Introduction to trekking.

My grandpa was the one who introduced me to the pleasures of walking for pleasure. I can remember that from the earliest times in my life he would take me out walking. It started on Sunday mornings when mum and gran were getting dinner ready he would take me off in his car to Monsal Head and we would walk down the path to the river under the viaduct and then back up the hill again. Then as I got older I progressed to whole day walks on the moors both here in the Peak District and the North York Moors during summer holidays. Eventually when I reached the age of 15 we spent the week walking the Cleveland Way, we have done parts of it many times but this time we did the whole walk backpacking and sleeping in our tents which was awesome to say the least. When I was 17 we walked the Pennine Way and enjoyed every step but unfortunately this was to be my last walk with my grandpa as not long afterwards he died of a heart attack in his sleep. I was absolutely devastated and still am if I think about it long enough. Since then my boots have been sitting in the store cupboard, for no other reason than being discouraged by everyone that it isn’t safe to go alone. I say my boots have been sitting in the cupboard for two years but to be truthful they have been out four times when I have persuaded someone to go with me and I went with the Ramblers once but that definitely wasn’t for me even though everyone was very nice and welcoming. The thing is the other week I had a dream I was out walking with grandpa and it was so real, he didn’t actually tell me to take up my walking again or anything like that but during the next days I just sort of got this attitude that although it’s sensible to take advice I shouldn’t be put off from doing something I enjoy because of it, I need to take it on board and work with it rather than let it stop me. So yesterday was penned in to be the first day of solo walking… whatever you want to call it.

As far as walking goes that’s me really, I will post something about yesterday’s walk in my next post.