.

So what can we do to prevent being bitten and enjoy our summer days outdoors?

Try to cover up 

We never walk in the hills in shorts, not necessarily because of ticks, mainly just that we feel more comfortable in a lightweight pair of trousers instead. However, wearing long trousers will help prevent the little blighters latching on. Similarly, we usually tuck our Tshirts in (not the most attractive look I'll admit, but we rarely meet anyone and if we do. we yank them out again!). A light, long sleeve top will help if it's not too hot.

But I want to wear shorts

If you do, then use repellent containing DEET and check your legs regularly, brushing any off before they take hold. Men, with their hairier legs, need to check especially carefully.

Stick to the paths

Where possible, walk on paths or shorter grass and try to avoid pushing through long grass or high bracken. Try and perch on a rock or wall rather than sitting on the ground, and be wary of lying in long grass.

What about camping?

Try and pick a sunny spot as ticks like damp conditions, and one that isn't in the woods, but on more open ground. Bring chairs rather than sit on the floor, spray your tent with repellent and thoroughly shake everything out before you pack it all away. Perhaps leave all your kit out in the sun when you get home, as this will dry and shrivel any unwanted guests. Some camp sites spray for ticks.

Check and double check

A tick, unlike a mosquito bite, doesn't hurt or itch and you probably won't know you've been bitten. Check your clothing and any exposed skin every so often as you walk and brush any off immediately, When you get back to your home or accommodation, shake your boots outside and check yourself thoroughly all over, and that will mean someone else checking you from behind. Check crevices, under arms, in the groin area, on the backs of legs and stomachs, but do check everywhere very thoroughly. They are usually fairly easy to spot, but may be harder in those more 'awkward' areas. 

What do you do if you find one embedded in you? 

Don't touch it, rub it or scratch it. The important thing it to try and get the little critter out whole; you don't want to leave the head in and you don't want to squash it as you remove it. Use a tick tweezer or a fine pointed pair. Get a good grip on the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull firmly, but carefully and preferably straight out, not at an angle. Once everything is out - and you can usually see the whole tick at the end of the tweezer - dispose of the tick carefully, wash your hands, wash the area with soap and water and leave it alone. Don't keep touching it. Not all ticks carry the disease and even if the tick contains the bacteria, it is still possible not to get infected..

But what do you do if it is infected?

Keep an eye on the area over the following 3-30 days. If you experience any flu like symptoms, reddening of the skin or changes in the feeling or appearance of your skin, see your doctor straight away. Early diagnosis is key. 

What about my pets?

Dogs are very susceptible to ticks, but cats can be as well, and they can all contract Lyme Disease like humans, so keep them out of long grass if you can, and check them thoroughly all over in the same way as you would yourself. You can get repellent impregnated collars and preventative treatments, but your vet will give you advice on what is best or recommended. If you do find a tick, use a tick tool and make sure, as with yourself, that you remove the whole tick. If you notice any changes in your pets' mood or behaviour, see your vet straight away.  

It's a shame these little pests can mar a summer's day outdoors, but with care and vigilance, we can still enjoy our time outside.

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...? 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 or coffee but appreciate it’s nice to have something warming on a cold day. We have recently started taking soup which has been wonderful on cold wet days and really gave us a boost. 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?!

Christmas Reads

As I’ve done before, I thought I would do a quick round up of some of the outdoor books I’ve enjoyed this year, and which might make good presents for Christmas.

Lost in the Lakes by Tom Chesshyre

This is a fascinating book. On the face of it, I did wonder what more could be written about a walk around the Lakes, but there were lots of snippets, facts and bits of history I didn’t know about and found interesting. He takes his walk slowly, along the way interviewing local people for their opinions on a range of relevant topics or discussing their life and work in the busiest of our national parks, as well as describing the beautiful scenery around him. He doesn’t spend his time climbing all the fells, but journeys by some of the lower level paths, and this provides a different viewpoint of this beautiful area.

36 Islands by Robert Twigger

The author has a fascination for three things; Arthur Ransome, islands and the Lake District. In this entertaining book, these are all married together as he sets off in his in his inflatable canoe to visit all the tiny islands situated in the Lakes’ lakes. A voyage of discovery to places few venture, it is an interesting read about these tiny areas that seem to be overlooked, both figuratively and literally.

Wild Fell by Lee Schofield

Lee Schofield works for RSPB Haweswater in the Lake District and, with his team, oversees the running of two sheep farms in the valley with a view to bringing the area, ecologically, back to life. It’s a lovely story of hard work, rewilding, redirecting watercourses, finding rare wild flowers, restoring wetlands, woodlands and meadows and being inspired by work taking place in Norway and Scotland. He has encountered some resistance to change, but he tries valiantly to strike a balance between new practices and respecting the old way of doing things. It’s a really positive, uplifting book about positive and uplifting work that is bringing a small corner of the Lake District back to life again.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

This is a mountain classic and if you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend you do. I won’t spoil the plot by even summarising it, but it’s an incredible, gripping story of impossibly difficult decisions, determination through adversity and almost superhuman survival instincts. Brutally raw and emotional, this is a fascinating read about the strength of the human spirit.

Solo by Jenny Tough

I find, as I look through my bookshelves, that I don’t read as many books by women, as by men, surprisingly, and I’m not sure why. This was a Christmas present and I’ve now read it twice, finding it utterly absorbing and totally inspiring. Jenny Tough, an endurance runner, sets herself a challenge to run some of the world’s great mountain ranges, alone and having never done anything like it before. These aren’t small mountains either; think the Andes, Rockies and Atlas mountains, among others. She is brutally honest, not hiding how she feels when she’s hurting, frightened, feeling unwell or unwilling to carry on, and she often ponders on why she’s doing it. I could feel her nervousness and anxiety at times and it made me feel nervous and anxious. I became totally involved with her and her journey and was disappointed when I finished reading that there wasn’t more. Really well written and a real achievement.

Time on Rock by Anna Fleming

This was another Christmas present and, as with Solo, shortlisted by the Kendal Literary Festival last year. I also really enjoyed this book, and loved the narrative of how it feels to climb as a woman. Slightly reminiscent of Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain, this tells the story of Anna’s journey from novice to confident climber and the appreciation of the landscape around her when she is climbing. Divided by climbing region, (the Peak District, Yorkshire, Wales etc), she explains the challenges of a woman climbing; how it feels, her fears, the demands, her self discovery and her joy. A lovely story and well worth reading.

All that remains is wish everyone a very healthy and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Autumn Equinox in the Peak District

We took advantage of a few days off in mid September to have another short break in the Peak District, with a view to climbing the last three of the nine Edges, and also a couple of the Ethels (all the peaks over 400m of which we’ve now climbed 10 out of 95!) Before checking in to our hotel, we wandered up onto beautiful Stanton Moor on the Autumn Equinox, encountering lots of people celebrating around the Nine Ladies stone circle which sits in pretty woodland. We also visited Cromford Moor and explored nearby Black Rocks with its lovely views.

We stayed one night just outside Matlock, which made climbing Gardoms Edge simple, although the rain made it slightly less enjoyable and the views misty. After coming back down, we went straight up onto Birchen Edge from the same car park, the rain clearing to leave an overcast but mild morning. We walked the length of the edge to the Nelson memorial and found the names of three of his ships carved into three large gritstone rocks just opposite the memorial. It was then a pleasant walk back through woodland, under the edge.

That afternoon, we decided to climb Derwent Edge as the weather had brightened up considerably, although it was breezy. The walk from a small layby just off the Sheffield to Snake Pass road, started from Cutthroat Bridge and was gentle and straightforward, the views stunning. In summer, the whole area would have been ablaze with heather and the views were far reaching and wonderful. As we reached the Wheel Stones it began to drizzle again, so we decided to head back, taking a different path and trying to cut a corner back to the bridge which (as it usually does), ended with us crossing some very uneven and marshy terrain which inevitably took far longer…

We then moved to a lovely hotel close to Froggatt Edge for two nights and with that, the weather improved dramatically, with warm sun and clear blue skies. We walked the full length of stunning Froggatt Edge, starting early in the morning up through woodland and past a tiny stone circle to the end of Froggatt where it joins Curbar Edge. These two edges are definitely our favourites and the views were staggeringly beautiful, although very windy at times, but still wonderfully warm. We strolled back and enjoyed lunch sitting outside at the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate cafe, which was beautiful. That afternoon, we explored Padley Gorge; a lovely, cool, quiet and bosky woodland, looking for millstones.

Our final morning was spent exploring Millstone Edge which we had completely to ourselves. For very little effort, there were the most amazing views in all directions. We saw several grouse just ahead of us on the path, beautiful gritstone rock formations, some of which had been carved into animals, and several abandoned millstones. Our final stop before joining the motorway was Haddon Hall, somewhere I’d visited about 30 years ago, but Bro had never been. We marvelled at this stunning house from the Middle Ages with its original furnishings and gorgeous, flower filled gardens, and spent some time sitting in the sun admiring the views.

It really is possible to fit so much into a short break in this beautiful area. We have grown to love the Peak District and will definitely be visiting again in 2024.

Perfect Peak District

 Mid June saw us in the Peak District once again, enjoying a wonderful week of walking. The weather, which had been fearsomely hot in the preceding weeks, thankfully cooled and we had perfect clear blue skies every day, except for the first morning. 

This was going to be a week of dipping into lots of things, rather than focussing on two or three long walks. We stayed in Buxton, somewhere neither of us had been before, and which offered new areas to explore. On our first morning in the rain, we climbed up to Solomon's Temple on Grin Low Hill which was lovely, the rain easing as we wandered back down across heathland and through mixed woodland. After a welcome cup of coffee, we headed up onto Burbage Edge in the Goyt Valley, again overlooking Buxton, where the National Park boundary runs right over the summit. Unfortunately, the rain started in earnest once we were at the trig point, so we hurried down again, soaking wet. In the afternoon, we decided to visit the wonderful Lyme Park and thoroughly enjoyed the stunning house and grounds.

The next day found us back in the Dark Peak early, to walk Upper Burbage Edge, one of the nine gritstone edges. Originally planning just to walk this edge, the day was so beautiful and the views so stunning that we walked to its end, before climbing up onto Lower Burbage Edge. The walk back through the valley was an absolute delight.

Looking for a suitable lunch spot, we headed down to the peace and stillness of Stanage End hoping to find some of the iconic abandoned millstones which are so redolent of the Peak District. To our delight, we found five, one lying flat making the perfect table for lunch in stunning surroundings. After lunch, we’d planned to walk Froggatt Edge, but a road closure and long detour meant Curbar Edge was more convenient and this turned out to be an absolutely sublime walk in the warm afternoon sun with the most wonderful panoramas. We spent a long time sitting with our boots and socks off, drinking it all in. This was definitely a firm favourite.

The Roaches was our next objective the following day, in the Staffordshire Peak District; a completely new area for us. Climbing up through bracken and a small wood of Scots Pines, we emerged onto a wide flat plateau dotted with tiny pine trees, heather and interesting weather worn rock formations. We ambled along to the pretty Doxey Pool where we sat for a while watching swallows swooping down to drink from the surface of the water, while revelling in the peace and warmth. Deciding not to walk the whole ridge, we meandered back southwards, enjoying the magnificent views of the Leek Valley before an enjoyable scramble down some large rocks at the end of the ridge.

Joining a path at the bottom, we headed back towards our starting point, pausing to watch groups of children learning to rock climb. We considered for a moment whether to tackle the dramatic looking Hen Cloud, but decided to leave that for another visit. Instead we drove the 20 minutes or so to a small parking area at Gradbach for the walk to Lud's Church; a secluded gorge that has been used as a place of worship since pagan times. It was by then very warm and after a cup of coffee at the tiny Riverside Cafe, we set off through the welcome cool of Back Woods before climbing steeply up and following a path than wound gradually and gently up through the trees for perhaps a mile or two.

We soon came to a fingerpost pointing to what looked like a rockfall, but was in fact the way into the gorge and, after negotiating the slightly slippery route, found ourselves in an incredible cool, shady, fern filled gulley, about 18 metres deep. It was muddy underfoot, but opened out with the sun filtering soft green light into the depths. We walked the length of the gorge, exploring the nooks and crannies  before leaving at our entrance point. It was both mesmerising and unique. We had a quick lunch stop on a shady outcrop of rocks in the woods before heading back.

We then moved on to Bakewell for a couple of nights, and were out early, parking at Ladybower Reservoir to climb Win Hill; prominent from almost everywhere in the Hope Valley area. We crossed Ladybower dam, slightly intimidated by the two huge 'plugholes' or shaft spillways, then began climbing up through a lovely cool, fragrant pine wood. The path rose very gently upwards to a slightly steeper section just before the treeline, when we crossed open fellside and climbed the last rocky knoll to the summit. The views were beautiful in all directions; to Edale and Mam Tor, down to Ladybower and across to Baslow Edge. We had the summit to ourselves for half an hour before others began to appear from different directions, before we made our way back down. We spent a lovely couple of hours in the afternoon wandering around Bakewell which was ablaze with the most beautiful displays of flowers, strolled by the river and explored the back streets.

After a lazy morning the next day, we had another walk round Bakewell, which was busy and lively as it was a Saturday and there was a dance festival taking place. We had arranged to meet friends in Buxton and had a walk around the lovely Pavilion Gardens with them before drinks, a meal and a talk from 17 time Everest summiteer, Kenton Cool, about the history of Everest climbing expeditions at the Pavilion Gardens, which was fascinating.

Our final morning saw us leaving Bakewell and stopping at Hardwick Hall before setting off back down the M1. I'd been before a couple of times, but about 30 years ago and Bro had never been. It was utterly gorgeous and the gardens were particularly stunning with flowers and flowering shrubs in profusion. The house was a fascinating example of Elizabethan architecture.

We've grown to really love the Peak District, and will be returning very soon.

Upper burbage edge

millstones at stanage end

the leek valley from the roaches

stunning views from curbar edge

curbar edge

On Writing

I have always loved photography and the post processing of photos, and have produced one or two photo books in the last couple of years. The spark was lit years ago, when I was very impressed by a photo book a client had brought in to the office to show me. At that time, those sort of books were a fairly new concept, however when I produced my own, I was disappointed with the quality and how dark the photos looked. A year or so after that, I used to create a yearly small, soft cover photo book via a function on my computer which were much better quality, but there was no provision for creating your own layouts or designs; you simply followed pre-set templates. They ultimately went on the bookshelf and I promptly forgot about them. About a decade later, I came across them again, but I wasn’t impressed and consigned them to the recycling bin.

In late 2019, a photographer we used to watch on You Tube talked about producing a photobook. That piqued my latent interest, so I had a look at the website and realised just how far things had moved on. You could produce, publish and even sell a really professional looking book while letting your creativity run wild.

There was just so much choice. A range of different sizes with either hard covers, soft covers or dust jackets, layflat photo books, magazines, small information booklets or large coffee table books. You could choose the number of pages, the paper quality, the background colours, the layout and print options. You could use their templates, or do it entirely your own way. The possibilities for creativity and design seemed endless.

I couldn't wait to get started. A simple download of some software took a few minutes, then all I had to do was choose the style of book. I thought I'd start with a small, soft cover 7 x 5 inch booklet of about 25 pages. I then realised (and I confess, I hadn't even thought about this) that I could add text boxes and actually write a little book.... I watched one or two of the tutorial videos on how to get started, and then off I went.

I thought I'd turn some of my blogs into a small books, and each blog proved to be just about the right length to have a full page of text and a full colour photo on the opposite page. I did 12 small books in the end, making a folio box to keep them in which I was quite pleased with.

Bro and I then decided to produce a large format, coffee table style book using a selection of our favourite Lake District pictures possibly with a view to selling it. We took a great deal of time and care choosing the best photos, the paper quality and the layout. It ended up as a large 90 page book with the slightly lustrous pages showing off our photographs beautifully. I didn't really write very much text as we were trying to make it more about the photography, so it just had one or two pertinent lines on each page. We were really delighted with the results and went on to do a second volume a year or so later, following exactly the same layout and style as the first.

During lockdown, we had the idea of actually writing a book about our Wainwright climbing experiences, and I really relished the challenge, especially as it would be a good memory jogger for the future. It took a long time as we were going back nearly 13 years, trying to get the timelines right, choose the photos, decide which fells to mention and wrack our brains as to anything interesting or funny that had happened, but we soon had quite a substantial book with which we were delighted. I revised it the following year, changing some of the photos and  taking time to expand and increase certain chapters, adding around an additional 25 pages, but in the end, we felt it was as comprehensive as it could be and we were really pleased.

Once I'd finished that book, I was keen to do another as my love of writing was really growing. I thought I’d combine all my small 7x5 booklets into one hardback book, in the same format as before, and it became a lovely way for me to spend an hour or two every so often through lockdown. Once that was finished, I decided to combine all my blogs into another book of the same format, especially as I anticipated deleting my website at some point in the future.

Next, I decided to tackle what is still a big part of my life, my travels, and this really was a labour of love. Firstly, I had over 30 years to pick through, and then, as I've been to over 85 countries, remembering each trip really was a test of memory. Secondly, a lot of my photos from those early trips were not digital and not always the best quality. This involved a lot of hunting through hard to get to photo albums and lots of scanning and editing. That book probably took me the longest to complete up to that point, but it brings back a lot of fantastic memories.

After lockdown, I wrote about my observations in nature whilst out and about during my year and a half on furlough, and I'm particularly proud of how that turned out. However, much as I loved writing these books, I didn't really want an entire shelf full of my own titles, so during 2022 I spent some time revising one or two of those I'd already produced, just to try and get them as perfect as I could. 

Whilst we were writing our Wainwright walking book, we did get a bit tired of constantly having to log on to laptops or computers, of trawling through hundreds and hundreds of photos, of scanning through websites trying to identify summit cairns, or wracking our brains  to remember one or two small details. Bro sighed one day and said ‘this is ridiculous. We just need all this information in one place with a picture of each summit so we can look at it whenever we want without doing all this. Why don't you write a book like that?’ 

That seemed like a good, albeit slightly daunting, idea. We decided each photo would be a simple summit shot with a few notes about the routes we took, the weather and anything memorable that happened. It took me about three months to write and probably another month to sort out all the photos, which really was an effort as some, in fact most, of our early photos hadn’t been labelled, so we spent immeasurable time trying to identify piles of stones! Now that it's finished at 240 pages long, we have a wonderful reference guide to dip into and jog our memories without having to involve any technology. 

I have one last book I'm working on, and it will be the same format as our Wainwright memory book, but for the Outlying fells. It's an ongoing project at the moment, as we still have half of them left to climb, but we now have a small, satisfying pile of books to dip in and out of, which we’ve really enjoyed producing and which remind us of so many wonderful, happy times.

The Ancient Woodland

I write a lot on this blog about the Lake District, Peak District and many other places, some far flung, that I’ve visited, but this time I thought I’d write about somewhere that’s right on my doorstep and which, during lockdown, became something of a godsend.

It’s a copse of ancient woodland, just over 20 acres in size, which has been there for at least 500 years. It takes about eight minutes for us to walk to, and marks the boundary between North Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. It’s bordered on three sides by houses, but the fourth side leads on and out into open, arable farmland, huge fields and lovely woodlands. It can lead to a fairly sizeable, rural walk if you wish.

In the 1800s it was part of a large, nearby estate where they grazed their black cattle and some of the original iron fencing from that time still exists. Up until the middle of the 1900s it was farmland. Hazel coppicing is now taking place, something I don’t remember seeing there before, to promote new growth and prolong the life of the trees. A large area has just been cleared because of Ash dieback, but is now full of buttercups.

Consisting of two vast fields, one used by local youth football teams on occasional Saturdays, the other is left wilder so that in spring and summer, the whole area is filled with wildflowers. Ancient oak and beech woods encircle the fields with huge, vast trunked, magnificent oaks a particular feature. Elsewhere, whip like hazel saplings have self seeded into mini woodlands of their own, interspersed with hawthorn, silver birch and blackthorn, making the area varied and interesting to walk in. The land is clay; in fact it’s the only patch of clay north of the River Thames, but this does lead to a great deal of mud in the winter months. It is also a nature reserve with a sculpture trail, and marks the beginning of the Chiltern Hills.

When we were kids, we tended to avoid the woods; they had an atmosphere; a little creepy, not that nice and the area had a bit of a ‘reputation’. Whether it was just parents exercising caution for a group of young teens not to stay out too late in case something happened (who knows, but probably), or us just thinking all woods were creepy, it was a still good place to walk our dogs and meet friends. As adults, we have taken our young dogs there to run in the big fields and socialise with other dogs, have ridden bikes and horses down its leafy lanes and have explored every inch of the woodlands, the edgelands and beyond. It’s fair to say we’ve walked there hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

In spring, the hawthorn hedgerow which lines one side of the main field is thick with beautiful May blossom, birds, insects and butterflies. The field is then carpeted in thousands of white daisies. There is a wild cherry which is a sight to see in full bloom, and on a warm summer evening scores of rabbits sit on the grassy rides, grooming each other and playing. Vast areas of the woodland are carpeted in bluebells and wood anemones, and birdsong is loud and beautiful.

In summer, the wildflowers are out in full force; common orchids, yellow rattle and common knapweed amongst many others, then the area is mown and made into hay bales, leaving a sweet, rich and fragrant smell in the air. A tiny pond near the entrance is surrounded by marsh marigolds and occupied by the occasional mallard.

In autumn, there is an abundance of blackberries, hazelnuts and sloes which we gather in earnest. We’ve also found crabapples and even an apple tree which must have been seeded by birds and which yielded a good sweet crop, collected as windfalls. A variety of mushrooms litter the floor and the colours of the oaks and beeches are beautiful.

In winter, there is an area where old Christmas Trees can be left to be chipped for mulch. Huge tangy smelling piles of chipped bark are free for anyone to take, which we have in the past, and by about February, all of it has disappeared. The woods are a lovely, quiet place to walk at this time of year, with drifts of snowdrops appearing after Christmas, but it does become very muddy with so much footfall.

In November last year, friends of the woodland put a Tree Trail up along a path which runs down the south side of the woodland, next to a Saxon bank and ditch we hadn’t noticed before as it was overgrown, but has now been cleared. Little signs were attached to a variety of trees, pointing out those of particular interest. The area had once been part of the aforementioned estate, so there are some trees I wouldn’t usually associate with woodlands, such as a large solitary Yew, but the signs pointed out, amongst Oak, Beech and Holly; Cedar, Elm, Ash, Wild Service, Hazel, Hornbeam and rarest of all, a Rocky Mountain White Pine, reputedly planted by none other than Thomas Jefferson in the 1700s when he visited the estate!

During lockdown, along one of the main paths, someone had pinned plastic bags containing a little knitted heart and a beautiful uplifting message inside, encouraging people to take one, which I thought was a wonderfully thoughtful idea and so charming. It really did cheer me up, and still does when I look at it.

We walked every day we were allowed to during lockdown, and then beyond as restrictions lifted but we were only allowed to walk close to home. It gave us peace, beauty, encounters with nature, time to think, time to clear heads and minds, daily exercise and a sense of purpose in difficult and changing times. We still walk there regularly when we don’t want to take the car out, and always see and find something new and interesting.

I really don’t know what we would have done without it. We are so grateful for it and and we love it.

On peace and tranquility

I’ve just read a fascinating book, Windswept by Annabel Abbs, in which the author follows routes taken by several well known women, when it really wasn’t common, usual or even safe for women to walk recreationally, never mind alone. They all had different reasons for walking, but the common thread seems to have been a search for either freedom or peace. This got me thinking about my walking and what I’m searching for.

Aside from the more obvious reasons such as health and fitness, exploration in a more intimate way, experiencing the seasons and the weather and all the accompanying sights, smells and sounds, it’s just something I really love doing and have done for decades. More esoterically, I find I’m seeking out peace and solitude as I get older and this thought occurred to me when a recent walk in beautiful bluebell woods filled with birdsong was marred by the whining, continuous shriek of a chainsaw tearing through the silence. I know people have valuable work that must be done, but we are assailed by so much noise every day and most of it I’m not sure we realise is there, so attuned have we become. An hour or two of peace is calming, restorative and grounding. An hour or two of walking in peace clears my head, stills my mind, restores the equilibrium. It’s become an important part of my day when I switch off the phone for an hour and wind down. A quick evening walk in the summer months after work gives me a wonderful sense of freedom after being cooped up inside, as well as siphoning off the stresses and strains of the day. Many an hour stuck in traffic has been borne with the anticipation of a walk in the woods or by the river.

As a youngster, I was very shy and introverted. As a teenager, I was never heavily into partying or drinking and preferred to be outdoors with Bro, friends, dogs or horses for company. During our decades of travelling the world, Bro and I journeyed to slightly off the beaten track, less populated places such as the Galapagos, Namibia, Tanzania, Borneo and Tibet which, twenty or so years ago, weren’t as popular as they have now become. I think our shyness and slight lack of confidence perhaps led us to avoiding places with lots of people, and whether that was a conscious or subconscious choice, I’m not sure, but it certainly had a bearing on where we went, and still does to an extent. We like wild, empty places with big views and dramatic skies, plenty of wildlife and beautiful scenery.

In latter years on the fells and mountains of the Lake District, we loved loved the wide, open fells in less frequented areas, revelling in the views, the peace and the solitude. We also started setting off on our walks earlier and earlier, enjoying the cool, quiet of the dawn and delighting in the most beautiful sunrises from the summits. This usually was a conscious decision, but for practical and logistical reasons, such as finding a parking spot in the height of summer or not wanting to be caught in traffic, rather than a need to get away from everyone; we certainly enjoyed many, many conversations on the hill and in the pub afterwards with interesting, wonderfully friendly people, lots of whom became friends on social media.

All this, I suppose, crystallises my feelings that now peace, quiet and contentment and a certain amount of freedom (I have constraints and responsibilities like everyone else) are hugely important to me and this comes with a simpler life, a slower pace, a greater appreciation of the little things and simple pleasures. Being outdoors, surrounded by green, by birdsong, in fresh, clean air perhaps with a view, with company or alone; I feel I’ve become much more attuned to nature and the natural world around me and that brings me great inner peace.

Pinpricks of light in dark times

Who’d have thought we’d still be in lockdown albeit now it’s gradually beginning to ease? For us, a simple pleasure is that we can now visit local coffee shops as part of a walk which was something we really missed doing. I am still a furloughed worker, but I have been keeping busy and I had a think about those things personal to me that have given me simple pleasure during these dark times.

Exploring our home area

Exploring within 10 miles of home

the secret bluebell wood

I know this has been the topic of lots of posts and tweets, but it’s true. Walking dogs in our area over the past 20 years has meant we’ve done most of the immediate and middle ground around home, so we’ve stretched out a little further as we were allowed to, and walked for ten miles or so. We found some beautiful little places and took paths we’d never tried. A tiny bluebell wood in full bloom tucked away at the back of two fields in a little hollow that we had all to ourselves in May was the highlight.

Walking on the golf course

A privilege to be allowed to walk here

Our county golf course is only a ten minute walk from us, but obviously has been off limits to the general public ever since I’ve known it, except for one tiny stretch that we always hurried across in case we were hit by fast moving balls. They very kindly opened it up in April for about six weeks to local people and it was an absolute delight. Stunningly beautiful, quiet, filled with flowering trees and wild flowers, long valleys and some pretty views, it was a total pleasure especially early in the morning. I was quite happy wandering there alone or with my brother. with a full perimeter walk being about three and a half miles. We could also make the walks longer, knowing we could cut back across the course, instead of negotiating a long stretch on a narrow but busy road. I was genuinely upset when they closed it again for the golfers.

Birds and Butterflies

one of the jays living in our oak tree

stunning peacock butterfly

Aside from the gorgeous birdsong greeting me each morning with my window thrown wide open, we’ve spent more time watching the birds in the garden. We have several feeders and it’s lovely to see all sorts of birds, some of which have become quite tame. We had a lovely little Blue Tit family in our bird box we were lucky enough to see as they fledged and blundered about loudly in the trees for the first time. We had Jays nesting in our oak tree and a family of squirrels, three of which are still in the garden each day. We have a large number of Red Kites that float overhead and do occasionally swoop down into the garden if they think they spot something. Dunnocks, Long Tail Tits, Nuthatches, Goldfinches, a pair of ducks that came at the same time every day for three weeks, a party of really tame white pigeons, a gang of Jackdaws and many more and it’s been lovely. We also have a huge Buddleia bush which has been filled with butterflies and it’s so lovely to watch them feeding.

oOo

I realise many people have had terrible, grief stricken, stressful and worrying times or put themselves at risk to help others over the last months and my sympathies go out to them, their families and friends, but let’s hope there is light and better times at the end of the tunnel for us all. And soon.

Pastures New

So, lockdown continues apace, although after this weekend, there might be announcements of slight easing. Let’s hope and pray this is the beginning of the end of the worst of it.

As part of daily exercise, Bro and I have been getting out from home and it’s been really quite surprisingly good. Within about half a mile we can be in pastoral, rural farmland and not see a soul. It’s been stimulating to explore new paths, revisit areas we haven’t walked to for ages and get a little creative with where to go, so it doesn’t become stale. The weather has been utterly amazing too which has really helped.

Our county golf course also generously opened up to walkers and runners and, luckily for us, the clubhouse is a mere ten minute walk away from home. The golf course is absolutely stunning with beautiful trees, woodland, bluebells and some nifty hills to get the heart rate up and maintain some hill fitness.

I thought I’d share some phone photos of the local walks and new places discovered on the doorstep.

Local rural farmland

Beautiful in the warm sun

Early morning light on the golf course

A bluebell wood hidden away and found by chance. We had it all to ourselves!

Revisiting paths we hadn’t walked for a while

Walking on the golf course

The golf course - just beautiful

Stunning May blossom

Our local pond

I hope you all keep safe and well; thanks and gratitude go as always to front line and key workers, and let’s hope this wretched virus is slowly on the way out, so that we all can be too.

Simple Pleasures

As I get older, I find I like the simpler life.  I spent a huge part of my twenties, thirties and forties rushing around the globe trying to see and do as much as possible. I thought nothing of 12, 15, 24 hour flights on dodgy airlines, staying in all sorts of dubious accommodation and eating heaven knows what from street vendors. All that was exciting, amazing and wonderful and I loved every minute and, while I still like to travel, I don't have the same reckless abandon and itchy feet that I once had.

I like a bit of peace and quiet, things to be calmer and the pace a little slower. I find I get up and go to bed earlier, eat less but well, feel grumpy if I don't have fresh air and exercise every day and have way more fruit, veg and pulses than I ever did. On the flip side, I don't deal with stress so well, I worry more about silly things, obsess a bit over comfort (think footwear) and a warm sunny day now means good drying weather.  

Tastes in everything simplify and crystallise as you know and hone what you like; music, reading material, clothing, home decor, art, films, food, interests. Even friends. It's a good feeling.

But it's the simple pleasures that begin to pinpoint a day.

We try to inject a simple pleasure into something not so enjoyable and the biggest simple pleasure we have is stopping for a coffee wherever and whenever we can. This has been inherited from Dad who always does it, much to the disapproval of Mum, who doesn't. Even if we've been to the supermarket, we balance that with a simple, pleasurable coffee afterwards. There are plenty of other things though; a recent trip to the dentist ended with me sitting in the garden to calm jangling nerves watching the birds squabbling on the bird table. A stressful day at work can be countered afterwards by a short walk to a lovely nearby wildflower meadow, a long motorway drive can be soothed by a hot bath, a glass of something fizzy can feel indulgent in a day spent wallowing in housework and many an upset has been quelled by taking the dog out and simply throwing a ball about.

It doesn't have to involve any money, any effort or anyone. Walking through a bluebell wood, seeing new fresh green leaves, smelling wild garlic, listening to birdsong (a skylark on a summer's day in the hills is my absolute favourite), watching the rain wrapped in a rug, reading by the fire in winter, lying in long grass in the summer, walking next to running water.

In a job years ago, we - five of us girls - had to work on Saturdays, so the boss left us money for our lunch as a treat. We always shared a fresh loaf, smoked salmon and cream cheese which we ate together, giggling, in the cramped little kitchen. It broke up the day and we really looked forward to it each week. Years and years ago when I was a pony mad young teen working weekends in the local riding stables - mucking out, grooming and cleaning tack, the simple pleasure was being allowed to ride the horses bareback down the lane to the field to turn them out at the end of the day.

On the way to work now, I cross a small bridge over a tiny river and the flowers lining the banks lift my spirits. I always stop and look for a few minutes. Simple.

after every shopping trip!

lifting the spirits on the way to work

Life throws so much at us; there's so much horror, fear, negativity, worry and cruelty in the world, that simple pleasures might not just be simple after all.