New Years Resolutions for 2015

The New Year is about 3 hours away and I'm feeling rather festive (although I don't know if that's the appropriate term for New Years as opposed to Christmas.) Well, it's been a fantastic 2014, and I feel like I've achieved a lot and gained a lot in experience, independence and in happiness over the year.  From walking the first 67 of the 214 Wainwrights that I wish to complete by September 2015, to getting to know somebody who I think is going to contribute greatly to my happiness in the future, and to getting through my A Levels with the respectable grades of A*A*A.  It's been a journey, but a very rewarding one.

I've learned a lot: from quitting my first job (that was incredibly emotional), to a month out on my own in the Lake District - learning a lot about looking after myself and about communicating with people I've only just met.  I've had the intense, stressful, brilliant and enjoyable experience of university interviews and I have my fingers crossed that the results will be favorable:  I've had to think about my weaknesses, my strengths, what I enjoy and what I want to do with the rest of my life.  It's been an incredible experience.

So, looking forward to 2015, I want to set myself a couple of goals.  Mentally, I want to take some risks (not the dangerous kind, but just to go out of my comfort zone and learn that not everything has to be meticulously planned for it to be any fun).  Emotionally, I want to really make an effort to commit to things, and to approach a new relationship with an open mind and an open heart (sorry if that sounds a bit soppy).  Physically, I want to get in shape: I've just signed up for Ten Tors 55 miles and I've realised that I've got some work to do before I'm ready.

Let this be the best year yet!  I'm looking forward to every minute and can't wait to see what happens.

Friends of Blencathra

I've been visiting the Lake District every year since I was born - with at least 2 weeks every year, and sometimes Christmas-es and Easter too, that works out at about a year of my life in this beautiful area of England.  Last Summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete my Gold Duke of Edinburgh at the Blencathra Field Studies Centre in the shadow of this beautiful (and frankly a little daunting, from a walker's point of view) mountain.

It has been plastered all over the news in recent weeks that Blencathra (yes, the actual mountain!) is for sale.  I've never actually heard of this happening before, I never really considered who actually owned the British countryside, but it seemed beyond me that it could belong to a person, and not to the National Trust, or the British people as common land, or such like.  I was even a bit bewildered that Blencathra currently belongs to the Earl of Lonsdale - visiting the mountain, there didn't seem to be any sign that it belonged to anyone at all!  It made me start to wonder who actually owns Britain's mountains.

England
     - Helvellyn: half is owned by the National Trust, and the other (oddly) is owned by the USA
     - Great Gable: owned by the National Trust

Wales
     - Snowdon: jointly owned by the National Trust, national park authority, and a private trust

Scotland
     - Ben Nevis: owned by the John Muir charitable trust
     - An Teallach: sold in 2000 to a private buyer
     - Buachaille Etive Mor: owned by the National Trust for Scotland
     - Suilven: owned by a community group
     - Liathach: owned by the National Trust for Scotland

The John Muir charitable trust that owns Ben Nevis has said that it has considered making a bid for Blencathra, though the National Trust has said that it will not be making a bid.  Another potential buyer, however, are the thousands of people who are pledging money through the "Friends of Blencathra" initiative.  By making a pledge, you physically transfer the money to the fund, however, if the bid is unsuccessful, you get that money back.  This means that the people more or less jointly own the mountain, which I personally think is a lovely idea.  This also means that I have an excuse to buy a new T-shirt... (modelled by me below)  You can buy these through the Friends of Blencathra who you can find on facebook, or on their website: click here!

New Kit: Meindl Boots

These boots are my babies!  I love these boots, and they love me - in that, I mean that I look after these boots: I wax them, I proof them, I clean them, and in return they don't give me blisters, and they don't let the water in.

These are the Women's Burma Pro GTX - when I first bought them, they looked gorgeous and suede-ish, but I swapped the visual appeal for additional waterproofing, and applied a liberal amount of boot wax, making them appear more like leather.  I bought these from George Fisher in Keswick last summer, and on their maiden walk, I took them up Scafell Pike (probably a bit of a risk, but I had faith in these little beauties).

So, in the year that I've had them, these boots have gone up Scafell Pike twice, around various Lake-District lakes, and have trawled around 150 miles around Dartmoor, and haven't once afforded me a blister.

On Scafell Pike.  Another planking shot!  And, oh look!  New Boots!

New Kit: Rab Gaiters

My birthday present from my Nan and Grandad!  Well, I was given the money, and told to spend it on kit; I needed a new pair of gaiters, so I bought a pair of Medium Rab Latok Alpine Gaiters.

One of my favourite features about these gaiters is that you can hide away the annoying elastic at the back of the gaiter!  The product designers at Rab obviously have had the same problem that I have, in that that relentless piece of elastic constantly would twang into my leg, and leave me with bruises all up my calves!  So they sorted it, giving a loop to tuck it into, solving this problem - and not something that I've seen other gaiters do.  Something else that I thought was superior, is that you do not have to cut the under-boot strap to adjust it, meaning that it is a pair of gaiters that can be used with different boots, and for different people.  The in-gaiter adjustment system means that you can alter the length of this strap without cutting the excess off, and means that you can lend your gaiters to another member of the family with no problem at all.  The final factor in the choosing of this particular set of gaiters is that there is no zip to break!  The simple velcro system means that they are really easy to get on and off, and I'll never get stuck in them like I had with my old pair.

New Kit: Helly Hansen Base Layer

I've been on an extended shopping spree for new kit over the last 6 months, and my next few posts will be based on what I've bought.

My most recent purchase is my base layer by Helly Hansen, called "Lifa."  I went for "magenta" on top and black on bottom.  It's a fantastic piece of kit, I bought the set (top and bottom) for £39.00 from Cotswold Outdoor, and I'm really pleased with it.  I chose it over the alternatives for a couple of reasons: as a wicking layer, it moves sweat away from the skin - so it will keep me really cool when it's hot, but also keeps me dry so that I don't get cold either.  This will be ideal for my walking in the Lake District, as it always rains, at least for a little bit, every day.  Something that you can't really see from the picture is that this is a mesh-type fabric, and not a lycra-type fabric like people often use when out running.  This makes it a lot more breathable, once again keeping me dry.  Let me quote what it says on the box: "Dry Equals Warmer! The key to staying warm, is keeping your skin dry.  While traditional baselayer fibers hold moisture next to your skin, Lifa Stay Dry Technology moves the moisture away from the skin, keeping you warm, dry and comfortable".  That pretty much sums it up really.

The other reason I went for this particular product is because its able to be used as both an extra layer to wear under my other kit, but can also be worn as an outer layer on its own, when it's warmer.  When I go walking, I like to look chic, and don't like my layers flapping around, so this is ideal for me.

The picture above is me in my 'old' kit, planking on the top of "Sail"- one of Wainwrights peaks in the Lake District, a walk that I completed last Summer from Braithwaite, where we stayed at the lovely Farm House cottage in the centre.  Credit for this photo goes to a good friend of the family, Paul Taylor, who joined my dad, my dog - Zorro - and I on the walk with his wife Jenn and adorable dog, Fluke.  We walked all the way to Grassmoor (not Grasmere, might I add), and just got to our destination before it started to rain, so we didn't stay long!