Every year since 2014, my friend Tom and I have gone for “an adventure” between Christmas and New Year. Usually that involves me picking Tom up from his parents’ house, driving off to some bit of coast and having some wine (well, Tom has the wine. I don’t like it and also I’m driving). We … More A COVID-free Christmas Adventure at Studland
Traditionally, the first post of a new year would be my Christmas Adventure With Tom but that’s waiting for Thursday this year because today I want to make a post for the Resolutioners: how to get into walking A New Year lockdown hasn’t been announced as at time of writing but we can all feel … More Outdoors 101: How to get into walking
In this second “episode” of A Single Map, I’m taking my dad out for a walk in the woods. We’ve done a lot of walking this year. Headlands, several hillforts, the local thanks-Dr-Beeching trailway, around town and even a couple of fort-less hills. But woods are new. We didn’t really realise there was much in … More A Single Map episode 2: a walk in the woods
A couple of weeks ago, I read Alastair Humphreys’ post on “a single map is enough for a lifetime of exploration” in which he ordered a custom OS Explorer map of his local area in order to explore his doorstep in greater detail, especially while bigger and further-flung adventures are on hold. I’d already been … More A Single Map episode 1: a walk up a very muddy hill
I used to be more active than I’ve been in recent years. I have (had?) a friend who occasionally introduces me as “a keen hillwalker”, which I don’t think was accurate even in my most regular walking days. But I’d realised how inactive I’d become and so in 2019 I signed up to twelve monthly … More My exercise routine: 500km in 2020 challenge
Last year I did my first ever virtual race. You sign up and even get a downloadable bib (has anyone ever printed and worn this?) but you do the race by yourself at your own pace at your own place. You don’t even have to run. I walked it but cycling is also an option. … More Virtual running and swimming
In June, I tried the Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge. Spoiler: it didn’t go too well. It started ok. Well, it started ok in May. I found myself continually doing things that made me think “I should be saving this for next week” but when June started, it wore off a bit. The first … More 30 Days Wild
Back in the summer of 2014, I rented a car and based myself in and around Borgarnes, on Iceland’s west coast and spent one of the days driving around Snæfellsnes. You can do it in a day but I find it’s such a long way and there are so many things to stop for that by … More The Volcano Adventures: Climbing Saxhóll
Since I’m walking the Laugavegur trail in July, it’s time to talk about the time I sampled it. In the summer of 2012 I did a day trip to Landmannalaugar. Just long enough to visit the hot spring and then run across the floodplain to see what else this little oasis had to offer. I … More Walking the Grænagil-Laugavegur loop
I used to walk a lot. Well, a bit. But it’s been a while since I’ve been out, or at least, out of my own volition. I go on Girlguiding region walking weekends when I can because it means I have to but other than that, I can always find more appealing things to do … More New Year, New Unicorn