Walk With Me.
Walk With Me. By Carla Day
My first memory of walking was with my father, traipsing behind his big frame, my small footprints treading in his as I ploughed through snow- blizzards, in a dress, woollen tights, overcoat, wellies, hat and scarf. He was an avid walker and like many, probably fell into walking because of having to walk the family dog.
I would follow him until I grew too cold, then, he would lift me onto his shoulders and the wind would pinch my face because he was so tall and I would coil my scarf around my neck until I couldn't move my head.
The walks were never ending, through all seasons, across fields, farmlands, and woodlands. He wasn't a fair - weather adventurer and would enjoy a good stomp with our collie cross in tow, come rain or shine.
I developed his love of walking later in life. I also honed in on my passion for hiking and mountaineering. My dad didn't venture far from home but I'm pretty sure he walked and knew all the local routes in and around Leicestershire.
I began taking walking seriously when I was about thirty, after my son was born. I began to crave the outdoors and new places. It was as though this escape from domesticity and suburbia became my catalyst to good mental health. Any view that wasn't of a row of houses, made me breathe deeply and sight out any stress. The more I walked the hungrier for it I became. Local dog walks never seemed long enough, so I ventured out a little further.
My walks became longer and there came a point when I wanted to explore places even further away, out of the county. I started to wonder: ‘if there was so much beauty on my doorstep, what sights must there be across the country and indeed, the world, just waiting for me to discover them?’
My hiking boots got more expensive and my curiosity grew and grew. Every new area I found myself in was like a new stamp to a collector, precious, and these discoveries fed my hunger that bit more.
I bought a myriad books about paths other walkers had trodden. I loved it so much, I really didn't want to do anything else but having a child, I was limited to the amount of time I could spend away from home. so, at first it, was day walks and circular walks, often with a friend who shared the same interest.
When I turned forty, I did my first week-long hike across Cumbria and the Lake District and it was the most invigorating week of my life. I was in awe for the entire trip and the panoramic vistas and rugged landscapes were so phenomenally beautiful it took my breath away . It was like nothing before, this was serious. 15 Mile walks, climbs, and new ethereal sights to behold, around every corner. I was lucky enough to share this experience with the someone just as passionate about walking as me.
My hunger grew, then, to keep on walking, wherever I could and I covered thousands of miles on foot, in so many wonderful places both alone and with company. Looking back, I wish I would have documented them all.
The walks not only took me through rural territories, valleys, fields, farms, mountains, forests, coastal paths and open expanses of lush countryside but often I found the walks snaked through pretty villages and hamlets where there were amazing coffee shops, eerie churches and beautiful buildings with a wealth of history.
I'm going to revisit some of theses places, add some new ones and document my observations as I go. I will pair the walks with my thoughts and emotions and see what happens.
As a people, we are all curious about other human beings thoughts, opinions, and emotions. It's a natural curiosity. On my walks, I do a lot of thinking, especially when I go alone, some of my deepest thoughts on life have occurred on my lengthy jaunts. I have learned a lot about myself, nature tends to bring out the philosopher in me. I want to write about these transient thoughts and share them with other keen walkers.
I'm going to start this journey with walks that are local to me in Wales. I am going to take photographs with my phone camera, of things I find interesting, or, just pretty and my notebook will be tucked in my pocket to scribble out my thoughts and observations. My trustee companion, for most of these walks, will be: Lilly, my Jack Russell.
Let the walking begin...
