Curius Blog

We still live in a world that often tells women what we can’t do... too busy, too old, too out of shape, too late to start. Adventure is the remit of the young, the beautiful, the athletes, and the adventurers... not us ordinary women. But what I have come to know is that the idea of who qualifies to take part is hogwash, balderdash, utter tripe and nonsense. Taking part in a long-distance adventure is for everyone regardless of age, experience, body size or shape.

I covered 20 miles in blazing heat... sometimes running, sometimes walking, sometimes having a boogie. What does an event that touts itself as being the Glastonbury of running events have to do with long-distance walking, you may be saying out loud to your computer screen? Read on, my friend, read on.

The Dales Way took us from Ilkley to Bowness along rivers, over stepping stones, through villages and valleys, across open fell, and over more wall stiles than we could count. Many were narrow gaps at the top of stone walls, each with a small wooden gate and a very eager spring. Fun at first, then surprisingly tiring on the legs after a while.

Before you buy new kit or sign up for a gym membership, the first thing to do when preparing for a long-distance walk is to find your why. Why do you want to walk a long way? Is it something you’ve always dreamed of achieving? Something to prove to yourself (or maybe others)? A step toward a more active, healthy lifestyle? Or perhaps a way to process or recover from something difficult?