Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
With the 10-in-10 approaching fast, some training was called for if I was to maintain any of the hill fitness from my Southern Fells trip for long enough to have a hope of getting me through the challenge itself. Where I live is really flat and some of it is even below sea level, (well … Continue reading Training for the 10 in 10
Day 1 - Friday 6 June A few squirts of air into the Airbeam frame of my new Gossamer Gear Mariposa Pack and then I swung it up onto my shoulder and left the house for the short walk to the station. It's usually on the walk to the station that I begin to suspect … Continue reading Some Favourite Southern Fells
The first proper day of an extended work break, and what do I do ? I do the morning commute anyway, as if nothing has changed. 7am sees me on my usual work train into London, taking a sadistic pleasure in the lack of smiles of my fellow passengers, and the knowledge that my office … Continue reading London from the Sidelines with the Grand Old Duke of York (London LOOP Part 4)
The waves rolled onto the empty beach, depositing yet more soapy residue to add to the giant bubble party already in progress. I continued along the beach, gusting wind roaring in my ears. Nearby, an oversized seagull watched me impassively from its vantage point atop a rock, then took off to circle vulture-like overhead, waiting … Continue reading On the Edge of the North Sea
I stepped off the train, made a more than usually efficient job of the pre-walk faff, and retraced my steps to the edge of the Forest to pick up the trail, after a mere six months absence. Gawd, is it really six months ? I suppose that's better than the 5 year gap in the … Continue reading Scouts, Cuckolds and an Inappropriate Wild Camp (London Loop Part 3)
With my current work contract drawing to a close, and more hill time coming, I've been mulling over some potential Lakes trips for the next few months. Trips which are getting harder and harder to plan as I home in on completion of the Wainwrights, reducing my stock of new hills to bag. Living such … Continue reading The bridal hill formula
Somewhere behind me the sun was falling headlong towards the horizon as I walked down the Royal Mile. First stop was Sainsbury's to pick up my hilltop supper, followed by the chip shop where I fuelled myself for the next few hours. I arrived at the bottom of the Mile and paused a few moments … Continue reading A Night in Holyrood Park
As Cath headed back to the bus stop, I turned my attention to the road walk out to Hartsop. Sat on the step of Patterdale post office while devouring my lunch, a battle had been raging in my head between what I knew I should do this afternoon and the easier option I'd banked on … Continue reading Out in the Eastern and Far Eastern Fells – Part 2
Preparation I walked back into the large meeting room that was our base of operations and immediately noticed the tenser atmosphere. All had been going swimmingly when I'd stepped out an hour or so before for another meeting, and we were looking good to complete this stage of the project over the coming weekend. I … Continue reading Out in the Eastern and Far Eastern Fells – Part 1
I knew it was going to be windy, and I expected the flight home from Edinburgh to be a bit bumpy, but the captain's announcement that City Airport was shut was not what I wanted to hear. Especially as we were pretty much in the air over my house at the time. Worse, all of … Continue reading Stranded
The folks at Go Outdoors have launched a new Walking Blog Award, with a varied shortlist of 15 blogs, and yours truly is one of them. It goes without saying that just making the shortlist is an honour, and especially so when I find myself in the company of such luminaries as Chris Townsend, Keith … Continue reading Go Outdoors Blog Awards 2014
Despite the ferocious wind, an automatic reverential silence descended as we stepped into the midst of the dispersed metal. I stood among the frozen peat staring at the wreckage strewn about. Bits of engines and aeronautical bodywork lay scattered all around, interspersed with small floral tributes, mostly but not exclusively poppies, to mark the place … Continue reading Salvage
Adventure is relative. It completely depends on what your “normal” is. For those people we think of as adventurers, their normal would be considered extreme by most people, yet for some people walking to the shops in the rain would be an adventure. My normal is somewhere between the two, but I'd like to think … Continue reading An Urban Nano Adventure
We climbed on and up, the promised rain holding off but the wind strengthening as we got higher. False summit after false summit nevertheless led us to the eventual top and a struggle to remain upright and on the same patch of ground. To the south, shafts of sunlight broke through the sombre sky and … Continue reading Lakes or Bust
This year's plans were disrupted by a new work contract coming along at the start of the summer rather than, as I'd hoped, the end of the summer. This curtailed walking plans somewhat and even more so when I found out how much time I'd have to spend working away in Edinburgh. Here's a few … Continue reading Not a review of the year, just some nice pictures