My ever-evolving bucket list fills me with excitement when I look at it – but more than that it gives me focus and purpose. I look at my list at the start of a new year and it’s full of promise – everything’s ripe for the picking. And once I’ve picked something, I get planning. Then I get hiking. And then, finally, I revel in the ticks ✓ and amazing memories.
Photo: Hiking Offa’s Dyke Path
I hope my list inspires you to add a few things to yours! (Here’s what I’m planning this year.)
UK Hiking
To solo hike all UK long-distance national trails (✓ 8/15, excluding the unfinished England Coast Path)
✓ South West Coast Path
✓ Norfolk Coast Path and Peddars Way
✓ South Downs Way
✓ Cotswold Way
✓ Offa’s Dyke Path
✓ The Ridgeway
✓ The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
✓ Wainwright’s Coast to Coast
Remaining trails:
Glyndwrs Way; Thames Path; North Downs Way; Pennine Way; Pennine Bridleway; Yorkshire Wolds Way; Hadrian’s Wall Path (+ the England Coast Path – when it’s finally finished!)
Hike Scottish Trails:
✓ West Highland Way
Remaining trails:
Great Glen Way; Southern Upland Way; Speyside Way; Cape Wrath Trail
Explore the UK’s 15 National Parks (11/15 visited):
✓ Exmoor ✓ Dartmoor ✓ Broads ✓ Lake District ✓ Eryri (Snowdonia) ✓ Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) ✓ North York Moors ✓ Yorkshire Dales ✓ South Downs ✓ New Forest ✓ Loch Lomond and The Trossachs ✓ Pembrokeshire Coast
Remaining NPs :
Peak District; Northumberland; Cairngorms
Others
✓ The Dartmoor Way
✓ Two Moors Way
✓ Tamara Coast to Coast Way (along the Devon/Cornwall border)
Land’s End to John O’Groats
The Wales Coast Path
Walk on Skye and other Scottish Islands
Striding Edge/Swirral Edge (Lake District)
✓ Take part in an LDWA challenge walk (Chagford Challenge 2025)
Winter hiking in snowy mountains
World Hiking
✓ The Inca Trail (photo: the top of Dead Woman’s Pass, 4,200 metres)
The O Circuit, Patagonia – high on the list!
AT, PCT, CDT (USA) – at least one of them
John Muir Trail, USA
Camino de Santiago Spain
TMB France
GR20 Corsica
Kungsleden Sweden
Te Araroa New Zealand
Trek through South America
Trek in Nepal
Other Adventures
✓ Run a coastal ultra marathon (28 miles)
✓ Invent and complete my own adventures and challenges
✓ Solo wild camping
Via Ferrata
See the Aurora Borealis
See a moving glacier
Visit some of the US National Parks
Stay in a Scottish bothy with an open fire
Ziplining
✓ Kayaking (Florida)
✓ Abseiling (down a building)
Paddleboarding
White water rafting
Whale watching
So many more, probably not enough time!
(Or, far more accurately, not enough funds…)
A Few Life Goals
Done
✓ Study fine art (BA and MA)
✓ Train as a Lowland Leader
✓ Study PGCE
✓ Sell/exhibit artwork
✓ Ran a business (14 years)
✓ Guest on podcasts
✓ Publish articles
✓ Create a library of women’s hiking stories (begun!)
✓ Raise money for charity
✓ Volunteer with the Wildlife Trust
To Do
Train as a Hill and Moorland Leader
Run a business (again) – inspire others to overcome any barriers and get outside to enjoy hiking and walking
Write and publish a book
Become a speaker
Sell/exhibit my artwork (again)
Have a lot more fun!