Waking up in a comfy bed in the Catalan Pyrenees, I find myself suffering from a bit of ‘Alpine confusion’. Fresh mountain air, rustic wooden beams in my chalet-style hotel, and – wait a moment – is that a horse wearing a cowbell? Looks like I’ve ended up somewhere just a little bit different.

With just 140 souls to its name, the small village of Estamariu sits solidly on a piece of rock overlooking the Segre river valley. The journey here follows a steep, narrow and exceedingly winding road, and is an adventure in itself.

“This road used to be the smuggle route from Andorra before the new government clamped down on it,” my driver, Xavier, tells me. “People would drive at night with no headlights on, to avoid getting caught.” I would have thought the feat of driving here in broad daylight was hard enough.

The villages in the county of Alt Urgell, one of Catalonia’s northernmost, are hardly a hotbed of contraband activities anymore. But these havens of rustic charm are made from sturdy stuff, some dating back to medieval times. The people – having withstood the Franco era and kept their culture alive – are proud Catalan speakers, so I get a crash course on the local lingo from Xavier and can’t help but snigger when I learn that foc means ‘fire’.

Views good enough to eat

In glorious sunshine at the height of the poppy season, 13 of us intrepid walkers set out to explore the area on our first day’s hike. Descending on nearby Bescaran, we follow a winding dirt track leading out of the village. It’s uphill for a while, getting those leg muscles working and the adrenaline rushing, before the track evens out and settles into more gentle undulations.

The landscape is determinedly pretty – every shade of green, with multi-coloured butterflies and bright splashes of red, blue and yellow wild flowers lining the path. In the background, the snow-capped mountains of Cadí-Moixeró national park are looming large, while the Segre river is running wild in the valley below.

The destination, after a 4km/2.5-mile hike up to 1,300m, is a Neolithic “dolmen”: three blocks of rock – two walls and a roof – known as La Cabana del Moro, the Moor’s Cabin, dating back 5,000 years. No one quite knows whether a Moor actually lived here once, or indeed, how he managed to fit in, since the cabin is only 2.5 x 1.5 metres. Perhaps the idyllic setting made up for the lack of space.

Although a hiking trip, time in Alt Urgell is firmly focused on pleasing the belly and a veritable feast is spread before us at every turn. Our hotel in Estamariu, Cal Teixidó, is renowned for its scrumptious dinners using local produce, and even tiny, crumbling villages such as Bescaran have excellent fare – from local wild mushrooms and roast chicken to the obligatory pan Catalan (bread with olive oil, fresh tomato and garlic) and eminently drinkable local wines.

So as not to feel too stuffed from our multi-course dinners we simply walk a little harder on our second day and visit an old woollen mill. In operation since 1902, it is home to Spain’s oldest continuously working spinning Jenny, dating from 1850. Although still making blankets, socks and scarves, these days the mill is also open to the public as a museum.

Crumbling rustic culture

We trek uphill to the town of Calvinyà through lush, gorgeous-smelling pine forests, with wild mountain thyme that lines the footpath adding to the heady mix of aromas. It has its own ‘peasant museum’ set up by the Troguet-Pal family – one of several families doing their utmost to revive these dilapidated villages. “The old ones die and the young ones move away to work in Andorra or Barcelona,” one local laments. Tourism can make a difference and help reverse this cycle and people here are excited to see more visitors finding their way up to these remoter parts.

The hike proves hungry work, so we tuck into our picnics on the outskirts of the village to the happy croaks of nearby mating frogs. All the way back down to La Seu black storm clouds chase us, but we make it back to our cosy hotel in the nick of time. When the torrential rain dies down, a dazzling double rainbow lights up the sky and I swear I can hear the tinkling of a horse’s cowbell somewhere beyond the distant mountains.

Walk the world and help the work of the Ramblers, too. Ramblers Worldwide
Holidays’ charitable trust is a major contributor to the Ramblers. For more information, please visit www.ramblersholidays.co.uk

In woodlands, lesser celandines (or buttercups), wood anemone and sweet violets will be showing from March onwards. And hedgerows will have blackthorn and pussy willow, with bluebells and cowslips flowering later in the season. Even along roadsides, cow parsley, red campion and poppies will brighten up your walk.

Butterflies emerge mid-spring, to be joined by bees as the weather warms up. The frog and toad spawn you may have seen during March will, by April, have turned into tadpoles. And, if you happen by any badger setts during early evenings, you may be able to spot this year’s young exploring for the first time. At night, bats will be circling their homes in old buildings and trees.

By May, the countryside will be thrumming with life. Yellow gorse will carpet heathlands, providing habitat for numerous birds and insects – including dragonflies. In areas with poor soil, carnivorous sundew plants will try to catch flies on sticky hairs. And along rivers, the adult mayfly will begin its brief, 24-hour lifespan.

With so much new growth, and more and more sprouting leaves, the only problem will
be seeing everything among the vegetation – but it’s certainly worth trying!

The Royal Forest of Dean is a heart-shaped wedge of 20 million trees on the border of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire border, and has been one of Britain’s biggest natural assets for more than 2,000 years. Home to abundant boar and deer, and flanked by the Rivers Wye and Severn, the forest is rooted in fertile beds of limestone and mineral deposits that have been mined for iron and coal since Roman times. It was annexed by Tudor royals as a hunting ground, and near-destroyed in the 1600s to provide the oak for the ships fuelling Britain’s burgeoning military and colonial power. So important was it for this purpose that the invading Spanish Armada of 1588 was ordered to target the Forest of Dean and “not leave a tree standing”.

Now, under Forestry Commission protection, Dean’s ancient oaks, beech and ash and vibrant wildlife are being encouraged to grow wilder. Roman earthworks and L-shaped railtracks, as well as manmade mill ponds, iron ‘delves’ and coal mines strew the forest unused and in various stages of absorption back into the forest’s eco system.

For Sue Warren, founder member of the Forest of Dean Ramblers, it all adds up to a landscape that is utterly absorbing for both mind and senses: “I’ve walked at least twice a month in the forest for the past 30 years, and I discover something new every time. “In summer, the old industrial ponds at Cannop hum thick with dragonflies. In winter, at the heart of the Forest, cobwebs laden with fat dewdrops hang from the bare branches of the trees and bracken.

“Last autumn, I stumbled on an old iron mine hidden under leaves in Lambsquay Woods – the tree roots seemed to grow out of the stones. Now spring is coming, when the slopes of Slade Valley will be coated with great swathes of wild garlic and bluebells. I can smell them from miles away. ”

For a full guide to the wildlife of the Forest of Dean, see the Spring issue of walk magazine, on newsstands now.

What is it about water? We all love the sound of it and the sight of it. Those who live on the coast will tell you they even love the smell of it! Perhaps our affiliation with the wet stuff is rooted deep in our biology – subliminally we associate water with our very survival. It is, after all, our lifeblood and in these challenging times we sense this dependence more than ever. Whatever it is that captivates us, water is a constant source of inspiration for photographers and in Britain we’re lucky to have it all around us.

So where to start? The possibilities are endless. Mirror-calm lakes, cascading waterfalls, winding rivers – they all provide huge potential and, as a bonus, are often the best places to walk. But for me, it’s the sea that holds that something extra special. I can never quite put my finger on why, but when I’m not photographing it, I’m dreaming about photographing it – along with a list of other things, of course!

During a recent trip to northern Scotland, I took the five-mile walk out to Sandwood Bay in Sutherland – surely one of the most spectacular coastlines in Britain. Although the weather wasn’t as I’d hoped, the brooding sky and lashing sea somehow complemented the mood of the day. As I trudged back through driving snow, I contemplated a dilemma that I’d faced during the shoot – one that, bizarrely, divides photographers countrywide.

We’ve all marvelled over images of crashing waves with pin-sharp water droplets captured in a nanosecond. And, equally, we’ve been lured by the soft, silky effect of a heaving sea blurred by a long exposure. So, which is best? There is strong opinion on each side but, for me, either can work equally well, and on the day I went for the ‘soft’ option – but not too soft!
Blurring moving water to give it that dreamy look is no black magic, and applying a few simple techniques can render stunning results. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can apply the principle to a moonlit shot of your local canal or a remote tumbling waterfall – anywhere there is moving water.

Step-by-step guide

1 I knew that Sandwood provided the bonus of an isolated sea stack as an appealing backdrop. The forecast promised light cloud and sun, but I was handed a stormy winter’s day. I decided to go for the cold, sombre feel to match the conditions.

2 As I wanted to record some movement in the water, I spent 10 minutes just watching how the sea moved, working out the best viewpoint.

3 With my camera mounted on a sturdy tripod, I made sure that the shutter speed (the time that light passes on to the camera’s sensor) was long enough to partially blur the water. In this case, the speed was 1/8 second. A faster shutter speed would reduce ‘movement’ in the water and a slower speed would make it even more blurred. But be brave – I’ve taken similar shots in near darkness using five-minute exposures!

4 By using the camera’s self-timer (or a cable release), I didn’t need to touch the camera during the exposure, ensuring the image wasn’t affected by camera shake.

5 Compositionally, I placed the horizon on the ‘top third’ of the image. With the sweep of the sea complementing the distant stack, I intended the eye to be drawn from bottom left to top right.

6 By timing the exposure with either a wave breaking or receding, I was able to create a series of different images from the same position. The breaking wave creates movement towards the viewer; the receding wave does the opposite.

7 The conditions gave these images a cold cast, which I enhanced during processing by reducing the colour temperature – it can be done on the camera at the time.

Inspired to improve your waterside photographs? Send us your waterside images and you could win a Nikon D60 camera kit worth £479.99! Click here to enter

More than a millennium after the first pilgrims set out on foot across Europe to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela, the epic Way of St James is more popular than ever with modern-day hikers. Paul Lamarra finds out why

When keen walkers John Cawley and his friend Peter Benham finally walked into Santiago de Compostela in the summer of 2005 and stood in the immense cobbled plaza before the city’s granite cathedral, they turned to each other and hugged.

For 32 days, John and Peter had followed the ancient pilgrim route known as the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, from Pamplona near the French border, across the hot, dusty plains of northern Spain, to Santiago – a distance of 460 miles – to visit the tomb of St James. Legend has it that the body of the first apostle to be martyred journeyed to Galicia in a boat with no sails and no crew, and the bones are now held in a cask in the cathedral’s crypt. John and Peter are just one wave in a tide of pilgrims that has ebbed and flowed over Europe to Santiago in the north-west of Spain for more than a millennium. It’s a walk that appeals to the young, old, fit, unfit, religious or otherwise.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and declared Europe’s first Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in 1987, the Camino is the granddaddy of all long-distance walks and is enjoying a popularity it hasn’t known since the 12th century, when half a million pilgrims a year are thought to have made the journey. From a relatively paltry 2,500 recorded pilgrims in 1986, and fewer than 100 in 1970, the number has grown to more than 100,000 today and exceeds 180,000 in Holy Years, when the feast of St James on 25 July falls on a Sunday. (The next such Holy Year is in 2010.)

Of course, medieval pilgrims had to walk all the way from home to feed into a network of footpaths, hostelries and holy sites that led them through France to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, before crossing the Pyrenees to Pamplona. Early British pilgrims would often first walk to Canterbury and then to Plymouth, where they would sail to A Coruňa on the northwest coast of Spain or to Paimpol in Brittany for the long walk south. Others made their way to Paris, Vezelay, Le Puy-en-Velay – shrines in their own right – to follow routes described in a 12th-century guide known as the Codex Calixtinus.

John, now 75 and a very active member of Eastleigh Ramblers in Hampshire, started in Le Puy-en-Velay in the French Auvergne and tackled the French section in three separate two-week trips, before his final big stage from Pamplona. “I was really just drawn to it for the walk,” says John. “But I found it to be more than just a walk – it was a very uplifting and humbling experience. The most profound moment was at Lascabanes, in southwest France, where the priest in the church next to the pilgrims’ gîte washed my feet, in keeping with a tradition that has continued for over 1,000 years. It was at that moment I felt the connection with all the pilgrims who had gone before me.”

Despite the many hostelries, churches, shrines and taverns that sprang up along the pilgrim routes, the medieval pilgrim could expect a thoroughly miserable time. Protected only by a long stick, a scallop shell – the pilgrim symbol supposed to ensure safe passage – and a vague fear that bad luck befell anyone who attacked a pilgrim, he was vulnerable to attack by bandits and wild animals. Combined with the heat of the Spanish Meseta, the cold arduous climbs over the Pyrenees and the risk of thirst on the high arid causses of southern France, there was enough discomfort involved in the Camino to atone for all his sins and minimise the inevitable spell in purgatory. Now, with only blisters and sore knees to worry about, is it possible for a seasoned rambler such as John Cawley to consider himself a pilgrim in the truest sense?

Marion Marples, secretary of the Confraternity of St James – an organisation that offers advice to prospective pilgrims – believes suffering need not play a part in a pilgrimage. “You do have to accept that a pilgrimage is not just fun, fun, fun, but it needn’t be uncomfortable,” she says. “Stripped of physical and mental baggage and the simplicity of the daily routine of rising, eating, walking, washing, eating, sleeping can be liberating. It’s the individual’s willingness to embrace this lifestyle that sets them apart as a pilgrim – it leaves room to think.”

Official pilgrims carry a credencial or pilgrim passport that must be stamped each day for the pilgrim to claim their compostela or pilgrim’s certificate on arrival in Santiago. The passport also allows the pilgrim to stay in the many pilgrim hostels along the way. They are issued to members of the confraternity or to pilgrims applying at the town hall, police station or a refugio at the start of the walk. When issued with a passport, it is assumed that the pilgrim has a spiritual quest and has an open mind to what they may find en route. “The majority of walkers are not religious, but you will be offered hospitality and kindness by people on the assumption that you are pursuing some higher purpose,” says Marion. “It’s important not to abuse this privilege and remember that you are more than a tourist. As a tourist we expect, but as a pilgrim we are grateful.”

Inevitably, fears are growing that some of the routes are becoming too popular, especially the Camino Francés, which runs from the Pyrenees to Santiago via Burgos and Leon. In an effort to relieve congestion, the Confraternity have opened a new refugio on the less well-known Ruta del Norte, which follows the coast rather than the inland route. The route from Le Puy is well signposted as it coincides with footpath GR65, but there are signs that the other routes from Vezelay and Paris are developing rapidly.

It’s easy to see why the Camino has become so popular. All along the route there are evocative reminders of its medieval golden age, with Europe’s most imposing gothic architecture and the finest examples of religious art and stained glass on display in the many churches and cathedrals. Then there’s the elation of glimpsing Santiago’s spires for the first time and walking the city’s narrow arcaded streets at its medieval core. For John Cawley, it was all that and the friendship of his fellow pilgrims that made the journey worthwhile. “Each night I sat down to dinner with up to 30 strangers who shared a common interest,” says John. “In fact, one night I counted 37 nationalities at one table.”

And John’s one piece of advice for prospective pilgrims? “Travel light,” he says.

Rediscover your inner child with our start-up guide to geocaching. Adam Vaughan explores this fast-growing game which uses satellite technology to combine brilliant hikes with adult treasure hunts

From the remotest peaks to city centre parks, your hikes are increasingly likely to lead you within metres of hidden treasure troves. Across the UK, more than 35,000 containers known as geocaches are squirreled away in car parks, hollow trees and nooks. The South Downs is host to dozens, Hyde Park has four and even the demanding environs of Snowdon have scores. These geocaches are the key element of geocaching – a fast-growing game that uses GPS satellite technology for treasure hunts across the world.

Anyone can take part in geocaching, and the great news for walkers is that many geocache locations are an excuse for a good yomp. The concept is simple: you look up geocaches online, plot the coordinates into a GPS device and then embark on an expedition to find your hidden treasure.

The contents of caches vary massively and are mostly low in financial value. A typical find might unearth a logbook, toys and other knick-knacks, usually wrapped in individual plastic bags to protect them from the weather. Other forms of caches include events, multi-parters (where one cache provides the location of another cache) and educational geology-themed caches known as EarthCaches.

Once a niche hobby in the US, geocaching has grown hugely in the UK thanks to the falling price of GPS handsets, an army of volunteers and a healthy social scene online and in pubs around the country. “The sport is seeing an almost exponential growth and the character of the game is changing,” says Peter Howard, one of the UK’s most prolific geocachers. “It’s becoming a much more mainstream activity and, for something that frequently involves whole families participating and getting out and about, that can only be a good thing.”

The appeal is as varied as those taking part, from families turning walking into an interactive game to serious hikers rewarding themselves for challenging routes. “Imagine being on a mystery tour and being taken to something you never knew existed – that’s geocaching,” says Dave Love, a geocacher in Edinburgh. Other enthusiasts cite fun, the joy of  the outdoors and the thrill of finding a well-hidden cache as attractions.

For an activity that can appear solitary, the social aspect is important to many geocachers. “The social scene is part of the fun – it’s an excuse to meet up in a pub occasionally and swap stories,” says Nick Meredith, a regular cacher. “It shows what a pleasant and like-minded group geocachers are.”

As you’d expect for a game that relies on the internet, geocaching is moving with the times. Over 14 geocaching programmes have been written for the iPhone 3G, taking advantage of its GPS and internet connection to allow cachers to look-up caches while they’re on the hoof. Early adopters are even taking advantage of microblogging service Twitter (see www.tinyurl.com/gc-twit) to post their geocache discoveries in real-time, opening up new social possibilities. The advent of Google Maps and its integration into geocaching sites has also helped cachers who don’t know their latitude from their longitude.

Top Geocaching Websites

Geocaching.com
Run by a commercial company called Groundspeak, Geocaching.com is the undisputed king of geocaching listings and forums: it hosts over 35,000 UK caches alone.

Gagb.co.uk
This is the official site of the Geocaching Association of Great Britain and is home to a lively forum discussing UK events and UK-specific debates, such as the Forestry Commission’s stance on geocaching.

Terracaching.com
An alternative to Geocaching.com, this site is home to thousands of what it claims are ‘high quality’ cache locations. Although it lists very few UK geocaches, it is useful if you’re geocaching abroad.

Geocachingpodcast.info
If you want to hear the voices of real geocachers, this weekly podcast is a great place to start. It focuses on US geocaching, but features useful advice on GPS hardware and general tips that apply to the UK, too.

Geocachingbuddies.com
This new social networking site for geocachers shows a lot of promise. Although it’s early days in terms of the number of people using it, you may find it helps you meet like-minded geocachers in your area.

Question from Jacqui Scott: I was attacked by a herd of cows while out walking my dog on a public footpath and bridleway. I escaped with cuts and bruises, but felt badly shaken. Should I report this to prevent a serious incident occurring to someone else? Jacqui Scott
Martin Key: I’m sorry to hear about your scary experience. Currently, only bulls are banned in fields crossed by a right of way, except if they’re either under the age of 10 months, or are not of a recognised dairy breed and accompanied by cows or heifers. However, even cows can become aggressive, especially when they feel their calves are threatened. Health and safety law protects the public, so if you do find yourself in a situation where you are threatened or hurt on a walk, you should contact the Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk) – and the police if the matter is serious. Inform the relevant local highway authority that is responsible for the right of way, and let the Ramblers know, too. Otherwise, when encountering cattle, the Ramblers’ advice is to walk carefully and quietly, keeping dogs under close control (but make sure to let go of the lead should cattle start acting aggressively). If a bull or cow gets very close, face it and take a couple of steps towards it, waving your arms and shouting. And remember: always close any field gates behind you.

Question from Valerie Thompson: As a size-20 woman, I find it impossible to find ladies’ walking jackets and trousers to fit. Where can I go for my gear?
Minnie Burlton: It can be tough to find good outdoor clothing for larger frames but the following brands do sell clothes up to and including size 20: Regatta (www.regatta.com), Peter Storm (www.millets.co.uk), Craghoppers (www.craghoppers.com), Hawkshead (www.hawkshead.com) and Royal Robbins (www.royalrobbins.com). It’s also worth checking manufacturers’ sizing charts (usually on their websites) since Arc’teryx (www.arcteryx.com) and Columbia (www.columbia.com) both produce size 18s which are the equivalent of other manufacturers’ size 20. Rohan (www.rohan.co.uk) also produce a size 18 that’s just half an inch smaller than most size 20s, while Helly Hansen (www.hellyhansen.com) says its women’s XXL is equivalent to an 18-20.

Question from Howard Norfolk: Is there a hand-held GPS with paths marked on a map in the same way as a car satellite-navigation system?
Peter Judd: Most hand-held GPS come with a very basic basemap that is of no use to walkers. More detailed maps cost extra and there are two options: topographical maps with some incomplete footpath data, and full OS maps showing all rights of way. The latter is available either by using PC mapping software downloaded on to a PDA-type product, such as Memory-Map on the Road Angel GPS (www.memory-map.co.uk). Or you can buy GPS units that take a ‘plug & play’ SD card that are pre-loaded with OS maps, such as the Satmap Active10 (www.satmap.com) and Garmin’s Oregon series (www.garmin.co.uk). The in-car sat-nav style of computer-voiced navigation isn’t yet available for walking routes, but is in development.

Question from Fran Evans: I am a life-long walker but, due to osteoarthritis, I’m now facing hip replacement surgery. How far should I be able to walk afterwards?
Dr Helen Crawley: No-one can really predict how far you’ll be able to walk after a hip replacement. If your mobility is already severely limited, the operation should reduce the pain you’ve experienced but although your walking should improve, you’ll still not be able to undertake any long hikes. Before your operation, let your surgeon know that you’re a keen walker. Consult a physiotherapist for advice on strengthening your leg muscles in preparation for surgery and building your upper body muscles to help with using walking aids such as crutches. After the operation, your mobility should improve steadily. Be rigorous about performing the post-operative exercises suggested by the physiotherapist. Damage will be reduced if you avoid high-impact activities such as striding down hills. Walking poles and shock-absorbent poles will help reduce the stresses on your joints.

Send us your questions
Do you want an answer to a health, gear or legal question? Then write to us at walk, Ramblers, 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW or email denise.noble@ramblers.org.uk with your name and address. Letters may be edited and may be included on this website. We are not able to acknowledge letters.

The writers of all letters published will win a HotRox Electronic Hand Warmer – the new way to stay warm. They’re rechargeable and can be turned on and off at the flick of a switch. HotRox hand warmers are the must-have accessory for everyone who enjoys the great outdoors. Visit www.thehotrox.co.uk.

With its delightful rolling countryside and ancient villages, Deborah King wonders why Essex is so often passed over by walkers. Here, she explores the epic Harcamlow Way which is, sadly, on the frontline of expansion plans for Stansted Airport. Enjoy it while you still can

Essex can be overlooked by walkers. It’s often unfairly thought of as just an extended suburb of London that’s as flat as the bordering counties of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. But beyond the capital’s green belt in the south, the majority of Essex is delightful rolling countryside of low hills and wooded valleys, with ancient villages and charming hamlets waiting to be discovered. It’s also home to a huge web of scenic footpaths, one of the longest being the Harcamlow Way. This huge, figure-of-eight footpath from Harlow to Cambridge via Newport totals 226km/141 miles and was devised in 1980 by Fred Matthews and Harry Bitten to celebrate the 10th birthday of West Essex Ramblers. But the proposed expansion of Stansted airport means a second runway now threatens to change much of the southern part of this popular route, including dismantling listed buildings, diverting local footpaths, and tarmacking over a significant section of the Harcamlow Way itself. David Murray, the Rambers’ campaign coordinator, is concerned not only about the rights of way issues but also the broader impact on the natural environment and rural character of the area beyond the airport. “It’s an issue that’s going to affect all people, not just walkers – that’s why the Ramblers is keen to be actively involved,” he says. “The Harcamlow Way is an important part of local communities’ green spaces, and losing it to airport development will make any remaining outdoor walking opportunities a lot less attractive.”

Much of the Harcamlow Way cuts across arable land, following green lanes, ancient trackways and even a Roman road, so I was keen to see if the walk would live up to expectations. I carried a rare copy of Bitten and Matthews’ original route guide. But, given its age, I found it best to use as a reference, following the Ordnance Survey Explorer maps instead, where the Way is surprisingly easy to follow despite the lack of waymarks on the ground. Beginning in Harlow, I followed the attractive River Stort towpath before heading north towards the Ash and Rib valleys, which offered some delightful riverside and woodland walking with fine views over east Hertfordshire. There are several pretty villages along the way, including Manuden with its attractive row of traditionally built timbered and thatched cottages. Lone weekend walkers and a pack of cyclists passed me as I crossed a small bridge by the church and ascended a bridleway to a bird’s eye view of the entire village. In the distance, I could see the white hulls of planes taking off from Stansted, but here was all stillness and calm. Next is a series of green lanes past more woodland, arriving in the medieval town of Newport, followed by a stretch of scenic parkland that took me to the thatched cottages and pond of Debden. From here, the route returns either southeast to Harlow, or joins the northern loop to Saffron Walden. Either way, you are in for a treat.

Read Deborah King’s full account of this walk in the Spring issue of walk magazine, on newsstands now.

A route from the Harcamlow Way is featured within the Walks section of this website. Click here to see the route and download a route card.

From media queen to Vice President of the Ramblers, Janet Street- Porter is a true renaissance woman – and a phenomenal walker to boot. Dominic Bates meets her for a stroll around her adopted home in the North York Moors

You grew up in Fulham and Perivale, the daughter of an electrician and a dinner lady. Where did your love of walking come from?
My mother was Welsh and we spent all our summer holidays in the village she grew up in called Llanfairfechan, on the Menai Straits. Mum and I would walk everywhere, collecting firewood, picking bilberries and hiking over the mountains to Conway.

How often do you go out walking now?
I try to walk every day. If I don’t do at least a short walk every day then I start to feel miserable. In London, I like to keep to the backstreets, avoiding main roads as much as possible. When I arrive in a new place, I always want to have a map to work out where I can walk.

Who would be your dream walking companion?
No one. Walking alone is my idea of luxury, in utter silence, listening to the sound of the wind and the birds. It’s simply the best way to unwind and feel at peace. Nothing is more rewarding than experiencing the  landscape and the elements – the worse the weather the better!

Is there nobody at all…?
I’ve got a few close friends I like walking with. Vic Reeves was a good laugh when we walked to Leeds a few years ago; and Will Self and his wife Deborah Orr are good walkers too.

Any pet peeves when you’re out walking?
Don’t get me started about off-road vehicles destroying green lanes and ruining the environment with their horrible noise! I belong to the Yorkshire Dales Green Lanes Alliance and we are fighting to get off-roaders banned from historic drovers’ roads and bridleways.

You have homes in both Clerkenwell and the North York Moors. Where does your heart lie: in the town or country?
Both. I miss the cultural life of London, the museums, theatre, opera and galleries, but I wrote my two most recent books in Yorkshire and I love the solitary nature of the moorland where my house is.

What ambitions do you still have left  to fulfil and how best would you like to  be remembered?
I don’t care what anyone says about me after I’ve gone! I want to carry on discovering new paths, new landscapes. I’m not someone who harps on about the past; I think the best is still to come.

Read the full interview in the Spring issue of walk magazine, on newsstands now.

Most fit, active, professional young women would be devastated to discover they had a debilitating disease such as multiple sclerosis. But Liz Wray, 42, from East Yorkshire, chose to see it differently

The way the doctor looked at me back in 1999 – when I said I saw my diagnosis as a gift – is something I will never forget. He’d just finished explaining the results of my MRI brain scan. I had multiple sclerosis. I’ve always believed it’s not what happens to you, but what you make of your life that counts, I asserted. He scribbled the words ‘euphoric reaction’ on my notes. Being a psychologist, I knew what that meant. He thought I was hysterical. I was dispatched to hospital, where my treatment with intravenous steroids and neurophysiotherapy began and my life as I’d known it ended.

I’d always lived on the go. When I wasn’t travelling the world visiting fantastic cities with my work, I’d be hiking around the Yorkshire countryside. The thought of losing my ability to walk terrified me. But my MS attacks increased. My whole body would suddenly stop working and my legs collapse. Just months after my diagnosis I had no choice but to use a wheelchair. It’s frightening not being able to walk: your identity crumbles. But I strived to stay positive and focused on what I could still do, which turned out to be most things.

In some ways, it was harder for those close to me. They found it upsetting to see me in the wheelchair and, on a practical level, they had to get used to my new height. When I went shopping with my mum she kept banging me into things! My husband took it very badly. He was a challenging man to live with and that didn’t get easier when he started drinking and smoking more, and ran up debts. Things got worse in 2000 when my father had to undergo a critical heart operation. At the hospital, as I waited for word on his condition, a couple of the nurses revealed their ambitions to start up a restaurant. I couldn’t help myself – I sat for hours giving them career counselling. We ended up having a wonderful time. But the best thing of all was my dad survived. For a while afterwards, life got better and I became more confident in the wheelchair, but then, in August 2006, my husband had a heart attack and died. He didn’t leave a will and so our house was taken to pay off all his debts. Even for a positive thinker like me, all this was a huge blow.

In the end though, good things emanated from my financial predicament as well. I met a will writer who thought everyone should hear my cautionary tale. I joined him at seminars speaking about the importance of leaving a will. For the first time in ages, I felt like a strong force in the world again. My body responded, and my MS began to go into remission. Over the following months, I regained more mobility and was able to enjoy the glorious Yorkshire Dales again. The feeling of your legs rooted firmly and confidently to the ground had been a sensory pleasure I never used to notice. But now I know what a blessing the simple act of walking is. It was discussing this with my friend, Tracy Pepper, that led us to set up a company called the Walking Coach (www.walkingcoach.co.uk) three years ago. Our sessions take place in the open air – sometimes along country trails, sometimes among inspiring city architecture. We coach clients to think positively and achieve their goals, using the environment as a focus for discussion and reflection. I find fresh air and exercise promotes clear thinking and the inspirational surroundings encourage creativity. I often share my experiences too, just to prove what I’ve always said: it’s not what happens to you, but what you make of your life that counts.

YOUR WALK OF LIFE

Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing walk or how walking has transformed your world? Contact us at walkmag@ramblers.org.uk