long distance walking Archives

September 9, 2026September 9, 2026

My Pennine Way journey

On Saturday 8th August at 3.44pm I reached the finish line of the Pennine Way, having walked 264 miles from Edale over 17 days!

It was such an incredible experience (not all of it positive!) that it has taken me a few weeks to know how to write about it, but I thought I’d make start by copying over the posts that I shared each day in the PW Facebook group which was such a brilliant support before and during my hike. I think that these posts give a real-time perspective which will be lost if I try to recap now.

I also wrote a haiku every day, so I’ll include them here too!! Here’s the first one about leaving home:

Setting off –

Leaving for Edale
To walk on the Pennine Way
I may be a while…

Day 1 – Edale to Crowden

I remember this being a tough day four years ago & it hasn’t really changed! I gave myself a head start by walking to Upper Booth on travel day and camping there for the first night. I used that ‘saved’ mile to visit Higher Shelf Stones to see the aircraft memorial crash site, which was very moving.

Haiku:

Up Jacob’s Ladder
Endless stone path to Snake Pass
All day in the wild

On to Standedge…

Day 2 – Crowden to Standedge

Haiku –

Walking on the tops
Of vast open moors all day
Blissful solitude

I had trouble posting on FB on day 2 so wrote a brief synopsis – loved today, lots of moorland hours without seeing another soul, sadly the fire at Wessenden Head hadn’t closed the nasty path! I need to get better at eating on the trail – can’t live on jellyfish babies (a great autocorrect from FB – it was meant to say jelly tots!!) and shortbread…

Day 3 – Standedge to Jack Bridge

Nicky’s cafe rocks!
Reservoirs all afternoon
Wild winds all day long

Oof the wild windy weather kicked off as soon as I set off from ex Carriage House camping – and stayed with me all day! It was gusting fairly constantly at 35mph, knocking me over a couple of times – but I guess it’s great training for later on the trail?!

Nicky’s cafe is such a brilliant place – so lovely to eat real food and drink tea from a proper mug I bought a vegan sausage roll and chips to eat there, and another without chips to carry with me all day for an easy campsite dinner. Also several bags of crisps and a mars bar. Happy days!!!

After a long break at Nicky’s I felt like I was chasing my tail all day but I tried not to worry about timing and accept that it would take as long as it took to get to my campsite. It turned into a 10 hour day but it also reminded me one of my favourite things about trail walking – all you have to think about is where you’re going, how to get there and where you’ll get food, drink & shelter, and nothing else matters. How lucky that we get to do this

On to Ickornshaw tomorrow – haven’t checked the weather yet, I’ll save it for the morning.

Day 4 – Jack Bridge to Ickornshaw

Today’s haiku –

Wind & rain today
True Wuthering Heights weather
Apt for Kate Bush day!

Really enjoyed today – I love the open moorland sections with all the wind and withering, and there wasn’t much rain so that was a bonus.

Very cool to see two Cathy’s from Haworth walking up to Top Withens

Finally found some trail buddies today

On to Malham…

Day 5: Ickornshaw to Malham

This felt like a longer slog than I remembered & I bought too much food in the co-op so my pack was heavy for the last few miles!

Haiku –

Up Pinhaw Beacon
Over the hills to Gargrave
And on to Malham

Day 6: Malham to Ling Gill Bridge (wild camp)

The very best kind of hiking day – beautiful places & beautiful people all day long. Will add more detail when I’m not sat on a windy hill!

Haiku –

I wrote the first one whilst walking around Malham Tarn, wondering why it smelled funny!!

Walking, with wet socks
On the outside of my pack.
The air smells pungent!!

This one came later in the day!

Wow wow wow wow wow
Best day of hiking ever
Pen y Ghent conquered

Onwards to Thwaite!

Day 7: Ling Gill Bridge to Thwaite

Haiku –

Hawes, Hardraw & Thwaite
Great Shunner Fell after lunch
Eighteen miles today

This day is easily summarised – long steady climb before dropping down to Hawes followed by a long steady climb before dropping down to Thwaite – but that makes it sound much less interesting than it was.

The views of the surrounding hills were great – loved seeing Pen y Ghent on the horizon – surprised it was so far away given that I was there the day before!!

Great Shunner Fell is a big old lump of rock! Kudos to anyone here that went over before the flagstones were laid It’s the first wet bog I’ve seen since I started. It was also pretty cold at the top so I was glad to head down and enjoy the views of distant Thwaite bathed in sunshine. It is very pretty here – looking forward to walking through it when I get going this morning.

Planning another longish day today but I’m feeling tired so might shorten it – I’ll see how I go…

Day 8: Thwaite to Clove Lodge

Haiku –

Four low-flying jets
Walked up to the highest pub
Sleighthome Moor is dry!

I was late getting started today and the walk from Thwaite to Keld took much longer than expected but the views at either end were so good. Made quick progress up to Tan Hill & then decided I would push on to Clove Lodge instead of finding somewhere to stop sooner. Best decision ever!

Clove Lodge is such a gem and Claire could not be kinder. I’ll write a separate post later about some truly wonderful people I’ve met on this hike, but suffice it to say I am very grateful for a safe space to sleep & a well-stocked snack barn

Excited to pass half way today – can’t believe how fast the time is going – don’t want it to stop.

Feeling very grateful to be walking in such dry conditions – Sleightholme Moor was easy walking today but I can see that is not always the case!

Also excited to see four jets screaming through the valley above Thwaite this morning – very low & very loud.

Day 9: Clove Lodge to Langdon Beck

I totally crashed today Lack of quality sleep finally caught up with me and I had a real down day, which is probably inevitable at some point?! I was due to camp in the hotel grounds but upgraded to a room! Arrived just before 7pm, showered & washed my clothes, and was asleep by 8pm! No dinner but I’ll make up for it at breakfast…

‘Highlights’ of the day –

1) a whole bottle of insect repellent spilling into a pocket of my pack The smell was gross even after cleaning up the worst of it AND it didn’t keep the midges away at all

2) there was a tuck shop on route that I was excited to reach – but it was empty! Who promises a hikers tuck shop and then lets it get empty?!?!

3) actual rain for the first time on the way into Middleton-in-Teesdale.

I must have looked like I needed support because someone in a group of walkers gave me a blessing, which was very kind. They also told me where I’d find chips which was much appreciated.

This afternoon was not my kind of walking & weirdly didn’t feel like the Pennine Way at all because it was more of a tourist trail. The waterfalls were pretty but I’d have liked them closer together with less river in between!!

So that’s everything about day 9 – summarised into a choice of haiku:

The how-I-felt version –

A blessing brought tears
Didn’t want to walk today
This is my down day

And the less emotional version –

An empty tuck shop
Two beautiful waterfalls
A long river walk

Tomorrow is my most anticipated section of the trail…hope I feel better than today so I can fully enjoy it

Onwards!

Day 10: Langdon Beck to Dufton

Haiku –

Ten hours sleep – pure bliss
High Cup Nick, a dream come true;
To Dufton to rest!

Wow – amazing how different I feel after sleeping for 10 hours, eating a cooked breakfast and four slices of toast and jam, and stopping every hour to drink some rehydration/energy salts.

Also I cheated by walking direct to Cow Green Reservoir by road – couldn’t face any more river walking!!

I have wanted to see High Cup Nick for years and he did not disappoint. I got really emotional thinking about how many people never get the chance to live out their dreams, and how grateful that I got to live out one of mine today.

Arrived in Dufton before 5pm, pitched up, helped another hiker who was feeling poorly, showered & headed to The Stag for the most incredible meal – I decided not to be vegetarian today – need protein!

Thank you all for support yesterday – I was feeling very broken and cannot believe how much better I feel today. If I sleep well tonight I’ll push on tomorrow; if not I’ll take a rest day…

Day 11: Dufton to Garrigill

Haiku –

All day ascending
Cross Fell wasn’t cross at all
Endless winding road

My (revised) plan today was to rest up in Dufton – cup of tea in the Post Box Pantry, Sunday roast in The Stag, an afternoon nap, a bit of journaling about my trip…it would have been so nice BUT then I saw the weather forecast for Cross Fell today Wind speed 3-7mph (maximum gusts 13mph!) and it was too enticing to get up and over while it was that good.

I am feeling truly blessed with the weather! If I’d known it would be this good I could have left two coats at home!!

So I had 6 hours going (mostly) uphill – loved the views (good to see Cow Green reservoir from yesterday) and nearly 4 hours coming back down – that last 3 of which were spent on the endless road…I have read other theories but I think it is called the Corpse Road because most people walking on this road die of boredom on the way to Garrigill!!!

Not only was the road long but the midges were persistent – midge net on for the first time in my life…

Onwards tomorrow!

Day 12: Garrigill to Greenriggs campsite

Haiku –

Stocked up in Alston
Slept at Slaggyford station!
Galloped to Greenriggs

A much needed shorter and easy day today, made even shorter and easier by my unplanned decision to walk on the South Tyne Trail from Alston to Slaggyford. It wasn’t very interesting but it was like sleep-walking – my body knew what to do but my brain didn’t have to be involved at all.

I was hoping for a cuppa at Slaggyford station but nothing was open. I sat on a bench, thinking about getting my stove out to make tea, but then realised I needed a snooze instead!! For 20 peaceful minutes I lay on the bench, shoes off, pack under my legs, chest pack under my head & it was bliss

Revived after some food, I headed back to the actual PW and yomped to the campsite, meeting Kai along the way who decided to camp here too. Jill, the owner, is the nicest lady ever – made me a cup of tea on arrival and fetched me a chair. Shower was really hot. Beautiful campsite if anyone is looking in this area.

Day 13: Greenriggs Cottage to Winshields

Haiku –

Early rain soon stopped
Hadrian’s Wall was hilly
Twice Brewed for dinner

I thought I was going to lose my good weather charm this morning…woke to the sound of pouring rain but a quick check on the weather showed it would be gone by 9am so I hung out in my tent, ate breakfast & starting packing things away while I waited. By 8.45am it was gone and it stayed away all day!!!

Greenriggs Cottage campsite was such a gem – the owner made me a fantastic packed lunch and even brought a cup of tea over to my tent this morning!! Highly recommend.

Even though the rain had stopped, my feet got soaked in all the wet grass over Blenkinsopp Common but luckily there was no noticeable wet bog – second win of the day!

I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to Hadrian’s Wall, having been told and read how busy it is. I thought it would feel like a tourist trail, so I took my time having lunch at Greenhead Tearooms before heading up to the wall. It totally surpassed all expectations!! Not busy, not touristy, just very impressive. In spite of having tired little legs, I even loved all the hills! I kept going to the trig pillar at Winshields Crag before dropping down to my campsite for the night.

What a gift of a day on the Way. So grateful to be doing this – can’t believe I only have 4 more days…

PS is it possible I could see the sea, looking west from Winshields Crag trig pillar???

Day 14: Winshields to Bellingham

Haiku –

Farewell to the wall
A bit squally at lunchtime!
Arrived Belling-jam

I was so sad the leave the wall today that I took no notice of the way marker & barrelled straight ahead down the obvious path I realised when I reached the stony outcrop, turned right, navigated my way around two cows only to find they had left their babies hiding in a hollow on the path, so I had to give them a wide berth.

Hadrian’s Wall really stirred something in me – I’d never want to do the whole route but seeing the undulating line of it and all the crags, going into the distance is remarkable. Loved it!

Had some proper squally weather today – the big coat had to come out for the first time. I tucked myself into a sheepfold for lunch, half way across Haughton Common, to avoid the worst of the sideways rain for a while.

I was glad when I realised that Horneystead Pit Stop was getting near. Had a really lovely chat with Mr Horneystead who was there when I arrived. I took off my wet socks, made a cuppa & sat with my feet drying for a while. Bliss! Mr H suggested a different campsite to the one I planned to use tonight, so I took his advice and bought food from the co-op on the way. This vegetarian just wolfed down half a chicken!!! I’ll be running all the way to Byrness tomorrow! (spoiler alert – I didn’t actuallyrun!!

Day 15: Bellingham to (almost) Byrness

Haiku –

Quick shop at co-op
A moorland & forest day
Don’t want this to end

For the first time today I thought about this adventure being nearly over & it brought up lots of emotions, many of which I’m sure are familiar to others who have walked the PW too.

I’m really happy with how I’ve managed everything. I’m so proud of my little old legs for getting me here. I’m excited for the last two days (I’m splitting it so that I can savour every moment). I’m grateful for the support I’ve had on my JustGiving page raising money for Cancer Research UK in memory of a friend. I don’t want it to end. I can’t wait to get home and exfoliate my legs. I don’t want to go home at all. I’m grateful I have a home to go back to…

It’s a lot, isn’t it?!

I’ve also been thinking about how to describe the experience to people who may ask, and I’ve come to the conclusion that long distance hiking is a lot like life – good bits, ugly bits, laughter, tears, challenging stuff, fun times, days when you don’t want to get out bed, days that you feel invincible, times when you don’t know where you’re going, the joy of meeting people along the way – and all of it made possible by putting one foot in front of the other, over & over again.

How lucky I feel to have had the luxury of time to take this journey. I will try to remember that when I feel sad that it’s over!

But it’s not over yet!!

Today was my speediest walking so far. Walked into my campsite (just short of Byrness) at 16.08 having set off at a slightly tardy 09.30! I think the forest trail had me walking quicker than usual – my feet definitely feel like that’s what happened anyway. Today was really a day of two parts – lovely moorland, followed by the hideous climb up to the forest path and the forest itself. Wet vegetation for the last stretch was an added bonus!!

I did gain some trail buddies today though & we’ll all be finishing on Saturday so that’s really cool…

Onwards!

Day 16: Byrness to somewhere in the hills!

Haiku –

Climb up Byrness Hill
Amazing day in the hills
Find somewhere to sleep

Wow! What a day!! I love being in the hills and today delivered plenty of them! The initial climb was tough near the top but once you’re in the sky it’s soon forgotten.

This was my favourite kind of hiking – up high all day, big views, rolling landscape, a few cairns & trig pillars & the silly joy of crossing the border via a gate!

Just before Chew Green I was thinking that it felt like I was inside the landscape, and that it would be impossible to see this area without walking into it…and then I saw the road & noticed a parking area on the map But aside from that, it feels like such a special place, which is earned by the journey taken to get there.

For anyone behind me, there was a trickle of water at Richard’s cleugh – bit of a balancing act but I collected a litre on my way through. I filtered, micropur-ed and boiled it so hopefully I’ll live to tell the tale…

So there’s no sadness today – just real joy about a fantastic day. My feet are sore now – no blisters but they feel like they’ve worked hard these past few days! It’s going to be a cold night up here but I’m snuggled up in my sleeping bag and hopefully the sound of the wind will lull me to sleep.

One more day!

Day 17: somewhere in the hills to Kirk Yetholm

Haiku –

Woke up in the hills
Walked the Cheviot & Schil
Then a long descent

Wow! The final section is so lovely – hard walking in places but stunning rolling hills I was amazed to see the sea from the Cheviot turn off! Didn’t expect that at all. The final way marker ‘KY 2 miles’ nearly broke me – thought I was nearer! And the uphill road at the end!!!

Reached the end without any emotional over-spill, then sat in the hotel with a pot of tea and couldn’t stop the tears!! I gave the beer away to a group in the bar & a lady came over to thank me. She knew I’d completed the PW but didn’t realise it had just happened and couldn’t understand why I was emotional. Then she saw the certificate and asked why I had it…’I just finished the Pennine Way!’ – ‘oh, like JUST finished?’ #doh

While I was walking, I carried a heart-shaped pebble from my nearest beach in East Sussex, and today I left it on an outside windowsill at the Border Hotel. A token for my grand-daughters (from whom I am sadly estranged), but who I carry with me wherever I go…

Summary haiku:

Thank you Pennine Way
The people, the path, the views.
What an adventure!

A final haiku:

Waiting for my train
Heading home with heavy heart
Sad to leave the trail

What a beautiful journey this has been. I’m sure it won’t be my last…

June 6, 2019November 15, 2019

Walking poles – some pros and cons…

Obviously I’ve been walking pretty much all my life, and I walk the dog every day, but I’m a relative newbie to full-day-walking and have just completed my first long distance walk. To start with I was a bit self-conscious about buying walking ‘gear’ – I felt like an imposter – but over recent months I’ve started to see the benefits of having the right kit.

outdoor clothing — it didn’t take me long to start wearing all the colours!

One of the things I knew I wanted to try was walking or trekking poles. I had previously enjoyed some Nordic Walking sessions from a fitness perspective, and was keen to feel walking as a whole-body (and a mind-body) process, rather than just being all about my legs and buttock muscles. Luckily I have a trekking friend who kindly lent me her poles for a prolonged amount of time while I was training, and I acquired my own poles just before I set off to walk the South Downs Way.

pacerpoles & trig points — Pacerpoles & trig points

Over the course of a week filled with some long & challenging walks, I weighed up the pros and cons of walking poles as I see them. These are my thoughts as a walker (carrying an 11-12kg pack over 8 continuous days), but also as a fitness professional and massage therapist with a good anatomical knowledge-base and a sound understanding of posture & movement. These observations are not scientifically tested, and you may not agree with all of them, and I’m OK with that because you can write your own blog if you want to!!!

The pros:

using poles creates less muscle tension in the legs and buttocks because the body is working as a more integrated system, which incorporates more core & upper body engagement. I got back from eight days walking an average of 18 miles a day with no aches and pains at all in any part of my body and I think the poles are largely responsible for that
there is less load on the hip and knee joints, because the impact is absorbed through four points of contact (rather than two) and comes into the body via the deeper core (postural) muscles and then to the limbs of the upper and lower body
walking poles remind me to walk with a tall, open posture which means that all the systems in the body (muscles, connective tissue, joints & circulatory system) are in the optimal position to work well with each other
the poles give extra drive on uphill sections and added stability/deceleration on downhill sections, enabling the body to maintain this open, upright posture even when the walking becomes more challenging
as someone who experiences vertigo, I found that walking poles gave me a greater sense of connection to the earth on high and exposed areas, and they especially gave me the confidence to stand, catch my breath & enjoy the view when my brain was yelling at me to keep moving in case I fell!
even without vertigo, I feel that walking poles give a feeling of confidence in relation to balance in general, and particularly on loose scree or where there is a noticeable camber – they don’t take away or reduce your body’s natural ability to balance, but I think they definitely enhance it
I find that the rhythm of walking with poles is quite meditative – it actually helps me to get into a smooth striding pattern and also helps me notice if I’m not walking evenly on each leg
although not something I can personally vouch for, I understand that using walking poles can help to reduce oedema (swelling) in the hands and forearms over prolonged walks, which makes sense because they keep the arms active rather than passive
walking poles are also great for bashing nettles, moving brambles out of the way, testing the depth of streams, checking the stability of stepping stones, propping up lightweight canopies and redirecting spiders & caterpillars that are descending from the trees and floating across your path …

The cons:

I had to wrack my brain for these as there really aren’t many negatives – here’s what I came up with:

poles are another thing to carry in your kit (even though they don’t weigh much) and if you find yourself not using them for long stretches of your walk I guess that could become annoying (although my preferred poles have found a genius way around this)
if you’re walking a dog on a lead it is much harder to get the benefit from walking poles – you can make do with one pole but I think many of the benefits are lost in this instance; I tend to stow them when the dog is on his lead and use them while he is running free, but will also look into a lead for the dog which goes around my waist so that I can keep poling …
they can become a potential trip hazard… more than once, on tired legs, I have almost caught myself on one of my poles, but it is usually a case of not focusing on what I’m doing at the time
it is harder (but not impossible) to check a map/phone/watch, blow your nose or eat a snack while walking with poles in your hands – I get round this by either stopping and resting my poles against a fence or tree or by tucking them under one arm (like an army sergeant!) while I walk, until my hands are free again
using poles can leave your hands & forearms more exposed to the weather conditions (sun, rain or snow) but sunscreen, sleeves & gloves will obviously help you to get around this issue

Which poles are best?

There is a wide range of walking poles available to buy, to suit different needs and different budgets, and I don’t pretend to have tried them all by any means! I have however tried two different styles and have found a firm favourite.

Most poles have a foam, upright grip with a webbing wrist strap. With this style of pole, you slide your hand through and over the strap, and rest your wrist onto it whilst lightly holding the handle. As you walk your grip stays light and you keep the weight of your wrist on the strap.

I used this style of pole for nearly all of my training and had only one problem with them – on longer walks (bearing in mind that it was spring so I wasn’t wearing gloves) I would start to find that the strap irritated the heel of my hand and my wrist and this would gradually niggle me more and more as the walk continued. On a positive note, there are many brands that offer this style of pole and they are easily found in outdoor shops so you can have a try before spending your money.

Once I started researching my options, I saw lots of positive reviews for Pacerpoles but wasn’t entirely convinced that they would be better, until I tried them. They arrived a few days before I set off on my first long distance walk and I was slightly anxious whether I would get to grips (no pun intended!) with the slightly different technique in time. On the third practice day I felt much more confident with them, but in hindsight I realise that actually I didn’t fully find my rhythm with them until a couple of days into my walk. And then there was no going back!

Pacerpoles ergonomic handle design — the handles are left and right-handed

These Physiotherapist-designed poles have a unique moulded handle which is fantastic. Pacerpoles rely on the angled, shaped handle rather than a webbing wrist strap, and as a result they feel really light to hold and much more comfortable.

Pacerpoles unique handle design feels light and comfortable to hold

The handle is held between the thumb and first finger and the heel of the hand then comes to rest on the ledge of the handle as you move forward. The idea is to move from the elbow, lifting and lowering the forearm with each step, rather than swinging forward from the shoulder. It is hard to describe the movement but once you try Pacerpoles you’ll get it!

me and my Pacerpoles at the end of the South Downs Way — done!

I honestly believe that I couldn’t have walked the South Downs Way without poles and I firmly believe that Pacerpoles were the best choice for me.

There were sections that were so steep (up and down), and sections that were so windswept, that I would not have felt safe walking without my Pacerpoles. Even more importantly though was the fact that I never got tired heavy legs – even on days when I felt mentally fatigued and close to exhaustion, my legs never struggled. My pack was heavier than I would have liked (about 12kg with enough water for a full day) but my posture still felt great. Every time I put my poles in my hands I remembered to ‘walk tall’ so they acted as a great prompt as well as a physical support.

Is it ‘cheating’ to use poles?

A few months ago, I had a conversation with someone who said she would never use walking poles because she liked to feel that she was using the strength of her own body for balance and support. She suggested that for her it would feel like ‘cheating’ to rely on poles.

This conversation was a real turning point for me early in my training, when I was still undecided about using poles, because it had me really pay attention to what difference (if any) they made.

I honestly believe that poles help me to walk further (and faster) without any muscle or joint pain. I can feel that my core muscles are providing me with stability and that my leg muscles are then able to work efficiently without any tension. I also no longer feel a long-term persistent niggle in the attachment point of my left hamstrings. (I hadn’t realised that this had stopped being an issue, until it cropped up again when I walked without poles one day after having used them for several weeks)

My goal when working with my fitness & pilates clients is to have them experience movement which is generated from their core and then outwards into their peripheral limbs, without holding tension in any area of the body. Using the core muscles as the base for stability, allows the arms and legs to move more freely, and so it seems natural & obvious to bring this principle to my walking as well. I think this is where Pacerpoles make the difference.

Anything that helps the body move well is definitely not cheating in my eyes! I don’t think using poles is cheating any more than wearing walking boots or waterproof clothing is cheating…it’s just sensible.

Conclusion:

My body simply feels stronger and more efficient when I’m walking with poles. I walked a total of 146 miles over eight days, with a pack, at an average pace of about 2.6 mph, and didn’t feel the need to stretch out my legs more than once in that time. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have been true if I’d been walking without Pacerpoles.

pack, poles & Kendal mint cake — pack, poles and a little Kendal mint cake!

Of course we are all different so I will leave you to make up your own mind about what equipment to use for day- or long-distance walking. But if you are a regular walker and you haven’t tried walking poles, I would suggest that you borrow a pair (preferably not mine because I will be using them!) to see how you get on…you might be surprised at the results.

If you want to read more about my adventure on the South Downs Way, start here with my notes from day 1

[In the spirit of openness, I want to let you know that I was gifted my Pacerpoles, for which I am truly grateful. However, in writing this post, I have been entirely honest in my appraisal of them and other walking poles. If anything, I have been more analytical in my assessment of them, to satisfy myself that my views have not been unduly swayed as a result]

May 16, 2019November 15, 2019

A beginner’s guide to preparing for a long distance walk (part 2)

my top 6 tips for planning any long distance event, new activity or life in general.

Here’s the next section of my beginner’s guide to preparing for a long distance walk, created as I prepare to embark on my first one. In case you missed it, you can read part 1 here

Consider what you need to spend money on:

When I started walking in January, I was wearing jeans, a cotton t-shirt, a cotton hoodie, a vaguely-showerproof dog-walking coat and some vintage walking boots I found tucked away in my shed! On long walks I was covering 13 miles so the lack of ‘proper’ clothing didn’t stop me walking, but I realised fairly early-on that I would need to up my game a bit…

My first purchase was a pair of decent walking socks. Unfortunately they weren’t the right ones for me, but the second pair was much better and I’ve stuck with those ever since.

The thing I resisted buying for longest was a pair of walking trousers, just because they seemed so geeky!! Happily I found a pair that weren’t beige and I haven’t looked back since!

NB If you’re buying new clothing for your event, don’t do what I did and buy three pairs all at once, only to find that loose and comfortable at home = chafing and uncomfortable over a longer distance. I have had to buy a couple more pairs, a size smaller than I would instinctively go for, to get the right fit. I’m hoping the larger size will come into their own in the winter as I’ll be able to fit a pair of leggings underneath, but I could have done without the additional expense.

The first time I wore ‘all the gear’ I felt like a potential fire-hazard, dressed head-to-toe in man-made (aka technical) fabrics, but over the past few months I have appreciated the benefit of said fabrics many times over.

Finding the right footwear was a bit of a mission but now that I have ‘the ones’ I am glad that I didn’t settle for those which just didn’t feel quite right. The difference they make is huge and it is so good to feel confident that my feet will be ok, especially when I’ll be relying on them as my sole (see what I did there?!) mode of transport from the moment I step off the train in Winchester until I arrive on Hastings pier. If you only get one thing right for your event, make sure it is your footwear!

Unexpectedly, my best purchase to date has been a rain poncho. I’ve learned that the thing which annoys me & slows me down the most is faffing on and off with my backpack to put on/take off a waterproof coat when the weather just can’t decide what to do. The rain poncho goes on over everything (including my pack) so on days when I think I’ll need it, I hang it (rolled up in its little bag) from a hook on the front of my pack, ready to pull out and throw on at a moment’s notice. I believe that it is also the most truly versatile piece of kit – ground sheet, canopy, one-woman toilet-tent, hammock, curtain (for my dorm-room bed), talking point…I tell you, it is genius & I love it!

Of course you don’t necessarily need to spend money on everything – ask around and see what you can borrow, even if it is just to try things out before you buy. I have borrowed a sleeping bag for my event and have borrowed a trekking-friends’ poles to train with. In truth I could have used them for my walk too, but I had the romantic notion that I wanted my own pair of poles so that they would be with me for all my memorable walks, now and in the future. Daft I know, but that’s the way I roll!

[I’ll write a separate post about trekking poles soon…lots to say!]

Test everything:

Once you have acquired your kit, or as you are busy acquiring it, get it on and test it how you will use it for your event. Test it in every type of weather, over different distances, with different loads (if you’ll be carrying a backpack) and at different times of the day. Even if you feel silly walking the dog with a 50 litre backpack on, do it anyway! It will create no end of interest from your neighbours, but more importantly it will tell you what, if anything, you need to refine.

Things to consider (obviously the specifics will vary with each type of event):

does your underwear chafe? (it’s important to find this out early on)
how do your feet feel after x-hours or x-miles?
are your waterproofs waterproof?
how does your backpack feel on your back/shoulders/hips?
how easy is it to get your gloves out when a sudden cold wind whips up a hail-storm without warning? (answer – far too long, but lesson learned!)
how quickly do your clothes dry off after walking through a field of long grass right after a heavy downpour?
how easily can you access the things you might need frequently? (in my case the things I like to have in easy reach at all times are lip salve, tissue, phone, map, snacks & water, plus gloves, hat & sunglasses accessible without needing to take off my backpack)

Use every training session as another chance to test out your kit, as getting things right will make the biggest difference for your actual event. Feeling confident before you start is one less thing to worry about when the time comes.

Work out the right fuel & hydration for your body:

This has probably been my biggest lesson.

When I started in January, I was covering 13 miles without any snacks (except for Christmas cake on one joyous occasion) and only rare, brief stops for sips of hot water. I didn’t think I needed any food because I wasn’t getting hungry, and I only noticed how thirsty I was at the end, but what I did notice was that I became very cold as soon as I stopped walking, and then felt totally exhausted for the rest of the day (and sometimes the next day too).

Over time I have experimented with different fuel options and have found a formula which seems to work for me, while I’m walking and afterwards. For a long walk I now carry:

a 2 litre water-bladder in my backpack, from which I take small and frequent drinks (I also have two 1 litre collapsible bottles for the SDW so that I can carry extra water on the really long days/in hot weather)
an insulated bottle with hot water in it for when I take a break
a nut bar or sesame seed bar for protein and energy
a raw fruit bar/snack for energy
a packet of oatcakes for slower release energy (and because sometimes I want something savoury rather than sweet)
Kendal mint cake as a back-up / treat towards the end of my walk

snacks for walking — snacks that work for me –
what are your favourites?

I won’t necessarily eat all of these things (it will depend on time/distance/exertion) but I now have a better understanding of the fuel I need to get me where I need to be and in good shape when I get there.

Giving some focus to this area of my preparation has been very important. To start with I didn’t like drinking cold water (because I don’t like how it feels in my stomach) but I have adjusted and become comfortable with the stomach-feel during recent weeks, spurred on by the knowledge that sipping hot water wasn’t giving me the hydration I needed. The benefit of testing out lots of different food options, has been that I now have four go-to products which my body copes with well.

There was a near-choking scare along the way – I was eating nuts and raisins, whilst walking and talking to a friend; as I did so, I partly inhaled a half-chewed nut, which got a bit stuck in my throat for a few worrying seconds, while I coughed and spluttered and my friend tried to work out how she would be able to perform a back slap while I was wearing a backpack!!! That one incident (and visions of choking to death alone on the SDW) did more to focus my mind on potentially suitable snacks than anything else.

As with your kit, test out your fuel options every time you train for your event – it is another area where confidence in a tried-and-tested approach will make a huge difference when it matters most.

When I started thinking about walking the SDW, I thought it was just about doing the miles and had no idea how much I had to learn, but the process of getting ready has been as positive as the practice walks and physical & mental health benefits. I am feeling slightly nervous about what I’m about to do, but so excited that I have this opportunity to challenge myself in this way.

I’ll report back soon to let you know if all my planning came good and to add anything new that I haven’t learned yet!

May 15, 2019June 6, 2019

A beginner’s guide to preparing for a long distance walk (part 1)

my top 6 tips for planning any long distance event, new activity or life in general.

I’m not sure what age I was when I started walking (I think I was the child who was happy to sit in one spot for hours at a time?!) but given that I’m 53 now, I reckon I must have been on my feet for about 52 years. Over the past 18 months, walking has helped me process grief and hormone-related depression and has increasingly become an inherent part of me. There’s something in the rhythm of walking that makes me feel truly alive, which is why I’m about to set off for my first long distance walk (LDW) next week…

Earlier this year I decided that I was going to walk The Pennine Way (a vague dream I’ve had since I was a teenager) and then I looked into it in more detail and got a bit scared. It’s not my style to do an organised walk, with baggage transfers and plush b&b nights, so I realised that I wasn’t quite ready for this particular challenge for my first solo LDW. Instead, I set my sights closer to home, with a shorter, less challenging walk – The South Downs Way (Winchester to Eastbourne) plus an added day to get me to Hastings.

It occurs to me that this might be the most planning & preparation I’ve done in a long time, largely because this is the most I’ve stepped out of familiar territory for a long time too. I’m not worried about the walking itself, even though my longest distance so far is not equal to my longest days on the SDW, but I wanted to feel confident about following a map, having everything in my backpack where I can access it easily, staying dry in the pouring rain, not looking like a total novice, etc, etc.

rain poncho happiness — the joy of a waterproof
rain poncho 🙂

I’ve been thinking about the process of preparation a lot over the past few weeks and as result I’ve written my beginner’s guide to preparing for a long distance walk.

Although it is about walking for me, I think that many of these stages are relevant for any long distance event, new activity or life in general. I’ve tried to put them in some sort of order, but of course many will overlap. This post covers the first 3 tips (the getting started stuff) and I’ll share the next 3 tips (the practical stuff) tomorrow.

I hope you find something useful, whatever you’re planning.

Start where you are:

It sounds obvious, but it is too easy to wait until everything is in place before we start doing something new or challenging. We might wait until we have all the right equipment, or until we have lost weight, or until we feel fitter, or until the weather is better, or until someone can do it with us…but actually what we really need to do is just start.

I wanted to do a LDW so I started by walking further:

I signed up to #walk100miles which has been a great source of motivation and information
I began adding extra distance whenever I walked the dog (walking around an extra field, or going twice around the local woods instead of once)
I started planning longer walks on the weekends, discovering new footpaths near my home
I set up an informal walking group every Wednesday morning – making a commitment to be there for other people has helped me to make a commitment to myself
I have made more effort to walk instead of using the car for local trips, eg. going to the library, collecting parcels form the post office or a quick visit to the supermarket

The best thing is that over the past few months, walking has become such a great part of my day that it no longer feels like an effort to do it.

Plan your event:

Give yourself time to think about what sort of an event you want to do and then take time to research the various options available.

I knew from the start that I wanted to do an independent, unsupported walk – ie. not a pre-planned, organised walking holiday. For me, walking has been about learning to believe in myself, and so it feels important to do this by myself too. It wouldn’t be everyone’s choice, of course, so I think the first thing when planning your event is to know what is right for you.

Once you have decided on your event, and made some initial plans, step back a little and take time to review and re-plan as many times as you need. For the SDW, I bought a book which covers the whole walk plus lots of advice on suggested daily distances, places to stay, etc. I went through it in fine detail and planned out my daily schedule and places to sleep. The next week, I looked it over again and re-scheduled the whole thing. And the next week, after reading another book on the subject, I did the same again! Only then did I feel ready to book my accommodation and arrange time off work.

My main focus in the planning stages was:

getting the distances right (not too short – arriving by lunchtime – and not too long – arriving after dark)
guessing my likely average pace with a backpack (not something I had practiced at this stage)
sticking to a budget (ie. finding the most cost-effective places to stay without resorting to sleeping under canvas)

Try to plan well-ahead of your event so that you have plenty of time to review and reschedule if necessary.

Create a training ‘schedule’:

As a fitness instructor, this one is an obvious consideration but actually I only recently realised that I have been doing it all along without having specifically planned it out from the beginning.

Since I planned my event, I have gradually increased my weekly distances; walked over different terrain (to more closely replicate the terrain on the SDW); gradually added weight to my backpack; trained in different weather conditions; mixed in shorter, faster walks with longer, slower ones; and walked with and without the dog (he’s not coming with me on the SDW so I needed to check how it would feel – in truth quite lonely, but much easier to only think about me and not him too).

*Archie’s face when I told him he wasn’t coming with me…*

A few weeks ago I increased my weekly mileage by 50% and experienced my first (and only) blisters. It was quite an important lesson and luckily gave me time to review and change my boots while I still had time to do so.

Once the boot issue was resolved, I upped my mileage again for one week just to see how it would feel doing three long walks in a row; and since then I have tapered off again in the same way that I might if I was training for a marathon.

If you’re not sure how best to train for your event, get some help – talk to friends, look online, find a trainer, join a club or read-up on your activity. Training is not rocket-science but you don’t have to learn everything the hard way – unless you want to!

With one week to go I am now focusing less on distance and more on making sure I eat and sleep well. I know I can walk, and I’m confident in my kit, so now I need to make sure that I’m in good shape to do it well.

Tomorrow I’ll add my next 3 tips focusing on what kit to invest in, how to check it’s the right kit for you and how best to fuel your body…