2021 plans

[henryb]

Each year I make a list of places I'd like to visit. In 2020 I listed places in Scotland, Yorkshire, Peak District and Wales. I didn't get to any of them. I've been restricted to Northern Ireland and ROI. With government advice discouraging people from using public transport I feel its safer being in my car not on a plane/train/bus. It was a case of following my head not heart. In 2021 I was wondering if this state of affairs will be the same and if not, how long will it be until I travel outside of the local country. Is everyone else wondering the same? Realistically could May be a target or will it be longer? I really want to visit Malhamdale in the Yorkshire Dales  when this is over. I was also wondering where over walkers want to visit?

[Slowcoach]

I had 3 trips to the Lakes booked fir this year. I deferred all 3. The first is at the end of March so I don,’t know whether that is too soon to be hopeful.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

Restrictions due to the pandemic will be with us well into 2021, although the degree of lockdown will likely vary. It will take a good proportion of the year to get a big enough proportion of the population vaccinated to suppress transmission of the virus. The more vaccines we have approved, the faster it might be. The Oxford vaccine is much easier to deploy than the Pfizer vaccine, but had a significantly lower effectiveness. We might be OK in the summer and see much reduced infections, as we did in 2020. International travel will take longer to get back to normal.


I think that end of March is pushing it, but nobody really knows.

[Slowcoach]

I read today that the Oxford vaccine if given in two doses gives the same if not better protection than the Pfizer vaccine.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

I read today that the Oxford vaccine if given in two doses gives the same if not better protection than the Pfizer vaccine.

That’s good news. The original reports suggested between 60% and 90% effectiveness for the Oxford vaccine with a median of 72%, which was much lower than the 90 - 95% claimed by Moderna and Pfizer, but still better than a typical flu vaccine.

[Apache]

I am not bothering with restaurants, pubs and foreign travel until the World returns to normal. For example I am not partaking in a £250 per person New Years Eve celebration to end at 11pm with socially distanced table dancing to comply with the Coronavirus restrictions.


So, that will give me circular day walks in the Yorkshire Wolds and hopefully 2 weeks in the caravan in the North Pennines. I hear that Barnard Castle is nice! It is our 40th wedding anniversary in October and we had thought of a cruise, but again, if there is the slightest hint of this madness then something more reliable and closer to home will be needed.

[Pyramut]

I’ve had a trip to the Lakes pushed back to March next year too, hopefully that might go ahead. Other than that, I don’t feel I can really plan much at the moment. HenryB, I know you say you’ve been restricted to walking in Ireland but have been following your posts on walks you’ve been going on there, in particular the Mournes so interesting for me! (Can’t post yet in the Ireland section as I don’t have a high enough level)

[shortwalker]

Hopefully get out and do some full day walks. covid and health permitting.

[richardh1905]

Trips cancelled last year include a holiday cottage on the northern slopes of Cadair Idris, and a tentatively planned trip to Northern Ireland, as well as plans to do lots of weekend camping in the Dales/Lakes/Borders with my family. We did manage to squeeze in a few days in the Highlands during the lull in the pandemic, thouhg.

Not thought about what to do in 2021 so far, as the pandemic is far from over, and my wife now has some care commitments. I'll start making my plans when the vaccine rollout starts to take effect.

[windyrigg]

Yes, I've still got deposits held over for better times in Wasdale and southern Spain.....
Other than that I'm quite inspired for a return to old haunts in the Dark Peak, Edale - Hathersage way.

[Ridge]

Normally when we have a thread about walking in the New Year I put that I want to walk more in the coming year but for once I probably want to walk less.
The majority of my walking this year has been either from home or involved a short car journey so I would like more interesting walks but I would prefer not to have the time to get out a couple of days a week as I have done for most of this year.

[rural roamer]

We were just in the middle of planning to walk the Cleveland Way later in the year when the pandemic first hit, so our plan is now to walk it at some point in 2021. We got the guide book for Christmas so we’ll have to do it now! I wonder if all the B&Bs/ pubs will still be in business though? Beyond that haven't thought any further, will just be happy if we can do that.

[gunwharfman]

Apache, 'until the world returns to normal' you could be waiting a long time? 

I'm keeping my hopes low, just hoping that the Covid peak is over by the end of March.

[Apache]

Apache, 'until the world returns to normal' you could be waiting a long time? 

Quite possibly. But this ties in with your other current thread about doing things differently.


I have learnt that what is important isn't determined by how much you spend or how big your TV/car is. No, it is your time and friendships, relations with relatives. As an example I am not using a barber any more. I am not supporting this madness in having to don a mask in a pub when I need the gents as another example. It will actually improve my life as I value even more real things like sunrise and fresh air and if the pub isn't 'normal' then I won't miss it.


I think that you are almost correct in your assumption about March as well. I see Tier 1 in most of the country by the end of April. I doubt very much if it will be raised above that come the Autumn. The big unknown will be social distancing, masks and the rule of 6. When will we have Tier 0?

[Birdman]

I cancelled a long (~4 months) solo walk in the USA in 2020. Originally I wanted to move it to 2021 but I have decided to shift it to 2022 at earliest. For 2021 I currently have no international plans. But at least in the coming months I'll be doing many day-walks close to home.