Do It Again

* * * Announcing my new LETJOG Peaks challenge! * * *

Ever searching for an outdoor adventure, I have been working on a new walking challenge for this spring and summer. Deciding upon another escapade has not been easy: constraints on time, diary commitments, physical and mental fitness, as well as the opportunity for preparation, have all been critical factors, but most important of all is perhaps the inner belief, enthusiasm and motivation required in committing to a new, enduring and demanding quest.

So, after much planning and deliberation, I have settled upon a new idea: ‘LETJOG Peaks’. This enterprise will entail a series of separate day walks and climbs, up to the summit of each English County – 48 in all – over the course of the next few months.

I expect that some summits will prove to be demanding and remote (Scafell Pike in Cumbria and Brown Willy in Cornwall come to mind), whilst other county ‘high points’ such as Great Chishill in Cambridgeshire or High Holborn in the City of London might be ascended entirely unknowingly by most folk there, just in going about their daily lives. Some peaks are close to home and can be covered in a day trip, whilst others further afield will need to be combined into longer walking trips or picked up in the course of my travels throughout the country. I anticipate a most varied and exciting experience around the length and breadth of our diverse country – a deep dive, if that is the right expression, into the landscapes of the English countryside!

My intention is to undertake a separate day walk, of about 8 to 15 miles, around and up to each county summit. There might be instances where reaching the top is not possible (for instance there is limited access within the ‘Danger Area’ of County Durham’s Mickle Fell), whilst actually finding the peaks on the flatlands of East Anglia might prove difficult. But I intend to have a go at each, and see where the journey takes me.

Along with my compass and my route plans (carefully plotted in advance on the OS App) I will, as ever, be taking my nordic poles – essential aids for uphill propulsion and downhill stability. I hope to enjoy many of the walks with Rachel and with any family and friends who would care to join me, and perhaps to meet up with some of those around the country whom I see less regularly. A sociable challenge and a fun journey, in the widest sense, are my goals.

The 48 County Peaks have an aggregate height of around 17,500 metres (57,000 feet), and I expect to walk about 500 miles in completing my LETJOG Peaks challenge. Please join me on the journey, via this Blog, as it unfolds over the coming weeks and months. I intend to write a piece on each of my walks up to the four dozen summits, hopefully at the rate of around one per week. You can of course dip into this website at any time to see how I am getting on, and if you would like to receive emails as soon as my Blogs are published then this can be done by registering with your email address at the foot of the BLOG page.

As many of you will know, over the last two years I have undertaken (in some cases alongside others) three challenges for charity, in support of Mind, Parkinson’s UK, Cancer Research UK, and our local Hospice of St Francis. A great many very generous sponsors have made contributions totalling just over £29,000 to these causes. It is difficult, particularly in these demanding times, to keep asking for more sponsorship, but I am currently speaking with the British Red Cross with the intention of setting up a donations page towards their Ukraine Crisis Appeal, in particular for their critical humanitarian work on the ground in Ukraine and in support of Ukrainian refugees in the UK. Of course there will be no obligation, but for those interested I will post more on this charitable fundraising in due course.

Meanwhile please just enjoy the Blogs, and I would be delighted if you pass on my website address to any family or friends who may be interested in my musings and ramblings.

Regular readers of this Blog will know that all of my Blog headings are song titles. I attempt to keep the titles relevant (at least in some small way) to the subject of the Blog – I keep a playlist of all the songs on Spotify, and this provides a great personal reminder of my walks. I’ve taken also to writing a short piece here about each song and the respective recording artists. Announcing a new challenge is always fun, and the song title heading ‘Do It Again’ seemed to me a fitting opening to kick off my new adventure. ‘Do It Again’ has titled a fair number of very different songs, by writers (amongst others) ranging from George Gerschwin and Buddy DeSylva in 1922, through to The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Mike Love in 1968, and The Chemical Brothers in 2007, but the song I am favouring on my playlist is Steely Dan’s 1972 number. Written by group members Walter Becker and Donald Fagan the song was included on their breakthrough album ‘Can’t Buy A Thrill’ and was rated by Cashbox Magazine for its ‘fine vocal harmony and superb arrangement’. I’m thinking that this latter quality will be key to the success of my LETJOG Peaks venture!