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Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

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Halicarnassus
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Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#44367

Postby Halicarnassus » April 7th, 2017, 1:37 pm

Anyone else into walking?

I love it. I used to climb the mountains back home in Scotland. Kind of restricted here in Australia with the heat, plus the tops are all covered in rainforest which gives you no views for the most part.

I like walking around city centres and being the flâneur too. Or better still country towns or villages.

redsturgeon
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#44410

Postby redsturgeon » April 7th, 2017, 4:03 pm

I walk 3 to 6 miles every day with the dog. I am very fortunate where I live in that although I am a mile from the city centre, I can cross the road and walk straight into the countryside for some really beautiful walks. I can walk one way onto the Clarendon Way and the other onto the South Downs Way, if I fancy a river walk then there is the Itchen Way. I have walked the 26 mile Clarendon Way in a day and once cycled the 100 plus miles of the SDW in a day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarendon_Way
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-downs-way
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itchen_Way

John

Halicarnassus
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#44517

Postby Halicarnassus » April 8th, 2017, 12:13 am

Sounds like you are in a great spot. My brother lives only a 5 minutes walk from the West Highland Way. There is something great about just walking without the planning paraphernalia. I read a great book last year: The Art of Wandering by Merlin Coverley, that explores all there is to know about walking, from the long distance walkers to the forever walkers to the tramp. I recommend it if you like reading.

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#44549

Postby redsturgeon » April 8th, 2017, 8:04 am

Halicarnassus wrote:Sounds like you are in a great spot. My brother lives only a 5 minutes walk from the West Highland Way. There is something great about just walking without the planning paraphernalia. I read a great book last year: The Art of Wandering by Merlin Coverley, that explores all there is to know about walking, from the long distance walkers to the forever walkers to the tramp. I recommend it if you like reading.


Thanks

John

Halicarnassus
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#45543

Postby Halicarnassus » April 12th, 2017, 3:22 pm

Hi John
Just thought I'd mention, I came across free eBook on amazon tonight and thought you might be interested in it. The first chapter is on the South Downs route. By a local.

Travelled Far: A Collection Of Hiking Adventures
https://www.amazon.com.au/Travelled-Far ... B01N4S4QWZ

Dod1010
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#45595

Postby Dod1010 » April 12th, 2017, 5:32 pm

I had a hip replacement last Autumn and walking is part of the therapy. I have kept it up ever since. Like Redsturgeon I walk 3/6 miles daily depending on how I feel and the weather. I am fortunate to live 10 minutes from the Starters Box at Gleneagles and so walk on (or rather around) the courses mostly. I will try to find the Art of Wandering. I am a sucker for book recs.

Dod

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#45864

Postby Halicarnassus » April 14th, 2017, 2:07 am

Dod1010 wrote:I had a hip replacement last Autumn and walking is part of the therapy. I have kept it up ever since. Like Redsturgeon I walk 3/6 miles daily depending on how I feel and the weather. I am fortunate to live 10 minutes from the Starters Box at Gleneagles and so walk on (or rather around) the courses mostly. I will try to find the Art of Wandering. I am a sucker for book recs.

Dod


A lovely neck of the woods. You are fortunate to live in such an beautiful area.

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46209

Postby BrummieDave » April 16th, 2017, 6:11 pm

I'm a 2,500 mile a year man, just back from some tramping in NZ (South Island). South Downs Way in May, then Italy (Dolomites) and Spain (Andalusia) later in the year. Planning some hiking in India for next March. It's my life.

Halicarnassus
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46261

Postby Halicarnassus » April 16th, 2017, 11:45 pm

BrummieDave wrote:I'm a 2,500 mile a year man, just back from some tramping in NZ (South Island). South Downs Way in May, then Italy (Dolomites) and Spain (Andalusia) later in the year. Planning some hiking in India for next March. It's my life.


Kudos :D

How do you find walking in the British Isles compared to more foreign places?

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46446

Postby BrummieDave » April 17th, 2017, 4:54 pm

As I live in GB, I suppose that's one of those questions you never consider until someone asks, and so it's made me think.

The greatest difference is, I think, that walking in foreign places is, to me, more associated with being on holiday, compared to walking in Britain which, even if away from home, isn't as 'holiday-like' as being abroad primarily due to the familiarity of the scenery, food, transport systems, language etc. and I very much enjoy holidaying.

My choice of where to walk, other than from my front door of course, is largely driven by two things, scenery (it's views I seek rather than flowers, architecture, history, canals, railways etc.) and weather (I prefer to walk in dry, preferably warm, conditions). So the Alps in spring (mostly Austria) has become a favourite, as has Croatia and both Mallorca and Ibiza as well as mainland Spain, and further flung places when it's cold and wet at home. Back in the British Isles, although I'm very familiar with walking in some parts (Lake District, Cotswolds, Peak District, Chilterns), in recent years I've steered clear of Scotland and Wales mostly due to the unpredictable weather, previous experience of wasted wet weekends in both, and my current need to plan ahead and thus be at the mercy of the elements. As other commitments on my time start to reduce, and with this increased flexibility of going away at short notice, I hope to redress this and take advantage of near term dry weather forecasts.

My one exception to the dry weather preference is NZ, particularly South Island, where I would happily walk in any weather just be be there. The perfect blend of scenery, people, and lifestyle IMHO. One other exception is that I try very hard to avoid coastal walks, particularly in rugged areas like Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, as I find the up and down effort, and in and out of narrow bays, to be far less less enjoyable than scaling an inland peak, or walking a beautiful valley, for example.

So after Italy and Spain again this year, and India next year, next on the list is more walking in the USA where I have done some, but not as much as I'd like, and Canada where I have done none. Having skied in both countries, I'd like to visit some of the same resorts (Vail, Breckenridge etc in USA and Whilstler, Banff in Canada) in summer to explore the same areas on foot.

So that's me, how about you?

Halicarnassus
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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46524

Postby Halicarnassus » April 18th, 2017, 5:48 am

Must be great to get yourself away to all of those locations. I once was on military skiing training in Bavaria for 3 weeks and on day one I broke my thumb. After an quick op I found myself left behind every day as the troops headed off to the piste. But you can't keep a man down: I hill-walked the Austrian German border for the next two weeks. :D

I've lived in Australia almost 10 years now and I've yet to make the trip to NZ. A friend on mine goes walking there twice a year in the Nelson Lakes area.

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46569

Postby bungeejumper » April 18th, 2017, 11:41 am

The wife and I spend a couple of weeks every summer camping and walking in southern France, - a little way up from the frying-pan Mediterranean zone and more toward the temperate edge of Aubrac. Beautiful green rolling hills and a 1500 foot climb any time you feel the need for one. ;) We generally aim to get 100 miles in during the two weeks, so we're not pushing ourselves particularly hard. (Rather, we spend a lot of time finding secluded spots to picnic and read a book, something I rarely have the time to do at home.) And then, usually, over to Burgundy, where the forest walking around Morvan is spectacular.

A few years ago I lost some of my left lung to pneumonia, and it all started to look a bit less possible, because I'd been fairly bad for a while. But the hospital insisted that I should keep on pushing myself on the local footpaths, and sure enough, within ten weeks of getting home we were off again to France. The first day's 10 miles nearly flattened me, but on day two we did 15 miles with a thousand foot climb and I knew I was getting back to normal. Oh bliss!

BJ

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46590

Postby Halicarnassus » April 18th, 2017, 12:33 pm

Great experiences shared in here, thanks.

For a long time now I've wanted to complete 2 long distance routes, Up until now I have only walked one, the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William.

The two I am thinking of are both routes associated with the Edinburgh writer, Robert Louis Stevenson (Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Jekyll and Hyde)

#1. The Stevenson Trail in the South of France which follows his route in Travels with a Donkey An exceptional trail through the Massif Central, 272 km from Puy-en-Velay to Alès... Crossing 4 departments: Haute-Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Gard. http://www.chemin-stevenson.org/en/

#2. The Stevenson way in Scotland following the fictional route of Davie Balfour from the novel Kidnapped from Mull to Edinburgh. Over 230 miles ( 370 km) in length. http://www.stevensonway.org.uk/

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46609

Postby bungeejumper » April 18th, 2017, 1:05 pm

Halicarnassus wrote:#1. The Stevenson Trail in the South of France which follows his route in Travels with a Donkey An exceptional trail through the Massif Central, 272 km from Puy-en-Velay to Alès... Crossing 4 departments: Haute-Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Gard. http://www.chemin-stevenson.org/en//

Ah yes, the Stevenson trail goes right past my mate's crumbling house in Florac. That southern leg is an incredible route, passing through both the red stone of Lozere and the limestone of the Causse, and also stacked with prehistory. (Those neolithics knew a thing or two about landscape.) And the Cevennes was also a major centre for the French resistance during WWII.

To my shame, I've only driven most of that area, not walked very much of it, but it's pretty damn good. And then suddenly you emerge from the mountains and you' can practically smell the Mediterranean air, and the roofs of the houses have changed from grey to bright southern red, and the southern light has suddenly arrived. Recommended!

BJ

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46612

Postby Halicarnassus » April 18th, 2017, 1:08 pm

bungeejumper wrote:
Halicarnassus wrote:#1. The Stevenson Trail in the South of France which follows his route in Travels with a Donkey An exceptional trail through the Massif Central, 272 km from Puy-en-Velay to Alès... Crossing 4 departments: Haute-Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Gard. http://www.chemin-stevenson.org/en//

Ah yes, the Stevenson trail goes right past my mate's crumbling house in Florac. That southern leg is an incredible route, passing through both the red stone of Lozere and the limestone of the Causse, and also stacked with prehistory. (Those neolithics knew a thing or two about landscape.) And the Cevennes was also a major centre for the French resistance during WWII.

To my shame, I've only driven most of that area, not walked very much of it, but it's pretty damn good. And then suddenly you emerge from the mountains and you' can practically smell the Mediterranean air, and the roofs of the houses have changed from grey to bright southern red, and the southern light has suddenly arrived. Recommended!

BJ


+1 :)

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46657

Postby BrummieDave » April 18th, 2017, 3:24 pm

Great thread developing here!

BJ, glad to hear that walking has become part of a successful rehab. What better and more enjoyable way to boost your lung performance? Why do people pay to join gyms when you can be outside exercising and admiring the views? I walked in the Dordogne (mostly around La Roque-Gageac) and in the Massif Central not too far away. Both stunningly beautiful and very different.

Halicarassus, interested to hear about your German Austrian border experience. For each of the last three years I've been to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and walked extensively around the Zugspitze Arena (the Zugspitze being Germany's highest peak, split in two by the German Austrian border). Deep blue lakes, some challenging peaks, and gorgeous valleys. Were you anywhere near there?

With regard to you being in Australia, you really should get over to NZ and enjoy what they have to offer. Take a look at Wanaka and its surroundings. Less populated with tourists than Queenstown and Fiordland, and much more rewarding IMHO. My only walking experience in Australia to date is the much trodden tourist path from Bondi to Coogee. Great beer at the end at the Pavilion!

In terms of long distance paths, it's a little known fact that Japan has the most (officially recognised) of any country and is another on my very lengthy list!

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46785

Postby Halicarnassus » April 19th, 2017, 12:14 am

BrummieDave wrote:
Halicarassus, interested to hear about your German Austrian border experience. For each of the last three years I've been to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and walked extensively around the Zugspitze Arena (the Zugspitze being Germany's highest peak, split in two by the German Austrian border). Deep blue lakes, some challenging peaks, and gorgeous valleys. Were you anywhere near there?


We stayed in a place called Bad Hindelang which is way over west from where you were . It's near Sonthofen (Hospital) where they fixed my broken thumb. :D Lovely quiet alpine tracks to walk along. I particularly remember the shrines that seemed to be everywhere.

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#46803

Postby Halicarnassus » April 19th, 2017, 3:47 am

It was Kranzegg actually, not that Bad place. :D

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#47368

Postby Clitheroekid » April 20th, 2017, 7:42 pm

BrummieDave wrote:So the Alps in spring (mostly Austria) has become a favourite, as has Croatia and both Mallorca and Ibiza

I'm intrigued. As both a keen walker and a regular visitor to Ibiza I'd be really interested to know where you walk there and whether you devise your own routes or follow ones that are published.

I've never really thought of doing `proper' walking there, probably because I've never seen anyone else doing it or noticed any real footpath network, but I love the island and would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

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Re: Hillwalkers Ramblers Flâneurs

#47469

Postby Halicarnassus » April 21st, 2017, 9:03 am

I have recently read a book that dealt, for the most part, in the British Agents on Crete during the German occupation in WWII. The extraordinary feats of endurance and surviving on the run amid the mountain ranges was mind boggling. Just like goats with guns. :D


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