CLEANSLATE

AFTER SPENDING lockdown walking the footpaths around my home, I was left with a strong urge to wander further. I’ve trekked and climbed all over the world, as well as completing several long-distance trails. My meanderings have taken me from the Isle of Skye to Hadrian’s Wall, from the John Muir Trail in California to multi-day trails in New Zealand, and amongst the 8000m peaks of the Himalayas – but I had never walked a multi-day route beginning and ending at my front door.

In this age of climate crisis, it feels increasingly unjustifiable to fly around the world to enjoy the very environments so at risk from rising temperatures and extreme weather events. This was an opportunity to break a habit.

Living on the boundary of Snowdonia National Park, I had few excuses. Walking, for me, has always made exploring new places an immersive experience – but could I find the same satisfaction so close to home? With a spell of good weather forecast, I prepared to spend four days walking a variation of the Snowdonia Slate Trail from my front door.

QUARRY HUNTING

My partner was concerned. Not for me, of course, but for the dog, who I planned to take with me. She had