Author Topic: How did everyone start walking?  (Read 14758 times)

Achiles74

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How did everyone start walking?
« on: 16:35:23, 04/12/11 »
General question here, just wondering what inspired everyone on here to take up walking actively for leisure or fitness?
Quite often you get life changing situations which inspire you to take up walking (mountain or level) whether that be illness, getting fit, a life challenge or another.
Myself I moved near to the Long Mynd and started walking the small hills around the area, enjoyed and carried it onto more challenging ascents in Snowdonia.
 
Has become a bit of a obsession now but I guess you can be addicted to far worse things. ;)

Ridge

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #1 on: 16:41:37, 04/12/11 »
I'm sure I've said this before but I went walking with my parents from being very young, we lived in Sheffienld and could walk from the house in to Derbyshire. I remember being shocked at Junior School when they took us out for a walk and only 2 of us had walking boots, I just thought they were something everyone had.
 
As I got older I went camping with my Dad and the Boys Brigade and, at about 15 started to go off walking and camping on my own or with friends.
 
I now walk mostly with my son as the ladies in our family are not as keen as he and him.

Exit5man

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #2 on: 16:46:02, 04/12/11 »

My mum and dad got me into it very early in my life and i enjoyed it so much there was no stopping me .
Everyday when i wake up i thank the Lord im Welsh .

Never walk under a black cat :-)

HumperLumper

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #3 on: 16:49:05, 04/12/11 »

My mum and dad got me into it very early in my life and i enjoyed it so much there was no stopping me .
;D ;D

Bruno Blackstone

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #4 on: 16:56:38, 04/12/11 »
Mainly for pleasure


However, spotting birds and other wildlife is a key part of why I keep doing it
Bruno Blackstone
http://www.myoutdoorstore.co.uk [nofollow]

Cheviot Stroller

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #5 on: 17:06:02, 04/12/11 »

My mum and dad got me into it very early in my life and i enjoyed it so much there was no stopping me .




 ;D ;D


Luckily, I haven't looked back from that early learning experience either......barring a few minor accidents and injuries, nothing major has interrupted my ability to walk and I thank the powers that be for that  O0


I was also taken on walks when I was a child and, in turn, I took my 3 daughters walking when they were young.  However, even though I completed a 27 mile hike in 2009, I would say that I really didn't take up walking as a serious hobby until this year and I can only say that it was the best thing I ever did.....I'm addicted to it, I'm enjoying myself and I now feel as though I'm living my life instead of just getting through life  :)


I consider myself very lucky that my ability to walk hasn't been taken away from me through accident or injury and I hope that this situation will continue for a considerable time to come  O0
Work to live, live to walk

http://ramblingnana.blogspot.co.uk/

Sleepy

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #6 on: 17:10:36, 04/12/11 »
 :-\  I started with beavers (all those years ago) I think our dad got me and my brother into it to kindle the interest and it went from there, I stopped at 15/16 ish when I got to venture scouts and was disappointed to find their idea of camping was to pitch a tent, set fire to things and drink more than they could handle  ::)


I'd been meaning to get myself back into it for years though I'd carried on with camping and other outdoor activities but not hill walking when, earlier this year, I started going out with a girl who was even more comfortable outdoors than I am, she'd done all three DofE awards and gone on to helping out with the expeditions, was into canoeing and other water sports, had done the M.L. course and was a qualified climbing instructor - so that was me thrown back into it and I'm very pleased about that  O0


Just a shame she turned out to be such a selfish, self centred..........  ::)


I'm now so busy outdoors or on a climbing wall that it's difficult to pin me down  :D

botty

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #7 on: 17:14:29, 04/12/11 »
My wife and I already had a common hobby in watching Rugby, but when our son was in the throws of planning to go to University we decided that we'd also take up walking - which was only two and a half years ago. In that time we've been on 11 walking holidays and are already planning next years - just love it.

stroller52

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #8 on: 17:46:28, 04/12/11 »
My Dad was a scout leader all his adult life so when I was very young (from about 4 yrs old) and there was little money to spare our only family holiday was to join him at the annual scout camp.  I got used to living outdoors, then joined scouts and the local youth club and did a reasonable amount of hiking and camping with them.  From about 18 life got in the way and despite one or two outings I only got back into walking about 7 years ago mostly with work colleagues and have continued walking into retirement.  The underlying impetus now is to take any walking opportunities that arise whilst I still can ::) O0

alexw123

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #9 on: 18:37:28, 04/12/11 »
My walking career has had a number of incarnations.  I started by going out walking up hills in Scotland with my father.  I also spent most summers in Pitlochry with my grandfather where walking was an intrinsic part of what we did.  Then Scouts and school hill walking equipped me to be self sufficient in the arts of navigation, camping and general survival.
 
At university I became a rock tiger.  I climbed rock, snow & Ice and did high tops.  If it didn't require ropes or else wasn't above 3,000 feet I wasn't interested.
 
Then I discovered women and didn't do much walking/ climbing, but did start running - I did a couple of marathons and was busy doing half marathons and 10k events, but trained mostly off road.
 
Then I went on a family holiday to Cornwall (as a result of the aforementioned discovery of women - one woman in particular) and found the South West Coastal Path (although I didn't realise at the time that that was what it was).  Shortly after I suffered a serious arm break while out running.  During my rehab I researched the SWCP and committed to walking it as part of my recovery (and for charity).
 
That led me to discover the other National Trails and waymarked routes and the revelation that a walk didn't have to be high to be pleasurable.
 
Ever since I have gained great joy from walking regularly on low level routes including small hills, canal and riversides and even urban routes.  I'm out doing something most weekends and do at least 2 long distance trails each year.
« Last Edit: 18:56:11, 04/12/11 by alexw123 »

WelshNeil

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #10 on: 18:49:16, 04/12/11 »
South Wales Fire Service, College & University...

Duke of edinburgh:
When I was 15 I did the Bronze award with the fire service, 16 with college and at 18, 19, 21 and 22 I did the gold with the university of glamorgan (18). The fire service asked me to join them at 19, 21 and 22.

Ever since doing this (and inbetween) i took part in many walks and began to plan my own... Soon as i could drive at 23 the national park world was my oyster!!

Again with the fire service (and a little with uni) i took park in many other outdoor activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, zip wiring, bridge building and so much more fun you could do with ropes. We did some kayaking too.

Still enjoy all of those activities to date.

You can take with you all the gear money can buy, but what's the point if you don't take a camera?

Photographs = Memories

cuddlykoala

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #11 on: 19:36:13, 04/12/11 »
I walked with parents from a younster over the local fields, then when a teenager gone involved with cycle touring, cycled one weekend to Wetton in the Peak District then to Edale and with a friend at 16 approx. we went up Kinder.  After that was in a Youth Hosteling Walking Group for 9years, then my own group for 2 years followed my a few months in Australia. Lost my job and so called friends and the means to get away.  So now walk locally with my dog.

footix2

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #12 on: 20:04:24, 04/12/11 »
Basically I did a minimal amount of walking until this year. This is despite me being born in the shadow of the Lake District and living there most of my life.

It was only when only returning from living in Scotland that my interest was piqued and only this year that I took a fancy to it, specifically hillwalking. I had only vaguely heard of Alfred Wainwright due to the Coast to Coast (I live a few miles from St Bees) and wasn't really aware of his pictorial guides. That was until I saw Miss Bradbury's Wainwright Walks programs.

They really got me interested and I purchased myself a Western Fells guide, a map, a cheap pair of boots and a some other bits of kit and off I went.
82/214

rdpounder

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #13 on: 20:08:43, 04/12/11 »
I used to do loads of coastal walking with my dad on family holidays to Cornwall - I can still remember the burning feeling in my legs as my little legs struggled with keeping up with his long strides!  Then being a teenager came upon me and most things outdoorsy got ditched in favour of being in a band and generally doing things a lot less healthy.  Post university I re-gained my interest in mountain biking, which I still occasionally do for a change from walking.  My friend Ruth (Ruthr on here) and I started doing basic walks together and with friends in and around where we live.  Ruth and I (and her daughter) had been on a couple of holidays together and it was Ruth's idea to travel up to Snowdonia (a place where she'd spent many family holidays as a child) for a getaway one October/November.  From that point on I was totally bitten by the bug... and I'm not just talking about the mountains.  ;)   In only a few years since then we've had more amazing adventures in the hills and lakes (and sometimes caves!) of the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia and the Lake District, than I could ever have dreamed were possible. 

I strongly believe that kids should be exposed to mother nature in all it's glory from a young age, it's potentially live changing stuff if you can catch them young enough before the teen years.  Many will probably drift from it as a teen as I did, but it stays lodged in you somewhere I think.
« Last Edit: 20:20:40, 04/12/11 by rdpounder »

bear.cub

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Re: How did everyone start walking?
« Reply #14 on: 20:13:59, 04/12/11 »
Lived in the North East of Zimbabwe, used to go into the bush (bundu in Zim speak) with my little dog; a Schipperke; and an air rifle to shoot guinea fowl for tea. The dog was amazing, used to look after me and kill small snakes.
I've never known such a bear for getting in a mess. Mr Brown referencing Paddington Bear

 

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