Moorland Immersion

05/09/2025

Just spent a delightful morning with a corporate group form London staying at Alston Youth Hostel.

A 5 mile loop along the railway line and up to Epiacum, back along the Pennine way for lunch at alstonhouse. So refreshing to spend time with young career minded people who might not normally have come all this way to enjoy the fresh air.

The weather (and cows 🐄) were kind, so hopefully it’s given them a taste to return again soon.

This was a great collaboration so Thankyou Mat at the Youth Hostel for the referral and bringing up the rear. 🙏

21/08/2025

💦Waterfall Wednesday was replaced with a watery afternoon in and on Ullswater yesterday when I went to meet old friends at Aira Force. It didn’t take long off the beaten path to find some solitude and a lovely time was had by all in a very mild lake!!🐟

I’m going to enjoy the West Coast of Scotland next week but will be back in time for the swim train on the 2nd and if the weather is good, Waterfall Wednesday on the 3rd - please get in touch to book either - Thankyou 🙏

18/08/2025

I’m naming today’s walk with the wonderful Julliette - Inversion Immersion. Whilst others looked down from above at the beautiful cloud inversion we literally found the exact height of the cloud base and basked in its freshness!!

Luckily for me, Julliette is incessantly positive and was able to rhyme off at least 6 reasons why she had a wonderful time. Flapjack being one of them of course 😜

Get in touch if you’d like a bespoke, individual walk of length and terrain and my tantalising company for a half or full day 🙏

*and no, I didn’t need my shades but forgot my other glasses!*

13/08/2025

That was a sublime Waterfall Wednesday with multiple dips, a swim up bar and a flapjack in the sunshine flourish to finish!!

10/08/2025

Wednesday looks scorchio 🔥🔥who’s joining me??

05/08/2025

What a lovely morning walk and swim with an even lovelier likeminded lass!! We stayed in a little too long for the temperature, nattering away, and stomped it back to get the blood circulating again.

Full of gratitude for this beautiful part of the world and the welcome shelter of the buffet car when we arrived back in Slaggyford and the heavens opened!! 🙏

04/08/2025

I’ve been reliably informed that Floris is just a flash in the pan and the rest of the week is going to be practically tropical 🏝️- In a kind of North Penninian way of course!!

Dig out your cossy and your thermals and join me on this weeks offerings:

💧Tuesday - swim train has been replaced with a swim walk from Slaggyford, meeting at 10:15 - £25

💧Wednesday - Watefall Wednesday of course - 10am from Garrigill - £20 (£10 for regulars)

Walks are both flattish and swims are cool and riverish! All supervised and fully insured with complimentary vegan flapjack 🤪

You know you want to! DM to book 🙏

30/07/2025

Nobody booked for Waterfall Wednesday so I took the opportunity to do the river testing for Tyne Rivers Trust in our local burn in front of Beldy Waterfall. Lots of cute wee beasties but not an awful lot of water still.

26/07/2025

A week today, the dot watcher will be a dot to watch, for my first (and possibly last) ultra!

I’ll also be raising sponsorship to support our local squirrels.

Link to donate below:

https://gofund.me/b431f4e2

Link to follow my dot Number 271 below:

https://live.opentracking.co.uk/ittb2025/

20/07/2025

The Niblet (as I’ve affectionately and embarrassingly named her) and I completed a 20 mile stretch of the Isaac’s tea trail last week - (Allendale to Alston) in preparation for my full run/walk in two weeks (!) time. I’m doing it for myself and also the Red Squirrels in the area Alston Moor Red Squirrel Group and so if anyone would like to sponsor me, the link is in the comments . 🙏

16/07/2025

As much as the weather will be fine today, I’ve decided to cancel my waterfall dip due to the heavy rain yesterday. The rivers are still rising as the water comes off the moor and waterfalls and rivers hide dangers. They will be there next week. This is a useful article to help people think about their safety and others when enjoying the water.

www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/summer-safety/

Swimmers wouldn't want their water free of the variables in nature - but knowing more about the risk factors involved in swimming outdoors will help safety