Thursday, 1 May 2014
Friday, 7 February 2014
Book Review - How To Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley
If you’re not familiar with Tristan Gooley, he is probably best known as the Natural Navigator. He has led expeditions on five continents, spent time with the Tuareg, Bedouin and Dayak in some of the remotest places on Earth and pioneered a renaissance in the rare art of natural navigation. He is also the only living person to have both flown solo and sailed single-handed across the Atlantic.
So, he is well qualified to write a book about connecting with nature.
But, firstly, why should we connect with nature? In our daily life today, we don’t really need an understanding of our natural environment for everyday survival – so should we really bother? Do we need to have these skills any more?
Well, Tristan believes any connection to nature is beneficial – no matter how small – and this book is a collection of his techniques to help enthuse our senses and re-establish that love-affair with the outdoors he knows we all have.
The book is part of a series from Macmillan exploring life’s big questions “The School of Life” which doesn't purports to have all the answers, but they know people who have ideas of how to make life better. And Tristan certainly fits the bill here.The book is littered with exercises to do – which I have done, and I can tell you they really will make you stop and think about your surroundings and your place within them. And it’s full of information you think “I really should have known that – and I'm glad I now do” – for example the name “ghost orchids” was coined for that particular plant as they are one of the rarest plants in Britain and can disappear from a site for decades, before briefly reappearing – which sounds very logical.
There’s fantastic knowledge you can use in everyday life in here; finding the North Star from The Plough for instance, and some useful info about Ground Time too (you’ll have to read the book…)
I guess the only thing that lets the book down is the rendition of the photographs – several of monochrome images are difficult to clearly make out what they are all about. You feel that a book which does reference and rely on its images should have been allowed to have better quality printing for the photographs – but I guess that’s down to the house style of “The School of Life” series and the price point. But don't let that out you off.
Overall, a cracking read which you’ll find you’ll be mentally accessing as you go on future expeditions into the great outdoors.
How To Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley
published by Macmillan, priced £7.99
Walks Around Britain rating 8/10
Order it now from Amazon here
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
The best of autumn/winter walking
As temperatures drop, don’t assume that you have to forfeit your passion for exploring the outdoors on foot. Winter offers beautiful walking opportunities, when the landscape is transformed by a riot of colour and weather is often crisp, clear and refreshing.
If you've never experienced winter walking, or you think the seasonal chills aren't worth the benefits of exploring the countryside at this time of year, take a look at this guide to the best of cold weather walking:
Colour
Arguably one of the best things about exploring the countryside at this time of year is the changing colours. Landscapes that you've seen in the past will be unrecognisable, when the trees lose their leaves and the scenery gets covered with white frost or snow.
Weather
A lot of people assume that once the summer months are over, hiking and walking is
out of bounds. However, when you think about it, winter is a great time to explore the outdoors. When temperatures are fresh and crisp, it’s much easier to push yourself and cover larger distances. What’s more, you won’t have to concern yourself with the threat of sunburn.
It’s a good idea to invest in a lightweight waterproof jacket in case of any sudden downpours, but this can be rolled up and packed into you backpack, should you become too hot (Brantano stock some Mountain Peak items that are pretty reasonable).
On, chillier days, it can be the tendency to wrap up in heavy layers to keep warm. This may be a good idea at first, but as you pick up the pace your body temperature will soar and you’ll quickly start to feel hot and sweaty. A much better idea is to wear a base layer beneath your clothes, which traps an insulating layer of air against your skin. These are usually worn by athletes, but they’re perfect for walking in cool conditions.
Events
Walking is so popular at this time of the year that there are lots of great festivals taking place throughout the country. The Enchanted Forest Festival is a light and sound show based in Faskally Wood, which makes for a magical and interesting evening event. The wood lies just outside the popular tourist town of Pitlochry, which is itself considered a centre for hillwalking in Scotland.
You can find more information about the Enchanted Forest, including dates for the 2014 event, at the official website.
Routes
Some locations in the UK just cry out for walking during the winter/autumn months. Areas like the Lake District and the New Forest experience the biggest transformations at this time of year and make for wonderful walking. A top spot is Mortimer Forest in Shropshire, which boasts fantastic routes through the woodland and stunning views of the Malvern Mountains and the Cotswolds.
Wildlife
Autumn is a unique time to spot wildlife, as many animals prepare for hibernation and large flocks of birds leave the country to head for sunnier climes. If you’re heading to a deer park, this is the time of year when stags develop antlers, which can make for a majestic sight against the backdrop of an autumn landscape.
If you’re heading to a coastal location, keep an eye out for large flocks of geese arriving from Arctic breeding grounds to spend the winter in the UK.
For more great ideas and outdoor activities to do during autumn, take a look at this guide from Wildlife Watch.
If you've never experienced winter walking, or you think the seasonal chills aren't worth the benefits of exploring the countryside at this time of year, take a look at this guide to the best of cold weather walking:
Colour
Arguably one of the best things about exploring the countryside at this time of year is the changing colours. Landscapes that you've seen in the past will be unrecognisable, when the trees lose their leaves and the scenery gets covered with white frost or snow.
Weather
A lot of people assume that once the summer months are over, hiking and walking is out of bounds. However, when you think about it, winter is a great time to explore the outdoors. When temperatures are fresh and crisp, it’s much easier to push yourself and cover larger distances. What’s more, you won’t have to concern yourself with the threat of sunburn.
It’s a good idea to invest in a lightweight waterproof jacket in case of any sudden downpours, but this can be rolled up and packed into you backpack, should you become too hot (Brantano stock some Mountain Peak items that are pretty reasonable).
On, chillier days, it can be the tendency to wrap up in heavy layers to keep warm. This may be a good idea at first, but as you pick up the pace your body temperature will soar and you’ll quickly start to feel hot and sweaty. A much better idea is to wear a base layer beneath your clothes, which traps an insulating layer of air against your skin. These are usually worn by athletes, but they’re perfect for walking in cool conditions.
Events
Walking is so popular at this time of the year that there are lots of great festivals taking place throughout the country. The Enchanted Forest Festival is a light and sound show based in Faskally Wood, which makes for a magical and interesting evening event. The wood lies just outside the popular tourist town of Pitlochry, which is itself considered a centre for hillwalking in Scotland.
You can find more information about the Enchanted Forest, including dates for the 2014 event, at the official website.
Routes
Some locations in the UK just cry out for walking during the winter/autumn months. Areas like the Lake District and the New Forest experience the biggest transformations at this time of year and make for wonderful walking. A top spot is Mortimer Forest in Shropshire, which boasts fantastic routes through the woodland and stunning views of the Malvern Mountains and the Cotswolds.
Wildlife
Autumn is a unique time to spot wildlife, as many animals prepare for hibernation and large flocks of birds leave the country to head for sunnier climes. If you’re heading to a deer park, this is the time of year when stags develop antlers, which can make for a majestic sight against the backdrop of an autumn landscape.If you’re heading to a coastal location, keep an eye out for large flocks of geese arriving from Arctic breeding grounds to spend the winter in the UK.
For more great ideas and outdoor activities to do during autumn, take a look at this guide from Wildlife Watch.
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Podcast Edition 018 - Show Notes
Edition 18 of the Walks Around Britain features the great walking along the Caledonian Canal in Scotland; we talk to Steve Backhouse about the centenary of HF Holidays and the Chief Executive of the Peak District National Park Jim Dixon talks about the Monsal Trail and the challenges for the park in the future.
Presented by Andrew White - @AndrewRWhite
Walking along the Caledonian Canal
In May 2013, the Walks Around Britain team spent a week filming some video Scottish Waterways Trust. Ahead of all the videos being completed, Andrew discovers more about the history of the canal and the area of the Great Glen from the Scottish Waterways Trust's Heritage Office for the Caledonian Canal, Stephen Wiseman.
walks along the majestic Caledonian Canal in Scotland, in association with the
Here's the first walk completed from the series...
To find out more, visit the Scottish Waterways Trust website.
100 years of HF Holidays
2013 saw the centenary of the walking and activity holiday provider HF Holidays. Andrew chatted to Steve Backhouse (right), the company's Head of Holidays (what a title!) about the history and the future of HF Holidays.
For more details about HF Holidays, visit their website - www.hfholidays.co.uk.
Jim Dixon and the Peak District National Park
If you'd like to sample some of the Monsal Trail, you can see what it is like on our video walk. Andrew walked from Hassop Station with local born skier Ellie Koyander.
Please let us know what you think about our podcasts - what do you like, and what would you like to hear? Leave us a comment below, or send us a voice message on our blog.
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