Hello and welcome back to my blog😊. I thought this might be a good opportunity, having achieved my 2023 walking challenge, to look back on my walking year.

I began 2023 with the objective of walking 1,000 miles during the year. I had done this for the first time in 2022 and had enjoyed the challenge, so I thought why not do it again.

By the time I had reached the end of June I was way ahead of my target so I decided to increase the target mileage from 1,000 miles to 1,800 miles and then again, a month later, to 2,000 miles.

So, just what sort of commitment was needed to walk this distance? A few simple calculations can illustrate this.

Assume that you walk on 9 out of 10 days you will need to walk on 329 days of the year. On the day’s that you do walk, you will need to walk a minimum of 6 miles. Assuming you walk at 3 mph this will take just over 2 hours per day to do.

I think the numbers speak for themselves – it was a BIG commitment.

This is before you start to take into account the vagaries of the British weather. I needed to keep walking daily even when it was raining and the paths were boggy with mud – as it has been for most of October, November and December. When it was scorching hot it was easy to do an early morning walk to avoid the heat of the day. I started to become fixated with the weather forecast!

Some days I struggled to motivate myself to go out walking (usually when I was feeling tired) but these were few and far between. I would find that after a few miles I was back into the groove again.

Thankfully, I did not to pick up any injuries during the year.

Walking outside for 2 hours plus a day certainly puts you more in tune with nature allowing you to absorb the sights, sounds and smells that vary from month to month in the countryside. Harvest time is particularly interesting.

Whilst walking I found I could think clearly with thoughts drifting into and out of my head. Most people are by now aware of the enormous positive benefits of walking, both for the mind as well as the body.

Of course, walking in new places is a great way to explore this wonderful country of ours and build cherished memories. I was fortunate during the year to visit many beautiful places and to do some great walks. The 2,000 mile walking challenge is indeed a challenge but the experiences along the way are what makes it special.

In February myself and Angela went walking on the Lincolnshire coast. The section between Anderby Creek and Chapel St Leonards is particularly nice and at that time of year you can find yourself with the beach to yourself.

In May we visited the Yorkshire Wolds where the dry chalk valleys are a joy to walk.

One of my favourite places to walk is The Peak District. It is easily accessible and there are some great walks with cracking views.

In May we returned to East Yorkshire because we had decided that we would like to walk The Yorkshire Wolds Way -so that is what we are doing in short sections as and when we can. We love Thixendale, Fridaythorpe and Huggate and never tire of walking these Wolds.

Walking The Dales Way (83 miles) in the summer was an additional challenge that gave my mileage a boost. It was great walking from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere in one continuous walk even though I was fed up with crossing stiles by the end of it!

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan – like when I fell off when crossing a stile into God knows what!

In September myself and Angela returned to the Peak District.

October saw myself and Angela in Northumberland in wet and windy conditions following Storm Babet. The walk from Alnmouth to Caister and back was particularly scenic. We visited Rothbury and walked from there to Simonside and along the tops of Dove Crag and The Beacon in the mist.

Finally, I visited Church Stretton in November and enjoyed a couple of walks taking in The Stiperstones and The Lawley.

One of the benefits of the challenge has been that it has prompted me to search out local walks which has allowed me to explore more of my local area.

Mick has accompanied me of many of my local walks and I have enjoyed the chat!

I am building up a nice little library of walks and have a greater appreciation of my area and its history.

I have enjoyed walking along The Grantham Canal ( I have now walked the full 33 mile length from Grantham to the river Trent in Nottingham) and because I have enjoyed using the canal, and will continue to use the canal, I decided that I would volunteer for The Grantham Canal Society who do great work in restoring and maintaining this canal. So, I am now a volunteer 😊.http://www.granthamcanal.org/v17/

Back in June, prompted by my daughter, I started writing the oldblokewalking Blog and have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my journey. Blogging is something that I had never done before so I was on a learning curve. But, like most things in life you soon get up to speed .

It is especially gratifying when people say that they enjoy my walks vicariously (sometimes because they are unable to get out themselves) and, in a way, go on the journey with me.

Because I get so much from walking I have now put myself forward to be a walks leader for Wellbeing walks with my local medical centre. If I can help others to experience the joy of walking that would be give me immense satisfaction.

Volunteering for The Grantham Canal Society and Wellbeing Walks are both unexpected, but welcome, consequences of doing the challenge.

So, I have plenty to look forward to in 2024. It will see me enjoying more walks and getting into my volunteering activities.

I hope that you will continue to follow my walks via this blog.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Happy Walking!

The Data