Coping with adverse weather conditions : Cold

grasmere

Walking in winter can be hugely enjoyable and stunningly beautiful, but it can also be more challenging, so a little more preparation and care is needed.

SKIDDaw from longside edge

1. Degrees of cold: I once spent a night in the Ice Hotel in Swedish Lapland, well inside the Arctic Circle, when it was -27. That temperature didn't actually feel any different to -2, but the wind chill is brutal. If it's cold down in the valley, it'll be degrees colder on the tops, and if it's windy, then much more so.

2. Help yourself: Your body works much harder to keep you warm in the cold, so you tire more easily. Keep your core warm, take on plenty of fluids, have regular snacks and don't hang around too long to eat, drink or admire the view.

3. Wear windproof over-trousers: We walked up to Raise and on to Stybarrow Dodd last November and I thought I was fine in my 'windstopper' trousers until it started snowing, with a freezing wind which hurled itself at us the minute we stepped onto Stybarrow's summit, until I couldn't feel my legs. Bro kindly let me wear his over-trousers on the descent to warm up, and it really made a difference. I never walk without them in my pack now, even in summer.

4. Wear spikes: They really will help you grip on slippery, slushy, icy or snowy paths and will be especially invaluable on the descents.

5. Have a contingency plan: Be prepared to change and adapt your plans according to the conditions, your abilities or how you’re feeling. After coming down from Wetherlam one winter to Swirl Hause, we were planning to carry on up the Prison Band to Swirl How but we were cold, a little tired, it was very foggy and the climb up was very icy, so we decided against it. Much better to enjoy it as another walk, feeling fresh and with a view.

6. Tell someone: Let someone know where you're going, leave a note or at least know how to call Mountain Rescue - call 999 and ask for Police who will transfer you.

7. Enjoy it: Be prepared to absolutely love the crisp air, the magical scenery and crunching along in the snow. Even if the conditions are less than perfect, think of a hot chocolate, a hearty meal and a roaring fire at the end of your day.

yes, still enjoying it!

Man, Oman!

For the past week, I've been on a work trip. I flew into Muscat, Oman then joined a cruise ship on its way round the Musandam Peninsula, stopping at Khasab before disembarking in Abu Dhabi. I can’t remember having been away so close to Christmas before, and it's been very odd seeing Christmas trees and decorations whilst in T-shirt and sunglasses! I'm writing this on the deck in Abu Dhabi in beautiful sunshine, exactly a week before Christmas Day!

Muscat is a beautiful city, immaculately clean and calm and surrounded by huge, rocky mountains. We had an afternoon free so four of us left the ship and took a tour round the old city. We saw the Sultan’s Al Alam Royal Palace, forts, the marina and the local souk which we wandered around getting totally lost, but it was clean, quiet and very well organised and the four of us felt completely safe and unthreatened; not something I can say about every souk I’ve been to in other parts of the Middle East.

Al Alam royal palace

sailing in an omani dhow

Our next stop was Khasab which is the capital of the Musandam Peninsula and an area known at the Norway of Arabia for its huge mountains and narrow inlets and which is still fairly off the beaten track. We took a traditional wooden Dhow for a full day’s sailing in and around the ‘fjords’; the highlight of the day was a huge school of dolphins, including youngsters swimming alongside the boat which was delightful. We stopped twice for swimming and snorkelling from the boat in crystal clear, emerald green water teeming with brightly coloured fish. Lunch on board was delicious spicy chicken, rice, salad, Arabic flat bread and fragrant mint tea.

sailing the musandam peninsula

tiny villages at the foot of the mountains

Back on the ship, after cruising through the night to Abu Dhabi, we disembarked the next morning and took a full day’s tour of the city. I'd been before, so it was lovely to see areas I'd missed the first time.

The first stop was the local Iranian markets selling all manner of household items both indoor and outdoor, then a huge wonderful fish market, then an amazing array of fruit and vegetable stalls and then the date market where we sampled every type of date imaginable, and there are more than you think! We wandered outside and watched the Keralan fisherman tending their huge, wire crab pots on the harbourside. ​

After a refreshing mint tea stop, we took a high speed lift up to the 74th floor viewing area of the Etihad Towers which affords the most stunning views over the city and beyond, into the desert. After coming back down and enjoying a lovely buffet lunch of local foods, we went to the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Mosque, surely a highlight of any visit to the city. Made entirely of white marble inlaid with flowers of semi precious stones, mother of pearl and crystal, it is breathtakingly serene and beautiful.

We made an impromptu visit to Yas Island and had a look round the marina and the Formula 1 racetrack (which you can use for running and cycling every Tuesday) before a light supper, a shower and change of clothes ready for our late night return flight after what had been a fascinating trip.

stunning views from the etihad towers

sheikh zayed mosque

beautiful inlaid marble

shisha pipes

Four seasons in one week

We have just returned from a lovely trip of just under two weeks in the Lakes, staying on the outskirts of Grasmere. We have been in November for the past few years and love late autumn/early winter for the autumn colours and crisp walking, especially if you're lucky enough to see the sun as well. I think we had all four seasons in the space of a week.

At the beginning of the week, it was balmy with a fresh breeze but no need for a jacket, just like late spring. A day later, it was ridiculously warm, with sun all day which had some strength like early summer. Autumn came mid week, with cooler temperatures and the need for a down jacket, but at the weekend it was full blown snowy winter conditions with hat, gloves, scarves and central heating.

This trip was more relaxing than our usual hiking weeks as, with our other four visits this year, we are unable to walk our young dog for more than half an hour until he's a year old at least. We still had some lovely shorter, flatter walks admiring the autumn colours, then had a wonderful surprise of a heavy snowfall one night that made everything look magical. With the sun, it was stunning and we hadn't seen snow like that in the south since 2011.

We did manage to climb one or two Outlying Fells including the dog’s first Wainwright, Humphrey Head. The weather was stunning that day; calm and clear with wonderful soft, autumnal light and a low sun. It was completely still on the summit and the views were beautiful and far reaching. The gentle, short ridge walk was perfect for the dog, although he didn't really know what to make of the trig point and barked at it suspiciously on the approach! 

We also climbed School Knott (Bro and I summited in tandem, one staying with the dog) which has one of the best views I think we've seen so far on the lower fells; a 360 degree panorama right round from Coniston Old Man to the Pennines. The snowy fells in the background lit by the sun, especially the Howgills, were just staggeringly beautiful and was a huge reward for such little effort.

A lovely set of walks, and interesting and unusual to experience so many different seasons in such a short time!

views from humphrey head

looking inland from humphrey head

from tarn hows towards the LANgDALE pikes

storm clouds gather over the pikes

a sudden grasmere snowfall

an alpine grasmere

grasmere

very cold early morning in GRASmere

Kelly Hall Tarn

coniston old man from kelly hall tarn

beautiful mellow light

Machu Picchu

About five years ago, I decided to go Peru as I’d always wanted to go. Bro didn't fancy it, so I went alone, becoming the fifth member of a group of six. I'm fascinated by the Inca culture and, having visited many other South American countries, realised that most of that culture centres on Peru. ​

Peru is at altitude, but as you long as you take it easy in the first couple of days of acclimatisation, you can adjust fairly quickly. Headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes and some odd dreams can affect some, but it usually passes after a day or two. ​

Machu Picchu itself takes a little effort to get to, but it's utterly worth it. First you fly to either Paris or Madrid, then it’s another twelve hours on to Lima. After a couple of days we flew on to Cusco to acclimatise as Cusco is higher than Machu Picchu We then took a long, slow train ride from Cusco to Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain and from there, you take a small minibus up some fairly hairy hairpin bends to the site itself.

Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca citadel at 7970ft above sea level. It sits in the cloud forest above the Sacred Valley and is thought to have been a sanctuary for the last Inca emperor. It was only 'discovered' in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham, but locals are thought to have known of it for decades and used the terracing for growing their crops. Those local farmers helped guide Bingham to the site.

It sits in a hand created saddle between the two mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu and was accessed by two high level routes - now known as the Inca Trail -  which entered the city through the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge. It has rightly been a World Heritage Site since 1983 as an 'absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilisation'.

It's such as magical place. As you wander the terraces, the tiny streets, peer into houses and even visit the royal quarters, you marvel at just where you are; high in the remote mountains, among the clouds, seemingly a million miles from anywhere. Standing at the top of the terracing and glimpsing the valley floor far below, you realise how high you are, yet are completely unseen from below. It is peaceful, warm and quiet and very difficult to tear yourself away. I genuinely didn't want to leave. ​

I am left with the privilege of being able to say I have seen this special wonder of the world for myself; certainly the most magical place I have ever been.

the famous shot!

the Main plaza

some of the huge, hand cut terraces

cut on such sheer slopes

hidden amongst the clouds

more Terracing - you enter the site through the thatched hut just in front of where the person in yellow is standing

looking down into the valley

magical

Have you become a hiking fanatic?!

So, how do you recognise when you've truly become a hiking fanatic?

1. You spend most of the day gazing longingly out of the window, sighing dramatically, wishing you were anywhere but stuck indoors.

2. You become a bit obsessed with the weather. Even when you're not on the fells. Or even going to the fells.

3. You think nothing of spending an obscene amount of money on a pair of walking trousers, yet gasp in horror at the price of a pair of black ones for work.

4. You use a rucksack as a handbag at every opportunity as it's just more practical you tell your horrified girlfriends.

5. You bore everyone around you about summits conquered, summits yet to conquer, summits you'd love to conquer, as well as energy bars, protein sources, running routes, boot merits, electrolytes.....

6. You think nothing of hauling your hair into a messy knot and tramping about joyfully make-up free and soaking wet, yet wouldn't dream of going to the shop without lipstick, mascara and freshly washed hair.

7. You suddenly become expert in anti-inflammatories, unctions, lotions embrocations, balms, liniments, ointments, unguents, soothers, salves....in the past you would have just had a bath.

8. You acquire an encyclopaedic knowledge of adductors, glutes, quadriceps, extensors, medial and lateral plantar nerves, sciatic nerves, posterior femoral cutaneous nerves, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, hamstrings...in the past, you would have just had a pint.

9. Maps become eternally fascinating; you can spend hours poring over them - in fact, you frame them and even dream of one day having a dedicated map room...

10. You gorge on walking magazines, books, guides, blogsites, vlogs, websites, Facebook groups, You Tube; anything to get your fill of all things mountain.

11. You enjoy your new found strength, stamina and fitness, showing off to friends as you scamper up stairs and stride out briskly, secretly quite pleased that you're known as 'the whirling dervish'. Consequently, you're asked to do all the lifting and shifting in the office.

12. You enjoy the simple things much more; a beautiful tree in autumn, a sunset, an amazing view or birdsong - after years of haring madly round the globe trying to see everything before it all gets too dangerous or too expensive. Or both.

13. Most of all, you love it because you just love it. As George Mallory said, 'because it's there'.

Favourite Fell Days: The Knott, Kidsty Pike, High Raise and Rampsgill Head

sublime views from kidsty pike

In September of last year, at the end of a great week of walking, we decided to mop up the summit of The Knott which we'd been meaning to do for a while plus, it's one of our favourite areas to walk. We parked in the car park at Hartsop and set off up towards the Hayeswater access road. The weather was superb; in fact very, very warm, but beautifully clear.

Climbing past Pasture Beck looking up to Threshthwaite Mouth and then across Hayeswater Gill, the path started to rise more steeply across Grey Crag's flank until we reached Hayeswater and began the climb up towards The Knott. The path we were on eventually joins the main path coming up from Patterdale; part of the Coast to Coast route and it's just such a beautiful area to walk in. The whole of the ridge from Brae Fell to Kidsty Pike and beyond is just stunning, as it is in just about every direction you look.

Once on the Coast to Coast path, we got to just below Knott's summit and decided that that was probably enough for the dog who, although still going strong, was nearly 13 and we didn't want to push him too far. Bro and I took it in turns to run up the last 100 feet or so to the summit. We met lots of Coast to Coasters who stopped for a chat which was lovely.

looking back to hartsop from the path up to hayeswater

hayeswater

Bro had been looking at the map while I was on the summit and decided that, as Rampsgill Head was so close, we might as well do that in tandem as well while we were up there. I sat with the dog and ate a sandwich, enjoying the peace and solitude whilst Bro jogged the easy couple of hundred feet or so to Rampsgill and back. Once back, breathless with summit fever, he'd said he’d also spotted Kidsty Pike and High Raise and, while we were discussing who would go first, the dog trotted off quite happily towards Kidsty Pike having got his second wind!

The path was an easy, flattish one to Kidsty Pike, so we were happy if he was. The views from that path and the summit of Kidsty Pike over Haweswater, High Street and Riggindale were utterly breathtaking and we spent quite some time there, just drinking it all in, enjoying the silence and trying to spot the Golden Eagle (we didn't).

The dog, after refuelling with biscuits, was by now full of energy again as we headed for the next summit of High Raise which was easily achieved with a straightforward path down then fairly gentle climb up, rewarding us with far reaching views north which were just beautiful. It was then another final, gentle climb to the Rampsgill Head ridge with its wonderful views down Ramps Gill Valley. It was beginning to get a little colder and cloudier here and, looking round, we seemed to be the only people still up there, so we got ready for the walk back.

Riggindale towards haweswater

the distinctive peak of kidsty pike

High Street from Kidsty Pike

From Rampsgill, it was an easy couple of hundred feet back down to the col at The Knott, then we re-traced our steps to Hayeswater.

each view seemed better than the last

The dog was amazing, given that this had been a long walk on a very warm day, but he was still trotting ahead of us when he reached the car at Hartsop. With some sadness however, for us, we decided that this would be his last high level walk and he was duly retired from the high hills. It had been a fabulous and memorable day for us, and a great walk for his last mountain outing.

Five Dales in Derbyshire

rolling derbyshire farmland

A recent trip to visit friends in the village I used to live in in Derbyshire saw five of us walking five dales in the White Peak area of the Peak District. The White Peak is a limestone plateau with deep dales and a gently rolling landscape compared to the more rugged, moorland and upland of the Dark Peak, slightly further north.

dry stone walling at its best in litton

Starting at the village of Litton, we crossed farmers fields with their maze of dry stone walls to enter pretty Tansley Dale and picked our way down to a stile which heralds the start of Cressbrook Dale at the bottom of the valley. We then took a gently sloping path up the flank of the hill which, at the top, has lovely views across the limestone landscape.

tansley dale

the bottom of TaNSleY dale and the start of cressbrook dale

cressbrook dale

the limestone scenery of cressbrook dale

A short descent back down into the dale and a gentle, wooded walk next to a babbling stream brought us out past Cressbrook Millpond and into the wonderfully named Water cum Jolly Dale with its rocky limestone cliffs and crags popular with climbers, running alongside the River Wye.

This flat, pleasant path opened into pretty, wooded Millar's Dale dominated by Raven Tor, a huge overhanging limestone cliff, also a mecca for climbers. At the end of Miller's Dale, part of the Wye Valley's Site of Special Scientific Interest for its geology, grassland and woodland, we stopped for a drink enjoying the sun, as most of the last mile or two had been in cool and shady woodland.

cressbrook millpond, water cum jolly dale

Then it was on into Tideswell Dale, where the quiet road leads to Tideswell village with its 'Cathedral of the Peak'; the huge Church of St John the Baptist. A lovely Sunday lunch was enjoyed at the Horse and Jockey in the high street, then a simple stroll up and out of the village and over the fields back to Litton completed the loop. A fabulous walk with good friends.

beautiful scenery from tideswell to litton

Outstanding Orkneys

grass of PARNASSUS

Bro and I decided to take a trip to the far north of the British Isles, to the Orkney Islands, somewhere I’d wanted to  visit for years. Flying in via Aberdeen, we had a fantastic few days, with so much historically and archaeologically of interest to see. Made up of 70 islands, 20 of which are habited, they sit about 10 miles off the northern coast of Scotland.

The islands are bleak, barren and starkly beautiful, with lovely white sand, deserted beaches, huge cliffs, plentiful birdlife, large seal colonies and so many neolithic sites they are almost everywhere you look; standing stones, stone circles, burial mounds and chambers, archaeological dig sites, brochs, the Churchill Barriers and of course the unique, preserved village of Skara Brae.

We stayed in the capital, Kirkwall; a pretty little town with the large cathedral of St Magnus dominating the centre, and the remains of two ruined castles - the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces. We also hired a small red van which was all that was available, but which turned out to be very useful for changing in and out of wet coats and boots. We drove all around the main island, which was simple, straightforward and very quiet.

It’s a wild, beautiful, fascinating place and well worth a visit.

Stones of Stenness

Ring of Brodgar

Brough of Birsay

Pictish Village, Birsay

Skara Brae

Maes Howe

Broch of Gurness

Kirkwall Harbour

Favourite Fell Days: Dow Crag and Brim Fell

Last March, we decided to tackle Dow Crag and Brim Fell. We'd been up to Goat's Water a few times before and had always looked up at the ridge in anticipation of a good, solid walk.

Parking on the rough ground, it's always lovely walking the Walna Scar Road and this day was no exception; that beautiful, bright, warm sun but with the fresh feel of early spring, with perfect clear air and views that go on for miles. We soon reached Cove Bridge and began the steeper zig zagging climb up to Walna Scar Pass, pausing for the obligatory photo in the stone shelter at the side of the path. Once at the top of the pass, the cloud came down and it began to get a little chillier, so we donned down jackets, hats and gloves and set off into the mist. I love walking in the mist - everything becomes quiet and a bit spooky and people or sheep loom out of the gloom!

From there, it was a fairly gently pull up to the summit of Brown Pike and being in the mist, we were surprised to find ourselves there so quickly. Whisps of cloud swept over the crag, down and across towards the Old Man which was lovely and atmospheric. We stopped for a slug of water and an energy bar in the wind shelter, then set off along the ridge towards Buck Pike.

Along the ridge were the most magnificent views over Eskdale, with Harter Fell standing proud and alone. At Buck Pike’s summit we stopped for photos, even capturing ourselves as Broken Spectres which was a real treat!

BROKEN SPECTRE!

harter fell

The huge bulk of Dow Crag loomed intimidatingly in front of us through the now thinning mist and cloud, but the weather was sunny and fresh - a beautiful late winter/early spring day. We edged round the East Gully, then on past the Great Gully which fascinated the dog who edged just a little too close for Bro's comfort.

The last climb to the summit of Dow resulted in fabulous 360 degree views, although the wind increased alarmingly, so we didn't stay too long. We then dropped down to Goat's Hause and had lunch in the sun, now out of the wind which was something of a relief.

The Old Man

After a enjoying the warmth of the sun, we followed the well worn path up as though going to the Old Man, although we branched off to the left, across the flank of Brim Fell, then scrambled easily and directly up, coming out almost opposite the summit cairn. It really was stunning up there on a huge wide plateau, with crystal clear views of Windermere and beyond, but the wind was turning colder, so we headed back after a wonderful, exhilarating walk in beautiful weather; one of those mountain days you really remember.

Windermere from Brim Fell

On the way back to the Walna Scar road, coniston ahead

The ridge just walked

Fellosophy

Confucius was a wise man; a teacher and philosopher who gave us the principle of do as you would be done by. I have no real grasp of philosophy although I have on occasion pondered the 'why are we here' question, but other than that, I pretty much just go through life in happy philosophical ignorance. I thought I would take some of the wise man's teachings and see if could try and apply them to myself.

Confucius says: It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

In the early days of fell walking, I would huff and puff my way to to the top, usually getting cross in the process and constantly wondering 'how much further', 'what up there' or 'you must be joking'. I was once sent on an Outward Bound course from work and pretty much the best bit of advice I was given (which I still apply 26 years later) is, as soon as you think you can't do it, you won't. Your mind is powerful and I think most of climbing is having a positive mental attitude - it certainly worked for me. My desire to get to the top and see the view spurs me on.

Confucius says: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

I'm surprised to say that in all the years we've now been walking more seriously, I've only fallen three times and none of those was serious - just thumping down on grass; once on Pike o'Blisco I slipped on ice and went down on my knees, but nothing really dramatic. It does teach you to watch your step though.

Confucius says: When anger rises, think of the consequences.

It's amazing the number of times we've heard people arguing on the fells and the funny thing is how far voices carry. It's a long way. We've actually looked round to see who it was behind us going hammer and tongs, only to spot the culprits across the valley on the opposite ridge! Stomping along in a temper can't be much fun either. I can honestly say we haven’t experienced either.

Confucius says: Success depends upon previous preparations and without such preparations there is sure to be failure.

Very true. In our very first fell outings, we were woefully unprepared and although nothing dramatic ever happened, it probably made the walks harder and less enjoyable that they should have been. Dehydration on Heron Pike, the wrong kit and clothing on our first Helvellyn attempt, following sheep paths, taking short cuts and ending up walking further and harder, but suffice to say lessons have been learnt and we are always well prepared in every way. We were once able to help a lady suffering from heat exhaustion and huge blisters about half way up the Ranger's Path on Snowdon because we had plenty of food, spare drink with electrolytes and a first aid kit.

Confucius says: Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.

I've lost count of the number of times I've looked longingly ahead and thought, it's not that far to the next summit, or we've completely under-estimated the distances between fells, or not taken account of huge valleys or ravines in between them. We've stood, occasionally for quite some time, looking up at summits after 8 or 9 miles wondering whether to carry on, but we do always do the sensible thing and turn back. Having a dog with you also makes you a little more realistic. Make sure you have enough energy for the return trip and any unforeseen detours you might have to make ( we had to do a 3 mile detour to avoid a bull in a field once, after a 9 mile walk....)

Confucius says: Real knowledge is to realise the extent of one's ignorance.

All those early mistakes we made have turned us into half way reasonable walkers and helped us, more importantly perhaps, learn what not to do. Packing the right kit, taking enough food, knowing your route and alternatives, knowing your limitations and knowing when to turn back if necessary ( we turned back half way between Whin Rigg and Illgill Head because the dog was pretty arthritic by then and we didn't want to push him too far when we had a long return journey). Most of all, you can relax and enjoy yourself which is what it's all about.

Confucius says: Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.

We can honestly say we've enjoyed every walk and every fell we've done. Even Armboth Fell and Mungrisedale Common which Wainwright himself didn't rate very highly. They both had stunning views at the very least. Everything has something positive or beautiful about it; even on the dullest trudge you can spot beautiful wild flowers, interesting rocks or listen to birdsong. I always try, on the routine daily commute, to spot something interesting - just to enrich the day, even for a second.

Confucius says: Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Can’t argue with that.

Spring Tulip

Beautiful Berkshire

I know my heart is in Cumbria and amongst the beautiful fells, but I thought I should probably spare a thought for the county I've called home on and off for pretty much half my life.

I've had periods of living in Wales, Dorset, Hampshire, Derbyshire and Bedfordshire, but my parents have been here for 45 years and it's always been home. We are, however, a northern family - Dad is from Lancashire and most of the rest of the family is from Cumbria and Yorkshire.

Berkshire is a beautiful, gentle county with the Thames meandering right through the middle of it. Home to Windsor Castle, Eton, Ascot and Lambourn which is famous for its association with some of the best racehorses in the world. Ricky Gervais, Kate Winslet, the Duchess of Cambridge, Ranulph Fiennes and Henry VI were all born here; George Orwell, Diana Dors and a lot of Britain's royalty are buried here including Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Charles I at Windsor and Henry I at the now ruined Reading Abbey. George Clooney has a house on the Thames, Ghandi stopped for tea, cake and meditation in Reading; it is also where Jane Austen went to school, and the Dalai Lama has strong connections with the Tandoori Restaurant in Caversham which he has visited on occasion. 

fields of gold

more rolling than rugged

windsor castle

white horse hill looking over the oxfordshire plain

the gorgeous ridgeway

Berkshire has one of Britain's oldest roads, the Ridgeway, running through it as well as the Thames Path - the only long distance path to follow a river for most of its length - the Test Way and the Wayfarers Walk. Beacon Hill is one of its best known hill forts and is also home to the grave of the Earl of Carnarvon (he of King Tut fame).

The highest point is Walbury Hill at 297m, which is also the highest point in south east England. The Berkshire Downs and the North Wessex Downs are Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Lambourn Downs are a Special Area of Conservation. There is the world renowned Bronze Age hillchalk White Horse at Uffington, near Dragon Hill where George is said to have slain the dragon (both now classed as Oxfordshire, but were traditionally in Berkshire). Cox Green Roman Villa, Cliveden of Profumo fame, Donington Castle, Basildon Park, Dorney Court, Ufton Court, Shaw House, Ashdown House and Highclere Castle aka Downton Abbey are all within the county. Combe Gibbet has a replica gibbet, the original last used in 1676, which is built on Inkpen Long Barrow.

shaw house

In the early 19th century, the age old custom of selecting the Mayor of Bartlemas on Mace Monday (the first after 25th July) was still taking place in Newbury. After selection, a meal of bacon and beans was served and a cabbage stalk on a pole was paraded in the mayoral procession.

The old Berkshire custom of Rough Music was recorded in Aborfield and Warfield; if a man was known or suspected of beating his wife, neighbours would gather outside his house and bang pots and pans, blow horns or anything to make a racket and keep him awake. Hungerford is the only town in the country left still celebrating the medieval Hocktide Festival on the second Tuesday after Easter. John of Gaunt gave the town special hunting and fishing rights which are still celebrated today by, amongst others, Tutti Men who carry flower covered poles with an orange on top and Tutti Wenches who give out oranges and ask for kisses.

Aldermaston is only one of 11 places left that still holds a Candle Auction where people bid to be able to lease a meadow while a candle studded with horse nails burns. When the nails drop out, the person who has the bid wins.

Swan Upping also takes place in the third week of July where the Royal Swan Uppers (all swans are technically owned by the Queen) round up swans on certain stretches of the Thames where they are checked, marked and released

beautiful river thames

swan upping

tempting little paths

So, whilst Berkshire might not be as hilly as I'd like, there are some beautiful villages along the Thames, rolling countryside and lots of history. 

Mountain Mania

peru’s sacred valley

I have always loved mountains. I've never really been fond of beaches, although I love coastal paths and rock pools, but mountains have something about them. I've worked in travel for the past 20 odd years and have been lucky enough to have visited some amazing places both for work and holiday, but mountains always get my vote, especially our own home grown ones.

I've put together a little selection of some of the amazing mountains I've been lucky enough to have seen.

Aconcagua. argentina - the highest mountain outside asia, in the southern and western hemispheres at 6962m

the matterhorn, swiss alps 4478m

mount cook or aoraki, 3724m

the north face of the eiger, grindelwald, switzerland 3970m

Andean scenery, ecuador

the columbia Icefield. the rockies, canada

Sagarmatha herself, Mother Goddess of the Sky - Mount Everest - from tibet

Malta Part 3: Heading home

As always seems to be the way, just as we were feeling relaxed and refreshed, it was time to go home. Our flight wasn't until 5pm, so we had plenty of time for a final wander.

Early that morning, we turned away from Valletta city and walked a little of the Historic Trail in the quieter part of the city which was lovely and calm. We looked at churches, war memorials. tiny shops and bizarrely, a cat hotel. We also spent some time in the beautiful Hastings Gardens with its tree sized cacti and views of Marsamxett Harbour.

After a leisurely coffee, we wandered back to Upper Barakka Gardens, a real hub for people of all ages and watched a lady with a film crew obviously making some sort of travel show about the history of Malta, and crikey, we could recite it word for word before they moved on. We also saw the firing of the noon day gun at Saluting Battery which drew a crowd as it presumably has been doing for the centuries the custom has been observed.

valletta’s narrow streets

the noon day guns

After lunch we wandered back to the hotel and sat by the pool soaking up some warmth before plunging headlong back into an English winter again.

Although our pre-booked transfer to the airport didn't arrive, the flight home was thankfully uneventful and we felt much better for the break.

upper barakka gardens

last minute sun soaking

I would thoroughly recommend Valletta for a short winter visit for some sun, fascinating history and lovely beaches. Just check the bus timetables. Or better still, hire a car.

Malta Part 2: Exploring the island

medieval mdina

On our second day in Malta, we thought we'd be really touristy and take an open top, hop hop off bus round the north of the island, ending at medieval Mdina. Typically, the weather changed as soon as we took our seat on the top deck, with a nasty cold wind and spitting rain driving us back downstairs. Our first planned stop was the Argotti Botanical Gardens which were beautifully calm and peaceful after the bustle of Valletta. The weather also thankfully brightened up.

Although there were some impressive trees, the flowers and shrubs were a little lacking except for a lovely hedge of violet Bougainvillea. A surprising number of feral cats and an enormous, stinking chicken coop provided some additional interest. However, we didn't want to miss the bus, so off we went to the stop and waited. And waited. Then waited some more. An hour later, our plans for 3 or 4 other stops en route vanished but at least the bus arrived, although the driver insisted loudly and a little aggressively that we had missed the previous bus because we’d been in the wrong place…

STUNNING bougainvillea

st paul’s cathedral, mdina

mdina’s narrow streets

We whizzed through the countryside in beautiful sun, seeing miles of prickly pear bushes, farmland and small villages. Stopping briefly in Mosta, we carried on to hilltop Mdina.

Mdina is a the old Roman capital of Malta; a beautiful small walled city with narrow streets, tiny houses and large churches. We walked it in its entirety, then had coffee and cake in a tiny cafe perched on the outer wall with beautiful far reaching views over the countryside, back to Mosta and the sea beyond.

Once out of the city, we crossed the main square and headed for St Pauls Catacombs in Rabat - Roman catacombs representing the earliest evidence of Christianity in Malta. I love anything spooky or creepy and I've been in a couple of catacombs in South America where they arrange thousands of bones in interesting patterns, but these were particularly creepy because we were the only ones down there. Deep underground, quiet, dark, very narrow and cold, there were bits of bone in nooks and crannies everywhere, but it was fascinating. Also nearby was St Paul's Grotto, where St Paul was said to have lived and preached during his three months in Malta.

stunning views from the city walls of mdina

in a tight spot!

think this might have been a grave

dark and a litle creepy

However, we had another bus to catch, and for once it was waiting in the main square. We decided to make a stop at Golden Bay in Bugibba which had a beautiful stretch of beach and lovely turquoise sea. We walked around the headland, but by now were a little paranoid about the bus, so wandered over to the stop, hoping it would come within 10 minutes, as it said on our timetable.

An hour and a quarter later it arrived, the ticket office having failed to tell us the schedules changed in February from Golden Bay and the buses were every hour from there......After that, blow it, we stayed on the wretched bus all the way to Sliema and caught a water taxi back across the harbour to Valletta which was lovely. A glass or three of something chilled in the hotel lounge relaxed us sufficiently to decide  No More Buses, although enduring the ear splitting Stevie Wonder tribute act butchering You Are The Sunshine of my Life saw us retire early.

golden bay

Malta Part 1: Heading for the sun

Continuing in the spirit of doing something different this year, we decided we needed a bit of sun and booked a long weekend in Malta in the middle of February. In my job in travel, I'd heard that Malta was a bit of a love it/hate it place, but it was good value and warm, so we though we'd reserve judgement till we got there.

The flight was fine, but Cyclone Charlene was hovering over Malta (what is it with us and storms this year?), so we were a little nervous about the landing and rightly so, as it turned out to be a real white knuckle ride that had us both sweating and clutching at the armrests. Bro actually grabbed my hand at one point so it must have been bad!

Somewhat shakily, we got to the hotel and lovely it was too, right on Valletta's harbour front. We even had a balcony courtesy of a room upgrade which was a nice start.

valletta - like rome in miniature

The next day, the weather was warm and calm and we set off to walk right round the city which actually isn't that big. With my professional hat on, Malta has a huge history going back to prehistoric times and everyone seems to have left their mark from the Romans to the British, and the result is a beautiful honey coloured city that looks like Rome in miniature with a really friendly feel.

We walked about eight miles along, up, down and through all the main streets and a fair few smaller ones too. We saw St Paul's wrist bone, beautiful war memorials, lovely parks and lush, flower filled gardens. The weather was wonderfully warm and we felt much better and more relaxed.

In the afternoon we took a ferry across to the Three Cities area; we actually went to Birgu (or Vittoriosa) and wandered through the marina with its vast collection of huge yachts including what we found to be the world's largest mega sailing yacht, the Maltese Falcon, (owned by a woman I’m proud to say), narrow cobbled streets and stunning views back to Valletta.

Getting to the ferry from the Valletta side was a little hairy; you need to negotiate the monstrous Upper Barakka Cliff Lift or else walk miles round to the Grand Harbour. The lift is 58 metres high but we didn’t actually fancy it, so we decided to walk down the hundreds of stairs which spiralled round quite tightly with a horrible little open viewing area at the bottom of each flight letting you know how high you were. We did go back up in the lift which wasn't so bad.

the maltese falcon

yes, you walk the plank to get in

the narrow streets of birgu

The evening's entertainment was provided by a drink and a snack in the lounge of the hotel looking down on the dining room with its huge Chinese buffet. We watched in amusement as people wandered round, picking at dishes they obviously weren't sure about, or those who took huge platefuls and went back for seconds and thirds. The highlight was a lady dropping a dumpling, looking round to see if anyone had noticed, then nonchalantly walking away. It was then a matter of waiting to see who would tread on it!

What do they say; little things please little minds, but bigger fools look on........

Walking with Gertrude

SKIDDaw from longside edge

At the end of December, we lost our wonderful dog and were heartbroken. We decided to do something different in January, just to break the month up a little and take our minds off things, so we booked a long weekend in Keswick.

We had a meeting just outside Penrith on the Friday morning, so driving up on Thursday meant we could have a full day's walking on the Saturday and drive home on Sunday. Perfect, except for the weather...Storm Gertrude was brewing and dire predictions were being made about driving into the eye of a storm (mainly by Mum). The journey of four and a half hours up the M6 was in beautiful sun and we made it all the way to Shap before the rain started, but even then it was only patchy showers. The wind did buffet us on the exposed section over Shap Fell, but nothing too dramatic, although we did take it steadily.

Friday was beautiful all day; lovely bright sun and not too cold, but the wind was still blustery, so we endured more buffeting on the M6 heading towards Penrith but it was much calmer on the way back to Keswick. Saturday was clear, sunny and calm and all the fell tops had a fresh dusting of snow which looked gorgeous.

We decided to tackle Long Side, Carl Side and Ullock Pike as they were only a 10 minute drive from the hotel and a ridge walk in winter in a looming storm was something we probably wouldn't have tackled with a dog. We parked at the Old Sawmill Tearooms and set off up through Dodd woods. It was lovely and quiet; no wind, rain, ice or snow and no real flood damage that we could see although one of the trails had been closed. As the gradient eased and we approached the 'Dodd Summit' sign, Gertrude hit us full in the face, but it was still dry and relatively warm.

The views were lovely as were the clouds racing over Derwentwater as we began the climb up to Carl Side. Once we reached the summit, Gertrude made her presence felt again in quite an aggressive way and it got more than a little nippy, so we stopped to don water/windproof jackets and trousers and warmer gloves. A slug of freezing water completed the preparations.

The views were beautiful and we were in full sun. Now properly clad, we were perfectly warm and debated for about two seconds whether to veer off up Skiddaw, but Gertrude was playing rough and we still had Longside Edge to do, so decided against it. Gertrude was rushing about at around 45 miles an hour at that point, so not so strong you could lean against her - although we tried - but enough to make you stagger, which was not a good idea on an Edge, so there was a lot of bracing with the walking poles. It was actually quite good fun, but we were sensible, digging the poles in when a strong gust hit side on.

It still wasn't really that cold and looking behind us, Derwentwater was shrouded in mist and gloom, so we felt we'd had the best of the weather. It was a fabulously exhilarating walk that blew the cobwebs away. Gertrude had behaved herself, despite being a little pushy at times!

crepuscular rays over keswick

ullock pike’s view towards scotland

longside edge