Tag: outdoor writing

Desperately seeking wilderness. We outdoor writers have a responsibility.

The holiday chips are almost down, the travel cards have nearly been dealt, and it would appear that the most likely scenario for the 2021 UK travel season is the staycation.

Our empty places are at risk

Whether our staycations end up being hyper-local or UK-wide will be up to us (or perhaps Boris) but one thing’s for sure; after all that being cooped up together, the vast majority of us will be looking for opportunities to find a bit of empty space in the good old British countryside.

This is ironic because our rush to find space is going to result in a lack of it in many areas. Continue reading “Desperately seeking wilderness. We outdoor writers have a responsibility.”

Fiona’s Corona Diaries (4th April)

Image copyright Ordnance Survey 2020

Is the Covid-19 virus really spiky?

Yesterday I went for a walk in the shape of a Covid-19 virus (I am not really sure why).

I feel I need to clarify this. It was the walk that was in the shape of the Covid-19 virus, not me. I wasn’t in fancy dress either, that would have been in very poor taste. You are probably wondering about your own wanderings now (see what I did there?) It is usual on a walk to go from A to B. During a coronavirus pandemic it is more usual to go from A and then back to A. When you are drawing a walk picture, you go from A back to A but visit a certain layout of points in between, all the time tracking your progress on a navigation device (in my case the OS Maps App). Think of it as a dot-to-dot but with more data usage.

Continue reading “Fiona’s Corona Diaries (4th April)”

How to plan a walking route… For someone else

Planning a successful walking route requires a combination of research and knowledge. You need to know what the terrain and conditions are going to offer, and you need to understand your own ability, and any safety implications. This is far easier to get right when you are planning for yourself than if you are writing a walking route for someone else. My role as a freelance outdoor writer requires me to do a fair amount of walking route writing, for both country walks and urban walks. Today I share my top tips on how to plan a walking route, for someone else.

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The serious message behind the Snowdon Trip Advisor reviews

Snowdon Trip Advisor reviews

If you have laughed about the negative Snowdon Trip Advisor reviews recently published in the tabloid press, you won’t be alone. With comments requesting concrete paths, tree-planting and internet access, and complaints about steepness, rocks and clouds, the whole thing does sound a bit ridiculous. However hidden behind the amusement there is an important message for the education and outdoor sectors. We are still not giving enough people the opportunity to find out, from an early age, what it is like to feel uncomfortable outdoors.

Continue reading “The serious message behind the Snowdon Trip Advisor reviews”