I hadn’t been out walking for a few days, despite having a lot of time to myself. I may refer to this time as ‘chilling out’, when in fact I was probably binge-watching Dartmoor-themed videos on YouTube!
Here I was though, standing at the close of 2017. Not willing to join the walking group on a windswept, snow-beaten trek up Pen Y Fan that evening… I decided to stay close to home and rediscover the Mendip Hills.
December 2017: my first walk on the Quantocks in a while and exploring this familiar, loveable landscape under a blanket of snow.
One day prior to this walk, I’d seen numerous snow-filled photographs of the Quantock Hills and other high places, spread across social media. I had days to spare but didn’t want to wait too long in case it began to clear as quickly as it had arrived. So, it was down to the Quantocks, I would go.
This post is quite timely, as night-time temperatures have recently dropped below freezing in the UK and, down in Somerset, we’re being reminded of weather warnings and the constant threat of fresh snow.
Boxing Day 2017 walk, from Axbridge in Somerset, to the heights of Crook Peak on the Mendip Hills and back along the Cheddar Yeo river.
There was a time when I would walk up to Crook Peak on a regular basis. Since those days, my desire to explore further afield has grown and I’ve often come close to taking the local hills for granted.
It was Boxing Day. I didn’t fancy travelling far and I knew that, wherever I would decide to walk, there were likely to be others around. Sticking close to home but with a physical challenge in mind, I drove down to Axbridge.
Christmas Eve! Freeom from work for the ten days that would follow!
One day before the highlight of the week and I’d decided to head out for a walk on the Mendip Hills. This walk began in Priddy, which is only a thirty-minute drive from home.
Walks With Olly 