It’s with mixed emotions I’ve just submitted my last route to Trail, for the time being at least.
I’ve always run close to the deadlines for submitting these, there’s no other way to do it than with the most recent information possible or you’re as well just having a page saying “Buy the SMC books”. This has worked for me, with forestry operation changing long established route, new deer fences etc, but also against me as I have spent far too many days sitting in laybys in the pissing rain waiting for a clear hour to run up a hill I know well to get new photies.
Doing the routes has seen me visit or revisit many wonderful places and try to spread the joy of what I see there but I think it’s time for me to chase the patches of blue sky wherever they are, camp on a hill I hadn’t thought of until that day and look at the calendar to see how far away Christmas is, not how close a felt tipped pen cross through a day is.
It’s been an absolute joy the past few years, and the fact that everyone hates Trail amuses me no end as despite it being the most popular mag, as a hate figure it’s made me feel a little bit counter culture having been involved in it.
It’s product, like every other magazine or website out there despite any pretensions of being an authority on its subject, it’s made to sell, but that doesn’t mean there’s not good folk in there. Matt Swaine who brought me in originally was a good lad, Phoebe Smith, now editor of Wanderlust, who I did two of the hardest days on the trail I’ve ever done is passionate about wild places and instantly made my wants list as a post apocalypse team member. More recently Dan Aspel is who has suffered from my oblique approach to scheduling and deadlines, he’s man who loves the mountains and who I’ve enjoyed bantering with but unfortunately never managed out on the hill with. Yet.
“Tell Petesy to stop writing about music and go back to the mountains”. Someone said that to Joycee a few weeks back, someone she didn’t know either, I guess that’s the power and reach of the internet.
It won’t happen overnight, but now I wouldn’t be writing about every trip twice it might encourage me to write my trips up on the blog again. For the blog it has to be done right away, I have to get my thoughts down when I come back, if I leave it too late it’s just a description of where I’ve been and I don’t want to read that kind of shite on here when I’m 70. I want to read about the mistakes, the swearing, the donuts, the song in my head and just how awesome that sunrise is.
Aye. We’ll see.
It would be good to see the trip reports back on here. They were always entertaining and inspirational in equal measure.
I still refer to the back catalogue occasionally to get tips on where the nearest pastry purveyor is for any given route.
It’s all good. I’m heading to some old favourites first.
A shame your not writing more. I have at times given Trail stick, and also defended it. All down to what team are leading it. This year I have got it a few times and the latest has you on some hills I did on my TGOC walk. Cracking views (cracking hills). The new route sheets are top notch, and to be fair and honest the mag is a good read right now.
Then the market is day walkers and the odd overnight trip person. Grumpy git’s like me who do 2 week walks will sometimes like Trail – but it should not be a reflection on its overall approach as after all backpackers not liking it should see the fact its not all about big walks for days on end.
So share all the old walks Petesy and stuff on going lighter you did for them. Hope your on a hill soon.
Do whatever you want fella, always enjoy the music entries.
I love your sentiment. You give inspiration to all of us who don’t get ‘hill time’ as often as we’d like. ‘Trail’ has it’s place, and can be a source of inspiration to all hill goers.
Thank you for your contribution.
Gary
Thanks for youth thoughts. I’ve have many of my own these past few months and I’ve reached a conclusion of sorts.
I miss this place, I miss taking my camera into the hills and pasting the results onto these black pages.
I love testing the gear for Walkhighlands, it doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment in the slightest and I think I’ve got some balance back.
While I can’t retrace much of the past few months, I think my next steps will be a little more visible.