Come chat hiking with me!

[SanFranBear]

I've noticed whenever hiking comes up as a general chat subject, loads of people jump in to say how much they love it. I thought there might be a general thread somewhere on this as I'd love to chat with people who walk regularly but couldn't find one.

Would anyone like to join me? I live down on the South Coast so am lucky that there are some gorgeous places for me to walk - the New Forest, South Downs and further up the coast in both directions. I normally manage a couple of decent walks a week, depending on DC's care pattern, as well as trying to get out for the occasional hour or so on other days. I mainly walk alone but do have a friend who joins me on occasion.

I'm quite a novice as only really started walking in February of this year and the furthest I've walked is just over 20k, but I'm finding it so liberating - I feel like a different woman after a walk, my mind is free and my body feels tired but satisfied, if that makes sense?

Would just be nice to have a friendly chat with like-minded bods. And perhaps share some photos - helps the weather is beautiful at the moment but I'm struck every time I'm out, just how beautiful our country is - even when I'm wandering in the inner city. Here's a couple of pictures from my Friday walk - a stunning church in a village in the middle of nowhere and some great graffiti on the side of a motorway underpass 😃

🤣🤣
Someone's dad was fuming when he read it. Complaining about all the rubbish they'll leave behind 🤣🤣

Took my boots out on their maiden voyage today - 20k around the New Forest. Its been ages since I've been out that way but oh my goodness, it was so water-logged! Felt like a lot more than 20k after slogging through mud and water and diverting past impassable paths! Saw a lot of beautiful ponies and a lots of cute, bouncing deer - it's such a beautiful part of the world, really unspoiled!

But my beautiful boots - properly broken in 😮

They're all clean again now (treating them better than my DC!) and to be honest, gave me an excuse to give them a little extra waterproofing - not that they needed it, my tootsies were lovely and dry!

Planning on heading out again tomorrow for a more coastal hike around the Swanage coast.. definitely hoping for less mud!

Haha they look battered. Probably no better way to break them in. Enjoy the Isle of Purbeck Sanfran

The scarpa really are excellent in wet and mud. Like you say, full day hike in boggy area and feet stay dry. And comfy from day 1.

Love my scarpas. I can't count how many miles I've walked in them.
Short walk today mine are claggy too.

I did make it out yesterday for a lovely coastal route from Kimmeridge Bay but my goodness, the Mud! The HILLS! I thought costal paths were supposed to be flat 😆 There were a few parts where, due to cliff erosion, there was a diversion in place and the whole path was closed for a significant portion round Worth Matravers (just after the absolute worst hill - I hate hills!) Thankfully, depending on your viewpoint, I messed up where I was parking so added a good 5k or so to the original hike which meant even with the closure, got 22k done! But I was pretty happy with that given the rain, the mud, the never-ending rain!

Started at Corfe Castle which is very beautiful even if the castle is a little run down these days 😉

Coastal paths are rarely flat - up to headland, down to beach and repeat

I'm off to Corfe Castle tomorrow, but probably only doing a short walk as it will be on the return from dropping DS back at uni.

I definitely know this now 😄 I think I've been spoiled by the New Forest coast as that really is very flat and easy going - total opposite to yesterday!

Hope your wander is lovely tomorrow, Wilderness - and that the rain holds off!

Been too long but life has definitely got in the way the last week or so but took a day of leave today and hit the South Downs!

Was absolutely glorious weather wise, a bit hit or miss but crucially, no rain and NO MUD! Well, there was but either easily avoided or that sort of hard squidgy texture so you can walk on it without your entire foot being swallowed up!

Managed just over 27k and I can very much feel it. Saw a beautiful stately home, fields for miles, couple of gorgeous country churches and another random folly. This one was very run down but just wonderful - what on earth it was built for or by who is a complete mystery... but then it wouldn't be a folly if we knew that! Highlight of the day!

Well after not walking much yesterday because of the forecast ( wet yesterday and dry today ) we wake up today to a considerably worse forecast

Going out anyway - low level

Didn't know whether to start a new thread for this but here goes!

Does anyone else think that public footpaths are really quiet? Walked 5k on one today that I do fairly often (other part of walk is through private parkland open to the public) and saw 3 people -a couple and a runner. Not raining. This is just outside a Cotswold town so not remote. I've done this walk at all times of year and always been surprised by how few people I see.
10k around another Cotswold place at a weekend of perfect weather - done this repeatedly- sometimes seen no one, once a group of 4.

My irk is public footpaths that are sign posted but do not exist! Theres a village near me which would be a lovely walk on PF's but I have tried 3 different PF paths - one shut off completely by locked farm gates, one that was signposted to a high metal fence in a tiny industrial estate, one that ended after 50 yards at a high stone wall in someone's garden. I've not tried since as still work and can't be wasting my time!

With this, I wonder if PF's in some areas are used or kept open enough to continue

If it's a public footpath/ right of way that has been barred contact your council and the ramblers

It probably does depend m the area - I live in the northwest and most of the paths are open and used pretty well (some very well) . I think the only one we've found impassable due to being fenced off was when we were exploring paths around our village during lockdown which we wouldn't ever have bothered with otherwise,

But right now I'm in Northumberland- yesterday a very nice walk from High Newton to Craster, where we had a massive crab sandwich apiece before returning via dunstanburgh castle. Good weather here at the moment!

Lovey today in North East Scotland.

It's been fab, hasn't it?
I had forgotten what it was like here in the sun.

I think it's just luck of the draw, WithIcePlease.. I live in quite a busy place for hikers so most of my paths are well-trodden but I still come across overgrown footpaths and brambles on occasion. There's also a lot of development round here and so a path which should exist, doesn't at the moment, or has a random diversion (thankfully, my route app shows all routes ie footpaths, bridle ways, roads etc, so can normally find my way around).

Given the weather recently, I've been on 20k hikes and not seen another soul but I'm keeping everything crossed that as the weather eases, more people will be out.

That was certainly the case yesterday - gorgeous evening in Bristol... so many runners and people enjoying the sun, late into the evening! Got a much better view of the Suspension Bridge after clambering up a seriously steep incline through an area with 'native' goats!

I had a week on Lundy a couple of weeks ago, which was so beautiful to walk around, even for a small island.

Proper WOW 😲 to those deer, Wilderness.. just gorgeous!

We found deer too !
Had a three fabulous days in the highlands

Well ok we only had visibility on one day - we had walking on a bearing practise to get of the hill - but all days were dry and not windy

Oh @ErrolTheDragon that's my neck of the woods

Dunstanburgh is one of my favourite places from being a child !

Pity we away this week

We walked north from newton this morning, to Beadnell - perfect sunny day, lovely beach walk. I won't duplicate what I've put on the Nature Notes thread, except to say Arctic terns!

Perranuthnoe to Porthleven.
Then back to fetch the car and a swim.
Hot.
10 miles in all.
Definitely feels like summer!

Oooo does anyone have any top recommendations for very light and packable waterproof trousers? Off to the Picos in a couple
Of weeks and want to travel light.
Thanks

I just have berghaus goretex over trousers. I noticed a thread which may have some suggestions

Waterproof hiking trousers http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/thegreatt_outdoors/4929500-waterproof-hiking-trousers