Well here she is, three for three – oh how I missed writing my weekly blog episodes! I hope you enjoy reading these chatty week-in-the-life posts; something a little different that brings life to the fore in between the outdoor adventures I enjoy having.
In weekly blog tradition, in this episode I’ve got a bunch of short little stories to tell you. It’s National Trig Week, I had my first motorcycle ride out of 2023, I’ve been getting ready for a little stroll in the Cotswold countryside, and I chat about the best European cities for walking… let me tell you more.
Happy Trig Week!
It’s trig week! Created to commemorate the anniversary of the first use of trig pillars in the triangulation of Great Britain, it’s only right that this Ordnance Survey Champion gives this week-long celebration some attention in her weekly blog post. This year’s week started on Sunday (16 April) and goes through to Saturday 22 April – but as it happens, today is the big day (18 April).
The trig pillar was first used in the retriangulation of Great Britain on 18 April 1936, when a group of surveyors gathered around a white concrete pillar in a field in Cold Ashby. No longer needed for mapping purposes, they are now popular destinations for hikers and walkers looking for inspiration and motivation to get out.
Generally found at high points in a landscape, so surveyors could see one from another, they now provide an iconic acknowledgement that you have reached the highest point on any walk (but only if you touch it, of course!). They’re not always at the summit, and not all hills have one (and some are on private land or have fallen into disrepair), but trig pillars do often provide 360-degree views.
You can read more about the history of the trig pillar in this super interesting post.
The Coolest Trig List
Trig pillars really have become everyone’s perfect opportunity to explore some of Great Britain’s most beautiful landscapes. From the rolling hills of the Cotswolds to the rugged peaks of the Lake District, there are trig points to be found in every corner of the country. And with so many different routes and trails to choose from – there are still around 6,000 trig pillars left – you could say there is a trig pillar for everyone…
I don’t consider myself a trig bagger – I’ve simply never kept a list of the ones I’ve reached. But I do look at trigs as a great reward for a good day out. I have been known to create walking routes that purposefully take in a trig or two, or even detour from other planned hiking routes because there is one to see ‘just along a bit’.
Want to see where all the trigs in Great Britain are? You need this really cool site. Do you know how many have you bagged already? Do you know where your closest trig is? Will you visit one (or two, or three) this week?!
Admire the View
I spend a lot of my downtime watching YouTube videos of people having outdoor adventures. Some of my favourite such channels to follow – from the UK – are Fit for Adventure, Abbie Barnes (Spend More Time in the Wild), Muddy Bootlaces and Sarah Williams (Tough Girl Challenges).
In one of Sarah’s recent videos (she’s currently posting about her hike of the Hebridean Way), she commented on how important it is to stop and admire the views. And that little speech in her video made me so happy.
Often, I find that ‘adventurers’ spend a lot of time telling people to keep moving forward and not to look back. But a common attribute of those who inspire me is that they are willing to walk, run, hike, bike or whatever else, at a pace slow and gentle enough to take in the beauty of their surroundings.
It’s something I speak about a lot – and think about even more. As a ‘normal’ who has ended up in the outdoor adventure space thanks to making some great friends with Ordnance Survey and other places, I appreciate it when I hear other people say what’s on my mind. Thanks for the reminder, Sarah. Let me paraphrase adding my own thoughts to yours:
Adventure in your Soul
You’ve absolutely got to stop and take in the views. Unless your goal is to be the first, furthest, or fastest (and good on you for that!), then your surroundings are the whole the point of going on adventures.
We are often so openly encouraged to get stuck in deeply, to engross ourselves in the task at hand, to keep our head down and focused on moving forward – and nothing else – that we miss what’s going on around us. Those same people tell us that unless we are moving, we are not achieving. We know that is rubbish.
Always – always – make the effort to lift your eyes and look around you – in front and behind. Take the time to admire the beauty of the world. It is in those moments that you realise where you are, what you are doing, and where you are heading. It is then that adventure becomes good for your soul.
Riding in the Malvern Hills
With my trusty F650GS having had its winter break (I really don’t ride much in the British winter, it’s too cold, wet and the roads are covered in salt and grime – yuk), I had my first ride out of 2023 on Saturday.
I joined Cotswold Motorrad for one of their group rides; sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do all the planning and just, literally, go along for the ride.
The 11 of us headed over to the Malvern Hills, where we were lead along (and up, and down) quiet country lanes. The Malverns are beautiful for a leisurely motorcycle ride, and being part of a small group meant I could enjoy the scenery without worrying about getting lost or missing out on any of the best spots. Very relaxing.
It’s fair to say that my motorcycle gets most use on road trips and tours, I don’t go on many day rides because I tend to use my Saturdays for hiking, but I’m glad I went on this one. And not just because of the pub lunch towards the end of the ride! The ride was also a great opportunity to meet other motorcyclists and be reminded how wonderfully diverse the motorcycling world is.
Accidentally, I managed to go a whole day without taking a single photograph – still not back into the weekly blogging habit – so here’s a shot of me riding in Iceland instead. You can read about that trip in this post.
Ready to Hike the Cotswold Way?
The Cotswold Way promises beautiful hiking on a trail that winds through the stunning countryside of southwest England. Starting in Chipping Norton and ending in Bath, this one has been on my hit list for some time, there is just something that draws me to hike my local National Trail in full.
After hours of research, planning, and reading about other people’s experiences of hiking the Cotswold Way, it’s now my turn. I will head off with a friend to hike the famous route in six days this coming weekend, and I can’t wait.
I would say my bag is packed and I’m ready to go, but that would be a lie. My pack is at least out of the loft and sat ready to accept all my essential gear. Although I still need to buy a pair of waterproof over trousers, as while the ones I ordered fitted around my middle, the legs were so baggy and long it would have been comedy gold to try and hike in them. I will pop to Decathlon or Go Outdoors one lunchtime this week to fix that problem, so I’m at least prepared for the inevitable rain.
I also can’t say that my fitness is quite ready for this yet, but that worries me a bit less. I’m heavier than I wanted to be at this point, and haven’t had the time to put in big-mile days in preparation, but I’m certainly in a better place than I was for the UK coast to coast hike thanks to getting my chemicals all in balance. I guess what I’m saying is that if I can make it across the whole country while anaemic, I can walk 100-miles through rolling hills to Bath in my current health.
For Fun
I’m not going into this naïve. Yes, this is going to be a challenge, it’s 100-miles in six days, but I am excited about it rather than anxious (well, maybe a little bit anxious, but it’s not overwhelming). I know parts of the Cotswold Way very well indeed. I might not have joined all the dots before, but I at least know and understand the terrain, the steep climbs of the Cotswolds are not going to be a surprise (as some people report), and the milestones along the route are places I recognise.
My friend and I have made it clear to each other we are hiking the Cotswold Way for the fun of it – for the scenery, the views, and the tea stops. While we’ll have big miles to do each day, it should be within our enjoyment levels, all being well.
The first two days will be day hikes, thanks to being able to get back home to sleep, and then we’ll be making use of pre-booked B&Bs for the rest of the route. The promise of pub food and a proper bed each night makes the prospect of 20-mile days much more doable, somehow.
I do plan to write an adventure journal series for this hike, similar to my coast to coast series – if you have questions please do let me know and I’ll be sure to answer them as best I can.
Best European City for Walking
What makes a city good for walking? This week, Schuh has published data suggesting that the Finnish Capital of Helsinki is the best European capital city for walking… but how come?!
Apparently, it’s all down to metrics such as air quality, tidiness, the quality of green spaces, how hilly it is, and safety for walkers. I guess that makes sense – this isn’t about walking for fun necessarily, this is about how accessible walking around each city is. I’d agree that places that feel cleaner, tidier, less busy with traffic, and have more trees, are certainly nicer to walk around.
Schuh ranked 49 of the European capital cities best to worst based on this data, and as someone who loves a list, I couldn’t resist looking.
European Cities Ranked for Walking
| Rank | City | Rank | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helsinki | 26 | Dublin |
| 2 | Reykjavik | 27 | Budapest |
| 3 | Vilnius | 28 | Kiev |
| 4 | Copenhagen | 29 | London |
| 5 | Vienna | 30 | Baku |
| 6 | Tallinn | 31 | Belgrade |
| 7 | Ljubijana | 32 | Nicosia |
| 8 | Bem | 33 | Chisinau |
| 9 | Oslo | 34 | Madrid |
| 10 | Zagreb | 35 | Bucharest |
| 11 | Luxembourg | 36 | Brussels |
| 12 | Stockholm | 37 | Monaco |
| 13 | Amsterdam | 38 | Valetta |
| 14 | Riga | 39 | Paris |
| 15 | Edinburgh | 40 | Sarajevo |
| 16 | Prague | 41 | Rome |
| 17 | Lisbon | 42 | Tirana |
| 18 | Belfast | 43 | Sofia |
| 19 | Cardiff | 44 | Tbilisi |
| 20 | Berlin | 45 | Yerevan |
| 21 | Bratislava | 46 | Athens |
| 22 | Warsaw | 47 | Pristina |
| 23 | Nur-Sultan | 48 | Skopje |
| 24 | Andorra la Vella | 49 | Ankara |
| 25 | Podgorica |
I’ve been to both Helsinki and Reykjavik, which came first and second in the list, and would agree that both are really great place to explore on foot. Thinking back to my time in each city, the cleanliness and air quality were certainly factors – although I don’t think I’m so bothered about how flat a place is, personally.
Here in the UK, Edinburgh came top (15), with Belfast (18) and Cardiff (19) close behind. London, though, is down in 29th place – which will almost certainly be down to the fact that anyone visiting blows black snot from their nose after a day walking around there! London is a great place to explore on foot, though, there’s just so much to discover when you wander around rather than darting from place to place by car or on the tube.
Urban Wandering Wins!
Smaller cities seem to do well, whereas larger ones are harder to keep clean and traffic-free. Take London (29), Athens (46), Paris (39) – all very large and busy cities, for example. Although, I have to admit I have enjoyed walking around all three of those, especially Athens which is just wonderful.
And I think that’s how I see this list. Cities are full of cool architecture, art, alleyways, little shops, ancient and modern history, and more. And it’s walking – exploring on foot – that allows you to see those things. If you are commuting every morning and evening, then the metrics that make up this list are important. But if you are on a short city break and are wanting to get to know a place and its quirks, then walking is the best way to do that. It all depends on why you are walking.
So, while Ankara might be the worst city to walk in, I can say that it is still a great city to visit. As I am sure all 49 cities listed are.
What do you make of the list? Does air quality affect whether or not you walk in a city rather than drive? And, most importantly, what is your favourite European city for an urban wander?
See you a Week on Tuesday!
Given that I’ll be hiking the Cotswold Way next week, there will be no weekly blog until the following Tuesday. Well you got three in a row, so it’s okay to take a week off, isn’t it?!
Buy Me a Cuppa?
If you enjoyed this weekly blog episode and fancy supporting me and my mini adventures in 2023, you can “buy me a coffee” (well, tea, if that’s okay). If you enjoyed this post and would like to support what I’m doing, you can opt to head over to Ko-fi to find out more. Thank you.