Author Topic: Solo Walking  (Read 6219 times)

tonyk

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #15 on: 21:04:08, 25/12/07 »
 Lone females have very little risk when walking alone in the British countryside.Over the years I have advised several and they all completed their walks safely.

 Its commonsense really,basic rules of self protection,keep aware,check the route out with the local Police for any intelligence regarding reports of  attacks and on going investigations.Carry a mobile phone,camp well away from roads,etc.

 The real danger when walking alone,and this applies to men and women,is falling over and injuring yourself.Make sure you have a good first aid kit and know how to make a splint and deal with serious cuts.There is also the risk of not noticing hypothermia when walking alone.Despite that I have done it for the last 25 years and only had one or two accidents that haven't been too serious.
 

Mr. Blister

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #16 on: 09:18:31, 26/12/07 »
I constantly stop to identify, and sometimes record, any ferns I pass, not to mention taking closer looks at wild flowers, butterflies, tree, birds. 

Howard, you've sussed it!  Now if only had a lifelong interest in ferns, my problem would be solved!  ;)

Really, you've got to be the sort of person who's quite happy with their own company.  I marvel at landscapes, trees, historical features, the weather, and I wouldn't notice half these things if I was walking and jawing with one or more other people.  If I want to talk to anyone, I can do it to myself inside my head, or very very occasionally, out loud.

This is a great point, and luckily for me I am very happy with my own company - I've lived alone for years, and so it is merely a matter of finding confidence with my own abilities .. which kind of brings me onto my next point.

how do other's feel about person safety and solo walking?

I think Tonyk has hit many points.  The danger lies in what we don't take with us, and how we use that which we have!  Danger lies in how we react in a particular situation, and how we adapt.  If the weather changes unexpectedly then we should have been already prepared for the eventuality, if we manage to hurt ourselves then we should have the rudiments of knowledge of how to help it.  But for me the most significant danger to the solo walker is themselves in the decisions we make.

KKM: If I saw you doing a kata on some hill somewhere, I'd be more frightened of you  :o



summitzero

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #17 on: 12:05:47, 27/12/07 »
I second TonyK

I now a couple of girls/women who go solo walking and they love it, they say as long as you are aware of any situtation then everything goes well... Also i would like to think that there are not that many bad people out on the hills, as most could'nt be assed going up them in the first place.

And yep its very important to have some first aid knowlegde  O0
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mike knipe

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #18 on: 00:13:59, 28/12/07 »
I know a fair number of women who go walking alone. They seem quite relaxed about it. I dont think they're in any greater danger than men. Reports of attacks in the hills (other than by cattle) are very thin on the ground.   I suspect that walkers are statistically less likely to attack anybody than  the population in general (just a theory, I dont have any actual facts! but people who spend their time studying rocks, birds, flowers and singing to themselves when nobody else is around don't seem quite as dangerous as your average bored yoof hanging around outside the chip shop looking for something to break).
People staying in bothies seem most likely to come across yobs, nutters and thieves - have a look at the MBA's forum for examples. Galloway bothies in particular - which are often quite remote -  seem to be a centre for drunken, drug-fuelled idiocy and violence and are visited regularly, or at least occasionally by the police.
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walkinggirluk

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #19 on: 00:22:12, 28/12/07 »
I done a bit of solo walking and yeah it is quite relaxing from time to time I also.  Enjoy the company of others.  That's way I did a meet up on here, sorry to go of topic here, back on topic of solo walking I think it's more of a push with you're self and able to complete things with in your own limit were if you go with other's they encourage you to carry on but can also push you back I think it depends on what you like.  I kinder of like solo walking not done any LDP walk but  ask summit about this or T-DUDE as they done quite a bit OS solo walking, were I've only done day ones as I like the company,  of others plus I let T-DUDE do all the work, he love's it though.
« Last Edit: 00:42:33, 28/12/07 by walkinggirluk »
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mike knipe

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #20 on: 00:54:56, 28/12/07 »
Quite right, walkinggirl (is that spelled properly by the way?)  - its a balance innit? Sometimes you want to be alone and other times you like to have company. I think thats just about right. 
I think , though, that if you're about to do a long-distance walk, you have to be very choosy indeed about who you go with. Ive seen a lot of friendships ended on  long distance walks.  People's ability to wind each other up can be magnified several times when you're suffering from wet socks, smellie undies, aching shoulders  and weeping blisters. The question is - how long can you put up with somebody else's snoring,  whingeing, arguing about the route and  general [censored] about before you have to sabotage their rucksack with big rocks and/or wee in their porridge in the morning? (email me privately for instructions on how to do this!!)
If this is less than a couple of days, then you're much better by yourself, even though there might be a mentalist hiding behind every tree and boulder waiting to rip off your socks and make love to your toes whilst infecting you with influenza, salmonella and soft gums (gingivitis)...
Sorry, got carried away there a bit....
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walkinggirluk

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #21 on: 01:24:08, 28/12/07 »
I'm not all that Experience, my self but the over all view on doing a solo walking is like you said is balance with that person who you intend to do that walk with , where if you did it a lone you can set a pas  to on you're own and to do it in you're own time limit were if you're not use talk alone a partnership  can help but also fail like you said friendships have ended on thing's like this which is true to an extinct, people even walk faster than other people plus the training they take up may be different than there walking companions.  I did the WHW and got an ankle injury which my partner was welling to take extra day for this,  but when he did the PW he set a time limit for him self which his friend had to go a long with and with little out door pursuit he did rather well.  Until he got an injury him self were my partner did say he liked being on his own but felt like he needed someone there.  Now wether this was due to him starting of with someone and finishing on his own is up for a different discussion.  People have there own paste to set there stander with that's with someone or not I still think it a push if you did it alone more than with some but it entirely up that individual for there limits on what they what out of there walk.  But yeah I know were you're coming from mike. 
« Last Edit: 02:04:05, 28/12/07 by walkinggirluk »
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Solofool

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #22 on: 11:26:05, 28/12/07 »
I find that as i live and work with the other half walking solo is like therapy for me, peace, quiet, fresh air, exercise blah blah.

I suppose i am a bit of a loner and enjoy my own company, i can walk at my own speed, eat when i want, pitch when and where i want and go to sleep and wake up when i want.

I love wild camping and going solo means less chance of being spotted, and if the weather is crap then i only have to argue with my self about making my way back to the car.

As to danger there is an element to it, getting lost by yourself or worse being injured, but common sense should prevail, and to be honest unless you have lost your map and compass and sense of direction you should be able to crawl to safety in almost any part of this country, and if you cant (ie on a steep ridge) you should really ask yourself 'should i have really come up here on my own?'

And if you get trapped by rocks, you could always do what that climber in canada (i think) done, After waiting a few days for rescue after getting his hand trapped by rocks he pulled out his trusty swish army knife and cut the hand off at the wrist, tied up the loose bits and walked off the mountain.



mike knipe

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #23 on: 12:02:10, 28/12/07 »
Its true that you can be more discreet about wild camping when you're by yourself and it can be much easier to make decisions, so I agree with solofool's reasons for backpacking solo.
 I suppose there is a risk that you could be taken ill or fall off something - or whatever, in which case you'd probably be stuffed.
In England, you'd expect that most of the time its likely that somebody would be around to help you out but I'm not sure thats always the case. Its on the news today, for instance that a chap who's body was found frozen into a puddle in the Lakes had probably been there since 22 November when he first went missing.
And - in August, I camped in the Black Mount for four days on what I thought would be a popular path which goes through from Victoria Bridge to Loch Etive - and I saw nobody at all. Not a sausage. I'd have been right up poo corner if I'd had an accident...
Worth it, though.
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kkm

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #24 on: 19:11:11, 29/12/07 »
ok so the general concensus is that i'm a scardy cat........ ;D

i think i need alot more practise and experience before i start going off on my own....... but it is something i might maybe consider in the future (dont tell my mum though - she really wouldn't like it.................. :-X).

thanks for all the advice though guy's its greatly appreciated  O0

summitzero

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #25 on: 14:42:49, 30/12/07 »
there might be a mentalist hiding behind every tree and boulder waiting to rip off your socks and make love to your toes whilst infecting you with influenza, salmonella and soft gums (gingivitis)...
Sorry, got carried away there a bit....

My god man, where do you walk  ;D ;D
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Mr. Blister

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #26 on: 18:53:39, 30/12/07 »
LMAO!!!  ;D  Ace!

Let's see, yesterday, I did my solo venture .. 15 miles or so from Bainton - Beverley.  The weather was appauling, virtually constant rain.  Quite invigorating at time.  To be honest, I think I lost the plot, I was so much singing softly to myself, as I was yelling into the wind.

As a walk it was as I expected, more to offer than the Beverley 20 had, but still rather soft on the feet - no great ascents or anything (it's East Yorkshire innit  :-\) I went with great intentions of pace counting, fossil hunting, poking under rocks, but I just kind of ended up marching, with only one rest stop in a little wood.

Was excellent though, the weather made me feel alive, every icy drop of rain on my skin made me walk that much harder .. am suffering for it today a bit mind.  O0

ukmase

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #27 on: 20:18:03, 30/12/07 »
Sounds like someone as started his training already Mr B.  O0

Mr. Blister

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #28 on: 10:41:55, 31/12/07 »
Sounds like someone as started his training already Mr B.  O0

Not quite, there are various walks I am planning on doing as set 'training' walks - Beverley 20 at some point (with your good self), Howden 20, Minster Way (Bainton -Beverley was a part of it), High Hunsley Circuit (25 miles), but am waiting till the days get a little longer before really getting into them.  I was going to invite you along on some of them.  With the exception of the Minster Way (50 or so milles), all of these are day walks.  The length, rather than the terrain, being the challenge.

 O0

Emma

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Re: Solo Walking
« Reply #29 on: 11:08:31, 01/01/08 »
Did the Hadrian's wall solo. I really did worry about driving myself insane on my own but once I got started it was fine. I was able to chat to many other walkers on the way but equally was able to contemplate life  -which I'm not sure is a good thing or a bad thing. For me I had/have the time to think about things I am always too busy to think about - and without others adding their well-meaning two-penneth!
I'm not sure about the marmite analogy - you either love it or loathe it. I enjoy solo walking, but think I have a slight preference towards walking with others.  :-\

 

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