A choice of two short walks on the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire border, with an abundance of nature regardless of the season.

Distance: 3 miles extending to 4 and more.
Terrain: easy with some moderately steep climbs.  Fields and a bridleway.
Height: up to 450 feet.
Starting Point: Motte & Bailey Pub, Pirton, nr Hitchin, SG5 3QD
 
You’re getting two walks for the price of one here. Both routes are on the edge of the Chilterns and around 3 miles long. The first is circular, done clockwise or anti-clockwise. The second is straight up the hill to the edge of Knocking Hoe Nature Reserve and back. If you want to extend your walk, you can follow the way marks from this point and go further into Bedfordshire, although an OS map would help!  Part of the route is on the Icknield Way, which extends from Dorset to Norfolk and has the claim of being 'the oldest road in Britain' as it is made up of prehistoric pathways.

Both walks start in Pirton, a small village forty miles north of London, on the border of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Just thirty minutes by train from Kings Cross, it makes an easy escape from the city and the chance to breathe in some fresh air. Plus you'll get to see a traditional Doomsday village complete with old cottages, two pubs, a duck pond and Highdown House, an old Jacobean mansion with an interesting history.

Although this walk is popular with families on Boxing Day, any other time of year you won't typically pass more than a couple of dog walkers making it a good option to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. There are a couple of steep hills peaking at around 450 feet. In summer you can get by with almost any type of shoes, but if it’s been raining you need boots because part of the lane gets muddy.  I’ve ended up on my bottom more than once, but thankfully no one saw me.  In early autumn there are plenty of blackberries, so take a container or eat as you walk. What’s nicer than a warm, juicy blackberry, straight from the hedge?

I walk from my front door as I work mainly from my home in Pirton, but if you're travelling in, park outside the Motte and Bailey pub. If you have caught a train from London, get off at Hitchin Station and get a taxi to the pub in Pirton (it's about a 5 mile trip and will cost approximately £8). From the pub, walk left to the main road to Hitchin, passing a wooden Pirton sign with hands holding straw on your left. In case you're wondering about the straw sign, this walk is part of the Straw Plaiters walk. In the 19th century, Pirton’s women and children collected the straw, from wheat growing on the chalk soil, for the hat making industry in nearby Luton.  

Cross the road and go straight ahead to Wood Lane, with a large house on your right.  You can walk up the shady lane which has a canopy of trees or, for better views, walk along the edge of the field running parallel, where an ‘unofficial’ path has been worn.  After a quarter of a mile or so there is a path to your left across the open field (waymarks are here.) Turn left if you want to walk clockwise.  Carry straight on for an anticlockwise route, turning sharp left at a wooden seat. Go straight on up the hill for the second walk to Knocking Hoe Nature Reserve.

These directions are for the clockwise route. Follow the path over the field and keep right to a kissing gate. Go through the kissing gate and climb the steep hill.  Highdown House, a Jacobean mansion once a Cavalier stronghold, is on your left.  There is supposedly a ghost in it and a headless horseman who rides across the field on 15 June.  

As you walk, keep your eyes open for wildlife: free range guinea fowl belonging to the house, muntjac, pheasants, buzzards and roe deer.

At the top of the hill pause and look across the fields. You can see for miles and there are usually buzzards circling overhead. This is a great spot for a picnic – a couple of massive old oaks and soft grass.  

Don’t go to the end of this field, but bear right down the hill to another kissing gate.  In spring there are masses of bluebells in the wood to your left - Tingley Wood.  (You can’t go in- it’s private – but you can stand at the gate and admire the view.) At the bottom of the hill there’s a wooden seat – a favourite picnic spot for walkers. You’d complete the circuit by turning right. For the second walk, turn left at the seat and continue up the hill.

At the top of the hill, bear right towards a wood.  Very soon you will see the sign for Knocking Hoe Nature Reserve opposite a seat with a wood behind.  There is public access into Knocking Hoe, but the footpath to further routes continues outside the reserve, down the hill, where there are some way markers. These can take you to the B655 road which you cross to access other walks.
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In the Nature Reserve in summer you will find lots of butterflies and wild flowers, some of them rare.  The views are lovely, it’s usually quiet and you can easily find a sheltered spot to eat or drink. Definitely worth the climb to get there!

Moray coastal walk (North East of Scotland) 
Cullen to Findochty  
Distance: 12km (7.5 miles)
Difficulty: easy
Type of terrain: beach, cycle path, village streets
Start point postcode: Cullen - village square. A98 post code for sat nav would be AB56
Resources: OS Map 425

​Everyone needs that one place where they go and all their troubles melt away, a place to think, plan and breathe. Cullen is that place for me and this walk is my go to walk when I just want to chill out. There’s something about the air on the Moray coast. It’s cleaner, fresher and just altogether better. 

This is an easy walk with no need for any special walking gear. It is along a section of the moray coastal trail of around 12 kilometres taking around 3 hours to complete. The path is on a well-established cycle route and via village streets. I walk a section over the beach, but this can be missed out if you’re not the sand between your toes type. 

The village of Cullen is where I start this walk. It’s famous as the birth place of the famous Cullen skink soup, which is a delicious creamy fish soup. If you have time for a bowl I would highly recommend it. 

The village has a few cafes and antique shops to browse. You can park in the village square. Parking here is free and there are public toilets. This is on the A98 post code for sat nav would be AB56.  

I would walk back up the hill as if heading back out of the village and follow the signs for the caravan park. Once at the caravan park there is a path which leads along the cliffs and towards a view point known as Nelsons Seat. This is a great spot to gaze over the Moray Firth and if you’re lucky perhaps spot a dolphin.

From here continue on the path down toward a small rocky beach which on a sunny day is perfect sun trap and has few visitors. Be warned if you fancy a paddle here it’s very rocky and not the safest without some sort of water going footwear.

This post was contributed by Glamorak Linda Chessor
I’m 43 years old. I live in the north east of Scotland. I do mainly coastal or forest walks. I'm not the best at hills, but do attempt them now and again. My sister is lucky enough to live in the Cairngorms so she does occasionally get me up a hill.  I'm a nurse and work 12 hour shifts, so walking for me is the best way to unwind from work and gives me four days most week to get out and about weather permitting.  I occasionally walk with my www.borrowmydoggy.co.uk friends Bix and Hunter. ​

Five years ago a man called Alastair Humphreys gave the speech day address at my children's school. He was on a mission to get people to have microadventures - a mini adventure that you can fit into every day life. It should challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone but still be achievable. 

That speech inspired me and soon afterwards I started walking, having my first microadventure when I set off walking 14 miles on my own and staying in a hostel. Since then I've gone on to have plenty of adventures, but I had yet to wild camp. So when I saw that Alastair was running his Summer Solstice Microadventure challenge, I knew it was time to push my comfort zone a little bit further.

My plan had been to go wild camping on the summer solstice (21 June) but despite having arranged childcare and having my bag fully packed, the Met Office put out a yellow warning for thunder, lightning, gales and very heavy rain showers with the potential for localised flooding. That didn't sound particularly sensible to be camping in, particularly on the top of a hill. I had to put my plans on hold and wait for better weather.

​Last night that weather arrived. Once again I packed and this time headed off, leaving my husband and children at home, all three thinking I was daft in the head.  My microadventure would see me do three things I'd never done before:
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1. Carry all the kit I needed on my back for an overnight stay
2. Wild camp
3. Camp on my own

My comfort zone was going to be well and truly pushed. But too many women - particularly mothers and those whose 20s and early 30s are well behind them - spend their lives observing life through their kids or doing things for others instead of experiencing life first hand. I'm on a mission to change that and I can't tell others to do it if I don't do it myself. 

​But first things first.....

My biggest challenge with wild camping was trying to find somewhere to go. In England, legally you are not allowed to camp anywhere you like. You're supposed to get the land owner's permission. But that can be very tricky to do and it spoils the spontaneity of it. The advice is to find somewhere tucked away, out of view, don't make fires and don't leave anything behind. Arrive late, leave early and no-one will be any the wiser. 

I spent a good amount of time trying to find a suitable spot by looking at maps. I wanted somewhere remote, but not so remote that if anything happened I'd be in tricky spot. I didn't want to run the chance of bumping into people. I wanted views and it had to be not too far from my home in York. 

After doing some research, I found the very spot. Hawnby Hill in the North Yorkshire Moors. It was 50 minutes drive away, was a short walk from a pub/civilisation, but was remote enough to not be found. And it had stunning views. 

Next challenge.....

Here's what I took. You could get away with less:

• A 55 litre backpack
• A 3-litre water pouch filled (I'm slightly obsessed with running out of water - I didn't need this much!)
• A tiny one-man tent
• A 3 season sleeping bag that squashes down small and light
• A super lightweight sleep mat
• A tiny cook stove with gas cannister
• A sit mat (a vital piece of kit - without which I would have had a very wet bottom)
• A collapsible kettle
• A mug and teaspoon
• Coffee/milk/hot choc sachet
• Cup a soup sachet (I didn't have it)
• A bag of crisps and chocolate bar and a squashed sandwich
• A hip flask with cherry liqueur (very good for keeping warm)
• A glass of wine with plastic glass (I poured the wine into a plastic bottle to save on weight)
• A warm jacket (mine is brilliant and stows away in its pocket really small)
• A warm hat or head scarve. I didn't take gloves but should have - even in summer it gets cold
• A pair of leggings to sleep in (I slept in my long sleeve top and socks too)
• A pocket knife (my protection....)
• A book
• A headtorch
• A phone
• Toothbrush/paste/loo roll/plastic bags for paper and rubbish
• Walking boots and a change of socks (which I used as gloves)

I set off from York at 6.20pm on a Sunday evening and drove north, past Helmsley before arriving 50 minutes later in the exceptionally quaint hamlet of Hawnby. I knew it had an Inn, but I hadn't realised it also had a tiny tearoom and shop, which amazingly was open at 7.15pm on a Sunday evening. I popped in for my crisps and chocolate bar and asked which hill Hawnby was (there are two - Easterside and Hawnby). She pointed out the hill to me and said I could park my car behind the village hall. That was handy to know as there is nowhere else suitable to leave your car overnight. I tucked mine out of sight behind the hall and set off up the hill. 

I guess you could ask The Inn at Hawnby if you could park there for the night and it would save you a 500 yard steep climb up a hill lugging a backpack. But I didn't. Once you reach the Inn, directly in front of you (just to the left of the phone box) is a public footpath sign that points you up between some houses. Follow that and you get to a stile/kissing gate. Go through that and head straight up to the top left corner of the field. Don't take the appealing looking waymarked route lower down on the left. Head to the top corner to find a gate with a map of the hill. Then follow the path straight up.

And I mean, straight up! It was exhausting. But it was a short brutal walk - only about 15 minutes - before I was on the top of the hill with magnificent views on all sides. To my right was Easterside Hill, another tabular shaped hill, while straight ahead you look towards the moors. 

I followed the path along the ridge line, looking for somewhere to make camp. I reach the cairn on the hill summit and noticed several dips off to the left hand side just before the cairn. They would be out of sight of anyone on the path and out of sight of anyone below. They were also slightly less exposed to the wind than on the very top. Because the thing about hills is that they're high up and therefore windy!

I chose a little dip that had a tiny tree for a bit more shelter and attempted to pitch my tent. This proved a challenge as the ground had a layer of soft spongy moss to lie on, but a layer of solid rock just beneath it, making it impossible to get the pegs to grip. But I finally managed it and rewarded myself with my glass of red wine and an exceptional sunset.

It truly was magnificent. The bright daylight had transformed into an array of purples, pinks, corals and golds. Every five minutes it would change, each more stunning than the last.  It hit me that the sun setting really is an artistic masterpiece that is available for free every day to every person - you just have to step away from your screens and head outdoors. I watched the wind blow through the grass, saw birds swooping for a late supper of bugs and heard their night time calls, while sheep far below were baaing to their lambs. It was truly magical.

Unlike an inside space, the great outdoors is always moving, whether it's clouds scudding past or long grass waving, there is a sense of perpetual movement. As the night sky darkened, it seemed as though the stars themselves were racing across the sky, but it was just a trick played by the clouds rushing along. I tried to read my book, taking nips of cherry liqueur as it grew colder, but my attention kept getting distracted by the view. 

Just after 11pm I decided to retire. It was a battle between my closing eyelids and my desire to wait until it got truly dark. But my eyelids won and I slunk into my tent and fell asleep instantly.

I'm not sure what time it was, but possibly 1am I woke to the sound of wind howling around the tent. Having pitched next to a tree for shelter, the wind sounded even louder as it funnelled its way through the branches. I lay listening to it a while, wondering if my tent would take off, with its poorly secured pegs. I must have drifted off again as I had a really odd dream about an adventurer (a real life one who I know) who was shaking me awake. In my dream I sat up and said, 'Oh, I thought I was dreaming but here you are.' We had a good long chat. It seemed so real that when I eventually did wake up in the morning, I was surprised that he was no longer there. About 4am the rain started to come down but the sound was soporific and I went back to sleep until 6am.

I woke to a very wet morning. A brief respite in the rain meant I could make a cup of coffee, have my sandwich and pack up before it started again. I just managed to get everything put away when the heavens opened. I bid a hasty farewell to my campsite, making sure I'd left nothing behind. The only trace that I had been there was a slightly flattened bit of grass. 

I headed back the way I'd come the day before. Any plans for a longer walk home were binned as the water poured down the back of my neck. I'd failed to pack waterproofs!

It was a brilliantly refreshing start to the day. Instead of chivvying kids into uniforms or sitting in traffic, I got rain pelting my face, sheep to yell good morning to and views of rolling green hills.

Hell yes. It seems much more scary in the planning than it actually is to do it. I loved going on my own as there is something beautiful about solitude. But I can imagine that going with a friend would have a completely different feel and would be a lot of fun. 

If you want to feel alive and come home grinning from ear to ear, go wild camping. It doesn't matter how old your are or that you're a woman (it's not just for blokes!). Go have a microadventure. You'll be so glad you did.

Watch the video below for a taste of what it was like. And don't forget to join the free Facebook group for likeminded ladies who love to walk and sign up for the Glamoraks newsletter to find out about events you can take part in. 

If you are a woman who loves to walk and write, I want to hear from you. Glamoraks is a group for women around the world who love to walk. I want to be able to share walks, thoughts and inspiration from likeminded women no matter where in the world they are. And to do that, I need guest bloggers from every corner of the globe.

Wouldn't it be great to see walks in Croatia or Japan or Argentina or USA or Botswana or anywhere? If you're in the UK, what about walks in areas you've not visited or even new walks on your doorstep? It doesn't matter which country you live in or visit, if you have done a great walk there, I want to know about it. They can be short walks, day walks, multi-day walks or adventures/expeditions involving walks. So please share this far and wide. This is your chance to be part of a global voice of women who are heading outdoors in search of themselves. If you want to know more about what a Glamorak is, you can read about it here. 

I welcome guest bloggers. Here's what I need from you to have your story published on this site:

• A blog post anywhere between 500 to 1000 words
• A title that summarises where the walk is and the type of walk it is
• Start the post with this quick start info: 

1. Distance/Length of walk
2. Difficulty or ascent involved
3. Type of terrain: e.g. Farmland, forest
4. Start point postcode: or some landmark so that people can find it including county/province and country
5. Resources: Any useful resources like guide books, maps or websites that have more info on the walk

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• Then include details about the walk, your personal experience, useful tips or advice. These aren't formulaic blog posts with dry, step by step guides. Feel free to add your thoughts, personality and anecdotes that made the walk personal to you. Please ensure your work is grammar and error free and is easy to read. Read the Glamoraks blog for examples. 

• If you want to write a blog post about general walking in your area or country, rather than a specific route, that is fine. Just make it as informative as possible. For example, are there rights of way, are there certain codes of conduct to follow, areas to be avoided or to actively seek out, type of maps or signs to look for etc. 

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• Please include at least one image from the walk, you can add more but no more than five please as they take a long time to load. They need to be no bigger than 1mb file size. Ideally the image should be of the terrain/a view from the walk to give a sense of the type of walk it is​.  The images cannot have branding on them e.g. for a business or company - I will add the Glamoraks logo to the main blog post image and you must be willing to have the logo added to it.  If you want to include an image with you in it, please do. Images must be your own or without copyright restrictions. 

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• If you have a video you want to include, it needs to be short - under five minutes - and needs to be free of branding. You will need to dropbox it to me and I will upload it to the Glamoraks Youtube channel and insert it into the blog post. 

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• Your bio - a short paragraph about you, the type of walks you like to do, your age (if you're willing to share that), where you live. If you have a business or personal blog, you can mention that here and include a link to it. This is a great opportunity to get a link back to your business, particularly if it's something aimed at women!

Please send your blog post or post idea with one image to melissatalago@gmail.com - if I can use it, I will ask for further images (if you have them).

Become part of a global voice of women who love to walk!

Terms and conditions for guest bloggers:

By submitting a blog post to Glamoraks, you acknowledge that you understand and comply with the following:

• Guest posts must be your own original work and must not have been published elsewhere.
• Plagiarism or copyright infringement is not permitted.
• When quoting others, please make sure you properly cite your source, particularly if from a specific guide book.
• Posts will acknowledge your authorship but will be the property of Glamoraks.
• Affiliate links are not allowed in your guest post submissions.
• Glamoraks reserves the right to edit guest posts where necessary.
• I do not offer any compensation for writing guest posts. However you are allowed to include a link to your business or personal blog. This is not allowed to be an affiliate link. Links to fund-raising pages are considered on a case by case basis and are not guaranteed.
• Glamoraks reserves the right to add its own affiliate links where appropriate or relevant.
• I do not guarantee any particular site or audience reach.
• Your submission of a blog post does not guarantee publication. If you want to check whether your blog post is right for the site before writing it, please contact me first.
• I reserve the right to refuse publication or remove a guest post without prior notice to the guest post writer.
• By providing a guest post to Glamoraks, you agree that you are in no way becoming a part of the website or company, nor shall you hold yourself out to be an employee of Glamoraks.
• Images supplied must be your own work or from the public domain and both royalty and copyright free.

Distance: 5 miles (more if you get lost)
Difficulty: Moderate (some hills to climb and map reading required)
Type: Farmland, forest
Start point postcode: YO62 5HH - Cowhouse Bank Carpark, North Yorkshire, UK

After days of being trapped indoors due to a combination of work and utterly foul weather, I decided to head off on an easy 5 mile walk on the edge of the North York Moors. I have a little book called Short Walks in the North York Moors, by Collins.  Now this book has given me plenty of really good walk suggestions and the instructions are typically easy to follow and as each walk includes a map, there is no need to take an additional big map with you.

The walk I chose was one called Upper Riccal Dale, that starts from a Forestry Commission carpark called Cowhouse Bank. To find it, head out of Helmsley, through a tiny hamlet called Carlton and shortly thereafter you find the exceptionally quiet carpark. There is bench with lovely views over Bransdale from the carpark.

I parked up, the only car there and got that lovely sense that I was the only person in the world. You start out by crossing the road you've just driven in on and heading off down a forest track. Through gaps in the trees you get glimpses of the views over the dale below, dotted with sheep. The path was exceptionally boggy underfoot on account of the three days of torrential rain we'd just had but I didn't care. It was peaceful and quiet. If it's been raining, wear gaiters!

The path went back on itself down the side of the hill until reaching a farm track. It was here that my first navigation issue arose. According to the book, 'Go right on the farm road. Cross the bridge and climb through two fields away from the stream towards Howl Wood Farm.' But at the entrance to that farm road were two big signs saying PRIVATE - NO ENTRY. That's never a welcoming sign. I couldn't see any right of way signs or footpath signs but everything else seemed to indicate that this was the way I should go. So I went in.

Although there was a stream (very pretty) and a bridge, there were no fields to climb through. Just a track that made it's way up to the farm buildings. I figured it must be right, so I kept walking. The book said, 'Go left through the farmyard and left through a gate beyond the farm tip to follow a faint track ahead.'

I really, really don't like walking through farms. Firstly, it feels as though I am trespassing on someone's property - and the big PRIVATE - NO ENTRY signs certainly reinforced that. Secondly, there are always old, empty barns creaking in the wind, with rusty hooks and other dangerous looking pieces of equipment lying around. I always expect a scary bloke to come out carrying a bloodied meat cleaver while spitting out chewing tobacco, telling me to either 'Get orf my land' or 'To come in for a visit....' (I have an over active imagination.)

Add to that, there is invariably at least one (in this case four) farm yard dogs that aren't known for their friendliness. They started barking furiously, while a gaggle of geese hissed at me as I passed them. Then the cows (luckily behind a wall) started to add to the cacophony, lowing their discontent at my presence. Luckily there was a single footpath arrow on one of the gates, so I headed at pace for that and made it through the other side breathing hard. I am very rarely scared walking on my own but on remote farms, my heart does race a little.

After that excitement, the next set of instructions was simply, 'Cross the stream by the footbridge'. I was still following the 'faint track' as described by the book but eventually I reached the end of the wall line and my path was blocked. I had obviously missed a path down to the stream where the footbridge was, but there really hadn't been a path anywhere! I retraced my steps, found no path but eventually followed sheep tracks down to where I could hear the stream flowing. Reaching the stream, there was no footbridge. So I bashed my way along the stream edge until at last I found the footbridge. Somehow I had obviously missed the path down. My advice if you're doing this walk, is when the 'faint track' starts to bend slightly north, head down the hill to your west.

Distance: 10.6 miles
Ascent: 597 metres
Type: Rural, farmland, moors
Terrain: Tracks (some overgrown), dirt tracks, stone slabs

On 17 June 2017, a brand new long distance UK trail opened. Called The Boundary Walk, it is 190 miles long running around the edge of the Peak District National Park. A few Glamoraks and I headed off to have a first footing of the path. We decided on the Greenfield to Marsden leg (stage 5) mainly because it had a train station at the start and end of the stage. It also looked - on paper - as though it would cover some wild moorland and had a good amount of hills in it.

Catching a train from York at 8.30, we were in Greenfield for 9.40 and were kindly picked up by the walk organiser's friend who took us to the start at Dovestone Reservoir (although you could walk from the station and simply pick up the path from Hollins Lane). Despite looking around for others who were meant to be walking the same leg, we couldn't find anyone, so at the allotted start time of 10am, we set off. We did ask around at the car park but whenever we mentioned we were walking to Marsden, we were greeted with open mouthed disbelief or teeth sucking as though we were out of our minds for walking such a long way (it really isn't that far!)

We used the newly published guide book (pic below). Almost immediately we were slightly puzzled by where we should be going. The words and the map in the book didn't quite correlate. Switching on google maps on our phones, we finally figured out where we should be heading and got started. (Top tip: if you're doing this leg, when you get to the Dovestone Reservoir carpark and you're at the public toilets, you walk away from the sailing club and out of the carpark along the road you would have driven in on, until you hit the main busy road ahead. The instructions in the book make sense from there).

Almost immediately, the 597 metres of ascent made itself felt as we began a long, hot climb to the top of a hill where an impressive obelisk awaited. We caught our breath and had a snack while we admired the expansive views from the hill top. 

We set off again along the edge of Saddleworth Moor, with stunning scenery off to our right. Just as we were getting into our stride, we had to descend again down to a small village called Pobgreen. It had an inviting looking pub and we were ready for our lunch by this point, but we had to soldier on as we had a return train to catch.  Just a note here: as you head down the lane to Pobgreen you will get to a point where you can keep following the lane or take a stile and footpath sign directly in front of you. Stay with the lane.

​Leaving Pobgreen behind us, we climbed another hill before descending again to another little hamlet. It was here that the guidebook left us feeling a little confused once again. The book said: Follow the lane downhill and once rounding a slight bend, you should see the public footpath fingerpost on the right hand side of the lane, at the edge of a property. Continue past the property and along a narrow fenced-in path. 

We had no idea whether that meant we had to take the footpath or walk past the house and take the next footpath. We walked back and forth a few times before deciding to take the very narrow path behind the house as indicated by the fingerpoint sign. And it was the right choice. We soldiered on through fields of sheep, before crossing a bridge, and heading up another hill with the sound of a shooting range echoing around us. At last we got to the Brun Clough Reservoir, where we had a brief picnic lunch and aired our hot feet. Until this point, the sun had stayed hidden behind clouds but it was super humid.

After lunch we joined the Pennine Way and made our way across the gorgeously wild and remote moorland, passing several reservoirs as we went. The sun was now blazing and the brown peaty water looked very tempting for a dip. At one of the reservoirs (Black Moss) there was even a tiny beach, which would make an idyllic wild camping spot. 

Don't forget to join the free Glamoraks group on Facebook. That's where you find out about walks like these and get to meet up with people you don't know, make new friends and see new places. And subscribe to the Glamoraks newsletter here. 

You'd think that walking in summer would be the easiest of all the seasons. Right? Glorious sunshine on your back and not having to contend with blizzards or deluges or biting winds. 

But walking in summer can actually be a bit of a challenge. Here are my top six summer walking hazards and how to deal with them. 

1. Heat
In the UK at least, it rarely feels hot enough to worry about overheating. But a long march across a shade free field in blazing sunshine can get very hot and it's easy to get sunburnt. And if you're in a hotter country, it's easy to get heatstroke if you're not used to walking long distances in high temperatures. Always apply sunblock, take a sunhat and drink plenty of water. And I mean a lot of water. Drink little and often to stay hydrated as you go. I just carry a water bottle for a short walk, but for a longer hike, I'll fill my 2 or 3 litre hydration system to ensure I don't run out. If you are hiking long distances, make sure your backpack is well ventilated, with space between your back and the pack, to allow air to flow through. You stay much cooler and less sweaty that way. I use this one, which works great. 

2. Nasty plants
One of the joys of winter walking is that you don't get nettles. Well not many. As soon as summer comes round, many of the footpaths become massively overgrown and nettles threaten to sting your legs as you brush past them. They're particularly prevalent at styles and kissing gates, where you have to squeeze past while the nettles prickle menacingly through the gaps. Wear lightweight long trousers (I swear by these Craghoppers), rather than shorts. This will give your legs some protection. Also, find a Nettle Stick* or use a walking pole. (*A large stick to hold nettles and other overzealous plants back as you squeeze along a track - they're free. Look on the ground!) This stick will come in handy for hazards 3 & 4 too. If you do get a nettle sting, look for a dock leave and rub the leaf on the sting. It helps relieve it (a bit).

Another poisonous plant to look out for is Giant Hogweed. This can grow up to 5 metres tall, and is normally found along footpaths and riverbanks. If its sap gets in contact with your skin, it can cause really nasty burns, which are made worse by sunlight.

Although snakes, poisonous plants and grumpy cows may seem alarming, walking in the UK really is pretty safe. These few hazards are simply worth being aware of and preparing for. If you are walking elsewhere in the world - particularly in a country you're less familiar with - take a moment to look up any local plants, animals or pests that could pose a danger. Better to be safe than sorry. 

Now head out and enjoy that sunshine! And remember, one of the best things about walking in the summer is the longer days and evening, meaning you can still fit in a good length walk after work and enjoy watching the sunset. 

​Got any other summer walking tips? Share them below.

Remember to join the free Glamoraks Facebook group. 

I put my boots on. My backpack has water, a little picnic lunch, a map. I start to walk. If I'm lucky, there is no-one there except me. The crunching of my boots, the sound of birdsong, the steady crash of waves or the gentle baa-ing of lambs are my soundtrack.  My muscles start to warm up and my shoulders relax. I feel the sun on my face or the wind in my hair or the gentle tickle of drizzle or the sharp bite of cold.  The weather works its deft fingers into the tight knots of my soul and frees them. I breathe deep. I am alone but I am not lonely.

Walking solo is one of the finest gifts you can give yourself, whether you're a man or a woman. But many women shy away from it. Some think they will get lost. Others worry that something might happen to them. And others are simply so used to company that the concept of being entirely alone makes them uncomfortable.

That's not to say that walking with others is bad. On the contrary, walking with others helps you connect at a far deeper level than our instant society normally allows and the joy of an experience shared is joy doubled. But as the Byron quote says, 'I love not Man the less, but Nature more.' And it's true. As wonderful as it is to walk with someone, there is a healing power to solitude that is unrivalled. 

Without human company, you get time to simply be. Your thoughts are free to fly in and out of your mind with gay abandon. There's no need for conversation, although talking out loud to yourself can be liberating. As is singing loudly without a care about being off key. You have the time to absorb the beauty of the world and marvel in it.  And being witness to the magnificence of nature feels like a secret gift that is yours entirely. Your time is yours, the pace your own. You choose when to stop, when to move on.  Added to all of it is a slight frisson of fortitude. You are alone and that in itself is a brave thing in an overcrowded world. Your inner spirit of adventure will raise its head and you will want to yell, 'I am woman, I am fearless. Hear me roar!'

And when you're on your own, you can literally roar. Stand on a hilltop and bellow into the wind. Let your pent up tension be carried off on the thermals. Rediscover that person you are underneath the layers of labels given to us by human life. Simply be.

There are no words that quite capture the rare combination of freedom, tranquility, excitement, sadness and joy that comes from complete solitude in nature. But words aren't really needed. You simply need to feel it. Once you do, you will hold it inside you like a balm for your soul.

Tips on walking solo

1. Tell someone where you will be going.
2. Take a map, snacks/water and a phone for - emergencies only (not to chat to friends or to check facebook).
3. Choose somewhere not too remote for your first solo walking experience so that should you get lost, you can find your way back to civilisation.
4. Don't take an ipod or music. Let nature be your soundtrack.
5. Give yourself time. To really benefit from a true sense of freedom, ensure you have time to go at a pace without constraints.
6. Don't worry about being attacked (a concern some women have). Baddies tend to hang out in busy city locations, not under a bush waiting on the off chance for a passing walker.
7. Do be wary of farm yard dogs and bulls in fields. Change your route if necessary.
8. Choose somewhere with expansive views for a true feeling of freedom.
9. Avoid overused walking paths e.g. in country parks or up popular hills. Cheery hellos to fellow walkers are lovely, but to feel truly alone, choose a less busy route.
10. Finally, don't forget to mix it up and walk with others too. Too much solo walking can get lonely. Think of a solo walk as an occasional mental spa break treat.

Share your solo walking experiences with me below. And feel free to join the Glamoraks group over on Facebook so that on the days you do want walking company, you can find someone to walk with. Also be sure to sign up to the newsletter to be kept abreast of walking ideas, events and initiatives.

I'm often asked about what snacks and food I take when going for a walk. My answer is: it depends on the length of the walk!

The food you take on a walk or hike is more than the energy you need to keep going. It's the morale boost you look forward to when you're running out of steam or want to take a break and rest your feet. Some of my best walking moments are those where I am tucking into a squashed egg sandwich in a field or a well timed jelly baby. But beyond your foil wrapped sandwich or sugar laded treats, energy-giving snacks are a must.  I take a snack of some kind with me on most of my walks, unless they're very short. There is nothing worse than being a long way from civilisation and realising you're starving and have nothing to keep you going. 

So when I was sent a box of CLIF Bars to try out, I was very pleased as it meant I could keep a ready stash of them in my backpack. CLIF Bars are a US brand, which claim to be America's favourite energy bar. They use natural ingredients (even if some of them sound a bit scientific) and include things like organic rolled oats and organic dates plus 11 vitamins, protein and fibre. In short, they are designed to slowly release energy as you need it. 

The bars comes in seven different flavours in the UK: Chocolate chip, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Blueberry Crisp, Chocolate Almond Fudge, White Chocolate Macademia Nut and Coconut Chocolate Chip. 

I took these bars on my West Highland Way walk of 96 miles and they were my 'keep me going' food on the longer days.

The positives

• The bars are tasty. My favourite was the blueberry followed by the White Chocolate and macadamia nut. 
• They aren't too sweet. I find many of the energy bars available are sickly sweet. Even homemade flapjacks I find too sugary. These somehow are both sweet and slightly savoury all at once.
• Unlike many other energy bars, they don't give me a sore stomach. I have no idea what goes into other energy bars (probably too much sugar), but many of them seem to give me stomach cramps about 30 minutes after eating them! These don't.  Hoorah.
• They retain their shape even after being bashed about in a backpack for ages, without turning into a bag of crumbs like some cereal or granola bars do.
• Their rectangular shape makes it easy to slip them into your pocket or side pouches on a backpack.
• They give you sustained energy, without making you feel full or heavy.
• They are easy to snap pieces off of. I typically have a chunk of my bar then wrap up the rest until I need another energy hit.
• They last you a while. I take two on day-long walks and rarely need to get to the second bar. One, spread out over the course of a day is plenty for me, assuming I've had my sandwich too! Big, strapping blokes might disagree.
• They are named after the founder Gary's dad - Clifford - who he spent years with in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Which is lovely. I also love the tagline - Feed your adventure - because I'm all about having adventures.  I'm also sucker for a good brand story. 
• They are a responsible company that takes an active role in the issue of climate change and in equality for women. High fives to that.
• They seem to look after their employees really well too! 
• The bars may contain traces of wheat, but mostly I think these are suitable for people who want to avoid eating wheat (unless you are SUPER allergic). Full dietary chart here.​

It's Mental Health Awareness Week. So I wanted to take some time out to write about how walking has helped me with my own mental health. And I'd love for you to share your stories about how walking has helped you.

About ten years ago I went to see a therapist. I can't even remember why I went to see her. Obviously I really hadn't been feeling happy to warrant me going. Anyway, during our first session together she asked me if I suffered from depression. I laughed and said of course I didn't. After all I was running my own business and looking after two young kids and was on the go all the time. In my head, depression meant sitting in a semi comatose state, crying a lot and barely leaving the house. That wasn't me.

But she made me take a little test to check for depression and I was astounded that I was indeed suffering from mild to moderate depression. I was just a high functioning depressive. In other words, I kept busy all the time so that I didn't have to feel what was really going on underneath. I was constantly critical of myself. And I packed a lot in as a I worried about 'wasting time'. No matter what I achieved, I never got a sense of true happiness or satisfaction.

So I embarked on some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which helped a bit and made me more aware of how I was feeling. I did some other crazy things to try to regain control and a sense of purpose - like sailing across the Atlantic with 18 strangers on a boat. And while that experience certainly gave me some highs, I simply returned to normal life and felt the same (only now I knew that I could achieve incredible things if I wanted to).

The years went on and I would feel better for a bit, but it was always there. It's like I was sleep walking into unhappiness. It took a major personal crisis to get back to a therapist and a coach. Talking helped. Yoga helped. 

But it was only when I started walking, that I felt a shift in me. That first proper walk I did entirely on my own, left me feeling alive like nothing else had (except for a few moments on that yacht in the Atlantic). The more I walked, the more I realised that no matter how down or tense or angry I was feeling, a couple of hours walking shifted the mood. 

I have been on numerous walks where I have literally stomped out the door in a rage. Like this time. And while the rage is great for getting a lick of pace on, as time passes, my pace slackens, my heart rate slows and my mind settles. I breathe. I notice the little things like bugs, plants and quirky signs. I see the expansive views and the space around me. I feel that sense of happiness that has no purpose, other than just being. 

Now there are all sorts of scientific studies that show the benefits that walking has on peoples' mental health. I won't go into those because I'm not a scientist. I simply know that forests and nature and sea air and hills all have a way of restoring my sanity and calming my soul. 

Am I fixed? Do I still have depression? Do I still suffer from low self-esteem? Do I still cram my days full of things to avoid feeling or to find something to make me feel alive?  Well I don't think I'm entirely fixed. I still cram a lot into my life and I am still my own worst critic. But in general I have more days that I feel happy than not.  And on those bad days,  I now have a tool that acts as a salve as and when I need it. 

I just slip my boots on, put a pack on my back and walk. Whether that's entirely on my own or with company, it's the act of slowing down, breathing, feeling the pull of nature, having that tingle of adventure and simply becoming at one with my surroundings that works. 

Walking is the best form of therapy there is. It's free and entirely natural. 

I've written this because I want people to realise that mental health issues come in a variety of ways. Even if someone looks 100% fine to the outside world, inside they may not be. But if you have a niggling sense that perhaps all is not well, I suggest you take that person on a walk. And if that person is you, take yourself on a walk.  You may just find yourself again.

If you are a woman who likes walking and enjoys the benefits it brings, feel free to join the free Glamoraks group over on Facebook. 

I'd love to hear how walking has helped your mental health, so feel free to share it in the comments below.