Where did April go?! Here we are in this late-spring, pre-summer period of transition and the temperature seems to fluctuate on a weekly basis. I’m still getting the miles in, of course.

After a loop around the Mendips with two friends on the first weekend, I went on to attend my first Outdoor Bloggers weekend, in an area that was very close to home. This turned out to be a success for so many reasons and I still manage to ease in to double figures.

07/04 – 13 miles – Mendip Hills, Somerset
13/04 – 8.5 miles – Cheddar Gorge (Outdoor Bloggers Weekend)
14/04 – 5.25 miles – Cheddar Reservoir (Outdoor Bloggers Weekend)
19/04 – 11.75 miles – Sand Point from Home
21/04 -12 miles – Quantock Hills, Somerset
23/04 – 13 miles – Brent Knoll and Burnham-on-Sea
28/04 – 10 miles – Axbridge to Crook Peak (walk leading)

Total for April 2019 = 73.5 miles

It was in mid-April that I left the keys to my former flat with the lettings agency and locked the door to my past life in Wrington, with the Mendip Hills right outside of my front door.

 

I now live on the edge of Weston-super-Mare… Without being too specific! A fear was that I would leave the countryside behind, with this shift. But for all that this town may lack in elevated areas, I did complete an interesting circular walk from my new doorstep, almost to the sum of twelve miles.

This is one of several walks I still intend to write about.

I made a return to the Quantocks… Probably only a matter of weeks after my previous visit! I do love those hills.

Having been exploring that area now for five whole years, I still managed to find (and bag) one hill that I had somehow managed to bypass on each visit since 2014!

Bluebell season is still upon us. Right now, it may be in its prime… Or very soon to fade. I haven’t yet taken a great opportunity to do one of my favourite bluebells walks but I hope to make that time soon.

 

For the third time this year – in only four months – I led the group on a ten-mile walk between the medieval town of Axbridge and the mighty Crook Peak (no S). At the time of writing, I’ve already led my fourth group walk of the year. But I’m not looking to ‘lead one thousand miles’. That would be daft.

It’s probably been four, if not five years since my only previous walk between Brent Knoll and Burnham-on-Sea. “Flatland” doesn’t always offer the same appeal, when you have to drive somewhere and could equally travel for a similar distance and find a more undulating way to spend your day.

This is another local walk that I intend to write about, soon.

I’ve only recently returned from a long weekend in Snowdonia and, with the intention of walking the full South Downs Way later this month, I feel as though May could be a record-breaker for the time of year.

In April 2018, I managed to walk an extra 14.5 miles versus this recent tally… While my yearly standing was around 40 miles less than what you see below!

Current total for 2019 = 285.75 miles

Thanks for reading.