Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
Moonlight bathed the tent in streaks of silver, filtered by the straggling branches of the bush sheltering us from the big open field, and from the gaze of any passers-by foolhardy enough to be out on this cold night. In terms of other life, all was quiet - no birds, no small mammals, not even the … Continue reading The Last Wealdway Camp
It's a little known fact** that the version of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist that we all know and love is in fact not the original version serialised starting in 1837. For instance, the most famous scene originally went thus... ...The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself … Continue reading Can We Have Gruel Instead ?
It’s been a couple of years since anyone’s sent me gear to review – not because I haven’t had the offers, but simply because I only accept those offers that fit into the type of activity I do and are the sort of thing I would at least consider buying myself. And being able to … Continue reading Target Dry Element Jacket – Updated Review
Dirty cloud obscured the rising sun, with just a small distant patch of orange beyond Great Mell Fell and some reflected colour to the west to betray the start of a new day.  A cacophony of barking, baying and yelping accompanied the start of my climb above the kennels at Gategill, and I could still … Continue reading On My Tod
I'm no stranger to this particular patch of woodland on the North Downs. Numerous walks have been done through or alongside it, but always solo. This time though I had some company. Stuart (@LoneWalkerUK) was already at the appointed rendezvous when I drove up and so a little under ten minutes later we were heading … Continue reading Screech Wood
Cath was on a bus heading home, but I still had another night and a day to go. The weather was stunning for October, and the thought that was foremost in my mind was repeating the previous night's stunning camp. Could I take another night of fiery sunsets, 360° views and clear moonlit skies. Hell … Continue reading Moon, Mist and Matilda
The taxi dropped me at Grasmere Youth Hostel, my wallet lighter to the tune of a pony. It was either that or a long wait for a bus. A quick check-in and then a squelch around the lawn in the dark to find a suitably dry spot to pitch the tent. Matilda went up relatively … Continue reading A night on Madonna’s chest
It feels weird heading into London at the end of the day, destined for a walking trip. The usual stressed and miserable faces passing me are replaced by somewhat more relaxed, and somewhat less sober ones. I arrive at Paddington and settle down for a beer to wait for Rich (@FlintyRich) to turn up. I … Continue reading Sleep Walking and A Less Than Manly Beverage
A sleepy Saturday afternoon it was in Meopham as I parked the car. A rather leisurely-looking game of cricket was taking place on the green, a cyclist was taking a rest and that was about all there was in terms of signs of life. I threw my pack on my back and headed off down … Continue reading A Camp on Pheasant Down
The plan was ambitious, and as it turned out, too ambitious. A dry and warm forecast for the weekend, and the need to get out for a camp in August to maintain the goal of a wild camp every month led me to the attempt to finish the Wealdway. It was always going to be … Continue reading There may have been some swearing… (Wealdway: Uckfield to Berwick)
Poor old Cath (@wellycath), she tries to arrange a get together and the weather forecast doesn't play ball. Yours truly ends up having a sneaky camp on the North Downs instead. She tries again, and then finds everyone dropping out for a variety of reasons. Still I made it. Having long earmarked the weekend for … Continue reading A Quick Pop Up Kinder
After a long drive, I parked up by the Cornewall-Lewis memorial in New Radnor and met up with Stuart who’d parked just up the road. Stuart dumped his recently acquired Mariposa by my car while he did his pre-walk faff, and I took the opportunity to have a good look at it. I really should … Continue reading 24 Hours in the Radnor Forest
"Civilisation", or what passes for it in the Medway Valley, was winding down for the night, as we abandoned the car in a lane chosen for its proximity to our target, whilst still being, sort of, a built-up area. We headed up the lane, a party clearly on the go in someone's garage and garden. … Continue reading A Camp in Slug Meadow
Day 5 The Old Man had clearly been struggling the day before, a combination of a dearth of training and a surplus of blisters. So much so that the state of his feet ruled him out of a walk today, so I set off on my tod, taking the same bus journey out to Zennor for … Continue reading The Far End of Cornwall – Part 3: Guano and Galleries
Day 3 The bus dropped us back at Porthcurno, among the tourists arriving to visit the Minack Theatre, and we walked around it as much as we could short of actually paying to get in. We had other things to do. Up on the cliffs, the views back across the bay were stunning, and yielding … Continue reading The Far End of Cornwall – Part 2: The Corner