Photos can replace a 1,000 words (thank goodness). Here are a selection from my life in the mountains. My Love of Walking As a child we always holidayed in the Lake District at a small cottage in the pretty village of Threlkeld. Here I learnt to love the fells and become comfortable and confident whilst amongst them. I completed the Wainwrights at the age of 20 and from there… Completed the Munros (and Tops) by the age of 40. Became a Mountain Leader (ML) in 2007, the best qualification for guiding in the UK. Held many Navigation Courses in the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland and Lake District NNAS instructor and trainer. Led over 2,000 walkers on private and public Guided Days across the UK Been a volunteer for the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks Produced and self published 6 Guide Books on walking including the popular ‘Dales 30’ challenge. Became a Trustee and Walking Guide for ‘Access the Dales‘. A charity making the inaccessible, accessible. I feel very lucky to have been able a career out of working in the outdoors. It is not easy, not well rewarded but very satisfying. The photos above reflect my live in the outdoors including one of my Dad in Threlkeld in the mid 70s, check out his walking gear! At the Trig Point of Birks, one of the ‘Dales 30’ mountains Launching Where2walk In 2010 I decided to follow my dream and set up Where2walk. I wanted to make it the ‘come to’ information website for those wanting to walk/hike in the countryside. Millions visit the website, mainly to get ideas for the best walks in an area. They can be visitors or those living locally to walks they may never have done before. At present there are over 800 walks across Yorkshire, the Lake District, Northumberland and North Wales on the website. I hope to be able to add over 1,000. However I am also keen to encourage others both to visit the outdoors and give them confidence to explore its delights for themselves. Navigation Training Courses for all Hikes with a Guide and Walking Mini Breaks. Self Guided Walking Holidays for those wanting a bespoke experience on their walks A series of Walking Books including the popular ‘Dales 30’, a challenge to rival the Wainwrights! My 10 Walking Principles There is no doubt I have quite a relaxed style whilst guiding or training which often goes against the grain in this increasingly bureaucratic and safety conscious world. Someone once told me that the outdoors was not a playground, I hasten to disagree. That is the point, it is. Wasdale Walking in the outdoors is to be enjoyed. Always look for new routes even if they are in an area you are familiar with. Learn to use a map and compass (paper and app). A prescribed GPS route is never as satisfying. Plan your own walk before you head off but be flexible when on the walk. Push yourself whilst walking and take a risk or two. The most memorable days are usually the most difficult. Choose gear that is comfortable and take out what you want. Don’t feel guilty if you do not ‘conform’. Dogs are an asset on a walk. Keep them under control (on or off a lead) Learn the name of mountains, the geology, flowers, birds etc that you may see on the walk. There is nothing better than seeing children on a good hike. Even if they do not walk in their later teens they will return later in life. Walking on your own is great, do not feel guilty. You feel more alive making your own decisions. To find out a little more about me from an outsider look at this article in The Guardian. Arsene Wenger…really? My Walking Background My mum was evacuated to Keswick during the war and fell in love with the place. Her and her sister had some wonderful stories of their days climbing Skiddaw, sledging on to a frozen Derwentwater and enjoying the town. Although she returned to her home in Newcastle to marry my dad (a stoic Yorkshireman) the love for the Lake District remained with her. Blease Garth, Threlkeld Early Days My dad bought a small cottage in the village of Threlkeld in 1971 (the best decision he ever made, it was toss up between that and a caravan in Ambleside). From then every holiday in my childhood was spent on the slopes of Blencathra and the nearby fells. Despite selling the cottage in Threlkeld in 2019 Blencathra remains my favourite mountain. I climb it at least once a year, usually by Halls Fell Ridge. It is simply the best route up the best mountain in the UK. Walking with my dad My Dad in Threlkeld, 1976? My introduction to the mountains of the Lake District could be described as tough. Whingeing and complaining on any walk was simply not tolerated. Once the mountain objective was identified that is where we went, whatever the weather. There are endless stories in family legend of some brutal climbs. However these are two of my favourite family folklore. One was leaving my cousin half way up Great Gable (she sat down and said she was going no further) and secondly making my brother descend many hundreds of feet (also on Great Gable) to pick up the ruck sack which he had dropped whilst having a sandwich. Some of my early walks I have detailed in a blog I wrote a few years ago. Times were different, as was the kit and understanding the dangers but I learnt a lot. I learnt that the outdoors was not to be feared, I learnt a sense of direction and route finding and I learnt that a long day out was incredibly satisfying. Living in London Seathwaite 1990 In my early 20s I left Newcastle to pursue a career in the travel industry. 4 years at Thomson Holidays (now TUI) in London was enough for me to decide I needed to return and live back up north. I loved my time in London but I missed the country escape at the weekends. Trying to climb the Scottish Munros from London was not easy, so I found a new job in Lancashire. The Munros My late 20s and 30s were the Munro years, the 283 mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet. If you would like to read about the Munros and its unique challenge follow this link where I tell my story. Nothing has given me so much satisfaction. I learnt so much in climbing the Munros (and I added the Tops to make 515). More than anything the adventure, remoteness and exploration gave me a confidence in the outdoors which I find so important in enjoying any hike to the full. Heading in to the Fisherfield 1991 By the time I had finished the Munros (on my 40th birthday) I was settled in the Yorkshire Dales with wife Helen and two young girls, Charlotte and Lucy. I was working in the UK cottage rental business by then at Earby in Lancashire. After 10 years, I went on to run Dales Holiday Cottages in Skipton for 3 years. However the company was bought out and closed down. Now what? Setting up Where2walk At age 45 I decided to follow my dream and set up Where2walk. A few years before I had attained my Mountain Leader qualification .This is recognized to be the best qualification for anyone working in the outdoors, taking groups in the mountains or for offering training courses. I hoped to combine my lifelong passion for walking with a career spent in marketing to create something I would enjoy. However I also had to earn a living. I am still here 15 years later so something must have worked. After a good day on Ingleborough Voluntary Work In addition to all the stuff I do for Where2walk which is described around the website I have also taken on a number of voluntary projects. In the Lake District I am one of the 5 National Park navigation trainers. Not only is it very enjoyable but also keeps me on top of the latest navigation advice and policy. In the Yorkshire Dales I have sat on a variety of tourist forums, been the tourism representative on the latest YD National Park Management Plan and was a member of the Local Access Forum. I am also a Trustee and Guide for Access The Dales , a fantastic charity which encourages those with physical and mental difficulties access the outdoors. Unfortunately, despite mine and others efforts, walking continues to be badly undervalued in the Dales. Summit of Toubkal, Morocco Enjoy your walking Jonathan PS: My other great love (aside from the family!) is Newcastle United and that causes me so much more grief than walking!
