Snail's Pace Walking Blog: 2012

2012 Summary

So there you have it. My first year as a "walker".

I'm clueless about navigating - I need to practice much more.

I need to walk much more as well.

My main concern is, not walking alone as such (although I do sometimes feel a bit silly) but, getting lost. Sometimes it's not as easy as simply retracing your steps.

I think I've discovered a wonderful pastime that is occupying much of my thoughts and "takes me out of myself", if that makes sense. For those few hours out in the fresh air, nothing else matters.

North Yorkshire Moors: Sutton Bank (4 miles)

Sunday, 2nd December 2012

Well, this was supposed to be a "Hike up Hood Hill" organised by the North York Moors National Park. Trouble is, I have no sense of direction... so you wouldn't think it could get any worse in thick fog... but it did and, even though I set off in plenty of time to allow for getting lost and the pea-souper fog, I arrived far too late at the Visitors/Information Centre (to make my apologies for being late!!). I ended up doing this little walk along Sutton Bank instead. Don't be fooled by the blue sky... it's still foggy. There's some very steep steps down to the White Horse Car Park (ice cream van in-situ though :) ) and another steep climb further along, back up onto the top. Definitely exercises the old heart-muscle!

Strangely enough, I couldn't see the white horse which is carved into the hillside due to the fog!

Byland Abbey

Signpost OCD

Chalky cliffs

Super cloud inversion

In the forest below the chalky cliffs

Thanks for looking 😊

East Yorkshire: Welton Dale (4 miles)

Sunday, 7th October 2012

Getting a little bit adventurous now! The walking bug has definitely bitten 😄

A nice hilly walk in the Yorkshire Wolds. The trees are stunning colours. The path through the woods in Welton Dale can be very slippery and muddy in wet weather. There are a couple of kissing-gates to pass through and there are Highland Cattle in the pasture at the bottom of Welton Dale. They don't seem too bothered by people though. I went in a clockwise direction to get the road walking and uphill bits out of the way first. You get some good views over the Humber Estuary and there's a conveniently placed bench to enjoy those views!!

The path along the bottom of Welton Dale

Cattle - more interested in grass!

Lovely autumnal track

Arty-farty pic

Signpost OCD

Fab tree colours from the bench at the top of Elloughton Dale

More signpost OCD!

Thanks for looking 😊

In the beginning ...

How my walking addiction began

A guy at work organised an “easy” walk up Catbells in the Lake District as part of his Quality Mountain Days for his Mountain Leader training. Having not been to the Lakes for a VERY long time, I signed up. “A nice stroll in some lovely scenery” I thought. Hmmmmffff! I was unfit, overweight and the only walking I did at the time was a couple of flat miles with my friend and her dogs on an occasional sunny evening after work.

The day dawned – 8^th June 2012 – and about 8 of us set off at the crack of dawn in the minibus.

I got up Catbells okay (well, I use the term “okay” loosely!) and we carried on to Maiden Moor. I was struggling by then and, after hauling myself up steep/craggy incline after steep/craggy incline, I got stuck at the final climb onto Maiden Moor. My legs were exhausted and had turned to jelly. I knew I’d be a danger to myself and possibly others if I carried on. We agreed I’d sit and wait for the others in the group to “bag” Maiden Moor and then they’d come back down for their lunch break. This gave me/my legs enough recovery time for the walk back – which took us down the Hause Gate path – a challenge in itself – but at least it was using a different set of leg muscles. I believe the original plan was to get to High Spy and then drop back down to walk along the shores of Derwent Water.

Weirdly though, even though every bone, muscle, tendon and eyelash in my body felt as though it had been tortured, I loved it! – I described it as “exhaustingly exhilarating”.

It gave me the walking bug and, in the back of my mind, I knew I’d go back and “conquer” it one day.

I think the walk was only about 5 miles – most of it up or down hill! A far cry from a couple of miles on the flat – no wonder I ached!

Some pictures from the walk that started it all off for me: