A Week of Adventure - Hiking

Hiking is good for the soul

I have come to the conclusion that anyone can be a hiker, walker or hill walker. It's a great way of accessing the outdoors. It is relatively inexpensive and unlike many other activities, it doesn't require transport. As more and more of us are tracking our activity these days (the Fitbit generation and the Strava addicts are in full swing) we thought it would be a novel treat to get out without being plugged in... It was time to lace up and get out! 

Whilst going for a walk isn't the most adrenaline fuelled activity, it can be one of the most satisfying. It allows you to explore at your own pace and enjoy your landscape, whether it's an afterwork stroll in your local park, or you've gathered the gear and you're heading out for the whole weekend.

Opting Outside

As the winter months crawl in, finding the motivation to get out remains a constant battle. It's easy to fall into the "I'll go tomorrow" syndrome. Waiting for those dreamy days with blue skies and that frosty crunch. You know what they say? 'There's no time like the present.'

We settled for a stroll high up on Dartmoor, with 953 square kilometres to explore it would take some time before you could get over familiar with this landscape. I rolled up to an empty carpark, to a sky that looked like a pile of wet towels, it perhaps wasn’t Dartmoor’s finest hour. It was a far cry from the sunny skies and cheery Dartmoor ponies I was familiar to seeing in every local visitor centre, but being an eternal optimist there is always the hope that there is sunshine around the corner!

I always like to take a range of supplies with me just in case I get side-tracked exploring, that way I’ve got plenty of snacks to keep me going. I filled my water bottle fresh earlier that morning to make sure I could stay hydrated along the way. The sports drinking cap made drinking on the go a breeze but it is nice to stop and take in your surroundings occasionally!