If you haven’t come across the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme… well, let me explain. What is the DofE? A life-changing experience. A fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers. It’s an … More Stay At Home Storytelling: My DofE practice expedition
I used to enjoy walking but in recent years I’ve gone off it. So I make a point of going on as many Region walking weekends as I can. The last time was South Wales nearly two years ago. They often clash with other plans. But this time I was available. This was a Level … More Bits fall off me on Dartmoor
With my six day trek across the Icelandic Highlands now just next month, I had to do some real walking. I packed my tent and headed off to Dartmoor for the weekend – well, for Friday and Saturday anyway, since I needed to be home on Sunday to go to a local music festival. I’d … More I climbed the highest mountain on Dartmoor
I’ve climbed a few mountains in my time. Small ones, easy ones, sometimes only halfway up and always slowly. Sir Edmund Hillary I am not. Climbing Laki was entirely unlike any mountain I’ve ever climbed before. Laki is a volcano. That’s not what makes it unusual. Actually, it’s not “a volcano” in the traditional sense. … More The day I climbed Iceland’s deadliest volcano
Last weekend I went on a Level 3 walking weekend in South Wales with my Girlguiding region. Level 3, in our terms, is a bit above Mountain Training’s Hill & Moorland Leader but a little below full Mountain Leader. I am not a Level 3 walker. When I walk – which hasn’t been recently – … More Bog-squelching in Wales
In a week’s time I’ll be halfway through my 2017 trip to Edinburgh and Tom wants to go up Arthur’s Seat so let’s go back to my 2015 climb. Right in the heart of Edinburgh is a volcano. It’s an extinct volcano and it manifests itself in two places – Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat. Castle Rock … More The Volcano Adventures: Arthur’s Seat
Something very exciting happened two weeks ago. My Bronze DofE badge and certificate arrived in the post! For anyone who hasn’t encountered DofE, it’s the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, done in three levels (Bronze, Silver & Gold) and stereotypically involves two to five days of walking in the rain over inhospitable territory like Dartmoor. The … More DofE – as an adult!
I’ve acquired a couple of new badges for my camp blanket lately and that’s because I went walking on Dartmoor. I went with Girlguiding and my region now does walking badges because they don’t want to be outdone by LaSER (London and South East Region) who started producing badges in 2014 and whose badge was … More Walking on Dartmoor in the sun and in the rain
The first mountain I ever climbed was the Talkaser. It’s not huge and I still only got halfway up but here’s the story of my first mountain. My parents – no, let’s be frank – my mum likes to go to Austria for her summer holiday every year. Once upon a time, we could vary it … More My First Mountain: The Talkaser
I Am A Polar Bear 