Grassington, Yorkshire: from Flickr by Andrew JW
For most of us our mental image of a break from the routine involves a sandy beach, hot sunshine, exotic locations and somewhere far away. But these virtues can be found much closer to home than you think. Well, apart from the sandy beach in my case; and the exotic location; actually there’s not much sun either. Ok, but there’s still a lot to be said for an improvised long distance walk that shows you the beauty of your immediate surroundings, and so much more besides.
A few years ago, when we were living in Durham in the north-east of England, I had a job that was based in Leeds. The journey is around 80 miles by motorway; a stretch of road I got to know very well. I had a week off planned for mid-summer and we had nothing arranged. So we decided quite naturally that we would spend the week walking home. And I have to say that of all the far flung trips we’ve taken over the years, this one brought more satisfaction than most.
Our journey led us through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales and Pennines, and passed through some of England’s finest scenery. For those who know this part of the world, our route was as follows:
Day 1 Leeds to Ilkley
Day 2 Ilkley to Grassington
Day 3 Grassington to Hubberholme
Day 4 Hubberholme to Hawes
Day 5 Hawes to Keld
Day 6 Keld to Bowes
Day 7 Bowes to Crook
Day 8 Crook to Durham
We covered a total of around 125 miles (200km), give or take a couple. Carrying our own stuff along the way was absolute torture on day 1, more bearable on days 2 and 3, and after that the pack seemed to gradually become a comfortable shell on my back. I suspect my back had got contorted by then to the shape of the backpack.
It was the ultimate green eco-holiday. No transport, no logistical support, just us and our packs, rambling through England’s finest landscapes.
What was so great about this long distance walking jaunt? Well, we got to see so much of the beautiful countryside that we had previously driven through. And it is a stunning part of the world. I also feel we see so much more on foot. You notice sounds, smells, flora and viewpoints that you just can’t expect to experience in a car. We learned how little we needed to survive for a week. In fact we packed far too much, and on a similar hike this year we carried significantly less with us as a result. As someone who constantly tries to get rid of ‘stuff’, that was a liberating feeling. Another subtle difference I notice when walking for several days is that I stop measuring places in miles or kms and start measuring in hours. There’s a certainty about how long it will take to walk 10 km that isn’t there when we have to negotiate traffic. We did of course meet some colourful characters on our route (it is Yorkshire after all); each added another anecdote to our journey.
The most salutary lesson from our trip? That everyone has a limit for the number of consecutive full English breakfasts they can manage. Sam gave up after three. I managed six, but on day seven my stomach turned just looking at the menu.
Almost everywhere can provide an opportunity to take a similar walk: just decide how many days you want to go for, how far you want to walk in a day, work out your start point and hop on a bus or a train to reach it. Happy hiking!
England is certainly one of those places that inspires Long Walks in the Countryside (I refer you to the entire cannon of British Literature), but in the US we’re much more about the road trip, at least in the west. I’m going to be spending the summer in northern Idaho, a place that I’m not too familiar with, and taking a long walk (more of a hike, given the Rockies) would be a cool way to see the area. Thanks for the inspiration!
What a simple yet great idea! That sounds like a lot of fun. Did you end up walking on roads or did you cross wilderness and uncompromised terrain? I considered an extended hike across Scotland a few years back.
This has got to be one of the most original, inspirational ideas I’ve read in a long time. I really mean it.
I love the idea and thanks for sharing! I live in the American southeast and I think an ideal hike for me would be north into the mountains (my home city, Savannah, is just too far away).
Again, great stuff!
Thanks Garrett. Look forward to reading your post about hiking in the American SE! Not an area I know at all, but imagine it’s picturesque with lots of empty spaces.