Adventure and Fitness: Exploring the Outdoors

With the days getting longer and (hopefully) warmer, my feet are starting to itch for adventures. We have some diving trips coming up as part of our Sport Diver course, but there are other outdoor adventures my partner and I like to take. Over our relationship we have been on many, often pushing me well outside of my comfort zone. For some context, my comfort zone is: On the sofa, bowl of crisps, playing Final Fantasy IX. 

Regardless, I am grateful for a new found appreciation of the great outdoors and look forward to getting my boots muddy this year.

Adventures with the family. Photo by Charis, whilst on a bike!

In my immediate area, and I mean literally out my back door, I can walk through the countryside. Being in Shropshire, we have lots of public footpaths which pass through our town. Some are down the canal, some are through fields, some are down by the river. We take advantage of all of them. The River Tern is just a stone's throw away from our house, which is the closest this landlocked mermaid can get to the sea right now. We quite often go for an amble down there. Sometimes even through the river.

It was very hot that day.

We are also lucky in that the canal runs through our town. We can walk seven miles along the canal to the next village or take the bikes along the tow path. Not going to lie, that does give me some serious anxiety about falling in, but I have yet to do so, so maybe it's just my overly anxious brain! It is also one of my preferred running routes, fewer witnesses. 

My kind of bike rides have a picnic stop.

Shropshire and Staffordshire (as we are right on the border) have some great adventures on offer too. We have walked up the Wrekin a number of times, most recently with Addy. But there are also trails available around Swynnerton, which is all ferns and feels like dinosaur country. We are fifteen minutes away from Lake Alderford (or Dearnford), where we've had some fun snorkelling and playing in dinghies. There is also a lovely bike trail between Stafford and Newport, which is ideal for less than confident riders as it is completely away from the road for the most part. (There are a couple times you have to cross, especially if you want lunch from Aldi.)

Me and my favourite shark experts. Photo by Charis.

If we travel a little further afield, we hit Wales, the Peak District, the Cotswolds, and the Lake District. These are where we tend to holiday and do some pretty epic adventures, which all usually involve visiting a castle. We have gone mountain biking and along bike trails, like the Monsal Trail. I prefer the trails, fewer hills and potential to fall off. While the speed of going downhill is very exhilerating (even with the brakes on), I do like to enjoy the scenery and stop to 'gram.

Biscuit stop on the Monsal Trail

These areas are great for walks too. One of our first adventure walks as a couple was around the Peak District. I forget where abouts, but there were giant wooden hamsters and bad poetry on benches! Last year, genuinely two days before the Beast from the East hit, we walked forty miles across the Cotswolds. It was gorgeous. And bloody freezing! We were supposed to camp every night but the cold and blisters made me cry, so we got a last minute room in a nearby village. This is definitely something I want to do again, just maybe when there isn't a sub-zero cold front forecast. Thankfully, we did miss the worst of it; the storm hit the day we left.

Broadway Tower, Cotswolds. From the top, you can see the Wrekin.

We've done a few high rope activities too. In Wales, we did a zipwire course in an disused mine. That was incredible, even when you factor in the heights induced panic attack. (I mentioned that I get put out my comfort zone, right?) When the ground fell away, all you could see were these vast caverns lit up in funky lights. Both beautiful and terrifying. I've done a number of the GoApe courses, including the Trentham one for my sister's hen do. They are always good fun and weirdly don't trigger the height thing as much. I say "as much" there will always be one section which I psyche myself out on.

A new found love, is water activities. By that I mean, stand up paddle boarding and sit atop kayaks. We did SUP in Italy which was glorious because it was far warmer than when we did it in Carsington Water. There was so much pond weed in Carsington, it did look a little like the lake task from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I feared there were gindelows. This is another thing I'd like to do more of this year, especially as Addy is learning how to canoe. 

I have no canoe pictures, so have Dino Country instead.

I am looking forward to many more adventures this year. My main goals (diving aside) are:

• To go kayaking or canoing on the river,
• Snorkelling, sea or Alderford - not fussy!
• A week long wild walk around the Lakes.

What adventures are on your list this year?

Listening to: Final Fantasy Piano