Category: Day walks

Rest of Europe

by aweewalk, posted in Austria, Backpacking, brian dickson, Canaries, Climbing, Day walks, Dolomites, Europe, France, Germany, GR131, GR221, Gran Canaria, Greece, Italy, Mallorca, mountain huts, Norway, Otztal Alps, Rock climbing, Spain, Stubai Alps, Switzerland, Tenerife, Turkey, Zillertal Alps

Europe outside Great Britain has it all for us, from the Alps and Dolomites to sunny winter destinations around the Mediterranean.

Italy

2024 Dolomites Alta Via 9 (and AV1 north section) backpacking (blog)

2023 Dolomites Alta Via 2 backpacking (blog)

2013 Dolomites climbs and scrambles (photos)

2007 Dolomites climbs and scrambles (photos)

2001 Dolomites climbs and scrambles (photos)

1994 Dolomites Alta Via 1 backpacking (photos)

Spain

2023 Gran Canaria backpacking GR131 (blog)

2023 Tenerife backpacking GR131 (blog)

2023 2017 Majorca backpacking GR221 (blog)

2023 Costa del Sol and Granada area walking

2020 2018 2016 2013 2011 2005 2000 1996 Costa Blanca climbing, walking (photos)

2007 1997 Majorca climbing

France

2015 Pyrenees backpacking (photos)

2012 Provence climbing and walking (photos)

2011 Pyrenees Ariege climbing and walking

2007 French Alps Chamonix and Ecrins climbing (photos)

1997 Corsica GR20 backpacking and climbing (photos)

1993 Pyrenees Pic du Midi to Perdido backpacking (photos)

1989 Vanoise and Mt Blanc climbing (photos)

1988 Pyrenees Andorra backpacking

Austrian-German Alps

2024 Karwendel and Stubai short hikes (blog)

2018 Austrian Alps hut to hut thru’ Zillertal, Stubai and Otztal (blog)

2011 Austrian and German Alps climbing (photos)

Switzerland

2008 Swiss Alps Bregaglia climbing (photos)

1991 Swiss Alps Bernese Oberland climbing (photos)

1990 Swiss Alps Zermatt area climbing (photos)

Norway

1994 Jotenheim hut to hut ski tour (photos)

1988 Hardangervida hut to hut ski tour (photos)

Greece

2017 Kalymnos climbing (photos)

2016 Crete backpacking (photos)

2015 Kalymnos climbing (photos)

Turkey

2025 Lycian Way backpacking -a one week sampler (blog)

2012 Geyikbayiri rock climbing and Istanbul (photos)

Iceland

1995 Geyser, Gullfoss, Pingveller hiking

Rest of Britain

by aweewalk, posted in Backpacking, brian dickson, Climbing, Cornwall, Day walks, England, Lake District, mountain biking, north highland way, Rock climbing, scotland, Sea kayaking, Skye, west highland way

Some of our British backpacking trips but also other hikes, climbs, sea kayaking and cycling.

Scotland

Some sample Scottish trips from a lifetime in the outdoors!

England

2023 2020 2019 South West Coast Path section hikes (blogs)

2022 Cumbria Way (blog) 70-80 miles across Lake District National Park

2016 2015 Coast to Coast Trail (blog) of 190 miles across northern England through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks.

Lake District climbing and fell walking

Cornwall and the south west climbing

Wales

2021 Pembrokeshire coastal path (4 days)

1999 1996 1995 1991 1990 1989 Llanberis and Anglesey climbs and hill walking

Ireland

1999 Donegal sea cliff climbing

1999 Connemara hill walking

1999 Dublin Dalkey quarry rock climbing

Hayduke ‘Training’ hikes

by aweewalk, posted in Backpacking, brian dickson, Day walks, Hayduke, Planning, scotland

We are out walking in the local hills and coast a fair bit most times, especially during the last two years of lockdown. But with the Hayduke in mind we have tried to do a few more miles over flatter ground during the winter. The coastline north of us from Fortrose to Rosemarkie to Cromarty offers pretty perfect terrain; sand, boulders, trail, cross country, minor roads and even some bushwacking – it also happens to be great fun!

Our favourite coastline from Rosemarkie to Cromarty
On Ben Wyvis, our local hill (Munro) on a nice snowy day
Rounding the coast from Inverness northwards
Quinaig in the north west of Scotland with cloud inversion
Dog walking counts too!
Rosemarkie beach near home with sun, snow and black sky

Colorado Rockies

by aweewalk, posted in Colorado, Day walks

We left the hot desert of southern Utah to return back to the Colorado Rockies visiting the Martin family in Montrose Colorado and doing some hikes into the Rocky mountains. It was nice to hear bubbling streams and to see lush forest and mountains again.

We revisited Lake City where we had resupplied in 2009 on the CDT and where our favourite cannibal in history, Alferd Packer, ate his victims and was later tried.

Hayduke training….

by aweewalk, posted in Day walks, Hayduke, scotland

We were out yesterday on our local coast from Rosiemarkie to Cromarty on a 21 mile walk. This is a very sheltered area and tends to receive better weather than the mainland to the west.Lots to see including sea birds, geology of the great glen fault, fossils and footprints from the elusive otters around here. The terrain is varied too from sand, rock hopping, some cross-country, single track, single lane road and jeep track. We can’t train for the temperatures of the Hayduke though, we had a cool 3-6 C yesterday, we are expecting temps up to 35 C out in the Grand Canyon!

Here’s a quote from Edward Abbey, the Hayduke Trail is named after a character from his fictional book ‘the Monkey Wrench Gang’ – well worth a read!

“In the first place you can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the
goddamned contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail you’ll see something, maybe.”

Edward Abbey