I have always loved this time of year. The days are getting longer, and the first signs of spring are starting to appear, so one of my favourite things to do is take the dog for a walk around Ebor Gorge. If you look, you will see the first hazel catkins hanging hopefully on their… Read more Loose yourself to your senses
For the last few weeks, I unable to ride my bike, not even on the road let alone the mountain bike due to recovering from a small operation. Quite frankly, it has been really getting to me. I’m no longer a racer, more of a bimbler, but riding a bike is what I do and always have… Read more Thinking on the levels
Yesterday I had a chat over coffee ‘with a very good friend’ about where life was going, future plans, personal abilities, challenges and generally what to do next. We both came to the conclusion that something holding most people back (including us), is the fear of burning bridges. How could you possibly take that new job,… Read more Burning Some Bridges
What with spending a lot of my time in the outdoors walking, camping and generally avoiding being indoors, I used to spend a lot of money on and eat a lot of muesli bars, flapjack and similar sorts of things. After a while, I found that my palate became numb to the synthetic flavours and… Read more The worlds finest flapjack recipe
After a busy week at work, yesterday should have been a relaxing and enjoyable trip to finish off. The plan was to head to sump 1 in Swildons Hole Cavern with Robin, Ben and a few members of Robin’s family. As the numbers were low and I wasn’t really needed, I suggested that I just… Read more Slip Sliding Away – (The day where it went slightly wrong)
In this modern outdoor world, people and things come and go. Some stay for ages where as some pass like leaves on the wind. There are a few who stick it out, stay with you through thick and thin and will always be there when you need them. It is one of the later to… Read more The Sad Demise of a Dear Friend
Yesterday was a busy old day. As well as running a DofE training day in the afternoon / evening that had been postponed due to last week’s snow, I was asked to run a caving trip for 5 teenagers and their staff from a special school near Bristol. When running this sort of activity I… Read more A trip into the hill
There’s not many things that make me scream and shout in my head (I’m very practiced at not vocalising my thoughts), but one thing in particular has pushed my buttons of late. When I hear people of my age (40 something) and younger saying they are planning on doing something they really want to do… Read more Don’t wait till retirement, do it now!! (Whatever it is)
Many people will go for a walk around their local woodland at this time of year and look around at the bare trees and squelchy paths and think that the wood is dead, there is nothing there and will simply stomp on with or without their dog, on their regular walk, heads down, hands in pockets… Read more February in the woods
For as long as I can remember, I have been aware of the photograph known as “The Sea of Steps”. This image was made in 1903 by the early English photographer Frederic Evans. Evans had been a keen amateur photographer since the 1880. His specialism was the cathedrals of Britain and France. He gave up… Read more To see a sea of steps