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I started walking back in January after going through a difficult period. I needed something to clear my head, lift my mood, and stop me sitting around. Turns out, what I needed all along was… extremely long walks and permanently damp feet.
What began as a few short walks has somehow escalated into me willingly choosing to walk for miles on end. I’ve been gradually increasing the distance, trying to eat healthier, and generally convincing myself that this is now my personality.
These days, I’ll walk at every opportunity lunchtimes when I’m working from home, after work, after tea… basically whenever I can squeeze it in. And yes, that includes in the rain, wind, and whatever else the British weather decides to throw at me. Which is why my boots are often still wet from the day before. I have recently bought “waterproof” boots… but let’s just say they have a slightly different understanding of the word “waterproof” than I do.
Weekends are now reserved for what I like to call “casual double-digit mileage” currently aiming for 12 miles on a Saturday, plus at least 10,000 steps a day. Some days are easier than others. Some days involve a lot of internal negotiation and snacks.
My husband has been dragged along for the journey too. We recently went camping in Wales for three days, which involved me enthusiastically finding routes online and declaring, with full confidence, “we’re almost there now!”
We are never almost there. Not even close.
But in all seriousness, walking has helped me more than I expected physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s given me something positive to focus on, even if that focus is sometimes just finding dry socks.
So this is more than just a challenge for me it’s something that’s genuinely made a difference. If you’re able to support us, I’d really appreciate it. Every bit of encouragement (and sympathy for my boots) goes a long way 💛
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My Updates
A Very Squelchy Adventure in Wales
We recently got back from a three-day camping trip in Wales, staying near a little place called Foal (which already felt like the start of an adventure). We’d found a wild camping site where, incredibly, we had an entire field all to ourselves. No neighbours, no noise, just peace, quiet, and a lot of open space.
That was… until the morning.
We woke up, opened the tent, and found ourselves in the middle of what can only be described as a full sheep convention. The field that had been empty the night before was suddenly packed with sheep and lambs, all just casually staring at us like we were the intruders. Safe to say, they were there first the next morning.
🥾 Day One: The “We’ll Just Follow the Path” Mistake
On our first day, we set off for a walk feeling confident. We had a map, a plan, and… one bottle of water between us. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, quite a lot.
What we quickly discovered is that around 90% of public footpaths in Wales appear to be more of a suggestion than an actual path. Within no time, we were lost, then found again, then lost again. At one point, we ended up following what was technically a bridleway, but looked like it hadn’t seen a horse or a human since about 1850.
It genuinely felt like we’d wandered into a scene from The Hobbit. Overgrown paths, uneven ground, and no clear direction other than “hopefully this leads somewhere.”
Eventually (and somewhat miraculously), we made it back. Slightly dehydrated, slightly muddier, but still in one piece.
🌲 Day Two: The Great Stag Bench Mission
Undeterred, I decided to find another route for day two. This one “didn’t look that far” (a phrase that should never be trusted).
This time, we came prepared with two bottles of water. Growth.
The route took us through a beautiful forest, and after a fair bit of walking, we reached our destination: the Great Stag Bench. A very well-earned stop.
We sat there, took in the view, and enjoyed a packet of biscuits and some water like we’d just completed a major expedition (which, to be fair, it felt like we had). The views over Snowdonia were absolutely incredible definitely worth every wrong turn and muddy boot along the way.
The walk back was a lot easier thanks to it being downhill… although, as it turned out, the route was much longer than expected. By the end of it, we’d clocked nearly 12 miles not bad for a walk that “didn’t look that far.”
🐑 Wildlife, Peace & Questionable Navigation
One of the best parts of the whole trip was how quiet it was. We didn’t see a single other person for the entire four days. Not one.
We did, however, see:
- Plenty of sheep and lambs (clearly the locals)
- Birds of prey overhead
- And even heard a cuckoo
It was peaceful, a little bit wild, and exactly what we needed.
💛 Final Thoughts (and Lessons Learned)
The trip had a bit of everything getting lost, unexpected long walks, soggy boots, and some absolutely stunning scenery. It wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely memorable.
Key lessons:
- Always take more water than you think you need
- Don’t trust a map that says “short route”
- Welsh footpaths can and will test you
- And you’re never actually “almost there”
We’ve already decided we can’t wait to go camping again in June… although that may depend slightly on the weather (and whether my boots have dried out by then).
