Introduction

Hi there, my name is Keith and this is my walking journal.

I live in Stourbridge in the West Midlands with my wife Liz. I have been a motor vehicle engineer, a college lecturer and a driving instructor of 10 years. I am now retired and looking forward to exploring my hobbies and interests.

I have had an interest in photography and the outdoors for many years, walking a lot in Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District. I also completed the Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon) in under 24 hours for charity.

Whilst at college I got involved with outward bound and introduced the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme to students, where we used to take groups away for weekend activities.

Previously in 1989 I did a weeks Mountain Leadership course at Palas Y Brenin Mountain Activities Centre, Snowdonia, in 1991 I had tried to walk the Cumbria Way but made mistakes such as carrying all my equipment and spare clothes etc. I did 2 days of the walk with a 65 litres rucksack but developed blisters so I went home despondent and never thought about it again.

As time was passing me by I started to rekindle my thoughts of walking long distances, so in the early part of 2011, at the age of 62 I decided I would like to try again a long distance walk, that of the Dales Way, My only concern was that I am a townie and the thought of cattle grazing in fields where I want to walk was a little daunting, but I’ve overcome this issue now after all the walks I’ve done .

I had walked sections of the Dales Way during DOE weekends usually between Kettlewell and Bolton Abbey. I always liked the idea of walking the full length (82 miles), finishing at Bowness where hopefully my wife would meet me. I wanted to dip my feet in Lake Windermere prior to Liz and I sailing along the lake to my favourite place in Ambleside, where I would celebrate my 63rd birthday with a few days break to recover.