Many of my favourite walks in the Yorkshire Dales I have found whilst exploring the side valleys which lead from Wharfedale, Wensleydale and Swaledale. The walking in these smaller dales has all the advantages that peace and silence brings to a walk; the birds and wildlife are fabulous, the villages and farms more traditional and…

I often hear ‘outdoor’ parents complaining of the lost years when they have young children; years that they rarely see the hill tops and a good walk is a 1 mile trawl along a dirty canal with a complaining child at their side. Maybe this is a mite exaggerated to emphasise the point but there…

Anyone looking to embark on a multi day challenge, whether it be one of the traditional A to B National Trails or something you have made up for yourself should be aware of the 3 key stages of planning which will make or break the enjoyment of the walk. 1. Footwear. Sore feet on a…

There is little doubt that forthcoming cuts within councils and National Parks are going to mean a deterioration in the upkeep of public footpaths and bridleways. Particularly within local Councils you cannot escape the feeling that it is an easy thing for them to cut, whether taking out personnel or more likely re-prioritising their work load. In…

Over the next few weeks the Mountain Rescue Teams of England, Wales and Scotland are liable to be extremely busy. They will be called out in sub zero temperatures at all hours of the day and night to rescue some lost soul on the mountains; hopefully successfully but often just to pick up a body.…

Walking in snowy conditions is fun. The past 10 days snow has fallen, roads have become treacherous and the country has appeared to grind to a halt. Many people have taken the easy option, avoided work, and not taken the heaven sent opportunity of exploring the Great Outdoors. Venturing out in the snow is great…

Last Friday I staggered in to a gale swept St Bees and sloshed my weary feet in the Irish Sea. The Coast to Coast walk had taken me 9 days, which roughly equates to over 20 miles a day and at a very rough calculation 23,000 foot of climbing.

With 130 walks now detailed in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District I am off next Thursday to walk the Coast to Coast. This is only my second long distance walk – 3 years ago I walked the Southern Upland Way, similar time of the year and my personal recollections can be found here…

I was stopped in Newlands by a lovely old couple who knew Alfred Wainwright and used to share a cuppa with him on a regular basis. In his later days he used to sit and watch the groups of walkers heading off Hindscarth or Dale Head and mutter “if I had known this would happen…

Over the past week the Lake District has been party to some of the most stunning walking conditions I have ever experienced. I have always enjoyed walking in the Lake District during the autumn months, more so than the summer months or even spring. The colours and the light offer something that I have not…

This morning I am heading up to Coverdale, which is a long, rarely visited valley which connects Wensleydale with Wharfedale at Kettlewell, to complete my 100th walk of the year. Hopefully the weather will brighten as it has most days I have been out – walking in the Dales and Lakes this year I have…

So what am I doing with this where2walk thing? I left work in May (it was compulsory!) and decided to put in to action something I have long wanted to do; a website with the best walks in the Lakes and Dales with my own personal take on them. It has been a labour of…