Lessons from the Woods

Issue #79 Magical Multi-day Trekking

Last week we joined 260 hikers from all over the globe for a 50 km hike over three days in the Lake District on the Fjällräven Classic UK. Regular readers might that remember almost exactly a year ago, I did a recce for the route in absolutely wild conditions with a small crew from Fjällräven and a filmmaker and photographer in tow. The the actual event couldn't have been more different, with clear blue skies, light winds and warm sunshine throughout. Given the summer we have had, to be out hiking for three solid days in the best weather of the year was an absolute joy. What better way to make the most of summer’s last hurrah than spending every single moment out of doors?I plan to write a lot more about the hike next week - this was such a meaningful experience for us in many ways - but for now here is a slow and gentle film with improvised musical accompaniment of our hike which takes us from Langdale to Muncaster via Borrowdale and Wasdale, camping along the way, living in sync with the rhythms of the day. Me and Emma hiked the first two days together and then we were joined by Benji who camped and hiked the last 20 km with us.Thank you to Fjällräven and to all the wonderful people we met along the trail for making this a memorable adventure.We hope you enjoy following along with us and please do let us know what you think of this video post! Music With warmest wishes,Andrew, Emma and Benjix Get full access to Misc Adventures Digest at miscellaneousadventures.substack.com/subscribe

Lessons from the Woods - One Year On

Wednesday, January the 11th marked one year since we left our woodland home and headed north for a new life in The Lake District. We thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on our first year here and look back on how we feel now about leaving the woods, one year on.We talk about the highs and lows, the things that surprised us (and the things that didn’t!), finding a love for swimming in rivers and lakes, Benji’s growth and love for the outdoors and some of the things that didn’t go quite according to plan.We also look to the year ahead and chat about our hopes for 2023 and the new opportunities it holds. Thanks for listening, and as ever, we’d love to hear from you in the comments. Andrew, Emma and BenjixSome images from our first year in the Lakes… Get full access to Misc Adventures Digest at miscellaneousadventures.substack.com/subscribe

Lessons from the Woods - Uprooting

We recently recorded this episode from our new home in Cumbria, 6 months after leaving the woods. We wanted to reflect on what it was actually like to leave (spoiler alert, it was a LOT harder than we had anticipated it would be). In this episode, we recall some of the ‘last’ moments in the woods and the heartbreak and grief that we weren’t really prepared for. We also discuss where we are now, how things are and what we think the lasting legacy of our decade in the woods will be.Thanks for listening, we hope you’ve enjoyed this series of conversations! We have a few more topics we’re planning to cover as follow up episodes including parenthood, nature connection and knowledge. If there’s anything else you’d like to hear us chat about, please do ask, we’d love to hear from you.All the best for now,Andrew and Emma Get full access to Misc Adventures Digest at miscellaneousadventures.substack.com/subscribe

Lessons from the Woods - Leaving

In this episode, we talk about how we’re feeling about leaving in the last week of our time in the woods. We think about what we will miss, how hard it will be to say goodbye to friends (both human and more than human) and what will become of the land we live on.We think about the things we are looking forward to leaving behind too, some of the less fun aspects of our living set up and the stresses of being self employed.We look to the future, think about how the lessons we’ve learned over the 10 years will inform our next adventure in Cumbria. Get full access to Misc Adventures Digest at miscellaneousadventures.substack.com/subscribe

Lessons from the Woods - Good and Bad

Good and bad, there’s been lots of both over our 10 years in the woods. We wanted to talk about what each of us remembered as being good - our highlights reel of memories - but to also reflect on the bad. We cover everything from getting married, having a baby, family connections, and starting a business to getting trolled, being let down and dealing with emotional and financial struggles. This frank and honest conversation delves into how things are not always as glossy as they sometimes appear from the outside and recounts many of the significant moments that made us who we are today. Get full access to Misc Adventures Digest at miscellaneousadventures.substack.com/subscribe